"They got your outfit out of the 80's, I swear," Nick laughed to his partner. She was stretched out over the somewhat over-plush and frumpy brown couch in the middle of the living room with her feet in the fox's lap. He had been casually rubbing them to pass the time in a cozy late afternoon. They had no reason to hide in their current company. Motti and her family were all upstairs settling in (and quieting down). That left Agents Rosette and Bay, and the two lions. Both were now dressed in casual shorts and t-shirts. Everyone had been provided with a change of clothes after being rescued, but it was obvious that the clothing came from donation boxes. Judy's black jeans and lime green, midriff-celebrating t-shirt needed just a pair of legwarmers to prepare her for a yak-band rock video.
"Your outfit came out of a prison trash bin," Judy teased back. Nick had been given a jacket to cover up the fact that his white shirt had no sleeves. They were probably lacking in medium-sized shirts out in the Interior that day, it seemed. This one was too long, but still almost form-fitting, and the sleeves had been literally ripped off entirely at the shoulders. The dark green shorts were fine if one loved a thousand pockets and jingling zipper tags. Jack and Skye were upstairs already. By how they had been slumped over each other when they arrived, Judy knew they were likely already napping. They wanted time to be close. It was completely understandable to the doe. It had been pretty quiet in the living room with most of the group upstairs. It left Nick and Judy to relax and stare at the obvious sheep punching bag with dark, thick-rimmed glasses and a little gold bell around its floppy neck. Judy had no doubt who that was supposed to be as it hung silently from the rafters conspicuously in the common area.
A lot of predators held a great deal of malice toward the former mayor after the Nighthowler incident. There were even a few cheap apps one could buy where you got to fling water balloons at her. It was not a surprise that some of the sentiment about her, particularly so close to the end of her trial, might be a little more on the violent side. The punching bag looked like it was custom, at least. It wasn't some company profiting off of that malice. Judy quietly wondered if maybe this badger had been personally affected by Bellwether, as two badgers had been shot with Nighthowlers.
"Well, the special secret agents devoted to moving fox and bunny luggage will deliver our stuff tomorrow at least," Nick said, shaking Judy out of her musing as he took the bunny-foot in his paws and began working it diligently. She dropped her head back. The relaxed doe could see into the dining room where the table had been taken over by the wolf and snow leopard agents. They had files and papers strewn across it as they discussed security measures. The lions were both lounging in different arm chairs on opposite sides of the room.
"I haven't been anywhere near Zootopia in years," Cassie said with some excitement. "I wish we were allowed to go out and see the town. I've never even heard of it. It looked so quiet and sweet." Nick smiled up at her as Judy gave a barely perceptible groan of satisfaction with her handling.
The red vulpine murmured, "This particular town is mostly foxes, actually. I don't know if they told you that." He slid his warm paws up and down over the bunny's legs, over the tight-fitting fabric of those black jeans. Judy closed her eyes. Yeah, that was just fine, he could pet and hold her for the rest of the day. She would accept her fate.
"Oh hey! Now I really wanna get out there," the lioness laughed. "I was just saying I wanted my own fox!"
"Cass!" Charisse snapped in admonishment. "Kinda rude?" Nick and Judy both laughed, showing they weren't offended. After all, Nick was being very sweet to his bunny, which made foxes appealing right then.
"Sadly, you have to stay here," Judy reminded. "We need to keep low until they can determine the level of threat, if any. It's a really important precaution." Cassie sighed. She'd surely been told all of that by that point.
