Chapter 35: The New Normal

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It's almost been a week since the town hall and things have been progressing. Night had fallen in the town, the lamps automatically lit during the hours of designated "daytime."

Rumors have been floating around about Berry Blitzkrieg's defeat at the claws of the dragons, but we only have pissed off mutts from knights to go off of. We really need to find out what really happened, but our hands are full as it is.

I was there when they laid out the first tracks and Foxman yanked out the train and station out of his pocket (HOW BIG IS HIS INVENTORY?!?) A team of anthros along with some new human recruits get to work on installing it all. This was hardly my specialty, so I left them to their construction.

Things have been progressing in town. Today I was patrolling with Raina by my side. We were holding hands... well, arms. My girlfriend stopped wearing her cape allowing her missing arm to be exposed to the fresh air. I've taken this opportunity to start wrapping my noodle arm around the end of it whenever we walk around town.

Upon reaching Main Street, I was quickly inundated by protesters, but thankfully not for the GSP. In the center of it all, I saw Panchi arguing with Annabelle.

"Listen, Lady Panchi."

"That's Lord Panchi."

"...Lady Panchi, you need to bust up this protest, it's interfering with my business."

The Minutian groaned. "They aren't blocking the entrance, and they have a right to protest under the Town Charter."

"But they aren't even protesting my shop!"

"They're protesting you, that's the point."

Yep, the pig had a strike on her hands, but not the people working the shop. These were the protesters she paid to protest the Guaranteed Salary Plan, "salarygate" as they've been calling it. Apparently, Annabelle refused to pay overtime when it came time to deal out paychecks. They've been chanting "Pay us, pig, pay us!" for the last day or so.

"I mean, all these picketers can't be a good image for the town." Reasoned Belle.

"That's an ironic statement coming from you."

Belle looked annoyed, and her grumpiness didn't change when she saw me. "Duchess Raina, Anne, what a pleasant surprise." She said in a tone that was almost sarcastic. "Can to tell this wannabe cop what a nuisance looks like."

"You'd only have to look in a mirror." I said to her. If she wasn't going to show me courtesy, I'm not going to show her any either.

She grimaced, barely maintaining her decorum. "I meant, the protesters. Could you make this brat bust them up."

"First of all, you can disrespect me all you want, but remember that's the chief of security you're talking to."

"Lah-dee-dah!" The pig responded in a sing-song voice.

"And secondly, the town charter states clearly that any hours over the 32 hour work week MUST be paid, and at overtime rates. If you were genuinely having a hard time making ends meet I would have been lenient, but the fact you are clearly able to pay these people and refusing is a direct violation of that law. You were initially lucky they've chosen to publicly humiliate you instead of going directly to me."

"Oh how terrifying! I tremble at the might of the namby-pamby socialists! Woe as me!"

"Lock her up."

"Wait what?!"

At my word, Panchi moved immediately, binding her arms and dragging her through the street. "You're under arrest for violating section 46-B of the Town Charter."

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