The Long Game, A Zootopia Fanfiction

Fixer Upper

"Have you guys talked with Judy? She's got a place near city central."

"Yeah, I talked to her at the end of last semester, and she didn't have any ideas for off-campus housing. She lives in a different part of town, and after talking to her, we'd decided to stay in the dorms, but then room and board went up a bunch, and my brothers showed up, and I thought we could find a place on our own, so I haven't tried talking to her again. I could give her a call if you think she might know of something."

Nick chuckled, "Nah, I don't think you guys renting a place like hers would work, besides, Colton's right, I know a guy that owes me a favor, hang on."

Nick selected a contact on his phone, and after a few rings, a friendly voice answered.

"Nick, buddy, how's the tail hanging? Long time, no hear."

"Hey, Vic, how's my favorite landlord doing?"

"Uh-oh, sounds like you're looking for a place, finally get tired of living under that bridge, did ya?"

Cringing, Nick quickly putting the phone against his chest and moved away from the group of kits, and their mother, who had suddenly gone still, so they couldn't pick up on what more Vic might say about Nick's previous housing situation.

"Not for me, I'm looking for a place for a few friends. A couple of students and a couple of trades looking to get into the business. All four of them are rabbits from Bunnyburrow. Have you got a small apartment available to rent or know of a place? It can't be too expensive, and they need access to the metro."

"Ahhh, Nicky, four rabbits, all living in the same place? Come on buddy, you're killing me. I'd have an easier time finding you a place, than a pawful of rabbits."

Nick rubbed the back of his neck in frustration, "What do you mean, they're all siblings, come from a good family, if they have to, I'm sure we can figure out a way to put down a more serious deposit if someone is worried about parties or something."

Vic huffed, "Buddy, you're not hearing me, it doesn't have anything to do with the money, it's just... Nicky, I could get fired for telling you this, but, look, owners think if they rent to one rabbit, six months later they're going to be dealing with a couple dozen of them. I know it's not right, but it's what people think."

Biting back a growl, Nick almost barked at his friend, "That's not true, my partner rented a room in the Grand Pangolin Arms, it's not much, but she's had it for over a year."

"Have you asked her how much she's paying a month in rent? I know about the guy that took that place over from Dharma Armadillo, not that she wouldn't gouge a tenant, but that red panda is the kind of guy that makes even a slumlord look good."

Nick glanced back at the group of rabbits to make sure they weren't hearing any of this as Vic continued, "I'll bet your partner is paying twice as much for a quarter of the space anyone else in that building has, and if that panda sees another rabbit, especially a buck, coming out of her room in the morning, I bet he figures out a way to issue her a lease violation for something before the buck reaches the front sidewalk."

Sighing, Nick replied, "Vic hang on a sec," and walked back to the group.

Holding his phone out in his paw, Nick leaned over and spoke to the kits on the phone, "Tonya, where's the place you guys are planning on looking at tomorrow?"

The sound of paper shuffling was followed by Torrie answering for her littermate, "Some guy name Randy is renting a studio near one of the climate control walls in Kursed Falls. It's almost more than we can afford, but it's the only place left we haven't tried. If we don't get this place, then Tonya and I will have to live in the dorms, and we'll get charged twice as much as this place because they'll make us sign up for the meal plans. Those plans are so expensive we'd only have enough money left for one semester, and if we have to go back home, Phillip and Paul will have to go back home too."