Starter for @vulpsicle’s Nick!
There was almost always an after-party when a race had concluded; the winner of it had their sponsors set it up, and it was a quick and easy process- all there really was to do was make sure there were refreshments and that music was played. Not always, the latter part, but most of the time.
A cheetah in a red racing suit, golden fur a tad messy and a clear plastic cup of fruit punch in his paw stood at the center of a swarm of other racers.
He’d been the winner of today’s race in Savanna Central.
He was no longer the selfish, cocky, arrogant rookie he’d been.
Now it was July of 2007, just over a year since McQueen had gotten stranded in a tiny town far outside of Zootopia: Hopper Springs.
Doc, his mentor and crew chief, had gone home already, as had Luigi, Guido, and everyone else. Lightning had told them they could leave if they wanted, since he’d be late in arriving back in town.
“Hey, Lightning!” Chuck Armstrong, the grey wolf who’d gotten third place today, came up from the side and clapped the feline on the back. “Nice driving today! Haven’t seen Hicks that angry since last year.”
The cheetah grunted a little in surprise, but then looked at Chuck and grinned. “Thanks! Heh… well, it’s not hard to make him mad. Especially since his ‘fan club’ has disbanded and the others are… not too keen on him anymore.”
“Yeah, that’s true.” Chuck bumped Lightning’s shoulder with his own before moving on. “I’m gonna get more punch- catch ya later!”
The 95 racer just smiled and nodded.
When he turned around to see who else was here, he halted, blue eyes going big. He squinted, studying the red fox that had slipped into the tent. He looked… really familiar- wait.
Lightning’s ears lifted, and his eyes widened again. “Wh-… no way! Nick Wilde, is that you?”