Dr. Fuzzby stood at the front of the cramped conference room, her perpetual quokka smile bright as ever. "Welcome to Partners in Crisis," she said cheerfully, gesturing to the circle of mismatched officers. "Greg, remember what we discussed about personal space?"
The armadillo froze mid-reach toward his grizzly partner's fur. "Right. Sorry, Marlon."
"Excellent progress!" Fuzzby's tail swished as she turned to an elephant officer who was visibly trembling. "Francine, I want you to practice seeing Clark as your partner, not as a mouse."
The elephant nodded shakily, though her eyes never left the small rodent beside her.
"Now then." Fuzzby consulted her clipboard, smile unwavering. "Let's welcome our newest pair - Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde!"
Judy sat up straighter. "Actually, Dr. Fuzzby, I think there's been a misunderstanding. Nick and I work great together-"
"Notice how Judy answered first," Fuzzby interrupted pleasantly, addressing the group. "And that foot tap? Classic suppression of discomfort." She tilted her head, glasses catching the light. "Likely stemming from her partner's emotional unavailability."
Nick's ears flattened. "Hey, I'm plenty available-"
"Let's try a greeting exercise!" Fuzzby announced brightly. "Joel, Karen - show us how it's done."
The deer smiled at his badger partner. Karen immediately lunged at his throat.
"Ah yes," Fuzzby said, maintaining her cheerful tone while producing a spray bottle. "Karen interprets the bared teeth as aggression. Completely natural response." She spritzed the snarling badger. "Karen, hackles down, please."
The violence escalated.
"Could someone fetch a hose?" Fuzzby asked pleasantly, still smiling.
The door opened. Dr. Fuzzby glanced up from the chaos, her smile somehow brightening further. "Ah! And here's our other new pair. Come in, come in - don't be shy!"
