Nick Wilde had learned that being a cop did not stop him from being himself. If anything, it just gave him more room to enjoy the city from a different angle. So there he was, leaning against a railing overlooking a busy street in Savanna Central, soaking up the late morning warmth while pretending he was on break even though his shift had barely started

He still wore his old outfit, the one he never let go of no matter what badge sat on his chest now. His light green short-sleeved shirt with the leaf pattern, loose at the collar. His striped tie in dark blue and magenta, barely tightened because he insisted he needed "breathing room." His beige pants, comfortable and familiar, cuffed above his ankles. It made him look like he knew something the rest of the world didn’t

Nick himself looked exactly like the fox everyone remembered, just with a little more confidence and a little more purpose behind his smirk. His fur was the same rusty orange-red, brighter along his cheeks and fading into deeper red across his back and limbs. His muzzle and the underside of his neck had that soft cream tone, blending naturally down his chest and belly. His ears stood tall and alert, reddish on the outside and pale on the inside with darker brown at the tips

His eyes were sharp green, relaxed but always watching, always calculating. His build was slim and agile, not bulky, made for slipping between crowds rather than knocking them aside. His tail was a long, full plume of layered red and brown fur, swaying behind him with lazy confidence

His paws had the usual anthro structure. His handpaws had four fingers with rounded black pads on each fingertip and a firm black pawpad centered on his palm, bare and smooth like any real fox pad would be. His feetpaws had three toes, each with rounded black toe beans, and a broad black leathery-skin pawpad underneath. The tops of his feet were furred in the usual reddish orange, but the pads themselves were not fur, just the natural tough surface mammals like him had

Nick watched the flow of the city with the same satisfied look of someone who thought the world was amusing and maybe a little predictable. A few mammals walked by and gave him curious glances. He flashed his easy grin back, unbothered and perfectly at home

He stretched, adjusting his tie just slightly "Not a bad day to be me," he muttered to himself, tone mellow and smug

He checked the small badge clipped at his shirt pocket, then tapped it with the tip of a claw. The familiarity of the motion made him smile again. He had changed, sure, but not too much. Not enough to stop enjoying a good view, a good moment, and a city full of stories waiting to happen

Nick slipped his paws into his pockets, tail swaying as he pushed off the railing. He took a slow breath, let the noise of the street sink in, and started walking with that signature stride that looked casual but somehow aware of everything around him

Whatever the day had planned, he was already a step ahead~