Fanfic / The Sound Designer

Nothing to be afraid of; this is just the day-to-day of sound effects recording!

WARNING: All spoilers prior to chapter 11 have been left unmarked. Read on at your own discretion!

The Sound Designer is a Zootopia fanfic authored by LionKingAlex. It follows the life of Milo Rabberts, a pessimistic, underpaid rabbit sound designer living and working in Zootopia, who ends up becoming the sole witness of a pet store robbery. The officers who are working on the case turn out to be none other than Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, as well as Jimmy Frost, who have been hired by an agent of the Mammalian Bureau of Investigation to delve deeper into the motives behind the thefts - which turn out to be mostly related to reptiles and their eggs.

Throughout the story, Milo is not only completely taken aback by being thrust into a situation that looms on the very edge of his expertise, but is forced to challenge some of his preconceived notions and is given the chance to become more self-actualized than he used to be.

The fanfic is known for very intimate Slice of Life scenes, detailed OCs and shout-outs to popular culture and other Zootopia fanfics. Aside from Fanfiction.net, it's also available for reading on Archive Of Our Own.

This work provides examples of:

• All There in the Manual: The full names of the Motorvators can be found in the description tags on the Archive of Our Own version of the fanfic.
• Amoral Attorney: If Judy's reaction to her after the interrogation was over is any indication, Jennifer Cuoco is a very sleazy mammal.
• Animal Stereotypes: Keeping in line with Zootopia's tradition of playing around with tropes commonly associated with certain animals, this fanfic has several examples.
  • Leopards are frequently portrayed as being stealthier than most other big cats. This fanfic treats us with Leopold Pardrick, an MBI Agent.
  • In the same chapter, the Heinous Hyena is both played straight (one of the robbers) and averted (the friendly pizza delivery guy).
  • Frankie Melone is a textbook example of a Bad Ol' Badger.
  • Judging by his family photos, Milo seems to be Gerard's only son. This is a stark contrast to the all-so-common Explosive Breeder trope usually associated with rabbits and hares.
  • In stark contrast to almost all cats, which generally enjoy physical affection, Rick Hobbes, the tiger Motorvator, is completely averse to even the slightest form of physical affection that isn't a handshake.
• Arson, Murder, and Admiration: This line.
  Pardrick: "...I managed to catch on that Francis Melone, a procurer from Tundratown, was bound to receive a leopard gecko, a leopard tortoise and a leopard snake, stolen from Komodo's Pets in south Savanna Central – I'd find it relatable if it weren't theft..."
• Bad Guys Play Pool: Inverted. Nick and Jimmy are seen playing a game of 8-ball pool in Pardrick's office, when their criminal-tracking assignment yields no results. Jimmy ends up winning it, despite Nick being more seasoned.
• Berserk Button:
  • Milo’s is pushed in Chapter 9, when it becomes apparent that Xander isn’t trying to make a reasoned argument against his hiring, but is deliberately trying to sabotage his shot at a better job, all because he is an insecure, glory-hogging douchebag. Needless to say, the rabbit got dangerous.
  • Jimmy takes great offense to being labeled a homosexual by Xander.
• Big Guy, Little Guy:
  • Steve, a wildebeest, towers over Milo, a rabbit.
  • Bevis, a muskrat, and Dallgren, a Dall ram, also share this dynamic.
  • Stagart is a red deer and Reinhardt is a much larger white rhinoceros.
• Big "NO!": Milo screams one when a radio station happens to play Gazelle's music, which he obviously hates.
• Bilingual Bonus: Frankie Melone's last name is a play on the Latin word meles, which means badger.
• Broken Pedestal: When it's brought to light that Xander has been pirating sound effects from another company for use in Stagart Studios projects, Stagart is visibly furious and not even Bevis and Dallgren can stand him.
• Calling the Old Man Out: Inverted. When Milo's father, Gerard, announces that they've been evicted, he condemns his son for being inert in his efforts to improve his position and payment, because they're unable to sustain themselves for long.
• The Cameo: Mostly from Zootopia fanfics written by other authors:
  • Carla Hyenandez, Priscilla Rodentriguez and El Orgullo of Born to Be Wilde appear as eligible wrestlers in a video game that Milo and Steve play.
  • Chapters 8 and 9 sees the guest appearance of Ivar the walrus from When Instinct Falls.
• Caught on Tape: Milo's audio recording captures audio proof of the pet store robbery, later used to great effect by Judy when she hires him to make it a habit, such as making evidence against Nero.
• Character Development: The first clear character arc in the story is the life journey of Milo Rabberts. He begins as a fatalistic, risk-averse and self-serving rabbit who believes that everything in the world is pitted against his chances of success at his preferred field - sound design. He's dissatisfied with production sound editing and yearns for creating sound effects, but he needs a lot of coercing before he finally gathers the courage to head to the board meeting. When he secures a job of filling in for a veteran sound designer who had to take a paid leave, his worldview is completely turned upside down. He has begun to realize that he can succeed only through disciplined action and calculated risks. If his reaction in chapter 10 is of any indication, it's not going to stop there.
• Cheaters Never Prosper: Xander's software piracy gets him fired. Steve even repeats this word-for-word, albeit in a pun from another Disney film.
• Civilized Animal: According to what is being said from Chapter 2 onward, only mammals are this. Birds and all other vertebrates are confirmed as non-sapient, seeing as Nick's girlfriend, Cleo, suggests chicken for lunch.
• The Coconut Effect: Discussed as part of Milo's job. During the story's events, his primary job is creating dinosaur sound effects while his roommate works on the actual models. Both of them point out inaccuracies in stories like Jurassic Park, but go along with what the public expects in dinosaur media anyway.
• Cool Car: Pardrick claims to own a Purrsche Panthera.
• Corpsing: In-Universe. The two reptile traffickers who are about to buy stolen reptiles from Frankie Melone (actually Nick in disguise) can't contain their laughter at Shaky's stutter, and the coyote even mocks it at one point.
• Dare to Be Badass: In Chapter 9, Melanie urges Milo to let go of making assumptions and overthinking his behavior in order to summon up the courage he needs to face Stagart with his plea, because that’s the only way his voice will be heard.
• Deceased Parents Are the Best: It's eventually revealed that Gerard's wife is Milo's stepmother, and his biological mother is long dead. He remembers her fondly, as does Otis.
• Did Not Get the Girl: Despite being clearly set up as a love interest to Judy and finding her attractive, he eventually has the realization that she's not meant for him due to her career fixation. Despite this, he's happy remaining single, and even congratulates his roommate good-naturedly when he announces a proposal to a female he loves.
• Didn't Think This Through: Jimmy nearly ruins the sting completely when he goes to capture an armed suspect alone, with no backup. While his actions were procedurally correct, his timing was inopportune.
• Dirty Harriet: During the sting operation at Clark Halibuts, Judy is prompted to go undercover as a sex worker.
• Distracted by the Sexy: The first time Judy visits him in his home, he's distracted a few times by her form fitting uniform, particularly when she turns away from him. Surprisingly, he avoids this when she's actually dressed as an escort, partially due to his argument with her in costume.
• The '80s: Strongly implied to be Milo's favorite decade when it comes to popular music, particularly Michael Jackal.
• "Eureka!" Moment: During paperwork, Jimmy learns that all of the more recent pet-related crimes form a hemisphere around the Outback Island ferry dock.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Mr. Big may be a notorious crime lord, but even he is utterly appalled by Frankie's sex trafficking.
• Evil Sounds Raspy: The armadillo that robs Komodo's Pets has a gravelly, snarling voice.
• Fake Ultimate Hero: Xander supposedly has exceptional talent and work ethics, and proudly wears it as a badge. However, in chapter 9, Neil Reinhardt reveals that all he’s ever amounted to is being an overrated blowhard, a Consummate Liar and a dirty cheater who does illegal activities to get by at work.
• Fan Sequel: The story takes place one year after the end of the film.
• The Fatalist: Milo begins the story as someone who doesn't believe that his life can change if he takes risks to improve on his life, and hence maintains a self-serving dose of cowardice masquerading as wise caution. In chapter 9, however, he begins to defy this mindset; even though he's off to a rough start, it's quite certain that he won't be back-pedaling anytime soon.
• Fiery Redhead: Inverted. Milo may have crimson fur, but he's even-tempered, inert and pessimistic.
  • His father, Gerard, on the other hand, is a very straight example.
• Foreshadowing: The title of Chapter 5 hints at Frankie Melone's eventual fate.
• A Friend in Need: Melanie is very quick to jump to Milo's aid when it comes to the recording trip to the Steve Ermine Zoological Research Center.
• Full-Body Disguise: The team, Pardrick included, are completely disguised during the upcoming sting operation in Clark Halibuts - Nick disguises himself as Frankie Melone, Jimmy dresses up as a mime, and Judy and Milo take on the roles of a sex worker and her client. Pardrick dresses up as a posh culinary critic.
• George Jetson Job Security: Averted in the case of Xander's sound effects piracy. When Stagart catches word that he's been stealing sounds from another company and using them in Stagart Studios productions, he fires Xander immediately, and irreversibly.
• The Glomp: Judy tackles Nick into a hug from behind when she's introduced, not unlike in the selfie promo.
• Hate Sink: In all of his appearances, it is made exceedingly clear that Xander is not someone to be liked. Not only does he never stop antagonizing Milo, but he is also so self-absorbed that he sees no fault in hitting someone with the door while entering a room, and refuses to apologize afterwards. He is very thin-skinned when it comes to criticism, evidenced by how he obviously loses his cool when Dallgren points out a potential flaw to his sound effects. Narrative musings also affirm that he is disloyal, a massive Glory Hound and someone who suffers from narcissistic personality disorder.
• Heel–Face Turn: Once Xander is revealed to have been a self-centered dirtbag who'd sooner compromise other colleagues than tame his ego, even Bevis and Dallgren scorn and reject him completely.
• Hoist by His Own Petard:
  • During the climax of the sting, Jimmy tasers a bear who is holding him - this makes certain that he, too, is hit by the electricity and knocked out cold.
  • Xander sealed his doom as a worked in Stagart Studios when he pirated sound effects from another company and expected to get away with it.
• Humiliation Conga: Xander begins to go on one as soon as he's fired from Stagart Studios for software piracy, rendering himself a business pariah. When he steals some hard drives from Milo, he is thrown into an emu pen, attacked by said emus, and finally beaten in a fight by a much smaller Milo.
• Husky Russkie: Ivar the walrus, naturally.
• Hypocrite: One social justice warrior calls out the Motorvators for "wearing animal products"... despite the fact that she was wearing a hat made of wool.
• I Need a Freaking Drink: After Frankie Melone is iced by Koslov, Shaky awaits his almost certain death and just wants to get it over with. Instead, Mr. Big offers him a job, which he gladly accepts. When everyone else turns and leaves, he snatches the nearest bottle of whiskey and takes a swig just to calm down.
• I'll Never Tell You What I'm Telling You!: After several deflections and constant prodding, the bear thug spills the name "Basilisk" - turns out, it's the name of the organization he works for.
• Interspecies Friendship:
  • Milo, a rabbit, and Steve, a wildebeest.
  • Judy and Nick, as always.
  • Bevis and Dallgren also seem to be this, even though they frequently butt heads.
  • The Motorvators are a whole Motorcycle club of interspecies friends.
• Interspecies Romance: Averted and defied in the case of Nick and Judy, contrary to most Zootopia fanfics. As of Chapter 2, Nick is in a relationship with a red vixen named Cleo, and harbors no sexual attraction towards Judy.
• It's All About Me:
  • Both Milo and his family slip into this during their argument, playing a blame game over who should be responsible for the fate of their family home. Fortunately, they make amends in due time and make efforts to change their attitudes and practices.
  • Xander... doesn't. What's worse, he doubles down on his malice and opts to ruin Milo's field recording session out of envy and petty spite.
• Jerkass Ball:
  • Milo becomes very rude to his parents when he adamantly insists that his position at Stagart Studios can't improve. Not that his father was any more cordial, but Milo's mindset was flawed, and the stubbornness with which he defended it was unwarranted.
  • He grabs it a second time when he accuses Judy Hopps of being hired only thanks to affirmative action policies during the sting, which unsurprisingly insults her.
• Jerkass Has a Point:
  • Rudeness aside, Gerard is mostly correct in saying that Milo needs to crawl out of his comfort zone and take risks, even if they do end in failure.
  • Dallgren may be rude and tactless, but he is correct in pointing out that Xander Can't Take Criticism.
• Job Title: The Sound Designer, after the job owned by Milo Rabberts.
• Jump Scare: Cleo gets one from Nick when she's first introduced.
• Kicking Ass in All Her Finery: Averted. Due to demand that she stay put inside the brothel rooms, Judy completely misses the arrest during the sting, and isn't best pleased with it.
• Know When to Fold 'Em: Pardrick, noticing that the ZPD would be going outside Zootopia's limits in pursuit of the reptile smugglers, calls them off, knowing that they only have city-wide jurisdiction.
• Know Your Vines: When Jimmy goes too far into a bush just to scope out a boat, a frightened Judy informs him he just walked into a poison ivy bush. Cue a very Inconvenient Itch.
• Laughing at Your Own Jokes: Jimmy does this upon dishing out a terrible pun on Bellwether.
  Jimmy: "I bet that's when Chief Bogo said: Mayor Bellwether, ewe are under arrest!" (mutters in laughter, while everyone else deadpans.)
• A Lizard Named "Liz": Not unlike in Zootopia, many of the character names are puns of existing names, based either on the animal that has the name, or some trait that the animal has in real life (Rabberts, Roedstrom, Stagart, Gnuman, Melone, McAcorns). Not even musicians are safe from this, as we're treated with Michael Jackal and Tony Espossumito as part of Milo's music collection.
• Male Gaze: Milo sneaks a peek at Judy's fine rump twice during Chapter 4.
• Master of Disguise: Cleo Volpez, Nick's girlfriend, is a costume designer by trade. Her skill pays off greatly for the team in preparation for an incoming sting operation in Tundratown.
• Mistaken for Romance: Judy and Nick, as retold by Emmitt Otterton, much to their cringe.
• Musical Theme Naming: Jimmy names the trio of himself, Judy and Nick The Three Copalleros. Previously, he attempted to use The Copsy Kings. Doubles as a Punny Name.
• Must Have Caffeine: Inverted by Jimmy Frost, who doesn't, and never has drunk coffee.
• Mythology Gag:
  • In chapter 10, when Milo brings Steve news that he managed to get an opportunity for promotion, the wildebeest gives him a noogie and hoists him into the air - both antics paying homage to The Lion King (1994). Steve's pun afterwards is also part of that.
  • Chapter 11 introduces us to Detective Oates from the video-game Zootopia: Crime Files.
  • The name "Pink Elephant Pub" can easily be traced back to good old Dumbo.
• No Guy Wants an Amazon: Subverted. Milo doesn't consider Judy a suitable girlfriend not because he's "intimidated" by her being a regular Action Girl, but because their ways of living aren't compatible. Consequently, he doesn't want to get in the way of her aspirations.
• Not That Kind of Doctor: Stagart's doctoral title implies a PhD in audiovisual arts - namely, sound design.
• Only Bad Guys Call Their Lawyers: Unlike his ursine accomplice, the coyote knows better than to answer questions alone and phones his lawyer.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: When Milo learns that his parents have been evicted from their family home in Podunk, Deerbrooke County, he begins to consider taking chances, and countering his MO. It comes full circle when he not only attends the board meeting, but also stands up to Xander when the latter tries to throw a spanner in the works.
• Pay Evil unto Evil: Mr. Big has Frankie Melone iced for not paying up his debt. Not that the badger wasn't asking for it, though, being a sex-trafficking bestial sadist.
• Politically Correct Villain: The social justice warriors in chapter 12, in broad strokes. While they're not evil by any metric, they're petulant and unreasonable in their preaching of environmentalism, harassing a motorcycle club just because they wear reptile leather. Predictably, the Motorvators didn't have any of it.
• Politically Incorrect Hero: Milo and Steve make fun of Interspecies Romance while playing a wrestling video-game.
• Protagonist Title: Milo Rabberts works in a sound design studio and is unambiguously the main character of the story.
• Punny Name:
  • The Motorvators, obviously.
  • Leopold Pardrick, which clues into his species very clearly.
• Rage Breaking Point: Gerard, having grown fed up with Milo's stubbornness, becomes incensed to the point of screaming insults at his son, and angrily walking away from the phone conversation.
  • A downplayed example occurs earlier, where Judy, bummed out by the fact that they haven't had any success, sees (and hears) Nick and Jimmy playing pool. She eventually loses her cool and shouts at them pleadingly to be helpful, but Nick rebuffs her.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech:
  • A rare benevolent example (but no less brutal) is administered by Rick to Milo at the Pink Elephant Pub: the tiger dresses him down for being inert, risk-averse and lazy for his own good, claiming that he always resorts to the same mindset, no matter how much persuasion he's given. His indication that this has, indeed, happened plenty of times before is hinted at. Milo nevertheless gives Rick some refreshing news about his latest days at work disproves this speech and rebuilds Rick's trust in Milo.
  • Dallgren gives Xander a much more straight example of this; a scathing diatribe about the cat's treacherous, solipsistic persona, concluding that all the people he screwed over were, indeed, better than him.
• She Cleans Up Nicely: Milo finds Judy notably more attractive in more form-fitting civilian clothes, though he doesn't say it out loud.
• Shirtless Scene: Milo gets two: one when he comes out of the shower in ch. 13, and another when Xander tears apart his shirt when he physically assaults him in ch. 14.
• Shout-Out:
  • During chapter 8, Pardrick cuffs a coyote and makes a dry quip about his slow speed - a direct reference to Wile E. Coyote.
  • In the same chapter, Pardrick is disguised as a posh culinary critic. His dialogue there pays homage to Anton Ego of Ratatouille.
  • The tiger bouncer in the Motorvators is named Rick Hobbes. Read the last name.
  • Dave, the Motorvator wolf who plays bass, is based on YouTube content creator Davie504.
  • Hearkening to Born to Be Wilde, we have a reference to Dream Time, Damien Thornbrush's naturist nightclub and a character named Wallace Beanie.
  • Again, in chapter 14 Jimmy suggests The Delta Fox Squad as a team name for the trio of himself, Nick and Judy.
• Shown Their Work: The story thoroughly talks about the strenuous process of recording wild animal sounds and describes in detail what the animals in question actually sound like, averting the Incorrect Animal Noise trope and even lampshading the tendency of mainstream pop culture for using said trope.
• Shut Up, Hannibal!: Melanie is royally pissed when Xander tries to discredit Milo in order to co-opt the meeting, and she speaks out loud in her friend's defense. Milo doesn't spare him any tongue-lashing afterwards either.
• Sickeningly Sweethearts: Downplayed with Nick and Cleo; they call each other nauseating pet names and are very schmaltzy (much to Judy's exasperation), but take their work and their relationship very seriously.
• Signing Off Catchphrase: Usually some variant of "Catch ya later on, down the trail" can be seen at the end of almost every chapter.
• Silly Rabbit, Cynicism Is for Losers!: A literal example occurs when Milo states outwardly that he doesn't believe that he can change his position at work. When Judy suggests benign advice, Milo becomes defensive, even going as far as to say that she graduated at the Police Academy only thanks to the Mammal Inclusion Initiative. Insulted, she shoots back that she never quit pursuing her aspirations, no matter how great the obstacles in her way were, and notes that Milo cannot be successful with a mindset like his own.
• Smoking Is Not Cool: Judy, Nick and Jimmy turn down some cigarillos from Agent Pardrick, who is a smoker. He even describes it as a "guilty pleasure".
• The Smurfette Principle: In the primary legal team, comprised of Judy, Nick, Pardrick and Jimmy, Judy is, at present, the only female.
• Snark-to-Snark Combat: As per the film's recipe, Nick and Judy really enjoy getting into playful banter.
• Stealth Pun: One of the waiters in the Snarlbucks where Milo and Judy go to is a musk deer. a "snarling buck", if you will, because of their fangs.
• Stress Vomit: Immediately following his instance of Grew a Spine and chewing out Xander, Milo feels compelled to retreat to the bathrooms and vomit. Which is exactly where he's found by Bevis to tell him the boss needs him.
• Stupid Evil:
  • Averted with the majority of the Basilisk, who are clever and skilled enough to evade threats.
  • Xander. Oh good mercy, Xander.
• Support Your Parents: Milo's mother and father both rely on him for financial support, emphasizing their frustration with his lot in life. His seeming refusal to ever go above what he knows he can handle causes them both to get into arguments frequently. Part of the reason he takes the ZPD job is for the extra cash after his parents get evicted.
• This Is Unforgivable!: Xander finds out the hard way that illegal activity is not only illegal, but a serious insult to Stagart and everything he stands for.
• Title Drop: Downplayed. In chapter 12, titled "Proper Motorvation", the last words are "proper motivation".
• Took a Level in Badass:
  • Nick's ZPD training has definitely kicked in by the time of this fanfic - from a Lovable Coward, he has changed into someone who'd directly attack an armed suspect in an effort to cuff him, knowing full well that he's at an advantage.
  • After a whole story arc of fatalistic complaining, Milo finally gathers some faith in himself and stands up to Xander’s attempt to undermine his efforts to earn a better position at work.
• Took a Level in Kindness: Jerry Jumbeaux Jr, the elephant known previously as a prejudiced jerk who refused to serve foxes, has changed his ways and broadened the size variety of his orders to accommodate more customers.
• Tranquil Fury:
  • When Milo finally snaps at Xander, he speaks with a quiet, but clearly angry tone of voice. His ears being half-raised are a good indicator of this as well.
  • When Stagart finds out that one of his employees has been pirating sound effects from another firm, he is absolutely livid. Yet, he doesn't scream, shout or throw stuff around, eliciting no more than a Death Glare.
• Troll: Wallace Beanie, the sanctuary warden at the Steve Ermine Zoological Research Center, goes out of his way to needle and prank Milo for his own amusement when he lets his guard down.
• Underestimating Badassery: Unfortunately for Xander, Milo is a rabbit who was trained in martial arts. It took only a single kick in the right place to immobilize him.
• Villainous Breakdown: Xander throws an apoplectic seizure and behaves like an entitled brat when confronted about his mistakes by Bevis and Dallgren, opting to rather double down on his malice than accept responsibility. When the idea is foiled, he escalates to violence and even tries to kill Milo by throwing him into an alligator pond.
• Vomit Discretion Shot: Even though we don't see Milo throw up after the board meeting, Bevis can hear him retching.
• What the Hell, Hero?: Milo tends to be on the receiving end of this for most of the first act of the story, but he gets a pivotal one from Judy. When Milo begins to react emotionally and rejects the possibility that he could achieve his dreams through effort and hard work, she calls out his contradictory mindset and asserts that she didn't need external validation for her success. It leaves a lasting impression on the buck rabbit.
• Wounded Gazelle Gambit: Xander tries to pull this when he's immobilized by Milo, to incur pity from the officers; it fails catastrophically.

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