It had been two days since the Ringside Stick-Up, and Polly had to return to her job. Shoeshine still didn't have a job, so he had spent his days trying to find more info about who could've done Ringside.

It quickly led to a dead end, though. So, in between a few errands every now and again, Shoeshine had spent his time learning about Tennessee Tuxedo, his new roommate. Things he'd found out he kept written down.

Tennessee Tuxedo was 27 years old, and he had been a resident of the former Megapolis Zoo since he was 17. How he'd gotten there was not something he would tell Shoeshine. Tennessee also had friends at the zoo, though Shoeshine didn't get their whereabouts currently. In fact, when he asked the question, Tennessee glanced away and his eyes glistened with a note of uncertainty.

"What are the last four digits of your social security number?" Shoeshine asked with a slight laugh in his voice.

"I dunno, Shoes," Tennessee replied, standing up from the purple couch. "I dunno if I have one, even."

Shoeshine blinked and followed the penguin. Tennessee waddled into the short hallway in between the edge of the kitchen and Shoeshine's bedroom. It was the only street-facing window that wasn't blocked by anything mildly painful; only the radiator sat under it. Tennessee hummed quietly as he looked outside the window.

"I've never seen a Broadway street so empty," he commented, leaning against the sill.

Shoeshine couldn't hardly see out the window from his space. He stood a foot or two away from Tennessee, leaning against the kitchen wall.

The twosome had watched the TTV News broadcast that morning, as Shoeshine always did. Having a job that psychically paid you was something of Polly's that Shoeshine gravely envied; though waking up at five in the morning everyday wasn't anything Shoeshine much cared for.

He had a lot of lapdog in him, what could be say?

That morning, however, Polly was not on the channel. Which was strange, because she wasn't in the apartment either. Fast as lightning, Shoeshine had bundled up a certain set of clothes. However Polly's boss, OJ Skweeze, stopped Shoeshine before he could get too worried.

"And today, dear friends!" announced the gravelly-voiced man, "We have a big event! The city of Manhattan is pleased to announce that two royals from the African country of Bongo Congo are making our acquaintance. Today at ten o'clock, King Leonardo Lion and his prime minister Odie O. Cologne will be having a ticker tape parade down Broadway! And our very own anchorwoman, Ms. Sweet Polly Purebred, will be reporting live from the scene!"

They then flashed a map of the route on the screen. Shoeshine examined it carefully, though Tennessee pointed at it and drowsily asked, "Isn't that the street we're on?"

Shoeshine nodded, which brought the both of them back to the present.

"The roads are probably blocked off," Shoeshine finally replied. He squinted as he realized a line of white had made itself known across his glasses. The dog removed them from his face and caught one arm under the yellow hoodie he hadn't taken off since he put it on, and started to rub the lenses. "Wouldn't've thought it was going under my apartment. This isn't exactly a place you'd think of when you hear Broadway."

Tennessee chuckled and faced Shoeshine. "The more you know, huh?" he said before turning further around and looking completely behind him. "Whatever happened to Polly, Shoes?" the penguin asked.

"Oh…" Shoeshine replied, putting his glasses back on. "Well, Polly's a reporter. She's up closer to Broadway with her news team, left before you were wake."

Tennessee let out a humm of acknowledgement and looked out into the empty street once more.

"...might I say," Shoeshine continued. Tennessee stared at him from the corner of his eye. "You are a suuuper deep sleeper."

Tennessee chuckled. "I haven't felt a pillow or back support in years."

Shoeshine laughed back. "I didn't know my couch was good at comfort!"

Tennessee spun on his heel to face Shoeshine, a smile splitting his beak. "I won't complain about somewhere safe to sleep!" he replied with another laugh.