#i think if i had a deep sea bunny my entire life would be fixed

[reallilystuff]

love this creature. the snea bnuuy. 💜🤍

ref below cut

[holykillercake]

Strawberry and Cigarretes

pairing: Sanji x Reader

word count: 2.6k

highlight: ¨Everything hurt, and for the first time, you wished to forget what the ocean sounded like.¨ 

warnings: slight angst

notes: This was a request from @vemuabhi​! <3 Very special because it was my first ever request! I wanted to doge the obvious path (which I almost took) and do something that didn´t involve Whole Cake Island, so maybe it is not the biggest angst (hats off to Mr. Oda cause he is Father angst) but I did my very best! I hope you all enjoy and Happy Birthday, Sanji-kun! <3

𝕃𝕖𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕤, 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕤, 𝕠𝕣 𝕘𝕠𝕠𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤!

Do you remember when you were a kid, and you´d find a shell laying on the sand? And you would pick it up and put it on your ear, hoping to listen to the ocean? It´d always make a smile grow on your face before you tossed it aside and jumped into the water.

That time was different. When you heard the ocean share its endless secrets and tell its adventurous stories, you just wanted to sit there all day and listen. 

This specific event happened a couple of months after you joined the Strawhats. Chopper had borrowed you his stethoscope cause you thought it was cool, and in the middle of thousands of things you´ve already heard in your life, good and bad, the heartbeat was something that you were oblivious to. 

Some would think that asking to hear someone else´s heartbeat was weird, but inside the Thousand Sunny... well, those guys put ¨weird¨ on another level, and you would have to work your ass off to surpass that. 

Chopper got all blushed when you leaned closer to his tiny and furry torso, Usopp told you stories about a war he once won but had to have his heart replaced by a lion´s, Franky said that if you wanted to see a heart he could simply pull it out for you, Brook invested on the same ¨Oh, I don´t have a heart. Yohohoho¨ joke, Zoro let you listen to his wrist, Nami and Robin almost had you sinking into their generous breasts, and Sanji... you left him for last because you didn´t know how to ask him. So you just tiptoed quietly inside the kitchen, sneaked behind him, and tried to listen to his heart through his back. You feared that your nose would start bleeding if he faced you while you were doing it. 

That was exactly what he did, by the way. He poured more water into the stew he was cooking and turned around, putting out his cigarette so ashes wouldn´t fall on you. Immediately you began to sweat, your breath quickened, and hold the stethoscope with a steady hand became a herculean task. 

His lean fingers moved to the collar of his blue shirt and started to unbutton a few, enough for you to have better access. At that point, you believed that the reason why you weren´t bleeding yet was that you were slowly having a stroke, and Sanji´s action was God´s gift to you for being a good person while alive. 

Then he didn´t do anything else, just put both hands in his pockets and waited while you listened to every single bubble popping inside his chest like you were afraid to miss one. In the end, he tucked a lock of hair behind your ear and went back to his stew.

But that was all about it. The following months were just like any other, the crew kept acting as weird as their minds allowed, and you kept shutting whatever your stupid heart was yelling at you. Although... if you could be honest for one moment, deep down you were hurt. 

Maybe you scared or crept him away with your childish curiosity. Maybe he had noticed your feelings for him and got disgusted. Well, not disgusted, he probably didn´t like you the same way and didn´t know how to tell you, so keeping words to a minimum was his way to go. 

He stopped singing and twirling around you, he´d rather call your name respectfully; when you shared the night watches, he just remained quiet by your side, answering briefly to your questions or comments; he even stopped trying to sneak into your baths or make suggestive comments - which you didn´t love before, but you know, you only miss something when it's gone. 

The whole crew had noticed the change in both of your behaviors, but they too were not sure how to address it. Whenever someone asked something about it you would say ¨Really? I didn´t notice anything.¨. Either too proud to confront him or too afraid of the truth. 

~

¨Oi, you ok?¨ Zoro asked, breaking into your personal bubble of sadness. 

You knew it was Zoro because you two were taking the night watch, but you didn´t expect him to show interest or concern about your upset state. 

The night was chilly, so you were sitting on Sunny´s grass, arms around your knees, holding them close to your chest to keep the warmth. 

¨Why do you care?¨ you answered bitterly, but he didn´t mind since he was the king of freaking Bitter Land. 

¨I don´t. But I´ll go crazy if I hear you sigh one more time.¨ he sat close to you, not too close, just enough for you to listen to each other.

A chuckle left your mouth involuntarily, you never expected his grouchy temper would come in handy in times like this. Then your frowned expression came back, and you let out another sigh. 

Before you realized Zoro had pushed you with his Sandai Kitetsu scabbard, making you fall to your side with a squeak. 

¨I told you.¨

You sat again, taking some grass off your leg ¨Yeah. Can´t deny it.¨

¨Yeah, you´ve been doing that a lot lately.¨ 

He didn´t look like he was teasing you, his eyes focusing on the line where the sky met the ocean, where the stars disappeared and became blurry white brushes on the water. 

¨I... I don´t-¨

¨I think you can do better than the stupid cook.¨he kept his usual tone ¨ But I guess we don´t get to choose these things.¨ 

You were taken aback by his words, and despite you trying to fight your lips from trembling and tears from falling, it was useless. You had been crushing these feelings inside you for too long, and it killed you the more you ignored it. 

The swordsman wasn´t saying those things because he loved you or anything like that, but because the entire crew - except for Luffy - had already noticed and began acting weird about it. And despite being the captain´s duty to solve any problem or an uncomfortable situation, your captain was a bit too oblivious, so he had to step in. 

Besides, his nakama was getting hurt. He didn´t care about the ero cook. 

¨If you want me to beat him up... just let me know.¨ 

He said it to cheer you up - not that he didn´t mean, he´d do it for much less - but nothing seemed worth smiling for now. You just bit your lip in order to avoid an embarrassing whining, since you were unable to stop the painful tears from rolling down your cheeks. 

Everything hurt, and for the first time, you wished to forget what the ocean sounded like.

¨W-What should I do?¨

¨That´s not my problem to solve, Y/N.¨ he stood up beside you ¨But sometimes, when I have a difficult problem that I can´t solve my way...¨ his gaze still locked with the horizon ¨... I think about what my captain would do.¨ he left without any further words, leaving you not only sad but confused as well. 

You slept on it for the next couple of days, still not understanding what he meant. Maybe he just wanted to leave the conversation and said whatever came to mind. But even that didn´t fit right. If he didn´t want to be stuck in an uncomfortable conversation, he wouldn´t have started one. 

So you took as a personal mission to observe your captain until you learned how to think like him, hoping that figuring that out would solve your problem. 

You had joined the crew as a historian, the person responsible for writing down every adventure meticulously, every tiny detail of every battle, and every glorious victory along the Strawhats journey. So in one dusk, when you were in charge of the night watch with Robin and the moon was full and bright, you took your journals and began rolling through the pages, looking for a pattern, something that anticipated every major decision of your captain.

You even borrowed old diaries from the time you were not part of their crew. The stories lacked details, but they served to paint a picture. Basically:

Luffy insults an ugly lady, saves a kid, eats something, finds Zoro, beats the crap out of a crazy marine, saves the day, gets his first crewmate. 

Luffy gets eaten by a bird, then vomited in a town, finds Nami, eats something, is put in a cage, beat the crap out of some pirates, saves the day.

 Luffy wants a new ship, meets Usopp, eats something, gets thrown from a cliff, beats the crap out of some pirates, saves the day, gets Going Merry and a liar. 

Luffy wants a cook, explodes a restaurant, becomes a waiter, eats something, meets Sanji, beats the crap out of some pirates, saves the day, gets a cook. 

Luffy eats something, finds the fishmen, goes for a walk, is thrown in the water, beats the crap out of some pirates, saves the day, gets a navigator.

Luffy wants a doctor, eats everything, fights some crazy ass bunnies, climbs a mountain, meets Chopper, beats the crap out of some pirates, saves the day, gets a doctor. 

Luffy eats something, wants to fix Going Merry, meets Franky, loses Robin, beats the crap out of some world government agents, saves the day, gets an archeologist, a shipwright, and Thousand Sunny. 

Luffy hears a ghoulish singing, finds a speaking skeleton in a busted ship, has his shadow stolen, beats the crap out of some Warlord of the Sea, gets a musician.

When you finished the last journal, the weight of your body pushed you to the floor, and you laid on your back for a couple of minutes, overwhelmed by the amount of information in your head.

¨I know what to do...¨ you took a deep breath ¨... I´m gonna eat something.¨

You mumbled something to Robin, telling her that you´d be back in a few minutes, and wandered to the kitchen. 

As soon as you entered the room a sweet and comforting aroma like whipped cream and strawberries invaded your senses, making your head turn to the counter immediately. 

¨Y/N-chan...¨ the cook said.

You opened and closed your mouth a couple of times, looked at him, and then to your feet, your fingers fidgeting as a sign of your anxious state. 

¨D-Didn't know you were awake.¨ you marched to the table and helped yourself with some sugar cookies.

¨Oh... It won´t take much longer...¨ you heard his muffled voice somewhere in the back of your mind, all you could hear was the blood pumping in your ears ¨... cake because today is my birthday and I thought we...¨ your vision was focused on the cookie jar, crushing the granular biscuit with your fingertips ¨...and I...I didn´t know if-¨

¨What would Luffy do?¨ you whispered to yourself.

¨W-What?¨ 

¨What would Luffy do?¨ 

The question wasn´t for him, it was for you. You felt something growing inside your chest, like the blood that pumped in your heart was boiling and burning, giving you the strength and courage you needed. 

¨I have been trying to find answers to a lot of things, you know?¨ you stood up to face the cook, palms spread on the table, ¨I ... do you hate me, Sanji?¨ 

He stopped what he was doing and let the knife rest on the cutting board. When his gaze found yours, there was no way back. That is what Luffy would do. He´d eat something, do whatever came to his mind, and deal with the consequences. No need to go back. 

¨Y/N-chan... why do you...¨

¨I mean, I ask this because...¨ you clenched your hands, cursing yourself for feeling the need to cry ¨I can´t take this anymore, Sanji! If I did something to offend you or if I said something...¨ your voice was broken and weak, and you were a mess of tears and sobs ¨You don´t have to love me back, that´s not what I am saying, but... I can´t stand-¨

¨Y/N-chan... why do you think I hate you?¨ he wiped his hands with a towel and made his way towards you, slowly.

¨Oh, come on, Sanji... You treat me differently, you´re cold and distant, you don´t say a word to me even when we share night shifts! If you don´t hate me, then this must be a sick game you´re playing.¨ your legs felt wobbly, and you sat back in the chair, not being able to face him anymore.  The courage and strenght you had minutes ago was gone.

You just watched him get closer and kneel in front of you, his cold fingers gently brushing away the hot tears on your cheeks. 

¨I could never hate you, Y/N.¨ he said softly ¨I am sorry I made you feel like this, I am sorry I made you cry...¨ his fingers touched your trembling lips. 

¨Then why...¨

¨I didn´t want to scare you away like I always do, Y/N... I know I can be too much sometimes, with the nose bleeding and everything. But that´s how I am, and I didn´t want you to think of me as an idiot... so I prefer being silent, then say something stupid and... ¨ 

¨You don´t have to say this. I don´t need pity talk...¨you spoke as more tears fell, giving him a chance to take his statement back.

¨I have to, Y/N. But not because of pity talk.¨ he gently pressed his forehead against yours, like bunnies do when they apologize. 

¨Then why?¨ 

¨Because I love you, Y/N.¨ the blonde closed the space left between the two of you, kissing you passionately. 

He helped you get up without breaking the kiss and leaned you against the kitchen table, his hands holding your body close while yours ran through his golden hair. His mouth tasted like strawberries and cigarettes, a flavor to which you could easily get addicted. 

You parted the kiss just enough to get some oxygen, your noses were touching, and you could feel his heavy breathing against your skin. 

¨I didn´t know today is your birthday...¨ you whispered, afraid that this was a dream and you´d wake up alone again. 

¨Yeah, I was hoping to get a Happy Birthday from you, you know.¨ he chuckled.

¨I think you´ll be getting more than that.¨

You stared into each other´s eyes for a moment before he pulled you to a hug. When you leaned against his warm chest you heard it again, the same babble of the ocean, only this time you smiled, knowing that it wanted to listen to your stories and secrets as well. 

¨Sanji?¨

¨Hm?¨

¨Happy Birthday... I love you.¨

¨I love you too, Y/N.¨ he kissed you again.

¨Please, don´t have sex on the dinner table.¨ you jumped when Robin spoke.

 When you turned, you saw all your crewmates dressed in pajamas and messy hair staring back at you with sparkly sleepy eyes. You spot Zoro back in the crowd, you smiled and gave him a silent ¨Thank you.¨. You couldn´t help but wonder how the guy who manages to gets lost walking down a straight path was able to guide some sense into you. 

In any way, you´ve found it. Inside of his chest, inside of his heart was the All Blue you heard so much of. Maybe that was the thing with it, and why only a few people found it. Everyone assumes that it is a place, where the four Blues meet, but it´s easy to forget that when you´re a pirate the ocean becomes the essence of who you are.

Little did you know that Sanji had found his All Blue too.

[paradigmsofbrittaperry]

okay so I finally watched Magic Camp, and as with everything, I have Thoughts:

- going into it, I knew that Gillian’s character wasn’t the protagonist, but still. not quite enough Hot Magician Gillian Jacobs™.

- overall it was very cute and had a lot of good messages for kids, but it spread itself entirely too thin in terms of plot and characters. there just wasn’t enough time to develop Andy’s dissatisfaction with his life AND Theo dealing with losing his father/his complicated relationship with his mother AND that one kid who made costumes (I’m bad w/ names) overcoming the expectations of his father AND Janelle purposefully avoiding camp activities because of *her* strained relationship with her parents AND Ruth’s inexplicable fear of bunnies or whatever that was AND Andy and Christina hashing out their feud AND that bully kid being a generic bully kid AND Theo and Janelle developing crushes on each other AND

like they really do their best to cover all of that ground, but it would have been a much better movie if they had just cut out the filler side plots and say, focused on a) Theo coming back to magic after his father’s death, b) Andy helping him and discovering his love for teaching, and c) Christina helping Janelle find enjoyment in camp and find fufilment outside of her parents’ approval. you can still have all the fun peripheral characters and moments w/o trying to give everyone the depth of the Deep Sea and packing your 90 minute movie with so much material that the whole time, it feels like you’re running a million miles an hour.

and a quibble related to this point: why bother with the Theo/Janelle storyline?? they talk once in the woods, almost kiss by a lake, and then kiss at the goodbye party. the story is entirely unaffected by the removal of that “so under-baked that I heard Paul from the Great British Baking Show complaining about it” side plot.

the tl;dr of this section is that having a writer with any sense of how movies are supposed to work would have fixed this one huge glaring issue that leaks into every part of the film. 

- ALL THAT BEING SAID, I really like how each of the kids’ struggles are something that any kid viewer can relate to. a lot of kids feel intense pressure to grow up to be whatever their parents want them to be. some kids have to deal with the loss of a parent. some kids haven’t had the chance to find themselves yet and feel like they need to catch up to their peers. all of those issues were actually addressed really well and in a way that I feel could help kids struggling with them. it shows that they don’t have to be great at everything, that they have time to find their passion, and that they can break away from their parents’ plans for them if that’s what would make them happy.

- and that being said, the one issue that was addressed extremely poorly was dealing with absent parents. yeah, it’s a Disney movie, of course Janelle’s parents had to show up at the end. but that’s not the case for a lot of kids. some parents just can’t give two shits about their kid, and I feel like any kid in that awful situation would see this movie and just feel worse since even the girl who talks about being abandoned her whole life gets her parents back for a happy ending.

- there’s a whole gaggle of kids in the hearts cabin that are never even named, why bother having extras there if you’re only going to have Andy interact with the main six or so? another quibble but just...it would have been fine to have only 8 campers per cabin and just establish that there’s more than four cabin’s worth of kids if you want a tidal wave of extras for the group shots.

- I thought Adam Devine was really good in this!! I’ve only seen him in the Pitch Perfect series and that one episode of Community, so I was genuinely impressed with how natural his interactions with the kids were. he had a good amount of “goofy uncle” energy. 

- I also kind of loved his character’s arc. I found his journey of realizing that he didn’t want what he thought he wanted for so long really relatable, especially coupled with him finding a love for teaching. 

- I didn’t know Jeffery Tambor was in this until he showed up and walked on water and it was a little jarring. I just didn’t expect to see Bumper and Britta and George Bluth in a movie together. 

- the movie was insinuating that Ruth and Vera like each other right?? if not, what was the reason for the dramatic contextless hug at the end?? I mean, it’s adorable, but c’mon Disney. the hetero children got to kiss. let the sapphics get a little cheek smooch. 

- hot magician Gillian Jacobs. that’s it that’s the tweet.

alright I think that’s all for now!! overall it was a fun time, I really enjoyed a lot of the characters, but the pacing and amount of side plots and characters were quite frankly overwhelming. if the writers had pruned out unnecessary side plots and dedicated the run time to fully developing only the most important ones, I think it would have been just a little bit less of a mess. don’t get me wrong, my overall opinion is not negative in the slightest. it just seems like all of the issues would have been really easy to fix if someone had been forced to make a few decisions. this is how you end up with a half-hearted and mildly uninspired Gremlins 2 type thing.

((also hot magician Gillian Jacobs. she can live in my mind rent free from now on.))

[honeylikewords]

window shopping (joe teague)

(gif source)

(hi guys!! sorry i haven’t been around for a bit- i’ve been really busy! but i promise lots of fun posts very soon!! i have more for the beauty and the beast au, and i have a few shane things coming up!! feel free to send requests- i think i’m all out!! anyway, here’s a piece for joe teague from mob city, which i’m OBSESSED with and that i’ve gotten my friend luce into watching!! i hope you all enjoy!)

(warnings: none!)

(written mostly for @doct0rstrange <3)

Dickinson's Department Store. It's a small but old-enough-to-have-a-legacy shop that Joe passes every morning on his way to work. He parks a couple blocks from the station (because the streets of LA fill up ridiculously fast) and every single morning, without fail, he walks by the storefront window of Dickinson's Department Store. Likewise, every single morning, without fail, he finds himself engrossed in the window dressings.

They're always fantastic and detailed, articulated down to the most minute element. He remembers the Easter display they had, and how he'd actually stopped to stare for a few moments.

There had been countless stuffed bunnies posed ever-so-gently, frolicking in shockingly realistic fields of synthetic green grass. A handpainted background of rolling hills and a bright blue sky had been hung up, framing little tea tables decorated with Fabergé eggs on delicate stands, the tabletops covered in elegant paint palettes and brushes in crystal vases to simulate some garden party of Easter egg decorators. Joe half-believed that any moment, someone would return to their tables to finish their fragile artworks, and he'd found himself smiling.

Every day it was something new, something different, and it never ceased to amaze Joe that somewhere, someone was planning out a brand new, unfathomably detailed setting to create in that six foot long, five foot tall, and three foot deep glass box.

Today's window dressing has mannequins, something Joe has noticed is a little rare in these particular windows. Every other storefront in LA has big, plastic mannequins dressed in the shop's finest, but not Dickinson's, even though they sell clothes, too. He pauses and surveys the window, curious.

There are two mannequins, one at either end of the window. One is a model of a woman, the other a male model. They face one another, but are separated by the entire length of the window. They are dressed surprisingly simply- the man in an everyday suit and tie (it strangely reminds Joe of his own suits), and the woman in a straightforward blue dress. Between them are stacks of suitcases piled into a somewhat pyramid-like shape, and some of them are opened, revealing bursts of flowers, clustered together and popping up out of these pieces of luggage.

There's something subtly longing about the mannequins, Joe thinks. Their eyes, though vacant, are fixed on one another's faces, and there's even a slight positioning of their arms so that their hands just barely seem to be reaching toward the person they gaze upon.

Joe is entranced, his eyes scanning over every tiny inclusion in the scene, but he snaps himself out of it when he hears a distant police siren. He's gotta get to work. With something close to apprehension, he turns on his heel and heads to the station, mind turning over the various tasks on his list he'll need to get done. Still, throughout his day, he finds himself wondering about Dickinson's.

He ends up having a late night at the office. Some joker on the force went and shot a suspect in custody, so Joe had to work through a metric ton of paperwork. By the time he's done, it's edging into one o'clock and he's exhausted.

The walk back to his car is mostly uneventful- all the shops are closed, their lights hushed to silence and their windows shuttered. But as he steps into view of Dickinson's, he sees that the lights are still singing and the door is slightly ajar.

As he rounds the corner, he can see a woman standing in the window. By now, the suitcases are long gone and the mannequins dismissed, and she is hovering in the little glass box, a pencil behind her ear as she pores over a legal pad in her hands. There's a new background hanging- what appears to be an ocean full of sailboats with bright nautical regalia, their colors flying high. Next to the woman's feet are countless paper birds- seagulls, Joe identifies- and a life preserver that seems surprisingly weathered (might it be real?). But more than the set, Joe finds himself admiring the woman in the window.

Her hair is tucked up messily, flyaways branching out around her face like a halo, and the warm store lights catch the shape of her face in such a pleasant way that she seems like she's glowing, even as her brow is furrowed in concentration. She taps the eraser of her pencil against her lips and bites them gently, staring at the notes that she holds, and Joe feels a surprising rush of butterflies in his stomach. She's beautiful.

He realizes he's staring when she looks up from her legal pad and meets his eye, jumping a bit at his presence. Joe puts his hands up to show that he means no harm, flashing his crooked smile at her. She puts a hand to her chest, miming a heart attack but smiling a little, too.

On impulse, and without really thinking, Joe steps through the open door. She's even more beautiful without the glass divider. She has a little apron on, tied around her waist, the pockets of which are full of pencils, rulers, measuring tapes, scissors- an entire entourage of tools. She steps down from the window and dusts her hands on her apron, and Joe thinks that she looks like the most darlingly domestic person on the face of God's good earth.

"Hi," he says. "I'm Joe. Teague. Joe Teague."

"Hello there, Joe Teague," she replies, smiling. "Can I help you?"

"Are you the, uh, person who does all-" -he gestures loosely at the window, somehow hoping that the movement conveys his meaning- "-This?"

"The window dressing?"

"Yes, that, exactly that." He feels like he's choking on his own words. Real smooth, Teague.

"I do, actually. That's my job: professional window dresser." She seems a bit sheepish, smiling down at her feet and shuffling the toes of her shoes on the carpet that covers the entrance to Dickinson's. "It's not much, but I like it."

"Are you the only one who does 'em?"

"I am, yes."

"Are you- are you serious?" Joe is shocked. All that work, all that detail, all that effort comes from just one woman?

"Um, yes? I'm the only set dresser at Dickinson's, as far as I know."

"Wow. It's just- they're so- I mean, I can't believe- they're very beautiful," he finally manages. She giggles at his stumbling, and for some reason, it makes him feel like the most wonderfully lucky man in the world. "I can tell you put a lot into 'em."

"Well, thank you. That's the first time anyone's ever stopped me to say that."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Not a lot of people see the window dressers, you know. They only see the dressings. Of course, I mean, that's how it ought to be- it's about the sets, not about me. But I do really appreciate it, Mister Teague."

"Joe, please," he mumbles, shyly smiling. Something about her makes him shy all over again.

She smiles back at him, and he's momentarily oblivious to his surroundings. It doesn't matter that he's in a closed department store at one in the goddamn morning, gawking at a girl he's only just met- he's happy.

"Well, Mister- um, Joe," corrects the woman, fidgeting with the pencil behind her ear in the most adorable way, "I better get back to the windows. They don't dress themselves. They're a bit like kids, that way."

He laughs at her little joke and she grins at him, the warmth between them increasing by the minute. He's tired from the day, yes, but being in here and having a conversation this nice reinvigorates him. For a moment, he hovers, unsure of what he should do until she begins walking up to the window again.

"Do you need help?" The question leaves his lips before he even knows what he means by it. She turns, looking over her shoulder at him, then gives him a curious, enchanting look.

"Um, alright," she smiles. "Come on up."

She extends her hand and takes his, pulling him up into the box of the window. It's smaller and larger than he imagined, and it's certainly a bit of a squeeze to have a man as big as him in there alongside another person. He tightens his shoulders and gives her a goofy smile as she hands him a seagull, giggling to herself a bit.

"They have a little fishing wire on them," she says, pointing at the place where the invisible thread is. "Hang them so that they look like they're flying."

The two of them work together to finish the window, speaking softly and exchanging shy but bright smiles when they accidentally bump into one another or end up caught in a tight squeeze, face to face as they try to brush past the other in the condensed space.

The time flies by, and soon enough, the display is finished. A boat made from old books stacked to make the hull sails on a sea of bright blue kerchiefs and scarves, little white gloves popping up here and there to simulate seafoam. The birds dangle in convincingly lifelike positions, swaying gently every time the two of them stir up even a slight breeze.

Joe glances over at his compatriot and smiles, watching her survey her work. There's a bit of pride on her face, but also consternation- she squints at the window and leans in as if displeased.

"Do you think I put enough curve in the sail? It looks a little-" "It looks perfect to me," Joe interjects. She looks over at him with a soft expression, somehow surprised that he's impressed with their work.

"It's nearly three in the morning," he mumbles, rubbing the back of his neck. "Lady like you needs her sleep."

"And an officer like you needs his," she replies.

But neither wants to move. They stand in momentary stasis, smiling at one another and hoping that they don't have to be the one who breaks the beautiful bubble they currently reside in.

Joe looks over her face and decides to be brave, to be bold. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his memo pad, scrawling his number and name on it.

"If you, erm, ever want someone to swing by at an ungodly hour and help you dress a window," he chuckles, "Gimme a call."

"And what if I'd like to go to dinner? Would this same number be alright to call?"

He blinks in surprise. She's beaming at him, blushing a bit, and he's utterly endeared. He grins and nods, laughing a little.

"Yeah. Yeah, I think that this would be a real good number to call if you want to get taken out to dinner."

"I'll make sure to call, then."

She pockets the number, then taps his chest with her finger.

"Pad, please."

He hastily produces it and watches her write out her number in the prettiest handwriting he thinks he's ever seen. She signs her name and even puts a little heart at the end of it, then hands the pad back to him. Their fingers brush in the exchange, and Joe feels electricity run through him.

"I expect you to call and ask me about my plans for the next window," she grins.

"I'll make sure to call," he parrots.

They only part ways when Joe sees her begin to stifle a yawn and he smiles at her, heart full.

"Get some sleep, doll."

At the term of endearment her eyes brighten and she blushes a bright pink, one so sweet he thinks he'll have a cavity when he wakes up. Joe smiles and reaches out, squeezing her hand.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Joe."

For the rest of the night, as he drives home, Joe wonders how soon he'll be able to call her without looking like a lovestruck puppy. He wonders if seven am is too early. He grins all the way home.

[piratethornton]

Pirates of the Clawribbean

Chapter 2: Pirates!

Fandom: Zootopia

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Sleek, dark wood, three masts, and a black flag with a canine paw outlined in white. It looked every part a classic pirate ship, and it was swiftly heading towards the Cloverleaf.

The cheetah and rabbit stared at it open mouthed as the lemmings hurried this way and that to prepare defences. If she hadn't been so distracted, Judy would have been amused as the once highly-organised crew scattered about the deck in panic. Then the cannons started.

Clawhauser was the first to wake up to reality. "Lady Judy! We need to get below deck!"

Judy was transfixed. The pirate ship glided closer and closer, puffs of smoke lining its side each accompanied with a loud BANG! The Cloverleaf jolted as it was hit again and again. The lemmings ran frantically in an attempt to dodge the debris. It was as if she were in the middle of one of Jack's stories. She could practically hear his voice narrating the chaos surrounding her. She was pulled out of her stupor when a paw grabbed her arm and dragged her below deck.

Just as Clawhauser shut the door behind them, the cannon fire mercifully stopped, though this was probably because the pirates were now close enough to board the merchant vessel. They placed wooden planks to bridge the two ships and charged across, swords flashing in the sun. One of them, a female honey badger with a single golden hoop earring and bright red hat, raised her weapon straight into the air and addressed the merchant crew.

"Listen up, you knaves! Surrender or die!"

The lemmings froze, looked at each other and as one raised their hands.

"Clawhauser! We can't just hide!" Judy struggled ferociously against the cheetah who was now carrying her towards the galley.

"We don't have a choice!" he replied, not stopping. "Those are pirates! Real pirates! With swords! All I can do is file paperwork and - no offence, but you don't really have much experience."

She managed to wriggle out of his grasp. "I have a weapon. It's in my cabin. I'll go get it -"

"Judy!"

"You have the box, right?"

Clawhauser patted his jacket. He made sure to have it on him at all times.

"Then go hide. I'll be back soon." She was off before he could argue.

She ran as fast as she could towards her cabin, trying not to grow anxious at the fact that it was now much quieter than a few moments ago. She had to focus on collecting her pistol and rejoining Clawhauser. Once she was at her destination, she quickly and silently opened the door and pulled out one of her suitcases stored underneath her bed. Just as she was about to open it, she saw a long piece of metal enter her vision and settle across her throat.

"Alright sweetheart, I'm sure you know the deal here. Do something I don't like, and I'll do something you really don't like."

Her entire body froze, except for her heart which pounded wildly against her chest. She was too terrified to even shake. She looked down and along the sword hovering an inch from her neck to see that it was being held by a dark red paw, and the body heat behind her told her that the mammal the voice belonged to was somewhat larger than her.

"Let's make this nice and simple. Where's the cheetah?"

Cheetah? Clawhauser! The box! Judy took a deep breath and summoned all her courage. She would not betray her friend and the Navy.

"Cheetah. You know...yellow, cat, covered with spots, wider than he is tall."

The insult made her stiffen her resolve further and she stood up straighter.

The stranger gave an annoyed sigh. "Fine. We'll do it the hard way."

His other paw grabbed her left arm and he led her out of the room, his sword still under her chin. Just before they left Judy caught a sight of her captor in the mirror.

A fox.

A red fox.

A red fox holding a sword and wearing a pirate's hat on his head.

Her father would be having a heart attack.

Panic quickly grew back inside her and her breathing became quick and shallow. If only she had gotten to the pistol in time. If only she had stayed with Clawhauser. And now she was in the clutches of a fox that could easily kill her, sword or no. She swallowed, hoping she wasn't drawing attention to herself.

The fox walked through the bowels of the ship, sniffing every so often, his eyes scanning every inch they passed. Judy prayed that her friend had found a good hiding spot, and she had a pretty good idea where that was.

It seemed the pirate had come to the same conclusion; when they reached the galley he stopped.

"Alright, Mister...Clawhauser, is it? I suggest you come out so we can have a little chat."

Silence.

"Don't worry. I'm not gonna hurt ya. This cute bunny on the other hand..."

There was rustling and clinking of jars. Between some shelves two cat's eyes shone through the gloom.

"OK, I see ya. Come on out. Don't be shy."

Slowly but surely, Clawhauser shuffled out of his hiding place, knocking over some plates as he did so. He was shaking like mad and had his paws curled into his chest. Judy tried to send him a silent apology with her eyes, but she couldn't be sure it got through.

The pirate smiled. "Let's cut to the chase. You got the map?"

"M-m-map?" Clawhauser stuttered.

"Don't play dumb," said the pirate, rolling his eyes. "You know what I'm talking about. Where is it?"

Clawhauser's eyes darted to Judy before he moved a shaking hand towards his pocket.

"Clawhauser! Don't -!" Judy's pleading stopped when she felt the sword press closer to her neck.

Eventually the box was withdrawn and held out so the pirate could see. "I give you the map, you let Judy go," said Clawhauser, managing to put some authority in his voice. "OK?"

"Actually..." the pirate replied, feigning embarrassment, "you're gonna have to come along, too."

The cheetah's eyes widened in horror. "What?" he asked in a small voice.

"Don't worry, you'll like my ship." The pirate gestured to the small chairs stacked in the corner. "It's furnished for mammals larger than rodents."

Clawhauser gaped at him, any bravery regained completely vanished. Judy could practically see his mind racing as he desperately tried to think of a way out, but he looked at her again and his face crumpled in defeat. He quickly gathered himself and stared down at the fox.

"Fine," he said, "but you have to let her go."

The pirate gracefully stepped aside, still holding Judy. "Lead on."

Clawhauser glared at the fox for a moment, ignoring Judy shaking her head frantically, then walked past them through the doorway, pocketing the box again. The pirate followed close behind.

Judy started struggling, though all this accomplished was the fox wrapping his arm around her body so that he was almost carrying her. Kicking his shins seemed to have no effect either. As they got closer to the deck they started to hear the rest of the pirates roaming the ship, clearing the cabins and cargo hold of anything they thought would be valuable. Outside the lemmings were ordered to the row boats, where they sat in neat little rows without so much as a squeak of complaint as they waited patiently for the boats to be lowered into the water. One of the pirates, a male kudu, then used a large pole to push them away from the ship.

The other pirates were loading their vessel with the goods they had found, supervised by the honey badger. A cougar caught Judy's eye as he walked along the makeshift bridge between the two ships carrying a couple of suitcases she recognised.

Clawhauser hesitated when he reached the edge of the Cloverleaf, but a quick poke from the fox's sword had him crossing over to the pirate ship. He threw several nervous glances to the fox and rabbit behind him as he was coerced to the belly of the vessel, and gave any other passing pirates a wide berth. The inside of this ship was much gloomier than the merchant vessel, though was still fairly clean, and as the fox promised the passageways were indeed larger so as to accommodate the large mammals that made up the crew. This offered little comfort as the rabbit and cheetah went further and further below until they reached the brig, the darkest and dankest room in the entire ship, lit by only one lamp swinging from the ceiling. The lone cell was marked by an old but sturdy metal barrier, and the only items within were a small wooden bench and bucket.

Clawhauser gave one more look to the pirate who gestured with his head towards the open cell door. The cheetah complied and then turned around.

"Now, if you could just slide the map over here, that'd be great," the fox said with a smile.

Dutifully the box was brought out and pushed out of the cell. The fox's smile grew. He then walked up to the door and roughly pushed Judy through, Clawhauser barely catching her in time.

"Hey! You said you'd let her go!" he said, angrily.

"I did let her go," replied the fox, closing the door and locking it. "Into the cell. You need to learn to be more specific, Spots." He leaned against the metal bars and smirked lazily at his prisoners. "Welcome aboard the Black Paw, the fastest ship on the sea. I am Captain Nick Wilde, and I hope you enjoy your stay, however short it may be." He turned around, picked up the box and walked away.

Judy's rage had reached a point where she felt she had to yell something at the fox's retreating back. "You won't get away with this!"

"Already have, Carrots," came the reply just before the fox was out of sight.

"Carrots?" exclaimed Judy, confused and insulted.

"Ohhh!" Clawhauser moaned, sinking to the floor, his head in his paws. "Bogo's gonna kill me!"

"It's going to be OK," reassured Judy, placing a comforting hand on his arm.

"'Protect it with your life,' he said." Clawhauser was now rocking back and forth. "'It cannot fall into the wrong hands,' he said."

"We'll fix it," insisted Judy. "What was so special about that map anyway?"

Clawhauser sighed and leaned against the back wall, his hands falling limp at his sides. "I guess you may as well as know. It's a treasure map."

Judy's ears pricked and her eyes widened. "A treasure map?"

"Yeah," he replied, thoroughly depressed. "Apparently it was found in some ruins west of Bunnyburrow. They think it belonged to the pirate Captain Maul."

Judy took a sharp intake of breath. Captain Maul was a legendary pirate, thought to have ruled the seas for a great deal of time before disappearing about fifty years ago. Very little was known about him, as any vessel lucky enough to find him was quickly obliterated. Even Jack Savage had no personal encounter with him. It was said that he was pure evil, and had possessed some super natural powers that aided his exploits. Thanks to his success he amassed a great wealth that would rival all the kings in the world put together.

"They hoped it would lead to his treasure trove," Clawhauser continued. "It would be worth millions. Thing is, no one can read it. That's why I was taking it to Zootopia. To find a translator."

"It's in a foreign language?" asked Judy.

"I think so. There were all these weird markings."

"Do you remember what they looked like?"

Clawhauser reached over and used his finger to draw on the grimy floor, his brow furrowed as he tried to recall what he had seen on the map.

Judy studied the symbols below her, her mind running a mile a minute as a plan began to form in her head.

"I think I might have an idea."

"HEY!" shouted Judy again as Clawhauser hit the bucket against the bars. They had been doing this for several minutes.

"I know you're out there!" Judy called. "I can hear you shuffling around. Rabbit ears, remember? I demand to see the Captain!"

"SHUT UP!" The kudu pirate finally revealed himself. "You're not seeing the Captain until he wants to see you."

"As his guest I have a right to see him," said Judy firmly, folding her arms.

"You're not his guest, you're a prisoner!" replied the kudu. "You don't have rights!"

"I am currently residing on the vessel he is in charge of," stated Judy, primly, "and therefore he is responsible for my wellbeing. He needs to be aware of and respond to any problems I may have, and I have a problem."

"Uh - wha - huh?" The kudu gaped at her, then shook his head to right himself. "Tough! You're not seeing him!"

Judy narrowed her eyes slightly at the kudu, then turned her head and nodded to Clawhauser, who cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

"Non voglio rinunciare, no, non voglio cedere!"

"Ah!" The kudu clapped his hoofs to his ears in a vain attempt to shut out the cheetah's screeching. "Make him stop!"

Judy simply smiled back as Clawhauser kept singing, his eyes closed and his body swaying to the aria.

"Please!" the kudu implored when Clawhauser reached a particularly high note. "OK! OK! I'll take you to him!"

Clawhauser's jaws snapped shut. Both he and Judy grinned in triumph. With a scowl on his face, the pirate opened the cell and stepped aside to let Judy out. Clawhauser sat down on the bench to wait, feeling more hopeful than he thought he would be having been kidnapped by pirates. He watched Judy follow the kudu out of the brig and sighed softly to himself.

"I knew Gazelle would save me someday."

The Captain's Cabin, like the rest of the ship, was lined with dark wood though was brightly illuminated thanks to its many windows and candelabras. The room was divided into two by a large red curtain, behind which lay the captain's living quarters. The other side was taken up by a long wooden dining table, though instead of food it was currently covered by several maps and navigational charts. Studying these were three pirates: the Captain, a fennec fox and a honey badger. Captain Maul's map lay straightened out in the middle, its box having been easily broken into, and was the primary focus of the pirates' attention.

The honey badger sighed. "Sorry, Cap. I haven't seen any of these markings before."

"You're supposed to be the expert on these things!" replied the frustrated Captain.

"I'm an expert on curses and legends, not codes," she argued back, putting her hands on her hips. "We all knew it was supposed to be difficult to read when we stole it."

"That's why we brought the cat, right?" The fennec fox gave a small gesture with his head towards the door.

"Yeah, maybe it's time to see what he knows." Captain Wilde made to get up but raised his head sharply when some knocking was heard.

"Err...Captain?"

Captain Wilde huffed in annoyance. "Kinda busy, Pronk."

"Bucky."

"Whatever. Can it wait?"

"...Not really."

The Captain rolled his eyes. "Alright. What is it?"

The door opened just enough for the kudu to poke his head through. "The - er - rabbit wanted to see you."

The fox blinked, confused. "What?"

"The rabbit," Bucky repeated. "She's very insistent. She wouldn't shut up about it."

"And you would know all about that," the honey badger muttered under her breath.

The Captain was sitting ramrod in his seat, thoroughly taken aback. He quickly relaxed in his chair and replaced his hat on his head. "Send her in."

The door widened further and Bucky stepped aside to let Judy through. She entered the room with her back straight, her head held high and her hands folded exactly the way her Aunt Margaret had taught her. She tried not to flinch when she heard the door close behind her, and she surveyed the three pirates before her. The small white fennec fox on the right had a brown hat squeezed between his huge ears and a scowl on his face, the honey badger on the left had her head tilted, making no effort to hide her confusion, and the Captain in the middle was leaning luxuriously in his chair, wearing a huge smirk.

"Good afternoon, Miss," he welcomed. "What brings you to my cabin this fine day?"

"I have something I wish to discuss with you," she answered, thankful that she managed to keep her voice level.

"Well, I'm very busy right now," he said, condescendingly. "I am Captain of an entire ship, you know. I'm sure whatever problem you have we can sort out later."

Judy narrowed her eyes and decided to jump straight to the point. "Having trouble reading that map?"

The Captain wrinkled his muzzle in response, his jovial manner disappearing. "I fail to see how that's any of your business."

"May I see it?"

He gave an exaggerated eye roll and lifted the map with one paw so she could see it. The map itself was made up of a few smaller maps, each containing different parts of the sea and covered with arrows and markings similar to those Clawhauser had drawn in the cell. Judy's eyes raked over them and she smiled.

"As I thought. Lapine."

"La-what?" asked the Captain, confused.

"Rabbit language," Judy explained. "It's very old, and not used much anymore, however my grandmother was insistent that we remember our heritage."

The badger's ears pricked in surprise, but the fox snorted. "Yes, a fearsome pirate would write his map in bunny."

"It is kind of ingenious," mused the badger. "No one would associate rabbits with pirates, and it's rarely used nowadays..."

"Ingenious," agreed the Captain, "and convenient. You're saying you can read this?" he asked Judy, dubiously.

The rabbit nodded, still smiling. "I look forward to you navigating U Zornhain. It's sounds like lots of fun."

The Captain stared at her, then at the map. He slowly turned back to Judy and put the map down.

"I assume you have some sort of deal in mind," he said, leaning back in his chair again.

Feeling much braver, she stepped closer to the table. "In return for reading the map, I want a share of the treasure."

The fox opened his mouth to argue, but she interrupted him before he could say anything. "Just enough to get me £100,000. Plus however much Mister Clawhauser would like. Don't worry, he's not greedy."

The Captain raised an eyebrow.

"Not when it comes to money," she reassured, sighing softly in exasperation. "It's a fraction compared to what the entire trove is worth. I also insist that while both Mister Clawhauser and I are on this ship, we are treated with respect and given proper meals and beds. And we'll more than willing to help out with the chores."

He studied her for a moment, still suspicious. "You want to join the crew?"

"Only temporarily," she answered. "Then you can drop us off on the coast near Bunnyburrow and enjoy your new found wealth in peace."

"Or...I could threaten to throw the cat overboard if you don't read the map right now."

Judy's breathing hitched. She forced herself to keep calm and thought fast.

"I could give you false information. By the time you find out the Navy will have caught up with you."

"Ooh, the Navy." The fox was smirking again. "I'm sure we'll run into them out on the big, wide sea."

Judy's anger flared. "I am Lady Judy Hopps, daughter of the Governor of Bunnyburrow and fiancée to the future Sir James Buckington, member of the Royal Court. They'll be looking for me. And the map."

"Oh, I apologise, milady," the Captain responded, tipping his hat. "I had no idea we were hosting for nobility. I'll be sure to notify the cook serve our finest gruel. Do you need us to curtsey?"

The badger and fennec fox beside him tried to stifle their giggles.

Judy was seething. "You need me."

"Are you the only rabbit who knows lapine? No, no you're not." He leaned forward and rested his head on his hands. "You should have given this a bit more thought, Carrots."

Fear had been completely replaced with rage, and Judy fought to keep her paws from shaking. She took a deep breath and tried to think. What was it her mother said? If you want something from a male, let him believe he is the smartest mammal in the room. But looking at his smug face, knowing he was the reason for her current situation and that he was flat out refusing to take her seriously, she couldn't do it. At least, not directly. Her eyes trailed to his scabbard.

"How about a challenge then?" she asked.

He raised an eyebrow, confused. "Challenge?"

"Yes. If I win, then you accept my deal. If you win, then I'll read the map for you and you can dump us on the first rock you come across, or wherever you wish. How does that sound?"

The Captain thought for a moment. "What sort of challenge did you have in mind? Embroidery? Carrot farming?"

"Well, I - er - had a couple of fencing lessons when I was younger," she suggested, smiling weakly.

There was a roar of laughter from the three pirates. Nick pounded his fist against the table, and Honey wiped tears of mirth from her eyes.  Judy barely managed to fight off a scowl. Calm down, she told herself. Play it naïve. Play it cute.

"Are - are you sure, Fluff?" asked Captain Wilde, still trying to recover.

"Yes, yes I am," she said pleasantly, with the air of a kit who didn't need help from their parents. "When shall we do it?"

"Right now if you're still serious," he replied, chuckling. "Just give me a moment and I'll meet you on deck."

"Very well." Judy held out her hand to the fox. He stared at it for a second, then smiled and shook it.

"Finnick, please escort the young lady out," he said, standing up. "Honey gather some swords. Nothing too heavy. Oh, and bring out Spots. He has a right to watch this."

Judy let the fennec fox lead her out of the cabin, glad that she didn't have to look at the Captain's smirk anymore. Though she held her head high and her expression was one of serenity, inside she was a bundle of nerves. Had she been too impulsive again? Would her plan work out? Did she really have a plan? She quickly went through all the sword fighting tips that Jack had told her, choosing which ones would be the most appropriate for her upcoming duel. Judy had only ever sparred with Captain Savage, and while he had been a strong opponent, she was now about to face someone much younger, fitter and a completely different build. She didn't know what Captain Wilde was like in a fight, and if she lost she and Ben would be worse for wear. Thinking of her friend, she stiffened her resolve and told herself that she would not fail.

She blinked several times when they arrived on the open deck. The afternoon sun was shining brightly and there was a strong breeze blowing in the black sails hanging from the tree masts. The timber seemed old but in very good condition, strong and sturdy. There were only two mammals on deck: the cougar Judy had spotted earlier and a gemsbok. They sent questioning looks as the fennec fox led the rabbit to side of the ship and leant against the railings, folding his arms and waiting. Judy was bemused by the tiny crew, but reminded herself she had more important things to worry about. She looked out to sea and was not surprised that they had sailed far enough for the Cloverleaf to be out of sight. The feeling of isolation only added to her nerves.

The door that led below deck opened and out came the honey badger, Pronk the kudu, Clawhauser and a polar bear that Judy couldn't help but feel she recognised. He was holding a chest which she presumed contained the swords for the duel.

Clawhauser was looking around, clearly nervous and confused, and soon his eyes landed on Judy.

"What's going on?" he mouthed to her from the other side of the ship.

She tried to give him a confident smile to reassure him, but unfortunately it came out as a grimace.

Every head turned as the door opened again to reveal Captain Wilde. He had left his hat and coat behind, wearing only his breeches and a white shirt opened at the collar. He was still smiling smugly, and confidently strode to the middle of the deck. The badger took the chest from the polar bear and made her way to join the Captain, who was looking expectantly at Judy.

She gulped. This is it. Back straight and head high, she walked over and stood next to the badger, opposite Captain Wilde. He grinned down at her.

"It's not too late to back out now," he told her.

She narrowed her eyes at him and turned to the badger, waiting for her to start proceedings.

"OK, everyone," the badger began, "I want a nice clean fight. This isn't one of those 'to the death' type of duels. First one to be incapacitated or surrender is the loser. The fight will be confined to the deck and you are not allowed outside help. Understood?" She looked to the fox and rabbit who both nodded. "Great. Choose your weapon." She opened the chest and inside were several swords of various sizes and types.

Captain Wilde gestured to the swords. "Ladies first."

Judy scanned the chest's contents and was pleased to see there were swords just her size. She chose a long narrow one, similar to those she had used when training with Captain Savage, and even though it was a good weight for her she put on a show of fumbling with it when she pulled it out, causing the pirates to chuckle. Captain Wilde picked a similar sword, slightly larger to suit his build.

"Face your opponent," ordered the badger, backing away.

The duellers positioned themselves accordingly and raised their swords.

"And... GO!"

Judy expected the Captain to attack immediately, however he remained in his starting position, smirking and quirking an eyebrow. He wanted her to make the first move. So she did.

Very soon the air was filled with the sounds of clashing steel as Judy and Captain Wilde swung their swords at each other. They moved across the entire deck as they dodged lunges and parried blows, neither one quite getting the upper hand. Captain Wilde had more power thanks to his weight, but Judy's speed and small size meant that he couldn't get a hit in. Even then, Judy could tell the Captain was holding back, and she started to panic. It didn't help that the kudu and gemsbok were hollering and offering a colourful commentary. She focused on Jack Savage and his teachings, and suddenly she could hear him as if it were another of their lessons.

Swinging your sword is all well and good for defence, but don't forget your attack. Otherwise you'll just run out of energy.

He's right, Judy thought, barely moving her ears before Captain Wilde's sword sliced them off. She needed to attack, to find an opening. She increased her ferocity and tried to get closer to the fox's body. She ducked under his sword again and made a wild swing towards his midriff. He easily dodged this by turning, which she anticipated and responded by spinning so she could reach his back. He turned around completely and used the added force to push Judy's sword away, with Judy along with it. She felt herself falling, so quickly turned her stumble into a roll and struck a defence pose, panting slightly.

Captain Wilde was looking down at her, sword poised to attack. "Do you want to surrender yet, sweetheart?"

"Do you?" she asked back, suddenly grinning.

Nick Wilde felt his clothes shift and looked down. His trousers had fallen to his ankles, the waistband having been cut by Judy's sword. He was too busy gaping at the material covering his feet that he failed to prevent his own sword twist out of his grip to land in Judy's free hand. She pointed both weapons at him, looking as if she had done this a million times before.

There was a long moment of silence.

"She hustled you."

Nick turned his head to Finnick who was walking towards him and laughing heartily. He reached up and grabbed Nick's shirt so he could shout in his face.

"She hustled you good!"

The small fox then made his way to Judy. "You're part of the crew now!" he told her. "You're gonna need one of these!" He took off his hat placed it upon the rabbit's head. He rejoined the crowd who had started laughing as well.

Scrunched up in irritation, Nick's face glared at his highly amused crew, before finally settling on to Judy. She was leaning on her sword, wearing a smirk that he had only seen when he looked in a mirror.

"So, about that map?" she asked, expectantly.

Nick's scowl deepened even further. He pulled up his trousers and turned on his heel, heading towards his cabin with his snout in the air.

"Right this way, milady," he replied, lightly.

As a smug Judy followed him, Ben cheered loudly, "Woo! You go girl!"