Reggie hated talking to the public, at least in an informal way. If it was a ticket, or talking to witnesses, the weasel could do that no problem. Talking to large groups, kits, or in a prominent way was a completely different story. Of course, the mustela found himself on a stage in front of a large group of kits at Savannah Central Elementary School. To add to the mustela's woes, his partner lapped up the attention.
"Yes, you to the right," Wilde called to the crowd on the floor of the gym, standing almost at edge of the stage as if putting on the performance of a lifetime, "the rhino with both hooves raised."
The chosen rhino stood, though there wasn't much need as he towered over most of his classmates even sitting. The student nervously clasped his hooves together and glanced about nervously. "Um, have you ever, like, almost died?"
Reggie frowned. What was with kits and death?
"Well being an officer is dangerous..." the fox started solemnly, nodding his head as if to emphasize the point. The vulpine flourished a paw to the young megafauna, then pointed upwards. "...however, if it means keeping Zootopia safe, than all officers are willing to put their lives on the line!" A loud applause broke out, with even some whistling and hollering added to it. Wilde bowed low, his ears almost sweeping the floor as his tail gave a quick flick.
The weasel simply stared ahead with a blank expression. This wasn't the first time they spoke in front of a group that ate out of Wilde's paw, in fact it was quite common. The fox's pseudo-celebrity status, mixed with an apparent change in curriculum to teach about the Nighthowler Incident, led the former hustler to rarely meeting a gathering he couldn't sway. This was fine for Reggie, who preferred to stay out of view. However, there was only so many times the mustela could listen to the praise heaped on his partner before he felt a twinge of jealousy.
Just a twinge.
"Officer Weaselton?"
Reggie blinked, "Huh?"
The students giggled and Wilde smirked slyly. He waved a paw to the front row of students, "I think this question is for you."
Reggie frowned as he stepped closer to his partner, unsure of what the fox meant. Standing up, though it barely made a difference, was a young weasel. She wore a simple blue dress with a matching plastic beret to her left ear. The student squirmed under the mustela officer's curious gaze, hunching her shoulders as her tail twitched nervously.
"Um...do you ever get scared?" squeaked the young jill, gaze still focused on the floor as a paw played with her beret.
An uncomfortable silence filled the gym as the officer mulled over the question. Reggie oddly felt as if what he said at that moment could sway opinions in either a positive or negative way. He didn't like that feeling. The older weasel swallowed dryly as he stole glances at the smug fox. Wilde simply stood with his arms folded and a knowing smirk. The mustela huffed, he wouldn't be made a fool of by his partner.
"I do, yeah," Reggie answered with a curt nod.
"Well, why do you do it if you're scared?" the student pressed.
"Becauseā¦" the officer started hesitantly, still not sure where he was going with his thought. He glanced again at Wilde, who offered no aid and continued to watch the weasel suffer. "...because a lot of mammals are scared." He grimaced as the student cocked her head in confusion. Reggie sighed and nervously rubbed the back of his head, "What I mean is...that cops get scared like everyone else." The officer gestured to the smaller mustela. "Are you ever scared to do something, but do it anyway?" The young jill nodded. "Well, it's the same for police officers." The older weasel hesitated again but felt as though he was onto something.
"When there's a crime, a lot of mammals are scared. The bad guys can be scared, the cops can be scared, and everyone around can be scaredā¦" Reggie gestured between him and Wilde, "...but it's the job of officers like me and Officer Wilde to make sure things don't go bad because mammals are scared." The officer planted his paws on his belt. "You know all those shows that have the cops darting the bad guy?" A low "yes" echoed from the group. "Well in real life, we don't want that. We want no one to get hurt, and...and that's what I'm really afraid of!" Reggie placed a paw over his badge and glanced around the crowd. "I don't want mammals to get hurt, and that's why even though I'm afraid, I still try to do my best every time."
A smattering of applause, mostly from the teachers surrounding the student body, echoed in the gym. The young jill clapped with a contemplative look on her muzzle, as if the officer had given her an impossible riddle.
The older weasel panted as his heart threatened to break out of his chest. He had never felt such an overwhelming urge to run from something mundane as speaking! Reggie whipped his head around when a paw gently landed on his shoulder.
It was Wilde, smiling genuinely. He gave the weasel's shoulder a quick squeeze. "Not bad for a wallflower," the fox whispered, then winked. The mustela simply nodded. The vulpine's smile reverted back to his patented smirk as he pulled his partner back from the forefront. "Officer Weaselton is quite right," Wilde announced to the room. "No officer wants any mammal to get hurt!" With a dramatic flourish, the tod pulled out the pawcuffs from his belt and spun them around on a a digit. "Now, who wants to learn about our equipment?"
Uproarious shouting emanated from the students, as mammals of all different sizes and ages raised their collective paws and hooves in the hope of grasping one of the officer's items.
Reggie stepped back and away from his partner and the excited crowd, once again all eyes on the former hustler. The weasel breathed easier, knowing that the pressure was off of him. He smirked as he watched Wilde perform his magic, the crowd oohing and ahhing at the appropriate times. What didn't escape the mustela's gaze was a small set of black beady eyes that were focused on him.
The young jill continued to watch the older mustela, even as her classmates reacted with glee and astonishment at the different pieces of equipment Wilde produced from his belt. The student's unwavering gaze unnerved the normally stoic mustela looked away. Reggie had no idea what was going through the student's head.
All he could do was hope she wouldn't be afraid.
Hello Readers,
Just another quick Nick and Reggie chapter. This one focuses much more on the fox's strengths, and gives a bit of basic insight info the weasel's thoughts. Let me know what you think!
-CG
