Barkeeps 2: A Wilde Bartender
Written by Bluelighthouse
Edited by LapisLucius42
Artwork by Ocerydia
"Awww come on, Nick! You would look great showing off some of that fit stomach of yours!" Trisha teased as she reached over and pulled at the fox's black button up shirt that was currently untucked, as was his style.
The fox swatted the brown doe's paw away and shook his head, "Paws off the merchandise there, Petals!"
Trisha groaned at the given nickname and retreated back into the bar to prepare for the night ahead.
Judy giggled at her friend's antics before turning her eyes to her fox. She bit her lip and couldn't help but notice at just how handsome he looked that evening. They were now on their second night of moonlighting at the first responder watering hole, which meant it was Judy's turn to protect the front door to the 10-7 while Nick played bartender, something he continued to gripe about.
"Come on Slick," Judy said as she stepped closer to her fox and played with one of the buttons on his shirt, "You are gonna do great. Plus you already know how to mix half the drinks on the menu."
Nick smirked as he looked down at his bunny. Judy was wearing a black shirt with the 10-7 logo across her chest and a pair of black jeans that hugged her strong legs in all the right ways. Since Judy would be playing bouncer, Trisha had gotten her a special black shirt similar to what Petey normally wore black while working the door.
"It's not that, it's just-"
Trisha shouted from behind the bar before Nick could finish the sentence, "Oi muscles! I got some boxes that need moving! Get that foxy butt over here!"
"It's that…" Nick said as he looked over at the bar where Trisha was giving him a playful look.
"You know you love her," Judy said as she beamed up at Nick.
"Do I know that?" Nick began with a small smile, but it quickly disappeared and he answered his own question in an annoyed tone, "No….no I don't."
Judy rolled her eyes as the fox strolled away. She knew he was only teasing and was secretly excited to work the bar. Judy had caught Nick looking over a few recipes online, and she had a feeling he was looking forward to trying some out.
"We will keep an eye on him," Came a sweet voice to Judy's side.
The gray bunny turned and smiled at Em, the other 10-7 bartender. She was currently wearing the same ZPD blue 10-7 shirt that Trisha was famous for wearing. From the looks of it, the bar looked to be a little more blue line tonight.
"Thanks, keep an eye on Trisha while you're at it too!" Judy said with a wink.
Em chuckled and shook her head, "I do that every night. When do I ever get a break?"
Judy smiled at the otter and took one last look at Nick, who was currently lifting a large box and heading towards one of the mini fridges near the center of the bar. Catching Judy's look, he gave her an excited smile which she returned with a kiss and a wink.
Trisha came skipping from around the bar and right up to Judy, "Have I mentioned just how grateful we all are to have you two here?"
Judy beamed and nodded, "You could stand to mention it more."
"Well we are," Trisha said happily. "And I am not just saying that because I enjoy a little eye candy."
"He does clean up nicely doesn't he," Judy said, chancing another glance at Nick.
"I wasn't talking about the fox," Trisha teased.
Judy rolled her eyes and laughed at her friend's comment. "And on that note…I better get outside."
Trisha helped Judy push the large black bar stool outside. The brown bunny performed one last check to ensure Judy understood her job and reminded the bunny that they were inside the bar if she needed anything.
"I didn't tell Nick this," Trisha began as she looked up at the gray bunny getting comfortable on the stool, "But you don't have to stay out here all night, don't hesitate to come inside to hang out."
"And why didn't you tell this to Nick?" Judy asked as she tilted her head, already expecting the answer to be silly.
"Because I wanted you all to myself," Trisha said with a wink before heading back inside.
Judy made herself comfortable and lazily kicked her feet back and forth as she scanned the street in both directions, making sure that the sidewalks were devoid of threats. She had a feeling Nick had spent a majority of his time outside on his phone. She, however, intended to deny access to any mammals that didn't belong in the 10-7.
It was still very early in the evening, and the sun casted the city in a warm orange glow as it set in the distance. Judy was anxious at who would be her first encounters. She ran over different scenarios in her mind. Maybe some fire mammals from one of the local fire stations. Or a pair of paramedics just finishing with a day of saving lives. Or maybe she would see some of her coworkers from the ZPD.
Judy's heart skipped a beat at the thought of seeing some of her friends in this capacity. Maybe she could even play a little joke on them by refusing to let them in at first.
Little did Judy know that the first pair of mammals in ZPD apparel would be the last two she would ever want to stop.
Judy heard them before she even saw them. Her large ears shooting straight up when she heard a deep voice laughing down the street. She took a big gulp as she suspected at who the owner could be.
"Oh geeze! Really? Tonight of all nights?" Judy thought as she suddenly stood up and straightened her shirt. She reached up and instinctively made to straighten her badge until she remembered that it wasn't there and she was technically off the clock.
A large cape buffalo in a ZPD uniform appeared on the sidewalk, walking alongside a gruff looking bear in a similar outfit.
"I tell you Bogo! You have no idea of the cuts they made. I think if they could, they would ask our mechanic to use duct tape on the jeeps!" The bear explained with a chuckle.
"At least the mammals in charge of your budget aren't across the street," Bogo began to explain causally. "Every time we go over budget, they come over to my office and spend almost an hour talking to me about effective fund management…I swear if I have to watch another pawerpoint..."
The buffalo trailed off, however, when he spotted Judy standing at attention on the stool in front of the 10-7.
"Hopps?" Bogo began. Judy could feel herself starting to sweat as she imagined just how much her boss was about to berate her. Overtime wasn't illegal or against the rules, but it was a gray area when it came to working security off the clock. There were sometimes legal problems which could arise and hurt the ZPD. Judy readied herself for an ass chewing. "Where's Petey?"
Judy hadn't realized the breath she had been holding. She released the air from her lungs and looked up at her superior officer. "He is on vacation, Sir. Trisha asked if Nick and I could help out around the bar."
"Good to hear that he finally got that vacation he kept talking about," Bogo said with a nod. He raised a paw in the direction of the grizzly he had been talking to.
"Tom, this is Officer Judy Hopps," Bogo said as he introduced the mammals. "Hopps, this is my counterpart from the Deciduous-District, Chief Tom Urzo of Precinct 7."
Judy stood at attention and was about to salute when the grizzly bear chuckled and held out his large paw instead. Judy took it and was surprised at how firm yet gentle the bear's grasp was. He could have easily thrown the bunny about but chose to give her paw a small squeeze instead.
"A pleasure Officer Hopps," Tom said in a somewhat formal manner, "I have heard a lot about you."
"Good things I hope sir," Judy said with a smile.
The grizzly looked at Bogo and smirked, "Very good things."
Judy blushed as she realized that Bogo must have been talking her up to other chiefs. She looked over at her boss and gave him a thankful smile. Bogo tried to remain neutral, but Judy noticed the way his lips curving slightly in a smile.
"You know. If you are ever looking for a change of scenery," Tom said rather quickly as he looked back at Judy.
"Oh no you don't!" Bogo said with a laugh as he put a hoof on the bear's shoulder and began leading him towards the door.
"We have plenty of jobs at Precinct 7, Hopps! Lots of forest out there that need rangers, officers, search and rescue...firewatchers too!" The bear's sales pitch was cut short as he was pushed into the open door of the 10-7. Bogo took one last look at Judy and gave her a curt nod.
"Firewatcher?" Judy asked herself as she sat back down on the stool. "Hmm, maybe..."
"Quit trying to steal my star officer!" Bogo barked at the grizzly who gave the buffalo a weak grin. The two large mammals both shared a laugh and proceeded to the bar.
"So you even have your own bar? I swear Precinct 1 has all the fun," Tom muttered as he admired the scenery. His eyes going across the sea of pictures on the walls, all of them containing images of first responders from around the city.
"One of the perks," Bogo said as he took a seat at the bar, "Course the bar itself is only half the appeal. Some of the hardest working mammals work here. They look after my officers whenever I can't. I must say they are some of my favorite bar….."
Bogo trailed off as he looked forward and noticed a smirking fox leaning on the bar right in front of him. A pair of bright green eyes looking directly at Bogo.
"Hi Chief!" Nick said with the biggest of grins. "Sex on the beach?"
Judy heard the muffled yell but couldn't quite comprehend what was said. She recognized the chief's voice and tone. It was Bogo's "Stupid Wilde" tone that he used whenever dealing with Nick. Judy let out a chuckle and began to wonder what exactly her fox had done.
The bunny's thoughts were interrupted by a familiar tune that was approaching her from down the sidewalk. Her ears twitched and she felt her heart lift as "Try Everything" filled her senses.
Judy looked in the direction of the music and noticed a red panda in a light purple shirt and dark green skirt skipping along as she sung out loud the famous Gazelle song. The panda had her eyes shut as she enjoyed her music. Judy giggled at just how bubbly the mammal seemed.
"Love that song!" Judy shouted just loud enough for the red panda to hear as she passed by.
"Me too!" The mammal replied as she looked over at Judy with a pair of brilliant teal eyes before continuing on her way. Judy smiled, enjoying the brief interaction, when she heard a commotion and looked over to see the panda stop mid skip and turn around.
"Oh my gosh!" The red panda practically screamed.
Judy's training kicked in and she started to look around for threats as she tensed up. "What?!"
"You're Judy Hopps!" The predator squealed with excitement as she ran over to Judy and stopped just inches away.
Judy had grown accustomed to mammals recognizing her and giving off different reactions. She was a kind of celebrity in the city these days thanks to the Missing Mammals case.
"Yes ma'am," Judy said with a nervous smile.
The red panda looked Judy up and down with the biggest of smiles on her pretty face. She then broke the silence and held out her paw, "I am Velvet! I am just a huge fan of you and your partner Nick!"
"Oh why thank you!" Judy said nervously as she shook the predator's paw.
A sudden look of realization came over Velvet's face and she took a step back, "Oh my gosh I am so sorry! I must seem like a complete spaz right now! I mean screaming like that and running over…but you're Judy Hopps! I mean….JUDY HOPPS!"
"Thanks for reminding me," Judy teased.
"Sorry, just…nerding out here," Velvet said as she fanned herself.
"Don't be sorry," Judy said kindly, "I think it's actually kind of sweet."
"Would…umm…would you mind signing something?" Velvet asked. Judy could tell it took the panda a lot of courage to ask.
"Of course, I mean I was just doing my job," Judy began to explain, reciting the same lines she used many times before. She was, however, happy to make a mammals day if all it required was an autograph. "You want Nick's too?"
The sound emanating from Velvet was the mix of a gasp and high pitched squeak rolled into one as she tensed up. Judy eyed the panda nervously but smirked when Velvet's head started to nod up and down so fast that it may break off.
Meanwhile inside the bar, Nick was listening to Bogo's friend Tom with a mildly amused look across his face.
"We have trees for as far as the eye can see. You would be responsible for patrolling the forest, ensuring folks are following fire safety, assisting in search and rescue," The grizzly explained as Bogo nodded in agreement.
"Sounds like an amazing opportunity Wilde," Bogo said encouragingly, "I would really think his offer over."
Nick looked from the grizzly bear and over to his grinning superior, "Now I couldn't do that to you Chief. I know you would miss me too much."
"Wilde as your commanding officer I order you to take this job far away from me!" Bogo shot back.
"Did I mention the trees?" Tom said jokingly as he took a swig of beer.
"And did I mention I wanted a beer? Not…" Bogo began as he waved his hooves about one of the brightest and most vibrant drinks he had ever seen. "Whatever the hell this is!"
"Oh Nick," Came Judy's sweet voice from the bar door.
"Yes Carrots?" Nick responded without breaking eye contact with Bogo.
"When you get back to work…" The chief growled through gritted teeth.
"Can you come here a minute?"
"On my way," Nick said as he tossed a towel over his shoulder. "You two enjoy your drinks."
As Nick strolled away he heard Bogo call out for Trisha who looked at the buffalo with concern.
The chief raised the fruity drink into the air and gave Trisha a pleading look. The brown bunny giggled and hopped over with a bottle of what she knew the buffalo would enjoy more.
"I heard you all were desperate for staff," Bogo began as he eyed the fox strolling by, "But Trisha….you have better standards than this."
"Yeah, but he is kinda cute," Trisha said and gave Nick a sweet wink. She then turned her attention to Bogo's friend. "I'm Trisha by the way."
"Tom, Precinct 7." The grizzly said as he raised his glass towards Trisha in a kind of salute.
"Oh a tree patroller?" Trisha asked, "Now tell me, what does it takes to become a ranger in 7?"
Nick reached the front door and poked his head out and looked over at Judy. Before the fox could say anything, he winced as a high pitched squeal pierced the air. Nick slowly looked over at a red panda who had both her paws to her mouth and seemed to be shaking.
"Everything ok Carrots?" Nick asked as he looked back at his bunny.
"Oh my gosh!" Velvet exclaimed, "He calls you Carrots?! That's…that's just….oh my gosh that's just too sweet!"
"Nick, I would like you to meet my friend Velvet," Judy said with a smile.
Nick exited the bar completely and held out his paw which was quickly taken by the red panda who shook it vigorously.
"Huge fan!" Velvet explained.
"Rightly so," Nick said smugly, "I am pretty awesome."
Judy rolled her eyes at Nick's comment, but Velvet giggled and blushed. Something Judy took notice of and caused her to raise an eyebrow in concern.
"I just had to get your autograph Nick," Velvet explained as she held out a notebook. Nick noticed Judy's autograph was already present and he signed just beneath his partner's paw writing. "Thank you so…wait!" Velvet was about to take the notebook from Nick, but the fox was already flipping through the pages.
The fox's eyes went wide as he noticed several sketches. "Wow!"
"What?" Judy asked as she looked over Nick's shoulder.
"These are really good," Nick said as he showed Judy several of the images.
Velvet blushed as she began to mumble out an explanation on how she liked to sketch in her free time.
"This stuff is awesome!" Judy said as she studied some of the work.
The door opened up suddenly and Trisha poked her head out. "Hey, two things." All three mammals looked at Trisha who smiled when she noticed Velvet. "Okay, three things."
"What's up, Trisha?" Judy asked as she looked down at the brown doe.
"One, there is a bear in here offering some pretty kick ass jobs over at Precinct 7 if anyone is interested." Trisha began but her friends both shook their heads. "Two, Nick, sorry but I need some help with a few drink orders."
Nick nodded and began to head back into the bar when he stopped and turned to Velvet. "Nice meeting you, Strawberry."
"Strawberry?"
"Red and sweet," Nick said with a wink as he returned the notebook to the now blushing panda. Judy gave Nick a look which the wise fox picked up on. Before entering the bar, he leaned over and gave Judy a gentle peck on the cheek which earned an "aww" from all the ladies present.
"What was the third thing?" Judy asked.
"Who is your cute friend?" Trisha asked as she eyed Velvet and gave her a playful smile.
Back inside the bar, Bogo and Tom were both discussing some non-work topics now that they had a few drinks. The two chiefs had worked together on countless operations and had grown close over the years. However as it has been pointed out, they never the opportunity to just sit down, drink a beer, and discuss non work topics. Both of them seemed to be enjoying a chance to get to know their counterpart.
Bogo set his beer down for a moment as he listened to Tom talk about how one must trust their instincts out in the forests. When instincts fall sometimes crazy things can happen. The buffalo reached over for his beer once more but was confused when he felt the stem of a glass touch his hoof. The buffalo looked down and felt his eye begin to twitch as a bright pink drink with cotton candy sat in front of him.
"WILDE?!" Bogo roared as he looked down the bar at a fox who couldn't look happier about taking this moonlight job.
Special thanks to Upplet for the use of his cool character Tom Urzo. If you enjoyed Tom you should go check out When Instinct Falls. Of course you are probably already following that awesome story anyways. I mean if you don't where have you been? I knew about WIF before I even started writing.
Velvet is the creation of Red Velvet Panda who let me use an awesome character I think we can all relate to. I mean admit it, you're walking down the street and see that gray bunny with the purple eyes and you would totally let out a squeal of excitement. Red is also awesome because she has drawn some amazing work that is floating out there. For my Firewatch fans keep an eye out for a picture of everyone's favorite ranger.