The Follow-Up

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Kwazii rapped his knuckles on the door, and the Captain sighed.

"Come in!" Kwazii cautiously stepped into the minefield of wrapping paper and tape that had become the Captain's bedroom. His eyes fell on the Captain, covered in wrapping paper with glue matting his fur.

"How- how many did you get done, Captain?" Kwazii stepped back at the sight of it all.

"Around 10 or so."

"Ten?!" Kwazii cried in surprise but didn't press the matter any further, "Never mind that, Captain, ye did a mighty fine job, matey!" Kwazii beamed and patted his surrogate father on the back. The Captain couldn't help but smile at the praise and encouragement.

"Thank you, Kwazii."
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"Back to you, matey." Kwazii lounged back in his beanbag chair and handed the Captain the tablet.

"Oh, this one is Peso's"," He said lightly as the penguin in question waddled up to him and wrapped his flippers around his shoulders as the Captain gently squeezed him back, "From Uniquedoll602, Peso. What is your cutest childish secret? And also for Peso,  What is your favorite stuffed animal?" Peso stared down at his feet and blushed, not wanting to tell everyone. The Captain wrapped his arms around him and pulled him into a warm hug.

"It's alright, you can just tell me later, and I'll send thethirdweasleytwin a message."

"N-no." His voice grew stronger with each syllable and stutter that came out of his beak, "I want to tell them myself, and I think it's a very nice question." The Captain sat down, giving Peso the floor.

"I guess my cutest childish secret is that I still give my mother beak nuzzles every time we meet, and that I still love to sit in her lap and cuddle her at times." Peso stopped talking and blushed once more, but he was smiling. As far as his eyes could see, there were smiling faces and nods for him to continue.

"As for my favorite stuffed animal, I'll have to say Pequeno is my favorite." Pinto rooted through his memory to search for the stuffed animal that possessed the name.

"Pequeno... Is he the one who got his ear torn off by Cousin Potro?" Pinto asked, recollecting the little incident with their baby cousin.

"Yes, he's still my favorite though, if you don't mind me saying." Peso replied. 

"I don't." Pinto raised his flippers in mock defeat and leaned over to Jane, "Remember how he gently ushered us away from Pequeno? Yeah, that's how I know he's Peso's favorite." Jane smiled but didn't say much.

"Aww, what kind of stuffed animal is Pequeno?" Dashi asked.

"It's a little black and white panda, about this size." Peso shyly showed her with his flippers as the Vegimals began crowding him with their stuffed animals clutched in their flippers, raising them up and chirping happily.

"Oh," Shellington's smile repressed a wave of 'I want to die of cuteness right now.' "They're wondering if you could bring your stuffed animals for a playdate with theirs."

"Of course." Peso smiled lovingly and patted all the tiny little sprouts on their heads, but he had something else in mind too, "Dashi? Would you like to join us? Bring your stuffed animals along too!"

Dashi blushed, and gently told him, "Oh thank you, but I don't have any." Sadly, she'd forgotten which one of her sisters was currently in the room.

"OK, so what are those in our closet then, dead bodies?" Jane asked, and Dashi facepalmed, out of anyone to have to tell... but secretly, she kind of wanted to.

"Alright then, it's settled, when is it?" 

A/N- Comment whether or not you want me to include the "playdate"!

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