Beauties and Beasts

Chapter 145: brought to you by crushes on fictional characters

Random My Hero Academia note: How are Todoroki's pants still on him after he goes flamo in the semi-finals of the sports festival? Anime plot armor? Also, why is emotionally constipated, jerkwad, temper-crazed Bakugou so hot to me? I'd never be able to even be friends with that kind of person in real life. My psycology makes no sense. --from LoweFantasy, not Tyndali, because Tyndali knows her own psychology so well it's disturbing, and kind of sad, because she still has no control over it. _________________________________

"So then you jump over the other player like this." Neara hopped the flat rock over the bark chips and smiled. "Like that."

"And you call it checkers?" Tony peered closer at the board, feeling the rough wood with his hands. After a few days of endlessly being bothered for company, she'd decided to introduce some games. And hopefully encourage them to make their own.

"What if I eat the other players?" Orson grabbed one of Tony's pieces and chewed with a smile. "Do I win then?"

"Then I'll eat yours!" Tony grabbed a handful of Neara's rocks and slammed them into his mouth, the painful crunch and widening eyes marking the moment he realized his mistake.

Benedict bent in half with laughter, Ethel seated on a hide at his feet. "Oh sweet mother of glory, that was amazing. Did you do that on purpose, stone-head?"

"The world may never know." Orson smirked.

"The desert isn't far off." Winston returned from patrol and shook the twigs from his hair. He'd started putting it up in a bun to keep it out of his eyes, which exposed his frighteningly-attractive shoulder muscles.

"Winston! I'm glad you're safe." Neara pushed herself off the stump and ran to him, feeling the grit of sand underneath her arms when she wrapped them around his torso. "Did you go into the desert?"

"Just a little." He flushed and laced his arms through hers although the movement was awkward. "I wanted to make sure there weren't any Scorpions nearby."

"You could totally take them on."

"I'll take you on Winston!"

"Take on me! Takeonme. Take me on!" Tony began belting with Benedict joining in.

"I regret teaching you guys anything!" Neara rolled her eyes. "Thanks for looking out for us. Are we near the ocean yet?"

"In a week, we'll be there."

The chorus line now included Orson, who always protested he didn't remember the songs she sang for them, yet somehow managed to hit every note.

"Ugh, guys!"

Winston just shrugged and stooped to peck her cheek. She blushed and watched him walk to check the roast shortbird.

The chicken wheelbarrow clucked angrily when he passed, following him in an angry mob. The coop had been Winston's idea to keep eggs close at hand for Ethel, who only recently started talking. Benedict still served as her main protector, though she didn't seem to want anything romantic to do with him and Neara couldn't blame her. She'd never met a more annoying male, and that included Parker, who was an idiot on accident whereas Benedict was stupid on purpose.

"Food's almost done, Ethel. Holy cow, you've woven an entire basket already!"

"It's not so hard once you get into it." She smoothed a section of hair from her face, ignoring it when it fell out again. "I've only heard about doing this for babies."

"Yeah, I just figured if it's good enough for babies, it's good enough for cotton, right?"

"Right." Ethel's fingers flew as she spoke, the weave tighter than anything Neara could come up with.