Beauties and Beasts

Chapter 120: brought to you by covid

Harnessing the power of second-grade science labs, Neara brings the rain. She also makes out with Tony because sometimes you just need to blow off a little steam.

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"It's called static electricity." Neara touched Winston with a giggle and his tail flicked behind him.

"And the point is?" Orson's hair couldn't have been more buoyant.

"You're just mad you look like a cloud." Benedict casually shocked Orson as he walked by, earning a snarl and a punch.

"S-T-A-T-I-T-A-T-T-T-C" Tony spelled proudly. WIth some coaxing from Neara, Orson allowed the other two beastmen into their reading lessons, although Benedict didn't show up for lessons more than half the time.

"Close: S-T-A-T-I-C. You got the letters right, but you added a few." She smiled encouragingly at him. Maybe she should get more mates? Shay rushed into hers, but it's not like she'd ever been kidnapped... except the time Calvin almost took her, and the time the Rabbits took her..how many times had they been made off with? How many mates would she have to have before they finally stopped?

Alone, she was a prize to be claimed, with a few mates, she needed more. Even with a super powerful mate like Orson, they were still coming after her. It seemed like the more she mated, the more she needed to keep safe. She bit her tongue trying to soften chewy tuber Orson brought back from his daily excursions, not in some small part because she'd remembered Aetius and the last time she'd seen him...

"And we need all the beastmen?"

Neara nodded. "And all the furs. If they all shuffle around, it should attract..."

"A lot of Eagles wondering what the hell we're doing."

"Since when do my ideas not work out?" Neara faced Orson and scowled darkly.

"There's a first time for everything."

"And there's such a thing as recognizing a pattern, stone-head."

A small smile, meant only for her, parted his lips.

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Using Ethel's Eagle mate, (who again apologized for being slow to pick her up) they picked a day when most of the clouds would be over the City. Beastmen rolled out every fur they had, to the disdain of their mates, watching and fuming. A large tree in the middle served as a ladder to help stabilize the growing line of beastmen clinging to each other. Overhead, Eagle beastmen circled, waiting their chance to connect the two lines with the heavens.

Winston stood near the tree in an authoritative position; Ape King chose not to come, telling his Clan they could make their own choice, but highly advising against angering the gods... whatever that meant. Neara didn't see any religious ceremonies or oaths (besides Orson's) or shrines or anything to suggest they took the gods seriously. Beastmen stood in small concentric circles around the tree, the females standing outside the circle of furs looking suspicious. He raised his hand and chopped it down, "Beastmen, now!"

The air hummed as beastmen shuffled as fast as they could around the tree, dragging their feet as they marched. Orson, Benedict, and Tony raced each other as fast as their rings would let them, occasionally glaring daggers at each other. Soon the beastmen became blurs of colors, streaks of testosterone until Winston roared. All of the men stopped and grabbed hands, clustering around the base of the tree. Winston reached for a Leopard beastman hanging from the tree and above, Eagles dove for the dry branches. When they all connected, an enormous crash seemed to break the sky, a deluge of rain falling in huge sheets to the ground below.