Quoted By:
All at once, the three of them turned their attention on you. But your attention was firmly fixed on three approaching shapes in the distance.
No…it was more than just three.
Cindy, Wanda, and Nature Girl were coming your way, all of them riding atop a pair of grizzly bears. Cindy and Wanda were sharing one, while Nature Girl had her own. The latter seemed to be riding tall, her back straight, and her antlers high.
Noticing that you were no longer paying attention to them, the Heroes for Hire turned to stare at them as well. So did the Morlocks. Everyone was staring at them now. Even Ember lowered her handheld to catch a glimpse.
The closer they got, the more details you could pick out. And the reality of the situation was…strange, to say the least.
Both Cindy and Nature Girl were being swarmed by small animals. Rodents crawled over their arms and shoulders. Birds perched atop their heads and hopped around in front of them on the grizzly’s back.
<span class="mu-r">“Who are <span class="mu-i">they</span>?”</span> Pei asked, squinting at them.
<span class="mu-r">“The one on the left is my kid, Cindy. The one on the right is a mutant that we like to call Nature Girl.” you whispered. “I’m sure you can figure out why.”</span>
The surrounding Morlocks began to murmur and chuckle amongst themselves. Even you were having a hard time holding it in when you noticed the troubled look on Cindy’s face. The whispered conversations continued until both grizzlies stopped in front of the tennis courts, bringing the precession to a halt.
You and Cindy locked eyes, then. She opened her mouth to say something, but her words were cut short by the tittering of a group of approaching birds. They were carrying something in their talons, and-
A wreath of flowers was unceremoniously dropped onto Cindy’s head, pushing her hair in front of her eyes and causing her to splutter. Behind her, Wanda looked jealous of her new gift.
<span class="mu-r">“You’re giving off real ‘Disney Princess’ vibes, you know that?”</span>
That was all you said, and that was all it took to break the silence. Those who didn’t outright break into laughter, tried to suppress a giggle or a chuckle. There were of course, those that did neither, and instead went back to whatever they were doing before Cindy’s arrival.
But it was enough to make Cindy turn beet red at the attention she was getting. Nature Girl was giving your ward curious looks, and Wanda was waving at everyone cheerfully.
Oh, yeah. It was definitely a good idea to invite these two.
—----------
(Cont.)
