After a week of walking through the enchanted forest, the two joined classes finally had to pick what part of the forest to study.
"Now remember, this project must be worked on both during and after class," Poppa Bear explained to the groaning students, "and once you pick a section to report on you cannot change it."
"We should study Wonderland Grove," Kitty said.
"What about the river?"
"How about the dark thicket? Worst case scenario, I can practice slaying beasts," Daring said, slashing his arm through the air as if wielding a sword. Cerise's eyes widened in panic, Carmine and her pack lived there, she couldn't let Daring near them.
"Uh, no! Why not the Heart Tree?"
"Oh, but why not research in the lion's den? Or should I say the wolves' den?" Cerise snarled at Kitty, who disappeared with a smile.
"Oh that's right, wolves live there." Ingrid turned to Daring. "Dude we can't go to that part of the forest, Cerise is probably scared of wolves."
"Yes! Yes absolutely, I'm terrified of wolves." Cerise nodded eagerly, happy that Ingrid had accidentally given her a perfect excuse. "The river's fine though."
"Hey, Hopper?" The group turned to see Briar put her hand on Hopper's arm. "Listen, I couldn't help but overhear that your group wants to do their project about the river and, well, my group wants to do that too, so I was wondering if maybe you could let us have this one?"
"What? But that's the only option that's gotten more than one vote-"
"Of course you can, Briar," Daring interrupted, pushing Hopper away so his protests were harder to hear.
"Thanks, Daring!" Briar smiled and walked away to tell Poppa Bear and her friends the good news.
"Hopper! Have all the chivalry classes taught you nothi-" Daring paused, his friend's awed face throwing him off. "Are you even listening to me?"
"I didn't get flustered."
"What?" Hopped looked at Daring and smiled.
"I didn't get flustered. I wasn't a pushover. I didn't turn into a frog. Ha ha!" Hopper threw his fists into the air. "Am I over her? I think I'm over her! Whoo hoo!" Daring, Ingrid and Cerise smiled as Poppa Bear walked over to their strange group.
"You're the last group to pick an area to study, and there is only one area left." He turned his clipboard around to show them the list, every section of the forest was scratched off but the swamp.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Ingrid tilted her head towards Cerise and a suddenly visible Kitty.
"You should've picked faster, then." Ingrid groaned.
"Hopper, while I'm glad you've gotten over your ridiculous crush on Briar," Daring said, exasperated, "next time, please save the revelation for after we've secured the setting of our project." Hopper ran a hand through his hair nervously.
"Ah, yeah. Right." As the group walked to the swamp, Ingrid grabbed Hopper by his wrist.
"For what it's worth Hopper, I'm happy for you." They smiled at each other, and Kitty gagged silently behind them.
The one advantage of the swamp was that it was the closest part of the forest to the school. When the five of them had already reached their spot, there were still other groups walking by. Ingrid took off her jewelry, shoes and fishnet gloves efficiently before moving on to her skirt, at which point the two princes cried out in alarm and Kitty laughed riotously.
"What?" Hopper stammered before changing into a frog. "Oh, come on you two, I have shorts on underneath." Ingrid rolled her eyes and Cerise chuckled as she rolled up the legs of the jeans she'd worn in preparation for a messy day of hiking. Ingrid did, in fact, have on a pair of shorts, however passing groups did not realize this, and soon a whistle could be heard from a passerby. Hopper turned to where Arcus was smiling openly at Ingrid - who had been in the middle of unzipping her skirt - despite being smacked upside the head by Blondie.
"Have you no shame?" Hopper leapt indignantly in his frog form towards Arcus and his group. "Are you naught more than a common pervert?! You ought to feel low to your very soul, how in this world can you justify such rude behavior towards a kindred being? Apologize to her at once!" Arcus' fuzzy ears drooped and he hung his head as he walked over to Ingrid, who was folding up her skirt.
"Fine, I'm sorry I was bein' rude, Greta." Ingrid smiled at the repentant boy.
"It's fine. One question though," she said nervously.
"What?"
"Can I pet your ears?" Arcus smiled crookedly at her, his head still bowed slightly as his ears perked up.
"Of course, sweetheart." Ingrid gently rubbed one soft ear between her index finger and thumb as a deep rumbling noise came from Arcus' chest. Soon Arcus was rubbing his head against her hand like an eager house pet while Ingrid giggled, making both Hopper and Blondie fume.
"Arcus! We have to go work on our project," Blondie snapped. Arcus moved away from Ingrid's hands with an apologetic smile.
"Aw, don't be mad Blondie, you know you have petting privileges." Arcus brushed his head against her neck and stared up at her through his eyelashes. "Hex, if you ever want in my dorm I'll leave it unlocked just for you if you'll sleep in my bed, and then you can 'pet' me for as long as you want!" Blondie blushed, along with many students from the gathered crowd of spectators. Kitty fanned herself mockingly from a tree as Ingrid and Cerise blushed and Ingrid tried not to look at Hopper. Daring was about to stride over and push the lecherous bear-eared boy away from Blondie when she shoved Arcus herself.
"No! I don't want to 'pet' you, I don't want to be in your dorm room, and I don't want you touching me!"
Everyone in the swamp froze except for Arcus, who calmly untangled himself from Blondie. He stepped back and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.
"Okay," he said. He spoke so quietly that, if anyone else in the swamp had spoken, no one could have heard him. "Okay." Blondie exhaled in a puff of relief, and the crowd dispersed save for Blondie and Ingrid's groups. Arcus hid his hands in his pockets like he didn't know what to do with them, and Blondie's group tensely walked away. The five remaining students stood frozen in place.
"So, that happened."
AN: *cackles* I enjoyed writing this one so much! I imagine Arcus being a persistent flirt with no boundaries, but he'd still back off if a girl flat out said 'no' to him. Also, keeping his language from getting too obscene is difficult. -.-'
While this story has only really focused on a few characters, I would like to expand it to include other stuff *cough cough*ships*cough cough*.