Wapun Meadow downtown

Kind of. He was pressing kisses in to her jawline, softly to her neck, the base of her ear. That's what she thought this was, anyway. Some kisses. Affection between two fast friends — gosh, she really had been raised under a rock hadn't she? But the more he gave the more she wanted, and while Ibis tried to reciprocate and mimic what he was doing it wasn't to the same effect; she was clumsy and awkward as per usual and every time his trailing touch caught upon her skin she felt a lot. ( Can I show you? ) Confusion mostly, intrigue, similar to what Ibis felt when she'd heard him cussing. Like this was somehow taboo but also new and she was too innocent to think about what he was really after if anything. She sighed softly against him, Okay, but didn't know what she was agreeing to, not really.

luckily for tristan, blackthorn rule was not 'shelter your kids'. sure, ibis might've lived under a rock her whole life but... she wasn't under one anymore. and she had terrible influences like tristan out in the real world to explain a few things that might've been kicked under the rug. for example: this. absentmindedly, as his teeth began to comb through the fur along her neck, tristan wondered if ibis had ever gotten the talk. something told him no, call it a gut feeling, which left him wondering how far he should be pushing this... like, he was starting to feel like he could push it all the way. but.. morally... should he? and even if he shouldn't, did he care?

well, he was also prepared to be entirely shut down at any second anyhoo, so he continued. whatever. he'd tested his luck in worse ways weeks prior (AKA attacking towhee). full send, as the kids say.

you tell me how you feel? he opted for, feeling it was a good middle ground for both parties... one because ibis probably didn't know what was going on and tristan also had a lot to learn / perfect. unless she stopped him, he used his nose again to trace to the hollow of her throat -- peppering in little licks along the while.

Maybe living under a rock wasn't accurate. She knew some things — that two loving parents made babies together, or sometimes three, or more, and that two mothers could share a litter — or two mothers and one very nice Ariel, which wasn't standard but was much preferred according to little Ibis. She knew that parents did not always stay in love. When that happens, parents split and find new connections - and with those connections, more children happen. The specifics didn't matter to Ibis as she wasn't yet receptive to such behavior; although she was quickly being converted by this little miscreant and charmer, Tristan.

He was doting on her. Showing affection in ways that were new to Ibis but welcome, and the thrill of her racing pulse and the humming in her skin kept her satisfied, distracted. She shyly nibbled at the boy's cheek and neck fur, combing her teeth through the silver strands while he kissed at her neck, her throat — bringing to light an animal's instinctive urge to withdraw; she was no warrior but the presence of a mouth by her throat was enough to make her nervous.

—tell me how you feel? Hmm? She felt like she was dreaming, but she heard him, and murmured softly in return, Mm, good. This is... Different, unexpected... Nice, It wasn't much, but the warmth brewing between them was very distracting and Ibis didn't want to disrupt the friendship they were building (or whatever this could be) so she added, .. am I doing this right...? With a heavy breath she continued to preen at him, kiss at him like the soft pecks of a little bird, cautious but curious.

hello yes you rang

ibis is grown the same as him, so okeanos doesn't feel the need to hover over her. he doesn't mind when she wanders off, trusting she won't go too far (and besides, the sun overhead makes him feel languid and heavy, sinking into the meadow.) still, he can't help but want to keep an eye on her. after enough time has passed that he's ready to push them closer to the mountains, okeanos goes after her scent.

it's joined by another, unfamiliar. his pulse quickens anxiously, but there's no fear that he can sense, and he hasn't heard ibis shout. so he forces himself to relax and continues, easily tracking them down (it is a big open meadow after all). "ibis," he calls cheerfully, and then slows, his expression flickering as he takes in, "what's, uh," hm, "what're you up to?"

of course, okeanos is not a fool. his mothers have explained sex to him, what with breeding season and all. so it is not so much confusion but surprise that glimmers in his applegreen eyes watching some strange boy comb his teeth through his sister's pretty scruff. hm. drawing himself up to his full stature, okeanos asks mildly, "i'm sorry, who are you?" his eyes locked on the stranger.

UHM actually i did the opposite -- jk FANTASTIC HAHAHA

despite all the YES signals she was putting out, there was one resounding NO. which didn't even come from ibis, it came from elsewhere. he paused to turn and look at a really fucking huge ass dude. like, holy shit. was this her brother??? what the fuck?? they looked like nothing alike ... except maybe undertones? whatever, didn't matter. not wanting to look guilty, but wanting to scoot NOW, tristan only took a small step back. tristan, he said with a flick of a single ear, and i was just grooming ibis, but i'll probably uh -- leave now. yeah, definitely. 

he glanced back at ibis apologetically (and with a painful pair of blue balls) and then made to dip. if i see mali i'll let him know you're going west!! he called over his shoulder, headed off at a really quick pace. read: a sprint.

The same information hadn't been readily available to Ibis; or maybe it had been but she didn't glom on to those facts as well as she glommed on to singing or her nerdy fixation with flowers. She didn't think anything bad was going to happen between herself and Tristan, and was basking in the affection and the attention, right up until she heard the familiar voice of her brother. It was a definite mood killer; more than that, the presence of Okeanos seemed to make Tristan nervous because he withdrew swiftly and was distancing himself with haste, almost like something was wrong with Ibis. It certainly hurt to watch - and listen - as Tristan retreated.

Ibis felt exposed, her body humming, warmth having spread from her cheeks to her throat where he had been preening at her. The butterflies fluttered a few more times and faded, and Ibis was left staring after Tristan's retreating figure. She gasped softly, looked over her shoulder at Okeanos with a slight glare, and with an exasperated huff she said, Okeanos! You -- you've scared him away, I was just --- he was a friend, but the hasty explanation left much to be questioned. She found she couldn't even look at her big brother afterwards, feeling immensely embarrassed.

the boy, upon seeing him, beats a hasty retreat--which okeanos wasn't exactly expecting, but he can't deny the hum of smug satistifaction it gives him...until ibis starts glaring at him. immediately his ears flatten back, guilty at having interrupted his sister, even if his protective instincts tell him it was the right thing to do. "i wasn't trying to make him leave," okeanos tries to explain, but pauses and sighs, adding, "well.. maybe i was, a little bit. i just didn't expect -- i mean, um, did you even know him?"

he'd said his name was tristan, and maybe ibis had met him while she was in lost hollow creek, and okeanos was the boob for not realizing that. but he didn't smell familiar.... not that it's his place to chastise her....... awkwardly, he shifts his weight from paw to paw, and mumbles "sorry," hoping she'll forgive him for the intrusion.

Well, whatever had been happening with Tristan had ended, and Ibis felt exposed because of it. Exposed and frustrated now that the warmth and the fluster was fading; she watched Okeanos for a split second longer but couldn't hold her attention there, and turned to look at the path Tristan had taken, like he was going off to war and she would be heartbroken to never see him again. Maybe they'd run in to one another in the future — but then what? Would their friendship be strained because of this interruption and ensuing awkwardness? She hoped not. Whatever they had been doing had been fun, and Ibis hoped to continue sometime.

Meanwhile Okeanos was trying to talk to her. Ibis heard half of it, and clued in properly when her brother said, um, did you even know him? Which, to her, sounded accusatory, to which she slanted her ears and hissed back at him, Okeanos! Huff! Puff! What was he implying -- ? Sorry, quailed the giant thereafter, and Ibis took a deep breath that sighed out of her. It's fine, it's... Lets just, lets just get moving. C'mon big brother. And with that she lodged the moment of goodness with Tristan in to her memory and spoke no more of it. Ibis brushed her cheek against Okeanos' hefty shoulder as she passed him but didn't wait for him as she picked up her pace, continuing to roam the area.