Lost Creek Hollow I am the King of respectfulness, bitches!

@Ibis <3

the boy had grown considerably in his first few months of life. he had all but shed the awkward fumbling of his large paws and adapted to the size that his body was attempting to work toward. this was a really exciting feeling for aengus, because he was mostly eager to outgrow his sister. sionnach wasn’t the biggest, but he wanted to make sure that he was leaps and bounds ahead of her in case anything ever changed in their hierarchy. so long as he could smother her with his lard, he felt like he was in a good position.
 
the young frostfur boy had galloped out of the family den that morning with blinking eyes. he lifted his muzzle to the air and drank in the taste of rain. it would be another damp day, but aengus didn’t mind all that much. his goal was to seek out the nastiest puddle that he could find so he could evolve into his final form: mud monster 9000.

When she finally got back to the Hollow she was a bit soggy, a bit tired, but in good spirits. Her path followed the river's twisting body in to the familiar forest, and at some point Ibis thought about having a bath to clean the mud from her usually pristine limbs. She did pause to test the water but found it appallingly cold, so she turned away from it and resigned to being dirty for a little longer. The girl kept her wits about her — the very last thing she wanted was to be found-out by Gannet. The very thought of the handsome boy made her blush.

So she tried to stay secret as she moved, which wasn't exactly her strong suit. The girl was as subtle as an elephant; though she was small she was also a clutz, and broke through many bushes or found herself blocked by clusters of trees too often. When she finally emerged somewhere open she let out a gasp, her eyes closed as a sense of relief swept over her. Then there was a raindrop — a nice fat one, right on her nose.

Ibis was startled by the cold feeling and opened her eyes immediately, looking at her nose a little cross-eyed and then redirecting her attention to the sight of a chubby brown bundle zooming between the trees. Aengus? She murmured as she identified the boy — running straight for her, with a nice stretch of damp soil between the two of them.

aengus was about to swan dive his plump ass into the biggest mud puddle that side of the teekons just when an angelic voice sounded in his ears and caused his legs to seize from underneath him. the problem with this was that the ground was slippery from the rain and he did not have a firm grasp on the strength in his puppy limbs. when he slammed on the brakes, he felt his front feet shoot out from beneath him like he was taking a slip-n-slide at the speed of sound. his mouth opened and he threw his head back comically as the death spiral took him straight into mud city.
 
head to toe.
 
more than that, aengus was absolutely covered – every inch of his puppy frame – in a thick layer of dark mud. when he opened his eyes, they shimmered from the depths of the goop that he had bathed in. it was rather fortunate that the puddle was smack dab in the middle of where aengus had been and where ibis was standing. he didn’t believe that he had gotten any on her. in an attempt to appear charming for the girl, the bull spread his lips into a wide grin. his tail flagged behind him and he took an eager step forward.
 
“hi, ibis! you wanna be a mud monster with me?” the boy asked happily. who could fucking resist?

The boy slipped and came careening around her, managing to splatter mud all around but somehow missing her, which she appreciated. She breathed a sigh and looked down upon the boy with a thin smile - then, getting an idea, she decided to chest-dive in to the mud and lurch towards him with a big grin. Having already been muddy, what was a little more? Or that was the thought; as the mud squelched around her and soaked in to her belly she found the feeling uncomfortable.

I'd love to play with you, Aengus! She agreed happily, her whippy tail slinging wet soil to and fro. After a second her face grew serious though. What is a mud monster? Are they big, are they scary? She feigned a look of nervousness, of horror, and whispered to him with a dip of her chin, Can you keep me safe?

it was entirely unexpected that ibis would plunge into the muck so willingly, but the action was enough to cause the boy’s heart to flutter with delight. his chubby cheeks spread into a wide smile that revealed his dagger-like puppy fangs. he could scarcely prevent himself from quivering where he had stopped. as aengus peered upward into the crystal teal of her gaze, he thought that he had found the perfect partner in crime. she was pretty and she was willing to get down in the dirt and have fun with him. to a puppy, this was all that really mattered.
 
the question came and caused aengus to freeze and stare curiously up at his new cohort. she wanted to know what a mud monster was, but the young bull wasn’t sure how to describe that to her. then, she leaned toward him and he could smell the aromas that clung to her coat. it filled his head with happiness just seconds before she asked if he would protect her. this caused a dynamic shift in his entire nature.
 
aengus puffed his chest out and drew his crown upward to appear more capable. his brow furrowed over his gaze in a stoic manner (or so he hoped) and he nodded diligently. “oh, i keep you safe! you very pretty, ibis! mud monsters like to take pretty things and steal their prettiness. an aengus would be so sad without ibis friend. plus, i wanna be a warrior when i grow up,” aengus promised her, his tone serious. “but, if we do a disguise so that we look like the mud monsters, maybe they gonna trust us and share all their tasty treats.” the lore of mud monsters was being entirely fabricated by the young boy, but he was praying that it came off serious enough that she would believe him.
 
“they likes to hid in deep mud an then they jump out when you not expect and suck you in to their mud kingdom! then you gots to try to talk to the mud king to be free,” aengus explained to her with a nod.

Boy, this child had quite the imagination! She wanted to laugh, but kept herself composed in the moment. The more Aengus elucidated upon the topic of this mud monster king, the more dread entered her expression - all for play, of course. She wanted to convey that she believed him wholly, although there was a moment where Ibis felt flush as he complimented her again and again for being pretty. She didn't feel pretty in the mud, but that wasn't important. He was having fun - and he would protect her from being carried away in to the mud realm!

Oh! Then you better help me. I'm too pretty, I don't want them to take me away! She hated being messy, but Ibis could put up with a lot if it meant Aengus would be happy. So she promptly plopped herself chest-first in to the mud puddle and questioned, Do you think that's enough mud? Help disguise me! She felt her tail begin to wag unbidden, and the action slicked the underside with more mud and spread some of the tepid brown water further, extending the puddle.

aengus might have remarked on her looks one too many times, but he mostly had no concept of rationing his compliments. his mother had told him how to treat women, and he felt like if he just amplified everything she had said, he’d be unstoppable. as long as ibis didn’t say anything about it, he was likely to continue. at least, aengus would probably carry on the habit of calling women pretty until he had learned better words to increase his vocabulary. for a child, he was doing alright. as an adult, he might have been the next casanova.
 
“i don’t want them to take you away, either!” aengus exclaimed to ibis with a stern expression. it was hard for the young boy to hold it, though, and his features quickly caved to show a beaming smile once more. ibis had sunk into the mud until it was up to her chest. aengus laughed, delighted at her willingness. he even scooped mud onto his nose and tried to toss it onto her back until he thought that she looked pretty well covered up.
 
“i think you look just like mud monster now! they never know you really a wolf,” aengus whispered to her with a devilish smirk. he was also covered from the tip of his nose to the very sloppy end of his tail in a thick layer of mud.

Being messy was one of those things that children excelled at, but Ibis had never found the sensation of being covered in muck to be soothing in any way, or fun, or enjoyable - she'd always tried to be proper, balking at the mud puddles that other children sank face-first in to. The ugliest she'd ever been hadn't involved exterior grime, but, interior, in a way; when she'd coveted the weathered skull she'd found within the willows of Elysium and then refused to share it with Eleuthera. Her mess had always been a different sort of mess, bourne of insecurities. But here beside the chubby boy with his infectious smile and giddy, gleeful charm, Ibis didn't feel as gross as she might've otherwise.

The mud was everywhere. Up her forelimbs; across her belly; her chest, her throat, her face — and as Aengus bent close to whisper conspiratorally at her, she smiled and then lunged to grapple at him with her messy, grime-streaked face and shove him softly in to the goop. I'm a mud monster and I'm gonna eat you! She playfully cajoled as she wedged the boy in to a deep bit of mud, rubbing her face and chin against his plush coat.