Firefly Glen (m) Have I known you twenty seconds or twenty years?

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Anyone wanting to intercept Ibis? Heat thread 2/5.
Estrus: 5-13 days long (receptive in final 5; high fertility).

It was evening when she entered the glen. The fire had not abated; around her, as she wove between the trees, she could spy the dancing lights that gave the area its name. It was like strolling through constellations. Utterly charmed by the scenery, Ibis did not immediately notice that something—or perhaps someone—was lurking beyond her periphery. The scent that hung about her was so heavy now that everything else faded away. She ached in ways she could not name, hungry for physical contact and attention, but the stars drifting through her path could give her neither.

Hydra arrived swiftly upon the scent. Dispersals, betrayals, and the like had Hydra less than keen to entertain this. And she would not. Knowing that the scent did not discriminate who it brought in, Hydra would not leave her Wilderness vulnerable closest to Moonspear. 

She came upon the she-wolf bearing the scent quickly enough. You need to leave, she commanded, if you have anywhere you call home–return there. It is not safe out here alone, and with that scent, she was not safe near Hydra either.

Mal didn't visit the Glen as often as he used to. He'd been going through the blank spot on the map when he'd found Ibis's scent coming from nearby and he turned to follow without thinking. Okay, too much thinking. He knew exactly why she smelled the way she did. It wasn't curiosity as much s it was, he felt, opportunity.

He did remember how she acted at their last meet -- it was slightly odd, sure, but he hadn't thought there'd be anything that might be clouding her thoughts then. Maybe she regretted leaving. Now? Maybe it'd be more telling. Maybe she'd want him -- that would be fun to say no, but on the other hand, he could also prove she was missing out. Both were obviously stupid ideas, but Mal wouldn't be confused for the smartest boy around on a normal day. And he hadn't figured out what to think of her on said previous normal day so... Wing it. Always wing it.

His steps after her were quick, trotting along to catch up before her petite, pale form appeared against the darker background of the glen. Mal slowed -- for her he'd put on the best smile, his show of confidence, but that faded slightly as Hydra showed from the other side. A complication, especially since she didn't seem too keen on Ibis being around here. So instead of being as playful as he might have been, he kept things slightly beneath his normal levels of cheer, but still positive as always. Nope, nothing afoot. Ibis! Funny finding you out here. -- And Hydra, I haven't found any sign of those evil-doers nearby. A good thing for now, I suppose. Which was true, perhaps if the ink black alpha was appeased she'd leave him to deal with his... Friend? Didn't seem like the right word still -- she hurt him too much in the past for that to be true -- and others he thought of were too unfamiliar. She was just Ibis.

"Ye mean, it's not safe because you're here?" Belharra came on the scene with her tail puffed jauntily over her hips. There was a fearless smile on her features and a dangerous glint in her eye - the kind of smile you see before a bar-fight breaks out, or a vase is thrown against the mantle. Belharra had a certain chip on her shoulder about wolves that lorded over neutral territory - just ask Mal!

Belharra wasn't much of a snoop, but she had caught Mal's scent and the delicious scent of a wolf in heat. The first she could ignore, but the second had her interested. She was jealous, her season hadn't quite come yet, and everyone else was off having fun except her.

Mal's heartfelt attempt to play bomb-defuser went belly-up the second Belharra arrived on the scene.  Squarely looking at the black wolfess, Belharra quipped: "Who d'ye think ye are, the queen of the wilderness or somethin'?"

And then the lights went out.

The stars zipped away, as if a great breath had been drawn through the glen, and when Ibis turned her eyes upon the shape she recognized it as some kind of beastly thing; not a woman nor a man, something androgynous and threatening, with a voice not unlike distant thunder rumbling in anticipation to a storm. A part of her was enthralled - charmed. She did not immediately shrink back from the domineering presence like she should have (like she would have, too, on any other day) but stood boldly before it.

From behind her came the voice of Mal; Ibis looked away for a split-second and traced his mottled silhouette in the dark, finding relief in his presence, a sigh easing some tension from her chest but not abating her fluttering rabbit-heart. The feeling of heat in her belly grew stronger as she looked at him, and with an almost sleepy droop of her eyelids she smiled to him, drugged up on hormones. The girl remained somewhat oblivious to the third wolf that arrived; only vaguely peering around to where two glowing eyes were set among the trees, around which some of the tiny glen bugs had begun to resurface.

Evil-doers? Ibis drawls softly, speculative. Has she done something wrong? She did not understand - why couldn't they all get along?

editing bc i noticed i put one word twice in the same sentence, and that is a weird pet peeve of mine!

 
Hydra hardly cared how any held themselves on neutral territory. First came Mal, which who recognized Ibis. That was a relief, and her body language seemed to relax considerably. Her indifferent gaze shifted to Belharra as she approached, and spoke. You seem quite perceptive, she coolly drawled, feathers unruffled. On no account was Belharra wrong... though Hydra was more than a mere threat to those that needed addressing. By now the matriarch had learned that seemingly few mothers in or out of the Wilds had taught their children anything in relation to their season. And if it were her own children, she'd want them to be cared for and led in the right direction. Her maternal instinct had returned enough where her first instinct was not ripping off the head of the girl in heat... and while the truth was she was still (appropriately) disgruntled, it hardly showed. 

Not knowing that Mal had bred with several females was to his advantage. They knew one another, these two, and if that was the case he could handle her from here. Relieved to hear he and his had come to no harm, she nodded to that with a swish of her plume. Still, Hydra had Moonspear to look after. So to Belharra, Ibis, and Mal, she informed: a cannibal recently trespassed upon my packlands. I wanted no reason for him to seek you out by your lonesome... Ibis?... nor reason for him to return if he is near. But I trust you will keep your friend safe, she drawled with a nod, gaze shifting to Mal. Her own part finished, Hydra nodded to the three and turned to depart... though would remain long enough for any parting notes.

And then Belharra popped her head onto the scene. Really? He frowned and was about to say something to her to point out that he didn't approve when Hydra's simple reply seemed to indicate she just simply didn't care. His scowl lightened a little, but he did say one thing towards Belharra, his voice stern but not overbearingly so, Argue it some other time. I can give you the background on all that later. He had come to the conclusion that Moonspear did have a bit of a delusional streak within all its wolves -- they thought they owned the world but rarely seemed to act on it. Except maybe in regard to this glen. If she kept at it, she was just freelance troublemaking because he wasn't gonna support it -- he'd already warned her, after all.

He took a couple of slowish steps towards Ibis as Hydra spoke. Oh lovely, more. I'll keep an eye out. So how many problem wolves was that? She'd pretty much covered everything else, but added on for Ibis's benefit, There were some other attacks out here before. But we're all working together to make sure that none of those people hurt anyone here again. Then more to confirm for Hydra, though directed to Ibis, I'll make sure you travel safely. And he didn't need Belharra for that. Question was where was Ibis planning on going? Perhaps he could just convince her to come back to the Forest and stay a while. That was the ideal in his mind.

Belharra sniggered at the ‘Queen’ and her reply. Delusional wasn’t putting a finger on it. As far as Belharra was concerned Hydra was welcome to be queen of her weird rock, and leave all the good folk in the midlands alone. 

It wasn’t surprising Mal didn’t like Belharra there, crashing his date and such. Without her though, Hydra would have lorded over them all and that was one thing Belharra didn’t care for - wolves too big for their britches. He would thank her later. 

Belharra hid a scoff in response to Mal’s reply. Nothin’ to argue, cap’n Her words sweet as honey. Anyone can see she’s outnumbered. As for the news of cannibals, Belharra flipped an ear. So what? Was that really why this wolf had decided to come to the Glen? Yeah, right. 

 Damn right Belharra was perceptive. Damn right she caught that 180 the black wolf went through, from being angry about a wolfs heat and presence on territory she thought she owned, to now pretending she cared about other people’s safety. Belharra gave a facetious smile to match the facetious concern on the outnumbered wolf’s face. Cut the shit, ye ain’t concerned about us anymore than you’re concerned about a raccoon’s arse in a wolverine den. Why don’t ye piss off? 

Fuse ignited, mic drop.

She did not like the bickering or the tension it caused. As a result the little whisp withdrew towards Mal, finding his presence more of a comfort than either woman, and when the giantess chose to leave she watched, but soon was flitting her attention between Mal and Belharra as if nothing ill had transpired. She felt heavy, and warm, and somewhat despondent - as if she needed... She didn't know, really. The warmth was distracting.

I... I didn't mean to upset her, Ibis offers, finding her attention trailing across the raggedy woman's svelte body as she murmured this. How wild she looked; and how brazen she had been to speak to a so-called queen! A part of Ibis was deeply, immutably attracted to these qualities. Her body burned for Mal but the rest of her - conflicted - the rest wanted her, too.

Some guided PP for Hy with permission, she is officially out!

Again Mal's expression darkened towards his packmate. Seriously? She really did want to stir the pot for no reason in particular. His lips parted, tail starting to arc upwards, but again Hydra went and did her best to douse these fires by a response -- or lack thereof. She paused but a moment, looking back at Belharra with a look that certainly seemed to say that she seemed to be having second thoughts about Belharra's level of intelligence before leaving the scene.

Mal's attitude had subdued slightly but there was no wavering in his voice. He just needed to not be so sharp that he freaked out Ibis again -- he remembered that from last time -- but he did need to lay down the law a bit, You want to pick that fight, you're gonna be standing there on your own. Kyr likes her. And she's very eager to get rid of wolves actually wanting to kill people around here -- we need people willing to do that. For now, deal with it. Unless she was keen to strike out on her own or something. He was not dealing with this right now.

He looked to Ibis then, softer, and with a shrug, Were you going anywhere in particular? Moonspear really loves this chunk of forest for some reason, in case it wasn't obvious. Moving through it is probably smart. He looked down to her attentively, but his ears still turned to Belharra and other noises in the forest around them. It wasn't like saying he'd protect her was a total lie. You can lead the way. And hopefully it would be just them at that point.

Hydra wasn't the only wolf to do an about-face today. Belharra blinked at Mal, a huff held on her lips. 

Did he just???? Belharra couldn't believe him. Now she was questioning his intelligence. Was he always playing Tony Two-Face??

She might have shook Mal if she was capable, given his well documented disdain for Moonspear. Now he was playing nice like he loved Hydra and didn't have multiple internal dialogues about how delusional Moonspear and its people were all the time. Okay. Okay.

'Perceptive Belharra' didn't remove her gaze from the black female as she skulked off, leaving the scene like a scalded whelp with her tail between her legs. Damn straight, leave. Belharra couldn't stand wolves that lorded over neutral territories. Her tail had never once fell from its erect position, and now it wagged in triumph.

They would stay in this Glen as long as they wanted, thankyouverymuch.

She didn't give one fig about Mal's disapproval. If he wanted to fake who he was, he was just another untrustworthy wolf to her, too. "Don't you hate her?" 'Perceptive Belharra' wasn't as stupid as Mal liked to assume, and he assumed a lot given all his jabbing at her internally. "That reminds me." Belharra looked Mal up and down with a sigh, one that sounded content despite the tension in the air. "Have a nice life, Mal. I would've had ye back, and I did just now, but ye wouldn't have mine. I'm leaving."

Belharra gave a curtsy that was aimed at Ibis. Maybe Mal was nicer to Ibis than he was to everyone else. For the flustered girl's sake, Belharra hoped that was true.

Lifting her head, Belharra called for @Asmodeus and then loped away. Never once did her jaunty tail lower. Not 'Perceptive Belharra'. No wolf - not Mal, not the delusional black wolf - commanded her.

Ibis stood there slack-jawed as Mal and the attractive wildling quarrelled, feeling some of that hormonal fire wane the longer she was subjected to the squabbling; it made her want to withdraw more and more, away from the both of them. It roused in Ibis a reminder of how Mal used to be - snarky, self-serving, bitter, and for a few moments she couldn't help but see him that way. Had time not changed him?

The woman departed. She called for someone as she fled, leaving a confused Ibis to sort out her thoughts and (potent) feelings. A glance to where the queenly shadow had sulked away - then towards Belharra's egress route - and finally an apologetic look to Mal.

Did I.. do that? I'm sorry if I did, but she was still reeling. Did she bring chaos everywhere?

I'm not her biggest fan. But I work around that, was his terse reply. And for the rest? It wasn't worth a reply. She wanted to leave? Fine. He wasn't going to look forward to telling Kyr about it, but it wasn't like anything Mal said would do anything to stop her. Kyr was also very wrong about the two of them -- Mal took time to think, he picked the route that would keep his pack safe, Belharra picked the louder road and it wasn't one he was willing to risk. In comparison, he was calm -- perhaps had it been months ago he would have snarled after her, but he didn't. He made his choice 

Mal sighed trying to release that tension -- or was it just disappointment? It was unfortunate that Belharra ended up this way, but maybe that was what had to be in the first place. He shook his head, turning his attention to Ibis, No. No fault of yours. She's a good friend of one of my packmates. She's been like that to me before, but I promised to give her a chance too -- but I'm not surprised it ended like this. I'll have to explain what happened to her friend when I get back. His ears tipped back a moment.

It wasn't the way any of this was supposed to go, but he'd try to salvage things. Another sigh and he looked to Ibis again, I'm sorry that happened right here. But I do plan on keeping you safe. Can we try again? Where are you headed? A light smile. Let's try this again.

Well, it wasn't her issue to fret over. It was sad to watch the woman leave in such a huff - Ibis couldn't help the lingering of her gaze and the blooming of her imagination; but Mal drew her attention with his questions and she had to let the bicurious yearning fade. He seemed so eager for her company, swearing protection - and she smiled as they began to drift through the glen together.

Nowhere, everywhere... I can't shake the feeling that I need to move, you know? But I suppose if I can't explore here, maybe... you could show me somewhere better? As alluring as the glen was, it no longer felt like the dreamy haven she had initially trusted it to be. The look that crossed over her face was equal parts innocent and eager - and as she smiled to him, Ibis fell in to step alongside, a touch too close.

And at last they were actually alone together. He could try again to get back onto the path he'd been planning. Lose the drama, bring back the winning attitude that he was sure would impress her one way or another. Why did he want to? Shrug. Sounded like a great idea though. Impress her, make her come back or something? Too much thinking, things to do.

His smile continued, Well, you know my forest, but I guess you're looking for somewhere new? Probably should head north either way. It's safer. I haven't been through some of the forests that head up the mountain near here... he suggested. But really, I'll go wherever you want. There he dared a cheeky sort of smirk -- upbeat, cheery. No matter where she wanted, he guided their path towards the north, away from the heart of the glen. Just got to make sure you give Moonspear plenty of room. They're a little fussy in case you couldn't tell. Mal was brushing what happened just minutes ago aside. Might as well not have existed -- just Ibis and himself and that was all that mattered.

It had never occurred to Ibis that people may be possessive of the territories surroinding their home, but it made sense. She would probably remain the same way about the Emberwood and the marsh near to it; except those weren't home anymore. She shelved all those thoughts before they could ruin the mood any further - and let out a little girlish laughter when she witnessed Mal's attempted humour. He could be charming, she realized, and honestly that was the strangest takeaway from this whole encounter. Where had the snarky boy gone? What had heralded this evolution of character?

These questions lingered in her mind but she didn't see the point in asking them. He seemed happy, and healthy, and the longer she spent with him the more at-ease she felt.

Well come on then, run with me. A glint of mischief entered her gaze; before the suggestion had fully left her lips though, she was already picking up her stride and leaping to action, zipping ahead while that obvious scent flowed after her.

There was not even a heartbeat's worth of questioning before he took off after her. She was an enticing lure even if she'd been a stranger, without their conversations and history -- he'd follow a stranger just on scent alone, but with all that of course he'd go. He was quick to try to catch up, but at least they had started at virtually the same point, he just didn't jump the gun like she had. She left a nice little scent trail that he almost felt he could see as she wove through the trees -- Mal of course cut corners.

Longer legs had to be good for something, and as he closed the distance, he reached out to lightly nip at her hip. Tag, not that that was the game in this case. Then again, maybe she was turning it more into a hunt -- was she delighting in being prey in this encounter, was that it? Can't go leaving me behind that easy, was his playful call. If she didn't pull away, he'd come up to be nearly shoulder to shoulder -- dodging around things where he had to, but letting her lead. And if not, chase.

The gust of air across her chest and cheeks reminded her of the plains, but there was more debris here, more life growing in clusters. It took more fancy footwork to avoid exposed roots or stone, but she did this deftly, taking full advantage of her slight figure and light-weight body as she nimbly launched over obstacles. When she thought she had lost him, she pealed toward a gap in the glen which opened to a small meadow; here, the fireflies were more active. They shifted away from her as she emerged but then sank back as if the forest itself was sighing.

Mal was not far behind. He was larger than her, like everyone else, and appeared to know the forest better than she did. He came up alongside her with a light comment she didn't really care to hear - her heart was pounding in her chest, her ears, her everything -- and when he touched her, playfully tagging her, she laughed and danced away a few steps.

I wasn't trying very hard, she admits, and with a raise of her brows, veers through a cloud of fireflies in to the thicket again, giving him little warning.

Maybe it would be magical if he paid attention, but Ibis was the one who held his focus. The fireflies were noise on the edge of his mind, the glen he'd walked through just a map that talked to his feet and skipped his conscious mind.

And then she was quickly out of his reach, parting the glowing swarm for a moment before being veiled on the other side. But not giving up either, he called with a bit of a laugh as he slowed to turn in a tighter arc and get back on her trail. Again he had to gain ground, but for a few moments he just hung out and enjoyed the view from a few lengths behind, right in the air stream of her scent. It was a reminder that shifted  his perspective -- he was a catch, she should want him, he should show that. Stop running for running, move with purpose, elegance, prowess. Or something like that -- it gave him a bit more focus, a sort of devious grin. Eventually he moved forward to be even with her side again, his voice more smooth, but not quite melodic, Besides, aren't you missing all the scenery? Of course he could totally be the scenery here, but that wasn't necessarily the sole implication. He reached out to her, aiming this time to touch the back corner of her shoulder, he wasn't far enough forward to reach beyond that.

The longer it dragged on, the more he wanted to catch her -- from just the tag and running alongside to wondering if he should just tackle her when he was able. He needed something between the two -- this was Ibis, after all, the one who was always so delicate about everything, not a rough and tumble sort -- and he had a couple of fuzzy ideas.

Running was fun; she was learning that being chased was fun too, and that's all this was - fun. A no-strings-attached romp in the woods made in to some kind of romantic moment because of the dim lighting and roaming little bugs. It encapsulated all the fairy-tale idealism that Ibis once adhered to, before her world went tits up and her family disintegrated and all of that. She didn't want to get caught so soon. It was like she was back in Elysium with everything perfect again, and she did not want to let go of that last vestige of her childhood. But his voice careened through the trees to her, and she nearly bit the dust while trying to make sense of what he was saying; a slight misstep and a little scramble, utterly lacking finesse.

She looked around quickly, hoping he hadn't noticed. She heard the crash of his steps through the ferns and pivoted, launching in to a fresh run just as he caught up to her - and then he was beside her again, overtaking her position and racing in tandem. He looked messy, as windswept as she likely appeared, and somehow more handsome because of it. All at once that blazing need swept through her skin, making Ibis so very aware of his presence that she couldn't quite keep up; she was out of breath, panting openly and zigging, zagging between the trees to where a mess of ferns and fresh green shoots lined the earthen floor.

He was hot on her trail, of course. Whatever game they had been playing had swiftly devolved as her body's need overtook her sense of reason. The game would end when he caught her this final time, but she wasn't putting up a fight anymore; he'd proven himself in some unidentifiable way and the innocence of the game would soon be terminated. She urged him to follow with a sweeping play-bow and welcomed him swiftly after that, rounding back to where Mal emerged and lightly nipping his cheek, ducking her head beneath his chin - as she had with the giant days before - all the while being overwhelmed by the thundering in her chest.

I guess my mom calling = I'm done tweaking the post.

But there was that point where desire passed to need, and the game wound to its inevitable end. If he was thinking, perhaps he would have noted she'd picked a nice place for it, but he wasn't thinking about anything besides Ibis right now. The rest was too complicated.

He wasn't just going to wait on her to come close, she was the prize and he was planning on collecting, meeting her quickly, his own tail wagging as if he was the victor. Which in his mind, certainly he was. She was the little princess, and whether he was a villain gaining a win or another royal that she was for the moment just fated to be with was something that would likely to be decided at a different time. Other times had been strangers -- not so much emotion as just fun, but Ibis held a far more important place in his life whether he liked it or not. She meant more.

As she tucked her head under his chin, he uttered a crooning whine, reaching to nibble softly on her ear a moment before he wound himself around her. In a way with Ibis he was more forward, he leaned into her space, to bury her with amorous nibbling as he started to slowly work his way down her spine. He wanted to make her melt, so that he could use every trick he'd managed to learn in the past few months to give her the best.

Look, he might not be the best talker, but he was quite keen to try to prove that he'd be the best man she'd ever cross paths with in other ways.

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His crooning was met with a further fluttering in her chest, a desire to play further - but at a different game entirely. She wanted to make him louder, presuming these antics were all part of this new game they had begun to play, this dance which - for her, at least - was utterly meaningless. Ibis wanted sensations, she wanted physical contact, and it didn't really matter who gave it to her; had she been in her right mind Ibis likely would not have chosen Mal at all, unfortunately. But she was here now, lost to the whims of her own biology.

She preened at him, he tugged back at her, dishevelling her cheek fur and nibbling at other places - it reminded her strongly of the silver boy she had met with months and months ago, as if in another life (Tegan) and the memory of those feelings swept over her too; she wanted that, whatever that had been. And then suddenly Mal was everywhere; swarming around her, pressing himself close to the point that she felt like she might snap -- and as he worked his way down her spine Ibis was lost to sensation. She was a mindless needy thing, and as a response to all of his attention she stepped back, pressing her hindquarters close, not fully coherent to what her body was doing - although by now it wasn't her first roll in the hay.

It was his move, now.

Your choice of archive or mini timeskip. :P

Though he was nowhere near a giant, he still dwarfed her, and here in the closeness it felt so obvious. It felt powerful. Mix it with returned affection and it'd certainly build his ego. Well, build his ego and lose his rationality -- though he had never once thought of the consequences, even if he was keenly familiar with them. It was unimportant. This was Ibis, and he needed her to want him because she never had, and this was the only way Mal could imagine how. So he tried with every touch.

And then Ibis pulled away, and there was no pause from Mal at her invitation, he hungrily turned after and pulled them together. He shifted on her back and reached for her scruff, teeth closing on her fur as he uttered a possessive growl. This was victory.

As was often the case with second-tries at things, Ibis anticipated an earth-shattering, mind-bending experience that would open up her mind to all sorts of sublime experiences; she had felt something akin to that from the first man she'd encountered, and was buzzing with so much anticipation for the fun she was about to have with Mal, that when it happened... At first, she was confused. It wasn't the same, not at all.

He grasped at her eagerly, she fell in to his embrace, and when she expected fireworks and some kind of awakening -- there was just sex. Intimate, messy; the mashing of parts, the lock of their bodies, and sure, it felt nice -- but, then they separated, and whatever itch Ibis needed to have scratched was satisfied.

She would sleep soundly, and then wake with a sore body, removing herself from beside Mal in order to slink away from him before he could notice.