Summer came to Auster with its usual tour de force, with sunny days and humid nights. Fortunately, living so close to the coast gave the wolves of the Hallows the relief of a constant coastal breeze to keep their home cool enough to enjoy the outdoors without roasting. Ember was one of those wolves, and the adolescent fae spent as much time as she could outside—partially because of how lovely the weather was, and partially because she just really didn't want to be around her father right now. She was still mad at him for his seeming display of hypocrisy when it came to the Syndicate. So Ember stuck to spending time with her mother, her siblings, by herself, or most recently with her grandmother.

Hanging out with Tamsyn was a simple joy to the ebony-furred lady, and she adored the time they shared. Today was another pleasant and sunshiny day, so Ember had asked Tam to join her for a stroll down the beach. There were a number of things on the young girl's mind—things she would likely talk about with her mother eventually, but to build up her self-confidence for that talk, she wanted to get her wise grandmother's insight first. So Ember stood at the beach head, paws on the soft spot of earth where the lush grass of the plains sloped down into the shimmering golden sands of the shore, waiting for her grandma to arrive. In her jaws, Ember held a small picnic basket for the two ladies to enjoy a snack during their walk since it was such a nice day out. All she needed now was her beloved grandmother.

"Ember"

Being a mother and now a grandmother was probably one of her greatest joys and most certainly her proudest accomplishment she had in her life. She was so glad that she and Kane had decided to move back into The Hallows after their litter drifted off on the wind like the dandelion fluffs that they were. There was no shortage of grandchildren to spend her days with here and it made every day a little different and just as fulfilling. Today little Ember–though she was hardly little anymore–asked her to join her on the beach so once she was ready for the day and had made her usual visit to the infirmary to get her daily medicines from Gwyn she made her way toward the shore to find her lovely granddaughter.

Ember wasn't difficult to spot, the dark coloration of her father standing in stark contrast to the pale sands in the bright Auster summer sun. All of her grandchildren were beautiful and handsome in their own ways, but she of course did have a little bit of a soft spot for her children and grandchildren that reflected her own black coat in some way. She walked over to where Ember was waiting for her and smiled as she tipped her muzzle up to nuzzle at Ember's cheek. "Hello, sweetheart," she said happily, her tail wagging gently behind her. She didn't really know if there was anything more to this little "date" or not, but she was just glad to spend time with her granddaughter regardless.

Tamsyn Carpathius of the Valley

Ember didn't have to wait long for her grandmother to show up, the raven black form of the Carpathian family's eldest matriarch coming down the slope of the hills to join her at the beachhead. The younger fae's braided tail gave a happy wag and she rose to meet Tamsyn's affectionate nuzzle with one of her own. She loved her grandma Tamsyn dearly. "Hi, Grandma," she greeted Tam, then stopped herself with a jolt of remembrance. "Oh, wait! I mean, bună, bunica!" Em gave Tam a lopsided smile, similar to the one her sire usually wore. "Dad wants us practicing our Carpathian as much as we can."

Ember passed the small basket of fresh fruits and cured meats over to her fox to carry for them while they enjoyed a walk down the beach in the lovely summer sunshine. "I thought maybe we'd take a walk down the beach for a while? Dad always said you liked the water, and I love it too." Living on the coast was probably Ember's most favorite thing about their home and she took advantage of her love for the sea every chance she could get. Setting the pace for them at a leisurely gait, Ember led the way down onto the soft, warm golden sands, heading south to no destination in particular. They could walk until they wanted a rest, then make their way back.

"Sooooo... Grandma... can I ask you something?" asked a suddenly nervous and slightly awkward Ember, keeping her eyes down on her long legs as they strode across the sand. It felt easier not looking at her grandmother while she asked these kinds of questions. "What was it like... being with Grandma Resin? Like, um... how did you know you liked faes as well as brutes?" Tam obviously had tasted that ran in both directions, given she was currently mated to a brute and had previously been mated to their other grandmother. But how had she known what she was like? Ember thought back to the kiss Aylin had given her, how it had made her heart race, but maybe that had been because she was panicking about cutting her cheek? Or was it more than that? How was she supposed to know about herself when she scarcely knew anything about things like love and romance and sexuality? These weren't exactly topics one brought up with their family around the dinner table.

"Ember" | "Carpathian"

Tamsyn raised a curious brow as Ember greeted her only to suddenly stop herself, but as she corrected herself in Carpathian Tamsyn understood and she grinned with a chuckle. She wasn't surprised that Artorias wanted his children practicing their family tongue as much as possible. Her boy had such a focus on family ties and traditions. "Ah, well, in that case, bună, draga mea." Ember suggested they take a walk along the beach as she passed the basket of goodies she had prepared for them over to her companion and Tamsyn easily agreed with a nod. "Sună minunat," she replied with a teasing grin and a wink. If Artorias wanted her practicing then she would certainly do her part to make sure she was doing just that!

Tamsyn fell into step beside her granddaughter, keeping a fairly slow, leisurely pace. She certainly didn't want to wear herself out and miss out on this beautiful day with Ember. Ember was right about her love for all bodies of water, but the sea especially had a special place in her heart so any chance she got to enjoy the sound of the waves and the soft sand she would take it. They walked for a few moments before Ember spoke again, bringing Tamsyn's curious gaze to her granddaughter. "Of course you can. You know you can always ask me anything," she replied with a smile. She had a hunch that there had been more to this than just a little walk on the beach and a picnic and now she was going to find out what exactly was on Ember's mind.

When Ember posed her question and certainly caught Tamsyn off guard, making her blink in surprise and chuckle with a grin. "Ah... Well, my love, if you want a very simple answer... The fact that you're questioning it at all says everything," she replied with a bit of amusement. She didn't want to tease her granddaughter too much since it was obvious she was nervous, but she hoped a bit of humor might ease her worries somewhat. With a more genuine, comforting smile, she added, "In truth, I had never really had in my mind that I was attracted to one or the other. I was more attracted to their... personalities, to our similarities, our differences... For me, at least, a physical attraction kind of came second to everything else." That playful grin returned as she added, "Don't get me wrong, the physical attraction was still there, of course, but the fact that Resin was a woman or that Kane is a man never affected how I felt about them." She raised a curious brow to her curious granddaughter and asked, "Why do you ask, nepoata? Has someone caught your eye?"

Tamsyn Carpathius of the Valley

Ember was glad that her grandmother was always so open and available to talk. Tamsyn made her feel safe asking anything of her, and it showed in how easy Em could just broach the subject of relationships and sexuality with her. Although Tamsyn’s initial response did catch the younger Carpathian way off guard! Tamsyn’s casualness with which she spoke of the topic was both comforting and helped to ease the awkwardness the adolescent girl was feeling. The fact that she was even questioning her feelings was enough of an answer to show that perhaps Ember’s tastes swung both ways. It was a candid and honest response that brought a stunned and shy smile to Ember’s face. Grammy Tam was way more open about her love life than she expected!

As Tamsyn went on to explain that her attractions to Resin and Kane had never been based on gender, but on her connection to their personalities and the physical attraction had always just been there. It made Em take pause to reflect on how she saw both brutes and faes. She thought about Erik—rugged, handsome, built of powerful muscles with a rough voice and a rakish grin. She thought about Aylin—smooth and sleek planes of muscles, lithe and beautiful, with a smile to match. She had kissed both wolves, and both memories brought back those butterflies fluttering in her belly. When Tam asked if someone had caught her eye, Em felt a heat begin to pool under her cheeks. "Well… kinda more like someones actually," she explained with another shy smile, ears folding back as she tried to meet her grandmother's candidness around the topics of romance. "There's a boy from Hemlock, and I kinda kissed a girl here in the Hallows. Both of them make me feel... well, weird, but like, good weird? Like, jittery, hyped up." Looking up to Tam, Ember asked, "Is that how you feel when you like someone in a romantic way? Boys or girls?"

"Ember" | "Carpathian"

Tamsyn could see the wheels turning in Ember's head as she shared her perspectives on relationships and how she had always viewed her attractions to certain wolves regardless of their gender. Something had obviously resonated with her granddaughter and it made her grin a little at the evidence that the apple hadn't fallen that far from the tree. That proved to be very true when Ember shared that it wasn't just someone that had caught her eye but someones. Tamsyn's eyes widened with surprise and she grinned with a chuckle, listening with interest as her granddaughter brought up the boy she knew from Hemlock and the girl she had kissed here in The Hallows. The description she gave for how both of them had made her feel was so innocent and adorable that Tamsyn almost didn't want to give away anything and wanted Ember to just explore and figure out her feelings on her own.

Still, she had made a rule with her youngest children to be completely open and as informative about anything like this with them so that they would know what they were getting into when they went out in the world and she felt like the same rules should apply to her grandchildren as well should they ever ask. "Attraction is definitely a good weird kind of feeling," she agreed with a grin. "It doesn't necessarily have to be a romantic way, though it certainly can be. I've always felt like there was a difference between attraction and romance, but some wolves are only ever with the wolf that they eventually marry and start a family with and for those wolves maybe romance and love are even more important than lust or attraction. Everyone is a little different. I've been on both sides of the spectrum and enjoyed all of it very much, but that's not the case for everyone." She knew that would probably just confuse things more before they became more clear, but she liked to make sure her girls knew that there was a whole world of possibility out there as long as they were safe about it.

"But yes, that's the kind of feeling I get when I've been with someone I'm attracted to–regardless if it's a boy or a girl," she confirmed for her granddaughter, giving her a little smirk. "It's like the best kind of..." she paused, realizing that describing it as a high probably wouldn't help explain anything–or at least she hoped it wouldn't. Ember was still too young for those kinds of things. "...excitement and calm and joy all mixed into one," she finally finished after a moment of thought. "When you find the right wolf that you're not only attracted to, but love wholly and deeply then it only gets better and better."

Tamsyn Carpathius of the Valley

Ember gave a soft hum as she mulled over what her grandmother was telling her. Tamsyn was so open about everything without shame or embarrassment and it helped ease Ember's awkwardness away as she found the conversation more comfortable to have. Not that she thought her parents would give her any shame or grief if she talked to them about this stuff, but it was easier to tell anyone but your parents the weird way you felt around a hot brute or fae. But what blew her mind was when her grandmother began to explain that attraction did not always have to equate to romantic feelings or love. Em stared wide-eyed at Tam, her mouth hanging open in awe as her brain churned with the ideas. Yes, for some wolves, having that romantic connection was essential to attraction, but for others it could simply be lust that attracted them to another. Tamsyn even stated that she had been on both sides of the spectrum, of love and lust with both brutes and faes, and enjoyed it all very much! That shocked Ember! She stared at her Grammy Tam in disbelief, a cheeky grin slowly coming over her face as she realized her grandmother was much more risqué than she knew!

"Wow, Grandma! So it's okay for me to feel attraction and... desire for other wolves and... do things with them without needing to be all romantic with them or get into a whole relationship with them?" Tamsyn was opening all new doors and possibilities Ember had never been taught by her parents, and it was really getting the wheels turning in her hormone-addled adolescent brain. When Tamsyn explained that those were indeed the kinds of feelings and sensations she got when she was attracted to someone, Em knew she was on the right path then. If her Grammy Tam had felt these things and acted on them, then it would be okay for her as well, right? The thought of acting on her urges and instincts though... it made those anxious feelings start up in her belly again. As if reading her mind, Tamsyn began to explain exactly how she was feeling. That best kind of excitement and joy and calm combined into one. The idea of those feelings getting even stronger and better when she was with a wolf she loved deeply had the princess grinning like a giddy fool. She quite liked this whole attraction thing!

"So... it's okay to just explore these feelings and have fun with attraction? I can do it just for fun and not have to go into a whole relationship or be in love with them?" Ember looked to her grandmother again, oceanic blue eyes full of wonder at this new way of thinking and viewing sexuality Tamsyn had turned her on to. She had so many questions for the elder fae, it felt like she was getting a whole new sort of education on herself!

"Ember" | "Carpathian"

Tamsyn laughed lightly as Ember looked at her with absolute awe at the revelation that she could be attracted to someone and even act on that attraction without having to have the romantic love attached to it. She understood why Ember would think that they went hand in hand when her main example of a relationship was her parents who were about as devoted and loving as they came, but that's why she enjoyed being so open and honest with her children and grandchildren about these things. Her own introduction to the world of sex and mates had been so skewed and tainted and she had been well into her adulthood before she began to figure all of these things out on her own. Now she had the privilege of teaching the younger generations from her own experiences and play a part in making sure they got to have their own experiences safely and within their own power.

"It's absolutely okay to do all of those things," she agreed with a chuckle. "It's okay to explore and play and have fun with someone just for the heck of it if that's what you want to do before you get into a dedicated relationship or fall in love. Sometimes following that attraction will lead you to love. That's what happened with Kane and I," she admitted with a little grin, thinking back to how she had fallen into Kane's arms in the infirmary back then. Gods, that felt like a life time ago now. "However," she said, giving Ember a slightly more serious look, "if you're going to do any of that, you have to do it safely. I want you to be free to have a full range of experiences, but I also don't want you to end up in a situation you might regret. You're a strong, capable young woman and I know you can take care of yourself, but you always want to have the right precautions in place before you go too far with someone and you should know and trust whoever you're going to be with, okay?"

Tamsyn Carpathius of the Valley

Tamsyn seemed amused by Ember's naivety and innocence, but was kind and gracious going about it so the girl never felt like she was being judged or talked down to. That was probably the best thing about talking with her grandmother; it felt like confiding in a close friend and not just a family member. Tam reassured her that it was absolutely okay to pursue engaging in and enjoying the more lustful side of sexual encounters and not having to feel tethered to a concept of being committed to one person immediately because of it. She had always just based her notions of relationships off of her parents, since that was the one she saw regularly, and even though her parents were usually fawning over each other liberally, they were still very much in love and committed to one another. Hearing all the parts that came before from Tam was eye opening!

Ember gave a pensive hum as she considered what her grandmother was telling her. It made sense, especially when she started considering how Tamsyn's free love mentality had eventually led her to meet Kane, and how their desire had eventually evolved into love rather than vice versa. A roguish little smile crept its way across the yearling's lips as she thought about how liberating it felt to know she could be that way too—with Erik, with Aylin, with whoever she wanted really! Em's promiscuous daydreaming was momentarily interrupted when Tamsyn interjected again by cautioning her to always be safe when experimenting or playing with her lovers. The warning to be sure she knew and trusted whoever she decided to share herself with regardless of how strong or confident she was was taken in stride, and the midnight black Carpathian gave a nod to her similarly dark-furred grandmother. She couldn't imagine letting anyone she didn't know and trust that close to her.

"I understand, Bunica. I'll be safe, I promise. I won't let anyone touch me who I don't want to." Em then looked back to Tam with a resolute look in her swirling blue-turquoise eyes and a confident smile on her lips, reminiscent of a young Artorias. She kept her attention on Tamsyn, wondering if there was more her grandmother might be able to impart on her on the matter.

"Ember" | "Carpathian"

When Ember assured her that she would be safe with a confident and self assured look to her that made her feel like she was speaking to Artorias instead of her granddaughter, Tam could only grin and chuckle as she stepped a bit closer as they were walking to playfully nudge her shoulder into Ember's. "I know you won't... and gods help any wolf that tries," she joked with a little laugh. She had seen a bit of Ember's skill with a sword and she very much took after her father in that aspect as well. Any brute or fae that tried to take advantage of her granddaughter would likely be walking away with less limbs than they walked in with. But, of course, there was more to being safe than just being careful about who you took as a partner and not letting yourself get into that situation with anyone you didn't want to be.

"Now, you're still just a little young to be worrying about this right now, but especially after your first heat you have to make sure you have contraceptives on hand if you're going to be with a boy," she added casually as they continued to stroll down the beach together. "Even when you're not in heat just take a dose anyway just in case unless you're definitely ready to be a mother, alright? Always expect the unexpected when it comes to pregnancy! I know your Aunt Gwyn keeps the pharmacy well stocked with a few different ones so you can go to her whenever you need them or if you don't want to go to her then just come find me and I'll get you some from Kane." She gave Ember a cheeky grin and added, "As much as I'd love to be a great grandmother I don't think you're ready to be having pups just yet so lets keep you safe and able to keep exploring until you're ready to settle down, alright?"

Tamsyn Carpathius of the Valley