Generational similarities

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"