{
  "writing": "Content Warning: Romance, Adult/cub sexual contact (24F/4M), Breakups, Taboos/Boylove, Incest, Lilies (the scandal!)\n \n\n[center][t]Before the Fall[/t]\n\n[i]“The Beach House, Part One”[/i]\nby beforethefall [Inkbunny][/center]\n\n\n[center][t]Prologue[/t][/center]\n\n[q]I've never been much for traveling. I couldn't justify the expense, mostly, but also, I just never associated it with a great time. When I was a kid, we'd take family vacations, but they were always ruled under the thumb of my mother who, for all her good intentions, seemed utterly incapable of letting us enjoy something as simple as a trip to the beach.\n\nInstead, that entire so-called vacation to the beach would be burdened by itinerary that was so tightly structured I would've rather spent those two-week stints in school. Up at 6am. Thirty minutes for the four of us to get ready to get out the door, sharing a single motel bathroom. Out the door by 6:30 at the latest, and cold cereal eaten straight out of the miniature box with milk from the minivan's cooler on the way to the first of what would be at least a half-dozen historic sites or memorials or other tourist-trap landmarks for the day. Five minutes for photo ops and ten minutes budgeted to appreciate whatever that destination actually was before piling back into the van to head off to the next thing. Reprieve, if they had a tour that allowed cameras; we'd get to follow the tour while mom got a few more photographs.\n\nBack in the van. Five minutes for gas and bathroom breaks. Back in the van. Sand dunes. Back in the van. Boats in a harbor. Back in the van. An old fortress. Back in the van. Lunch meat sandwiches and sodas from the cooler, plain white bread that had gone stale, baking in the sweltering heat of a vehicle parked in the sun. A boardwalk. Back in the van. A waterfall. Back in the van. Some cliffs. Back in the van.\n\nDad stood firm on one thing, despite being utterly pussy-whipped. We always got dinner out at a real, sit-down restaurant, every day, and a few hours of beach time after dinner. My brother and I loved the cathartic relief of just being able to be kids on a beach so much that we'd start asking where we were going for dinner by noon. It's probably where I picked up my admittedly unhealthy relationship with food. At least I'm a grizzly, so I'm built to take a couple hundred extra pounds.\n\nThanks, Dad.\n\nLooking back, I realize now that the whole mess with the pictures was just a desperate attempt to appear as the ideal middle-class family that we were supposed to be. Mom was clawing for validation; she wanted proof to the neighbors and her peers at work that we were doing fine, that we went places and saw things and had enrichment outside of school and work in our lives. As a kid, when I'd ask mom why everything was about getting pictures on these trips, she'd say it was so we could remember our vacation.\n\nAll I remember is the itinerary. Getting shuttled around from place to place, rushed in and rushed out. My brother and I feeling like a background prop for the pictures.\n\n[center]---[/center]\n\nReading back, I got a little weird last night. Sitting alone in a hotel room will do that to a guy I guess, trying to organize your thoughts and get things straight. Context is important, though, I guess. With that in mind…I guess let's catch up to how I got to where I am, now.\n\nEmma was supposed to be the one; we'd dated since high school, and all through college. We were a fucking power couple for twelve years. I asked her to marry me four years ago, just after we graduated college. I told her we shouldn't set a date for the wedding until we had a strong foundation to launch from. I focused on my career, saved up a nest-egg, and saved up for a down payment on a house while continuing to rent dad's backyard garage. It was comfortable, and familiar; the same garage that I'd finished out myself when I was in my teens. I had even spent the last few summers practicing gardening so we could grow vegetables and flowers and stuff when we got the house.\n\nShit, I almost bought that house, too. Bullet dodged.\n\nShe said she had fallen out of love with me over breakfast early last year; she was tired of waiting to start her life and felt like it had gone stale. I never saw it coming. I was so focused, I guess I'd missed something, or not given her the attention she needed, or something. I tried to salvage it, but her mind had already been made up. I don't know what changed, and I'm still not sure what happened. I love her, and she deserves to be happy, though; I couldn't stand in her way no matter how much it crushed me to let her go.\n\nThe last time I saw her was at our local grocery store. It was ten months after the breakup. She was already married to a new guy, and though she never mentioned it, they had a kid on the way; the prenatal supplements in their basket told me all I needed to know. Whatever shot there was to build a life with her, it was resoundingly over. I guess I got my closure.\n\nIt still fucked me up, though.\n\nI'd tried to date after Emma, but it never went well. I couldn't read other girls; the social dance changed so much since I last went through that whole weird courtship ritual. It didn't help that the ritual had changed so dramatically from what I knew as a kid. Like me, it grew up, and got buried in layers of subtext and obfuscated intentions, countless unspoken expectations that I never learned. Ever since I started puberty Emma and I were …it. She was the only person I ever learned how to read, the only person I felt like I could be open with. The only person who I knew, for sure, wanted the authentic, undiluted me. So much for that notion, I guess.\n\nInitially, I was hesitant when my best friend Duncan offered his parents' beach house to me for the summer. He told me that they were renting a cabin up north this year, and were looking for someone to take care of their little duplex for the summer, if I could take the time off work. He was always the insightful type, and he could tell how broken I was, I think. The simple truth was that I was having trouble adjusting and coping with my new life, and Duncan could tell. That's just how he is. \n\nHe told me about this island his family had their house on. Sol de Vida, the village was called. Sun of Life. Fitting for a tiny little island community way out off the southern coasts. Only a few hundred people, a friendly, mellow place that's super relaxed, lots of retirees and chilled out counter-culture people doing their own thing, generally isolated from the outside world and all the cares and worries of modern life. They weren't totally isolationist or anything, but they weren't some tourist trap either; it was too hard to get there for that, and the island liked its quiet village vibe. It really did sound nice.\n\nI talked to my boss, and was really surprised when he okayed me taking three months off. Apparently the summers are slow anyway, and he assured me I'd have a job to come back to in September. Shit, he even told me he hoped I'd have some good stories when I come back. Good guy.\n\nDuncan gave me the details. Number Nine, White Sands Way. A key on a lanyard. Ferry leaves at 7 a.m. The house was supposed to be stocked with anything I'd need, save for fresh food - and I've been reassured that there are plenty of options in the town for that. I promised Duncan and his parents that I'd leave the place better than I found it; I thought I'd do some gardening, and while we were talking about it Duncan's parents admitted they'd wanted to put in some flowers there, but had never taken the time.\n\nTonight's my last night on the mainland. I got a long-term spot for my truck in the parking garage by the dock, and I'm spending the night in the back of it, next to a flat of Asiatic lilies and a bag of random seeds I'd been saving, as well as my backpack and duffel bag full of odds and ends for the trip. I tossed my backpacking gear in the back of the truck cab on a whim. Coming in use, already; and I just figured I could do a little camping on the mainland if I felt the urge to change things up. \n\nThe ferry leaves at 7 a.m. sharp. I'd better try to get some sleep, though I have the sinking suspicion it won't come easily.[/q]\n\n\n\n[center][t]Chapter 1: Sol de Vida[/t][/center]\n\nAs Rikia towed her modified wagon down the wooden walkway on her way to the market square, the sun-shaped tribal mark upon her back sparkled under the morning sun thanks to the Lutrai's natural fur oils and the still-wet fur from her early morning swim. Her son Tempesta rode happily atop a folded blanket in the cargo wagon with his own goddess sun emblazoned across his chest in a much more recent application of the permanent, white dye that declared their blessing by the sun goddess Kij for all to see. These were not their only markings, the resident Lutrai of Sol de Vida were practically littered with marks, runes and symbols that signified their various blessings or conquered trials or rituals.\n\nOf course, to the villagers they passed, this was no new sight; Rikia and her son's daily early-morning trip to the market was simply their signal that Rikia's tiny eatery would be open for business by lunchtime. Her son would cheerily call to everyone they passed with wishes for good mornings, or inquire on what they were doing, should one of their activities catch the youngster's attention. Rikia just smiled as her son jumped out of the cart to rush ahead and greet his honorary grandparents, the Dulcettes; Jacquelin and Roland, a friendly pair of Eurasian otters; not too dissimilar from the Lutrai physically, though their refined and cultured upbringing made them dramatically different in personality. Still, the retirees were welcomed and treasured elders for which Rikia had grown fond as well, and she stopped just outside their loosely-picketed fence to admire the honeysuckle that had taken over the corner of the fenceline between their side of the fence and the neighbor's.\n\n“Gramma Dulcette!” Tempesta called, busily fiddling with the gate's latch as he found a bit of difficulty operating it with his webbed fingers. Eventually he managed to get the latch undone.\n\n“'Ey, old-timers,” Rikia beamed as her son let himself in through their gate and rushed to Jacquelin for a hug. She was already crouching and ready for the youngster to run into her arms, and she embraced him warmly.\n\n“Mmm, hello Tempesta, hello Rikia!” Jacquelin called as she hugged Tempesta close to her bosom and the boy happily buried his face in her chest, emitting a sweet trill of satisfaction into the embrace. “Opening your restaurant today?”\n\n“Barely a restaurant, c'mon; It's a ferry day,” Rikia laughed, only to pause with a curious expression at the shocked look from the retirees, her whiskers bristling as her warm smile grew into a broader grin.\n\n“We must've lost a day,” Roland laughed, “I could've swore it was Monday.”\n\n“I thought it was Sunday!” Jacquelin laughed even more. “Now that is a blessing, isn't it, dear?” she asked the little kit in her arms as she let him go, and he stepped back with his thick-rooted rudder-tail still swinging merrily.\n\n“Why'sat a blessing?” the tyke wondered, tipping his head as his blue eyes stared up to the elder.\n\n“Because we can lose a day or two and not miss them one little bit, dear. We're simply happy, and wanting for nothing,” Jacquelin shared, with a tousle of the young Lutrai's headfur. The kit giggled and reached up to Roland for a hug, which was readily provided as the elder otter picked the young Lutrai up and embraced him with a tight squeeze.\n\n“It's good to see you again too, little Tempesta. We'll make sure to come visit this afternoon. Save us a seat, okay?” Roland chuckled, patting the young Lutrai kit's backside before setting him down and sending him back on his way to his mother.\n\n“Okay! I'll make sure no land-lubbahs get your spot!” the young kit assured, stopping to sniff the honeysuckle before he ran back and climbed into the wagon again. Rikia picked up the wagon's yoke and urged it back into motion.\n\n“'ave a nice mornin'!” Rikia called, before continuing on her way.\n\n[center]---[/center]\n\nThe market was already waking up in spite of the early hour. The island always woke up early on ferry days, humming with a sort of unseen energy with expectation for the novelty that would arrive aboard the old but serviceable catamaran; and many held a particular zeal for the week's backlog of newspapers and magazines that would arrive. For Rikia, ferry days always meant getting to the markets early, and capitalizing on cheap produce and other withering perishable imports offered by the various grocers at steep discounts to clear their shelves in preparation for restocking.\n\n“'ey, sweedie,” Rikia said, crouching before her son who rocked back and forth from his heels to his toes, in perpetual motion as always. “'m gonnah' give you s'money, n' I want you to get tortillas n' gingah n' garlic from mistah Matty, okay? Y'should get ‘nuff of each to fill a bag bigger’n yer head fer that, kay?”\n\n“Kay!” the little kit quipped without question or complaint as he took the money and ran off to the stall a short distance away. Rikia watched him go, grinning as her son waved the money up at the familiar later-middle-aged mouse who was all too eager to do business with him. She turned to review the fresh produce at her preferred grocer, while the gentlemanly younger-middle-aged silver fox behind the stall stood from his stool to greet her with a broad smile. Rikia and he had a good arrangement; discount imported veggies in exchange for at-cost dining at her yatai.\n\n“'Ey, I'll take as many chilis and herbs as ya' still got, Ren',\" Rikia beamed, and the fox laughed.\n\n“Slim pickings, Rikia, but they're yours. Sorry if they look a little sad, you know how it is this time of the week.” the fox chuckled as he oriented a wealth of slender green chiles and several bundles of cilantro in an old box. Some of them were starting to wilt and wrinkle a bit, but by the time she was through with them nobody would be any the wiser. “Anything else?”\n\n“Mm-yeah. I'll take the cabbages, avocados an' any citrus you got left s'long as it's got juice in it. Oh, those radishes an' red onions too,” Rikia said, and Renard smiled, starting a second box.\n\n“Sounds like you're fixing up quite the menu,” Renard chuckled as Tempesta came running back with the items he'd sourced from the mouse's booth. He reached to set them in the wagon, then eagerly climbed up against the edge of Renard's stand to greet the fox with a cheery wave, which was returned with the same energy by the silver-furred vulpine.\n\n“Juss' makin' do with what I can get cheap,” Rikia laughed. “What'cha think, Tempie? Anythin' else we're missin'?” she asked, hefting her boy to sit atop her shoulders. He looked down from his vantage point and let out a thoughtful noise.\n\n“Uhmmm… Can I have a mango?” Tempesta asked, soon distracted by the few remaining mangoes in a bin. Renard laughed.\n\n“I'll give it to you for free if you can convince your momma' to give me a kiss.” Renard grinned, holding the mango up for the little Lutrai, who accepted it eagerly. Rikia rolled her eyes, overdramatized to tease the fox.\n\n“We'll pay for it,\" Rikia interjected before her son could even try to convince her. Her voice was flat but there was a mischievous smirk fixed across her lips. Renard laughed and snapped his fingers.\n\n“Shucks. Maybe next time, huh, little guy?” the fox smiled, offering the mango over, and placing the others into a bag for Rikia. “Take 'em on the house. Least I can do for my favorite customers.”\n\n“Yeah!” the young Lutrai quipped with a giggle. Rikia smirked as she handed up the mango, then lifted the little boy from her shoulders and planted his feet back on the boardwalk.\n\n“Y'can keep tryin' but that don' mean yer' evah gon' geddit,” Rikia teased as she waved a bill at the fox, who just smiled and accepted the bill, before he turned to make change. “Nice seein' ya', Ren. I gotta' talk t'a fisher fisherman 'bout a fish,” the Lutrai woman laughed as she moved the boxes of produce into her cart, which was quickly filling up. She hefted its yoke and started off, with her son buzzing around the periphery and taking in the colorful sights of the morning market as he ate his mango, peel and all.\n\nThe market square was effectively part of the docks, and the first couple fishermen were already setting out their early-morning catch on ice. It wouldn't have made sense to build the market square further away, given that the vast majority of the island's goods were imported, save for its seafood. Rikia parked her cart on the boardwalk and strolled onto the docks to meet the younger fishers who were setting up their family's catch for sale, as the more seasoned men were smoking and chatting amongst themselves as they leaned against the rope railing of the dock.\n\n“Mornin', there,” one of the newer fishers said with a warm smile; he'd only been on the island for a week. Despite the casual introduction, Rikia saw his eyes drop for a split-second before returning to her eyes.\n\n“'ey, sailor. Catch anything good today?\" Rikia said, maintaining her casual smile despite the less-than-smooth fisher's wandering eyes. The others knew her better; she exchanged a brief glance that caught a couple of the older hands smirking.\n\n“Nothin' quite as pretty as you, miss,” the younger male started. Rikia suppressed the urge to roll her eyes, opting instead to flash a bit of her sharp-toothed grin at him instead. Tempesta was oblivious to the exchange, standing on his toes to look into the bin of ice at the fish, some of which were still gasping atop the ice.\n\n“Yeh?\" Rikia started, cocking her hips as she leaned against the edge of the display cooler. As she arched her back, the young sailor's eyes dropped again, for a beat longer than before. “S'alright. Don' need it t'be pretty. Juss' big, n' fat, n' meaty,” the Lutrai smirked, keeping her eyes on the fisher's. \n\n“Oh, yeah?” the greenhorn fisher asked, a bit caught aback by the suggestive tone Rikia had adopted, to the point that his voice ever-so-subtly cracked. In the background, murmurings started as the elder sailors goaded him on. “I think I got something that could fit that bill. Might be a lot for a little lady like you to get her mouth around, though.” Rikia couldn't help but grin more. The old salts groaned and jeered the bad line amongst their little group.\n\n“Ooh,\" Rikia crooned as she allowed a coy smirk to cross her lips as her son merrily ate his mango and watched the fish. \"Y' got somethin' nice n' big that'll fill up m' belly?” She asked, tucking her chin and batting her eyes at the fisher, whose ears were burning bright red at this point. She trailed her fingers along her tummy, over the fertility mark just above her bellybutton; the mark she was given at her first Kitseve. The movement drew the greenhorn's eyes low again. His gaze stayed there, this time, as Rikia toyed a claw into her bellybutton ring. A sly wink was given to the old salts arrayed behind the new guy.\n\n“Without a doubt; might be a little salty, but satisfaction is guaranteed,” the young fisher joked, though he hadn't seemed to realize he was staring just yet. Rikia reached with her free hand and caressed the mustelid's cheek, before tenderly gliding her fingers under his chin as she leaned forward, urging him to lift his muzzle as she brought her nose close to his. She had him right where she wanted him, he was compliant, and so, so clueless. He never saw it coming, as Rikia's lips hovered just an inch from his own.\n\n“Not now, not evah, land-lubbah,” the Lutrai said as she playfully kept lifting the fisher's chin, forcing his gaze skyward until his head tipped back and, thrown off balance, he stumbled back a half-step. “Nevah with a business partner, n' doubly for one with wanderin' eyes,\" she chided as the older sailors broke out in loud guffaws and teasing of the fisher who was left standing funny, blushing intensely and shrinking back into the crowd for his want to hide his embarrassment. “'ey, Frankie,\" Rikia called to her usual merchant among the family of fishers, one of the loudly cackling little group leaned against the railing of the dock. \"Two dozen of th' little mackerel, ooh, that pretty skipjack tuna in th' back, n' the mahi-mahi, hon. N' get th' greenhorn fixed already.\" The middle-aged fisher, still laughing, nodded his agreement as he started wrapping fish in old newspapers.\n\n“Ha! We'll get right on that one, Rikia. Might stop him from humpin' his pillow when we're out to sea too,” Frank joked, and the greenhorn shouted protest and attempts to save face as Rikia and Frank negotiated the payment. Rikia employed her son's help in carrying one of the bigger fish as they headed back to the wagon. The youngster spoke up as they were loading the fish into the wagon and starting off toward Rikia's tiny stall a bit further down the path, on the edge of the market.\n\n“Mommah? Why'd you call the fisherman a land-lubbah?” the little Lutrai asked, walking alongside his mother as she towed the wagon.\n\n“I wanted t' tease 'im fer likin' me too much, sweedie. Juss' callin' 'im names, don' mean nothin',\" Rikia explained.\n\n“Why don't you like him back?” the kit wondered.\n\n“Cuz' momma' don't know him, guppy. He likes me, but juss' for what I am, not who I am,” Rikia explained, tousling the youngster's ears. “He don' see me n' you. Juss' the bits b'tween m'legs. Now, go run'n' get mistah Thomas t' bring by two big bags'a ice fer me, n' I'll pay ‘im when ’e gets 'ere,” Rikia said, urging her son to rush down the road to the small general store - one of only a few places on the island that had electricity, provided by the single windmill on the island - as she started working on opening her little stall.\n\nRikia set immediately to her preparations for the day ahead as her tiny food stall came together. In a mere two hours, the market would be a bustling hive of villagers, humming with the excitement for the incoming ferry. In small communities like Sol de Vida, such a weekly event is cause enough for minor celebration, and as most of the community milled around the market and dock, they brimmed with hope of bearing witness to the ferry's eventual arrival and its associated influx of commerce from the mainland, fresh stores, building and repair materials, mail and packages, and most importantly to many, the all-but-guaranteed weekly batch of fresh tourists to be exchanged for other visitors who had either lost their captivating newness or had plainly overstayed their welcome. Once, an anonymous benefactor had even arranged for a dozen pizzas to be delivered from the mainland and tipped the delivery boy a hundred dollars to escort it on the ferry to its destination.\n\nFew on the island were willing to miss such an opportunity, should random chance once again choose to grace their good fortune.\n\nWhen the weekly ferry eventually showed on the horizon Rikia's tiny stall was open and at about half its capacity as she busily worked to serve lunch to her local regulars, and her son's boundless energy was employed to a useful cause. The boy buzzed eagerly between villagers in the vicinity of the stall and did his best to attract business from the familiar faces in the crowd, even going as far as playfully grabbing their hands and trying to lead them to Rikia's tiny yatai while chatting them up, employing his natural Lutrai charisma to great effect.\n\nAs the ferry eased up to the dock and tied off, the passengers started to disembark; there were plenty of familiar faces returning to the village, and a fair few of the slightly-more-timid faces of the island's latest influx of tourists. Tempesta was sitting atop one of the yatai's stools sipping on a cup of juice as most of the yatai's patrons and Rikia alike turned to watch the disembarkment a short distance away. The kit's eyes abruptly lit up as he spotted one of those unfamiliar faces descending the ramp from the ferry, the ramp bowing slightly under his weight. Keen observers joked that the other passengers seemed hesitant to step onto the ramp until the bear had cleared it, but Tempesta's attention was caught more by how starkly the huge bear stood out from the crowd, not helped by the bright and novel colors of the bear's tie-dye t-shirt.\n\n“Look, momma! A great big fat one!\" the kit shouted, earning a chuckle from a few of the yatai's patrons as the young Lutrai put his juice down and started running out to the dock to try to drum up some business for his mother's stall.\n\n\n\n[center][t]Chapter 2: Minor Detail[/t][/center]\n\nJack leaned against the steel railing of the ferry and watched the surf roll past. It had been nearly three hours, and with each passing wave the feeling of his having gone past the point of no return intensified. The feeling had started picking up inexplicably as the view of the mainland was swallowed up by the ocean behind them. Now, he found himself bobbing atop a ship and surrounded by relatively calm, deep-blue waters with only the slightest rolling of surf. He wasn't afraid of open water, far from it; he was a perfectly capable swimmer by the birthright of being a grizzly bear. The anxiety that gripped him was instead about the idea of being, by his perception, stranded for over a week in a place he was unfamiliar with. He was the careful type, typically, and often too careful; evidenced by his prior failed relationship. Sailing blindly into uncharted waters, even figuratively, was an alien concept. He'd have to learn to embrace the adventure.\n\nJack was lost in this thought as an older lop-ear rabbit couple eased up against the rail beside him. The buck was dressed in only a pair of board shorts, and his wife was similarly wearing naught but a two-piece bikini. Jack briefly considered the fact that despite them being in their sixties at the least, both had fantastic bodies.\n\n\"First time to Sol de Vida?” the buck asked, striking up conversation so simply based on a simple observation that Jack marveled at the ease. \n\n“Is it that obvious?” the bear asked in response, smiling as politely as he could though the urge to crack a bigger grin pulled a bit more tooth from behind his lip than he intended.\n\n“Ah, a little,” the rabbit woman said with a dismissive, friendly tone. “Don't let it get to you. Being a little nervous is normal. Promise, we're a friendly bunch. I'm Bonnie Lapin,\" she said, extending a hand, which Jack shook, nearly on autopilot. He shook the buck's hand, next.\n\n“Jack Lapin,” the buck rabbit said, which finally broke a laugh from the bear at the realization he shared a name with the rabbit.\n\n“Jack Fall, here,\" the bear said, which seemed to surprise the two.\n\n“Well, at least I know we're in good company,\" the buck joked, “Traveling alone?” Jack nodded as he looked back across the water, realizing there was a growing landmass on the horizon.\n\n“Uh, yeah,\" the bear rumbled, \"Getting away for the summer, I guess. Is that it?” Jack wondered, gesturing out to the horizon.\n\n“Oh, yeah. It's about time,” Bonnie said, turning her attention back to Jack. “So, mister solo; is Sol de Vida your first nudist resort, or are you an old veteran of the bare necessities?” the rabbit woman asked, and Jack had to double-take.\n\n“I'm sorry, my first [i]what [/i]resort?” the bear asked, not realizing how alarmed he sounded. He knew what he heard, but felt compelled to confirm, anyway, as a fresh wave of anxiety roared up behind his breastbone. The rabbits' surprised laughter at Jack's outburst was confirmation enough.\n\n“Oh, no,” the buck rabbit said while trying to restrain his laughter, “Did you not know? Most folks that come visit are coming specifically for that reason!” Bonnie laid her hand on Jack's forearm in a comforting gesture, as the bear's horrified expression intensified at the confirmation. The rabbits' laughter, unrestrained now, wasn't helping.\n\n“I am going to [i]kill [/i]Duncan when I see him next…” the bear groaned to himself, burying his face in his hands. “He just said his parents had a place here and they wanted me to take care of it for the summer. He didn't say [i]anything [/i]about...[i]nudism[/i].\"\n\n“Oh, no! You poor thing,” Bonnie laughed, giving Jack a pat on the back. The buck rabbit jostled the bear a little, in good spirits.\n\n“Maybe a little more adventure than you'd expected, huh? Don't worry, the island folks are a friendly bunch. Some pretty ladies around your age in town, too,” the buck joked, “I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun.” The latter statement earned the buck a playful shove from his wife.\n\n“Jack!\" she scolded her husband, \"Don't you listen to him, dear!” Bonnie chided, still laughing as Jack fretted, digging his fingers through his already-messy hair. “You'll fit right in; it's not as big of a deal as it might seem, and we've had plenty of beginners around just like you,” the rabbit reassured, though Jack wasn't so easily convinced.\n\n“What?” the buck rabbit laughed, “It's true! I wouldn't mind being a strapping young buck again, left to my own devices in Sol de Vida!\"\n\n“Oh, you [i]would[/i],” Bonnie chided her husband, rolling her eyes. “Jack, honey; you're going to be just fine. Don't let him give you the wrong impression. We're a perfectly normal and civilized bunch, we just happen to be naked most of the time. It'll be second nature a couple days from now, you'll see.\"\n\n“If anything,” the buck rabbit chimed in, “It'll be more natural than covering yourself up. You just need to remind yourself that we were all born nudists.”\n\n“I didn't even know there were whole islands like that,” the bear groaned, slumping onto one of the benches on the deck beside his box of young flowers and other effects. “I don't even know where to start…”\n\n“Biggest nudist village in the world, they say! You could start with where you'll be staying?” Bonnie asked with a warm smile, “I'd love to bring a housewarming gift by. Oh! Jackie, dear; go get in my bag and fetch that flier from our travel folder.\"\n\n[center]---[/center]\n\nTen minutes later, Jack sat nervously with his effects beside him, holding the little tri-fold pamphlet he'd been given before the Lapins excused themselves to gather their things. The time had passed in a flash as he was jarred by the revelation, and he was still in disbelief as the island grew nearer and nearer, the ferry now mere minutes from docking. The Lapins were kind enough to let him keep the promotional flier they happened to have so that he could reference its mercifully blunt and honest ‘first timer's guide’ that spanned the back two sections, which Jack was skimming through for the second time to make sure he at least had made note of most of the baseline expectations that this place would have for him. It helped that reading helped him break the cycle of anxiety, nearly as well as writing did.\n\nHe almost didn't jump when a hand came to rest on his shoulder, and when he looked up he saw Bonnie's smile. She had undressed, completely, though her long lop-rabbit ears provided her relative modesty in spite of that fact. Jack couldn't help but glance, and about the same time that he'd reassessed that Bonnie's body was incredible for her age, he realized what he was doing. As Jack rapidly brought his eyes back up to the rabbit's with an awkward, apologetic smile, Bonnie laughed before Jack could even think to apologize.\n\n“Don't sweat it, kid. Looks happen, just don't ogle. Especially so if you aren't goin' nude yet, yourself. Perhaps asking you if you're [i]ready [/i]isn't the question, but…are you [i]prepared[/i]?\" the doe rabbit wondered, and Jack ran his hand through his messy headfur, laughing a bit self-effacingly as he started realizing nearly everyone, save for the crew of the ship, had undressed or was actively in the process of stowing their clothing in backpacks and shoulder bags. Jack was briefly thankful he packed most of his things in a backpack for the trip; that should make keeping the important stuff on hand a bit easier.\n\n“I don't think I have much choice in that,\" the bear uttered. “I'm not used to, uh, having to watch where I look,\" he admitted. He wasn't about to out his various traumas to the friendly older couple, but he'd noticed even before this trip that he'd grown a tendency to space out and just sort of stare off into space, without really looking at anything; the natural direction of his vacant gaze even in clothed society had gotten him in trouble more than once, too. The ferry was nearing the dock, now, and deckhands were starting to bustle around in preparation for arrival, just moments away.\n\n“You'll take to it faster than you think,” the buck rabbit said as he found the two, and playfully goosed his wife who jumped, and summarily swatted at her husband's shoulder, “But nobody should pressure ya' ‘til you’re ready, either way. Can't wait to see you on the island, Jack.”\n\n“Yeah, thank you both for this,” Jack waved the pamphlet. “You're total life-savers. Hey, is there a phone on the island?” The rabbits both shook their heads. \n\n“We've got a couple shortwave towers that can reach the mainland, but no way to make a call, sorry,\" the buck rabbit said.\n\n“Afraid giving your friend a piece of your mind will have to wait ‘til you get back to the mainland. I do hope you’ll stay for the summer like you were planning, though; It might do more good than you think,\" Bonnie said. “Best get ready, we'll be disembarking soon.\n\nJack surveyed his belongings, and heaved a somewhat defeated sigh. He hefted his backpack over his shoulders and slung the duffel bag from shoulder to hip on its strap. He felt stupid for having  burdened himself with a relatively heavy store of clothing for the trip, not that he couldn't handle the load, but the effort expended without any real purpose seemed slightly ridiculous. He carefully picked up the box full of lilies, most of which had taken a bit of a beating from the handling, but Jack knew well they'd be stronger for it once they got in the ground. As the ramp came down and the departures began, Jack saw the plain distinction between tourists and residents, and found himself slightly embarrassed, without any obvious reason, to be more readily identified as one of the former. He hesitated before lining up and, on his turn, he carefully picked his way down the slight incline of the ramp which had a less-than-reassuring bounce under each step. \n\nIt wasn't anything that Jack wasn't used to, however. Even the floorboards of most traditionally constructed homes sagged under his mass. At six-foot-ten and four hundred and eighty pounds, it was one of those realities of life most bears were used to living with. As he felt the worn-smooth boards of the dock under his feet he sighed, and took in the sights. The dock was bustling with those who had freshly departed the ferry and others who had come to greet them. Scanning the crowd, it was a sea of shamelessly bare fur, and Jack had to take a moment to compose himself as he shuffled to one side of the dock and let others pass him as he held the box of lilies and nervously tried to compose a thought that wasn't centered around navigating the sea of exposed genitalia without landing his eyes on anyone inappropriately or bumping into anyone in a manner that may suggest impropriety.\n\nJack briefly cursed his acute self-awareness. He paused to remind himself that those parts are always there, even if he can't see them. His eyes closed, and he took a deep breath, and remembered the pamphlet, tucked safely in his back pocket. The notion of even having pockets set off a fresh wave of anxiety that he was singled out, an obvious tourist and beyond all that, one who was just wholly unprepared for where he'd found himself.\n\n“Hey! Hey, you - mister bear!” a tiny voice nearby called out. Jack looked around, perplexed. “Hee! Down here! Long trip?” the little voice asked. Jack lifted the box away from his belly to see a little boy, fully naked and decorated with tribal tattoos from top to bottom standing on the dock in front of him, coming barely above mid-thigh-high on him.\n\nHe'd never even considered that there might be kids, here. It made perfect sense; it was a community like any other, and families happen. His heart skipped a beat; the little Lutrai boy was utterly adorable, and so exotic looking. He'd never met a Lutrai in real life before, despite having learned a little about them in school, and he never expected a little one to be so decorated with markings, already; his textbooks had simply mentioned the use of permanent fur dye to mark rites of passage. That, however, was not solely the source of the rush of a thrill that came up alongside a fresh pang of anxiety. Jack swallowed down the deep, dark secret of his attraction to the little boy and squatted to meet the kid closer to his level, putting on a sociable smile as his heart skipped a beat. He willed himself to maintain eye contact with the young kid.\n\n“Oh, hey little guy,” Jack started, “I'm Jack. What's your name?\"\n\n“Hi, Jack! I'm Tempesta! Are you hungry?\" the young kid quipped. Jack's senses turned inward, at the abrupt realization that all he'd had to eat so far that day was four cups of free coffee in the ferry's lounge, and that was hours ago. Jack laughed at the observation.\n\n“Good to meet you, kiddo. I think you've got a good eye for that sort of thing, I am pretty hungry,” Jack said with a big grin at the young Lutrai. “I need some freshwater for my flowers first, though. Know where I can get some?” The kit's tail continued to wag behind him so hard that his little boyhood shook, drawing Jack's eye to the kit's unique anatomy. It was quite unlike himself and the more domestic otter-folk; the little boy's sheath wasn't attached to his pelvis; instead it hung down, covering the boy's flaccid member fully as it laid atop his plump little sack, secured by its underside instead, affixed atop the boy's chubby little balls. The lack of support from above allowed it to shake and jiggle with the momentum of the kit's wagging tail, along with the rest of his package. Jack tore his gaze away as he realized where he was looking, to meet the kit's bright, beaming grin again.\n\n“Eee, yeah! Momma' will get you water too! You look like you could eat a lot, can you? You like fish, right?” the boy started asking, beckoning Jack to follow him, and the bear hurried to stand up again in spite of the awkward half-erection in his jeans. He followed the tiny tribal tyke through the crowd as they talked.\n\n“Oh, grizzly bears love fish, little guy. Does your momma' have a restaurant here?” Jack wondered, having to weave and occasionally jog a few steps to catch up with the kit, as the little boy effortlessly dodged gaps in the crowd on the dock that Jack's raw mass couldn't dream of fitting through.\n\n“Momma says it's called a yatai! It's like a tiny liddle restaurant but bettah!\" the little boy called back to him as the crowd started opening up as he and Jack got out ahead of the stragglers who were either less sure of, or less inclined toward, their destination, and instead were milling around the dock and market.\n\n“A yatai? Like the little stalls in Japan?” Jack wondered, as they closed on a cozy, not-quite-out-of-the-way part of the market that backed to the beach.\n\n“Sure!” the little boy quipped with a giggle, obviously not understanding, and instead playing along for the bear as he ushered him closer. As Jack broke through the crowd he was greeted with the view of the little shack, constructed of bamboo and seemingly reclaimed wood that had been heavily weathered, well before it was freshly decorated with finger-painted patterns and designs. The Lutrai kit was already climbing up onto one of the stools at the counter which was worn smooth from use, and the sign above the awning read “Riki's Tiki”. Oil lanterns hung from the corners, as well as countless colorful curios that decorated the eatery with no shortage of rustic visual interest. There was room for five stools across the front of the stand and small benches on the left and right that provided a couple more seats. The chalkboard propped up in the back of the little stall advertised grilled mackerel, tuna ceviche and mahi mahi tacos, as well as cold beer and bottled water. Jack offloaded his bags in an out-of-the-way place on the sandy boardwalk and placed the box of lilies near them, before he ducked his head to fit under the awning of the yatai. As he did so, he found himself immediately nearly nose-to-nose with the grinning Lutrai woman behind the counter.\n\n“'ey, land-lubbah,” the friendly-sounding Lutrai woman said with her heavy accent. She was somewhere in her lower-to-mid 20's, not much younger than Jack. He smiled back to her reflexively while doing his best to maintain genuine eye contact, a feat which may have been his most herculean effort of the day so far; the simple notion of keeping his eyes in line forced a glance that seemed almost beyond his control. Her physique was [i]astounding[/i]; she was trim and fit, a long-torsoed swimmer's build, as would be expected. She had [i]perfect [/i]tits which were just a touch on the smaller side, and her fur was covered in tribal markings to an order of magnitude beyond her son's level of decoration. She was wearing an apron to protect against the occupational hazards of working a kitchen, but Jack could tell through the fabric that her nipples were pierced, as were her ears and lower lip. Jack forced his gaze back up to hers.\n\n“Oh!\" Jack started. \"Uh, hey. Mind if I sit here?” Jack wondered, looking down to survey the bench's construction. It was rustic, and looked sufficiently sturdy. \n\n“Maybe bettah ‘ere th’n one'a the liddle stools, yeh?\" the Lutrai woman mused. \"What'll y'ave, big fella'?” she asked, energetic and bubbly, but Jack could intuit that she was putting on a show face for the tourists. It was no surprise that she would; he was as far out of water as the grilled mackerels that she served up with a heaping side of shredded cabbage were, beside little bowls of steamed rice topped with some sort of pinkish pickled vegetable. The couple receiving those mackerels dug in as they sat on the stools nearest him, a pair of cats who Jack guessed were in their early 30's.\n\n“Oh, uh. Whatever you'd recommend, it all looks and sounds great to me. Oh, do you have any tepid water? The flowers need a drink,” Jack tipped his head toward the lilies that were looking a bit sad after their long trip.\n\n“Euhh…tepid?” Rikia looked confused. \n\n“Not cold, not hot, Rikia,” the female tabby spoke up.\n\n“Oh, yeah - sorry, uh. I just don't want to shock them with cold water,” Jack clarified with a sheepish grin.\n\n“Oh, ah. Yeh, ‘ere ya’ go,” Rikia said, producing a bottle of water from the stores behind the counter that were destined to be loaded in the cooler as stock was sold. Jack took the bottle.\n\n“Thanks. Uh, sorry for the confusion. I love your accent, by the way,\" the bear said as he slipped of the bench and squatted down to give the young lilies a bit of water in each of their little nursery pots. \n\n“Yer th'one with'n accent, land-lubbah,” the Lutrai woman challenged a little more flatly than Jack was hoping for, “'m talkin' plain' s'evah. Anythin' you don' like? Spicy, not spicy? Or y'givin' me full freedom?”\n\n“Okay, that's fair,\" Jack sheepishly admitted to Rikia's observation about the accent. He gave a faint chuckle, hoping to ease the slight tension he'd detected, whether or not it was valid. \"Oh, full freedom, yeah, so long as you aren't making it so spicy it's more torture than food,” Jack confirmed to the Lutrai woman, before he looked up to find Tempesta watching with great interest at what he was doing. Jack just smiled and offered the boy the water bottle. “Hey, buddy. Want to try? Just a little splash for each one.”\n\n“Yeh, okay!” The little Lutrai quipped, eager to try out watering the lilies. He kept it up until they'd all been watered, with a bit of gentle guidance from the bear. Once done, Jack drank the rest of the bottle and eased himself back onto the stool.\n\n“Uh, Rikia, was it? I'm Jack. Your son's adorable, by the way. Does he often chase down customers from the dock for you or did I just get lucky?\" the bear chuckled.\n\n“Yeh, y'got it right; m' little fisherman,\" Rikia smiled, \"Good t'meet ya', land-lubbah. You rentin' a cabin out here?\" she asked as she busily worked behind the counter, cubing dark-red tuna flesh and piling it in a wooden bowl with cilantro, red onion, shaved radish, half an avocado in cubes and nearly a handful of minced hot chilis. Jack watched closely as she added a few shakes of sesame seeds, toasted sesame oil, salt, and finally squeezed a whole lime and half an orange over it all, stirring it in before starting in on cutting and wok-frying several corn tortillas from the bagged stack behind the counter into crispy chips. Jack's stomach was soon gnawing at him with hunger.\n\n“Not exactly, uh. I'm taking care of a friend's family's place for the summer. Like a glorified house-sitter and gardener,” the bear joked. “I'll be staying out on White Sands Way, uh…wherever that is.”\n\n“Thass' where we live!” the little Lutrai boy chimed in from the stool he'd climbed back onto at the far end of the counter. He was quickly shushed by Rikia, who gave him a stern look as a reminder.\n\n“'ey, guppy. He don' care where we are. Welcome t'the neighborhood though, yeh?” Rikia said with another smirk to Jack. She scooped the fried tortillas out of the oil and salted them as they drained on a little wire rack, then scooped them into a separate bowl, before setting both in front of the bear who was, by this point, anxiously awaiting his lunch. “'nother water? Beer?” Jack was already busily scooping up a chip with a heaping pile of the fresh ceviche as the fish's color changed as it cooked in the citrus juice.\n\n“If nobody's keeping score, I'll take a beer,” Jack admitted, unconcerned with a single beer's effects on him despite only rarely drinking. The focal point of food was welcome, though; he found it easier to ignore the nudity he was surrounded by as well as the accompanying temptation to take in the scenery. To great delight, his eyes widened as he sampled his first bite. “Woah, I've never had anything like this, but it's amazing,” the bear said between bites while Rikia just flashed a knowing smile as she settled the beer bottle atop the counter in front of him. Jack was being honest, the flavor was amazing; spicy to the point of being challenging, but with enough fresh herbaceous notes and citrusy acidity paired to a backbone of rich tuna and fatty creaminess from the avocado to cut the spice and prevent it from lingering too long, somehow without feeling heavy. \n\nAs Jack ate, Rikia busied herself chatting with a mother-and-daughter pair of red foxes at the far end of the stall who seemed content to sit and converse a while. Jack thought for a moment, trying to recall when the last time he just saw a proprietor of a business taking time out to just chat and catch up with a customer, and soon realized he couldn't dredge up any such memory. Rikia meandered back toward his end of the yatai to retrieve a couple mackerel from her cooler, before gutting and cleaning them just out of sight of the dining bear.\n\n“Saw y'got the flier in yer pocket,” Rikia commented to rekindle the conversation as she set to work, and Jack's pace slowed. Jack looked up as he finished chewing, nodding his confirmation as he swallowed.\n\n“Uh, yeah. A couple rabbits were nice enough to give that to me on the ferry,” Jack admitted. Rikia seemed surprised, which was accentuated as her accent abruptly grew much stronger.\n\n“On th' ferry? Y'mean y'c’mup here nah knowin' ‘bout Sol de VIda?” she asked, her attention caught.\n\n“I guess not… I thought it was just an island, not a nudist co- uh… Resort,” Jack quickly corrected, using the preferred language from the flier. “My friend just told me the name of the island, the address of their house, and gave me a key and told me when the ferry left…” Jack demonstrably thumbed the key out from under his t-shirt.\n\n“Aw, mos' folk comin' here gotta' good idea what they're gonna' get. Thass' a mean trick 'r awful bit a' forgetfulness,” Rikia mumbled, to which the others at the yatai chimed in their agreement. “'ey, listen'ere, land-lubbah,” Rikia leaned down to speak more softly to the bear, who was busily scraping his bowl clean with the last chip, “When yer' done ‘ere, y’should g'wan t' your place n' settle in, n' give that flier a good read, front t'back, kay?”\n\n“Yeah, uh…that was kind of the plan, I only really got a chance to skim it before the boat docked,” Jack admitted as he surveyed his empty ceviche bowl, befeore he stacked it with the bowl the chips were in to offer them both back to Rikia. She took them and squatted behind the counter to wash them out in a bin of soapy water along with her knife and cutting board \n\n“Good, cuz' you owe me juss' s'good a look s'you been sneakin' this whole time, land-lubbah,” she grinned, not even looking the bear's way as she dried and stacked the bowls away. “If yer' gonna' be here all summah, y'd do bes' ta' not c'moff as a tourist th' whole time, y'get me, big fella'?” Jack's expression dropped, unseen by Rikia. He finished the latter half of his beer in a single deep gulp from the bottle and set it down on the countertop.\n\n“Yeah, uh, thanks for the pointers,” Jack admitted. “I, uh, I should go. What do I owe ya'?” he asked, digging in his pocket for his wallet. He felt embarrassed and worse, like he stuck out even more than he'd initially worried. Solitude was a refuge the bear now sought with great urgency.\n\n“Six bucks, includin' the beer,” Rikia said, popping back up behind the counter. \n\n“Or a trade of equal value!” Tempesta chimed in from his stool. Jack forced a smile, though his mood had taken a beating by the Lutrai woman's teasing. On the surface it would've been seen as good natured, but something about the Lutrai's delivery made it feel barbed.\n\n“I think the skunks would take issue with me bartering off their home decor, but I'll keep it in mind, kiddo. Good meeting you all though,” Jack said, leaving the cash on the counter, pinned in place under the beer bottle and gathered his things.\n\n“Come back for dinner!” Tempesta shouted after him as he started down the road. Jack waved behind him, before abruptly realizing he still didn't have his lay of the land.\n\n“Hey, uh, a little help? Which way is White Sands Way?” the bear called back to the yatai. No less than ten arms in the vicinity of his call pointed in a unified direction, not limited to just those at the yatai. \n\nAt least the place was used to tourists.\n\n\n\n[center][t]Chapter 3: Tourists[/t][/center]\n\n“Maybe you went a little hard on that one, Rikia,” Kelly said as the bear's massive figure shrunk in the distance, and her daughter Jannet played in the sand with Tempesta a short distance away. The pair of red foxes had the curious trait of black-tipped tails; the origin of their surname. The mother-daughter pair were regulars at Rikia's stall, due in no small part to Jannet and Tempesta's being the same age, almost down to the week.\n\n“Ah, he wan' me t' play nice he gotta' play by th' rules,” Rikia smirked as she handed over a grilled mackerel alongside a tall pile of finely shredded cabbage and a bowl of rice. She effortlessly de-boned another mackerel without so much as splitting the slightly-charred skin of the roasted fish, save for where she extracted its spine. “C'mon Tempie, c'mon Jannet, lunch fer' you two too,” Rikia called as she slipped the plate across the counter, and the young vixen and Lutrai climbed up on the bench beside one another to start eagerly picking at the boned fish with their bare fingers, playfully feeding each other as their mothers smiled and watched on.\n\n“Aw, did you see his poor face when you called him a tourist, though? The guy's been blindsided, he didn't need to you to remind him,\" the vixen said, as she picked the mackerel's flesh away from the bone with her chopsticks. Rikia rolled her eyes.\n\n“'eyyy now, at leas' I wasn't [i]mean [/i]to him, y'know; run ‘im off n’ call ‘im a creep juss' here t' ogle naked women. He’s gotta' chance ta' prove ‘is worth, still, n’ I'll play nicer when ‘e does,” Rikia said. It felt good to say, even if it wasn’t entirely true. Secretly, she'd found the big bear attractive in a way she struggled to define. She could tell by their short interaction that he was the kind sort - out of his element, sure, and maybe a bit isolated - but there wasn't a predatory, covetous look in his eye like she got from a lot of the tourists. He didn't even try to hit on her a little bit. But, he was still an outsider, and didn't even have the common courtesy to go skyclad as a guest in the nudist resort she'd made her life in. He was a tourist, and while Rikia was willing to give him a second chance given that the details of the island had been sprung upon him so late, ultimately, he was someone who wasn't going to be staying, even if he planned to be around for a few months.\n\nHer walls were up, whether she liked who she was when she was behind them or not. It felt so counter-intuitive to her upbringing, even still; but the suppression of the natural urge she felt, the one that begged to let people in and to be intimate both emotionally and physically, felt far better than the hurt of being abandoned at the end of the tourist's vacation as she'd been too many times before. Worse yet, often it happened without even the simple grace of a good-bye; a single hard conversation that those tourists couldn't be bothered to taint their trips with. She'd been weathered by this alien culture, and adapted to live in it; its blowing sands had caused her once-sensitive, pink tribal flesh to callous and thicken against the vast differences of the mainland culture's idea of sex as some transactional conquest, separate from a relationship or emotional connection. An idea which seemingly dominated the social world beyond her little home island, even in this place, in spite of its nudist ideal.\n\nBeing hurt, however, wasn't the only reason she had built that wall. Land-lubbers just wouldn't understand. Few on this island would, save for herself and her son, and Kelly and Jannet, their dearest friends. Only a very select few in Sol de Vida were privy to the most private details of her culture and lifestyle; things the mainlanders would find deeply taboo to the point of persecution. Rikia was snapped out of her introspection as Kelly spoke up again.\n\n“I'm just saying, if you don't want him, I'll take him,” the vixen joked, before taking another bite of fish and shredded cabbage, and a little clump of rice after.\n\n“[i]Kelly[/i]!” Rikia laughed, “'e just got ‘ere n’ you're sizin' ‘im up? Let th' land-lubbah get his pants off first,” Rikia chided, as the vixen held up her hands in unspoken admission of guilt, laughing along with her friend.\n\n[center]---[/center]\n\nThe mid-afternoon lull after the bustle of lunch offered Rikia reprieve to close her stall for a couple hours, providing time for a swim with her son, and some time spent basking in a hammock on the beach under the early-summer sun. With her son lounging belly-to-belly with her, she casually stroked the young boy's fur, raking her short claws through his sleek, short pelt as they relaxed in the warmth to which they were quite accustomed.\n\n“Mommah?” the young boy spoke up as they half-snoozed in the sun.\n\n“Yeh, guppy?”\n\n“Jack's nice. He brought flowahs.”\n\n“Yeh, I saw that, sweetie. Y'like him, don'cha?” Rikia asked, smiling a little as she looked down to her son, whose chin was resting on her chest between her breasts.\n\n“Uh-huh! I nevah seen sum'un s'big as him!\" the boy said, excitedly. Rikia laughed.\n\n“Yeh, me neither, guppy.” the Lutrai smiled, lifting her hand to knead behind her son's ears affectionately.\n\n“Why don'cha' like ‘im too?\" the little boy asked, which gave Rikia a moment’s pause.\n\n“Ah, guppy. S'not s'easy s' juss' likin' or not for me, yeh?” Rikia said, careful to traverse the delicate subject as gracefully as she could. “Guess'n you think momma' was pretty hard on'im too, eh? Like miss Blacktip did?”\n\n“Yeh,” the little boy confirmed, sounding thoughtful, and a little sad. Rikia nuzzled down and kissed him between the ears.\n\n“'ey, guppy. ‘m sorry,” she sat up in the hammock, propping Tempesta up in her lap. “If ya' like him, 'll be nicer. Promise,” she said, holding her hand up against his. Tempesta mimicked the motion, before tilting his hand ever-so-slightly so he could lace his fingers with hers, both Lutrai stretching their webbing back as they clasped their hands together.\n\n“He's got flowahs! Can't be so bad, bad folk don' like flowahs,” Tempesta quipped, and Rikia laughed.\n\n“'ey, sweedie, thass' sure right. Not juss' any flowah, neithah,\" she said, smiling as she directed the little Lutrai's attention to the mark on her left breast, the outline of an orange lily blossom. “S' this kinna' flowah, sweedie. R'membah what Shamaness taught ya'?”\n\n“Uhm,” the young kit thought back to the lesson he'd learned the last time he was on his home island, some months ago. “S' the flowah f' takin' care of someone? Like y'do me?” the kit asked as he held hands with his mother in the hammock.\n\n“Yeh, guppy. Th' flower is th' form Kij's light takes whennit come down t' the tribe. Shows she gives us warmth, n' food, n' 'er love. It's her sayin' she cares ‘bout us, n’ loves us, n' wants us t'be happy.” Rikia said, with a slightly homesick smile. She kissed her son on the nose. “This'n, over yer heart? S' me, promisin' I'll always be takin' care of you.” she touched the filled-in pictogram of a lily blossom on the boy's chest, just below his goddess sun. \"N' mine? S' empty t'say I'd hollow m'self out f'it was th'way t' make you whole.”\n\nThey sat in brief silence as the young Lutrai kit processed the lesson, thoughtfully tracing his fingers over his mother's marking. After a few moments, the boy looked up to his mother again.\n\n“Momma'? Why didn't daddy fill your blossom?” his little voice came, and Rikia felt an immediate pang of heartbreak, followed by profound loneliness. She blinked away tears, before her son could see them.\n\n“Guppy…yer daddy loves us, n' you s'pecially more'n anythin', but his tribe needs ‘im.” Rikia started. It was the truth, but partial truth. “He can' t be here t'take care'a' you'n me… N' his tribe wouldn't unnerstand if he were t' give me his lily.” It was so hard to relate the complicated situation to the young boy, who simply didn't understand such adult concepts just yet. The fact that the little boy even existed was deeply taboo, one of a very small number of taboos that could have been committed in their tribe. She watched as her son mulled over the lesson more, and his own thoughts. He was already wise beyond his years.\n\nRikia hadn't told him yet, though she didn't intend to keep it secret forever. Tempesta was the product of a one-time, drug-fueled frenzy of need and homesickness and shared love between Rikia and her twin brother, carried away by their drug-augmented emotions late one night, as they visited and explored the mainland and learned about its culture as they came of age, years ago. Tempesta's favorite uncle, Uncle Akamai, was in fact his father; after they found out Rikia was pregnant with his child, the siblings decided to keep their incestuous tryst secret from the tribe to avoid being ostracized for the taboo of bearing children with a sibling.\n\nLying wasn't in their nature, but they crafted a careful story in order to protect their son from being an outcast amongst their kind. Akamai returned to the island and became a fisherman, and started his own family, a model tribesman. Rikia found a place where she could live openly as a Lutrai and share their culture, a place that was nearby but separate from the tribe, while still allowing for regular visits during their most important festivals and ritual seasons. It crushed her to keep the secret from the elders and shamans, but as far as they knew, Tempesta was the product of a one-night stand with a male Lutrai of another tribe she happened to meet on the mainland, and never saw again. A slight misstep that she gave away her firstborn to a casual fling, but a laughable ‘oops’ which was orders of magnitude less an offense than having bred with her own twin brother.\n\nRikia was thankful that Sol de Vida was home to a small group of Lutrai converts; mainland species who had attended their festivals and been given honorary membership. The way they'd come into the tribe was various, but usually involved them exhibiting an understanding of the Lutrai philosophy and showing that they welcomed the tribe's ways, eventually followed by performing certain rites, of which there were myriad feats which could prove one's dedication. The Blacktips were one such family, and there were a few others on the island as well who kept the Lutrai way to the natives' standard. Rikia had never officially claimed the role, but the local Lutrai honoraries often looked to her as a tribal liaison, and sought the shamamess' wisdom through her, partly by the fact that Rikia had trained under a shamamess for most of her youth. \n\nWhen Tempesta spoke again, Rikia was jolted out of her own thoughts.\n\n“I hope y'find s'm'one t' fill your lily too, momma.” the young Lutrai said, looking up to her. He smiled, and Rikia found herself quickly smiling back.\n\n“Yeh, me too, guppy. But y're all I really need. Love you,\" Rikia said, tenderly kissing the boy's forehead. “‘m sorry I wasn' nice t'yer frien’, guppy. Promise'll be nicer nex' time we see'im, kay?”\n\n“Key!” the little boy answered, with a big grin. “Ya' think he lives close t'us, momma? He said he's on th' same road!” Rikia laughed.\n\n“Naaaah, 'm bettin' he's stayin' in one'a the big places close t' town, wha'choo think?”\n\n“Yeah, prolly! He is a land-lubbah after all!” the kit giggled. Rikia laughed.\n\n“Yeah, he sure is, isn'e? 'eyyy, now who's callin' folk names, eh?”\n\n“Hee!”\n\n“Juss' ‘tween you’n me, guppy? Less' not call ‘im th' T-word anymore though, ’kay?” Rikia said, with a slightly more serious tone, but still in good spirits.\n\n“Okay, momma! His name's Jack, we c'n call 'im that!” Tempesta said, and Rikia smiled to her son.\n\n\"Sounds good't'me. C'mon, dinnah's soon n' we gotta' prep, still.\"\n\n[center]---[/center]\n\nAs dinner wore on, Tempesta buzzed around the market as he usually did, though Rikia could tell the little boy was keeping his eye out for Jack to return. Rikia was quietly hoping he would show up for dinner as well, but as the night wore on, and the sun set, the bear's imposing figure had yet to make an appearance. As the sun sunk behind the horizon and the sky darkened, business had slumped to just a couple idly whiling the night away with conversation over a steady dwindling supply of beer, which Rikia was happy to sell them. The tide began its slow crawl up the beach as Rikia sent the well-inebriated patrons on their way and they staggered down the boardwalk toward their homes. Rikia snuffed the oil lamps hanging from the stall's awning and finished buttoning her little yatai down for the evening, before picking her sleeping son up in his blanket from atop the sand behind the yatai, and laid him in their wagon for the ride home. She stowed a little stack of bento boxes and two beers alongside her sleeping son, the boxes stocked with three decent-sized mackerel she had left over after dinner, freshly-grilled, as well as a heaping portion of rice and pickled vegetables, and a fair bit of shredded cabbage as well. The bottles clinked and chattered as the wagon's wheels crossed the weathered boards in the sand under the moonlight as the occasional cricket rasped out its sleepless song from its dark hiding place.\n\nShe stopped the wagon beside the honeysuckle bush, and left Tempesta to sleep in the wagon as she took the bento boxes and beers, and carefully slipped through the gate of the house next-door to the Dulcette residence. There was light visible under the door and in the open windows covered by sheer curtains, but she still paused at the door for a long moment, before softly knocking at the door. A moment passed, then she heard the heavy scrape of a chair on rustic wood plank flooring, followed by a few intentionally-soft, but still heavy footfalls that gave Rikia a bit of relief with the indirect confirmation she had the right place.\n\nThe door opened, and the massive silhouette of a bear ducked to peek below the doorframe to greet her from inside, backlit by the dim lantern-light.\n\n“Uh, hello?” the bear's soft voice said, before he realized. “Oh, hi - Rikia, right?\"\n\n“Yeh, thass' it. Glad yer' still up… Didn't see ya' come back t' town since lunch, uh.” Rikia held the stacked bento boxes up atop one hand, and the beer bottles in the other. “Thought ya' might be hungry. And…” Rikia hesitated, “'ey, I wanted t' apologize fer earlier. Maybe didn' give ya' th' warmest welcome t' th' island,” Rikia said.\n\n“Oh, thanks..! I'm starving,” the bear sheepishly admitted as he accepted the bento boxes and bottles with little hesitation. “Er, don't worry about it, uh, every word of it was true, really,” he quietly admitted, before asking, \"How'd you find me?” As Rikia's eyes adjusted, she saw the bear was shirtless, though wearing board shorts that sagged low on his hips.\n\n“Small town, n' only one family a' skunks has a place out this way, s'far as I know. Next t' th' kiddo's gramma n' grampa,” Rikia said, smiling as she tipped her head toward the Dulcette residence. “Y'enjoy that. Can bring back th' boxes whenevah' you drop by next, kay?”\n\n“Oh, uh. Alright. Oh, uh- manners,” the bear laughed, “Do you want to come in? All I can offer right now is some tea I found in the pantry, but you're welcome to--” Rikia cut him off.\n\n“Oh, nah- th' kiddo's asleep in th' wagon, need t' go tuck ‘im in. But, uh…s’good to see you,” Rikia said with a little smile. She made sure to take an obvious glance down at the bear's half-dressed state. “'Ey, if yer askin' me, s'easier to juss' jump inta' cold water all at once n' get it ovah with.\" The bear looked confused for a split second, before his big teeth bared in the dim light as he realized.\n\n“Oh, yeah, uh… I guess I'm not ready to commit just yet,” Jack said, a little sheepishly. “Promise I'll get there soon. Thanks again, Rikia. I really appreciate it.”\n\n“Don' mention it, Jack. Welcome t' Sol de Vida,\" Rikia said, offering another warm smile before turning and heading back down the little sandy cobble path to the gate. She didn't hear the door close until she'd closed the gate behind herself.\n\nThe slow walk home was quiet, save for the slight rumble of the wagon's tires on the boards that blended, at times, with the low drone of the nearby surf. The walk passed quickly, as Rikia mulled over the new tourist that had so captivated her attention for reasons she couldn't quite place, just yet. He had certainly caught her eye, and though she hated to admit it even as she felt her nectar running down her inner thigh as she walked, there was a deep and almost desperate urge to put her son to bed and run back to that little duplex to throw herself at the bear. She could barely remember the last time she'd shared a bed with someone other than her beloved son. She'd never want to shun the boy from their bed, but she so wished that love could come more freely, without the hangups, like things were back home.\n\nOn Rikia's home island, love came freely and was not to be hidden away like some shameful thing; instead, it was celebrated, openly and often. Tempesta had been raised with her tribe's understanding; sex was joy, and to be shared; it was a physical extension of friendship and affection, a way to be close with someone you care about or whose company you enjoy, or even simply for the joy of sharing that physical pleasure with someone else. Even within families, casual sexual play often was used to share affection between siblings, cousins, or from parents to children, and vice versa, so long as certain restraint was practiced to prevent impregnating family members. The Lutrai's thoughts turned back to Jack, and her head swum with thoughts of the bear, cautiously open to the lust and physical desire she so often walled off, to the point that being open to it felt alien, now. She reasoned that he was only a visitor, but at the same time, he seemed so genuine, and obviously given his shock and surprise by the realities of the island, he had no ulterior motive in coming here. Compared to most first-time tourists, the bear seemed curious even in spite of his rough introduction, in a way that she found refreshingly open and warm. For once, a tourist who just stumbled upon their village without the presumed motive of simple sexual conquest or ogling others' open nakedness to drive him there. \n\nRikia realized she'd arrived at her home without remembering the walk. As the surf broke on the beach only a few yards from their home, Rikia scooped Tempesta up in her arms and she held him close to her chest as she let herself into her little Poa. It was a simple grass-roof hut constructed in the traditional style of her tribe, out toward the end of White Sands Way on the stable sands above the high-water mark, bordered by dunes anchored in place by clumped patches of sea oats. The rustic, round bamboo-framed structure was comfortable but spartan, the image of what one would expect on her home island, with the occasional anachronisms of modernity found in the corners - a crank radio, oil lamps, a few modern bits of cookware and food storage equipment, a small collection of plush toys that had been gifted to her son - but set among traditional furnishings, including the large three-point anchored netting that served as their family hammock, lined with plush pillows and woven blankets to make up a more traditional nest.\n\nRikia carefully settled her son into that hammock then climbed in beside him, spooning up to the young boy's back and tenderly caressing down his belly. The boy stirred and laid on his back, stretched comfortably out as the cool breeze off the water sifted between the bamboo slats of the walls and kept the poa cool despite the day's warmth still radiating up from the sun-baked sand outside. Rikia kissed her boy's ears and he smiled, churring faintly as he stirred and nuzzled up to his mother. Her fingers toyed lazily at his bellybutton and traced down over his smooth tummy-fur to carefully toy at the base of his sheath as her thoughts wandered. She casually touched her son, adoringly sliding her hand down between his thighs to knead his taint and gather his plump balls into her webbed fingers, then used her thumb to skin his foreskin-like sheath back a half-inch. Rikia sighed, and kissed her boy on the nose before scooting down and casually drawing the young Lutrai's growing erection into her mouth, where she suckled slowly upon him. Tempesta crooned a sweet, joyful little noise as her lips slipped down his boyhood, and his hands came to rest in Rikia's short hair and he spread his legs and let out a smooth, warm churr from the sensation.\n\nRikia's mind wandered while she nursed upon the familiar sweet-salty taste of her son's member, as it throbbed steadily to full erection atop her tongue. She used her lips to skin his sheath back as he grew firmer, nursing on the two-and-a-half inch boyhood lightly while her tongue rolled over its surface. As she quietly performed this tender ritual with her beloved son, her thoughts went again to the new visitor to the island; even if she did pursue that spark she felt, could the bear ever accept her traditions? She knew too well that the mainlanders held intense taboos about the idea of their little ones engaging in sexual play. Often they were so profound that those who held those beliefs failed to see any reasoning; having only blind hatred for what she saw as such a simple and beautiful thing that she shared with her son regularly. A few of the honorary Lutrai on the island understood this part of her culture, but others struggled to come to terms with it, yet. They were still tribemates, but with them, Rikia never felt the ability to be quite as true as she could with her and her son's dearest companions, the Blacktips.\n\nRikia mulled over the thought as she drew in a deep breath against her son's lap. The young Lutrai crooned another sweet noise, and gave a soft, sleepy giggle as she shifted position slightly and began to bob her head slowly on his twitching arousal. Tempesta's thighs spread wide, and he caressed her ears with his little webbed hands, before helping her find the pace with a tender touch that brought her in time with his eager throbs. He was panting, little trembling wracks felt through the young boy's body as she caressed his stomach and soothed him, her other hand cupping his cheek and rubbing affectionately as she kept working in her boy's lap, gazing up to him with all the love in the world. Her heart swelled as he whimpered, and she slipped off of him to nuzzle down and teasingly suck on the flesh of his sack as his boyhood twitched in the open air, drizzling a string of precum down to his pelvis.\n\n“Mnh…momma..!” the boy whimpered as his thighs spread further apart, as Rikia suckled the subtle taste of sweat from his finely-furred balls before she dragged her tongue up the other side of his sack and nuzzled against the underside of his retracted sheath. Once more, she lapped at his balls slowly, before she nuzzled her way back up his little member bit by bit. She glazed her lips with his drizzling precum and slipped back down over his boyhood, burying it in her mouth. Her tongue curled against its underside as the boy tensed, and as she slowly began working back and forth in that rhythm, the little boy vocalized another sweet, eager whimper as his fingers curled in her hair. “Ah- nnh…m-mommy, ha!” the whispered voice of Rikia's son whimpered above her as she felt her son's erection strain and flex. She worked swiftly, giving him what he needed; final, firm strokes with her tongue aggressively pressed to the underside of his glans coupled with a powerful suction as the little boy started to jerk and throb strongly. Abruptly, each sharp twitch was accompanied by a high-pressure jet of slick, potently flavored, immature semen across her tongue that clung to its surface as her little boy pulsed his love directly into her mouth. Rikia stared up at her son's sleepy but cross-eyed, overwhelmed and pleasured expression as he trembled throughout, and then shuddered in the aftershocks of climax, before he slowly sunk back into the hammock with a quiet huff and giggle as Rikia lifted her muzzle and swallowed the rich, salty gift her son deposited in her mouth while the boy's spent arousal softened a top his pelvis and began to retreat into its tight sheath almost immediately. She rolled to her side and drug her boy in against her chest, spooning up behind him again as her hand tucked between her own soaked inner-thighs. She nuzzled into Tempesta's hair as her eyes closed.\n\n“Mnh. Assa' good boy, sweedie. Love ya'.,” Rikia said, even as her thumb nestled in beside her clit and she dug her middle and ring digits into herself, pressing just past the second knuckle before she hooked them to grind her soft pads against the cluster of nerves inside her, rolling back and forth as she worked herself over with an unusual amount of urgency this evening.\n\n“Love y' too momma',” the little boy's quiet voice came. He hadn't yet learned to reciprocate those favors, and Rikia would never expect it from him anyway; her affections were given as a show of her love and nothing more. She just held him close, his back to her chest, as she quietly raked her pads back and forth inside herself, her thumb kneading the sweet spot at the side of her hood that compressed it in against the thin titanium post that connected the pearl stud on the outside to the flat backer inside. Each tender press and roll of that supple flesh glanced the shifting metal backer against her clit, which shot  electric jolts through her belly. As her son dozed off in her embrace, she panted quietly into his head-fur.\n\nRikia found her thoughts re-centering on the newcomer to the island. What would he think, if he saw what just transpired? Even if he'd missed that, and saw her, now, like this? There was a secret yearning, unfounded hope that he would be accepting of it, at least; even if he might not understand. Her more reasonable side knew he would be shocked and even inexplicably repulsed at the idea, but as her arousal grew, so did the wistful fantasy began to creep in. Her, and her son, and the bear, together, sharing each other with a profound, deep and loving intimacy, open to one another and living true to their spirits. A family of Lutrai, two by birth and one by custom, huddled close in their little poa. A full home, living openly as their hearts called them to, keeping the tribe's tradition, true to heart and without any sense of guilt or shame. \n\nRikia squeezed her son close as she muffled a gasp into the fur of his shoulder. As her climax took her, she felt the wracking flutters in her walls grasping for her fingers and she obliged, reaching deep into herself and raking her pads against the sensitive clusters of nerves just beneath the surface, while secretly wishing for the sensation of the bear's sheer mass pressed against her back, yearning for the bloom of warmth in her belly, the strong, masculine pulse of climax between her walls as her fingers proved a poor substitute. Slowly, steadily, peace took her again and she relaxed, panting quietly as, for a feeling moment, all thought left her. \n\nSleep failed to come right away. As Rikia slowly regained her senses, she found her thighs and hand drenched in her juices. Shortly thereafter, she began to well with a schoolgirl's smiling embarrassment, feeling silly for her limerence toward someone she'd only just met. She'd always been a dreamer, and occasionally, even as an adult, she would brush shoulders with a man in the market, only to find herself having lived a lifetime with them from that single fleeting glance of shared apology as he disappeared into the crowd, on his way and wholly ignorant to what she felt they'd shared. It was always the same; an instant for him that stretched into years for Rikia by way of her intense imagination and, lately, an unfulfilled longing for profound connection.\n\nThe realization of her girlish folly did nothing to ease the vague pang of loneliness in her heart however. She dug for a well-used old towel to wipe her hand clean and tuck between her thighs to soak up her mess, then closed her eyes and settled in with a quiet sigh as she relaxed. As she drifted off to sleep, she was left with the simple realization that the new bear in town had made an impression far greater than she'd expected, and to her further surprise, she found herself eagerly looking forward to their next encounter. \n\nWith her final waking thought, she wondered if the bear just might feel the same way.\n"
}