Allô! Allô! Here's the Monday update... Sorry it's a tad late, midterm season is brutal. 

Wish you all a wonderful start of the week :)

Enjoy~

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Tawn stood by idly, watching while Iris piled everything she had tossed out of the plane on top of the blue water resistant hide. He'd watched as she'd had taken it down from over the firewood. She'd explained that it would be more useful to her than that failed tanned hide.

Ink observed both Iris and Tawn move about from his perch in the tree. He could tell she was packing and was surprised of how collected she seemed given her situation. Seeing that she was just about done packing, he decided it was time to go talk to her.

Looking up from her now packed belongings, Iris saw Ink slithering over in his 'partially shifted' form as it had been called. She was thankful that she didn't have to constantly see his member swinging between his legs, unlike a certain tanned individual. That is assuming that his 'beastman' form took after humans more so than reptiles...

Looking Ink in the eyes once he was in front of her, Iris inquired, "How do you plan to help me get stronger and what do you guys want in return for helping me?"

Seeing that the female before him had figured out the value of what he had offered, Ink smiled to himself before answering seriously. "Be our mate."

"Ours?" Iris questioned, perplexed.

"Ours, as in Tawn and I." The snake man nodded towards the wolf beastman.

Hesitantly, Iris slowly sounded out while watching the male's reaction. "I'm monogamous." She was beginning to feel like she'd hopped into some sort of twisted version of a twin trope.

Ink stayed silent for a bit. Clearly pondering on what Iris had said before replying, "I'm guessing that word means that people where you're from usually only take one mate...?" He posed briefly to allow the female to interject had he inferred incorrectly. "That's neat and all for your people. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't envious, but here, females always have more than one male. Only having two is considered very few."

Tawn idled next to Ink, following was shocked at the revelation that females only had one male where she had come from. How nice to be a male in such a place... Hopefully she'd stick to those ways and only want them two.

After listening to what Ink had said, Iris did not know what to say. Having more that one lover? It felt a bit like cheating... What if she liked one male more than the other? Wouldn't that cause jealousy?

Deciding that she didn't want to dwell further on the topic, Iris agreed. "Only you two." Both males nodded happily. "However, you can't touch me until I'm ready." Secretly, she was planning on knocking them a new one once she was strong enough and then ditching the ass-holly duo.

Crossing his arms, Ink leaned back, "We'll wait until your estrus. No later." It would be hard to guard an unmated female while she was in estrus. All nearby males would scent her, and the unmated ones would come rushing. Their instincts over powering their logic.

Taken aback by the unusual choice of words, it took Iris a hot second to click as to what the male had meant when he had said 'estrus.' Gross! No way were they having sex with her while she was on her period! Unable to hold her tongue, she shouted out, "What?!?"

Not understanding that it was a rhetorical question, Tawn shyly answered, "It's when a female bleeds..." A bright blush made itself known on his cheeks, "down there." He whispered while twisting his foot on the ground.

Both Ink and Iris mentally face palmed.

Choosing to not acknowledge the blushing beastman, Iris replied with her sight focused on Ink, "I won't be ready by then!" She only had about a week or so until her next period.

With a wicked wink, "Too bad." Ink was fighting the smirk that was trying to creep up onto his lips. He truly looked forward to mating this female.

Unable to hold her tongue, Iris shouted at the imbecile and detestable snake, "I literally bleed every month! Plus, if you even try to touch me while I'm on my period I WILL castrate both of you without any second thoughts!" By the end she was huffing, and red faced.

Not hearing anything further, Tawn was even more amazed with their family's female. "Every month..." He mumbled while looking at Iris with wonder.

"Fantastic so you're very fertile..." Ink clapped his hands together once before looking at Tawn then Iris "We'll all need to get stronger if she's that fertile. All of us. There'll be a lot of beastmen who'll want her." He said seriously. His cunning coming back.

Initially, Iris was going to continue getting mad, however something piqued her curiosity. "How often to the females here usually bleed?" She asked skeptically.

"Twice over a full cycle, if they are highly fertile and lucky." Ink explained solemnly.

"Well shit..." Iris had no other answer. "What's the plan?"

Ink breathed out and looked over to Tawn, "First, Tawn, we don't talk about this conversation with others. They can't know." Warm blooded beastmen where known on the continent to like bragging to each other. Ink wanted to maintain secrecy for as long as possible.

Tawn nodded and Ink continued. "For now, we'll continue travelling to the warmer section of the continent to avoid the cold season."

Tawn and Iris nodded in agreement with the plan.

"But first," Ink motioned to Iris's blue hide pack, "Are you ok with selling some of the empty 'cans'? We need to change your coverings if we don't want to draw attention. Plus, neither Tawn nor I are proficient at making any so we'll have to buy them..."

With a giggle Iris nodded, "I need new clothes anyways."

Tawn shifted to his wolf form, drawing a wow from Iris. The large tawny wolf laid down near Iris as if asking her to climb onto it's back.

"There's no way." Iris said sternly, crossing her arms.

"It'll be faster." Argued Ink as he picked up the blue package that was Iris's belongings.

Iris blurted out the first excuse that came to mind, "But walking could help for my training!"

Both males looked at each other in silent conversation, Tawn cocking his head.

"Fine. But we carry you if you need a break. We can't afford to let the cold catch up to us."

Iris nodded.

Ink looked to Tawn, "We'll head to the closest beast tribe."

Tawn took off at a slow trot. He was curious if the female could keep up, but he didn't want to go too fast either.

Iris followed closely, jogging.

Ink decided to remain practically shifted, slithering behind the other two while he hugged the goods to his chest.

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Hence, off the trio went towards the nearest beast tribe, which happened to be the hopping tribe.

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