after all [Ashmedai]

The male stopped for just a moment, and looked up. Part of his face was stained in white, like someone had given up halfway through painting him. His response was decidedly casual, though it became apparent this was the first he'd seen of the plankton.

"They might." She hummed, shrugging her shoulders lightly. The heavy accent made the gesture seem much colder than she had intended it to be. That's how it always went. "In the east, there's a mangrove with waters full of them. Or there was, when I was young." She added, directing her attention in that direction for a moment. There was still a pack there, last she had checked. The boy coughed, a genuinely awkward gesture. What had she done to make him uncomfortable? A pang of worry bloomed in her chest for a moment. He asked why she was here, and brought up the past inhabitants.

"Do you speak of Glaciem? They're the last pack I paid much heed to." She questioned, raising one brow. It occurred to her that she had ignored his initial question. Nice one, Liri. She cleared her throat. "As for why I'm here, my family has a long history of living in cold places."