not being mom's favorite has perks, I guess

She watched as he touched a mushroom, and she remembered the ones back in the cave. Those ones seemed almost playful in a way. She wasn't sure how to explain it, but that's the feeling she got from them. "So..." She cocked an ear his way, "this isn't normal, then?" She shook her head. "As far as I'm aware, no." She was interested in the fact that his...homeland...was dark during a certain season no matter the time of day. That was interesting to her. She couldn't imagine it being dark all the time, so when it started to happen, it seemed to freak out a lot of the residents of Boreas and Auster. Her included. "This is the first time it's been this dark for this long from what I remember, though the world is full of curiosities." He introduced himself as Aku, and she dipped her head in acknowledgment. "Nice to meet you, Aku. I must warn you, if you come across any infected, be wary. I've seen wolves and other animals growing mushrooms and crystals. Oozing from their orifices and wounds...I'm not sure how the sickness is transmitted, but I've been lucky so far."

"Speech"