the Firefly Festival, eh? Holland wondered if this Boreas had lots of festivals or if this was the beginning of a routine. he didn't have many people to ask, so he just assumed. coming to the islands, he'd shake out the water and after a quick debriefing of information, he'd set to work. he didn't exactly ask anyone to be here with him, so he was alone for now. choosing to dig instead of fish, the healer was near joyous in his chosen occupation. plants required you to dig. he could dig. he could dig up treasure. along the banks of the island, he picked a spot. nobody else was around. if they were, they probably headed more inland. he'd stick to the rim of the island and try his luck. pausing by the water, he'd look out at it before his work began. Holland wasn't sure what he'd win - or not - but he was... enthusiastic? maybe? he quickly made a hole, digging further and further down as if that would help him. the earth moved a bit easier and his white paws got dirty quickly. but he was content. he was in his element. "SPEECH" D-10 dug!

As soon as she heard about a festival on the east coast, Kairi had wasted no time in getting there! At first light she had headed out to the nearby islands, braving the short swim in cool waters until her paws touched sand and she was off and racing into the wilderness on the other side! She had spent the better part of her day exploring and checking out what festivities were being held, and she couldn't be more excited! Every fiber of her being itched for adventure, and what better day to do it than today? She didn't know who else would be around, or if any of her packmates would be here, but if there were any, she was sure (and hopeful) that she'd run into them or even compete against them at some point. Now that she was at the center of the island, she found a spot near some old fallen trees that looked like a good spot to dig. The best treasure was often hidden deep in the jungle, wasn't it? That was her assumption, but whether or not she was right, the babe began to dig until her paws were muddied. Her excitement grew with each stroke of her paw, bi-colored gaze widening as she dug deeper and deeper. Kairi digs in I-12 "Speak"

if he didn't know any better, he would guess that Kairi was following him. Holland turned after digging up some prizes, spotting her familiar cardinal-like coat a few paces away. he'd raise a brow but she was in the dirt already, digging around herself for something of value. this was the second time he'd found himself in her company outside of his joining to Lirim. it wasn't exactly a small pack but it also wasn't a large one. yet this wasn't Lirim. she could be digging anywhere. why choose this particular spot? the island was huge. looking away, he'd sigh before moving toward her. it would be...dunno, rude? yes, rude, to ignore her so close by. "looks like you had the same idea" Holland spoke calmly as he closed the distance. stopping a respectful distance away from his packmate, he'd give her a slow nod of greeting. he wondered if the others were here, but he did pick up the grey coat of Torin's little girl a few paces away. pups could participate? well, he supposed they could. "SPEECH" 5 tickets found yay!

Focused on her task, she didn't realize her packmate was nearby. She had gotten too wrapped up in the excitement of the festival that she hadn't even noticed he was around. It wasn't until he spoke that her head popped up and she saw him. She blinked away some dirt that covered her face before she smiled, tail wagging a mile a minute. "Hey Holly! Fancy seeing you here! Find anything interesting?" She was still digging, but she was sure if she kept going she would find something worth the mess. She shook herself to try and shake off some of the debris that stubbornly clung to her fur, though her cream colored fur would remain brown. Ah well, nothing she couldn't wash off when she went fishing later, right? "How long have you been here? Are you excited? This is my first festival, I'm excited! It's gonna be a fun day, don't you think?" Even if he didn't think so, maybe he would at some point during the festivities. After all, who could resist having fun when she was around? She knew she could be annoying sometimes, but she was trying to grow out of it. Still, this festival would be a good opportunity to get to know her newest pack mate better and see if there was any difference here versus in the pack. "Speak"

Holly winced slightly. yeah, he wasn't the most social of wolves but he wanted to at least try to better himself. he knew it wasn't what Kairi meant by her words, but he felt a burning sting of embarrassment and self-consciousness. she asked if he found anything interesting, causing the man to look down at the dirty tickets he had found. he'd give a nod. "y-yes. what about you?" he didn't see anything dug up but it was a huge mess anyway by now. "I just arrived" he'd continue on, leaving out the part that he wanted to dig before anything else. Holland didn't care if he got dirty but some wolves may look at his coat here and be 'ugh'. his legs were covered in dirt. "it's... my first festival too." he admitted softly, feeling overwhelmed by the number of wolves here already. he wanted to stick close to someone he knew, and that someone seemed to be Kairi. he hadn't even spotted Torin and his pups yet, but he knew that their alpha was bringing them. "SPEECH"

Her tail wagged when he said he had found something, and she peered over to see what it was. "Look at you Mr. Lucky already! All I found were a bunch of shiny rocks, but I'm not sure what they're for. Probably not as important as all those tickets you found though," She laughed, gaze sparking with delight. Honestly, she didn't care if she found nothing but a rock! She was having fun, and besides...Holland was here. They could keep each other company during the festival, especially considering she didn't know anyone else here but her family, but she didn't want to bother them and instead would let them spend their own family time together. Besides, Holly wasn't all bad. He was grumpy sometimes, sure. But she figured there was a reason for that. He admitted that this was also his first festival, and she squinted at him a little. "Well that makes both of us first timers then eh?" She giggled before bouncing over next to him, but not too close incase he was uncomfortable with that. "Are you excited for the other stuff? I heard there's gonna be fishing and stuff. And apparently there's a giant golden fish hiding in the water, wanna help me find it?" She beamed at him with a wagging tail, secretly hoping he'd agree. "Speak"

Holland peered around her to stare into the hole she had dug. there was indeed a bunch of shiny rocks. most women would line their den with them, but he didn't think Kairi was all that feminine. n-not that it was a bad thing. it just meant she wasn't vain. gods, he was glad he didn't say that outloud. women didn't like being told they weren't female enough. "maybe... you could trade them?" he suggested, knowing some wolves did indeed line their dens with pretty rocks and feathers and that sorta stuff. his ears piqued at the mention of a giant, golden fish. he could use the scales and the oils from it in his medicines... if it was golden, he could ply the parts to others for herbs. shiny things tended to get attention. "s-sure, Kairi... I'll help" he left out the part that he was a terrible fisher and hunter. part of his manly ego was at stake, being asked by a pretty girl to spend time with her. h...he didn't mean it like that. sure, she was pretty but she was asking. as friends. gods, what was wrong with him? "SPEECH"

"Maybe you could trade them?" Well, that wasn't a bad idea at all! Why hadn't she thought about that? Oh right..she didn't really know anyone outside of Lirim that liked things like this, but maybe now that she was out and around a ton of others she'd probably find someone. But trade for what...? She thought about it for a moment, but couldn't think of anything she wanted. Maybe she'd leave them there for someone else to take if they wanted. But then again...she looked around and spotted a bag lying on the ground. Picking it up, she scooped the gems into it and slung it over her back. "You're full of good ideas," She laughed and offered a crooked smile. Oh! He agreed to helping her look for the golden fish! She went over towards him and aimed to lightly bump her shoulder with his as the excitement was clear in her eyes. "Great! I suck at fishing so I'm glad you'll be partner for it!" She couldn't help the wag of her tail or the smile on her face. She was happy to be spending time with him, not that he'd know that. Maybe. She wasn't the best at hiding things but hey, he wasn't family and she enjoyed his company. Maybe while they were on the island they could do some exploring or even herb hunting! Surely there were things he could find here that weren't at home right? "Let's find something to do before we head to the next event! Maybe there's stuff here that you can't find back home?" "Speak"

"I try" he'd try to smile, it coming out awkwardly thin. the problem was that nobody seemed to take his advice when given. Holland wasn't sure if Torin had apprentices in Lirim, but he'd hope if he had to teach one day that the youth would listen to him. or adult. or elder. or... well, anyone who wanted to learn from him. whether Kairi actually traded the stones away or not, it was beyond his control. he'd frown, the smile slipping from his face easily. Holly wasn't a good fisher either. if she was trying to score lots of points, he'd be a terrible partner for that goal. the thought of her not getting any prizes and sad made his insides do an uncomfortable squirming. he tried to pass it off as stomach ache or stress or even anxiety. "what do you want to do?" he'd leave the decision with her, patiently waiting for Kairi to make up her mind. "SPEECH"

"What do you want to do?" Well darn. He just had to ask didn't he? Now that he did her mind went blank and she suddenly struggled to figure it out. They couuuld do some more digging just for fun and see what else they could find. Or maybe...would he be up for a quick game of hide and seek? Maybe it was a little childish, but she didn't care. They were at a festival, they were supposed to have fun! And being on the island provided plenty of places to do just that! Would he want to play though? She tried to think of an alternative, and as she looked to the nearby streams and bays, an idea clicked! "Hey Holly, fancy a little swim? We could get cleaned up and maaaaybe do some practice before the fishing event?" Before he could really answer, she already started making her way over to the sandy shore and straight towards the water. She didn't go into the water just yet, however. She stopped just before the water could touch her toes and just stood there, taking in the breeze and letting it gently brush her coat. Today was going to be a good day. She could feel it! "Speak"

he wasn't opposed to hygiene. in fact, he swore by the good standards it caused. watching as Kairi entered the water, Holland seemed to consider for a moment. he'd walk forward, circling the bank before doing something unimaginable for his solemn exterior. he jumped in. now, he wasn't stupid. he judged the depth before he leaped in. the blue water was remarkably darker in certain areas. he went into the depth first try. good thing too, else he'd have broken his leg. or neck. or something else. it was cold though. the water surged over his body, chilling his body to the bone. he'd shiver on the spot, coming up for air as he did. gasping once and twice before he had sucked enough air in. whether he splashed her was unknown, but there was a good chance. he did land next to her and he was larger. so maybe it was more of a wave. "suh-sorry..." Holland gasped, looking at his reflection instead of at Probably-Wet-Kairi. the dirt from the island pooled around his russet fur though. he was getting clean.