Now, this place was strange - and it wasn't only because of the way there were trees growing straight out of the water. Kaija hadn't ever seen anything at all like this before and she wasn't sure what to make of it, but she was almost completely distracted by the little clusters of firefly-esque blue lights that bobbed and weaved through the rows of trees. She couldn't shake the feeling that they were beckoning her to follow, and she was far more curious than she was wary. The night wasn't as dark as it normally would've been thanks to the moon shining brilliantly in the sky and casting a strange hue down on everything, and Kaija was eager to explore this weird little forest while she was able.

Not paying much mind to the noise she was making as she splashed around the shallow water, eventually searching for a stretch of dry land to settle upon and clean the mud out from between her toes. Almost as soon as she made to rest a particularly large cluster of lights floated just at the edge of her peripheral vision and she immediately jerked around and made to follow it curiously, hoping to catch it before it disappeared. She didn't have the faintest idea where these lights were going, let alone where they'd come from, but they seemed like they had some kind of purpose and she hoped with some determination she might make some sense of them.. or at least she could try.

Doom had never seen anything so strange before. His first encounter in this land, and it was with strange blue bugs and an ominous blue glow to everything else, too. His homeland never had any weird, spooky shit like this before and he wondered now for the last few hours if he should just leave and find somewhere else to go. The only thing that stopped him, however, was the large possibility that this was happening everywhere else, too. Where would he go? He would just be wandering endlessly until the strange phenomenon ended. Which could be never.

He'd done well at avoiding other wolves as he traveled, and his method was by traveling at night. Others seemed to prefer traveling during the day, for whatever reason. Maybe it was to avoid this weird crap. He'd been wandering in the mangrove for a while, curious about the strange glowing from not only the fireflies and the sky, but also the smaller plants and animals that scurried around as well. It was all new for Doom, and even kind of scary although there was nothing too frightening yet. As he walked, he noticed there was someone else and debated leaving. But, maybe they knew something and if they knew that these bugs and weird glowing were normal, he would quickly find a way out of this strange place.

"Hey, is this.. normal?" He wasn't usually one to talk, especially first, to strangers, but this was important enough. It would certainly decide how much longer he spent wandering around this new land.

The world was already proving to be considerably stranger than she originally thought it was. Since she embarked out in the world she'd seen all sorts of things - she'd met new wolves, went and explored cool new lands, but this sudden shift that was happening seemed especially strange. A little shiver wracked her as she continued on, and it wasn't only from the chilly water that she'd been up to her ankles in.

Kaija was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice anyone nearby until they spoke up. Being observant wasn't one of her strengths, that was for sure - a trait no doubt inherited from her father. "Uhhhh, don't think so!" She called out, realizing she'd gotten distracted from the set of firefly-lights she'd been following, and suddenly they were nowhere to be found - unless a few nearby were parts of the group that had dispersed? Damnit, it was too hard to keep up with them. She let out a sigh as she padded over toward Doom, trying to hide the slight bit of unease that was creeping in. All this weirdness was a whole lot spookier when she was out here on her own. Almost instantly she gravitated toward him like someone might reunite with a long-lost friend, his presence comforting despite him being a complete stranger. "I keep on seeing these stupid things but I can't catch 'em. Almost feels like they want me to follow 'em somewhere but I keep getting distracted!" Honestly that was a problem she faced quite often; she wondered if Doom could relate.

Okay, so blue fireflies were one thing. But giant blue women with tusks? That was definitely not what he was expecting.

Doom swallowed deep and couldn't help but stiffening slightly as she approached, watching her carefully although she seemed to pose no thread as she answered calmly and approached so calmly. Friendly wolves certainly weren't something he wasn't familiar with, but this was a lot at once and he didn't know where to begin.

He figured it best to avoid things like her size and her tusks, but found it increasingly difficult to do so and instead tried with great effort to focus on what she had said. "I've never seen anything like... this before in my life." He swallowed hard again, looking off in the direction that she had been. The strange blue fireflies, the glowing plants, ... her. At least she had confirmed one thing, though. These weren't common, and apparently they were pretty new if the girl didn't understand much about them. "What are they?" He asked, knowing well they looked like fireflies... but they couldn't be, could they?

Kaija was used to other wolves gawking at her, but that didn't mean she liked it any less the more she got used to it. Fortunately for her she was way too distracted to think about it for long at all. She'd wanted to get a better look at these firefly-looking things the other night with Ophie but she'd gotten scared and wanted to turn back - and while Kaija couldn't really blame her, it had bummed her out anyway. At least she'd found someone else who seemed perplexed by them, and maybe he'd help her keep track of them and figure out where they might be going. The sense that they were beckoning her to follow was growing stronger and stronger, and harder for her to ignore, like she was in some kind of trance.

The thought made her feel a bit nauseous, really. His presence comforted her, even if it didn't have quite the same effect on him. "Me neither, not 'til recently," she admitted, giving a visible shudder. "I thought maybe they were fireflies but I don't see anything but light. Can't catch 'em either," she said with a shrug and a big sigh. "The plants are growing too - look!" She'd noticed them a bit but the lights were much easier for her to pay attention to. A few roots seemed to be sprouting up from the soggy soil and trying to grow, reflecting the vibrant blue glow of the moon, almost like it was alive.

Whatever they were, Doom didn't really feel threatened by them. It was strange, sure, but otherwise they seemed harmless. A little bug, what could that do? Plants are glowing, then leave them alone. Other animals with strange, glowing markings? Don't eat them. Seemed as simple as that really. He was suspicious though, still. His guard was raised, but even if his company was strange, it was better to be with someone than it was to be alone. What if something really was dangerous? Even if she didn't seem to know much about them, besides admitting to thinking they were fireflies, it was slightly comforting knowing that someone else was here, watching out.

Her excitement about the plants got his attention and he was quick to look down at what had her excited. The roots, it seemed, were reflecting the light or even seemed to have their own ominous blue glow. He'd seen petals and leaves and even some stems of plants that were blue, but he never really got down and focused on the plants like she was. "Interesting. Any idea what could be causing something like this?" He was new to the land, so anything she had to say wouldn't be too far fetched at this point.

Kaija

In a nearby tree two squirrels begin chittering angrily at each other. At closer inspection, it appears the acorn they are fighting over shimmers a vibrant purple where it catches the light. You also find 4 crystals. Maybe these are worth keeping…

Doom

You notice a nearby plant reflecting the blue glow of the moon. You also find 3 crystals. Maybe these are worth keeping…