Since the hot springs, Meadowlark had been traveling and getting to know the area as much as she could. Most of the time, it was studying the different plants that were around and what could potentially edible or toxic. Some of the plants she found were very familiar and prevalent in her home. Others were definitely not something Meadowlark knew, and she used better judgement to not test it out. The girl had never been the type to take a risk that she would ultimately regret in the spirit world, anyway. She wasn't intending on dying anytime soon, so it was better to completely avoid the possibility entirely. With each successful find of plants she knew, Meadowlark put it away in her head to come back to later. Depending on the pack that she would eventually end up with, knowing the locations would tell her which she would frequent based on location and distance. If she could propagate the plants in her new eventual home, then all the better.

One thing that Meadowlark was paying the most attention to was the vast amount of life there was in a small area. Between plants and wildlife, and even insects, it was almost three times as much life as there were back home. The number of songbirds singing melodies she couldn't recognize was also astounding! There were a few songs she did recognize, however, so it was nice to visit nostalgia every once in a while. The more south she traveled, the more Meadowlark realized that everything was completely opposite of her old home. Eventually, the smell of salt in the air also greatly caught her attention. A soft whooshing sound was eventually heard the closer she got to the tree line of the grove she was in. This was not a sound she was accustomed to. Meadowlark knew what wind sounded like in the trees, but this was definitely not wind. It also had rhythmic periods of silence from time to time, and sometimes a louder sound also. Steeling her nerves, the white ghost stepped through the tree line and was briefly blinded by light. The warmth of the sun warmed her coat. A feeling that she always appreciated. Eyes quickly blinked to adjust to the new, brighter area and looked upon a sight she had never seen before.

While Meadowlark had heard of great bodies of water from travelers passing through the wild, she had never seen it for herself. Let alone smell it. The water waved along the shore before crashing into the sand before it, ripping through the sparse growth of trees. Since the tide was out, Meadowlark could run between the trees if she wanted until her paws met the sea. The further away from the shore the waves were, the bigger they got. A breeze occasionally flew past her along the sandy beach, whipping about in all directions before calming once more. Meadowlark padded further onto the beach to examine some of the trees, seeing their sandy roots growing deep and spreading out, as if to firmly plant themselves in the ground. Amongst the trees exposed from the lack of water were weird types of rocks, shells, and crawly creatures with sharp claws. The travelers spoke of crabs before, and these seemed to match the description, but Meadowlark had never seen one before. A black nose sniffed the air, slowly coming closer to the crab, wanting to smell it to learn more.

"Speech.""Thought." Action.

OOC: xxx

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For some reason, Kaiah seemed drawn to the ocean. Maybe it was the colors—not the color of the water itself, of course. But the deep, pulsing, near-black purple of waves as they pushed and pulled against the shore as well as her vision. The ivory femme felt comforted by its presence, as if the darkness of it were wrapping her in a womb, and she was a pup once more.

Before everything changed... she thought. Before I was destined to be alone forever. She sniffed along the sand, ignoring the sharp, stacato red cries of seagulls as they wheeled overhead. Focusing only on the sound of the sea.

The pack territory nearby was not unoticed. Just tucked away in the back of her mind as she explored this land. There was no reason for her to willingly aproach the unknown of a group of wolves. Better off to wait and see what became of her. Maybe, she would just walk forever, like a ghost.

She flitted so dreamlike through the trees, that she nearly didn't noticed the other wolf until the scent of another was almost impossible to miss. They crouched by the water's edge—head low and searching as they scuffed among the roots of a half-submerged tree. Kaiah froze, watching, and unsure if she wanted the company. That is, until she saw what the other wolf was sniffing at.

"Dont—" she said, seeing the crab hunkered in the sand. It's claws were brandished in a defensive position, and the black nose of the stranger was in danger of being snipped.

---

ooc: I thought it would be good for Kaiah to meet other loners wandering around before she settles somewhere!

OOC: Hey I'm down! Meadowlark has been kinda lonely. Meadowlark's eyes locked on to every moving part of the crab. From the pincers to the moving mouth parts. It was a strange creature walking on the sand. She had seen crawdads before, but never anything so flat looking. Especially with it out of the water. The crab lightly foamed out the mouth causing the girl to chuckle. She wanted to touch it somehow, but the pincers raising in the air made it scary looking. Meadowlark hardly noticed the newcomer behind her as she was too deep in attention deficit - ooh crab! The moon-colored wolf bounded in circles for a bit until finally, she noticed a window to put a paw on top of it, gently of course. The outside of the crab was hard but not so hard as a rock. The squirming crab raised a claw to pinch Meadow's toes, but she moved her paw out of the way just in time. Then, the creature scrambled sideways to escape. What a weird way to walk! Meadow bounded closer to the crab and mimicked the walk, looking rather silly as she side-stepped. The girl let out a laugh and once again got close, but the voice of a stranger broke her focus. "Huh?" As if the crab wanted revenge for the endless bullying, Meadowlark didn't see it come back and eventually pinch her foot. A sudden yelp escaped her maw as the surge of sharp pain radiated through her toe and up into her leg. Trying not to kill the creature with her teeth, fangs remained bared as she shook the leg the crab was attached to, watching it swing from side to side. The creature eventually let go and was flung into the surf, not to be seen again. As if the seagulls were laughing at her from above, a chorus of crying seagulls filled the sky for a few moments before dying down. Meadowlark glared at them with sheer annoyance before checking her paw. No signs of blood, so she wasn't dying. That was for sure. Now that the adventure was over, time for something new! A creature like her that almost looked the same, except for the eyes. In some places also, Meadowlark had more cream color than this wolf. Meadow walked over and gave a wag of her tail in greeting, curious to see someone that was close in resemblance to herself. "Well, hi! What was that creature called? I've never seen one of them before." "Speech." Thought. Action.

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Kaiah probably shouldn’t have called out, because the moment she did, the stranger looked up, distracted, and the crab made its move. Kaiah winced as the crustacean latched onto the pad of their paw, and the other wolf danced around, trying to fling the creature off. Despite her hesitation with strangers, Kaiah found herself stifling a small laugh as the poor creature was launched into the shallows.

When the other wolf spoke, Kaiah saw the sound of their voice for the first time. It was her favorite thing about meeting someone new. Even through her reluctance to be around others, it was hard to resist seeing the many shades that make up a wolf. And this wolf’s voice was the color of a sunflower’s petals and moved like water across her vision.

"That was a crab.” Kaiah kept her distance from the other wolf, even as they bounded towards her. But was startled to see an individual that looked almost just like herself. She blinked twice and lowered her head a fraction. No matter how carefree the individual, she was weary of getting too close. What if it only took one chance encounter for someone to be marked by her misfortune? ”I’m Kaiah.” Giving her name was like a peace offering, and she was surprised to find herself eager to get a name in return.

---

ooc: your new table is cute!

OOC: Thank you! I worked on the graphic the last couple of days. Meadowlark was observant thanks to her days and weeks of being cautious in her home pack. Unless her bounding over to say hi caused it, there seemed to be a level of caution within this new wolf she was a little familiar with. Pausing for a bit, Meadowlark continued to watch the wolf for a brief moment while she spoke, noting in the position of the head, ears, and even her feet. "Perhaps I'll linger." she thought to herself. Meadowlark stayed a good wolf length and a half away and sat down, head in a slight tilt of curiosity. A brief, comforting smile spread across her lips, hoping that this would help settle things. "A crab, huh? It was weird looking." she said. "It looked like a flat rock with claws." she briefly looked back to see if the crab had returned to the shore. When she couldn't spot it, she returned to the conversation. "I'm Meadowlark. Nice to meet you!" The girl wasn't normally this social, being the shrinking violet she was. Shyness usually was ever present in speech and mannerisms, so this behavior Meadowlark displayed was quite different. Perhaps it was because she had played with a crab for a while, or perhaps even that this wolf looked like her. Meadowlark wasn't in the mind to try and piece it out right now. She would address it later. Though, she could feel it within herself that this new level of socialization was a little scary, but exciting at the same time. "Speech." Thought. Action.

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Kaiah's nervousness was abaited as she realized this wolf — Meadowlark — seemed just as shy as she was. That, paired with the unasuming color of the other wolf's voice made Kaiah feel as ease. Her tail lifted a fraction at the revelation. "A flat rock with claws." Kaiah couldn't help but chuckle at the weirdness of it all. This chance meeting, the uncanny similarity between this wolf's appearance and herself, the poor crab that had found itself stalked and then flung airborn — it was all to much to not find amusing. Something heavy lifted from Kaiah as she let herself open up, just a fraction. "That's basically all a crab is," she admitted. "You're not from around here?" She didn't want the question to scare Meadowlark off, but she was curious. As someone who had spent most of her time by the ocean as a pup, it was hard to imagine anyone not knowing what a crab was.

"I grew up by the ocean. It was far from here, but all oceans share some similarities." The sounds of an ocean all look the same, is what she really wanted to say, but the nerves were still there, and she wanted to give Meadowlark a chance to answer.

---

OOC: xxx As anticipated, Kaiah responded well to Meadowlark recognizing the shyness and opened up. Even just a little. Perhaps meeting new people wasn't as bad as she worried about. Perhaps it was because Kaiah was female. Who knew. A small flick in her smirk turned her lips upward in a smile briefly at the chuckle Kaiah produced. "And since that one wanted to pinch me, it's a spicy flat rock with claws." A nod followed her statement, pleased with the idea of naming the creature as such. Upon the question of being new around here, Meadowlark shrugged slightly. "Technically, yeah. I spent a couple days at the hot springs and a nearby field checking out the plants there. But yeah - I'm not originally from.. wherever this is." Meadowlark looked around briefly at their surroundings. "I left my old home a long time ago to make my own mark." Slightly true, slightly a lie, but Kaiah didn't need to know everything about her past. It was in the past, after all. "What about you? Were you born here under the moon like me?" she asked, taking note of her eyes finally. Each were a different color, like two shiny crystals in a cave. "Woah. I didn't notice your eyes before. They're beautiful!. Mine are just... silver. They don't have pretty colors like yours." While neither her coat or her eyes were the most astonishing thing about herself, Meadowlark liked to believe that her fascination with life and how things worked was more interesting. This helped her to see the many beautiful things occurring no one else thought about. It was also, unknowlingly to her, teaching Meadowlark a lot about her place in the world. Everything and everyone had a purpose. Even if it hadn't been discovered quite yet. "Speech." Thought. Action.

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Kaiah sat in the sand and tucked her tail over her paws to show Meadowlark she was here to stay for a while. "I was told by another wolf that this place is called Auster. But other than that, this is also all new to me. I haven't even seen the hot springs you mentioned... I've been sticking close to the shore the past few days." Kaiah looked past the trees rooted in the shallows nearby to see the ocean peaking through. The sun was at its highest, the light sparkling off the water like gems.

Something about what Meadowlark said had caught Kaiah's attention, and she found eagerness creaping into her voice. "You said you found plants? I love flowers, and anything else colorful," she admitted. Kaiah had seen a ton of unique flora as she travelled, and had stopped to inhale every new scent she could.

"Were you born here under the moon like me?" Kaiah's ears drooped at those words. For some reason, they triggered something in her. A memory of her mother's voice. She pushed past the thought, tucking it as far down into her mind as she could. "I— no, I'm not sure." She blinked at the attention to her appearance, and she felt a sudden, hot embaressment as Meadowlark pointed out her heterochromia. "You don't think they make me look... strange?"

---

ooc: omg I love meadowlark <3

OOC: Thank you! It will be a fun discovery on where she takes me, but it should lead to some interesting opportunities. Meadowlark is going plotless so *she* can write her own story. Meadowlark remembered that Kaiah had said she grew up by the ocean. In a sudden flash, the Attention Deficit - Ooh Funny Object! came in and she whipped her head around to the rolling seas. "So that's what that water puddle is! An ocean!" Clearly this girl was very sheltered growing up. Meadowlark whipped her head back around, ears down slightly in embarrassment. "Sorry.. I know that was weird of me." Meadowlark bit her tongue as a reminder to keep herself quiet so as to not further interrupt Kaiah if she had just now. Auster. Such a weird name to this place, but it was one she could remember. The mentioning of the hot springs brought a smile to Meadow's lips. "The hot springs are great! They're very stinky, but they warm you up and help you feel good. Your coat is kinda crusty, but it comes out easily enough." The girl had planned on making another visit at some point, but her sense of exploration took precedence. Since Auster was so large, and Kaiah being the third wolf she met, there was no doubt in her mind that there were packs thriving here too. While she wasn't planning on joining one any time soon, Meadowlark knew that her survival would depend on it and eventually a choice would have to be made. Her mind was brought back to the conversation about plants and flowers. "Oh yeah, lots of 'em! They were kinda by the hot springs. All sorts of colors and sizes, and it was like the field went on forever!" she spun in a circle as if to emphasize her amazement to the expanse of the field of flowers. "I found lots of stuff I use for medicine, and some to snack on because they're tasty." While that was yet another weird remark from her mouth, Meadowlark chuckled lightly to brush off her nervousness. Not many met or understood wolves that ate plants just out of the sake of snacks. Meadowlark hoped that she wouldn't be judged harshly. Did Meadowlark think Kaiah's eyes were weird? "What? Abso-fluffin-lutely not! I think they're beautiful on you! I've never seen a wolf with eyes like yours before! I think your eyes make you look very stunning." A wag of her tail in the sand only communicated just how much she liked looking at them. "They remind me of these really pretty crystals in a cave I found once. They glittered even more brightly in the moonlight." If she were asked to lead Kaiah back to the cave, it would result in disappointment. The caves were back home, though she heard rumor of a similar cave existing somewhere here that may have more crystals. The crystal cave back home was rough to get to, but she visited often. It was quiet, relaxing, and had a very strange magical aura to it that felt almost spiritual in a way. Meadowlark would frequently meditate and sing in this cave, connecting to her "inner self" as she called it. Her meditation was a way to settle herself and expand, wanting to connect with other like-minded beings as herself, and to ground her place in the world. "Speech." Thought. Action.

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After spending so long avoiding others, Kaiah found the other ivory wolf fine company. The way her ears swiveled to try and catch every sound, pulling her attention this way and that, made Kaiah wish she had siblings. Their uncanny similarities — both in appearance and demeanor — could almost trick her into thinking she did. Even if it was for the briefest moment.

When Meadowlark's ears drooped in embarrassment, the color of her voice tinged orange on the edges. "You're not weird." Kaiah had grown up knowing she was different. She knew what it was like to worry about what you acted like. How others perceived you. A little odd behavior wasn't going to phase her.

She listened to Meadowlark tell her about the hot spring, her ears pointed forward eagerly. Kaiah had never seen anything like what the other wolf described, and her interest was peaked. "Medicine? What flowers can you use for medicine?" As Kaiah let Meadowlark chat, she watched the other wolf's tail swish the sand behind her in excitement. Then, just as quick, Meadowlark was telling her about a glittering cave of crystals.

Kaiah couldn't help but let her interest show. "I've never seen anything like that," she admitted. "But I think I want to. I want to see all the beautiful things. As much of it as I possibly can."

---

It had been a long time since Meadowlark had found a friend in a total stranger. Well, potential friend. There could be things later on that would make developing a friendship difficult, but she wasn't concerned. There had been no red flags yet in the conversation. As a matter of fact, there were more green flags than anything else since the two seemed so similar. Meadowlark breathed a sigh of relief about not being considered weird. Still, Kaiah hadn't seen how weird Meadowlark could get, so only time would tell. But for now, things were off to a great start.

"Well, there's lots of plants you can eat that can help you feel better, feel happier, or are just sweet tasting. I prefer what I call sugar leaf." Meadowlark said. "It's kind of a green bushy leaf with sort of long leaves, and it's super sweet like berries when they're ready to eat. It makes me wiggle with happiness!" The girl chuckled at the idea. "I haven't found the bush yet, but the field I was in before I bet has it for sure. It's the same place it would grow similar to back home."

Kaiah wanted to see beautiful things, as much as she possibly could. Meadowlark loved this idea! She wondered what kind of beautiful things she wanted to see. The crystal cave could definitely a place they could visit to start, but Meadowlark wanted to learn more about her desire. "I heard that there was a crystal cave on the south portion of Auster. Apparently, you go in at night when the tide is out and all sorts of rocks shine inside. There's also another cave to the west with lots of mushrooms that glow in the dark." she said, smiling at the idea of what either place may look like. "What other beautiful things do you want to see?"

Meadowlarks version of beautiful was likely different than Kaiah's though in some way the same. Her idea of beautiful things that involved the circle of life and her place in the world, but why stop there? Why not want to see the beautiful thongs that seemed magical and wonderous? Meadowlarks mind began to expand just a bit with excitement about the crystal cave or the glowie mushrooms. Perhaps there's even more than just those two things out in the world, waiting to be discovered!

"Speech."