Nami wasn't particularly fond of sticking her nose where it didn't belong, though it was hard to ignore the strange happenings these days. The tremors, the sky being red... at first it made the fisherwolf's blood run cold, but over time she grew accustomed to the way the world was stained blood-red. Periodically wolves from Tojo-Kai left to scout out the far reaches of Auster and Boreas to try to uncover what was going on, but she was wary to go far from home.

Inviting Jynn along with her she headed north to see if she could uncover anything that others may have overlooked. She doubted it, but it didn't hurt to try- or so she hoped.. Returned scouts reported that quakes had rippled through this place, and that much was evident from the way long ridges lay across the disturbed soil. Strange... Nami was wary as she drew closer, narrowed eyes trying to take in her surroundings.

"What do you make of all this?" Nami asked her friend, instinctively moving a step closer to the maned wolf. Her paws carried her closer to the water, interested in if the waters might give them some insight.

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Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn continued to nurse her sprained paw. After falling into a tunnel she'd managed to get herself out and get back to Tojo where the wrist was wrapped and tended to. She should've stayed home and rested but the strange land was pulling her back. When Nami asked if Jynn would accompany her to explore the situation it was a swift yes.

When they arrived it looked similar to how Jynn had last seen it. Channels cut through the earth near the border with Fossil Ridge, some noticeable sunk down into sink holes and caverns. Jynn trailed after her friend, considering the question. "Honestly? I'm still struggling to make heads or tails of this. The only thing I know is something big is going on right beneath our feet. So big its affecting Boreas and Auster. I accidentally fell when I was last here, down into a tunnel. I was able to get out but I shudder to think what carved it."

Unlike some wolves in Tojo-Kai, Nami didn't want to plunge straight into danger. Part of her naively hoped she might be able to spot something that others couldn't, that maybe, just maybe, she could find something to help them. As soon as things went haywire though she'd go running back home. She certainly wasn't going to explore the tunnels that Jynn explained she'd fallen into. The mere thought made her shiver, her ears swiveling warily from side to side as she drank in the sounds of this place.

"It's... all very creepy," she admitted as they headed closer to the shore. The not knowing really made her feel unsettled. Gaze drifting to the sky stained red, she picked up her pace, avoiding one of the long channels of disturbed dirt that cut across the land. "Maybe we could see if the fish are affected? See if there's anything unusual in the water?" It wasn't surprising if the health of the wildlife that inhabited the shore was being adversely affected by the happenings. Slowing as she reached the shore, she scanned the water for any sign of life. A few small schools of fish drifted near the shore, though she spotted nothing unusual about them yet.

table coding by bunni ♥

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn's nostrils flared as she scented the air, hoping half-heartedly that she might catch something off in the wind, but all that came to her was the dusty scent of overturned earth. She stepped forward carefully, nodding to Nami. "Yea, it creeps me out. I've explored several caves and underground places but the tightness and instability of those tunnels?" Her hackles raised slightly, as she shuddered. "I definitely don't want to end up back down there." Jynn stepped lightly as she walked, unsure how extensive the tunnels were and wary about falling on a soft spot or a sinkhole.

"Maybe we could see if the fish are affected? See if there's anything unusual in the water?"

Jynn's ears perked up. "Oh yea, that's a good idea!" Besides, Jynn was fond of fish in general and even if all they turned up was a snack that was fine with her. Jynn followed along after Nami towards the shore. The water lapped at the sand in its usual way, and a few glints of silver caught her eye from small schools of fish. The sea looked strange in the red light of the sun but even so Jynn moved into the water. "So far so good… I hope our food stores won't be affected."

Nami was no hero; already she was resigned to heading straight back home if the tremors began again. As she moved she stayed alert, not wanting to get taken by surprise by anything they might encounter here. "I don't blame you," she admitted with a shake of her head. Imagining getting caught underground in a collapsed tunnel, packed in with dirt... she shuddered a bit too at the thought of such a demise. No, not when she felt she still had so much to live for.

They made their way to the shore, Nami briefly marveling at the view. The way the sun's rays hit the sand made it sparkle enchantingly, like millions of shards of glass reflecting light. Beautiful, especially with the bloodstained sky reflecting on the waves as they lapped at the sand. "The water seems normal," she observed thoughtfully. Wading out into the shallows, she watched as some fish darted closer to the shore and then away again, moving in typical unison. One particular group caught her eye, and she studied them for a long while before gracefully diving out and trying to snatch one up. It took a few tries, and she emerged soaking wet, shaking water from her eyes. Tossing it to the shore, she'd head back for another, hoping grabbing a few would give them a good sample to study.

table coding by bunni ♥

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Bending her narrow neck down to sniff the water Jynn didn't notice anything particularly off about the smell or texture of the water so as far as she was aware the color was just the reflecting red light from the strange sun. She left her head lowered, close to the water as she watched a school of sea bass swimming nearby. Slowly they moved closer to her, mistaking her legs and belly fur for shelter. As one neared her head her ears pinned to her scalp and her head dove down sleek as an arrow, jaws parting just wide enough to snag the fish.

With the fish in her jaws she trotted back to the shore as it writhed, tail twisting and nearly hitting her in the face. When she reached the shore she dropped the fish, pinning it with her paw. She saw Nami go back in to get more. "I'm going to take a look at this one quick." She couldn't help herself, she was too curious to see what, if anything, she'd find. Using the blades at the back of her forearm bracers she cut into the gills of the fish, loping the head off.

Nami, more familiar with water than the land, studied the surface carefully as she fished. There was nothing unusual about it that she could note, just the way it reflected the red hue of the sky. The water was otherwise clear and free of any weird particulates she worried she might find. She knew water wasn't safe from earthquakes, but the sand here closer to the water seemed mostly undisturbed. Surely even the fish had noticed the recent disturbances, but they seemed mostly undeterred, swimming along lazily, their behaviors matching what Nami would expect.

She managed to snatch up another few fish, emerging soaking wet but unbothered. Moving a little away from the water, she gave her coat a good shake before averting her attention to the fish she'd caught. She followed Jynn's lead, gingerly tearing into one of the fish. Looked normal to her. The second made her pause though- inside its stomach she found a mess of worms, still writhing and spilling out of the belly. She instinctively took a step back from it, studying it with a furrowed brow. "Yuck," she spat, tilting her head toward Jynn. "Something's wrong with this one. Seems like it has some parasite, maybe," Nami speculated, wondering if her friend's findings might be similar.

table coding by bunni ♥

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Working her claws down the belly of the fish she worked her way slowly and carefully. She wasn't sure what she would find but she wasn't too keen to use her teeth just yet, and it was a good thing to. Her head popped up as she heard Nami's exclamation of disgust. There was something wrong with her fish. Leaving hers for a moment Jynn trotted over to see what Nami had caught and the moment she caught sight of the worms Jynn gagged. "Oh gross! Why is it so full of them?" She knew fish had worms occasionally but she was used to seeing the yellow cysts lining the flesh, not a bunch of them writhing around.

Jynn took a deep breath and retrieved her fish, bringing it over next to Nami's. Using her claws she pulled the flesh open. Guts spilled out along with a mess of worms. "Ugh!" Jynn bounced back to the water's edge, making a show of washing her paws in the salty water. "What is going on? They fish here never used to be so parasite infected."