Spectral Woods i've just seen a face

night, cloudy, mist — 8° F/-13° C dis the mushrooms yo, they glow green before the rock

I hate you, too

She had yet to cross paths with the mysterious wolf whose scent had lead her to the most eastern reaches of the misty woods. She felt that she was close, and that Pangur was gently guiding her. Bishop wouldn't force it. Fate would intervene and she would find this man when the time was right. Whatever she might have lacked of her former self, she was not want for faith. Besides, the All-father was ever so patient, she could stand to return the same courtesy.

Honestly, she had never intended to fall asleep out in the middle of the forest. The afternoon had been unseasonably warm, and the trees filtered the light in a way that was lazy and yellowed like an old photograph. She found herself a bed on a moss-choked rock and allowed this subtle to warmth weigh down her eyelids. Vaguely, she wondered at the number of mushrooms in the clearing. Their certainly were many. But this was a damp land, the east. Good for mushrooms, good for all sorts of weird things. As she finally departed reality she found herself contemplating the contrast from the vast, vivid openness of the west and to the dark east. She hoped it was no metaphor.

An owl hooted and took wing.

She awoke with a start and found the forest alight.

Immediately she was on her feet. Fire! Was her first thought. But fire wasn't green. Stars? They weren't green either. Her vision slowly returned to her and she came to realize that the eerie light was emanating from... the mushrooms? Curiously, she stepped forward and reached out a timid snout to poke one.

What was he doing out here?

Oh, right. Going overboard in various tasks in order to prove he was adequate, despite his size. Quite honestly, he was also out here because he wanted just a little time to himself. Throughout the day he had attempted to make pleasant conversation with the other wolves of his pack. It was actually sort of draining to actively interact with more than one wolf, even though he hadn't really said anything of importance.

He didn't expect to be out so late though. He didn't want to be out so late. Even though Oliver appreciated his new home, he wasn't fond of it's location. Especially at night. It set his paranoia ablaze. The moon was serene, complimented by the hum of crickets and other late-night insects.

Alright, I've had enough. Time to head back home. He turned to head back to pack borders, where his subtle fright would be somewhat quelled.

What? You're not going to explore? Galley would argue against him, pulling on his one good ear in the other direction. It's not like us to give up such a golden opportunity!

Excuse me?

Night. The magical moment when all is not as it seems. Not a moment to be wasted.

I won't waste it. I'll be at home. Sleeping. Stop bothering me. Oliver licked his chops tiredly, a signal that the inward conversation was over. Walking a bit, the small man let his eyes droop, depending on memory to lead him back home. Until a sound made him jump, skin on fire and guard hairs alert. In his startled state, his eyes caught sight of something strange.

It was just an owl. 'Fraidy cat. Oliver ignored his mentor's voice and- a bit timidly- ventured forward to follow the soft glow emanating from a clearing beyond the trees. Passing by trunks to keep himself hidden from other creatures, Oliver was amazed to find the glow came from.....mushrooms? This certainly was new. Conflicted by a want to explore and a need to go home, he stepped unsure into the clearing. Looking around the bend, he glimpsed another young wolf.

Time to go home.

In his haste to leave, Oliver stepped on a fallen twig. It let out a sharp sound, bigger in the moonlit air than it's size suggested. Crap....

(This post was last modified: Nov 13, 2014, 03:10 AM by Oliver.)

Roma had made her way down the mountain and found her paws taking her towards the misty woods where she had met Oliver not too long ago. She was trying to ignore the feeling, but she wanted to see him again. His whole demeanor had seemed so friendly and kind, but there was something about him that was just...odd. He was curious and complex and that grabbed Roma's attention. She was often very good at picking up on a wolf's personality, but she knew she was missing something about Oliver and she wanted to know what that was.

Still, she wasn't going to actively seek him out. That would be...weird. She supposed she could blame it one her boredom. Her pack was still small and she hadn't made strong connections with anyone but her sister. Deep down she knew that she had spent many years bored and alone and she was used to it by now. That wasn't it. Roma shook her head in frustration. As if he would even be out here at this time of night anyway! What were the chances of her just happening to stumble upon....

Wait. Roma scented the air carefully. No, she had been right the first time. That was Oliver's scent! Curious to see what the small wolf was doing out in the woods at this time, Roma quickly followed his scent and tracked him deeper into the woods. She could barely make out his raven colored fur, but then the throaty sound of an owl hooting rang through the night air and the small wolf jumped. Yeah, now she could see that it was Oliver. With a smile Roma carefully approached the male, but just before she could announce herself she caught sight at what he was looking at: mushrooms. Not just any mushrooms. These mushrooms were glowing! How odd! She had never seen that before. Again, she was about to call out to her friend, but then he turned to leave and as he did he stepped on a twig which resulted in a loud CRACK that broke the eerie silence of the woods. Unnerved, Roma paused and took a quick look around only to see that there was another wolf on the scene. Roma had looked over the young girl in favor of the mushrooms, but now she could clearly see her. Roma's ears swiveled and her tail raised. She wasn't sure who this girl was, but if Oliver needed help she would surely be on his side. Patiently, Roma waited to see how the situation would unfold.

Vespian watched as trees of various sizes would move slowly past him, wondering how long he'd been wandering around for. The night air was thick, he noticed, as he fought against exhaustion in order to keep moving. It sucked having no specific destination to reach, but maybe... just maybe if he did continue on for long enough, he would finally come across something promising. A guttural moan emitted from his vocals, emerald eyes adjusting to the darkness surrounding him. How long would that be? He wasn't even sure if there was anything out there for him, or that his efforts of running away was futile. It didn't matter, though. It was something that rarely crossed his mind. Too determined to give up. 'Just a little longer, I promise. You'll get your second chance...' he would tell himself.

The virile was too preoccupied with his thoughts to notice a strange glow emanating from the forest. His emerald gaze would fall upon several of the mushrooms but he thought nothing of it. 'Oh look. The mushrooms appear to be glowing,' he snarled, pawing and uprooting a few of them. 'I must be going mad again... What a shame.' Vespian reclined on his haunches, taking a moment to sniff at the strange objects. No. They were definitely glowing, alright. How strange... What kind of world did he manage to come across?

-Crack.-

Vespian froze, snapping back into reality as the sharp noise split through the night. His first instinct was to run away, something he'd been doing his entire life but for some reason, he just couldn't move. Was it another wolf who caused that noise? He didn't want to find out but it was no use. He came across another- No. Several wolves. The heavy scent filled his nostrils before finally gaining enough courage to turn his head towards them. They were a good distance away from him. Perhaps they didn't notice him. Right? Vespian started to tremble slightly, eyes narrowing as he fought hard in deciding what to do at the current moment. Just stay still. Maybe they... won't notice. Sit and watch for a bit. It'll be alright...

(This post was last modified: Nov 13, 2014, 04:06 AM by Vespian.)

MUSHROOMMMMMZZZZZZZZZZ

I hate you, too

Eagerly she inspected the radiating fungus. Inexplicably she found herself doing the sort of thing @Rook would have been doing had he been here, trying to get all "scientific" about it. Her nose pressed against the small bulb, she found that it gave off no heat. Odd. She also noticed that the glow was fainter for the mushrooms at the edges of the clearing, the ones that were in the shadows. Perhaps the mushrooms fed off of daylight and needed it to shine. She snorted, shrugging. That was a good enough theory —

Her thoughts were interrupted by a crack, a wolf — no, wolves. The pale brown head shot up from the mushrooms and she stared at the two wolves, one large and one small, like a deer caught in headlights. Her ears drew backwards. The larger wolf raised its tail and Bishop drew back, shrinking her body to a less imposing position. Had she interrupted something? A lover's rendezvous? Maybe others new about the glowing mushrooms and liked to meet here. Awkwardly, she gazed around. It certainly had it's own... charm but wasn't really her kind of place. She gulped, unsure of how to address the situation. "I'm... not interrupting anything... am I?"

Her eyes darted about, looking for an escape should it be necessary. That was when she spotted the other wolf, a third one. Suspiciously her eyes lept back to the two wolves and she assumed an ambush. "What's going on here. Everybody out in the open. Now." Her head whipped back towards the lone wolf, "That means you."

Why. Why did such a small stick have to make such a large sound? It was as if he broke some sort of silent agreement to move on with life and now everyone was looking at him. It scared him out of his wits to be surrounded by three strange wolves in the forest, on a dark night, where he could trip should he run. Good bye, to Oliver Carmond.

Correction. There were two strange wolves, and one familiar. It was a relief to see Roma, stalwart against the yearling among the luminescent mushrooms. Although it was strange to see her out so late, it gave him a bit of courage to know that a friend was amongst the dark shadows of the trees. That didn't mean his heart stopped beating like a bird wanting out of a cage. A bird that wanted to go home and have none of this tom-foolery.

However, a beaten-in sense of manners stopped Oliver from taking off. The girl asked a question. Actually, more of demanded it, but it deserved an answer anyway. Besides, he didn't want any implications that he might be doing something wrong. Might as well speak up and see what comes of it.

Taking a breath to calm his nerves, Oliver swung around and came into the soft light of the mushrooms. Facing the youth with a friendly air, he told the truth- "I'm sorry to disturb you, miss. I was out for a stroll to gather my thoughts when I noticed these rather fascinating mushrooms. I'm hoping to be a medic for my pack mates, and thought to study them, but it so happens that I stepped on a twig. Terribly sorry."

He chanced a warm grin at Roma. "However, I didn't know I'd be joined by such company on this lovely night."

Roma was surprised to catch the scent of a fourth wolf in the strange glowing mushroom patch. They had definitely attracted some attention. Before she could look around for the fourth wolf, the young girl spoke up. Roma blushed at what the girl's question insinuated. She had had many a lovely night's rendezvous, but the thought of being caught with Oliver made the skin under her fur heat up. The girl demanded that everyone come out into the open and Roma was happy to oblige, ready to deny whatever scenario the girl had concocted in her head. Before she could speak up, Oliver answered the girl's questions. After he finished and made clear that he was, in fact, not here with Roma for some kind of lovers tryst, he gave Roma a warm grin. This relaxed the large she-wolf a bit; she was happy to see that Oliver had not been so off-put by the implication. She wouldn't want things to be awkward between them.

"I was simply out for a stroll." Roma said, not wanting to go through the trouble of coming up with an excuse and not feeling the need to explain herself to strangers on unclaimed land. "My name is Andromache. What is yours?" Her tone was not altogether rude as she question the white and grey female, but she did let her icy blue eyes make contact with the girl's pale orbs. She could tell the girl was a yearling and she had not taken kindly to the young girl's demands. This land might be neutral but Roma did not feel obliged to take orders from anyone besides Athena.

The male would watch inquisitively as the girl studied the shrooms. He, too, began scrutinizing the fungi, allowing his imagination to yet again explain this dark magic. Glowing shrooms. Lighting up this vast darkness. It was still strange to the wolf but it interested him far more than anything that's ever happened to him. Ears flicking at the sudden command, Vespian lifted his head to fix a cold glare upon the female. So one of them noticed. Or perhaps all three of them. Nonetheless, it served as no surprise that he was discovered, seeing as though he stood behind no cover to conceal him. Not that it mattered, anyways. With a slight huff, the virile would fix the female a slight grin. His lips would peel back, eyes narrowing out of habit. A morbid expression soon claimed his ebon stained visage, a smile he thought would be a genuine way of greeting others. But it also served as a disguise to conceal the fear that prickled beneath his skin.

Vespian rose to his paws, hesitant in coming any closer. Should he just stand there and refuse to follow orders? She was a complete stranger. Perhaps the other two, with their reasons for ending up in a place such as this, would distract the ashen mistress. He was in no mood to speak with anyone right now. He had somewhere to be. No, he had somewhere he was trying to find. What made him more afraid was the fact that, if the three had managed to get him to come over there, whatever they'd say could completely throw him off or anger him. He did not want to cause harm. Especially since he's found somewhere new.

After listening to the two wolves speak, Vesp would nod once towards them before parting his jaws. "I, too, was out for a stroll." That was all he would offer her. No name, no elaboration. Just a simple answer he hoped would be enough for her to let him go.

I hate you, too

The green wash of mushroom-light cast an extra layer of eeriness and suspicion on the encounter and its participants. Distrustful, Bishop's eyes darted from one wolf to another as they claimed to be "just out for a stroll". Bishop had previously walked this land for days without running into so much as hint of other wolves and then suddenly there were four just out for a stroll together. She eyed the medic-hopeful, then the other dark wolf, and finally her eyes flicked back and found the challenging blue stare of the older woman — Andromache. "Bishop," she said, breaking eye-contact to stare back down at the wondrous, disturbing fungal tubers.

"I've never seen anything like these before," she offered neutrally, gazing back up at the congregation. Judging by what the pack-wolf had said, he probably hadn't either. But he had probably seen similar, alien plant-life in his training to be a herbalist. He was older than her, too. So she found herself asking him, the most friendly-seeming of the wolves, "What do you think makes them light-up? Do you think they could be used for anything?" She felt a lance go through her heart as she thought of Rook and his medicinal interests, and she fought to swallow the pout creasing her lips. She thought about other things instead, like how one would even figure out the value of a plant. Did someone have to... eat it? What if it was poisonous? Pangur.

keeping her pack affiliation vague because she got accepted into otb after i made this thread and I don't even know just go along with it xD

He nodded towards the grey-washed youth. "Oliver. I do believe- and it's simply a theory- that to glow, the mushrooms need some sort of particular element. That could be why they seem to only grow in this very spot. It makes a rather spectacular sight." With a glance towards the girl who called herself Bishop, Oliver stepped lightly forward to take a sniff. Touching it with his nose, he found the cold absence of warmth a bit disturbing, as the glow light up his face.

What could it be used for?

Poison. Galley would list- Headaches, indigestion, the flu, getting rid of someone you hate. The possibilities are quite endless.

"I can't say I know," he said aloud to those around him. Almost automatically, Oliver opened his mouth to take a bite of the green fungus.

OLIVER!

Paused in his experiment, the small wolf remembered- he had a pack now. There was no need to lay writhing on the ground, wondering if what he ate was going to kill him- again. And if this particular mushroom was poisonous, he couldn't ignore the fact that his skills were valuable to Oak Tree Bend, which didn't have a medic among it's ranks. So he withdrew from the curious plant, a bit shaken to find that he would so easily risk his life for an arbitrary purpose.

He turned instead to those surrounding him. "It would be best to keep this area under watch for a few days. Observe how other animals treat these in respects to food and medicinal purposes. Unless, one of you two knows what it can do?" Really, Oliver was asking Roma, but he didn't know the other one melding with the darkness- it was best to include him, so he could either leave or join the conversation of his own accord, without feeling as if the small wolf ignored him.