Great Bear Wilderness and his mouth tastes like

beneath the expectation of newt's gaze it appears that the other boy is just going to stand there; confusion takes root. eventually, after a few awkward moments pass, the stranger apologizes with a nervous laugh that articulates well what newt himself is feeling. anxiously, his tail flicks against his haunches. he is big, yes, but still young and was always focused on honing hunting skills rather than exploring hidden talents he might harbor as a tank. perhaps, he thinks that is the true mistake. thus, he must appear like he has the knowledge to wield his body into the powerful weapon it could be.

are you, uh, from around here or something?

no, newt replies. it's not technically a lie ...he wasn't from this specific area of the wilds. in fact, this was his first time this far east but, for some reason that newt can't place — perhaps his unwillingness to trust strangers — he doesn't want to give details of where he was from or even who he really is. in part because he's afraid that someone would cart him back to easthollow before he had the chance to find what he set out to look for in the first place ( though the image of someone trying to drag him back was pretty funny ).

are you?