The arrival of spring was a welcome change of scenery for Áki. Though the harsh cold of winter was familiar to him, the gradually rising temperatures and the sound of birdsong in the air was pleasing to his soul. He found himself traversing the unfamiliar lands with ease, thankful for the warmth of sunshine upon his back as he traveled. It was rare for him to stay in one place for long, and Alacritia would be no exception to that rule; today he found himself wandering amongst the growth of young redbud trees and various shrubbery that had begun to grow.

It was a beautiful sight, truly. The small trees had already begun to sprout vibrant magenta buds, brilliant in all their splendor, growing amongst the decaying and burnt trees that had once made up this forest. It seemed a bit desolate here, despite the life that spring was breathing into the land, but Áki had no room for complaints. Tail would flick behind his massive frame, his nose twitching as he took in the scents of the nook. Tilting his head to the sky, he noted its position almost directly overhead. The day was young still, and he inhaled sharply, content to simply wander until something more interesting captured his attention

With spring came life. Pamela would breath in the warmer air, finding the warmth refreshing. The decaying trees, and the new life around them, was a unique sight. The female found herself fascinated by the world around her. However, her wanderlust was sparking up. Shiki, the boy, had chosen to wander himself. Young as he was, Pamela was sure he would return back to the den. He was older, smarter. She had told him of the dangers, and he needed to learn how to at least conceal himself from danger. It may have seemed a tad cold, but Pamela was not one to coddle forever. Eventually a wolf had to learn to stand on his own. Though that didn't mean she'd abandon him if he needed her help. She would give a hand up, but not a hand out, so to speak. The slate female longed to return to her wandering ways. Being here with Shiki meant staying in one place. The boy was strong enough that, perhaps soon, she could leave the nook. But for now it suited her. Not as cold as the north, providing a calm, almost undisturbed atmosphere. Not many passed through here, and she found that both nice and, a little boring. Even she needed some entertainment once in a while! The sun, high in the sky, brought warmth to the land. The female could hardly wait for the storms of summer to come, bringing their booming song to the earth. The female would twitch her ears, a scent, a wolfen one, coming to her knows. She would head on, approaching the stranger from the right. But when she saw him, or rather the shadow-y figure that made him, she was confused. It seemed canine, yet... there was something odd coming out of his mouth. Pamela would pause, curiosity rising within her. Her voice would sound, polite, the thirst for knowledge demanding to be quenched. "Such a unique trait you have, for one who appears to be a canine. Might I ask if you were born with your unique fangs, or perhaps did you find some way to stick them within your mouth?" Pamela's mismatched gaze shown. It had been too long she spoke to someone closer to her age, and, by scent, this male was certainly an adult. "Listen to me talk," 'but read my thoughts.'

Table by:: Riv

It never surprised Áki when he received odd reactions  from others -- often of surprise, fear, or interest. He was aware that he was larger than most wolves, his frame bulky and muscular. He knew he was intimidating at first glance. Even more than his size, he knew his tusks were strange and foreign to most wolves to see. Though he had never seen a wolf like himself before, he never thought of himself of strange. He had simply been born with them; he gave it little thought beyond that.

The scent of another reached his nostrils and he would turn his head sharply to face the woman, who padded toward him from the distance. Her gait was relaxed and far from threatening, her voice inquisitive as it rose up among the gentle sounds of spring that had engulfed him. "Why does anyone think it is okay to ask if I was born with these?" he replied a bit indignantly. Brows furrowed as he drew a bit closer to her. This woman had a kind face and seemed genuine to the core; "I would never ask you if you were born with that nose or if you simply stuck it to your face." The man's voice was deep, laced with an accent that was not from these lands, but perhaps of a more northern world; and despite the low tones that fell from his slightly parted jaws, there was no malice in his voice, merely exasperation laced with slight playfulness.

A moment of silence would follow as he scrutinized her, deciding her question hadn't been too horrible after all. "They have been there since I was born," he would tell her finally, as though unveiling something that was far more interesting than he truly thought it was. "But what about that nose of yours?" Crimson gaze would sparkle with laughter as he studied her still, wondering what she may say in return.

Pamela’s smile would falter when he first spoke. His reply to her was that solid monotone, that same voice she always heard. Emotion... Such things were not heart. She could feel, she could smell and taste... But her sense of sight, her sense of hearing, were those dulled. The female would shift a bit awkwardly, having meant no offense, though she would reamin where she was, not one so easily detered, and certainly not one to simply turn tail and run just because things didn’t appear to be going as planned. But it would appear things shifted again, when he spoke again, saying that they had simply been there since he’d been born. She let out a soft sight of relief, closing her eyes. “You know... I don’t even know what a nose looks like?” Her voice was serious, just a bit saddened. “I suppose it was an odd question to ask you... But I’m afraid my eyes don’t work the same as everyone elses. I wasn’t even sure if you were really a wolf, or just some unique member of the canine family.” Pamela opened her gaze, turning it to his shadowy figure. “But I would guess it’s been there since birth. Who knows, maybe one of my siblings stuck it on there to be funny.” Pamela would manage a little smile. "Listen to me talk," 'but read my thoughts.'

Table by:: Riv

Though he was growing tired of being singled out, of treated like he was so different from others -- secretly, the attention wasn't always bad and sometimes he even looked forward to it. It was only natural to enjoy positive attention, but that wouldn't stop him feigning a bit of exasperation and annoyance.

He watched as the stranger's pretty face shifted, from an expression of joy to something a bit taken aback. What he hadn't expected was for her to begin to question him. Her soft tones held a bit of sadness that he had not expected and he found his brows furrowing in confusion.   "A nose?" his deep voice would echo his confusion. Her explanation was bizarre to him, though he found himself taking a few liberal steps closer to her.   "You don't know what a nose is, and yet here you stand, looking at me..." He was clueless as to what kind of problems she meant, problems with her sight; he shrugged slowly, voicing his confusion once again. Perhaps she was as strange as so many others though he was, though it wasn't as outwardly obvious..

 "I don't mean to seem rude," he would offer warily. Still he didn't know if her strange reply was just an attempt to rouse some kind of emotion from him, and yet he found himself feeling inquisitive about this lady.   "My name is Áki Jarvela," the brute would offer finally, a single eyebrow raising. "What might yours be, miss?"