With a yawn on his lips and an ache in his neck Basileus slowly rolled to his paws. He stretched stiffly and groaned. Spring was upon this land. Gone was the snow and the bitter cold. In its place were warmer days and a heavy layer of muck. It was the muck that had caused the crick in his neck. Without it he'd have bedded down in any old place instead of settling for a cranny. He was a bit of a romantic, though, so the sunrise that now tinted the land red placated him. With sleep in his eyes the brute began to amble towards the beach. He yawned again, this time hard enough to bring tears to his eyes and an ache to his jaw. The mafioso wasn't much of a morning person, but he needed to get a jump on the day. Rising early was common for him, but he doubted he'd ever get used to it. The night suited him just fine. There was something comforting about it, something insulating and secretive. The darkness hid his actions from prying eyes and perhaps it was in there that his comfort arose. Cresting the final dune that separated him from the beach Basileus paused to blink into the sun. Somewhere below him lay the carcass of a large sea creature. He'd found it late the previous evening and eaten his fill. While not quite hungry now he knew that the next meal wasn't guaranteed, so he thought it best to fill up before he once more took up the hunt. OOC: It's a whale carcass.

It seemed he never went anywhere but the Eastern and Northern sections of the continent. They just felt more like home to him. The bitter chill of the more northerly lands was deeply comforting, though he enjoyed the oceanside as well. He still had more to explore here, and he was happy to do so. He hadn't been to this particular coastline before, and he found himself drawn to it - the rocky expanse that lay before him looked promising, though what lay beyond he was not sure.

He was surprised, once he clambered over the rocky section of the shoreline, that an untouched beach lay beyond. It was a lovely sight, too. The sun had just begun to rise, casting its yellow and red rays down onto the ocean, tinting the normally clear water a warm palette as darkness lifted from the earth. But what really caught his attention was the sudden scent that hit him as he moved toward the ocean. It was.. very clearly of some kind of sea-creature, but it struck him was very strong for something like a fish. Maybe.. lots of fish? Wrinkling his nose, he ambled down the shore, finally catching the peculiar sight of a wolf feasting on an enormous creature. It was nothing like anything he'd even seen, and not one for feeling timid, he began to pad toward the stranger. "Did you hunt this yourself?" he'd call out, his voice brimming with laughter - for it was quite obvious not the kind of creature one could kill on their own, especially if this thing lived in the ocean... "Impressive."

After the sting of the rising sun abated and Basileus had taken a moment to clear his eyes he made his way down the front of the sand dune. The movement of the sand underfoot was unfamiliar to him so the going was slow. The ocean and all it entailed was a novelty. The biggest body of water he'd ever seen before chancing upon the ocean was a lake and while it was big, he'd been able to wrap his head around the size of it by slowly making his way around it. He'd been able to see edges, to glimpse the other side. But this? The ocean seemed to go on forever. After reaching the carcass Basileus picked his way around to the belly and, after stepping up onto a flipper, dug in. He was up to his forehead in meat when an unfamiliar voice rang out. The rhythmic crashing of the waves and the blubber cushioning his ears had all but deafened him to what was going on around him. For the first time in a very long time Basileus visibly started. The deep voice, the suddenness of it, it was too much to spring on a guy like him. The movement aggressive, Basileus spun to face the speaker. It wasn't until he was about halfway around that he realized the stranger's voice was laced with good humor and while he was quick to recover and adopt some semblance of civility before he locked eyes on the man, the moment he did so he was surprised yet again. As if drawn by magnets his gaze immediately locked onto the stranger's very large teeth. In an instant they were on his crimson eyes, the reaction a mix of polite restraint and veiled alarm as he tried to understand what he was seeing and whether or not he was in danger. Where Basileus was from there was a certain uniformity to the people. There were no vibrant colors, no mutations. Never had he seen such an unusual man. He had been spoken to and the tone had been friendly. Seeing as the strange man didn't immediately launch an attack Basileus decided to play it cool and test the waters a bit. He was still wary and while he quickly adopted and gave off the outward appearance of casual confidence, inside he was on edge and very indecisive. "I'm sorry," he said, the words heavily accented and obviously unfamiliar on his lips, "My...eh, english is no good."

His expression was jovial and care-free, for he had no reason to be anything but. Though interested in this strange, large sea-creature that lay dead upon the beach, he would not fight the stranger for it - seafood wasn't really his ideal food, anyway. There was no aggression in his posture, though he was far from submissive either; his casual confidence could easily be mistaken as threatening, if one chose to see it that way.

The stranger seemed startled, spinning around to face him with a jolt. Seeming a bit bewildered, he responded with silence at first, and a curious stare. Aki would mirror the interest look, though he looked perhaps more amused than concerned; though his expression faltered slightly at the man's wariness, softening drastically.

His silence was not merely from wariness, but - as he professed - his English was not good. Aki was fluent in it, but his accent was still thick and not always perfect. "No problem," he'd shake away the stranger's worries with a cheeky grin and a slight tilt of his head. "English is not my native tongue either." His usual manner of speaking was slow enough, rarely hurried or frantic - he found no need to purposefully talk plainly to help this man. Immersion, after all, was the best way to learn a language, he thought. "Not from around here, I presume?"

The accent of the stranger certainly didn't make understanding any easier. Thankfully from what little had been said Basileus didn't get the impression that the man was one of those english speakers who felt the need to cram as many words into a single breath as possible. He'd grown to loathe those traders back home. Had he been a less cautious man the stranger's manner would have swiftly put him at ease. Basileus liked to think he was a good judge of character and the man certainly seemed to be genuine, but he couldn't afford to lower his guard so easily. It was an easy mistake to make and it was one he'd seen made all too often. He knew better and he hadn't gotten where he was by being trusting. "Not from around here, I presume?" Basileus canted his head slightly. "No, from far away." There was no point in lying. It was clear he wasn't a local and he was not yet to the point that he needed to lie. Lying was a necessity and as commonplace for him as breathing, but it was something he used sparingly. It was easier to weave tales than to remember them. "You," He resisted the urge to look at the man's teeth again. "Are not from here either, yes?"

The tusked brute had no trouble at all slipping into a more careful drawl - he could, likewise, develop a much more rapid manner of speaking, but it was refreshing to move at a slower pace on occasion. Still, he noted the stranger seemed visibly wary around him, and while he was not offended, he wouldn't make a great effort to lower his own guard to put Basileus at ease. Being cautious was not at all a bad thing; in most occasions, it was smart, and he would not judge him for that.

"I'm not from here, either," he agreed with his observation, nodding nonchalantly.  "These lands are still new to me. I come from far north." He had no reason to lie, either; his family were not well-known anywhere, and he would not be endangering any of them with this information. And.. they could defend themselves, regardless, if they could even be found. That in itself was not an easy feat.  "What is this thing, anyway?" Aki would finally ask, his curiosity getting the better of him - a single brow raised as he gestured with his muzzle toward the sea-creature.

The tusked brute confirmed his guess and Basileus nodded to himself. Perhaps it would be a little bit easier to speak to this man. Neither called this place home and neither were native speakers of the language they were currently sharing. Perhaps having experienced where Basileus was in his grasp of the language would make Aki more sympathetic to his plight. "What is this thing, anyway?" Basil's attention turned to the massive carcass. He'd never seen anything like it. Fish he was familiar with, but this animal didn't fit his definition of a fish. It seemed this land was full of surprises. The mafioso shrugged. "I do not know. Never have I seen such a thing before." Slyly his gaze turned back to Aki. "I do like the taste of it, though." He gestured towards the carcass, making it clear Aki was free to try it if he wished. The body was massive and there was no way he could eat it all before it rotted. It seemed wasteful to claim it all for himself. Hover speech for translation

Saying he had grown fully accustomed to this land would be quite wrong. He never really felt like he belonged anywhere.. the world was merely a vessel for him to pass through as he pleased. The wolves here were far different than the ones he had grown up around - their obligations and lives were quite strange to him, though he enjoyed meeting them just the same. Even if he could not fully relate to them.

"Nor have I," he admitted with another shrug of his own as he scoped the thing out. "Seafood is not my favorite, but I'm suddenly feeling quite hungry." The smell was not the freshest thing in the world, but the meat was not fouled quite yet, and he didn't know how soon it might be before he had another meal. Accepting his invitation with a grateful nod, he would carefully navigate to the side of the kill - a few long strides away from Basileus - and take a hearty bite of the meal. It was a bit more rubbery than he anticipated, but definitely edible, and he hadn't taken any energy to get it down, which was always a plus. After gulping down a large bite of it, he smiled, grateful. "Thanks," he offered gladly. "My name is Aki, by the way."

Quietly Basileus watched and waited for a reaction as Aki moved towards the carcass. It was an odd thing to sink one's teeth into, but once you got passed the odd texture the taste was decent. It definitely wasn't the worst thing he'd ever eaten. In fact, now that he thought about it, the taste wasn't all that different from a bird. Oilier, sure, and tinged with something distinctly oceanic in flavor, but it could be likened to an underwater chicken. Aki seemed to reach the same conclusion as he: the meat was palatable. He turned back to look at Basil with a grateful smile. Basileus gave a shallow dip of his head in humble acknowledgement of the thanks before parting with the words, "I did not kill it, but I am happy to share." Aki, eh? Unsurprisingly that wasn't a name he was familiar with. "My name is Basileus. Please," he motioned towards the carcass. He may as well play host. "Take as much as you want. It will eh, rovinare...be bad soon." Hover speech for translation

While reindeer was definitely his preferred choice of food, he had no qualms about a free meal. It would be foolish to reject it. He'd take another hearty bite of the sea-creature, though a careful one - though hungry, he didn't want to seem like a ravenous buffoon. He'd flash a wide grin as he swallowed another bite, his tail waving in a wide arc behind him in a clear display of pleasure. It was rare to find someone so willing to give up their food, even if - as Basil had explained - he hadn't killed himself, only found it.

"Thanks again, Basileus," he'd offer, his grin unwavering as he spoke, briefly pausing to lick his lips. He would quietly return to eat his fill, taking a few rather large bites, knowing that it would go to waste too quickly to expect it to be fully consumed before then. "Though I should be heading back." Back to.. nowhere in particular, but away from this place; he didn't want to overstay his welcome. "Perhaps we shall meet again someday," he would flash his new acquaintance a playful smile, tusked head bowing in a low nod before he turned to depart.

- exit Aki -