The swim from Boreas' shore had been more taxing than she'd anticipated... but now that she stood here on the silvery, sandy shores and her body felt wonderfully sore and depleted, her island adventure could begin. Makara shook out her coat thoroughly, although it still stuck out in strange and unpredictable ways from the saltwater. Her goggles were dotted with water but she was hesitant to take them off and let them dry, as the sun was mercilessly bright out here. No matter, it could wait.

She stretched long and low to the ground, then took off at a trot to inspect her surroundings. It was, she estimated, about a quarter mile off of the shore and rather secluded. Rich scents of spring-ripened fruit and small, furry, edible things tempted her from the thick tropical foliage that bordered the beach. Most of the plants were typical of these sorts of areas - she'd seen many, now, in her travels. Nothing too special. No trace of those who had come before them. Just your average, untouched, beautiful, tropical island. Boring.

Well, that wasn't to say there wasn't more hiding in the undergrowth. Those creatures that had inhabited these lands long ago were tricksy ones and often had shelters where she'd least expect them. As such, she usually spent more than a day or two the first time she explored a new area - and this time would be no different. She sighed and dug her toes deeper into the sand. Her leather booties were carefully stowed in the pack that she wore, ready to be tugged on when she needed to dive into the grasses and trees, but there were plenty of materials scattered along the beach to create some shade. It was unseasonably warm and she'd need to hide from the sun for a few hours until it began to set, lest she risk a painful sunburn. Being albino did not have its perks. She set off along the shore and began gathering fallen banana leaves. They were a brilliant green color and quite sturdy. It wouldn't be her first time using them for shade in a place like this!

Speech

Emotions fueled Lumine's body west from Fenrir's Maw. Blurry eyes laden with tears barely saw the landscape around her until her paws splashed into frigid waters. A yelp of surprise escapes her as she pulls back, blinking away everything that she had been feeling in the last day. Arrange for marriage!? How could he! Her head screamed at her over and over that the gods were no longer smiling down upon her. Nor were they even real. No true god would ruin her life to such an extent. Wishing, hoping, desperate to get as far away from Boreas as possible, Lumine pushes forward. Her legs, exhausted, carry her through the choppy waves until she's once more on somewhat dry land. The tide is out revealing darkened packed sand that's easier to walk on as she trudges up the beach. With labored breath, she continues on until the ground around her changes from pale, sparkling sand to dense undergrowth that pulls and tugs at her fur. Frustration seeps from her pores as she rips her appendages away, tufts left behind, clinging to poky sticks and dangerous thorns. The scent here is overwhelmingly sweet similar to the mead she's snuck a few times from the stores. Her shifting eyes from icy blue to warm gold finally take in the sights. She slows down, turning to look over her shoulder, realizing she hasn't gone very far after all, but the island will do for now. It will have to. She's too tired to go much farther. Weaving through the brush and ducking under low hanging vines, Lumine is surprised when a fresh scent of wolf smacks her in the face. Someone else was here right now. At first, she's on guard, fur bristling, muscles tensing until she spots the albino figure not far off, just on the other side of the trees where she stood now. Approaching cautiously, Lumine watches the stranger gather banana leaves which immediately piques her curiosity. What were they planning on doing with them? Releasing an alerting bark that carries tired, but friendly tones, Lumine finishes her approach with a slight cant of her head. "I apologize if I'm intruding," she begins, soft baritones speaking volumes of her ingrained politeness. "Care for some company? I can help with whatever you're doing," Lumine offers before she leans down to grab a banana leaf and extend out as a sort of peace offering. Lumine Trygg

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While much of her travels were spent alone, it didn't mean that she craved solitude. In fact, Makara was always happy to welcome another traveler - she was a natural chatterbox and would talk the ear off anyone who would listen. It was a trait that had been tempered by time as she grew older, but it was still easy enough for her to get carried away on a wild tangent. When she heard the soft voice of a stranger, Mak spun around with excitement and a flagging tail. "Oh, certainly, certainly!" she said, her tone bright and easy-going. "You're not intruding at all. It's always lovely to have an extra set of helpful paws." Makara took the extended banana leaf and placed it in the same pile as the others she'd been collecting.

The sun was getting higher in the sky now, reflecting brightly off of the warm, tropical waters - and heating up her googles. They were getting a bit misty from the humidity of the trapped water after her swim. Makara wiped them off quickly on her right forearm then straightened up again, squinting at the young female. "Ah, yes - I'm making a quick shelter for the height of the afternoon sun. I still want to do some exploring on this beach - I don't have high hopes I'll find what I'm looking for, but you never know! Always best to do a second and third look when you're somewhere new, so I don't want to stray too far inland yet and I get the most wretched sunburns if I stay exposed for too long in this heat." The tips of her ears, soft delicate pink, were already heating up. "These leaves are nice and thick, if we can find something to prop them up against, I'll be good to go for hours as long as I have a place to retreat to!" This beach was just like many she'd seen before, although the sand did glint a lovely silvery color depending on which way you looked at it. There were no rocky outcroppings or significant landmarks - just blinding, beautiful sand as far as the eye could see. It was lovely, but boy did it reflect the sun back into her goggles until her eyes were sore.

She scanned the shoreline. The tide was beginning to come in, the waves lapping further and further up the shore as it went. They'd still have plenty of time. A few hundred yards down the shore she spotted the remains of a structure - poorly crafted with some canvas on supports that seemed too weak, but it would do for now. "Bingo!" Makara gathered half of the banana leaves in her mouth and headed towards her target, gesturing for Lumine to grab the rest if she so pleased. When she had made it about halfway there, she realized she'd never given her name. "'Mhmh Makharahs!" she mouth loudly over her shoulder around the stems of the leaves jammed in her mouth.

Speech

The pale coated girl whirls on her with a flagged tail and excitement in her movements. At first, Lumine takes a step back, but still holds out the leaf toward her in offering. She blamed it on her tiredness, on her spent emotions, on the everything she'd been dealing with recently. Her relief is apparent on her features as the girl accepts her presence and takes the leaf from her. Wagging her tail a few times, she steps back forward and takes a moment to glance around. While her own dark coat wouldn't warm as much as the white of Makara's, Lumine was still more accustomed to the cold of the maw. The heat that radiated from the silvery sand around them made her own body feel a little too warm. As Makara speaks, Lumine listens. Busying herself with gathering a few more banana leaves, she doesn't quite understand why Makara needs the shelter until she admits that she gets sunburns easily. Ah, that did make sense. With the pile seemingly sufficient for the girl, Lumine gives her a tentative smile. "Sounds as if you always need to be careful," Lumine muses gently, not wanting to just not respond to her, but also unsure of what really there was to say. Glancing around once more, Lumine takes in the water lapping up the shore as well. Soon the beach would be covered mostly in water and that was fine too. She could wait for the tide to go back out before making her way back to the mainland. The island was beautiful anyway when one really took a moment to drink it in. Consumed by the tropical surroundings, she almost startles when Makara says "Bingo!" Turning to watch, Lumine sees her pick up half of the banana leaves and make her way toward a structure not far down the shoreline. Taking the hint, Lumine picks up the rest of the banana leaves and follows Makara dutifully over to where she was heading toward. Unable to really understand the words shouted back at her, Lumine giggles. "Rumeeen!" She tries to shout back as she catches up and comes to stop beside the ruddy structure and ripped canvas. Placing the leaves upon the sand, she laughs once more, already feeling better with her new company. "I'm Lumine," she repeats, her tail giving a few more wags. Lumine Trygg

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She busied herself straightening the failing supports on the beachside structure, prodding them deeper into the sand until they stood tall once more. The canvas was torn and tattered, flapping in the wind. Where she could, Makara tightened it so that it hung strong and woven larger banana leaves in between the smaller holes in the canvas. She worked in silence for a time, enraptured by her task, even with Lumine standing beside her.

That was another habit she'd forgotten about while travelling alone: how to be polite. Eventually, as if she'd been stung by a bee, Makara stood straight up and said: "Oh goodness, here I go, getting carried away again. I bet you didn't even catch my name over all those leaves shoved in my mouth. I'm Makara, Lumine - very, very nice to meet another traveler in these parts!" The words came in a busy flood, as they always did with Makara. Once she had patched up the tent sufficiently, Makara flopped down beneath it. "Careful, yes... I've always had to be careful. And clever."

Thoughts of her angry father returned to her unbidden. His disappointed face when she could barely walk on grass in the springtime, her paws so swollen from an allergic reaction that they were three times their regular size. His disgust, the first time she'd gotten badly burned. "It teaches you resilience." For once, the flow of her words was stemmed as she appeared lost in thought. "But, tell me, what brings you out to this island?"

Speech

At first, Lumine feels a bit uncomfortable. This Makara doesn't exactly address her or really explain what she wanted done with the structure. So Lumine, being the polite and graceful girl that she was raised to be, stood patiently near the albino coated girl and examined the surroundings instead. The tattered boat they stood at seemed old, older than even herself, but it didn't appear crafted by wolves. So by who? Her eyes narrow slightly as she steps forward, giving Makara space to work, as she pokes and prods at the decaying pieces of wood and some of the tattered cloth. Suddenly though, Makara perks up and starts a flow of words that bring Lumine's ears turning to the girl. She smiles softly, stepping closer to help Makara finish tying up and placing the last of the banana leaves. Inwardly, she's thankful that this structure was already here. It made crafting the structure far easier than if they had to build it from scratch! "It is quite alright, Makara," Lumine says with a nod of her head as she helps tie off the last bit of rope before stepping back to admire their handiwork. Big enough for both of them to lay inside the shade without having to feel cramped. "It's nice to meet you too," she responds, another polite nod before plopping herself down beside Makara beneath the shade. The instant relief from the beating sun even cools her own dark fur. She wasn't exactly bred to be tropical! There's a moment when she thinks Makara might have gotten uncomfortable. A lapse of silence that draws Lumine to look out toward the water. Watching the waves lap at the silver sand. She wouldn't mind hiding out here for awhile if it was always this serene. Lumine nods in agreement, most listening, but mesmerized by the shifting tide. Until Makara asks her a question, bringing her back to the conversation and the emotions that toiled inside of her. Ears shift backward and brow draws downward as she exhales softly. "I'm running away," she begins, her voice rushed for a moment until she takes a breath. "I found out that my father arranged a marriage for me before I was born," that same stinky emotion of deceit rises again as she looks away from Makara again back out to the water. At least the water wouldn't judge her if she started to cry. Lumine Trygg

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