Code © Skelle/Witchdogtor DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Life in the pack felt different compared to being with her family. She needed space to breathe and relax. The waves washed against her legs, their cool touch causing a slight shiver to run through her body. The sun shone down, making the watermelon-colored gems for eyes watch closely as the waves sparkle against the high sun. Standing proudly, she felt the shallow water tickle her paws. The wind brushed against her, causing her to lift her head and let it run through her coat. Soft chuckles escaped from the slate woman as she enjoyed the moment.

The woman felt completely at home and relished every moment. The scent of salt intertwined with her own natural aroma of sandalwood, amber, and vanilla. Emerging from the water, her black-tipped tail swayed elegantly behind her. Even though she didn't get wet, she felt it was still worth shaking off. So, she proceeded to do just that. With no one in sight, she settled down on the sand, lost in her thoughts, a smile playing on her lips.

"Speech!"

Seiko wasn't quite sure they wanted to head back home so quickly after the Hallows bonfire festival. The wolves were were so strange, so different from the ones back home in Tojo-kai... staying a bit longer and observing them was a tempting thought indeed. From here the young wolf could see the castle in the distance, its outline stark against the clear blue sky. Between themselves and the castle was a wide stretch of sand, untarnished by much beside shells and driftwood that had washed ashore. The ocean here was so different than Auster's southern ocean, the water relatively clear here, not clogged with kelp and sea creatures like theirs back at home. Moving slowly down the shoreline and away from the castle, they paused when they spotted a familiar figure up ahead. Whatever the wolf was doing was seemingly lost on her, at least from this distance, though it looked to Seiko like they might just be... enjoying themselves? Was she laughing? Strange. Nose wrinkling ever so slightly, they continued the path they'd been walking. Only when they got closer did they dip their head in respectful greeting. Torn between getting to know some of the wolves here and keeping to themselves, the former won out. Seiko wanted something interesting to rub in their siblings' faces when they returned home; they were eager to brag about the experiences they'd had here to the ones who hadn't wanted to make the journey. "Afternoon," they greeted the yearling, respectful enough, though a little awkward too.

Rising up from her small rest, the slate hinted woman was enjoying the alone time. Watching carefully as the young woman began to traverse once more. Careful to placement of her paws, she'd grab a peice of drift wood that washed up on shore from god knows where. Mae did it so gently and with ease, making sure to make a path boarder in a sense.

A small chuckle rushed out of the teen, ears soon catching the sound of another, a smile crossing her lips as her tail danced. "Good afternoon." She offered gently to the stranger. Who was dressed in greys, navy, black and browns. Each color complimenting the next. "I am Mae .... Mae Torres." Never going without offering her name.

To do so, it meant you had no manners, none what so ever. As she stopped and sat down, curling her tail against her frame.

"Mae"

Time spent alone felt a little strange to the young Tojo-Kai wolf; though their little corner of the world tended to be rather solitary, Seiko's family was anything but quiet, at least when it came to one another. They'd grown up with ten other siblings, after all. Peace and quiet was something earned, not a given, and such serenity - and so far from home - was something entirely new to Seiko. It left them feeling a little on edge, rather than joyful like this stranger seemed to be. Cautiously curious though, Seiko wouldn't pass up the opportunity to get to know someone entirely foreign to them. "Glad to meet you. Hattori Seiko," they introduced themselves with just a hint of hesitation. The reclusive nature of their pack was not lost on Seiko; forcing themselves to be social was definitely stepping out of their comfort zone. "Did you attend the bonfire festival as well?" Gesturing their head to the castle and the field beyond, Seiko wondered if she was just passing through or if she'd been at the festival too. The entire thing had been strange to them, like nothing they could've anticipated, but regardless Seiko was glad they'd gone.

Code © Skelle/Witchdogtor DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Mae watched this younger one who called themself Hattori Seiko. The youngster seemed peaceful enough, which the other was a little more cheerful today. Startled yip emits from her throat as a crestation crept up on her paws. The water still caressing them, words drawing her attention back to Seiko.

Mae was at the bonfire, something she wasn't use to attending without her family, but all together a splendid experience. One that Mae could never allow herself to forget. Her own voice trailing forth. "I hope today is seeing you swell. And I was, although I am not use to attending such an event without my family." Surely she missed them. Mind wandering to their own festivals and gathers. A smile crossing her lips once again.

"We've had events like that were I am from. It's a great way to make friends and form alliances my father always stated. Mother always planned them, for dad could careless but enjoyed it none the less." And never did they allow a fire of that mass to get so huge. Turning her attention back to the castle that seemed to kiss the skies from where these two stood. "I have never seen such a building such as the castle either. I think it's a castle anyway. Did you enjoy the bonfire festival yourself, Hattori Seiko?"

"Speech!"

Maybe this stranger wasn't so used to the water? Seiko watched them, their dark eyes only glimmering in faint amusement at the way she got startled by the critter moving across her paws. Having grown up by the sea, stray crustaceans were to be expected. The bay was a bit different than this beach however but some things seemed to be consistent everywhere. Seiko flexed their paws in the sand, grateful for the familiar feeling among all the new things they'd been experiencing. It felt grounding. "I came with my.. brothers," Seiko explained after a pause. Akito was not quite their brother by blood in the same way Majima was, but the older wolf considered Hanzo his father and so Seiko ought to consider him a brother in some aspects. "Though I have a big family and being away from most of them feels strange." Was that too much to divulge? Seiko hesitated then, wondering if they'd slipped up. Tojo-Kai was a reclusive pack and Seiko had no intention of saying more than they needed to. But still it felt good, in a way, to express that being away from their large family felt uncomfortable. Or maybe giving away a weakness at all was a bad idea? Not that it was a real weakness. They'd be fine, no matter what. Seiko's postured stiffened a bit. Mae explained that she had events like that back in their homeland. Though Seiko knew their father liked to at bare minimum know the ongoings of the various packs throughout bot this continent and Boreas, Tojo-Kai would never be the sort of pack that held festivals or invited strangers into their home. Seiko was perfectly okay with that. They lifted a paw to rub briefly at their forehead, noting the length of the horns that had grown slowly there since their childhood. Maybe they hadn't looked too closely at their reflection lately but they hadn't noticed just how large they'd grown. "The bonfire was fine. I'm not really one for big crowds. I was glad to get to know some of the wolves that attended though. Did you know wolves can have wings?" Seiko's gaze was imploring as they watched Mae to see for her reaction. The revelation had made Seiko feel a bit sheltered, not knowing what sort of stranger features wolves were able to have, and just showed the young wolf how much there was to learn and experience out there in the big wide world.

Code © Skelle/Witchdogtor DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

The she-wolfs mind was wandering to her family back home. Wondering how they were doing. Maybe she was beginning to feel a little down due to not knowing if they were alright. The sand of the shore was tickling her paw pads as she watched a few crustaceans come and go. Soon Seiko's voice pulled her attention back to other. 'I came with my.. brothers, though I have a big family and being away from them feels strange.'

The pup was right, it did feel strange being away from family. Her tail fell still behind her, thinking of her family and siblings once more. How strange it was to be away from them all. But once got use to it after a while." 'The bonfire was fine. I'm not really one for big crowds. I was glad to get to know some of the wolves that attended though. Did you know wolves can have wings?'

Mae's eyes would widen in surprise. For she had never witnessed a wolf with wings. It had to be a strange but unique sight to witness. "I never seen a bird with wings, although I am surprised about it. Probably as much as yourself. I wonder if they could fly like the birds do within the skies. How wonderful it must be to be so free."

The young woman lowered down onto her haunches, then upon her belly as the water licked at the fur. Looking towards the skies then back to Seiko. A smile creeping along her facial features. Twin peaks perked up as the sight of a dolphin jumped within the distance, causing splashing sound as it dove back down. "What would you do if you had wings?" Mae asked softly as turning back once more to the koi painted youngster.

"Speech!"

It was hard to not feel unsettled being so far from home. Not that Seiko, comparatively, was even that far away - but it was far enough to make the young wolf feel uncomfortable and out of their element. Attending the bonfire and exploring the lands just outside it made Seiko realize just how much they didn't know, and just how huge the world outside their bamboo maze really was. It was equal parts invigorating and overwhelming. "I don't think so, but I didn't ask," they admitted. Probing too much into the affairs of others wasn't Seiko's style; they could imagine how taken aback they'd feel with someone asking a million questions about their horns, for example. At least they weren't the only ones surprised at the fact. Seiko watched out of the corner of their eye as Mae lowered herself by the water. Though they didn't mind the water, letting down their guard in such a way felt difficult. Instead they sat carefully, poised to flee if it situation called for it, comfortable but still ready to spring up at a moment's notice. The hypothetical question the other girl presented was an intriguing one. "I'm not sure I'd do anything that different," Seiko confessed, wondering if they ought to be so honest. Tojo-Kai and their family meant everything to them, so it wasn't like they'd up and fly away. "Though I think I'd have to become more of a scout then. You know, patrol the borders and that sort of thing. What about you?"