It was... strange to be back. Very, very strange. She never expected to return, but she found herself here again. It was compounded further by the fact that she had to pass her old home, the home of the pack Abaven. Not something she particularly enjoyed; Abaven was a place that made guilt well up inside of her. It was one of the few things she regretted. Leaving. But she just couldn't... she couldn't go back. She couldn't face her old packmates again. She couldn't face Wren. She couldn't face Bass. And Harmony... but Harmony had been gone, the little wolf she regarded as a sister. Her jaw clenched, and she shook herself. This was not the time to bring up memories. She was far from Abaven; she was near the sea, bordered by a river. The Kamui Delta, it was called, and it was a beautiful place. This was also the first time in her three and a half years of life that she had ever seen the ocean, too, and she had to admit it was beautiful. Now, though, she stood near the river, nose wrinkling as she sniffed it. She wasn't entirely sure if it was drinkable. It flowed to the ocean, not from it, but she was still hesitant. After all, it was so close and the ocean was quite undrinkable. With a huff, she leaned back, settling down on her haunches. Her indecision was bothering her a ridiculous amount; she really just needed to relax. Hard to do with all the memories, but maybe she'd be lucky and a distraction would come along. “speech”

The heavy silence here felt impermeable. Though it was occasionally broken by the trickling of the river, carrying water in from the ocean, it seemed as serene as a land could ever be. Not lifeless, but still. A slight smile was worn upon the massive brute's lips as he walked, each step taken with careful precision as he moved - with surprising grace for a man of his stature. The day was crisp, and he noted that the season seemed to be shifting, the air growing cooler and the foliage beginning to grow dull as the world began its preparations for winter. A slow yawn left his lips as his jaws parted widely, his tail flicking contentedly behind him.

Despite the calm day, he felt a bit restless. With the changing weather, he was met with a newfound restlessness. He wondered where his family might be now; certainly preparing for their yearly trek further north. Only a touch of sadness would reach his heart at the thought of missing out. If he wanted to find them someday, he knew he could; but today was not that day.

Only when he caught sight of a stranger, lingering near the river just as he was, did his demeanor brighten considerably. A cheeky smile would be offered from a great distance as the tusked wolf loped forward, his tail swaying and his posture dipping into something less dominant. "Afternoon, miss!" he'd call out a bit jubilantly, wanting to close the distance between them.

She got her wish. The voice distracted her, pulling her away from her mind, making her turn.. and blink in surprise. What on earth? Is that... a wolf with... tusks? Like a boar? That was certainly unique. She wanted to question, but even she knew that there wasn't much tact to questioning about such mutations before you even knew the name of the person. She shook herself, forcing her eyes away from the tusks to glance over the rest of the male. Seemed safe enough; position was not submissive, but it wasn't dominating either. Something in between, something safe. An easy smile now resting on her lips, she dipped her head to the male. "Evening," she returned. Her tone was a bit less jubilant, but still welcoming; she had no desire to drive this distraction away. The longer he stayed, the better. Besides, it would be good to interact again after so many months alone, with no contact of any kind - her prey not counting. So she approached the male who was loping towards her, tail swinging slightly behind her. "What brings you are here, today?" she questioned. Ah, well, she forgot to introduce herself again... eh. "Words"

Despite his massive size, he rarely wore a dominant posture unless provoked; his gait was deeply relaxed, though his reflexes were sharp enough to keep himself safe if this woman proved less friendly than he initially thought. Perhaps someday his free-spirited nature might catch up to him, but all he could think of now was the potential for a conversation. His grin was wide as he approached. his tail flicking idly behind him as he assessed her quietly.

She seemed pleasantly surprised by his sudden arrival, and so he would take a few steps closer. "And a pleasant evening it is, without a doubt," he'd comment, his voice heavy with a northern accent, but warm despite its hearty and firm tone. Another gentle wag of his tail would be offered as he loped closer, eventually reclining to his hindquarters, little more than a yard away. "Restlessness is what brings me here," he admitted openly, his crimson gaze sparkling with interest as he watched her. "What about you, lady-without-a-name?"

A small grin appeared on her face upon hearing the accent. Northern, eh? It was rather cute, if she did say so herself.She nodded to his responding comment. Her head tilted as she watched him come closer, her own tail wagging briefly in turn as he plopped himself down a few feet away. Ears flicking as he replied to her, a rueful look passed over her face - gone as quicjkly as it came, though. She laughed at the lady-without-a-name bit, glancing sheepishly at her own paws before responding. "Memories and wanting to avoid those memories brought me here." After all, if the stranger was going to be open... she might as well too. She most likely would not divulge those memories, but she would mention them as she just did. "Also, my name is Mirabelle - Mira for short." "Words"

Her pleased expression would be mirrored as he regarded her with a slight smile. Company of any kind was usually appreciated by him, but pleasant company was even better. His gait was relaxed as he settled near her, his slightly over-sized head tilting as she began to speak. She explained she was hiding from her memories. A slight frown graced his muzzle at the thought. Where she was from, and what she had done.. that was none of his concern. But he did know for certain that memories were not things to fear, but to embrace.

"Why are you running from the past?" he'd inquire thoughtfully. "You have already left it behind. It is gone. The future is all that awaits you." A cheeky grin would be offered, though he was unsure if she would appreciate his poetic thoughts. Áki was certainly not a creature of regret, and he knew it was just as easy to leave the past behind as it was to bring it up again.. but why bother? Angst was clearly not his forté. "My name is Áki. It is a pleasure, Mira." Grinning again, his tail would curl absently about his forepaws.