Áki found a slight frown tugging at the corners of his mouth as he eyed the water that lapped at his toes. He was certain the tide had been rising since he'd gotten here not long ago. Though he'd never been much of a fan of the water.. at least, not spending time in it. Something in the way the sound of a rushing river or the crashing of an ocean wave against the shoreline was rather calming to him, but actually being in said water?

Forget it.

He'd never been a big fan of seafood itself, either. Something was odd about the briny taste to him. Though he wouldn't be opposed to consuming the odd creatures if it really came down to it. Why he was here, then, he wasn't quite sure. He'd always enjoyed exploring new places and something about this beach had called to him. Padding away from the wet sands, he found a drier area to recline to, his gaze cast out across the horizon. He was in a thoughtful mood, and though he always preferred company when he had nothing better to do, he was content being alone right now as well.

“No, no, no, like this.” The long billed bird said from his resting place on the mottled wolf’s back before throwing back his head and belting out the unique call of his species. Spider wagged his tail, throwing back his head and attempted to mimic the cry with a series of tone-deaf yowls and yelps. “Er…Close enough.” The bird said. The two had only just met and already they were becoming fast friends, the bird was skilled at catching small prey or slowing down prey enough for Spider to catch it and the gray wolf was good company for the bird. Most important of all however was that the laughing bird had offered to help him when his stutter became too persistent or he got too nervous to complete his sentences. He walked along the beach, eager to reach the small den he and Natiel shared, excited to show off his newly acquired companion to the girl that had so graciously taken him in. The two had been so distracted with each other that neither noticed the hulking male laying on the sad until they had come close enough to be noticed. Spider immediately shrank back, noting the odd markings and the even odder tusks protruding from his jaw. He looked at him, marbled eyes wide with fear although that was far from unusual for him. “Hello there!” The bird chirped, sending a shiver of pure terror up the gray male’s spine, his fur standing on end along his neck and cheeks. Unfortunately for Spider his companion sought to change his nervous ways and part of the bird's grand scheme was to get him to be as social as possible. Spider speaking Echo Speaking

Áki heard the call of a bird in the distance long before he heard anyone's arrival. The sound was distinct from the faint birdsong of his surroundings, but not enough to capture his attention. For now the brute was content to rest on a drier part of the beach, eyeing the rising tide and wondering how soon the water would force him to find a better spot to move to. A yawn caught hold of him, and he stretched his large forepaws in front of him to shift into a more comfortable position.

The gentle rustling of paws brought his attention to the mottled-coated man's arrival. Though his approach didn't surprise him, the fact that his bird friend spoke first definitely did. Shifting where he sat and lifting his head a bit taller, he aimed his tusked head toward Spider, grinning. "Hello, you two," Áki called out in his heavy voice. He swore the man looked fearful of him -- it was a reaction he'd become somewhat accustomed to here, and he no longer questioned it. "Lovely day, isn't it?" After a moment he pulled himself upright onto his haunches, shaking out his heavy coat and stretching his limbs.

Spider opened and closed his mouth several times as he struggled to speak. “W-w-well… y-y-yes, I s-s-suppose.” He muttered, eyeing the ground nervously as he spoke. “You’ll have to excuse him, he’s shy. But we’re working on that, aren’t we?” The bird chirped cheerily, looking first at the red marked wolf, then at the back of his companion’s head. “Y-y-y-y-yes.” Spider mumbled, internally reminding himself that he did indeed want to get better. Spider cautioned a glance at the red-eyed male, attempting to look at anything other than the large tusks protruding from his lower jaw because he knew it would be rude to do so. He took a deep breath, attempting to settle his rattled nerves and forced himself to raise his head. “M-m-my n-n-n-n-name’s S-s-s-s-s-“ He flattened his ears, his own name caught in his throat. He felt a hot flush rise to his cheeks, thankfully hidden by his silky fur. “-Spider. His name is Spider.” The bird chimed from his back, a look of silent gratitude washing over the wolf's face. “And my name’s Echo.” The dusty bird introduced, his tone as cheery as ever. Spider and Echo tipped their heads in greeting and then waited for the other wolf to introduce himself. He was older Spider noticed, most likely experienced with fighting and bigger than him by nearly a foot. He supposed he could outrun him if he decided to attack, but for now he was frozen in place, secretly petrified with fear. text Spider speaking Echo Speaking

Though his new acquaintance replied after a moment, his words were tentative and shaky. His avian companion seemed to have a better grasp on language than him, something Áki found vaguely amusing. At the bird's words, the brute found himself chuckling lightly. He was shy, then? Though he supposed he could understand, he definitely couldn't relate. Áki had always been comfortable in his own skin, and couldn't relate to feeling shy or anxious around new faces. "Ah, not a problem," he dismissed the thought with a shake of his head, not finding it relevant. "No need to be shy around me." Trying to assure him of that likely wouldn't make things easier, but.. ah well. He shrugged his wide shoulders, not too bothered by his bashful personality.

He struggled to introduce himself, and his bird friend helped him along. "It's a pleasure then, Spider, and.. Echo." Though it was strange to him to have a companion who some might consider food -- not that Echo would make a terribly good meal, he was far too small to consider trying to catch -- he would go along with things for now. "I'm Áki Jarvela. You two from around these parts?" He didn't smell of a pack and Áki figured he might be a rogue. A surprising choice for someone who struggled to speak to others; usually the shy ones flourished in group environments, protected by others, though he also figured finding a pack might be hard too in that case.

“N-no…I mean yes- I mean-“ Spider squeezed his eyes shut as he sputtered out an answer. For once Echo couldn’t answer for him, they had only just met and the bird still hadn’t met Natiel. Spider took a deep breath and opened his eyes slowly “I l-l-live in the S-s-s-south with my f-f-friend” He still stuttered but his answer had at least been clear, which he supposed was progress. He had considered returning to the garden where he had met the black god, considered gathering more of the herb the god had given him, but upon reflection deemed the effects of the herb too inoculating. Besides that he was admittedly afraid he would run into the god again, that the god would spite him or…worse…That the god would charm him into his arms again, that he might lose his sense of time and find himself lost in another male’s thick fur. Just the thought made him feel flustered. He shook out his neck and smiled wanly at the man. “A-a-and y-y-yourself?” Spider speaking Echo Speaking

His uncertainty was strangely amusing -- endearing, even -- especially since it seemed like Spider was genuinely trying. Maybe interacting with others was difficult for him, something that had never been a challenge for Áki. Finally he explained he lived in the south with a friend. He nodded, flashing a grin. "Ah, very good," he offered kindly. It wasn't much information to go off of, but he would work with it.

His gaze found Spider's bird companion again, who had introduced himself as Echo. It was quite a strange pairing, but.. he'd seen all sorts of strange things since his arrival in these lands. He wasn't quite sure if this was the oddest or not.  "I don't really have a place I'd call home, not really," Áki offered after a moment of thought. It certainly was not anything he was disappointed with, and his pleasure was audible in his voice. "You could say I'm a wanderer of sorts. I like waking up somewhere new each day. Well, most days." It was too simple of an explanation to really explain the sort of wolf he was, but he figured it touched on the basics. Staying in the same place briefly was okay, but he never enjoyed actually claiming territory as his own - it simply wasn't for him.

“O-oh..I s-see.” He muttered, already feeling an awkward silence growing between them, but that seemed to happen quite a lot to him. He supposed a more social wolf would have invited the man to join him on some sort of task, but all he wanted was to go back to his den and show Echo off to Natiel. He licked his nose nervously as he struggled to think of something to keep the conversation going but coming up short. Dear Yosep, say something! his mind roared but ultimately it only made him feel more nervous. Echo, sensing his friend’s growing discomfort, rubbed his bill against the base of the mottled wolf’s ear. “Relax.” He said quietly, attempting to soothe the panicking wolf. “D-do you a-always t-t-t-travel a-a-alone?” He asked, screwing his eyes shut as he spoke and opening them as he finished. That was a good question He told himself, although the voice in his mind had been Echo’s and not his own. Looking the silver wolf over it wasn’t hard to believe that such a large creature could survive entirely on his own. Spider on the other hand relied almost entirely on Natiel for food and protection. He supposed he should feel ashamed that a fully-grown male needed the help of a female, especially one who he had no intention of keeping as a lover, but it had been that way for quite some time. It was a structure for him that had changed only recently for him after the death of his sister, and now he had returned to it with a close friend. Spider speaking Echo Speaking

The silence, although far from uncomfortable, wasn’t exactly the most pleasant either. That was usually how it went, though, when meeting new wolves; at least at first. He murmured an inaudible word quiet at Spider’s response, unsure if he would be the one to continue the conversation due to his new acquaintance’s apparent awkwardness. It was a strange sight to see the bird speaking quietly to him and rubbing against his cheek, seemingly to comfort him, and Áki found himself tilting his head slightly as he sat and eyed the two curiously. Such a strange companionship, he thought to himself, resisting the urge to shake his head. It wasn’t a bad thing, definitely not, simply an odd pair to find as friends, that’s all.

After a short moment, though, Spider spoke up. The question seemed hard for him, but he managed it anyway, and he found himself grinning again. ”Usually,” he answered quickly, though shrugged his shoulders gently. Most of the time he preferred to be on his own, but occasional company was always welcomed. Nothing permanent, and no obligations, but he was happy with temporary adventuring partners. ”Though I’m not completely antisocial. Traveling with others can be enjoyable too.” His tail flicked where it lay against him on the earth, and after a moment it curled more tightly against his flanks. ”What about you and Echo? Have you known him long?” He didn’t even know how long birds lived - especially whatever kind Echo was - and if he was young or old; it was difficult to tell for him, and his brows furrowed as he examined him and tried to figure it out.