The sunlight glittering off the lake was positively blinding, almost to the extent she needed to navigate down the hillside by touch. She squinted against the afternoon sunlight and slowly meandered towards the water, gingerly placing a paw here and there to sidestep any rocks or gnarled roots that may try and snatch her feet from underneath her. She supposed tripping wouldn't be quite as terrible as the resulting fall would, but at least she would end up in water? Water would surely break her fall, wouldn't it? Break her fall and definitely not her spine..
Fortunately, Mikasa made it to the water's edge without incident and didn't hesitate to bounce into the shallows before lowering her muzzle to drink. Her ears tested at attention while she sipped, letting her eyes close as she enjoyed the refreshment on a lazy summer afternoon.
Someone had finally told him about Greatwater Lake, and he had to go and see for himself. That and he was thirsty, and his not inconsiderable amount of fur - more so belonging to some northern wolf than a desert gardener - deserved a break after all he had accomplished.
So his great stature went to the water's edge and bent his head to lap at its surface. Crisp, cool, he wanted to swim within it.
Mikasa breathed in a deep, soulful sigh when she was finished having her fill of water. Maybe she was alone and maybe she had no idea what to do with her life, but at least she'd found somewhere pretty decent to hangout for the foreseeable future. She still hoped one day she would magically wake up and have the drive to actually go out and accomplish something, but alas, such a day had not yet come and she was feeling particularly lazy now. A nap was in her future, just not quite yet. First she wanted to take a little dip and tucker herself out before sunbathing her way to a toasty nap. Ah, paradise.
Mikasa didn't waste an ounce of energy on grace as she flopped into the water (more of a faceplant) sending up a splash and disappearing briefly under the surface. Her head popped back up moments later and a soft laugh spilled from her lips before she realized, ah shit, she wasn't alone. There was a brief moment of panic on her face before she threw caution to the wind: "c'mon in!"
The worst he could say was no, right?
The giant leaned forward, gathering his paws under him and wiggling for just the best position before... he jumped.
His paws hit the underwater surface of the lake and he swam back up just in time to see the misplaced water rain down around him.
That was cool!
The wolf didn't hesitate to join her and Mikasa grinned, noting with some amusement that Sovereign had been correct in saying she would not be the last large wolf she'd stumble across. She wondered if it was something in the water or the food source and if she would have a pup that grew so large; you know, if she ever went down that path. It was probably a little too late for Mikasa herself to get any larger, so she thought ahead to the future and a coalition of massive puppies. Hah, wouldn't that be something.
"Nice splash! Didja see any fish when ya went under? Did you know we can open our eyes? Probably. That was dumb to say." Mikasa floundered a bit as she paddled in a small circle, enjoying the sensation of weightlessness. "I'm Mikasa, by the way."
Haizel,
he giggled. Mikasa was a pretty name, he thought, and he told her as much. His fur looked darker than he'd like, but if he were to make it back to Akashingo before he dried off, he could water plants with his fur! That'd be just as cool, and it made him think for a moment he could add a lake to the garden, for everyone else to swim in! But that was probably wishful thinking, it was far too hot in the desert for that.
Would be fun, though.
Back to his new friend!
Where ya from, Mikasa?
"Awh, thanks, wish I could take credit for it. S'my great grandma's name, I guess." Mikasa shrugged, which was a bit difficult to do while paddling around in the water. She managed. "Haizel is real nice too." Although to be fair, Mikasa would have thought any name was nice in that moment. Her stomach was alive with butterflies and anxiety because social interactions were not exactly her forte and she was eager to do whatever it took to gain someone's approval.
Mikasa treaded water as he inquired of her home and she paused, considering. "I was born pretty far from here and since then, I'm from nowhere. Just kinda wandering around, exploring.. it's an alright lifestyle. What about you?" Unlike the other wolves she'd met, this fella had the scent of others woven into his fur. She was intrigued.
Oh, me? Well, I came from a valley far away from here. I'm not sure how I got here, honestly, but I live with a pack called Akashingo! It's just a little down that way,
water splashed where his tail wagged. I'm their gardener. I love flowers! Do you love flowers?
He didn't need to hunt, which was nice.
Nor did he have to pine for much.
Which was just as well, for he didn't take more than he needed, even if his state of being huge meant he tended to eat a couple of bunnies instead of just one or two.
Flowers needed tended to, his hunger needed tending to, least he eat the plants he loved so dearly.
I made a whole garden for them!
Mikasa's little legs pumped furiously in the water to hold her afloat. Fortunately, she was quite adept at swimming and was always more at home in the water than in land. She had a decent amount of stamina and would be able to identify the danger zone of exhaustion, so for now she was happy to carry on talking while treading water. Hopefully the man would help her out if she started to fatigue, too.
"Gardener?" she repeated curiously, ears drawn forward with intrigue. There hadn't been a position quite like that in her homeland and she was dying to know just a bit more. As for flowers, she had to pause. "Um, I don't know.. I want to say yes, but I feel like I've never really stopped to look at them? They're pretty. What do you have to do to grow them? Do you grow herbs for medics and stuff, too?" Poisons, perhaps? Mikasa wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer to that, but it lingered in her thoughts nonetheless. "Now I wanna go look at flowers!"