He placed the finishing touches of his gift, and placed it aside to dry and set. After doing so, he anxiously looked at it from every angle, walking around it, looking under, looking up. Until he decided each long blue feather sat straight and perfect in the bracelet. It had taken time for enough of his main blue feathers to fall free, and be gathered by him to make the gift. The glue had come from Io, and the bracelet itself, a simple metal thing, hidden beneath the feathers, and softened with a covering of lambs fur, had been made with Seer’s help. Of course, he had blushed and avoided the question when his dad asked what it was for. Friendship had become a thing all the more precious for the boy lately. For the yearling. Life had proven how easy it was to lose them. He wanted to hold on tightly to those he had. Once the feathers had dried, and proven themselves to be steadfast beneath an experimental pull, he decided it was complete. He placed it delicately along one wing, and raised his wing upwards. The bracelet tumbled against his back, and held gently trapped between raised wing and side. He then trotted off to Hana’a den, and peeking his head just in side, he placed it in plain view, and began to trott away again. It would, after all, be obvious who the gift had come from.

Toshi was doing what he did best, sleeping. Hidden amongst the furs he blended in seamlessly, only stirring when a wolfy snout poked into the den and left something behind. He stared at it with sleepy eyes, his little nose twitching as he wondered who the hell had disturbed him. With a grumble he climbed to his paws, took a hold of the bracelet between his teeth and stepped out of the den. He squinted against the light but his eyes soon adjusted as he took in the sight of that winged wolf-he didn't remember his name- trotting off with a spring in his step. It was only then that Toshi put two and two together, this was a gift for Hana. Herm. Letting out a throaty shriek, Toshi called after the winged wolf, demanding that he take it back and give it to Hana- like a proper man would. If only because Toshi wanted to go back to sleep, undisturbed. As far as he was concerned they could take their teen drama elsewhere, he wanted nothing to do with it.

It seemed as though Mortis had a bad sense of timing. Trotting back over Hanako's ears perked at the sound of Toshi's demanding squeal, she wasn't surprised nor alarmed since she was used to his screeches and grunts by now but she supposed the same couldn't be said for her pack mates. To everyone else he no doubt seemed mouthy, but she knew he only got loud when he was annoyed, frustrated that he couldn't just speak like everyone else. The scene she came across was...a little odd to say the least, Toshi held something gently between his teeth as he stared accusingly at Mortis, his fluffy white tail all puffed up like a thorny bush.

She had to admit she felt a little...mixed about seeing Mortis here. The way he'd ditched her at the party rubbed her entirely the wrong way and whilst she'd never shout or visibly get annoyed at him she did feel a little sulky, like she wanted to give him the cold shoulder too.

"Mortis?" She asked, gently nudging Toshi's cheek to try and get him to at least de-puff.

He was surprised when the small creature screamed at him. His first instinct was to run, as through he had gotten caught going somewhere he wasn’t supposed to. He made himself turn, and face the grumpy creature. Folding his wings downwards to rest the tips on his knees, as he frowned at the creature. “What, are you making a ruckus about?” he asked. Then, Hana appeared, and he jumped in surprise. The feeling of being caught red handed returned. He fought back a blush, and offered her a smile. “Oh… uh… I was…” he pointed helplessly towards the bracelet in Toshi’s mouth. “That’s for you, not him” he managed to explain.

Toshi stood there, an unwilling participant as he held onto the bracelet. He was tempted to just throw it on the floor and go back to bed but he knew Hanako wouldn't like that very much. As wilful as he could sometimes be he'd never go out of his way to be outright mean to her, she'd been kind to him when no one else. So whether he wanted to admit it or not he kinda owed her. Instead the tanuki plodded over and gently laid it at her paws with a grumble before returning to his little alcove in the den. They could continue their wolf business as long as they weren't too loud, otherwise he'd emerge again with more squealing complaints.

Hanako stared down at the bracelet laid between her paws, her brows drawn in confusion. For a moment she thought the bracelet had been adorned with Ruri's feathers, that he'd somehow managed to snatch them from the magpie without her noticing. But as Hanako bent down a little to examine them closer she realised they lacked the iridescent sheen, in fact they looked just like the bluey feathers near the base of Mortis' wings. Oh. And then as if to confirm her suspicions beyond a reasonable doubt the Fatalis finally came clean, looking awfully sheepish as he did so. Things were starting to make a little more sense, though that didn't explain why he'd been sneaking around and acting all jumpy when caught red pawed. Why hadn't he just given her the gift face to face, he'd never had problems seeking her out before so what was his problem? Her mind looped back to the party, to the lingering sting of rejection and she wondered if this was his way of making amends. If so he was off to a good start, like any girl she did like her trinkets...

"Aww it's lovely, thank you Mortis." She said, a slight smile tugging at her lips as though he wasn't quite deserving of a full one just yet.

She said nothing for a long moment as she admired the bracelet, lifting it gently with her toe so she could slip it on to test the fit. It was just right, loose but unobtrusive, a pretty splash of blue against the pale of her leg. The silence dragged on till she couldn't stand it no longer, she just had to clear the air. Without even meaning to she slipped back into her more proper, formal way of speaking, the result of venturing into unknown territory no doubt. And perhaps also because she felt as though she ought to hold him back at legs length since things weren't how they ought to be between them. Slights unaddressed and all that.

"I love it, truly, and don't want to sound ungrateful but what's this for?"

His tail gave a cautious wag behind him, and his grin grew a little more when she called it lovely. She seemed a little cautious however, so he didn’t let his own emotions go any further in excitement then that. Waiting, as it were, for the second shoe to drop. He waited patiently as she examined the gift, turning it over in her paws and putting the bracelet on. The carefully laid feathers holding up to the punishment easily.

“It’s a friendship bracelet” he explained “So you can hold onto it, wherever you are, and know I’m thinking about, as my friend.” he explained, his tail wagging a little more, through some of the happiness dropped out of his eyes. Thinking of another friend for a moment. Wishing he had thought to give her something such as this as well. Wherever she was, was she thinking of the Armada? He chased the thought away. Just because he had lost Malalia didn’t mean he couldn’t make more friends. It couldn’t mean that. He would be lost without friendship. Without Hana’s friendship.

Hanako was a sucker for sweet gestures like this. Anything earnest and heartfelt made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside, making her past grievances seem irrelevant and old news. Like she'd gone and gotten all worked up over nothing, again. But it wasn't nothing or at least at the time it hadn't felt like nothing, the pain had dulled a little with the passing of time but in that moment it had felt so sharp and real. To just forget it would be a disservice and if anything Mortis deserved her honesty, even if the truth wasn't always what he wanted hear.

"I've been thinking about you a lot." She admitted, staring down at the bracelet that rested atop her fiery paw. She almost didn't want to push ahead, it just wasn't in her nature to create conflict. It was better to suffer in silence, or at least sulk till someone else took the initiate and addressed the issue for her. But she knew Mortis wouldn't, like her he wasn't the sort to rock the boat. Or maybe he just didn't realise what he'd done was wrong, cruel even."I had a lot of fun dancing with you at the party, I didn't want it to end so soon..." She finally looked up at him, her brows drawn as a troubled frown twisted her lips. It was clear she wasn't happy, to say the least.

“You have?” he asked in surprise, a smile starting to curve across his muzzle, before he realised Hana was looking at her paws. She looked unhappy, rather then excited, at the admittance. He paused, surprised and confused. Had he done something wrong? Was she upset with him? But for what?

She spoke of dancing at the party, but that did little to clear up his confusion. “I did too, even if it was hard not to be reminded of Mal with it all. Did I… upset you? I know I'm a bad dancer, but I can learn, if you want me to be a better partner next time?” he offered. Surprised, and a little bit hurt. Did she expect him to know immediately how to dance? She did realise it wasn’t part of the training his dad had given them, right? In fact, seeing his dad dance had been a shock to him. He hadn’t even known that his father knew how.

But, if she was upset at his bad dancing and wanted better, then he would be better. He knew she didn’t have many friends in the pack yet, and even if she did. She was his friend. If she wanted Mortis to know how to dance, then dammit he would learn.

Hanako knew that Mortis missed Malalia and she'd never hold that against him, but the thought of inadvertently being compared to the missing Reaper didn't sit well with her. She didn't want this to be a competition or for it to seem as though she was in a hurry to fill the void left behind, it was all so confusing and complex that Hanako felt exhausted just thinking about it. She just didn't know what to say or do, if anything she wanted to ignore the problem and hope that it just faded away with the passage of time but since when had that ever worked? She sighed at his words and her shoulders drooped. She knew that Mortis was a good listener but somehow he'd managed to completely miss the mark, to take her words and twist their meaning into something else. She wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake some sense into him, that wasn't what she'd said! Not by a longshot! But Hanako just couldn't- or rather wouldn't- do that, as tempting as it was. Months of conditioning couldn't be erased with a drop of the hat simply because Mortis was being a little dumb.

"That's not... You weren't as bad as you think and I'd love to dance with you again, whether you practice or not but I-" He was going to make her say it wasn't he? Azure for all his faults was able to read the room and it was now painfully apparent that Mortis couldn't. When she finally spoke again her voice was rough, as though the words scratched her throat on the way out. "You left me."

She liked his dancing, then why was she upset? And then she said it, and his mouth opened in a little ‘o’ of surprise. He hadn’t considered how his absence might hurt, how friendship went too way. He jumped forward, grabbing her into a hug, weather she wanted it or not. “I’m sorry Hana, I didn’t realise. I thought Az wanted to dance with you, and I didn’t think you wanted me to dance when I was too upset to keep my feet straight. And I wanted to ask Venom about Deathbelle’s disappearance… I didn’t think.” he explained, pulling away, and making a sad face as he considered his friend. “We could dance now… if you wanted? I could get some wood, and have a little bonfire going on the beach, and we could dance together?” Was it enough to make up for the mistake he had made?

This wasn't the first time a Fatalis had grabbed Hanako for a hug and she had a feeling it wouldn't be the last. She could have resisted, shoved him back and she knew he wouldn't have respected it but instead she found herself leaning into his embrace, tucking her head down as she stared at bracelet. She knew he'd had a lot on his mind, but the fact he didn't just push all of that aside to spend a moment with her hurt a little. She knew it was awfully selfish of her to feel that way, especially since he was grieving the disappearance of his best friend  but...didn't it hurt less when they were together? More than anything she wanted to be of help, to be the one friend he could rely on, so the fact that he still felt so lost without Malalia made Hanako feel like a failure. Like she hadn't taken care of her friend as well as she should have. But that was on her, wasn't it? She had no reason to take it out on him, no matter how much it felt like he was rejecting her she knew-ultimately- that hadn't been his intention. She sighed as she leaned her forehead against his chest, her eyes fluttering closed.  

"It's okay. I just...took it really personally and-" She stopped there, not wanting to dig deeper into those sorts of feelings right now. Mortis had apologised and made up for the hurt he'd caused, she'd get over it soon enough."I really do love dancing but you can't just do it whenever, Mort. It's gotta be the right time, the right place." She said, shaking her head as she tutted a little. "But when that time comes...I'll dance with you till your paws fall off."

Her mind couldn't help but linger on what he'd said though, as a Wraith she felt an itch to know what was going on with Ashen. Even if it was only idle gossip. When he pulled away she simply scooted closer with just enough distance between them for her to angle her head up to look at him.

"What's going on with Ashen? I heard they got raided but... the pack seems a little bone idle." For all she knew that was the Empire's natural state, reclusive and too busy sitting around on it's laurels to put in the effort to maintain it's power base. But Mortis  mentioned that the Empress had gone missing and that certainly sounded out of the ordinary, or at the very least a cause for concern.

She leaned into his hug, and for a moment he was content with just holding her close. He was still a clueless idiot, and he didn’t really get what was going through her mind. “If I’d realised, then I would have danced the entire night with you.” He promised her. He hadn’t realised how important it was to her, but we her friend, well, he had a responsibility to figure these things out. “You're the expert” he said dubiously. He didn’t think dancing could only be done under certain conditions. How then did one practice? He would still have four left feet next time he danced with her if he didn’t get a chance to practice first. He furrowed his brow at Hana’s question. He didn’t know much was known within the pack, but this was Hana. She was like family, and it didn’t even occur to him that she could mean anything devious by asking. There was a deceiving bone in her body. “My dad and Deathbelle had an argument, and then mum and dad had an argument. I only hear a bit of mum and dads. Lots of yelling. Deathbelle left the pack for a bit, I guess to get away? Leaving Ashen in Venom’s paws. I don’t know why exactly, but… I think dads always liked Deathbelle.” He pulled a face. He couldn’t imagine his dad with anyone but Zee. He acted crazy around his mother. "Mortis""Hana"

That wasn't exactly what Hanako had anticipated but she supposed it made sense. Beyond their titles they were still people with thoughts and feelings, their arguments just carried a little more weight that most, impacting the lives of all who served beneath them. Maybe it was a little immature for a bunch of adults to squabble like this, shouldn't they be wise and mature enough to deal with their problems in a constructive manner? Or perhaps Hanako was being unfair, expecting too much when she didn't know the entire picture. Either way there was little she could do, aside from listen and try to mitigate some of Mortis' worries. The mention of Venom though brought a frown to her face and Hanako dipped her head down a little to hide it. She'd only met the princess once and whilst she hadn't been outright cruel Hanako just couldn't- she didn't... It was complicated. There was too much going on, too many moving parts to keep an eye on and honestly it was exhausting, a burden Hanako grew tired of baring. But it seemed as though Mortis had even more on his plate, a weight he clearly wasn't ready to shoulder yet. If ever, and that was okay, Hanako didn't think any lesser of him for that.

"I'm sorry you're trapped in the middle Mort." She murmured, gently nudging him with her snout in a show of support. If nothing he could take a moment to rest with her, saving the worrying for late. "Come in and take the weight off your paws, if Deathbelle is having her own fancy get away it's the least you deserve." Hanako shoulder bumped him towards the den, if he didn't go along willingly she'd push him inside if she must.

Once inside Hanako wiped her paws on the straw mat by the entrance before she slipped through the corridor into the main space of the den. Snuggled in his little alcove Toshi opened one eye and grumbled to himself as he curled up into an even tighter ball. He knew it was Hanako's den, she could invite people in if she wanted, he supposed. The ground was covered in a variety of soft and plush furs and Hanako folded herself down with ease, getting comfortable as she admired the bracelet once more.

He offered Hana a short smile as she nudged him. He was still on the outskirts of the drama going on within the pack, and didn’t know what was going to come of it all. He couldn’t imagine Deathbelle staying away for long, nor his parents fighting forever. They had loved eachother all of his life. Besides, they were adults and pack leaders, they had too much responsibility to be lost in whatever squibble this was.

“Thanks Hana, It’s fine, really. I’m more curious what’s going to happen with Ashen. They’ve always been our sister pack, and I feel like things are changing.” He explained, delving a little more into his limited insight.

He barked out a soft laugh at her last comment, and shook off his worries, shaking out his feathers, and following Hana into her den.

“You know, i’ve got my own place now - I was thinking of seeing if anyone wanted to team up with all the space i’ve got. I’m not used to living alone.” he explained. He had a vague idea of seeing what pack mates wanted to move into his space, but that invite would always be made first to Hana. even if it was a little vague.

Copying Hana. he wiped his paws, and moved further into the den. He grinned at Tashi as he made a soft noise, then moved on. The young pup glanced at the mats spread out in the den, and picked one adjacent to Hana, settling down there.

Hanako wasn't exactly convinced, it was a lot for him to deal with all at once but if he said he was okay then she'd let it slide for now. Change was always a little difficult to manage, it would have certainly bothered her more if she'd been part of the Ashen picture for longer. But since she was still a bit of a new comer the shifting dynamic of the two packs didn't impact her all that much, if anything she wanted to see changes be made. As things stood she didn't feel as though Ashen deserved their lofty titles or the respect they so clearly demanded, but she knew better than to say as much. That if the wrong ears caught wind of her opinions she might be tagged as a slanderer.

Only once he was settled comfortably did Hanako even think to take in his words, she vaguely remembered Sirius mentioning that at the party but she wasn't quite sure what he was getting at. Surely it'd be a nice change of pace, no? She'd been really excited at the prospect of having her own den and the thought of having to share long term had brought a wrinkle to her nose. Though if  pushed she supposed she wouldn't mind sharing a with Mortis...or maybe Azure. Both options sounded quite nice actually, but that really was neither here nor there.

"Who do you have in mind?" Hanako asked, just to keep the conversation going, as his hint flew on over her head."Even then you might get used to it, I've found it's nice to have the space." Just to show off how much room her den had she stretched out her legs as far as she could and wiggled her toes.

He stretched out his own paw, pushing the flat of his forepaw pad onto hers like a high-five. “I don’t know” he said, pausing for a beat. She didn’t want to den with him? Or was he reading too much into her response. Maybe she hadn’t really got what he was asking. “A good friend to hang out with. It's weird how quiet my own space is. I want a nice full den full of snoring wolves and warm bodies.” Mort was 100% a hugger. He liked to be in other people's space and around them. A part of their lives. Which was why having his own den almost sucked.

“Maybe someone who likes seafood, so we can pig out together after a good haul. Someone who gives little nosy snores, so it’s not so quiet…” he looked across at hana, pushing his toes further into hers, and grinned.

Without even thinking about it Hanako extended her leg so her paw met his, the dark of his pads blending with the soft pink of hers. He was definitely reading too deep into this. She could kinda see where he was coming from though, her den certainly felt more... full with him around. But if that's what he wanted then who was she to tell him no? Then he mentioned sea food...and damn he really knew her weaknesses. She could picture it easily in her mind and had been about to offer him a sleep over or two to tide him over but- he went there, down a path of no return. For a moment she hoped she'd misheard him, and wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt but his shit eating grin let no room for error. What was it with Fatalis' and fighting dirty hm? Evil evil evil.

"You! Why I-" She snapped her mouth closed with a click as she sent him the most scowly look she could muster. She did NOT snore! Which was to say she most certainly did but was deep in denial about it. Pulling her paw away she slapped it down atop of Mortis', not roughly mind you, just enough force to fully convey how very miffed she was. Which was a lot, if you couldn't tell. "Well your breath smells! And! And you have a stupid head!"

“Hey!” he laughed, scooting his paw more to the side, before trying to slap it over hers and trap it under his. She had just hit him with it, after all. She was acting all miffed, but all he had spoken was the truth. He leaned forward, breathing heavily from his mouth. “Pardon. Must have been that fish I ate without you” he continued, putting on an innocent demeanor as he raised his nose a little.

“I can cut back and give you my share instead, no more bad breath - if you bunk with me” and there it was, fully out in the open. He flipped his paw over, putting hers back on top. Almost like a metaphor for his words. She was in charge, and he would respect her say-so absolutely.

Hanako grumbled, like a grouchy old woman. Her gaze flicked aside as she pouted, refusing to look at him as he trapped her paw once again, the white of his toes hiding her fire.  She shifted a little, just to make sure her bracelet wasn't getting smushed. She knew he'd never hurt her, not ever, but she was keenly aware of the fact he had sharp claws hidden behind the fluff of his paws. And yet he was so soft and kind, gentle in all the right ways- but very annoying. Or at least right now, sort of. Leaning back, Hanako mock gagged at the smell of his breath and raised her other paw to push his muzzle away as she made an exaggerated "bleeeh".

"Why don't you just give me your share anyway? You're big enough as is. Fatty." She pushed out her hing leg to poke at his belly and gave him a sharp little jab just to prove her point. Which was moot since...well look at him. "If you're thaaat desperate to have me how about we come to some sort of arrangement. We could have a sleep over every other night, you stay here or I stay there. Whatever works best for you." It was the best compromise she could come up with, since she was reluctant to throw away what was rightfully hers.

He laughed softly as she pretended to gag at his breath. He let her gently guide his muzzle in a different direction, and closed his jaws with a soft snap, a trouble-maker grin on his maw. “That is all muscle, thank you!” He said in mock outrage, ruined by the grin on his maw. He pushed his belly over top of the paw that poked it, attempting to trap it there.

“I always want you around, Hana” he said, none of the tease in his voice this time. Just genuine truth. Not that he would have used the word ‘desperate’

“That sounds great Hana! Sleep overs, whenever we like. We can also camp in front of the firepit some nights if we feel like it” he offered, a tinge of regret in his belly. That had been something he and Mal had enjoyed doing together. Of course, they had also told scary stories and sung together. He pushed aside the memories, concentrating on the here and now. Sometimes, the loss of that friendship threatened to overwhelm him. He didn’t let it happen when he was with Hana, and cheapen his time with her.

Hanako made a big song and dance of not being convinced. She hummed loudly, drawing the sound out till she was short of breath and had to just let it go. He soon trapped her paw with his "belly fat" instead of trying to pull it free she began to wiggle her toes, hoping to draw laughter from Mortis as she ticked him. It was all fun and games, the moment he told her to stop she'd do just that, but till then she planed on giving him all she'd got! She'd kinda expected as much, given that they always spent so much time with one another, but it felt good to hear him say it all the same. Reaffirming that no matter what they'd be friends till the end.

Hanako idly wondered if she'd need to sweeten the pot but it clearly wasn't necessary as Mortis soon leapt at her offer, grabbing a hold of it and adding his own twist to make it even more special. As much as she adored the comforts of her own den she had to admit it sounded like a lot of fun, more then just simply curling up for the night and leaving it there. She remembered when Mortis had told her of his scary stories sessions, wouldn't that be the perfect backdrop to weave such spooky tales? Her tail slapped the floor as it wagged with obvious anticipation.

"You have yourself a deal Mr Fatalis.