Poor Azure. One might think that if Hanako truly cared for him she wouldn't have subjected him to a day of listless sunbathing, but really she'd had a tough time as of late and it was only fair that she took a day to indulge in some self care. She didn't feel quite as icky as she used to but the grumbly, sulky feeling clung to her like a bad stink. And given her um encounter with Kefka she wasn't so inclined to trot off on her own so really she was hitting two birds with one stone: having a splendid time with Azure whilst he kept an eye out for her. Just in case.

Hours upon hours of sunbathing had passed like a blur. The beach she'd chosen to snooze upon was pretty enough during the day time, just a quiet, if not plain stretch of sand, but as the sun dipped horizon it became something all together different. Hanako's sunbathing spot was long abandoned as she stood ankle deep in the waves, surrounded by an unearthly glow. The light painted the white of her coat blue, as the reflection gleamed in her eyes, making her look rather alike the glowing alpha of Valhalla- but not nearly as uptight or snooty.

"Az come see this!" She called for him, knowing-despite his many and obvious groans of boredom- he hadn't wandered far.

Az's word had been his bond, and when a promise was given he knew he'd do anything in his power to try and see it through. The scar upon his face was a daily reminder of that, and of his failure to uphold his word when he swore to retrieve for Venom her attacker's tusk. Though he'd tried his hardest he'd come home empty handed and nearly lost his eye, his best hadn't been good enough and he doubted the shame of the loss would ever fade.

It was out of hopes that he'd never again fail to meet expectations - as well as his fondness for his koi-wolf Hana - that he put so much effort into making this trip worthwhile for his friend. They'd traveled far to reach The Shimmering Shore and he'd had so many plans to make her vacation exciting and unforgettable.. until she'd spent the first of many hours plopped upon the sand bathing in the sun.

The heir had grumbled and moaned to himself, paced circles in the soft warm sand, and counted the nearby boulders at least fifty times by now. He'd been so listless and bored that it was in fact distracting, and he'd hardly noticed as Hanako abandoned her place in the sun and started towards the water. Fuck, where did the sun go? Az's brows knitted and he spun towards where she'd called his name. The expression softened as it fell upon her, silhouetted against the setting sun and cast in an otherworldly bioluminescence that seemed to chase after her legs through the water. It was remarkable - she was remarkable - but he couldn't find the words to tell her that.

"What do you think it is?" He asked as he approached, obeying her without thought. To anyone else he'd at least have a snarky comment on being demanded around, though the prince had always let Hana get away with a hell of a lot more then any other wolf had been allowed. Tension touched his face as he watched the glow cling at her fur, and he hissed out a soft seethe as he considered just how fun-police he was willing to be today. "Do you think it's safe to stand in?" Defaulting to another's opinion was also something he wasn't often prepared for, though with Hana it felt much less complicated to do.

Hanako hummed thoughtfully, flicking the water with a front paw. Maybe she shouldn't have just strode on in like it was any old sea water but surely if it was something bad like skin melting acid then it would have hurt her by now, right? She felt fine, better than that really. The luminecent waves rolled back and forth, leaving neon blue dots in their wake. At least until the process repeated itself again. She turned just so, her back still facing Azure, as she side eyed him, enjoying how the lighting drew her gaze to his blueish-green accents. She'd always thought he was sharp-in more ways that one- and handsome but...well- it was like the world was smearing that fact in her face. Irrefutable proof that she couldn't deny, not that she really cared to in this moment. Or ever, even. He'd mostly left her to her own devices today but now they were close she didn't care to be apart.

"Dunno." She admitted, her voice still carrying the upbeat lilt of her hum.

With a surprising amount of grace-no doubt due to her old school lessons- she backed up so she could rest comfortably against Azure's side, as though she no longer cared to stand. Her ribs pressed against his, the groves bumping and slotting together as she got herself comfortable, standing just so she could watch how the light reflected in his eyes. Even with his scar his eyes were as vibrant as she'd ever seen them, bright and alive, she wished she could see what thoughts swirled behind them.

"It's pretty though, don't you think?" She spoke quietly, her voice akin to the gentle murmur of the waves, since she didn't want to talk right in his ear like that. As tattered as they were she knew they worked just fine still.

And this is where she was started to push a little, more than she ought to. A whispy sigh rolled form her lips as she stood on her tippy toes in an attempt to rest her chin on his neck, cause it was comfortable yanno? No other reason, for sure.

Azure's breath caught in his throat as she drew herself closer, fitting against his larger frame perfectly. His muzzle tipped down towards her and for a moment he was lost in how to respond. Hana had been brought up as some.. wife-for-hire, groomed and taught on how to play her role as diligently as he had been raised to one day potentially rule. It seemed to come so easy to her, and it did not come nearly as easy to the young heir. Were the princes in her world also raised knowing how to properly treat a woman? Would she see through him? The insecurity gripped at him and he continued to look for words, when her chin came upon his neck and everything was made that much worse. Az couldn't decipher how much of her affections were fake and how much of them were her own brainwashing, because of course she was under the assumption that he'd bought her to be his wife.

Without any idea on how to proceed on this new 'hey, so I purchased you so I guess we're engaged now' development to their relationship, he scrambled back into the one that was tried and true - their mutual respect of highborn and lowborn. It was the only thing that came naturally to him that was acceptable to fall into around the soft koi-wolf. Forcing himself away from his own carnal desires, Az took a step back from her and dislodged her chin from atop his neck. The movement felt wrong and left him somehow emptier, but he steeled himself against the loss and maintained the aloof composure. "Are you hungry? I could find us some dinner, if you like." The words felt as wrong as the retreat did, and he took a portion of his inner lip between his teeth. Fuck, he was fucking this up.

She been obviously fishing for a compliment or two, clinging onto the hope he'd say something dreadfully sappy like: not as pretty as you. But nope, he'd simply pulled away without a word and left her hanging. She blinked owlishly, her chin feeling unseasonably cold with the absence of his touch. More surprising than that was sudden flare up of frustration that followed, sharp and jabbing like she was being poked by dozens of sea urchin spikes. Annoyance followed suit, like a fast acting toxin that left her huffing- had she hands one would have no doubt been propped up against her hip. For a girl who wore a mask so often without realising it her mood was as clear as they came. Hanako was most displeased.

The offer of fish did nothing to sate her appetite.

"Not really, no." But even like this she couldn't bring herself to be as direct as she probably ought to be. There was a lot neither of them were saying and the silence was overwhelming, the waves too loud and the wind too shrill. He hadn't pulled away when she was covered in her own..ahem slime, so why now? "What's wrong?" She said, her brows furrowed.  The words left her tongue closer akin to an accusation than a question.

She should have wondered what was up with herself, but she was somehow fixated on the question what was wrong with him?

Even Az was not so stupid to miss the change in her tone, her obvious displeasure at his tactical retreat. He blew out a breath, wondering how to salvage this with as little resulting drama as possible. Women were difficult, and he still could not determine if her anger was a result of her legitimately being upset at his lack of reciprocation because she liked him and enjoyed his company, or if it was just a woman embarrassed at being rejected by the wolf who'd paid for her paw.

He came back around to the 'I am prince, you are.. not' mindset, cooling his gaze and praying that when he looked into her eyes that she did not see the fear and confusion there. "Nothing you need to worry about, Hana." He managed. Seasons ago the phrase alone would have been enough for her, but whether it was enough now Azure did not know. "A place to den, then?" Round two of distract-the-koi-wolf, if his offer of fishing wasn't enough perhaps she was tired. "You must be exhausted from the day." Yes, because sunbathing was an activity that took so much energy. Stupid Azure, stupid.

He took another step back and glanced over his shoulder, veiling the further retreat as merely inspecting the surrounding shore for an adequate shelter.

Things were swiftly going from bad to worse. Instead of reassuring her as he ought to, Azure was quick to dismiss her concerns, waving them away as though it was none of her business. Like she was butting her muzzle in where it wasn't welcomed. Her lips stretched thin as she frowned, the conations of his dismissal ringing in her head like a death toll. Dramatic as it may be her mind clung onto the idea that, for reasons she couldn't quite understand, he'd grown bored of her. Like a pretty doll abandoned on the top shelf, left to get old and dusty. Was that all she'd ever been to him? Someone to stroke his ego and make him smile. For the longest time she'd been alright with that, his attention and care was all she could ever ask for, but there was something in her that wanted more and the fact he didn't seem interested in the least left her feeling very cold and rejected. They were supposed to be-he'd promised.

He said something about finding a den and Hanako couldn't care less, his voice was like sand in her hears and she didn't want to hear it.

"I'd like to go home." Was all she said, all stiff and formal as though all the colour and personality had been drained from her. The calm before the storm. "You can stay if you wish."

Though if he didn't want to walk her home that was fine, she'd make her own way back. Eventually. She was sure someone out there would treat her right, better than Azure Fucking Fatalis was anyway.

When she spoke again Az recoiled like she'd slapped him, his brows furrowing into a very clear expression of confusion. Go home? Did she have any idea how long they'd walked to get here? They were literally half a world away from the Armada, a distance almost as far as he'd travelled to Winterfell and back. There was absolutely no way that he was letting her go by herself, and even less of a chance that he was going to turn around to escort her back on a long ass journey because she had hurt feelings.

She was being unbelievably unreasonable, and Azure was getting emotional whiplash trying to keep up. "No." The heir took a step forward, holding his head at full height and looking down on her with the faintest show of teeth. His body language made it clear that this was not up for discussion. Her safety was at risk, and he knew he needed to make it very clear to her that she was not taking a step off of this shore without him.

"You will not. If you'd like to go home early we can do that, tomorrow when the sun returns." With Hana he was always willing to give a little, and for her he could ignore the annoyance of cancelling a well-thought out trip early. Not so early however that his exhaustion would interfere with the walk back. They'd need to pass by multiple packs on the way home, and exhausted as he was he was in no position to escort her.

There was no denying it, Hanako wasn't being reasonable but in that moment she didn't give two hoots. Logic went flying out the window; it was a damn near miracle she didn't stamp her paw as well. It was all just so baffling, bizarre and surreal how real everything felt and Hanako hated every second of it. Why couldn't he just be good and right? Why did he have to make everything so complicated, like a tangled maze she couldn't find her way out of. There he was standing in front of her, tearing apart the future she'd dreamed of sharing with him and for what? There was no joy or grim satisfaction in his eyes, further adding another layer of confusion to the mix.  But his words-his tone, he'd never spoken to her like that before, he'd never denied her a thing and it was an ugly look on him. Like rolling in a dead animal and calling it cologne.

She turned to him, slowly, with her back to ocean as she just stared and stared at him. As though that would cause the truth to unravel from his lips. If he would do her bidding then, well what was to stop her from leaving? She was lighter, swifter on her paws she was certain she'd be able to put some distance between herself and him if she really tried but...Well usually it wasn't her natural inclination to deny him but here she was, genuinely thinking about it all because she wasn't getting her own way. Amongst other things. Things that were spurring her on far more than she had the mind to realise.

And there Azure was, being a stick in the mud and just as brown.

She rocked her weight back on her heels and- she made a run for it. Kicking off into a sprint, sand was sent flying as Hanako dashed off, a white blur as the light of the moon and glow of the ocean caught against her coat.

He waited for her reply but nothing came, and her silence drew on almost long enough for his rage to cool, for him to realize that he'd gone too far in demanding her obedience. Az opened his mouth to speak - to apologize perhaps - when he saw the look in her eye and recognized it for what it was. He'd seen many an animal before it was about to bolt, and seeing that look in Hana was almost as infuriating as her attitude. Suddenly she was bolting through the sand away from him and Azure wasted no time in tailing her. For once he appreciated the width of his paws and how they steadied him further on the shifting sands. For each stride Hana could make, Azure could manage almost two and before she could leave the shores he was upon her.

The adrenaline had whipped away whatever softness had remained within him and when he did catch her, he aimed to hit her hard. Az crashed into her with the full weight of his body, driving her into the sand below him and pinning her there. His lips peeled back from his teeth and he snarled down at her, his frustration tumbling out like waves. "Enough!" He commanded her, bringing his paw down with intent to press her muzzle into the sand. "Don't push me, Hanako." There was that scent again, and he had to fight to ignore the whispers of instinct in his ear. This was not going how he'd planned.

Hanako ran, the wind tousled her fur as she drew in a breath- only for the air to be knocked right out of her. She landed hard, skidding and twisting in a tangle of limbs as a second, though not nearly as painful, impact ricocheted through her form. Tears pricked at her eyes as she hacked out a cough and then another till she was a hurting, wheezing mess. She couldn't even focus on anything but pain and discomfort, and it was everywhere, making her mind resort to lizard brain mode as her body slowly caught up with the here and now.

Az...he'd- hit was putting it too gently, struck made it sound impersonal but knocked the ever living shit out of her fitted just right. Her ears rang, everything sounded distant and hazy, she could barely make out the hiss of the waves but somehow beyond the static she heard his words loud and clear. She faintly saw a flash of tooth then his bearish paw was upon her, pushing her muzzle into the sand as though she still had the strength or desire to deny him. She didn't, or couldn't really think much of anything, to be entirely honest. Like she was just an empty vessel and Azure had spilled her contents out onto the sand. She just laid there, rattling breaths as her stomach churned and roiled, maybe she was gonna be sick. She couldn't quite decide.

With Hanako it had always been her submission that drew him to her, though somehow seeing her cowed and empty of fight upon the sand made him only angrier. The shame of what he'd done grasped at him though there was no way he could backtrack now, giving into the guilt might make Hana feel better but it would make Az feel a hell of a lot worse. He couldn't afford to fall into self-hate and so it was easier to just hate everyone else. He could hate Hana for making him do this to her. He could hate Venom for falling in love with someone else. It was overwhelming and painful, and he felt as if he was being torn in two.

"Get up." He spat, lifting his paw from her muzzle and stepping off to the side to give her room. "You want to go home, fine, go home." Fighting against his concern for her he managed to somewhat ignore her hacking, shutting his eyes hard and turning his head towards the sea. His toes flexed, his claws digging furrows in the sand. Soon she'd get up, he'd hear her leave, and once she was gone he could begin to deal with the consequences of his wrath alone.

A shadow passed over him and he knew it to be Diablo, his bat. While he had no specific fondness for the creature, he could at least appreciate it's absolute loyalty. "Diablo, see her home and if the rapist returns, get my father." The chances of her running into that particular stranger again were so low they were nearly entirely below Azure's radar, though the sadist in him needed her to hear how little he wanted to care. If she ran in trouble out there on her own, he was not coming to her rescue.

He ordered her to get up...except that she couldn't do that just yet. Though it wasn't from lack of trying, as soon as he released her Hanako tilted herself as though push herself to her paws, only to flop back down. Like a fish flapping around on dry land. All that moving around made her insides slosh around and yep, there was no ifs or buts: she was gonna blow chunks. To her credit she somehow managed to wobble to her paws and stumbled, nearly tripping over three times in the process as she bowed down over the side of a rock pool and...Well, you know the rest.

The pain was fading, shock numbing out her senses as she raised a paw to her wipe at her maw and stared blankly at her reflection. She didn't even recognise herself, disheleved as though she'd been ravaged. She didn't even turn to look at him, even if only because somewhere in the deep recesses of her mind she knew she'd hate what she'd see. And then she was off, limping like a wounded fawn, swaying from side to side, her sense of balance all topsy-turvy. But that mattered none to her, she was running on automatic, paws going left right left right as she ambled her way up the beach, breath wheezy as bruises bloomed over the pale of her skin.