Sirius took no time at all to race off north to find his wife, leaving Azure standing alone in the tall grass. His first instinct was to head home to his den for a well deserved rest, though the idea lost it's pleasantness as he realized what was waiting for him deeper into the territory. Brothers and sisters young and old, pack members with questions. Azure couldn't answer any of them - for all he knew, his mother had been killed long before he reached the warlord for help. Perhaps Sirius himself wouldn't survive it to return to them. He had too many of his own questions to worry about stumbling upon even one excited and questioning mouth... especially if their first thought was to prod Azure's flesh to prove he was not ethereal, as Sirius had. Instead he turned and fled the plains the way he'd come, sure that the rainstorm brewing overhead would erase what was left of his lingering scent. He traveled far enough around the Armada, Ashen, and Habari to skirt any patrols, moving south until he'd reached obsidian shores. From upon the dark sand he could watch the islands in the distance, imagining the wolves within as they came and went, fulfilling their duties and living their life. Why shouldn't they continue on with their lives? He and his mother were presumed dead. The thought drew his brows to knit together, and he busied himself by twirling a smooth black stone beneath one claw.   "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

Hanako padded up the beach, the scent of the Armada fading fast from her form. It wasn't that she'd started to hate the Fatalis' it was more that...well Sparrow was dangling something new and shiny in front of her, how was she supposed to resist? The Pirate King treated her right, gave her all she needed without being stuffy or smothering, with her was a sense of freedom. That she wasn't confined or kept in a little fishbowl, trapped forever to swim in small circles. Things no doubt would be better this way, but it was harder to sever the ties than Hanako had first thought. Like something was holding her back.

There were things she needed to say and do, hard conversations that needed to happen but she was procrastinating. Putting it off as though that would make it any easier.

She let out an airy sigh as she turned to look at the waves, only for her gaze to catch on a dark figure lingering future down the beach. It was him. A wallop of mixed feelings slammed into her chest, resentment and relief slammed together, forming a concoction that was almost bitter to the taste. She'd cared for him once, thought she'd loved him and maybe still did. But it was hard, knowing that despite all he'd said and done he didn't want her. Had turned her down like she was repulsive, ugly. That and he'd knocked her around, Sparrow would never do that.

She approached him slowly, her steps uncertain as she lingered a safe distance away. He'd attacked her before, what would stop him from doing the same again?

"Oh. I'd heard you'd died." Was all she said, like she wasn't even sure if he was real or not.  

Az had been lost within his daydreams, staring down at the faceted stone and the ways it refracted the light as it spun. He'd been too distracted, finally losing himself to the presumed safety of a land so close to home that he'd missed the presence of another. Her scent reached him first, causing his paw to shake and his claw to slide off the stone. It clattered to the ground and rolled, vanishing quickly into the rest of the shore. His breath caught, head turning towards her and for a fleeting moment he'd forgotten their rough history. The corner of his lip moved to smile at her, but the tone of her words hit him like a slap and shook the joy from his expression. She'd said it like it was a rumor - just a passing comment she'd heard while in her travels. Had she even attended his funeral? Seen his bones as Sirius buried them? Had she cared enough to need that sort of closure? "Yeah." He swallowed, watching the way she did not approach further and willing her paws to continue towards him. The selfish part of him wanted to go to her, to force her into an embrace and show her how he'd missed her. The same selfish side cautioned him to remain where he was, out of fear that whatever reaction she'd have to him would hurt too much to handle. "I heard that too." "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

He was pretty damn nonchalant about it, or at least that's the initial vibe she got off of him. She didn't know the exact details of their death but from the sounds of it, it had been violent, followed swiftly by a fire to burn the bodies beyond recognition. In hindsight, it was all a little too convenient, the puzzle pieces had slot together so easily, the conclusions seamless to make. But she supposed it had all been intentional, that Azure and Zee were alive but perhaps not entirely well. It wasn't as if he was all skin and bones now, his form was as strong and as firm as she remembered it, but his coat was a little dishevelled. Like he didn't even have the time to think about keeping it in order. Not that Hanako could ever relate.

She felt a tingling urge to step over and smooth out the ruffled fur along his neck but she bit it back. Seeing him here and now brought a whole lot of baggage she'd chucked into the sea washing back ashore.

"Well...Welcome back then, I guess."   

Their dispassionate words seemed to only lengthen the distance between them. Azure turned his head from her, as if by watching her he might see too clearly how far they'd been driven apart. He tilted his muzzle upwards and slid his eyes closed, allowing the setting sun to warm his throat. He couldn't bring himself to respond to her half-hearted welcome home, the only words that threatened to spill were bitter ones, questioning if she meant it or if she'd wished he'd stayed away. "I thought of you often, up north." Az said instead, voice soft. "Even thought I'd seen you, but that was silly. The lakes are all frozen, you'd not wander so far from the fish." His lips twitched again, and he found it easier to smile at her memory when he was not directing it towards her. He could imagine that she was smiling with him like they'd used to rather then directing upon him the cool, neutral gaze she wore now. "The daydreams didn't do you justice, anyways. You're more beautiful then I could remember." "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

Oh. Hanako, despite the complicated markings that splotched her fur, was a pretty basic girl at heart. Simple and easy to understand, as shallow as a pond and Azure had known her long enough to know what made her tick. It should have been obvious, a ploy to win back her affections and return to her good graces, but his words took her back all the same. Just as if the clocks had turned back she felt a heat flush beneath the pale of her cheeks. It wasn't as if she was affection starved, not any more, but the fact he was giving her a taste of what he should have given her long ago was bitter-sweet. Her ears flicked, a content, almost smug feeling settled into her chest and she wondered if he regretted that day. Whether he'd spent all of his time away regretting pushing her away. It was what he deserved really, even if it seemed as though he was finally coming to his senses.

"I thought about you too, you know. I hated you. It was just so unfair I-" She let out a shuddering sigh and her eyes caught on the heavy bear paws that had viciously torn into her snout. It was a miracle she hadn't gotten a scar. He'd done well in shattering her aloof facade, but things were different. She was different now.

She didn't step any closer, even if she wanted to.

"I'm not the sort to hold grudges." She was. "It's old news."

 

At the word 'hated', his illusion was broken. Az's muzzle fell and he exhaled heavily. It would be stupid to argue that he still did not see his actions that day to be wrong. Perhaps scaring her, pinning her muzzle to the ground was over the top... but he'd scream from the cliffs that he was within his rights to deny her advances. Doing what was expected of a gentleman, a prince. Life would have been a lot easier had he merely accepted her affections for what they were, rather then getting lost in his head worrying over true intentions.

And then she continued, and he laughed. Oh, Hana. Collecting himself from the beach and standing to his full height, Az turned to face her. She really was beautiful - it was not a lie or manipulation. After a moment's pause he moved towards her, keeping his pace slow and collected so she hopefully would not flee from him. Hana was smaller then he remembered - or perhaps it was just that he hadn't seen her since he'd finally come into his adult height. He remembered how she looked beneath his paws and resisted bringing one upwards to touch her face. "Don't lie to me, even for my benefit." Az knew of her grudges, of her pride, and of how hard it was for her to let either of them go. "Your hatred is justified, and for what's it's worth, I am sorry."

Apologies couldn't be enough for the way he'd treated her that day, yet he couldn't find the words to elaborate further. He couldn't bring himself to grovel at her feet and beg her forgiveness - it wasn't who he was. Instead, he dropped his head slowly down towards hers, intending only to press his nose against hers gently. "My life would be a hundred times easier right now if I'd just kissed you on that beach." He murmured.

"Speech"

Hanako inhaled, a little frustrated that he could see through her facade. Looking back she knew she'd always put on an act for him, dancing to the beat of his drum just so he'd keep her close and treat her right. She was a convincing actress, up there with the best, but he knew her too well by now. The few moments where she'd dropped the mask were enough for him to see the real her, jealous and self-centred. Perhaps even a bit lonely. He was treating her softly-softly, his movements slow as though he feared she'd spook at any moment. Such consideration wasn't at all like the Azure she'd last come across, all venomous words and spiteful stares. She believed him when he said he was sorry, he didn't seem like the sort who'd lie like this to cover his tracks, but that didn't make this situation any easier to deal with. Even when he was being outlandishly sweet, understanding.

He stepped in closer and she allowed him, felt very little desire to pull away as he nosed at her gently. Not demanding or pressing, more like a man simply seeking comfort. The sand beneath her pale paw pads felt rough and grainy, an apt contrast of the roughness of his muzzle against hers. What he said might have been true, who knows how their lives may have unfolded if that day had ended differently. Would they both be happier? Would the Armada dodged the heartache inflicted by his and Zee's absence? Who knows.

She closed her eyes with a sigh, for once wishing everything was simple. A quick and easy a to b storyline, where the conflict was resolved without too much strife or fuss. And yet she felt herself being pulled in two directions, the past clung onto her, holding on tight as Azure reminded her of what could have been. Whilst Sparrow and her pirate band represented the future, gleaming promises of treasure and adventure. Something new and shiny to distract her from the old monotony of the Armada.

"Maybe." Which was to pretty much say yes. It was bad of her but she felt a petty sense of smugness knowing that she was the right choice. "A lot has changed since. I've changed." She wasn't the best at introspection but even she knew that. It was as clear as day. "I don't know what I want."

 

It pleased him that she did not run from him, nor pull away from his gentle touch. Perhaps that meant she was getting over some of her uncertainty and fear, and that there was hope for them to have a friendship yet. He was not so stupid as to expect her to ever treat him the way she once had - no matter how much he might have missed it -  so the next best thing to hope for was for them as equals and friends. "Maybe." He echoed, pulling his nose from hers.

Change. So much of his life had irreparably changed already, the word brought with it frustration and dread. Sirius had said the pack was not as strong as it once was, Asla was nowhere to be found, his family was.. different. Now Hana too, had become a different wolf in his absence. Had she found another? Someone who showered her with gifts and praise and made her feel special? Az had tried to do these things too - buying her a companion and shiny accessories to carry around, digging her den with his paws. Somehow he knew that even his best effort was less flattering then the average compliment might be, maybe Hana had gone and found someone who wore their heart on their sleeve and didn't struggle to display affection as he did.

"I hate change." He admitted, lifting one paw and swinging it against the sand and rocks beneath him. "Everyone around me is moving forward, changing, and leaving me behind exactly as I am and exactly as I was a year or more ago." Venom had chosen a mate, Asla had children, Indy had left their family home, even Mortis had found what might be love. What had Hana found? Whatever it was, it had left her confused. "I know what I want, I always have. Knowing isn't the hard part, it's the getting."  

"Speech"

Hanako very rarely tried to put herself in another's paws, her mind was always so preoccupied with what was in front of her that it was like asking a fish to walk. Unnatural, impossible even.  And yet Azure had a way of bringing things out in her, of bending her out of shape to make her act out in ways she normally wouldn't. It probably wasn't a good thing, but she'd always found the potential, the what ifs of their relationship addicting. Like she was chasing some fairy tail, a fate that would probably never come to pass. But she wanted it all the same, the best of both worlds where she could have her cake and eat it too.

She looked up at him through her lashes, wondering what his ideal fairy tail looked like. Would he sit on the Armadas throne? Would he have led it down a different path by now? Hanako still cared for Sirius, he was the closest thing to a Father figure she had, but the Armada was not what it used to be, the colours had long since faded as the Fatalis name grew thin at the seams. Could they bounce back from this? Probably, but who would lead the charge?

"What do you want?" She asked, wanting to hear him say it aloud. To ground it into memory and reality.

 

Azure was not the type to lie to make another feel better, and he had a feeling that the answer Hana expected from him was not the truth he'd like to give. Would she forgive him if he admitted that his goal in life was not to win her heart? Would saying so aloud offend her the same way it had when he did not make his move on her at the beach? He gritted his teeth for a moment and gave her a nervous, apologetic smile. The koi-wolf was so very proud, and Azure wondered if she could ever truly accept a relationship where she was not the focal point the other's world. "The same thing I've always wanted, Hana." He murmured, hesitant. "I want my throne and the power that comes along with it. To write my own rules, decide my own future. To have wolves who would kill in my name and who know I would die for them."  

Azure lifted his paw and aimed to touch it gently to her elbow, to run his claws lightly through the short fur at her leg. "I want a strong and beautiful woman at my side, whispering her wants in my ear so I might give her the world. One day even children, tiny terrors who wear the Fatalis name with pride. To them we'd give everything, and they'd never need to doubt themselves or their blood." He dropped his paw like she'd burned him, and made a show of shrugging his shoulders. "It's a five year plan, I suppose. Not attainable anytime soon, not while my mother and father live."  

A new thought reached him, and he tilted his head towards her in question. "Forget what you want today, or tomorrow, or even the specifics of who you're with and where you are. If you could live any life you could dream of, what would you want for yourself?" Azure did not make a habit of asking questions he did not already know the answer to, but perhaps it could give him some sort of insight on how to help his friend. Would she picture herself living on a beach in peace, feasting on fish and sleeping beneath the stars? Would she want to instead travel the world, untethered to any other? Did a family come into play in her future, or even a pack? Azure assumed that while she was proficient at her job in the Armada, that the role of a spy did not play a part in her fantasies.

"Speech"

The first part came as no surprise to her, it was what he'd always wanted and the future she'd always imagined for him. Even now she could see it quite clearly, just as he described it and as vivid as blood. Despite all of his flaws, so unavoidable and up in her face, she still believed that he was the rightful air to the Armada throne. Mortis...he was-ugh. Hanako hadn't even spoken to Mortis as of late, they had never even made up for that mess of an argument and perhaps it was cruel of her to think but she didn't care much to either. He was soft, gentle and kind and those were all good traits yes, but not for a Warlord. A man whose very title suggested conquest and subjugation. Naturally Azure was the better fit, prejudice didn't even come into it.

But then he continued, speaking of the future he wanted, a future she'd once yearned to share with him. It was picturesque, what she'd been raised for really and even now despite it all she felt it drawing her in. Luring her close with its siren song. She knew she would love a life like that, that it would scratch her itches and stroke her ego as it followed her daydream narrative. But would it really make her happy? Could Hanako ever be content? She wanted to say yes she could, that she'd settle once she got what she deserved but where should she draw the line? It was constantly shifting back, being pushed further and further till some days it was no longer in sight. Her gaze lingered on his touch, only for her brows to furrow a little when he drew back. Did he know she'd never be happy?

She sighed, her ears wilting. There was a lot she wanted, it was hard to put them into words, to acknowledge how greedy she was.

"I want..." Being real was so against her nature she had to bite back the urge to lie, to fill the silence was fluff. "I want to be wanted. To matter. To know that I could wander wherever I wanted but still have something, someone to return to. The Armada was my home and I'll always love your family for how well you've all treated me. But I don't really fit in at all do I? We just want different things." She dragged a paw through the sand, further masking the fire of her coat. She was in too deep to stop now. Looking up at Azure and catching his eye she finished. "I don't want to be told no. "

 

Hana's words made sense, and Azure could tell it wasn't easy for her to openly speak out about her ambitions and goals. She was being direct and honest with him for perhaps the first time since he'd met her that day in the spring. Not leading with emotions or fluffing her words. Hearing of her wanderlust and independence suddenly reminded him of how new freedom was to her. Hana had been raised a servant, spent her life assuming one day she'd be sold off to a man who'd marry her and there she'd remain for the rest of her days.

A regretful, almost frustrated sigh pulled from his lips but he cautioned himself in expressing it further. "I wasn't aware the Armada had ceased to be your home." He quipped shortly. If Hana had petitioned to part from them, why had his father not warned him of it? "I thought we'd given you all that you needed. Your freedom to roam is built right into your rank as Wraith, yet you have a den to come back to when you're weary and cold." A den Azure had dug for her with his own two paws. "I have given you everything you've asked, denied you nothing, and you know I'd have fought even my father to give you more if you'd asked."

She didn't feel wanted? It made such little sense to the young heir, who'd gone above and beyond for her further then he would have for any wolf save Venom. Against Azure's better judgement he felt his annoyance begin to build, looking down his nose at her and wondering how she could ever feel anything less than treasured after everything she had. "We killed your slavers, my father and I. To give you that freedom you deserved."It was not something he'd admitted to her before and he did not intend to divulge the information here either, but Hana could not leave the Armada without understanding fully how they'd put themselves on the line for her. "You matter." He continued bluntly. "I have always wanted you. From the day I met you I had already decided you would be mine. You matter to me, to Sirius, to Mortis, to the pack that bought your freedom with blood. You can't just walk away." Az held her gaze, his own turning pleading. "If you were mine, you'd never be told 'no' again." He wanted to say, but it would be a lie. The young heir could promise her nothing so bold until the day he inherited the throne.

"Speech"

Azure laid it all out clear for her and there was no denying that she was acting selfishly. Her lips twisted down into a tight frown as she averted her gaze to the distant horizon, to the shimmering waves that rippled like strands of jewels. She hated how entangled everything was, how one seemingly simple action created a ripple that disturbed the whole surface of her life. She longed for everything to be easy, almost thoughtless, with someone who would hold her best interests close to heart as they steered her reins. But that wasn't exactly fair, was it? Sparrow wasn't the sort who'd control her like that, she was as free as they came and Azure... Well he didn't seem keen on the new path she wanted to take, particularly so because Hanako had no idea where it would take her.

"I mean...I haven't really said or done anything about it yet." Which was a bad move, she knew and Azure knew it. Sirius would not be happy and so she figured it might just be easier to fade away, to blend into a new crowd without having to explain a thing.

He continued and the words he uttered weighed heavy on her. He'd slain her slavers? But why? She felt no sense of loss or mourning as she took the information in, if anything when she turned to look at him again she felt...almost flattered? He'd killed for her and she very much liked the thought of that, as shallow and selfish as it was. There was no denying the truth of his words, he had done so much and had every right to feel frustrated. The reasonable, logical part of her understood his stance and wanted to just concede and fall back into old habits, old rhythms. But they were being real with one another, baring it all like they should have a long time ago.

"And I want you, you know that." She huffed, her cheeks flushing a little pink despite the chasteness of it all. Oh, the scandal of being honest! "But you pushed me away, never did anything about it. What was I supposed to do? Just pine and wait for you to come to your senses?"

There was the overwhelming urge to yell at her, to force her to see reason. What ridiculous, fantastical part of her thought that it was okay to break from her home and pack without a word to her alpha? Hanako wasn't stupid, Azure knew she could see how bad the idea was, and yet she had still moved in that direction. "You can't just.. leave." He repeated, softer. "You know the rules. Someone would come after you. It could be Sirius, or one of his lieutenants, or it could be me." Azure had bent a lot for her, but he would not risk his standing to give her her freedom against Sirius' and the Armada's laws no matter how much he may want to.

She reminded him of their fight that night, and Az felt his own cheeks begin to heat. This was not how he wanted this conversation to move forward. Casually discussing murder, torture, mutilation... that gave Azure no stress. Speaking outwardly of his feelings, of lust, of mistakes he'd made? Embarrassment was not a feeling he enjoyed. "I was being polite." He murmured under his breath, but loud enough she might hear. Azure wished he could leave it at that, but he knew that to just end this here and staying quiet would be doubling up on his mistakes. If Hana challenged for her freedom and earned it, they needed to leave nothing unsaid.

"Look at me." Azure commanded softly, lifting a paw to bring to her cheek so he might be able to forcibly turn her head from the waves. "You were under the impression that I purchased you, and I... I didn't know what that meant." They'd talked so little about her Keepers and the life she'd had before, Azure had avoided the questions except where necessary. "You told me once that their intention was to sell you as a wife, and then I told you that I purchased you and..." He sighed, willing the embarrassment he felt to vanish with the exhale. "I intended to tell you the truth when the time was right, to give you the freedom to choose me without some sort of twisted purchase agreement hanging over your head."

That memory of the beach came back to him and he grimaced. Az had lost control, it had been a mistake and he'd scared her. She just had been so damn stubborn. "You were in heat, Hana. What was I supposed to do? Accepting your affections when they might as well have been bought.. it'd make me no better then Kefka. I am a lot of things, but I'm not a rapist." On his death bed, Azure would still swear he was in the right that day. Overpowering her had been excessive, but it was something he regretted the outcome of, but not the action. "I meant to come back and explain, I just..." His mouth clamped shut, the painful reminder of how little she truly knew him urging his silence. Word hadn't gotten back to the Armada about how he'd gone from pack to pack, harassing and even trespassing on one occasion to find some outlet for his anger. He'd spent so long away from home, and had barely settled back into the tall grass plains before he went out to escort his mother to the frozen north. ".. well, then I died."

"Speech"

Leaving the Armada wasn't as simple as just stepping over the border and never returning. She knew of Sirius' watchful companions, how they were his third pairs of eyes and ears, that everything they knew he did too. It was close to a miracle that Sirius hadn't sought her out yet, accusing words hot on his tongue as he demanded to know where she had been. Why her scents within the Armada had long since gone stale, old. She supposed she'd only gotten away with it because of what happened, that they were so busy searching for their family Hanako was free to fade away. Out of sight and mind. But just because she'd gotten away with it so far didn't mean it would last forever, just as Azure said now that things were going back to normal, she'd have to face the music whether she wanted to. And it was getting louder with each passing moment.

She wished she could turn away, or at least lower the volume. Anything but face the harsh truths.

"It's not like that. I was going to- I thought about- joining the Pirates. Sparrow said she wanted me to be her lust." She knew Sparrow would have her back, that she'd help protect Hanako's freedom as much as she was able. And the fact, from what she'd heard at least, that she'd kicked ass in the raid against Ashen spoke volumes. She'd earned the title of Pirate King, as far as Hanako was concerned.

She finally turned to look at Azure proper, he seemed troubled, his words came harder now than before and Hanako shifted, uncertain. So much of their relationship had been built on unstable foundations, a lack of honesty and communication had done a number on them, landing them here in a position neither of them really wanted to be. But it needed fixing, mending, or to be torn apart. Hanako didn't know which. Her predicament had been tedious from the start, expectations and desires intermingling till it was all such a tangled mess, almost too much for her to wrap her head around. Till Azure tried to play the gentleman card.

Sparrow had given Hanako what she wanted and been plenty gentle about it, why couldn't he?

"Oh please, you make it sound like I was humping your leg." She huffed, her gaze taking on a sharper edge, not so soft nor delicate. "I just wanted to be close to you, it just...gave me the push to be more open about it is all."

And then he died, leaving feelings all torn and frayed. The chapter unfinished. As if things could have ended on a more sour note. She sagged and found herself leaning against the heft of his shoulder.

Her words were some of the last ones he'd expected to hear, and Azure's jaw all but dropped as she admitted why she'd been distancing herself from the Armada. Sparrow was the name of the one who had tried to steal Hana away. The fact that it was a woman brought him the smallest pause, but it seemed right at least when it came to Hana that she'd be one to look past the physical and love the soul of another rather then their bodies. It was another reason he tried to remind himself that she could never love him - she did not know the darkness in his heart. Even his treatment of her would-be-rapist shook her. Sparrow. Azure was committed to remembering the name.

She was speaking again and the bluntness of her words shook him almost as much as the knowledge of Sparrow and her 'lust'. Az suddenly felt defensive, hating himself for the embarrassment he brought upon him and feeling betrayed that she could meet his admittance with anything other then soft understanding. He sharpened his gaze as she did, and stepped back from her touch. "It doesn't matter what you were doing or what your intentions were." He snapped, voice growing cold. "I already told you, I didn't know you wanted to be close to me. For all I knew you were playing your part, forcing yourself to be for me what you assumed I wanted. Don't vilify me for wanting things between us to be real."

He was reminded of the pirate Sparrow, and his annoyance only grew. His teeth bared, though directed more toward the sand then toward her. "You don't have permission to leave." He said bluntly. "If Sparrow takes you, she's taking what's the Armada's - and what's mine." The word was a growl, dangerous and cold. "I will fight for what is mine. Will you bring this fight to your pirate willingly? Do you not care who you hurt by following these selfish desires?" He sought her gaze once more, the faintest display of teeth still visible. "I would do anything, give anything for you, but I cannot let you go. I can't sit idly by and watch someone steal you away."

"Speech"

[/color]

Azure stepped away and it was as though history was repeating itself. The scenery was right for it, the sand grainy beneath her paws and the tide rolling in, drawing ever closer with each inward sweep. She pressed her lips into a thin line, eying the sun as it continued its journey beneath the horizon, she idly wondered where it went next. And why it always returned the next morning. He was getting antsy, her truths were not what he wanted to hear and she'd known that from the very start. Always had. But a part of her did feel bad, she knew he'd always tried for her, set her apart from the rest best he could. It was simply her nature clashing against his, regardless of their feelings perhaps they just weren't meant to be.

Hanako also took a step back, testing the traction beneath her paws. She'd tried and failed to run away before but she knew better this time, and yet all she could linger on was the fact it didn't have to come to that. This wasn't what she wanted, at all, or rather the framing of the situation was all wrong, off kilter and spiralling out of control fast.  Nothing she could say would appease him, none of her truths anyway and yet she pressed on all the same. What else did she have to lose? More than anything she just wanted him to see and understand. She wasn't pushing him away, if anything she wanted to draw him in and close and have the best of both worlds. But he just wasn't having it, everything she said brought out the worst in him. Hanako felt something akin to resentment flicker inside her, he'd asked for her truths only to spit them out like she was trying to poison him. She was being selfish? She was? Could he even hear himself?

"Does anything I say even matter? " She found herself asking, a hint of shrillness entering her voice. "You keep saying that over and over, that you care for me and want me but constantly push me away like I disgust you. Azure I don't know what else to do! You ask me to tell you the truth and when I do you just pull away like never before. You leaving forced me to change, you not wanting me forced me to be like this.

Permission. It always came down to that, didn't it? It wasn't that she minded, rather he was trying to have his cake and eat it too. Covet what wasn't his because he didn't have the balls to take it.

"Why won't you let us be happy? It's like you're so desperate to blame someone else when there is nothing stopping you from having what you want.  What. Is. Stopping. You." She slapped at the sand with a paw, more like a stroppy toddler than a woman of her age. Go figure, no didn't sit well with either of them.

And then began the guilt-tripping. As if he even knew what Sparrow was capable of, he'd been gone for a long time, a lot had changed since then. But she refused to say anything on that, her silence heavy, like a guillotine hanging overhead.

Oh, man. Hana knew exactly how to push his buttons, and Az found himself falling in the familiar pattern that was their downfall all those seasons ago. He stepped forward as she stepped back, keeping that short distance between them and watching her carefully for that tell-tale sign that she might try to run once more. Like any predator, Az knew he could not contain himself should she choose to run from him. Her shrill words hit him like a slap and he responded with a low rumble of a growl. She thought she disgusted him? What a foolish, stupid woman he'd fallen for.

"I've made myself perfectly clear, and I don't like repeating myself." He responded, his words short and clipped. It was easy to fall back into the mindset of high born and low born, that odd relationship they'd skirted so long ago when they'd met in the spring. He straightened, drawing himself to his full adult height and lifting his head over her, staring down at her and demanding her submission with his steely gaze. "Be careful what you wish for, Hanako."

He closed the distance between them with one more short step and without warning Az's lips were on hers, hard and unyielding. He did not hold himself back, taking what he wanted exactly as she'd told him to and letting his frustration be felt with each movement. It did not last long, and in his heated passion he did not notice how she might have reacted. He pulled away, and forced himself to meet her eyes once more no matter how much he feared the disgust he might find there.

"I've made a habit of restraining myself for your benefit. It's been my gift to you, to protect you from who I can be and what I might do. I have loved you enough to give you a choice - a choice you are now throwing back in my face." Like the last time, she had pushed him too far. Neither wolf could handle the word no, and Az knew they would continue to clash over their stubbornness for as long as he allowed her to feel the equal. "Come back to the Armada with me now, accept your place at my side and the future I can give you. Please don't make me force you, Hana, it would break me as much as it would break you."

Azure Keres Fatalis vs Hanako for Force Claim
Round 1/?
Age: Over one year
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Bracers with knife
Defensive Battle Accessory: Condor body armor
Companion 1: Large flying fox, Male - Battle
Companion 2: Clouded leopard, Female - Battle
Mutation 1: Saber fangs - Offensive
Mutation 2: Bear paws - Offensive
Mutation 3: Bone spurs - Offensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Hunter
Specialty: Bloodletter

"Speech"

Hana's flee attempt has failed she must now fight.


Also yes I know the text is screwed up.  My keyboard continues to break down.