cause you're a teddy beneath

Her lack of confidence in responding was enough to help Azure find some small part of his own - had she not thought about these details? Was she able to be swayed? Perhaps she was seeing reason. Though her stuttering quickly moved into something more, and he felt her discomfort grow. He was doing it wrong, betraying her trust as he'd worried he would. Az wanted nothing more then to reassure her and to explain that their dreams had not changed, that he was simply being thorough in asking of their future... though that too would be a lie.

Venom's words then addressed Hanako and she moved away from him. The reaction was immediate, his muzzle wrinkling into the beginnings of a snarl. He followed her, rounding on Venom so she was forced to face him from the hide she lay upon. As Az was quite a bit taller then her, he was forced to lean in to address her face to face. "Careful, Empress." He warned, trying desperately to keep the possessive bite from his words. "I am not my brother, I do not keep company with weak wolves." It was an evasion, a way for the bold and prideful youth to explain his offense at her words without putting Hanako at risk even more then he already had. It was incredibly hard for him to not elaborate and defend her further, though he knew that would just prove to Venom that his loyalties were split. Fuck. Az turned from her, beginning to pace absently across the sand.

She was making this very, very difficult for him. Az was not sure where the feelings were coming from anymore; was it was hatred for her Klein family who failed in their jobs to protect the Empire? Shame for the Armada who had not yet moved to punish Winterfell for their transgression? Likeliest of all it may have just been obsessive anger bubbling up still from the insult to Hana, which was the one argument he could not have with Venom right now.

Az was still considering his response, looking for the right words to put the discussion back on track in a way that he could control himself properly. She'd already assured him he wouldn't need to bow to her family, that was enough. That meant if Chimera got out of line again he could do something about it, and it was enough he hoped to reassure his Hanako that she'd be safe from harm. Then Venom continued, and Azure felt everything else fall away as she dangled above him not just a crown but an Empire. His paws froze in their pacing, one gloved paw hanging in the air. The boy blinked hard, feeling his youth suddenly in the threat of tears in his eyes. "You'd share your Empire with me?" He asked, breathless as he turned back towards her. "But, but, why?" Dark brows furrowed in confusion. His father still didn't think he deserved a crown, and here was the soon-to-be Empress offering the potential one day to sit by her side upon a throne much, much greater.