inevitably

Hanako knew he wouldn't break out into celebration or even a smile, but she'd faintly hoped for something a little better than this. Blank silence, his gaze so far away she couldn't even make out what he was looking for. She sniffed, a lump hardening in her throat as she scrambled for a fix, something to nudge him in a better direction. There was an offer she ought to make, one Sedna had mentioned in case the unexpected came to pass but-did it really have to come to that? And why did the thought bother her so much? Like she was going to burst into tears at any moment, the floodgates groaning from the strain.

Without even pulling away or moving more muscles than necessary, Azure called out for the Archer, demanding she shake a leg and get here sooner rather than later. Hanako knew what was going to happen and understood where he was coming from, to an extent. Whether on purpose or not they'd broken one of the Armada's rules and it just wouldn't do to have another strike against his name. But at the same time it wasn't Sedna's fault and throwing her under the bus didn't sit quite right with Hanako. Amongst other things.

"Az please." She barely managed, desperate to do some damage control.  "You know I'd never do anything to jeopardise your position. We can sort this out, it's not her fault." She whined softly, like a dog who'd been kicked for getting in the way.