"Close your eyes and no peeking!" Hanako ordered as she turned around and bounced in close, with a tight lipped frown she leaned right in as she watched Mortis shut his eyes. It took all her strength not to burst out into a big grin, not that it mattered since he could no longer see."If you do I'll never forgive you. Never ever." Not that she thought he would, he'd never given her a reason to doubt him, so why start now? Leaning against his side, beneath his wing Hanako guided him along, making sure to steer him clear of rocks, branches and any other bits of debris he might trip on. It was kind of a wasted effort, since the Fatalis had probably already figured out where they were but Hanako wanted to present the Delta as a sort of gift to him. Something special and sacred, a place away from the hustle and bustle of the Armada. Somewhere they could just be themselves, whatever that meant these days. More than that, the Delta was the first place she'd ever visited on Boreas and as Hanako breathed in the salty sea air and listened to the soothing hiss of the ocean waves the memories came rushing back. So much had changed in such a short time. She felt...different somehow, but wasn't exactly sure what that entailed. "We're almost there, just a little further." She didn't leave him in the dark and never strayed from his side, even if it was really tempting to just run ahead. Dirt transitioned to sand and the vast open space of the delta was all Hanako could see in all directions. Twisting curls and  lines upon lines of sandbanks, all reaching out to the open ocean. And for the second time that year it took Hanako's breath away. She nudged Mortis gently with her nose, her voice quieter than she'd anticipated, as if she didn't want to ruin the moment. "You can open them now."

Mortis raised a brow and eyed the smaller wolf with amusement and surprise. She didn’t turn away from him, and it was clear they wouldn’t be going anywhere if he didn’t close his eyes. He obediently let them slip close, hunkering his wings up on either side as he lowered his chest. He felt sure she was about to slam into him, or… something? But nothing happened. Nothing except the familiar brush of her under his wing. His lip twitched in a smile and he ‘donked’ the wing down gently about where he expected her head to be. No idea if he hit right or not, he wrapped the wing around her and drew her in close. If she expected him to walk, then she would be his walking stick. He would have to lean against her, and trust she wouldn’t let him fall. He walked along beside her like this, a little gingerly. Afraid that if he did trip, he would bring her down with him. Hurting her would be inexcusable. He didn’t tell Hana how he and Azure had spoken of her. He wouldn’t tell her that he felt a little nervous and anxious around her now. Azure had clearly stamped his claim upon her. Mortis would not risk his tenuous friendship with his brother. But he also appreciated Hana’s friendship, and didn’t want to let her down. It was, all around, awkward. And left him feeling a little unsure. The scent of the ocean reached him, and he smiled, lifting his nose into the air. He had been here before, he could, just briefly, catch the scent of Abaven on the wind somewhere to their North. He had met its Alpha in this very territory. Even the rocks beneath his feet felt familiar, though he had been here only the once. He was raised on a beach, and the ocean was always familiar to him. “So long as I can open my eyes soon, or I'll get dizzy and puke on you” he teased her, go along with her instructions. Moving cautiously at her side. Her voice was softer when she spoke next, telling him to open his eyes. He did so cautiously, and then let loose a soft breath, and a warm smile. “Ahhh.” he said, enjoying the sights, lifting his nose further into the wind. He held himself like that for a moment, at her side. Simply enjoying the moment. And then… “Race you to the ocean!” and he was running.

Hanako continued to lean against his side, a gentle smile gracing her lips as she took it all in. The last time she'd been here she'd never really paid that much attention to the scenery itself, having just paddled around in the ocean waves, completely ignorant of the fact a storm had been looming on the horizon. But now the weather was calm and clear, with not even a single cloud in sight. She'd picked the perfect day for their little outing, it was warm but comfortably so with a refreshing ocean breeze that ruffled their fur. Hanako had been content to stay like that for a while longer, for as long as Mortis would have her but then with no warning he left her in the dust as he sped off running. Just like old times, it seemed. Not that they'd known each other for that long but...it certainly felt as though they had. "Hey! Wait for me!" She scowled, but there was laughter in her voice as she kicked off and chased after him. Hanako was hot on his heels, charging along with her head dipped low and her tail high. She'd practised a little since their last race and she hoped that she could use that smugde of experience to beat him this time. Sure, it was just fun and games and the last race had been real close but Hanako wanted to win this time. Just because. Having gotten the head start Mortis was a few steps ahead, feathers ruffling as he rushed along getting closer and closer to the waters edge. But he wasn't out of reach yet, nor was this race a lost cause. He was tantalisingly close and with each thudding step Hanako took she narrowed the distance between them and finally finally took the lead. And then the unthinkable happened, a crab dragged itself out onto their invisible race track. Any sane and normal wolf would either step over it or go around, but in a moment of startling naivety Hanako tried to do both. That's where it all went wrong. Her legs got caught up in other another and she wobbled in her steps, crashing into Mortis who had quickly caught up with her. They collided, Hanako letting out a pained oof as they fell into a tangle of limbs and wings and skidded to a halt on the sand. The ocean just a muzzle length out of reach. Hanako groaned, wincing as her eyes slowly flickered open.  And it was only then that she realised that she'd somehow, in the mess and muddle of it all she'd managed to fall on top of Mortis. Well, he had promised he'd catch her, didn't he?

Hana was quick to leap after him, as he knew she would be. They raced across the sand, the sound of their drumming paws and the ocean’s waves as loud to him as his hammering heart. He whooped with delight. The familiarity of it all was a great delight. Just him, Hana, and the wind.he wouldn’t let his doubts with Azure get in the way. The ocean approached rapidly, and he thought for sure that he was going to win. Then, in an impressive feat, Hana pulled in front of him. He laughed and playfully batted his wing against her departing rump in retaliation. The next thing he knew, she was falling. Had he knocked her too hard? He had barely touched her! He hadn’t seen the crab, but she was falling into him. His wings spread in a bid to catch her weight, and suddenly he was crashing into the earth. Her legs tangling in his, and her body catching in his wings. They fell together, the end result accumulating to her body on top of him, and his nose buried in the sand. He sneezed heavily, pulling his muzzle free, and looking across at his heavy burden. He wrapped a free wing around her, yanking her further onto him, and turning, rolling into the sand with her so she could rest on his belly, freeing his other wing which had been held bent at an awkward angle. He shook it free, and looked up at his passenger. “I don’t think crashing ino your opponent is how you win.”

Hanako flushed at his words, her mouth opening and closing as she tried, and failed, to come up with some sort of witty quip. She was reluctant to admit she'd fallen flat on her face cause she couldn't dodge a crab, but on the other paw she didn't want him to think she was cheating either. That out of desperation she'd tried to knock him over or something equally as sneaky and villainous. With a lack of anything clever to say Hanako simply booped his nose with her own, pink meeting black, before she pulled back and with a puff of air she blew the remaining sand off his snout. Even if it was a little funny she liked Mortis far too much to leave him with a sandy muzzle. "That's not what I was going for at all, I just wanted to see if you'd keep your word and catch me if I fell." It was a pretty poor attempt at saving face but she grinned anyway, her tail tapping against the sand. "Since you caught me like you said you would that's another victory for you. Two zero. And then her expression grew serious, her gaze intense as she leaned in close again. Almost nose to nose. "But mark my words Mortis Fatalis, I'll get you next time." Her eyes narrowed into a scowly squint and she forced her tail to lay still. It was a hard mask to maintain and the cracks soon began to appear, first as a gleam in her eye then an all out smile that curved her lips at both ends. An honest smile, the sort she didn't even need to force, funny how naturally they came to Hanako when she was with Mortis. Only then that she pulled away, as if remembering that she was laying on top of Mortis like he was her own personal furs. She was careful as she clambered to her feet, not wanting to step on him in case she hurt him more than she already had. Maybe she should have felt more awkward about it all, a good and proper girl really ought to put more effort into preserving her personal space, saving it for her betrothed, but with Mortis...There just wasn't a pull to do so, they'd already laid around together, was this much different?

Mort had no idea of the conflict his question would inspire in Hana. he would see the heat in her cheeks, and her mouth open and closed as though she had great trouble knowing what to say. He peered at her in concern, and then let out a soft breathy chuckle as she bopped her nose to his. He sneezed again as her breath whiffed through his nostrils. He knew the smell of her wound linger on him after that. She was fully on him, breathing in his face, warm, and soft, and he could just lift his wings, and wrap her against him, hold her tight. His heart picked up in speed, though he could not fathom exactly why. It was Hana, good old Hana, who was quickly becoming his closest friend. Why did he feel a little breathless, with her nose so close to his? “Of course I’ll catch you” he managed to get the words out past his suddenly dry throat. She was leaning close to him again, so close, he could just about lean forward and lick her nose. He didn’t. Because that would be silly. Her smile went and did, took the breath away from his already breathless state. He was feeling mighty uncomfortable and confused right at that moment. His stomach twisting into knots, and for some odd reason Azure entered into his thoughts. Azure. What would his brother think, seeing them tangled up like this? It was a bucket of cold water, and he was glad when she got to her feet. He pulled himself up to, carefully putting his eyes towards the ocean. “let’s go for a swim, see if we can catch some lunch.” he said, seeking a distraction from the confusion in his heart. He didn’t understand hormones, he didn’t know what was going on with him. Burying it, he jumped forward, spraying sand at her forepaws, and grinning at her. “If you catch a fish before I do, you get a win!”

Mortis wanted to go swimming? Oh boy did he know how to play Hanako like a fiddle. A big grin tugged at her lips as she wagged her tail so fast it gave her whole body a case of the wiggles. She doubted that she'd catch a fish first and in all honesty she wasn't even worried about it. Being a gentleman through and through, she knew that Mortis wouldn't let her go hungry, that he was too kind and self sacrificing for his own good. Bounding after him, Hanako rushed into the sea and bounced high at the last moment to soar over the incoming wave. She landed with an almighty splash, dipping beneath the water only to surface with an even bigger smile gracing her features. Beneath the surface her tail still wagged as she leisurely paddled to stay afloat, her cold gaze set on the horizon. She'd already seen so much of the world but she couldn't help but wonder what else was out there, whether in staying here on Boreas she was somehow missing out. She believed that fate had brought her to the Armada for a reason but the what ifs lingered in her mind like an itch she couldn't scratch. Oh she was supposed to be fishing, wasn't she? A win was on the line and whilst she had very little faith in her fishing skills she couldn't see any harm in trying. Maybe she'd make Mortis laugh when she bit down on water, like the mighty and fearless huntress she was. Hanako kicked and turned around, only then realising that she was a little too far out for fishing. By no means had she swam out a great distance, like a damsel in distress washed out sea, but she'd gone far enough that even when submerged her paws couldn't touch the sandy floor. Not even close. She supposed she could try to catch some out there, when she glanced around she saw the shadowy silhouettes of fish, so it was worth a shot, right? Veeeery slowly, Hanako paddled towards the cluster of fishy shapes, floating still when they looked her way. She got closer and closer and held her breath as she focused, picking one fish out from the crowd. Just on the edges of the group, so close she could almost taste the scaled upon her tongue. She floated there a moment, glancing over at Mortis dove underwater with the speed of a torpedo. She missed her initial target and the salt water stung her eyes as she thrashed about, hoping to grab a hold of one of the many fleeing fish. And then she tasted blood, her jaws clamped shut as she surfaced with a big silvery fish writhing in her grasp. She'd done it! She'd caught a fish and a biggun too! But that was only half the battle, even with the injuries it had sustained the fish was a real fighter. How on earth was she supposed to swim back with it slapping her in the face with it's fins? "Oort!" She called, knowing she could depend on him.

Hana was quick to respond, leaping towards the waves without a moment's hesitation. The young boy laughed softly, his earlier confusion lost, forgotten, in the moment. She hit the waves a moment before he did, but then he was soaring after her. Wings spread, the spray from the ocean hitting their undersides. He would have been happy to stick to shallower shores. No matter the strength in his body, he had a lot of weight to keep afloat. The wings were dead-weight in the water. Too heavy to fly him, and much too heavy to help him float. But, Hana went further out, and he blindly followed her. His wings he tucked to his side, and his powerful strokes cut through the ocean. He began to look about him for fish, and he saw Hana zone in on something before her. He kept close to her. Not close enough to startle her prey, but to be on hand if she ran into any trouble. He crowed with joy when she surfaced, thrashing fish in maw. She called his name, and he realised her predicament. He padded closer to her. Tail wiggling in the water behind him for a moment. Then he launched forward, and snapped his jaws about its head. Elongated fangs pierced its brain, and blood tainted the water. He pulled free of her catch and looked about them for a moment. “We should get to shore in case that attracts anything.” he suggest, swimming over to her side, paddling side by side with her. He then grabbed the other end of the fish in his maw, so that they could tow it back to land together.

The fish managed to land a good few wallops to the side of her face before Mortis was able to finish it off with a bite to the head. She blinked, opening her eyes now that it was safe to do so and looked at the blood staining the water with a wrinkle of her nose. Eating a fish was fine but swimming in water marred with it's insides was nasty as hell, that and the thought it might stain her beautiful coat. Mortis suggested that they ought to get out of the water, in case they caught unwanted attention and whilst she didn't disagree she couldn't help but wonder what lurked in the blue depths. Sharks? Eels? Giant sea monsters ready to devour any wolf foolish enough to swim out too far? Hmm. Hanako grunted in acknowledgement and kicked a little faster and soon enough they were back on dry Even with Mortis carrying the brunt of the weight, the fish felt really heavy in Hanako's grip and it was only when she plopped it down on the sand that she realised how big it was. As if the world was making up for all of her failed fishing attempts up till now. That'd show Toshi for not sharing his fish when she'd asked so nicely. She turned to Mortis, her lips lined with blood as she broke out into a big and beaming smile, oh so proud of herself. "Oh that's definitely worth at least two points." She shoulder bumped Mortis affectionately, as if to persuade him to be so very generous. Hanako poked at the fish with a paw. "I've never seen a fish so big, I wonder what it's called." Not that it really mattered, as long as it was good eating Hanako was content. Speaking of, it went without saying that she'd share with Mortis. He'd done half of the work helping her bring it in and she could hardly eat it all, even if she wanted to. Nudging it closer to Mortis with her nose she sent him a sly look. "I will be oh so gracious to let you have the first bite, my prince."

They hit sand, and they both released their hold. The dead fish flopped to the sand, and Mortis stared at it. He hadn’t really appreciated the size when he was helping her kill it. Nor when he prioritised getting it out of the water. Of course, he hadn’t appreciated the weight. that, plus his wings, had meant a lot of work to get to shore. He was already puffed. Going from his run with Hana, to the swim, to dragging this through the ocean. He looked up into Hana’s grin, and the exhaustion evaporated. Instead, he glowed in response, his own grin a beam across his face. “Two, [i] easy.” he agreed with no hesitation. He had never caught anything so big in his life. He wondered if there was a record on what the biggest catch was. He wondered if Hana had just broken it. “Yeah, me neither. I think it’s called lunch.” his grin turned impish and his tail wiggled behind him a few times as he pulled her leg. He had no idea what type of fish it was. He had still been learning the ropes on fishing himself. “HA!” did you poison it? He asked, but grinned as her brazenly leaned over and took a bite. It was probably better he took the first sample anyway. That was if it wasn’t good eating, he would be the first to know. He bit into, tasted the flesh, and swallowed quickly, waiting to see if anything happened. When it hit his stomach without complaint he shrugged. “Tasty”

Hanako wiggled with pride. Ha! They were neck and neck now, one more win and she'd be the mistress of the universe! Or so she liked to think, they'd never decided that it was out of three but Hanako was too busy riding her victory high to get caught up in the pedantics. When Mortis stated that the fish was called lunch she let out a frankly very unladylike like snort, like she'd magically transformed into a boar without either of them noticing. It was a bad joke, awful and terrible and Hanako would have kicked sand at him if she didn't worry some might get in his eyes. At his question Hanako smirked, all smarmy and clever with narrowed, squinty eyes like a cat. She said nothing but let her eyes do the talking, conveying a very sneaky "perhaps" as she watched him. She kept up the facade for a moment only to grin when she saw him take a big bite and lick his lips once he'd savoured the taste. She already knew the verdict before he spoke, his expression would have surely changed, twisted into a look of disgust or repulsion. Instead he shrugged and claimed that it was tasty, spurring Hanako to step close and try a bite for herself. Yeah, it was pretty good if she did say so herself. Soft and succulent, thicker than the usual stringy meat she'd seen Toshi monching on. By the time she was done the white of her muzzle was stained red. Stepping back to the water, she washed up and used her paws to wipe away the stubborn stains that wouldn't budge without a bit of elbow grease. With a flick of her tail she beckoned Mortis to come over and do the same, it was harder to see since his muzzle was darker than hers but he'd still made a mess of himself. "Wash that face or I will." It was an empty threat, well mostly.

He wouldn’t have actually considered her capable of poisoning him. She was much too sweet and innocent for something like that. She put on a facade of watching him closely, but he just wiggled his brows at her and ignored her. He watched as she came closer and took a bite of her own. His tail wiggled behind him happily, and he could see she was enjoying the meal. He was also considering how to get more points to get in the lead again. When they had finished, Mortis buried the husk of the fish, through he knew the water would uncover it again at some point. At least it would keep coyotes away. He trotted closer to her ass he beckoned him, and looked into the ocean. She had washed away the blood on her own muzzle, but her words were too much of a challenge. “I would like to see you try” he stated boldly.

At his challenge Hanako's brows shot up. As did her tail, arched high in a strong and dominant line, a posture she'd never ever adopted before. She stared at him, eyes deadly serious and piercing as she strode closer till she stood in front of him and arched her neck up to meet his line of sight. She said nothing for a long and lingering moment, the tension rising between them with nothing but the rush of the waves to break the silence. How dare he challenge her? Who on earth did he think he was to deny her, a Goddess on earth, the object of desire for any and all men who roamed the planet? Hanako struggled real hard to hold back a laugh at that, it was just so absurd, but she managed. Only just. A wave rolled up the beach, covering their paws and Hanako smiled. This was just what she'd been stalling for, it was time. With an cackle she kicked her front leg up, spraying water all over Mortis' face and muzzle, she did it again for good measure and broke out into laughter. Loud and earnest, making her sides heave as she tried to splash him again. And then again cause why the hell not? "Stinky! Wash your face!" She shouted, her voice shrill and childish as she bounced on the spot, ready to dart away if Mortis tried to retaliate

He wasnt sure what to expext after delivering his challenge. He expected her to tackle her to the ground then and there. Wrestle him for a point, and thr right to boss him around. Instead, he ended up looked at her in surprise as she drew herself up. Head and tail held high, her posture as regal as a queen. His mouth dropped open in surprise and his thoughts became an illegible jumble. "Uhhhh..." he managed, snapping his jaw closed when he realised how it hung.

He was almost glad when she broke the spell with silliness. Splashing the rising tide at him once, and then again. The water sloshed against his face and chest, partly drenching a coat that only just begun to dry. "You'll pay for that!" He warned, jumped forward. She had been bouncing lithly on the spot, and took off as he came after her. He put on a burst of speed, determined to knock her into the ocean. His fully belly groaned in protest at the sudden exercise. His mouth dripped with blood and seasalt. Which was perfect, actually. He would clean his muzzle alright, in her fur!

Hanako giggled and dropped down into a play bow, her butt and tail wiggling as she goaded him on. Sure she'd just eaten and it probably wasn't a good idea to run around so soon but she hadn't eaten as much as Mortis, the fact he'd stuffed his snout was his problem and not hers. He charged after her, maw dripping with mess and Hanako let out a playful shriek in surprise and bounced to the side, just in the nick of time, When she noticed the look in his eye, the way he was leering at the white of her coat her mouth popped open in horror. Surely he wouldn't do that, Mortis was good and kind and- oh yeah, he'd definitely would, nasty winged creature that he was. Retreating to the safety of the waves, Hanako leapt back into the ocean and waded out till she was shoulder deep, just about able to still stand. If Mortis wanted to follow then he was more than welcome to but if he tried to get close with his grimy muzzle than the waves would make short work of it. She stuck out her tongue and closed her eyes, letting out a very unladylike like "thbptttttttt."  But then again she'd never had to worry about being a lady with him; it was easy, seamless, for her to slip back onto her puppyhood days, to relive the times she should have been able to play and frolic instead of being paraded around like fancy merchandise. But that neither here nor there, Hanako wasn't even close to being ready to face her past quite yet. She wanted to live in the moment, to breathe in the here and now. "Lemme swim for a bit more then we should probably head back." They'd been there for a while, long enough for her not to complain about leaving but she loved it so much here, with him, that she didn't want to go. It'd take a few hours at least to head back home and Hanako didn't really want to sleep rough for the night cause she got too greedy."And wash your dang face."

Once he started laughing, he just couldn’t stop. Hana had found the fatal flaw in his plan, stepping into the waves to escape him. Two choices; give up, or inevitably wash his face chasing her. She knew she had him too, pulling a face like she had already won. He ducked his head down, out of hre view, whipping a paw along the bridge of his muzzle, and washing it in the water. He wagged his tail, hiding the spot of goo still remaining on the underside of his muzzle, and waited for her to return to him. ”All done, we can head back!” he promised her. Not that he was keen to finish their day of play. It was just a ruse to draw her in closer to him. He just needed to bide his time for a little longer, and that uppity dainty koi would get it! He wiggled his brows at the water beneath him. Keep his secret between himself and the waves.

There. Hanako's smile turned all smug and cocksure, her brows dipping as she watched his every move with squinty eyes. Now that wasn't so hard, was it? She paddled on the spot for a moment longer before, and not without dramatic sigh did she reluctantly start to make her way into the shallower waters where Mortis was waiting.It was a bit silly that she was huffing and puffing since she'd been the one to suggest that it was time to go, but it was a little hard for her, like every wave was a beckoning touch begging her to stay. Once again she counted her blessings that Boreas wasn't landlocked, the thought of having to go without made her grimace, twisting her pretty features into something less so. She swam close to Mortis, her tail swishing in the water like a fin as she approached, completely oblivious to his nefarious scheme "See you look so much better!" She said, nodding in approval. He looked as princely as any she'd ever met or seen. It reminded her of a story. "You know when I was really little I was playing and I fell in a puddle, got alllll covered in mud. Became the brownest wolf you've ever seen. Then my Keepers found me and got really really mad, scrubbed me till not even a splodge of dirt was left.  From then on I wasn't allowed to play after it rained." She laughed, like it was no big deal. As if their punishment fit the crime.

His tail wagged happily behind him as she approached. His scheme coming perfectly together… she was close enough to touch now, and she looked so smug. He was so ready to - and then she mentioned the keepers. He paused, frozen, as she mentioned them scrubbing her, berating her, scaring her from having fun. It was a cloud on an otherwise lovely day. His breathing shortened for a moment, as he considered what kind of nasty stuff he wanted to do to those people. But he let out a soft sigh, wincing at the imagery. He wasn’t a naturally violent wolf, even if he did spend a lot of time learning how to fight. “That does sound fun” he said after a moment, inconspicuously scrubbing the last bit of muck off his muzzle. He wasn’t going to remind her of unhappy times.

Hanako didn't notice the change in Mortis' mood or the way he subtly cleaned the underside of his muzzle. She happily paddled beside him and nodded, remembering her puphood fondly, despite how much they'd moved around. She knew it was something Mortis just couldn't understand though, he seemed so set in his ways and when she'd tried to explain it last time up in the treehouse it hadn't gone down well. Even now she wondered where they'd gone wrong, but it didn't really matter did it? They'd moved well past that moment and if she brought it up now then it'd probably seem like she was hankering for a fight. Eager to prove him wrong. Instead she kicked herself closer and gave the Fatalis a shoulder bump, her side brushing against his as she did so. "Not as fun as hanging out with you." Her tail slapped at the water, sending droplets flying. "Now scoot. Lets head back."