Hanako puffed out as sigh as she stared at out the world beyond her den, her gaze lingering on the rain, how it greyed out the world and made it all seem so dull, lifeless. She knew she was allowed to go outside within reason, that Azure's companions would trail after her like a pair of unwelcome shadows, but when the weather was like this she wanted nothing more than to stay warm and dry.  To close her eyes and blatantly ignore the mounting turmoil that stirred within her, whether she acknowledged it or not things were always going to happen. She just had to go with the flow of it all, not fight against the current lest she wear herself out for no good reason.

Still, she wasn't happy to be here, being stuck in the past. Like her paw was enveloped in quicksand, dragging her further down, faster and faster the more she struggled. So what was she supposed to do? Fall back on old habits and let life wash over her? It was bad but she didn't hate the idea, didn't entirely mourn the sense of progress she'd lost so far. Change was not a thing appreciated in these parts, the Fatalis way was set in stone and as far as everyone seemed concerned her fate had been sealed the moment she'd been brought into the fold.

If someone had told her that from the start would it have made any difference? Hanako just didn't know.

Speech

It wasn't long before he found his way to her den. Ignoring the feel of rain pounding against his thick coat. He thought of thr laughter and bantered he and Hanako had shared in. Of the trust he had given in her in being the voice of the pack, a diplomat. He had given her esteem, and safety while she also had the freedom to explore. She had taken all he had given her, and turned her back on him and the pack.

He leaned against the entrance, looking at the miserable koi wolf within. The Warlords expression was not angry. If anything, it was sad and disappointed. She was one of the few he had allowed himself to love completely, to call family. "Hey, little fisher" he said to get her attention. He paused a moment, then spoke again. "I consider you family. I love you, Hanako. Gave you a place in my home and hearth. Then while I, and the pack, we're suffering, you snuck away with the intent of fading from our memories. Was our grief so ugly?" He asked her softly.

Hanako heard the heavy thump of Sirius' paws and her ears flattened against her skull. She knew this was coming, as inevitable as the rain, but there was little she could say that would soften the blow. The harm had already been done, Azure had made sure of that, so there wasn't much else she could do but take it on the chin and he didn't raise his voice. She didn't want to deal with that, not today, not when the weather was making a mockery of her. With her chin still pressed to her covers she glanced up at him, her chest twinging at the sweet little nickname he still offered her. There was no rage in his eyes nor did he reach out to strike her, but for all she knew this was the calm before the storm. Hanako had never seen him angry before, she did not know what to expect.

"I didn't mean it like that." And that was true, though her actions were undeniably selfish there was no malicious intent hiding behind the curtains. Just a desire for more, till she had her fill.

He nodded his head at that, still standing in the frame of the door. The wind swishing the rain through the parts of his coat that it could reach. The sound of hammering against the roof of her cozy den gave ambience, more then drowning out their conversation.

His little fisher looked... miserable. His mouth twisted downwards. He thought of Malalia. Her disappearance was a mystery he would never solve. Hana had been there for the consequence of that. He had seen how the missing girl had torn through the pack. Now she sought to leave in the same way? To become an unknown sore in his heart, always wondering if she was dead or why she had left.

"Alright then," he said, breaking the silence he had created. "But you've hurt those that love you, you've broken my laws. What are you going to do about it?"

"I don't know." She admitted with a weak shrug.

He was right in suggesting she ought to take the incentive and fix things, but how? It was all so complicated and multifaceted that she didn't know where to start, or at least that's what she made it out to be. An insolvable problem that should just be swept under the rug, out of sight and mind sort of deal. But the Fatalis' were like hounds on a scent trail, it simply wasn't in their nature to forget and forgive. As frustrating as that was, Hanako knew it was a fact of life in these parts. And they thought she was stubborn, sheesh.

"You're the boss around here, it's your call isn't it?" She shifted her paws, settling one atop the other. "And I don't seem to have much of a choice." She was teetering the edge of getting a bit snippy and held it back, now wasn't the time to get too comfortable in their familiarity.

"Don't play the victim, Hana" he chastised her, pushing himself off the door frame. He took a step into her room, getting himself out of reach of the elements. The chill stuck to his cost, but he barely minded it.

He took a seat there, still near the entrance and giving her some distance. He watched the sulking girl for a time. "You broke the rules of the Armada, so now you... what? Plan to sulk in your den for the rest of your days?" He asked her, a light challange in his eyes. "I know you can do better then that. Work your way back up again. Earn our loyalty back, become a functioning member of the pack again. If you still wish to leave after that, do it the right way, petition for it. " He suggested, knowing she was well capable of it. She had had most of the Fatalis wolves wrapped about her paws. When she wasn't sulking, she could achieve much.

Hanako had to bite back the urge to shuffle back further into the den. She knew Sirius wouldn't do anything bad, he probably just wanted to get out of the rain. Which was fair enough, as she wasn't much of a fan either. But still, it was more like...the representation of having no control over anything any more, she supposed? She was being forced to remain on his land and thus had to dance along to the beat of his drums, whether she was being dramatic and playing the victim or not, neither of them could deny that cold hard truth.

He disproved of her approach and that was fair enough, she wouldn't fault him for that, but the alternative he offered wasn't all that appealing either. Always looping back to the fact Fatalis' didn't like change, that he wanted things to go back to his big happy family, with everyone remaining rightly in their place. Or rather, more pointedly that was what Azure wanted from the sounds of it and Sirius to his credit was being a little more flexible.

"I don't think Azure would let me go even if I did all that." She uttered, not wanting to look too deeply into how she really felt about that.

He slumped down in front of her, stretching out his long limbs until he could reach a claw and flick it gently against her paw. "Aw, shucks, guess life is over for you thrn kiddo." He said blandly, before pulling back his paw and giving her a little space.

"Azure, despite what he might think, isn't ruler here. I believe that a wolf deserves the right to work there way into whatever they want in life. You've already been given a lot by the Armada. You fell straight into a high rank, and had full freedom to wonder and speak in the voice of the Armada. Now, perhaps it's time to work for it, so you know it's worth. If you put in the time, you can accomplish anything, and I won't let anybody hinder you." He promised her gently. Azure would fall in line, even if he had to make the boy.

"But ultimately, it's your choice. You can lie in this den and sulk your days away, and slowly press more and more into a demeaning rank, or you can wait out the storm with me, get off your rump, and start working towards your future. I won't make you, little fisher." But she would get exactly what she worked for. Nothing for nothing.

Hanako appreciated the little joke, it did well to break the mounting tension that had settled in the air. She knew that she was able to get away with a lot others simply could not, but in a situation like this even she was talking a tightrope. If Azure was to be believed he'd talked his father into helping preserve her reputation, but what if that wasn't enough? Though Sirius was being gentle enough in his approach, most likely having correctly assumed scaring her into submission wasn't the best way to go about this, she knew this wasn't as laid back of a conversation that it appeared to be on the surface.

Sure enough he pressed on, pointing out she'd risen high in the ranks with very little time and effort, that he wouldn't keep her on such a long leash from here on out. Sparrow offered her luxuries and comforts with little effort in return and Sirius sought to drag her in the opposite direction, it was reasonable and probably the best thing for her but... Hanako was selfish at heart. She wanted things without having to truly work, earning her rank last time had been more effort than she'd usually put in, so the thought of doing even more did not sit well with her. From the start she'd known this was not a pack where she'd be pampered but she'd still gotten carried anyway nonetheless.

"I thought you'd hate me too." She finally said after a long and lingering silence. "Azure says he doesn't but he's so- temperamental."

The silence stretched out, and he let it. He didn't mind the quiet in the den as he listened to the storm beyond. He remained lying on the floor before her comfortable beds. Close enough to hold a conversation, but far enough to give her space. When she spoke next he let out a gentle breath, and some of the hardness melted from his expression.

"Hate you, little Fisher?" He said, his voice soft beneath the beating rain. "I love you like a daughter, Hanako. You found a family here, and one that won't forget you easily. At the end of the day, no matter what squabbles we might have, you may seek comfort and protection with me. Always." He said, and leaned forward to again. Further this time, as he aimed to bestow a kiss upon her brow.

When he leaned back again, he chuckled. "Azure has a lot of maturity yet to grown into. He's more high strung then he'd like to admit, and there are very few that he loves. But those he does he wants to hold onto fiercely." So no, he did not believe Azure hated Hanako. He thought of what his son had said, on wanting her to stay.

Even now Hanako wasn't really familiar with the concept of family. It settled odd in her chest as she dwelled on how her actions looked from the other side, that she'd abandoned them. She'd said it before and maintained the stance that it wasn't her intention at all, but she supposed in the end that didn't really matter, did it? She didn't exist in a vacuum, her actions would always have consequences and just because she was getting what she wanted that didn't mean the same applied for everyone else. Selfishly she thought maybe it was okay, Sparrow had shown Hanako that her life was her own to lead and just because the Fatalis' wanted her to stay didn't mean she had to. Even though she sort of did, there was no denying that. Choosing was her problem, she somehow at the same time wanted someone to force her hand but also resented how Azure went about it. Talk about picky.

She sniffed, a little taken aback by Sirius' tenderness. He had always been so soft, gentle with her, why had Azure been so worried he'd turn? Dipping her head she accepted his little show of affection, it made her feel better, like she wasn't such a lost cause in their eyes. That if she did stay then things wouldn't be like this forever, it helped even if only a little. She scooted a little closer and submissively licked his chin, he was still the Warlord and it helped to pay her dues.

"I don't know what to do, but...I'll think about it." It was really the best she could offer at this point, nothing more or less.