Mortis left him a fire as he went out to do his morning responsibilities. Hikaru volunteered to go along, but his den mate insisted he stay back and tend to the fire. Maybe Hika wasn’t quite recovered from the long haul all the way to the Armada, or maybe the fire was hypnotizing because Hikaru quickly fell into a nap. His pale front paws curled against his chest and his rear paws were tucked neatly beneath him. Ink tipped tail wrapped around his hips and he was a perfect Koi loaf perched at the entrance of the den Mortis shared with him.

The fire crackled happily and extended its warmth to Hikaru’s features as his head slowly fell and he dozed into a cat nap. The day was still young, it was not yet near noon. The sun was breaking through the clouds in spurts but most of the day had been gray so far. A perfect time to sneak in a peaceful doze.

"Speech"

Hanako had never held onto a grudge like this before, gnawing away at it like a bone. Honestly it was hard work, to put so much time and effort into feeling a certain way. Normally her emotions came and went, soft and fleeting, like a scent on the breeze. But her resentment stuck around like a stink, clinging to her form and tainting every thought that passed through her mind. It was one thing to be turned down by one brother, but both??? She swung back and forth between never wanting to see a Fatalis again and wanting to just sweep all of this under the rug, pretend it never happened and move on. Except that it was never that easy, every time she attempted to approach Mortis to just...talk he was always there. Either Hikaru was doing his best to get under Hanako's paws or the universe was trying to give her a hint, one she was trying desperately to ignore.

Yet again she sought Mortis out, hoping to find him huddled up in his den only to find the exact wolf she didn't feel like talking to today. At first she was too overwhelmed with the feelings of ugh, but as she stood there in the icy wind she realised the extent of the situation. Hikaru was in Mortis' den. All snuggled up and cosy in a spot right where Hanako ought to be. Wonderful. She was tempted to turn around and storm off but where did she have to go? She hadn't used the den Azure had dug out for her in AGES and she didn't want to return to it any time soon either, she was stuck in limbo. With nowhere she really wanted to be. Swallowing her spite, Hanako forced on a smile as she padded her way to the entryway of the den and poked her head inside. If nothing she could ask where Mortis was and seek him out, that would serve as a welcome distraction.

"Hey have you seen Mortis? I need to talk to him."

Hikaru was swiftly growing accustomed to Mort’s presence. There wasn’t another wolf in the world he felt a stronger connection to. He made this place home and Kaiyo felt like he was where he belonged. All that time with the Iga he’d tried so hard to fit in and to be a shinobi. All of it was for not, because he was supposed to find his way here. The thought comforted him as he dozed there by the warmth of the fire, he wasn’t sure where the fur came from but he was draped by a warm blanket and he wondered if Mortis had stopped back by since leaving that morning.

He’d blink back sleep and confusion as the voice pulled him from his nap. Stormy eyes blinked back to find Hana before him, and she’d asked him a question. Of course since he was at Mort’s den he was most likely to offer his whereabouts. ”Hello Hanako, good morning.” he didn’t even notice she’d skipped any kind of greeting. ”Um, I saw him earlier I guess. Before he went out for patrol and chores.” At least he was pretty sure that’s where his friend had gotten off to. Still, sitting here curled up and warm he was a little ashamed he hadn’t gone out too.


"Speech"

Away doing chores huh? That sounded about right, if Mortis wasn't faffing around like the playful guy he was then he was usually up to his nose with typical Fatalis duties. It took a lot to keep a pack like this running and even though Hikaru seemed content to let others pull his weight for him that could be said for Mortis...Which, yeah she was throwing stones in a glass house but she'd gotten here first, she earned her keep in other ways, thank you very much!! Except that she hadn't done much as of late, if she'd been serious about her job she would have sought Sirius out and asked for a mission but here she was doing a whole lot of nothing. Day in day out.

"Oh well..." She hadn't planned this far ahead and didn't know what to say next. She shifted her weight from paw to paw as her lips twisted into a thoughtful frown. "Don't tell him I came by, will you?" He didn't need to or deserve to know she was thinking about him. But then again if Hanako went and said something like that Hikaru would no doubt think that she was acting weird, out of character. She was quick to attempt to rectify that, cursing her long lost ability to just know the right things to say. She was a changed woman and it felt as though it was for the worse. "It's just... I promised I'd do something and I haven't actually done it yet so him not being here is a good thing. Gives me more time." She admitted in a sheepish rush.

Liar liar pants on fire.

Mortis went pretty easy on him when it came to chores, he was always cold it seemed like and Mort was highly in tune with that fact. He wanted to make sure Hika was warmed enough he wasn’t going to get injured by the cold when he went out. Hikaru might not have really been some kind of delicate flower but he was swiftly realizing how much he enjoyed being doted on by Mortis. That didn’t mean he had free reign to slack off, nor did he intend to, but he clung to the excuse that he was still recovering.

Hana almost seemed like she wasn’t expecting his answer as she continued, looking a little put off. Hika tilted his head curiously, attention fully grasped. Why wouldn’t she want Mort to know that she had been by? Of course Hikaru only had honest intentions, and as Hanako continued he was fully sent off the trail. "Oh, well you shouldn’t dally! You wouldn’t wanna disappoint Mortis!" Hikaru chuckled amusedly as a grin settled on his features. Of all the wolves that deserved anything but disappointment it was Mortis. He was always so happy and thoughtful to everyone around him. Hikaru felt a tingling warm feeling in his heart at the thought but tried to ignore it as he looked back up to Hana. ”Can I do anything?" He added, but it didn’t look like the woman wanted to linger.

"Speech"

Wouldn't wanna disappoint him huh? Well it was a bit too late for that. Hanako bit back the urge to let the hurt show on her face, her ears wanted to pin down against her skull and her lips twist into a frown, but she held onto her mask and simply nodded along as though she wholeheartedly agreed with him. She had to remind herself again and again that she personally had nothing against Hikaru, but the way he so expertly rubbed her face in the dirt made her want to hate him. It was a feeling she wasn't familiar with, nor did she know how to handle the repercussions to it all, it was too much too fast and Hanako felt as though she was being buried alive. Bit by bit, smile by smile.

Hikaru asked if there was anything he could do to help and the spiteful part of her wanted to snap and tell him to stay on his fat ass. She blinked, sometimes she didn't even recognise herself anymore. What had Azure infected her with? Because she was changed, felt rotten from within and the thought of it appearing on the outside too sent a shiver down her spine. One she attempt to mask as being a result of the cold.

"Nah it's all right." She waved him off with a flick of her fiery paw, her mask still in place. "Thanks a lot though, and if you need any help settling in or whatever just let me know." It felt forced, as though she was spitting the words out through gritted teeth but it was the right, kind, thing to say all the same. "Us koi gotta stick together, right?"

Hika was completely fooled but the front she put on as Hana nodded along to him. Mortis had swiftly become the number one wolf in Hikaru’s life, and for good reason. He was sweet, kind, and generous. Hika would do anything for him, but as Hana stood before him Hikaru knew he’d do anything she asked. The koi’s head tilted curiously but Hanako released him of any duty.

"You’re really sweet, Hana, thank you." He grinned up at her, again feeling the welcoming embrace that the Armada offered to him. This was hime, he was certain. "We do! I’ll be here if you need anything." Hikaru offered again before she could be off to her next ambassador adventure.

"Speech"