Hushed Willows only when i've created a murderbot

backdated just a bit and vague enough in a stupid attempt to make sense..?

.. I didn't know where their pack began and where it ended.  Then Saena showed up.. she paused and took a breath, not bothering to look at her brother as she did so.  Banner had been rambling for a few minutes now as they strolled along the border of Marauder's Keep and Felltree Marsh.  She was in one of her rare talkative moods this morning and her brother was apparently the one to bear the burden.

.. Warbone, too.  He seemed different.  And he apologized.. which was.. well, something I didn't expect.  He was calm.  Even Tam  - he followed me over the mountain and snuck up behind me so I guess I should pay more attention - but even he was optimistic.  I don't think he understood a lot of what was going on, but you know how he can be with picking up on absolutely everything..  Banner trailed off again with a soft chuckle.  @Stark didn't need her to tell him how Tambourine was!  A small smile settled in on her dark chocolate maw.  I didn't even know he'd been exploring outside the Keep, she admitted offhandedly.

He'd been in a fair mood when they'd been talking about the newest recruits - both Gwen and Talewi had been doing their level bests to get known and grow in the pack and he'd appreciated that. What he didn't appreciate though was hearing that Banner had gone to Duskvale and Tambourine had been there too right after they'd discussed the seriousness of staying away and keeping tensions down. "You what?!" He wasn't often mad at his sister - in all actuality he was usually on par with Banner's thoughts. 

This was different. Stark disregarded what Banner had said about both Saena and Warbone, caring little for the fact he'd apparently apologized. Stark didn't care. Banner had invoked a possible enemy and she'd done so with Tambourine trailing right behind her. "So you to find them and Tambourine was right there - putting both of at risk." 

Feeling as though she were hit in the face by the shock of his reaction, Banner stumbled a bit and snapped her head to the side so she could get a good look at him.  W.. wha..?  Her words were a pathetic jumble, her voice small.  The short lady's brain worked double time to first process his words and then formulate a coherent response.

Unforunately part two wasn't fully formed when she opeend her mouth again.

What are you talking about?  I just said I didn't know Tambo was following me.  I didn't go to find them necessarily, just check out where they'd settled.. she trailed off and then planeted her paws firmly to the ground in an unmistakable halt.  Warbone apologized.  Did you miss that part?  Her tone straddled the line between what was acceptable and something a bit more.. biting.

Stark bit his lip as Banner sputtered and he wondered where they'd gone off course. Stark had thought that they were on the same page - avoid causing a ruckus, sort of keep to themselves but not to the level that Octavia had dictated. They'd wanted to keep themselves busy, that's all. Keep focusing on the Keep and get things under control. He bristled, stopping just as soon as Banner had, grinding his teeth a bit. "We were going to stay away for awhile." Stark said, his tone matching hers. "Not going to check it out and possibly start something."

There was this part of Stark that was irrationally attached. It wasn't just his sister. Banner was his best friend. It wasn't just Tambourine - it was his son and the last remainder of Octavia he had. "Why would you risk it?!" Stark asked, looking down on his sister for the first time ever, truly. "What if he'd taken you? Or Tambourine?"

I had no intention of starting something! she interjected suddenly.  The way he spoke to her caused Banner's face to heat up instantly and she had to consciously think about listening to the beat of her own heart.  She sucked in a deep breath, held it, and then released slowly.

Nothing happened, she said through clenched teeth.  Damn, she hadn't had to focus this hard in so long that it felt almost foreign.  She swallowed hard and closed her eyes.  And if you think for one second that I wouldn't have died to get him out of actual danger, you don't know me at all.  Banner's eyes snapped open and she pinned him with a hard stare.

Stark didn't back down, watching his sister for a moment as she countered. Stark let out a low growl, shaking his head. "Not just him! Because I can't handle losing you either, Banner." Stark grit out. He lashed his tail a few times, looking down at Banner before out towards the nothingness. "You two matter the most to me and I can't handle the idea of anything happening to either of you."  Stark said, his voice clearly distressed but he was still angry, unable to help himself from how he felt. 

"If you don't realize that, you don't know me at all." Stark said, using Banners words against her. He didn't know how else to articulate his feelings about something so important to him, only making him more frustrated. 

One.  Two.  Three.  Banner counted her heartbeats.  Four.  Five.  Six.  It took six before she responded.  Nothing happened.  We are fine, she replied focefully.  Why couldn't he understand?  What good did it to to fight about something like this after it had already happened?

Admittedly, she didn't know how to respond to Stark's sentiments in the moment.  Her chest heaved as various thoughts turned over and over in her mind.  Months, it had been months that she'd lived in the Keep now and even still she had a hard time accepting the idea that she mattered so much to him.  To anyone.  Banner was a lot of things, but social butterfly wasn't one of them.  And now that she'd gone out and lived up to her promises of expanding the pack's network.. Think of it as outreach, she said flatly, recalling a convesation they'd had a while ago.

Before she could stop herself, the short lady rushed out: Am I supposed to run these things by you?  Every time?  Are we equals or has something changed?  Banner couldn't be bothered to feel shame at the accusation in her voice.

The accusation in her voice wasn't missed and Stark felt slighted. It wasn't about being equals - it was about him understanding a stance they'd taken and then Banner immediately going against it. Putting herself and risk and Tambourine too - even if it wasn't intentional - terrified Stark. "When we agree on something, I feel like we're equals. We're on the same page. This is like us saying something and you doing the opposite of it." Stark said, swallowing back a low huff. 

He'd never felt this upset with her - they'd always been a united front on things. Childhood squabbles, outside issues - they'd always had each other's backs. Stark had never had to question where things stood but in this, even at the potential risk to both of them, he didn't know how to handle it. "You went against the one thing I've said - the only hard line I've ever drawn in the sand, B." 

Her hearbeat didn't seem to want to slow and, naturally, it caused her head to rush.  Banner closed her eyes again and steadied herself against the sound of her own blood in her ears.  It was deafening!  She wanted to curl up in a ball and will herself to just sleep it all off - the bad feelings, the way her body felt like it was on fire, everything.  Instead she took another measured breath and deliberately turned her head to the side.  She couldn't look at him now.  Some days all it took was one quick glance at his face and she'd fold to anything he wanted.

Stubborn as she was, Banner couldn't do that now.

So we're equals on your terms, she ground out, the frustration she felt making it all the more difficult to keep herself level-headed.  She'd never done it very well, anyway.  Where does that leave us, if we aren't equals?  Were we ever?  Biting back bitter laughter, she drew in a quick breath and curled her tail between her short back legs.  It was purely instinctual and done without forethought, but Banner knew her actions held weight all the same.