bury the light

The fact she favoured the night over day wasn't all that surprising,  he'd already come to the conclusion she was a woman of mystery and intrigue but it was quickly becoming apparent that there was more to her than what simply met the eye. The night was dark and full of terrors, could the same be said of Venom? Hattori dwelled on this line of thought for a long moment as they pushed through the willows and the trees began to thin, streaks of sunlight squeezed through the branches and bathed their forms in light. As though revealing all, their secrets laid bare.

Her question quickly changed the tone of the game, far more probing than the one that came before. But again, he could not fault her for this nor would he deflect or deny her. He exhaled, less of a sigh and more of a thoughtful sound as he tried to recall the numbers. He wasn't the forgetful sort and he wasn't careless but after some time the names and faces tended to blend together, only focusing when under scrutiny. He'd been working for the Iga clan since the day he'd turned a year old and it was bittersweet that he'd stopped-even if only temporarily- around about the time he'd turned two. It was ironic, almost, but Hattori didn't see the humour in it.

"Twelve. You are thirteen."

Which wasn't to say he'd served them for equal amounts of time. Some had only hired him to work for a day and others months, it all very much depended on what they required of him. Following her lead in more ways than one he amped up his line of questioning as well.

"Is the Empire's throne yours by birthright?"

His stiff tone paired with the implication of the question might have seemed a little probing, perhaps insulting even, but that was not his intention. Nor did he really care if she deserved the throne or not. It was hers now and thus it was his job to help ensure things stayed that way, regardless of what anyone else thought. If nothing else it would help give him a bit more context as to the threats and troubles he might have to deal with.