guillotine & a razorblade

Visitors had been flocking to Ashen's borders as of late and Hattori couldn't say he was overly pleased. Perhaps it was a good thing, a sign of their growth, but for the most part Hattori regarded it as a distraction. There was plenty for him to do and only a limited amount of hours in the day, even now as he paced his way to the border the clock was ticking. He glanced up as his hawk-eagle flew overhead, riding the air currents as it let out a squawk, telling Hattori about the loner waiting at the borders. He learned nothing of note but knowing his companion was as watchful as ever was enough for the Shogun. For now at least.

Stepping out from the white of the treeline, Hattori made no attempt to conceal his approach. If the loner was here to speak then he would listen, there was no need for secrecy or posturing, Hattori knew his and Ashen's worth. He did not need to make a show of it, nor would he ever care to as such frivolities were beneath him. Settling his unblinking gaze upon the stranger, the Shogun noted that he was unremarkable at best, with a generic look that would have him blending in well with any chosen crowd. The scars that lined his eye were long since healed, drawing attention away from the smaller, subtler marks that marred his form. But Hattori had not written him off just yet, the stranger had sharp, clever eyes.

Hattori finally blinked.

"What do you want?" Hattori asked, his accent still thick and the bluntness of his tone more due to speaking in his second language than anything else. After all this time the common tongue proved tedious for him, even with Venom he sometimes struggled to find the right words and proper phrasing.

This was why he left diplomatic affairs to his wife, if that hadn't been obvious enough from the start.