the words we shall say

Hattori's paw throbbed in beat with the thudding of his heart, blood slicking the sand beneath his paw. Faintly he recognised that it would hurt, that he would walk with a limp for quite some time but it did little to distract him. Not when a far heavier pain was before him, the sort he was not equipped in any capacity to deal with. To mend and soothe was not in his nature, never had been, he was as close to a fish out of water as he would ever get. What could he even do now the damage was done: Venom as wounded as he'd ever seen her. He sighed, the act unnatural and foreign. Like he was still clinging onto old habits, trying to fill the mould Venom deserved. To admit his wrongdoings was not impossible for the Fallen Shogun and yet he knew they would do little to make the Empress feel any better. Was this even something that could be fixed with words alone?

"Is that what you truly wish? You would have me lie to you? " He shook his head, she was blameless in this. She scrambled to put distance between them, shields up and gaze filled with loathing. Hattori did not move to stop her, to hold her close as she once might have liked. "I ask nothing of you. You have done enough, we both know it."

But hadn't he too? He knew with unshakeable certainty his service to her was unfailable, that this moment aside he had done nothing wrong. Her anger was justified, but he felt as though she was too quick to look past their time together, that she sat atop a cushy throne, in part due to all of his hard work and dedication. To only ask for this, a clean break in return did not feel like too much.

"Can you not see, I am doing this for you. That everything I have done upon entering your service, even now, is for you. " This was the closest to an argument either of them were going to get. Venom could snarl and raise her hackles, he simply wanted to talk. "To maintain what is yours, giving you my efforts and achievements and everything else.  I am doing this because you are important." He paused, his voice raised louder than he would have liked.

"I do not wish to be your enemy, Venom. You know this."