Chapter Text
Nod Krai was a long way from Inazuma. These streets were painfully unfamiliar to the deputy leader of the Arataki Gang. And it didn't help that the locals cast strange looks her way. She stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the rather gloomy and industrial atmosphere. The people that lined the streets and hid in the alleyways dressed modestly, with subdued colors and thick linen fabrics. The mask that covered her mouth didn't help with the suspicious glances either. Shinobu debated on simply removing the accessory at this point considering that it was highly unlikely that she would bump into anyone else from Inazuma. Well, anyone that wasn't a part of the gang, that is.
Stepping into what seemed to be a central hub in Nasha Town, Shinobu exhaled in relief when she saw a familiar structure amidst all the harsh metals and machinery. The Adventurer's Guild. Kathryne was a welcome face to the weary deputy. Thankfully there wasn't currently a line of adventurers clamoring for commissions like there commonly was in Inazuma or Liyue. She rest her arms on the counter as she leaned onto it casually.
“Ad astra abyssosque! Welcome to the Adventurers' Guild.”
“Kathryne, long time no see!”, Shinobu greeted warmly. “Listen, I'm not here for a commission, rather, I need to ask if you've seen the boss around these parts. You know, the big loud oni?”
The receptionist seemed to think over the posed question for a moment or two. In her peripheral vision, Shinobu noticed two men that stood at a nearby booth turn slightly as if to eavesdrop on the conversation. Ah, so boss definitely made a mess around here, she thought to herself before turning her attention back to Kathryne.
“I'm afraid that I have not seen the person you are describing.”, Kathryne replied calmly. Shinobu huffed quietly to herself, letting her shoulders sag in disappointment. She had been hoping for at least some sort of direct and simple lead. But, she was nothing if not determined.
“Okay, then let me ask another question. If an out of towner came to Nasha Town and got into a lot of trouble for being an absolute dummy, where would they most likely end up?”, she asked, hoping that this would lead to at least something helpful.
“Hey”, one of the men that had been eavesdropping called out. The man slowly approached Shinobu, causing her to reflexively put her hand on the hilt of her blade. She did so casually, as if it was a natural relaxed pose for her, but the threat was clear. She wasn't here to mingle with the locals or put up with what they're laying down. If the man noticed, he didn't comment on it.
“The guy you're talking about... he got horns?”, the man asked, holding up his forefingers against his forehead as if to mimic horns. “Dressed like a punk with red markings all over his skin?”
“That's him”, she said with a single nod. “Did he wrong you in some way?”
The second man, who at this point had been watching silently on the side stepped forward with his hands up as if he saw the warning glint in the young woman's gaze.
“No, no. Nothing like that”, the man assured. “I mean, he is a bit of a brute”
“He's just excitable. If he damaged anything or accidently-” she had began to explain but was interrupted by the first man.
“He knocked over several people because he was chasing after something or someone. Those people just happened to be in the Fatui”
“High ranking Fatui, at that”, the second man added. “And I don't know if you've noticed since you're not from around these parts, but the Fatui have their hands all over this city. Make them angry and you're bound to get locked up somewhere.”
Shinobu pinched the bridge of her nose. The Fatui...of course.
“Could you point me to where they potentially took him? Or you can just show me where the Fatui are stationed here.”
The men barely had to show her were to go. Just on the other side of where she had been was a building front that was swarming with fatuus. She could feel their stares as she stepped forward. She had her arms crossed in an intentional stance to give off the perception that she wasn't there for a fight. The sentiment seemed to be shared as the various masked agents and soldiers simply watched and waited.
Her gaze locked on to the most intimidating one amongst them. He stood off to the side by himself. His back leaned against the wall by a door as if he was waiting for someone. He wasn't dressed in the usual Fatui garb but the mask on his face was undeniably in line with theirs. His minty hair fell over a part of his mask as slipped around the long glowing earring as he tilted his head curiously at her approach.
“You look like the sort of man that has answers”, she said, knowing better than to waste oxygen on greetings or small talk with the Fatui. The man responded with a wolfish grin and a small bow of his head in acknowledgement.
“Depends on the price you're willing to pay for my answers”, the man drawled in a smooth voice.
“Something tells me you're not interested in mora”, Shinobu mused. She could hear some stifled chuckles from some of the other fatuus scattered around in the background.
“How perceptive”, the man purred. “Allow me to offer you a deal. An exchange of knowledge, to put it simply. You ask your question, and then I'll ask mine. Then we both answer.”
“Let me guess, you'll answer last and your answer to my question is going to be entirely based on how much value you see in my response?”
The man chuckled and straightened his posture as if fully invested in the conversation now. She had caught his attention, and she couldn't tell if that was a good thing or not.
“Please, ask your question first, my dear friend”, the man said, gesturing with a single gloved hand as if to give her the floor. No doubt to measure his own question to hold a similar weight to hers. At least, she hoped that was the case. She didn't want to seem like a naive fool for asking him the location of a friend just for him to ask her something ridiculous like the meaning of life or how many moons are in the sky.
“If a friend of mine that just so happens to be an oni got himself in trouble with your organization while within this city for no doubt some insignificant charge...where would I find him and how best could I arrange for his release?”
She didn't like how wordy it all came out, but the man had her guard on full alert. Not that her body language spoiled it. Well, perhaps her posture was a touch too tense. Her fingertips nervously tapped a rhythm against her bicep.
“That was two questions rolled into one”, the man responded with a hint of disdain. “But, seeing as how this is our first meeting...I'll be a generous acquaintance and allow it.”
His head tipped back a bit as if he was pondering what to ask her in return before she felt the weight of his gaze return to her face.
“Do you believe that young birds purposely jump from the nest because they know that they have wings capable of flight and are just unaware of how useless those untrained appendages are? Or do you believe that the plummet to the earth is due to the parental birds and their expectation that the young learn as they did?”
What a question, she thought to herself. She brought her hand up to lean against her chin as she thought over the best way to answer his question. How cryptic...asking questions about birds.
“I believe...”, she began, attempting to seem as though she wasn't completely taken off guard and stumped by his question. “It's a combination of both. Without the parental birds, the babies wouldn't have a visual clue as to what their potential is. They have to be shown flight before they realize that they hold the tools for it themselves. I suppose it's up to the baby bird to decide whether it wants to learn hands on or if it wants to wait until it's given direction first.”
Frustratingly, because of the mask that hid the man's eyes from her view, she couldn't tell if he was pleased by her response or not. Not until he let out a low hum.
“Your oni friend isn't being kept here. While he did start a disturbance that hindered some of our employees, we have other more important nuisances to handle here”, the man said with a dismissive wave of his hand.
Shinobu pouted, something only seen by the furrow of her brows and the shift in her posture. This arrogant prick! He could have told me that from the beginning instead of wasting my time.
“I assume he made his way to Hiisi Island to befriend some of the wildlife”, the man added after a moment. ”I may or may not have overheard him loudly speaking to a child about the sacred deer there.”
Oh. That...actually sounded like something he'd do. It was the best lead she could possibly get from this encounter, anyways.
“...thanks for your time”, Shinobu responded, offering the man a slight polite bow before turning to leave.
“And what if the baby bird learns to fly? Does it simply live life simply with that singular knowledge or will it seek out other possibilities? How far does freedom stretch when the world is filled with endless opportunities?”, he called out to her as she stepped away. She hesitated at his words and turned back to look at him curiously.
“Do I know you?”, she asked. His questions were becoming too on the nose for it to be merely a coincidence.
“I know the look of any child that seeks their freedom through gaining knowledge on their own terms, without being bound by any sort of regulation that hinders ...creativity.”
Itto was indeed on Hiisi Island when Shinobu found him. He was surrounded by the young children of the Frostmoon people. They were gathered around a weasel of some sort.
“You see, these weasels got nothin' on the tanuki of Inazuma. These scrawny little- ow!”, the oni shrieked and brought his finger up to his mouth after the weasel nipped him.
All it took was Shinobu to clear her throat for Itto to stand and forget about anything he was doing. He clasped his hands together in surrender immediately.
“Oh heeey, it's my most favoritest and prettiest deputy member of the Arataki Gang who definitely ISN'T upset with me”, he said in a whiny and apologetic tone.
All she could do was huff at him, her arms uncrossing to fall at her sides as she deflated. At least he was safe and unharmed. And not in jail.
“You're lucky I don't have the mental energy to beat you into the next lunar cycle.”
But as they walked together back towards Nasha town, Shinobu couldn't help but think back on that strange man's words. He spoke as if he knew her. As if he knew she came from the shrine. But that couldn't be possible...could it? She supposed it wouldn't be out of the question for her to have appeared on the radar of the Fatui at some point. Especially with everything she finds herself up to with the Arataki Gang. Speaking of...
“What were you chasing after anyways? Some of the locals told me that you got in trouble with the Fatui cause you knocked some people over because you were after something.”
“Oh it was this shiny weird floaty thing! I thought it was some kind of weird butterfly seelie and it would lead me to treasure. But it just lead me out here. There's a whole bunch of 'em out here. But they don't do anything cool.” Itto responded, his excitement palpable, but remembering who asked the question, he reigned it back a bit before sheepishly asking “...was the guy I knocked over really angry? I was honestly too scared of him to stick around. “
“Who walks around with bird feathers on their shoulder and a weird mask anyways? Pfft, what a loser” , he added after a quiet moment where it seemed like a whooping from Shinobu wasn't on the verge of happening anytime soon.