Chapter Text

Prologue

The pencil moved over the paper hastily, letter after letter, scribbling document after document. Letter after letter, prominently writing, a gloved hand took a Fatui stamp and pressed it to the edge of the document, clipping it and putting it aside, moving to the next one. The purple eyes didn’t leave the table and paper, effortlessly signing and writing off everything. Perfect handwriting, stamps on the right places- all like protocol. And he would keep doing so for long… but the bright sun shined and covered his eyes, blinking after not seeing any light aside from a small lamp for hours…. So he wasted the whole night. Not a big deal, he thought… he finished the paper he was doing and put them on the desk, checking what was left. A big, big stack of it, but he wasn’t scared. 

He stretched his arms, grabbed his claymore hanging from the wall, put on his officer strap and finally walked out. The hallway was still empty, but he wasted no time, marching to the training grounds. The tact of his footsteps filled the hallway the same way with light, slowly getting brighter and brighter by each second. His eyes slowly got used to it as he finally reached his destination and walked out of the hallway, stepping on training grounds. Snow was falling. He could see the snowflakes falling down slowly. He slowed his pace just to stare at the beauty of it. His hand extended and caught a snowflake, it instantly melted, such peace…

Nastya: “Officer Shinikizu!”

…Broken so fast. Shinikizu turned around to see a Cicin Mage, waiting for him. Anastasia Snezhnovna, short for Ann by him, although everyone actually calls her Nastya, it just doesn’t roll off his tongue well enough. The juniors would usually be asleep at such hours. She was a whole head shorter than him, her wide eyes eager to train. 

Shinikizu: “You usually sleep longer.”

Nastya: “I wanted to wake up earlier for training today.”

Shinikizu: “You need good sleep, you are still young.”

Nastya: “Says who? I saw you working when I was going to sleep, and I doubt you actually slept.”

He looked away a little, as if he didn’t do that.

Shinikizu: “Don’t talk back to your superior…”

Nastya: “You know you need sleep too. That’s exactly the reason you are still officer, you lack discipline, don’t obey orders and always think about the present rather than planning-”

Shinikizu: “I get it, you can stop… Anyway, since you came early,”

He took a wooden sword from the stand and pointed it at her.

Shinikizu: “Spar. Let’s see if you are actually learning.”

Nastya: “Will you at least pull punches this time…?”

Shinikizu: “Not a chance.”

The wooden blade spun in his hand as he waited for her first move. Nastya acted quickly, summoning Cicins that surrounded him easily and attacked with a burst of cryo, but he dodged easily. He went for a swing that she barely dodged, and before he followed up his attack, he used his elemental burst, Cryo, in the ground to gain distance from Nastya, which thankfully happened. He was impressed.

Shinikizu: “Last time you got hit.”

Nastya: “Of course I am learning. The more I do, the less hits I get.”

Shinikizu: “You think so?”

Her face visibly paled as he lunged at her and she barely had time to swap with her Cicins, his swing killed them all in a single hit and he couldn’t even rest when she threw an ice dart at him, finally hitting him.

Shinikizu: “Finally landed a hit. Proud of you but… let’s get it done.”

He blitzed behind her, she tried to repel him with a Cryo burst again, but was too slow, his knee slamming in her stomach, grabbing her by hair and throwing her in the snow. She rolled in it and landed face down in snow, coughing blood in it a few times before sitting up. He visibly winced from seeing her like this, walking up to her and extended his hand to her. She took it and stood up, wiping off remaining blood. 

Shinikizu: “You okay?”

Nastya: “I think you.. broke my…. ribs.. or .. owww….”

She doubled down, the pain from that kick kicking in again. Shin nervously ruffled his collar, looking away.

Nastya: “You could at least pull punches!”

Shinikizu: “Pain is good motivator.”

Nastya: “Yeah, or else you don’t want to train at all.”

He ruffled her hair and other privates from his team started to pull up.

Agent: “Officer Shinikizu, you weren't sleeping again?”

Shinikizu: “Of course I did, why don’t-”

Agent: “The very bright light from your lamp says otherwise.”

Shinikizu coughed and acted innocent.

Shinikizu: “Just go do your usual training,  we will spar soon…”

They rolled their eyes but went and did as he said.

A few hours later.

After tough sparring sessions, everyone was laying breathless on the ground. Nastya even had a broken nose. He was patting the back of his head and shyly chuckling.

Shinikizu: “My bad, Ann, my bad.”

He helped her stand up and she wiped blood from her nose, still gasping for air.

Nastya: “Maybe.. now pull punches, officer?”

His hand helped her clean the blood off her face as he considered his options…

Shinikizu: “Well, I was always taught pain is something to tolerate and overcome with time… but perhaps you youngsters just need another method.”

Nastya: “I am barely younger than you!”

Shin: “And yet I have tenfold your experience.”

She huffed and he ruffled her hair to calm her off. She started to chuckle and pryed his hand off.

Nastya: “Stop!”, even though she was laughing while doing this and clearly playing.

Shin chuckled too and soon stopped, sighing contently and then putting on a serious face.

Shinikizu: “You all go to the nurse. I finish my paperwork in the meantime. And no buts.”

He spun the wooden sword in his hand and threw it back to where it was, it crashed into a tree and he looked at it, embarrassed.

Shinikizu: “It was supposed to land from where I took it…”

Shin took the wooden sword yet again and put it back in place, walking off the training grounds and heading back. Just three hours ago these corridors were empty and quiet, where even the mice would be heard clear and loud. Now it was loud, people rushing everywhere, discussions, Privates heading somewhere, higher ups training them, someone carrying equipment. A hand waved to him to the few people he recognised, as he kept marching slowly. 

Shin was a decently known figure among the Fatui after he joined. His devotion and dedication to helping them was the reason he managed to become an officer faster than many. Even though his career growth ended after that, he was a capable fighter, strong, fast and always obeyed commands. He was even more sensitive with elements, and it was always double sided. For one, he was far better at investigations and controlling elements, but that meant that he can’t use Delusion and Vision both without serious injuries. But at the same time, he lacked strategic thinking, and he had less care for his team or for himself. Otherwise- he was a perfect soldier. Did all the work, could work with anyone and was a decent brute force at that. Sadly, he was not a fan of making friends, so most of his comrades don’t talk to him again… ever.

As he finally approached his room again, he tiredly sighed and looked at the person standing right in front. Childe. 

Childe: “Hey, comrade!”

Shin audibly sighed.

Shin: “What this time? Another spar of yours?”

Childe: “You said it yourself.”

Shin audibly sighed again.

Childe: “Keep sighing and a fly is surely gonna fly in your mouth.”

Shin: “Whatever. I am quite tired, can we leave it for later?”

Childe: “Well,considering that you beat up your privates after a whole night of not sleeping… I don’t think you are tired.”

Shin ruffled his purple hair and nodded.

Shin: “Alright, but only since you are my superior…”

His hand ruffled his hair again and they walked to the other training grounds, he was silent the whole way while Childe tried to strike small talk.

Childe: “Still an officer?”

Shin: “Still.”

Childe: “And still harsh on your privates?”

Shin: “Still.”

Childe: “Will you still keep answering ‘still’ to all my questions?”

Shin: “Still….”

And they just kept walking silently…

Arriving, they finally took positions. Shin lifted his claymore and aimed at him, Childe summoned his blades forged from water. Shin didn’t lift his eyes at Childe, staring at the weapon. He could even see his reflection in them.

Childe: “Ready?”

Shin: “Whenever you are.”

Childe grinned and immediately lunged at him, swinging for the stomach, with Shin barely dodging and retaliating for a quick swing, he blocked and repelled, followed by a kick, as it also was dodged and officer punched back, blocked and swung claymore vertically, evaded by side step, but Shin didn’t wait and horizontally slashed, sending Childe away and following with electric bolt, easily dodged too.

Childe: “You are slower than last time.”

Shin: “Not in the mood.”

Childe went for attack, sending a water ripple that Shin barely dodged, but missed a kick in head, yet recovered quickly and threw him off by summoning an ice wall, and then dashed and clashed with the sword. Steel met water, attack after attack, blocks, mixed up punches. Shin was tired from this, so he slammed his fist into the ground, summoning his Cryo burst, and then discharged lighting into it, exploding and landing a hit on Childe. Childe was visibly happy.

Childe: “Finally take it seriously?”

Shin: “Shut the hell up.”

He swung the sword and Childe dodged, followed by a kick and again engaged in sword fighting again. Parrys, stabs, swings, and the claymore he was holding was out of his hand, flying in towards a wall, as Childe finally landed a hit and sent him flying into the wall. But he recovered quickly, bouncing off it and using Electro to accelerate himself, cutting distance and slamming an ice spike in Tartaglia torso, followed by a roundhouse kick.

Childe didn’t expect this speed at first, but recovered quickly, as Shin grabbed his claymore and pointed at Childe, and so did Childe’s blade. Neck to neck.

Childe: “Tie?”

Shin: “Tie.”

Both lowered their weapons. Shin was panting heavily, coughing blood from time to time.

Childe: “You sure it's a good idea to use a Delusion and a Vision? It’s clearly taking too much of a toll, comrade.”

Shin: ‘Shut the hell up.”

Childe: “Jeez, what did I do?”

Shin didn't respond and walked off, but Childe quickly stopped him.

Shin: “What?”

Childe: “What I wanted to say is, you are getting a mission too.”

Shin: “I have ton of paper work, can’t like you-“

Childe: “-Be a good comrade and save you from it. You will be assigned to Sumeru, to recover the Doctor’s documents and equipment. We need it.”

Shin: “And there isn't anyone else free?”

Childe: “There is, but you need to get out. You were working with paperwork for too much. Besides, you need to up your communication skills. Negotiating with Akademiya would be a help for you.”

Officer ruffled his hair tiredly and wiped blood from his mouth.

Shin: “Fine…but only because you are my superior.”

Shin finally walked off, slightly stumbling from pain. But relatively, he was fine. Or convinced himself.

Nastya: “You should have agreed long ago, you know.”

Shin: “Listen, it’s not like I want to..”

Shin was sharpening his claymore, stirring and talking to her.

Nastya: “But you need a break from paper work, you know. When was the last time you went out? Might as well lose all skills.”

Shin: “These skills were acquired through blood. I won’t just lose them for being competent soldier…”

Nastya: “Yet you are an incompetent leader, commander, teacher and strategist.”

Shin: “...Perchance.”

His finger slipped and hit the blade. He looked at blood dripping from his hand, grabbed a bandage and bandaged it with ease.

Nastya: “How in the world can you tolerate so much pain? Not even a wince.”

Shin: “Training, what else…”

She sighed and leaned in the chair more.

Nastya: “I will miss you, even if it’s for a month.”

Shin: “And although you hate training?”

Nastya: “I hate your rough attitude, being too dense to listen to others, your self-hurting nature and your lack of communication skills. Otherwise, you are a good guy. Besides, you need to contact new people too. You are so stuck up with yourself and us."

Shin finished sharpening and put it away. Maybe she was right.

Shin: “Alright… I’ll try to be more …positive.”

He sat beside her.

Shin: “When I come back, you must be at least thrice as strong.”

Nastya: “What did I say about being too harsh?”

Shin: “Twice.. twice as strong.”

She ruffled his hair.

Nastya: “Good luck. You will need it. I heard that the Doctor did quite a thing in Sumeru.”

Shin: “Whatever, it was probably worth doing it…”

He stood up and walked off, ready to set off.

Shin: “Farewell.”

Nastya: “You don’t have to be so dramatic.”

Shin grabbed his claymore and left the room, heading to the port. Officer looks around, feeling the snow. He will miss it. His hand cupped the snow, formed a snowball, and then threw it far away at the Sun and then kept marching to the boat. Sitting in it, and finally… settling, plopping on the bed, and closing his eyes. Soon, he will be in Sumeru. Akademiya. Hot climate. Rainforests. He thought about everything as he fell into a deep dream…