Chapter Text
Wary respite found,
Crimson leaves and violet hair,
Noble secrets near
Ayato was the Head of the Kamisato Clan, the Yashiro Commissioner, and Leader of the Shuumatsuban. Any one of these titles should have been enough to scare off most people in Inazuma…so why was it that he was being ganged up on like this, in his very own study no less?
“I see,” Ayato said, knitting his fingers together, “You both demand that I put my official duties to one side and take a vacation?”
Thoma laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck, “Hey…’demand’ is kind of a strong word isn’t it, my lord?”
The housekeeper of the Kamisato clan wasn’t the only one hovering over his desk for this…Ayato wasn’t going to call it a meeting…no, perhaps ‘intervention’ might be a more accurate word, he thought wryly.
“Ayato,” Ayaka said reproachfully, “I do wish you’d take better care of yourself. You’ve been working so much lately.”
Indeed he had been very busy lately. Easing political tensions internally, eliminating the influence of the Fatui, the whole incident between the Tenryou and Kanjou Commissions with Kamaji and Chisato…
Then there was all the actual work that the Yashiro Commission was officially responsible for…managing shrines, festivals, and cultural events but now with the added complexity of foreigners being allowed to enter the country…
“My lord…?” Thoma frowned a little at his inattention, “Honestly, things have finally started to quiet down lately, haven’t they? It wouldn’t hurt to go on vacation.”
“Ayato…brother,” Ayaka added quietly. She gazed at him pleadingly, clasping her hands, “F-for my sake…won’t you take a break for a day or two at the least?”
Ayato cleared his throat and looked down at the paperwork laid out before him. He couldn’t hold Ayaka’s gaze whenever she looked at him like that.
Ayaka…when their parents had passed away, perhaps she had been the most affected of all. Ayato remembered how she had cried herself to sleep when she realised that their father was never coming home again. He remembered standing there expressionlessly, holding her hand as she sobbed herself to exhaustion at their mother’s funeral. He would never be able to forget the long walk as he had carried her home that day.
Back then, he had been so busy. Throwing himself into work and fighting through power struggles to keep the Kamisato clan intact…
He would never be able to make up for the fact that he hadn’t been able to support her as much when she was growing up as he should have. He couldn’t work himself to death like their father had.
For Ayaka’s happiness, there was nothing he would not do.
“It seems I’ll be going on vacation after all,” Ayato said wryly. He looked at his retainer and his sister, pasting a smile carefully on his face as he watched their faces brighten at his reply.
“That’s great to hear, my lord,” Thoma was all smiles, “There’s the Jidai Matsuri going on in Hanamizaka at this time of year. The festival preparations should be pretty good this year. In fact, I’ve talked to the owner of this lovely old ryokan near the river bank…”
“Goodness, I somehow have the feeling that you’ve arranged for everything already,” Ayato said dryly, “It’s almost as if you knew I’d agree to this.”
“Haha, who knows?” Thoma coughed into a hand, saying with a straight face, “Maybe I’ve just gotten better at doing my job lately.”
“You'll love it, Ayato!” Ayaka beamed happily.
Ayato considered the piles of paperwork on his desk, “A change in environment would be nice I suppose. Thoma, if you could arrange to mail my documents-”
Ayaka frowned at him, “It’s quite counterintuitive to work while on vacation, isn’t it?”
Thoma shook his head as well.
“Et tu?” Ayato narrowed his eyes.
“Sorry, my lord. I’m with Milady on this one,” Thoma laughed, “It’s really not a break if…well, you don’t actually take a break. Leave the work to us! Between Milady and I, the Yashiro Commission won’t fall apart just because you stop working for a week or so!“
“A whole week?” Ayato deadpanned, “That is more than a few days.”
“You’re very observant, my lord!” Thoma smiled brightly.
Ayato looked at him thoughtfully, cupping his chin.
“You’ve worked hard,” Ayato suddenly put up a friendly smile. Thoma immediately paled as Ayato continued, “I’ll have to buy some of the local specialties back for you to try, Thoma. I’ve heard that there will be a novelty store selling funazushi from Watatsumi at the festival. You’d be delighted to try it, wouldn’t you?”
Ah, funazushi… it was made from freshly caught river fish…after it had been left to rot for several months. The delicacy was notoriously pungent and…unique in taste. Ayato had once had the dubious pleasure of being obliged to eat it during a particularly thorny lunch time negotiation before. Wasn’t he such a kind and considerate person to share this unforgettable experience with his most trusted man?
Thoma raised his hands in surrender, face turning green, “Ah, t-that’s really not necessary, my lord!”
Ayato smirked, “But I insist. It wouldn’t be right not to show some gratitude for all your efforts.”
“Ayato! ” Ayaka pouted at him.
Ayato’s gaze softened, “I’ll bring some gifts for you too, Ayaka.”
Ayaka giggled behind a hand, “You do know that isn’t what I meant, Ayato. Please don’t buy anything too strange for Thoma,” she bit her lip, “And please…please relax during your vacation.”
Seeing the concern in her eyes, Ayato could only acquiesce in the end.
“I’ll…try my best, Ayaka,” he replied.
There were some issues he’d been meaning to check on in Hanamizaka anyway.
Out of the corner of his eye, Thoma shifted a little where he stood. Perhaps the retainer had guessed Ayato’s thoughts, but other than a slight frown, Thoma said nothing.
It was Ayaka’s smile, perhaps. Neither of them wanted to see that brilliant smile fade away. Ayato almost managed to convince himself that he didn’t feel guilty for lying to her.
The weather was mild and cool, with a unique crispness in the air. The humid weather of the summer had long since subsided, giving way to a pleasant breeze that rustled the leaves of the trees planted along the streets of Hanamizaka which were dyed in rich reds and golds.
Standing alone beneath the eaves of a store along the main road, dressed in a plain kimono and with a kasa hiding his features, Ayato nursed a cup of bubble tea.
Although he was leaning against a wall of the store, seemingly looking out at the various passersby, he was actually listening to the conversation going on beside him between the bubble tea seller and a merchant.
“...I’m telling you nothing’s changed!” the merchant was grumbling, “You can’t trust any of those rumours. Lord Yoshida’s got the right of it…it’s not a good idea to let foreigners back into the country willy nilly.”
“You always say that though, Seiki,” the bubble tea seller said boredly, “You scared that business will slow? Don’t you have any confidence in your work?”
“Pah! What if opening up the country messes around with your store too, Junpei?” Seiki tapped the counter.
“I’d get more customers if Inazuma opened up,” Junpei continued skeptically, “I don’t see how that could be a bad thing.”
“It’s just a short term benefit! A short term benefit for a long term loss I tell you,” Seiki continued, “You can’t trust foreigners! There’ll be crimes everywhere, mark my words!”
“I have heard of some thefts recently…” Junpei hesitated then slowly continued, “But is there even any point in talking about all this?” he shrugged casually, “It’s not like little people like us have any say about how Inazuma moves forward.”
“Lord Yoshida might be able to do something about it- who even knows if the Shogunate would even bother looking out for the likes of us anymore…” Seiki mused, cupping his chin.
“Shh, you can’t say that!” Junpei frantically cast a gaze around. A complicated look rose in the eyes of the bubble tea seller, “You could get in serious trouble if you offend the Raiden Shogun!”
“You’re worrying about the wrong things here, Junpei!” Seiki sniffed. He added bitterly, “The likes of her couldn’t care less about pitiful mortals anyway…”
“Keep it down man!” Junpei complained, “It’s like you want us to be arrested…”
Neither of them bothered to notice Ayato’s figure, standing some distance away from them. He slurped noisily on his bubble tea. Ah, if only those two knew that the Yashiro Commissioner was within earshot…Ayato’s eyes curved up mirthfully as he imagined the interesting expressions that might appear on their faces.
It was quite the shame that it wouldn’t be worth it to reveal himself yet. There were still so many more places he wanted to visit today, so many more interesting conversations that he wanted to overhear. Pushing himself off the wall he had been leaning against, Ayato ambled into the streets of Hanamizaka, blending into the passing crowd.
Not many people actually recognised Ayato outside of the Yashiro Commissioner’s robes. It was probably because it had been quite a while since Ayaka had taken over the public side of things. Most people simply knew that the Yashiro Commissioner had blue hair, but while Ayato’s hair was certainly striking, he was far from the only one with coloured hair in Inazuma.
“The likes of her…couldn’t care less about pitiful mortals…” Ayato repeated the words of the merchant softly under his breath. He chuckled to himself.
As the Yashiro Commissioner, there were some thoughts that he really couldn’t afford to let himself think. Ayato’s mouth curved into a guileless smile as he gazed out at the rows of wooden townhouses, enjoying the sight of festival banners covering the town and the colourful lanterns strung along the streets.
The conversation between the bubble tea seller and the merchant wasn’t unique. This was probably the umpteenth time he’d heard such a conversation since he’d arrived…
This didn’t count as work, he convinced himself. It wasn’t like he actually liked working after all- it was just that there were always so many things that only he could handle, arrogant as that sounded.
Ayato shook his head and walked on.
A walk by the river nearby sounded nice. Nice and relaxing. The fact that Ayato would probably be able to hear more interesting information as he passed by the tea houses by the riverbank was pure coincidence.
However, as Ayato was about to reach the river, he stopped in his tracks as he saw something quite unexpected.
She stood there alone, leaning on the railing of the wooden bridge crossing the river with a pensive look in her purple eyes. Her violet hair was tied in a simple bun on her head instead of the large braid she usually favoured and she was dressed in a simple purple kimono patterned with sakura blossoms. She wore a kitsune-patterned half-mask to conceal her face.
Amazingly, her half-hearted disguise actually worked. Ayato reflected that most people probably could not believe that a disguise that bad could possibly hide the real Raiden Shogun. People likely assumed that she was one of the festival goers, coming to join in the fun of the Jidai Matsuri by mimicking the appearance of the Shogun.
Sensing his gaze, the Raiden Shogun turned sharply, eyes widening faintly as she spotted him.
Ayato couldn’t resist walking towards her. He stopped a short distance away from her, leaning against the rail next to her in silence. Technically, it was against protocol not to greet the Raiden Shogun, but since she was ‘in disguise’, Ayato thought it might be interesting to test her response.
He could feel her stare boring into him as he looked out towards the river. How delightful .
“You were staring at me,” she said after a moment.
“It seemed like you recognised me,” Ayato turned to her and replied without hesitation, “Do you know me from somewhere, Miss?”
The Raiden Shogun was pretending not to recognise him, otherwise she would have addressed him as ‘Lord Kamisato’.
Perhaps she was also pretending that he didn’t recognise her since she didn’t call him out on not greeting her appropriately…or perhaps she really thought that he somehow couldn’t see through her disguise?
“A-Ahem, well, I…do not know who you are. I simply thought that you looked like a tourist to this place, like me,” her cheeks pinked and she seemed to find the river below them very interesting.
Ayato observed her out of the corner of his eye, intrigued. A maple leaf fell gently down from the tree growing above the bridge, falling past the elegant column of her neck and finally drifting slowly down the clear waters of the river below.
The way the Raiden Shogun talked was a lot less formal than he’d expected. Was this also part of her disguise? He had to admit that she did seem convincingly different from the few times he had been allowed to meet the Raiden Shogun officially…almost as if he was talking to a completely different person who happened to look identical.
“I am Ayato, delighted to make your acquaintance,” Ayato said, deciding to see how far he could push this, “Are you here for the Jidai Matsuri too, Miss…?”
“Ayato…” she mulled over his name for a moment. Her purple eyes reflected undisguised curiosity and interest. She folded her arms, peering up at him, “Oh, you can just call me Ei, I suppose. Yes, I’m here to experience the festival too. It’s my first time…in a way. Do you often attend festivals like this, Ayato?”
What was she playing at?
“I occasionally attend festivals,” he said evenly, “These days my time is often occupied by work but I was forced to take a break.”
The Raiden Shogun nodded in apparent sympathy, “I understand. I was forced to come here by my friend too.”
Ayato had been prepared for a verbal joust, a clash of wits against the Raiden Shogun herself as he dared to divine the intentions of a god…so why were they having a normal conversation like two ordinary people?
“Are you enjoying the festival…Ei?” Ayato asked her, carefully scrutinizing her face.
Ei couldn’t be her real name, could it? It had to be a fake human name that she’d taken up as part of her disguise, right? Surely, she was aware of who she was talking to?
Her eyes brightened, “Yes, I am. I did not expect to, since many of the old customs have been forgotten, but the people carry the same happiness somehow and there are so many types of desserts available now. It’s delightful.”
It wasn’t an act, Ayato considered. Every word seemed entirely sincere. A complicated mixture of emotions stirred within him…and as usual Ayato decided to compartmentalise everything he felt in favour of attacking the problem in front of him.
A charming smile spread across his face. Ayato beamed at Ei sincerely, “Would you like to join me in enjoying the festival?” he asked, “I have been to Hanamizaka a few times before and I could show you around.”
“Oh, that would be useful,” Ei nodded thoughtfully. She leaned on the bridge, looking out at the flowing waters, “I was thinking about whether I should try some of the activities that the people are partaking in. I don’t want to disrupt the festival though.”
Ayato did not ask her why she thought that her participation might actually interrupt the festivities of an entire town. Instead, he titled his head and asked, “What would you like to do first, Ei?”
Ei tapped an index against her lips, “Dessert…yes, I think I would like to try some of the sweets here.”
Perhaps he may have overestimated himself by trying to understand a god, Ayato thought wryly. Was the Raiden Shogun playing a game with him? If she was, was he supposed to lose?
Ayato had to consider his position carefully. The Yashiro Commissioner was so very loyal after all.
“I’m happy to assist you, Ei,” Ayato said, putting on a carefully crafted smile.
Ei pursed her lips and nodded, “Where would you suggest we start, Ayato?”
Ayato paused for a moment to think.
“Let’s visit the teahouses by the riverbank,” Ayato said, already thinking of one teahouse in particular that he’d eventually like to bring her to.
Ei looked across to the riverbank and nodded towards one of the teahouses, “Let’s start with that one.”
Ayato considered the teahouse she’d indicated. It didn’t look particularly unique to him. It was just one of many open stalls by the riverbank with people chatting over tea cups and plates of snacks.
“Is there any reason to visit that teahouse in particular?” he asked Ei.
“It is close by,” she said, looking away. Her cheeks went a little pink once more as she cleared her throat, “Ahem, I have also heard that they are selling a special type of rabbit mochi…”
Was she…embarrassed? It seemed so, but he couldn’t tell for sure. This was the Raiden Shogun here. Was a god even capable of embarrassment?
“That sounds delightful,” Ayato smiled at her. Ei’s eyes brightened and she nodded silently.
He had to admit that he was no closer to understanding the inner workings of the Raiden Shogun from when he’d first initiated this interaction than he was now.
But he still moved forward, face painted with a happy smile as he led the way. Since she had given him the opportunity, wouldn’t it be a shame not to play a game with a god?