Elsewhere in Inazuma, under the instruction of Neko, Husk and Vortex were feeding the local cats.
« Hey man, just asking…why are we doing this? » Vortex asked.
« Apparently Neko has created an underground spy network with cats, and needs someone to…recruits people… » Husk replied.
« Not gonna lie, thought it would had been more of a pain. » Vortex shrugged.
« The only pain is gonna be the bloody bar back at the Hotel. I just hope the new guy knows his stuff when dealing with TGC. » Husk replied annoyed.
Xxxxxxx
Meanwhile, back at the hotel, the bar had descended to complete anarchy, infused by drunken customers and the temporary replacement contemplating which method of suicide would be less painful.
Xxxxxxx
Back in Inazuma, Husk and Vortex found themselves in front of a huge estate. « Huh. What's this? »
« Kamisato estate. These dudes are chill, we don't need to sneak up on them. » Vortex replied.
« Interesting…» Husk smirked, as the two demons entered.
Inside, they found two people discussing with one another.
« Haven't seen Thoma in a while... Who knows what that guy's working on these days? » one man asked.
« Probably something of the utmost importance, as ever... taking guests out for lavish meals, cleaning up around the house, the usual... » the other man replied.
« We have people like that to thank for the decline of the samurai spirit in this day and age. If you're just gonna schmooze your way through every problem in life, you might as well put your blade on the scrap heap. It's like everything — use it or lose it! » the other man commented. « Also, I heard he's Mondstadt born and bred... just saying. »
« Oh, well, no wonder. What do you think Miss Kamisato even sees in that guy? » the other man shrugged.
« Mondstadt, huh? We can work with that. » Husk grinned.
Suddenly, a man casually walked in.
He had green eyes, fair skin, and messy strawberry blond hair that was short except for a section at the back of his head that went down to his shoulders.
The long part of his hair was tied in a ponytail by a red cord with tassels fading to tan at the ends.
His outfit was a fusion of Western-style attire with parts of samurai armour. He wore a decorative, red and black cropped jacket over a black shirt, along with a pair of silver dog tags hanging around his neck. The buttoned cuffs of his gold-trimmed kote-like sleeves were patterned with a fleur-de-lis design. He wore a black metal headband on his head, with gold-accented horns resembling the front crest of a kabuto helmet. He wore a Pyro Vision on his belt, in addition to a tassel adorned with flaming crests on the other hip. The same crest was marked on the poleyns of his boot-laced shin guards with tabi shoes. He also had small, red studded earrings.
« ... Sorry, haven't slept too well the last couple of days on account of all this rain we've been having. » the man yawned. « Wait, what're you all doing here? Has something happened? »
« Hmph... we were just having a little chat on our break. It's time we were going — there's still lots to do. » one of the men replied, before heading out. « We're busy people, Thoma. You'd do well to grow a sense of urgency, too. »
« Thank you gentlemen. I'll think about that when my vacation's over. » Thoma replied, before gazing behind him. « All right. You can come out. »
« Men, those dudes can be a pain, ain't they? You heard what shit they were spatting out behind you? » Vortex commented.
« Yep... I sure did. No big deal, though. People like to criticize those who don't fit in. It's the same everywhere. » Thoma replied. « If a little private gossiping helps them let off some steam, well, good for them. It does no harm to the Kamisato Clan. What about you gentlemen? »
« Oh, I'm sure they can live. They've been cool with us demons. » Vortex replied.
« You joined the Watatsumi army, am I right? » Thoma asked.
« Yup. Fuck Tits Katana. » Husk replied.
« Pff, "Tits Katana"? » Thoma smirked.
« You don't get to talk, "Femboy". » Husk replied.
« Truthfully, I'm not that affiliated with Mondstadt. » Thoma shrugged.
« Oh, come on, mate. Not even one tiny bit? » Husk asked.
« …What are you getting at? » Thoma asked.
« Smart, ain't ya, mate? Good, we're…lookin' for people. » Husk replied.
« Whilst I'm truly tempted by your offer, I'm afraid that the Watatsumi Army is not as important to the Kamisato clan. » Thoma shrugged.
« Are you sure? » Husk smirked. « Tits Katana holds the people of Inazuma with an iron fist and confines them behind a cage made out of storms. And in charge of this whole shitshow are some pesky nobles who can afford to do whatever they want. Doesn't that…hit a bit home? »
« Mentioning the old Archon of Mondstadt AND the Lawrence clan. WOW, you are touching quite a lot of nerves there, you know that? » Thoma replied.
« Point is, a storm is coming, bigger than anything the slut can fart out. And you and your dear Kamisato clan can be part of it. What do you say? » Husk asked.
« That and I'm sure the kid wouldn't mind you helping the people of Inazuma. » Vortex added.
« …I'll admit it, you're twisting my arm a bit. » Thoma shrugged. « Perhaps I'll consider joining your little army. But first…mind if we go on a stroll? »
« Sure, why not. » Husk shrugged.
« Perfect, I have a couple of places I was going to recommend. » Thoma replied.
« Oh, you're asking us where to go? Well, in that case, we were in the middle of feeding some cats. » Husk explained.
« I can work with that. There's a sakura tree in Hanamizaka where I go to feed them. Let's meet there in a short while. » Thoma replied. « I need to go grab a few things — can't go there empty-handed... »
Xxxxxxx
After a while, the demons reached the tree, where they found Thoma surrounded by strays. « This is a pretty good spot, right? »
« Works for me. » Husk shrugged.
« There are tons of stray cats and dogs here at the outskirts. Every time I come to Komore Teahouse, I bring some food for them. » Thoma explained. « It just sort of became a tradition over time... at first it was a bit of a chore, but the more time I spent with them, the more I came to enjoy it. »
« Guess they're your new buddies now. » Vortex commented.
« You think so? Well, feed them enough times, and I'm sure you'll win their affection, too. Not only that, you'll also start to feel that they're your responsibility. Whenever you have any free time, you'll find yourself desperate to come and visit them. » Thoma replied. « Why don't you try feeding them, gentlemen? I brought some of their favourite food just so you can get into their good graces. »
« Thanks mate. » Husk grabbed the food, and handed it to the various strays, whilst whispering something to them.
« Uh…are you talking to them? » Thoma asked.
« It's…uh…a thing I can do. » Husk replied.
« Meh. Makes sense. » Thoma replied.
After a while, it was clear that demons and dogs had become buddies.
« That didn't take long. Look at that, best buds already! Some of the dogs are even showing their bellies — that's a sign they really trust you. » Thoma explained. « Well, you'll rarely see Taroumaru roll onto his back, though. He's a ninja dog, so he's always on guard in case an enemy approaches... Speaking of ninja dogs, I actually saw one the other day on the beach north of Konda Village. »
« Ninja Dogs? Aren't they military dogs or some shit? » Vortex asked.
« That's the thing. They rarely go off on their own. Usually, they stick with their human ninja partners. After retiring, most ninja dogs are taken in by their partner. » Thoma explained. « Or sometimes, someone else in the Yashiro Commission will take them in. It's extremely rare to find them on their own in the wild. So it makes me a little concerned. »
« Ever thought of adopting one? » Husk asked.
« Haha, believe me, I wanted to bring it back to the Yashiro Commission. But it wouldn't let me. I tried establishing some trust by petting it on the head, but it gave me a nasty bite. » Thoma replied. « Still, I don't wanna give up on it... Nobody really goes out that way, and I don't know what it would have to eat out there. »
« Meh. Just give it some time. » Vortex shrugged.
« That's a good idea. It was in a very aggressive mood the last time I saw it. I'm worried it might bite you if we tried to approach it, though. Let's wait until it's in need before going to its aid — that's probably safer. » Thoma replied. « But back to our other animal friends. Now that the weather's getting colder, I'm wondering whether I should knit some sweaters for these strays. Problem is, most of them don't actually like being touched, so I can't take their measurements very easily. »
« If we take some pictures with them to help you out figuring out their sizes, will you join our little movement? » Husk asked.
« That's not a bad idea! We could take photos of them from different angles, then work out their measurements by using other objects in the picture as a reference... » Thoma pondered a bit. «All right, let's do this. »
Xxxxxxx
After a while, the group had took enough pictures.
« Well, I think we've got enough photos now. » Thoma said. « I can't get over how cute they are! They're just adorable, aren't they…huh, I never did quite get your names…»
« Husk and Vortex. Most people call me Tex. » Vortex replied.
« I'll have to think carefully about what kind of sweaters to knit for each of them. » Thoma replied. « The colours should be complementary... Hmm... Well you know what? Let's buy some yarn from the next store we pass. »
«Good luck handling those little shits. » Husk replied.
« In their defence, they've not really had proper training. It's natural for them to want to move around. You know, the first time I came here, there was just one stray dog on its own. I still remember the first time I fed it. It was a rainy day. » Thoma explained. « The Kamisato Clan had just introduced a series of new policies, but a few of the more stubborn clan elders were extremely resistant to the changes. I was holding my umbrella, on my way to visit one such gentleman of senior status. The plan was to talk him into supporting the clan's decision. Sadly, he wasn't interested in having a conversation — he didn't even let me in. As soon as he saw me coming, he got his samurai to send me away. »
«All the more reasons to change the current regime. » Husk smirked.
« So anyway, after they turned me away, the weather went from bad to worse. The wind was so strong it rendered my umbrella completely useless... Before long, I was drenched from head to toe — I must have looked like a real mess. I decided to take shelter under a tree, and found a stray dog sitting there who had the same idea as me. It saw me and moved a little further in, like it was trying to make room for me. So, we sat there together. I shared my Onigiri with it — stone cold by this point, but still edible — and we ended up huddling together, waiting for the rain to stop. » Thoma continued. « As far as the big shots are concerned, I'm just an expendable servant boy. I always have to be mindful about what they might want, and what I can do for them in return. But when I'm with these little guys and gals, everything's so much simpler. One stone-cold Onigiri, and hey presto. We're friends for life. Even when I show up empty-handed, they still come to me. When it comes down to it, I think it's these simple and straightforward connections that I value the most. Sorry, ended up giving you the unabridged version! »
« So, you in? » Husk asked.
« Well, I'm a man of my word. Should we meet here tomorrow to dress our little friends up? » Thoma proposed.
« Sure thing, man. » Vortex replied.
Xxxxxxx
The next day, the demons were back to the tree, where they found Thoma.
« So sleepy... I had some things I needed to do, so I ended up burning the midnight oil to get those sweaters knitted. » Thoma yawned. « I wonder if they'll actually suit them though... Hmm, let's start by testing them out on the friendlier ones, gentlemen. This one's for Petal, this one's for Darko, and this one's for Goldilocks... Oh, I also had some additional yarn, and so I've made some sweaters for you two too. »
« The things I do for this resistance…» Husk groaned annoyed.
Xxxxxxx
After a while, the three were done dressing up the animals.
« Looking good, ain't they? » Vortex asked.
« With any luck, that should see them through the winter. Then, come the spring, a new year will begin... and they'll be free to roam the wilds once again. » Thoma replied. « You know, if you take one day at a time and be kind to the world, good things will come your way eventually. That might sound a bit naive, but I really do believe it. At least... it seems to have worked for me, you know? »
« Well, who am I to criticize how a man lives? » Husk shrugged.
« Before we head to Watatsumi army for my…official recruitment, how may I aid in this fight? » Thoma asked.
« Espionage, connections with the Kamisato clan, sabotage, that sorts of things. Once we reach Watatsumi Island, you'll be better informed by our boss. » Husk replied.
« Lady Kokomi, am I right? » Thoma asked.
«On paper, yes. But by all means operations have been taken over by Blitzo. » Husk replied.
« Wait, "Blitzo"? As in, the IMPs boss? The guys who have brought havoc to Mondstadt in these last few months? » Thoma asked concerned.
«Yup. » Husk replied.
«…Well shit. »
Xxxxxxx
Many thanks to Inanna for many of the suggestions for this chapter.
I hope you enjoyed this new chapter! Please review so I can know your opinion. I'm willing to accept suggestions for what is going to happen, so stay tuned! Also, remember to like and follow, if you want!
See you on the next update!