Chapter Text
Romance was out of the question for Ayato. As the head of the Yashiro Commision, he was far too preoccupied with the matters of Inazuma to have the time or energy to put into pursuing anything romantic with another individual.
Of course, this didn’t stop him from receiving suitors. Many a letter came in from all over Inazuma, all over Teyvat even, hoping for even a chance at getting to bask in the grace of the lead member of the Kamisato clan. Ayato never bothered with them, and instead had Thoma write letters back for him. The content of the letters was entirely up to the discretion of the man in charge of writing them, as Ayato simply could not be bothered to say anything himself since it was only needed that the sender knows that the Yashiro Commision is fine the way it is; that is to say with only one committed leader.
Some mistook Ayato’s aversion to romance as an aversion to emotion, leading to the misconception that he was a cold and fearsome ruler. Anyone that knew him, Ayaka and Thoma could attest, would very quickly be able to tell that he is nearly the direct opposite. Sure, he may be mild mannered and a tough nut to crack in regards to landing jokes, but he smiles often and does in fact possess a sense of humor.
“Sure,” Ayaka would always snort when he would insist this was true, “the sense of humor of a dried lavender melon.”
Still, this reputation made it difficult for Ayato to get along with others. Everyone he interacted with either seemed scared of him or as if they were trying to one-up him, like he was trapped in a competition against everyone that he was the only one to not know the rules of. Romance was out of the question for Ayato, but friendship was not. Aside from Thoma, who could hardly be considered a friend as much as he was a part of the family, he was rather lacking in the friend department. He’d grown accustomed to a life surrounded only by matters of business and familial relations, but even the strongest of minds would begin to wither in the face of loneliness.
These were the thoughts running through his mind as he took a stroll in Chinju Forest, needing a breather after having to keep his composure in the face of some up-and-coming business owner that wouldn’t accept the amount of funding that Ayato was willing to offer, stating that his commission had more than enough to share and the amount being proposed was stingy at best. The man had left very quickly after making the mistake of raising his voice at Kamisato Ayato, and ultimately walked away empty handed.
Sure, Ayato could be a bit short-tempered at times, but what else is one to be when dealing with the same type of greedy bloke three times a week?
His serene walk through the woods is interrupted by a loud thud, followed by the sounds of curses and snapping twigs. His fighting instinct prepared him for battle, and he could feel water begin coursing its way through his veins and cells as his hydro vision activated, heightening his senses to subtle changes in the air and allowing him to be light on his feet. He slowly stalked forward to investigate the noise, but he didn’t really have much of a need to be quiet. Whom, or what, had just taken the tumble was being so loud that a horde of sumpter beasts could sneak up on it.
Ayato’s guard began to fall as he came ever closer to the source of the racket. He could make out more coherent words now, and he saw a figure pulling vines and bioluminescent plants off of its body. Upon closer inspection, it seemed to be a very large man. It was hard not to take note of his pronounced physique and gruff voice, and Ayato’s stomach twisted a little more with each second he spent thinking about it. Ignoring the implications of his newfound digestive discomfort, he decided to call out to the man.
“Hello? Are you in need of any assistance?”
Twigs snapped and leaves buckled underneath his feet, not used to being tread on.
“Huh? Who's there?”
The closer he got to the man, the more he realized just how big he was. Was he even a man?
“My name…” Ayato contemplated whether to tell the truth or not. On one hand, this could very well be a trap and confirming that he was the target could be dangerous. On the other, this beast of a being didn’t seem to have a whisper of spatial awareness, or awareness in general.
“I’m a forest scout, I come through here to ensure that everyone stays on the path and doesn’t end up lost or hurt. It appears that I may be able to help you, if you’ll allow me.” Ayato realized then that Inazuma didn’t actually have forest scouts, but if this was just some clueless guy who took a bad fall then it wouldn’t be too hard to fabricate something to cover for that fact.
A very loud sigh of relief is released, followed by the sound of hearty laughter. “Thanks forest-bro! Almost thought I was gonna be arrested there. Not that I’ve done anything wrong! Haha, ha.” There was a pause, and then he continued talking. “Uhh yeah, I could use some help here though.”
The two of them spend some time together, tripping over one another's feet and whacking away stray greenery as they walk back onto the normal path. Ayato learned that the “man” was actually an oni, and his name was Arataki Itto. He had come into Chinju Forest due to rumors that the best onikabuto were found in the tallest trees of that area, and he’d taken the opportunity, as he proudly proclaimed, “to get the strongest onikabuto before others heard about the area”. It was honestly quite amusing watching someone so big and burly crouch down and treat such miniscule creatures with care and admiration.
Miraculously, Itto seemed not to recognize Ayato in the slightest. The fear that Itto would end up just another person who views Ayato as his position as opposed to him as a person had been slowly creeping up, but if he couldn’t even recognize the man for who he was then who was he to ruin that fun?
He found himself smiling as he watches the big oni scoop up a blue onikabuto, small compared to his hand size but a beautiful shade of lazurite with a pattern akin to lightning decorating it’s shell. The horns on it shone iridescent when hit with the light at the correct angle, and it even seemed to carry itself with a sense of pride, as if it knew that it were a sight to behold.
“Look bro, it’s you as an onikabuto!” Caught off guard, Ayato doesn’t quite realize what Itto could’ve meant until he was practically shoving the bug, that looked noticeably larger in his own hand than it did in Itto’s, into his possession. He somehow managed to be assertive yet gentle at the same time, placing the beetle with enough care to not distress it but enough force to get Ayato to gain a firm grip over it.
The smile on Itto’s face reached all the way to his eyes, and yet again there was an odd sort of twist inside of the blue haired man’s stomach. Had he eaten today? Maybe that was the issue. He’d have Thoma make him something when he returned, perhaps some sakura mochi rolls. He feels the onikabuto roll around in his hands and he’s suddenly filled with an immense amount of joy. It may be childish, but Ayato finally felt as if he’d made a real, genuine friend.
"You're right, bro."