𝔸𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕝𝕚𝕔 | Thoma x Reader

Prologue

A/n: if you've never read one of my books I like to provide visual representations sometimes to set the scene (though I'm not very good at drawing).

..........

You watched as a woman with short black hair attempted to evade several Shogunate soldiers, who were hot on her trail. She seemed to be coming from somewhere around Inazuma City, based on the direction she was running.

No one else was with her, aside from her pursuers. At first, you weren't sure where she hoped to be going. From where you and your posse sat on the beach, it didn't seem like there were a lot of nearby places to seek refuge.

That was when you remembered the boat your group had found earlier. It was a few meters away from you, prepared to sail away into the ocean whenever necessary.

The five of you had raided it hours ago, not finding many things of value, aside from some food and water. The others had long devoured theirs, but you'd kept your own ration. As you observed her, you realized that boat had probably been hers. It must have taken her months to craft it.

Looking at the desperate expression on her face, you almost felt bad for taking her supplies. But then again, what was one to expect from a group of Nobushi like yourselves?

You debated whether or not you should help her. On one hand, it really wasn't your problem. You could care less about some random local trying to flee the nation after the Sakoku Decree. But on the other, you could understand why she wanted so badly to escape. Life in Inazuma was not easy, and it was even worse for some people than for others. You had your own reasons for wanting to flee, not that you would probably ever get the chance to.

Plus, you already had a long list of crimes the Shogun wanted you for, and you weren't looking to create another one right now.

"Let's go," You ordered the rest of your crew, standing up and stretching your aching muscles. The last few days had been hard on your body, as your group tried to find a new territory to take as your own. The others groaned but you just rolled your eyes. "See that?" You pointed to the woman, who was still sprinting your way, "Guards will be here any minute. Do you all want to get arrested today?"

Grumbling, they began to grab their things and prepare to leave. Having already packed your bag, you crossed your arms and waited for them to hurry up.

Glancing back at the woman, who was close enough now that you could start to make out her more distinct features, you realized she looked familiar. Had the two of you met before?

There were tears in her brown eyes, and as your crew finally stood, her face gave it away. She was that girl, Atsuko, right? You recalled seeing her around Inazuma City before. She worked in one of the restaurants, and you had spoken to her a few times before.

Despite not knowing her well, every interaction the two of you had shared had been pleasant. Several times, when you were at lower points in your life than now, she had snuck you food for free, without you even having to ask.

She was a determined individual; you knew that much. Even if it was just working as a waitress at a small restaurant in the city, she strived to be better at it.

"Boss, are you coming?" Your second in command, Kama, asked now that the group was ready to go. You stayed where you were, internally arguing with yourself over what to do. The others in your group began backing away, fearing what might happen if the Shogun soldiers saw you.

Atsuko was nearing the boat, now. The men chasing her had lost some ground, struggling to run across the sandy beach with their heavy armor. It almost looked like she might make it, but then everything came crashing down.

Tripping over a small crab, which had crawled out of the sand so suddenly you hadn't even seen it, Atsuko face planted, the guards now seconds away from reaching her.

"Boss...?" Kama whispered, confused as to why you were hesitating now, when you'd been so insistent that they leave before.

You clenched your fists, sighing as you remembered how kind this woman had once been to you. You couldn't just let this happen.

So, against your better judgement, you ran forward, drawing your katana and putting yourself between Atsuko and the soldiers. They thrust their own blades toward you but you blocked them, glancing back at the woman. You gave a slight nod, urging her to go and ignoring the shouts of confusion from your team in the background.

She seemed to understand, scrambling to her feet and climbing into her boat. You held the three men pursuing her off, slashing at them anytime they got too close. With your fighting experience, it wasn't difficult. Still, you knew this was going to cause you trouble later on.

Atsuko had gotten her small boat in the water now, slowly drifting off into the ocean.

"Hey!" You called out suddenly, remembering the food and water rations in your bag. She turned back, making eye contact with you just in time for you to throw the whole bag at her. Once she caught it, you went back to your fight, ignoring her distant 'thank you!'

It didn't take long before you overpowered the soldiers, their bodies left on the sand reminding your team just what you were capable of. You turned back to them, sheathing your sword and following them out of the area. It wouldn't be long before more guards showed up, wondering what had happened to them, and you didn't want to stick around to explain.

The others kept asking what you were thinking, why you'd done that, and what had happened to fleeing the scene but you didn't humor them with a response. After all, you weren't sure you even knew the answer.

She was probably going to die at sea anyway; no one could survive the storms that plagued the ocean around Inazuma. The Raiden Shogun had made sure of that. By helping Atsuko escape, you were just prolonging the inevitable.

Still, a part of you hoped she would succeed. The rest of the world needed to know what was happening here, and with the borders blocked off, it was nearly impossible to get information like that out these days. You hoped she would find somewhere better, live a good life, and be treated with the kindness she'd once shown you and the people of Inazuma.

And maybe, her escaping could mean there was hope for you, too.