The 12th Fatui Harbinger

Arrival

Yuria was lost deep in thought as they approached the docks of Inazuma. The fox statue greeting her at the pier looked so different in light of her new identity. These were the very shores she missed. Yet it seemed so unfamiliar. The ocean winds rustled past the red and orange maple trees, signaling her return and arrival as the sun set on the horizon. The gales grew stronger as her hair fluttered, basking in the golden rays of light.

She was prepared to risk everything to free the people of Inazuma. The shogun was nothing less than a tyrant. How could she just simply strip the people of their dreams, their ambition-- their very will to live? Yuria recounted the days she spent in fear, worrying that the Shogunate would rescind her vision, only to embed it into that horrid statue. Her mission defined her. Her freedom was a very integral part of her being. To this day, she could not imagine a crueler fate. She was here to liberate them on behalf of the Tsaritsa.

Yuria remembered the day she received her vision.

She could never forget the words Scaramouche said to her as he set her free from the wretched Okiya her father thrust her into. "You are free now, Sellis. You can do whatever you want, and I will support you in whatever way you need."

Using the very freedom she gained, she was about to return to the Okiya. While her savior insisted it was not necessary, the Okiya was the place she could be of most help to the Fatui and her majesty the Tsaritsa. The Okiya regularly entertained Inazuma's elite--- from samurai, businessmen, visiting diplomats, to even clan leaders from the tri-commission. And they all saw women as nothing but dolls to accompany them with song, poetry, and conversation, carelessly spilling countless secrets as they drank into the night.

Yuria had already negotiated her return. She would not sell her body, by any means; she was to be a true traditional Geisha only. She could even chose which guests to receive. Even Madam Aoki didn't dare to push her around with Scaramouche's backing. Despite her difficult terms, Aoki couldn't ignore the mora Yuria would bring back to the Okiya. Her beautiful smile, her goto skills, and her cunning intelligence made her a consistent hit with customers and the Okiya had no one else that could hold a flame to her brilliance. She had it in her to become Inazuma's top Geisha.

While Scaramouche had certainly saved her from the worst possible happening, getting her out before she reached adulthood and the Okiya could officially sell off her body, Yuria couldn't shake the feeling of dread, anxiety and fear as she headed back to her old home. Despite not being an official courtesan, countless times men tried to grab her before as if she were fresh meat when she was in-training. Sometimes, they were so drunk and out of it that they tried to undress her, and the guards Aoki would employ would have to literally pry their fingers off of her.

Yuria cried in the corner alley between the marketplace and the Okiya, not caring who could see her sob desperately. She was terrified of returning, of course. But she consoled herself, knowing that it would be different. She was free from the Okiya's clutches. She was free to live her life. Yet, she was determined to utilize this freedom to bring change to Inazuma. How could the Shogun hope to keep things in stasis? To control the outside world from changing the horrid ideals that plagued this nation? She dreamed of a better and brighter Inazuma. For women to be seen as more than property. For girls to be seen as they are and be empowered to challenge convention. She would do anything. Even if it meant crawling back into the very hell she escaped from.

She took a deep breath to calm herself, and opened her eyes to find... an anemo vision materializing in front of her.

As the winds blew, they filled her with conviction and resolve. From that day, she did not hesitate or falter. Yuria believed she was destined to use her freedom to liberate the nation from a negligent god.