Character : Raiden Shogun/Ei
Summary : headcanons of mine about how you met and started dating Raiden Shogun/Ei, the God of Eternity and Electro Archon
Word counts : 2902 words (not counting the definitions)
Warning : Spoilers from Inazuma's Archon quest ! There will be specific terms in the text, they will be in italic, please find their definition at the end of the post.
It was supposed to be short at first, but I got carried away...
You lucky pal. How did you approach her without Shogun chopping your head off ? like the guards in front of her palace are literally there to protect the population from her, not the other way around
Okay so, let’s start with how you met.
Honestly, I think it was after Ei lifted the Sakoku Decree.
Since the Traveler showed her a new way of getting close to eternity, she took the habit of going on a walk in the city or in the countryside, when she needed to clear her mind and to have a better idea on what eternity is and how to pursue it.
It was also a way to start to heal after the loss she experienced, after all, she was still grieving after 500 years and moving on will be hard for her, but Yae Miko is here, so is the entire Inazuma. She’s not alone and she has still a lot to learn from mortals.
You were working at Ogura Textiles & Kimonos.
Due to the Sakoku Decree, the shop was dangerously low on Liyue’s silk and the second the Decree was lifted, you took the task of going to Liyue in person, as the shop’s representative and finding what your boss needed.
You also managed to take lessons on how to produce and weave silk, in case a second Sakoku Decree was established in Inazuma. After all, you never know if there will be another Sakoku Decree in the future and you want to be ready in case.
You return to Inazuma, hands full of ready to be sewed, notes on how to grow and weave silk and established connections to maintain the shop afloat.
But on your way toward Inazuma city, you got attacked by Treasure Hoarders, who noticed your highly valuable goods. Since you underestimated their interest in cloth, well, you didn’t ask for any guards. And you were also certain to be able to defend yourself and what you had.
Sadly, you were no match as you were out-numbered and you got quickly knocked out.
You wake up in an unfamiliar room. It is not a hospital of some sort, not your room and not any room you know. You recognised the Inazumian’s styled room, but not the precise location.
You were wearing a simple hadajuban and a susoyoke while your body has some bandages where you got hurt. The usual kimono you were wearing was neatly folded near the futon where you were resting.
Giving the furniture of high quality, around you, you assumed you were in the hands of one of the three commissions, but which one ?
You were not sure if you were still alive since you were surrounded by anything you would dream of, and when the head of the Tenryou Commission entered, you were sure you died.
“Are you questioning the Raiden Shogun’s abilities ?” answer back Kujou Sara.
At this, you were more confused than ever.
Kujou Sara then explains to you that the Shogun found you unconscious near an empty cart and brought you back here to nurse you back to health. Obviously, something happened and the Shogun will personally investigate this case. After all, she was quite angry at the thought of her subjects being attacked and the culprit being free in the wild with what they could steal from the victim.
You felt guilty to make your Shogun upset in some way, but Kujou Sara assured you the Almighty Shogun wasn’t upset at you and she even assigned your protection to a guard who was at the door.
Then Raiden Shogun entered, to ask you questions and to know what happened.
As soon as she got all the details, you’ll get back your goods before you could say “tricolor dango”. If there is some damaged goods, Shogun will find some compensation to give you.
You heal to your own rhythm. While at your stay in the Shogun’s palace, you have a guard and a maid assigned to you and your asks are orders, since you’re considered as under Shogun’s protection.
Once you’re fully healed, you can finally leave the palace. You didn’t really see the Shogun more than when she returned your belongings, since she was busy.
Ogura Mio, your boss, is happy to see you back with all the items intact. Since she heard what happened, she was worried, but understood why you were so late.
You started working again, and while the story of how you got to stay in the Shogun’s palace spread and got deformed in every sort of rumor possible, you didn’t give an intention to those. You didn’t really blame people for being curious about how a simple mortal got to stay some time in the palace.
Ogura Mio didn’t mind people coming to the shop just to see you and try to ask about this event. It was still good business and the shop gained in popularity since then.
But sometimes, you had to go to the police station, for harassment. You often met with Kujou Sara and she was actually the one to put an end to your problems.
As a thank you, you decided to craft her a kimono. You managed to dig up her measurements and with that information, you waved her the best kimono you could do. And you delivered it yourself.
Of course Kujou Sara was surprised, flattered and thankful for such a gift.
But she was even more surprised when she heard you wanted to offer a kimono to Raiden Shogun and you needed help to know the Archon’s measurements.
She was on board and she even helped you with the kimono pattern’s design, after all, she had to make sure you were doing everything properly for the Almighty Shogun
She wasn’t sure you could get back in the palace without being hurt by Shogun, but you won’t give up, despite her attempts at convincing you to let her deliver her your gift.
Since Kujou Sara won’t let you, you turned to Yae Miko, the only person who could see Raiden Shogun regularly. Learning what you wanted from her, she lended you the pass she had, not without teasing you and playfully mocking Ei.
You entered the palace again, right before the throne, where the Shogun was walking back and forth.
You silently approached the ruler, intimidated and not really willing to bother her, who seemed in her thoughts and troubled. But you still did, as you needed to give her your gift.
“Raiden Shogun ?” you called.
“What are you doing here ?” answered back the archon.
“I... I wanted to give you this !” you said, as you held the package you had to her, with your two hands.
“A gift for you, Raiden Shogun.” you answered. “As a thanks for saving me, a few days ago.”
“I do not need such a thing.”
“I know, but I still wanted to give you this. Even if you don’t need it or don’t want it, please, accept it !”
She looked at the gift which was wrapped with the greatest care, a small spark of life appearing in her eyes, before taking it in a soft manner with her two hands, like she was thinking taking the present will hurt you.
“Thank you for this attention.” she spoke in a softer tone.
You just answered with a smile, before you bowed as a goodbye and left the palace, letting her enjoy the gift. Well, you hoped she liked it. You gave back the pass to Yae Miko, before going back to work.
For a few days, you completely forgot about it, focused on your work.
Until one day. You were taking commissions on various kimono when Yae Miko came. At first you assumed Shrine Maidens needed new clothes. Well, you were right, she came here to give you and your boss some Shrine Maidens’ clothes to clean or repair. But she also gave you a small envelope.
“Here, from the Shogun.” she said, with this teasing tone before going back to her Publishing house or the shrine, not saying more to not spoil the fun for you.
Curious but still at work, you put the letter away and you went to finish your day of work. Once this finished, you opened the envelope, seeing a pass to access the palace whenever you needed and a letter neatly written.
I am happy about your gift. However, such a kimono needs a helping hand to be well put on the wearer.
Please, use the pass I joined to the letter and come as soon as you can.
Panicked to make her wait, you came to the Shogun’s palace directly after work. She wasn’t walking back and forth like last time, but sitting in the middle.
She greeted you, much gentler than last time. You didn’t know why but something had changed in her. She looked... More alive than any of her last appearances.
After a small exchange of greetings, she stripped down to a basic hadajuban and a susoyoke, to let you dress her.
You did your work, very carefully, as she wasn’t a simple client, she could without any problem chop your head off if you are not careful enough. And also because you felt like the shop’s reputation was on the line.
Once done, she walked around, to see if your gift would be nice to her in the long run. She proclaimed you Mistress of the Robes, the servant in charge to craft outfits and dress the Shogun herself.
When your title got known by the public, the number of commissions for your shop exploded, each wishing to have some kimono made by the one dressing the Shogun and you even had to hire more people to keep up with the amount of work.
While you were working, you were also managing to craft pretty clothes and various accessories for the Shogun.
Each time, you were dressing her up with whatever you created, with a sense of pride in it. She would even ask specific types of clothes to wear in case she wanted to do a public appearance during a festival. At least, she was thinking of it, but nobody knew if she really intended to appear at such festivities.
At first, when you were dressing her, the conversation barely existed. You assumed it was because she only wanted you to do your job without loosing time with useless chatting.
But actually, it was because Ei didn’t know what to say and was quite nervous, to be put in such a vulnerable position.
And yet, as vulnerable as she felt, you never took advantage and you were very careful and respectful of her being, always asking if it’s okay before doing something. She wasn’t sure why she was always getting out of her Plane of Euthymia each time you came. I mean, she was doing it because the Rainde Shogun would never let you approach her a second time. But each time, there was a strange feeling, like she wanted you to stay longer and come more often to the Shogun’s palace.
But thanks to Yae Miko giving advice to Ei, she started to open up. Or at least, doing basic conversation, little by little. Give her some months, she’s trying.
Well, Yae Miko was also giving you advice, all encrypted with riddles and teases, as usual for her. But she mostly advised you to bring Shogun new books and some deserts.
You did and since then, every new encounter, you both were talking about the books and sweets you brought over last time, like some sort of book club.
Little by little, you were talking more and more about other topics, more or less personal.
Ei and you decided that two times a week, you’ll go to the Shogun, give her new books and sweets and just talk with her. At least, she would have some sense of company and you, well, you would get away from the constant activity of Ogura’s shop.
Little by little, those moments developed into something more, for both of you.
If you were open to yourself about those feelings, the Shogun wasn’t this quick. Ei didn’t know how to deal with this type of feeling. Especially since you are a mortal, you would be ashes carried by the wind in the middle of thunder in a blink of an eye for her.
Yae Miko helped her sort those feelings. Sure, being immortal wasn’t something funny in many regards. But it’s not like she couldn’t make you somebody who will escape erosion, like she did for herself. Or maybe you’ll gain a vision and you’ll find a way to become something close to divinity ? Or you’ll ascend upon your death, who knows ? There were a lot of different ways possible to keep you down there with Ei.
When she would come to terms with those feelings, after a few months of discussion and meditation, she decided to confess, as she knew your time in the mortal plane was only a fleeting one, like a shooting star.
You didn’t dare to speak about your feelings to her. Confessing to a crush was already hard enough to do, but when the crush in question is the Shogun herself, well, this was almost impossible.
Anyway, she was the one confessing, as she knew once said, it would get out of her mind and it would stop bothering her in her meditation. And Yae Miko would stop teasing her about it.
Oh boy, did she know, as soon as you responded in a positive way, you plagued her mind, impossible for her to escape the thoughts about you and it overwhelmed her, as she wasn’t used to dealing with emotions, all bottled up since Makoto’s death. The realization you found or made a crack in her defenses hit her like a truck.
Ei had this weird reaction to go back to her Plane of Euthymia, while Raiden Shogun was telling her to leave.
You caught the glimpse in her eyes fading before she told you to leave, but you were still confused, since everything was going nice until then.
You tried to visit again, per your habits, but the guards told you the pass you had was revoked by the Shogun.
Confused and hurt, you returned to Ogura’s shop, working like a madpal to forget whatever happened. You even stopped bringing her new kimonos. Well, you were still crafting them, but you stopped bringing those to her.
Until you received an order to bring her whatever you crafted to her.
So you did. You entered back, with your so-called revoked pass. The guards did nothing about it.
And here she was, waiting for you, her eyes as empty as you saw the first time.
You approached her, but then, as soon as you took a step, space seemed crumbling around you, like everything was an illusion. Did you fall into a trap of some sorts ?
You close your eyes, to not be scared in case death was coming.
But nothing came, and when you opened your eyes, and you discovered the Plane of Euthymia, with Ei, floating in the middle, meditating.
Sensing your presence, she opened her eyes and stood up, explaining to you where you both were. Before explaining why she acted this way not so long ago and that her inviting you in the Plane of Euthymia was actually a demonstration of affection for you as only one person would enter it like this and it was her dear friend Yae Miko.
She probably fought Raiden Shogun a second time for her to let you date Ei.
You weren’t sure of where you were in your relationship with her, but neither did she, actually. She never loved someone like she loves you, but, as she needed to change her view and pursuit of eternity... She was willing to try, as maybe this relationship will be an answer (or at least a part of it) to what is eternity.
Once the situation cleared up, you took a few days to think, as you need to process information. You were the second person to know the Shogun’s secret and... You were about to date her ?
When you processed the information in a correct way, you started dating Ei.
At first, you kept it discreet, in her palace under the cover of you bringing her new clothes, sweets or books.
Basically home dates, until you both felt comfortable enough to go outside to enjoy Inazuma in all its beauty.
Ei was in the first times quite stiff, not knowing what to do, and you were doing you best.
As your first date outside, she simply brought you to Yae Publishing House, to search books about relationships and read some with you, to get the dating aspect better.
She was really thinking about making you a body, similar to the Raiden Shogun to make you escape erosion and make you stay longer here with her. But she was also cautious about it, since you were humans by nature and not prepared to be immortal.
But she loves you very much, more than she could ever express it to you, and she would ask you what you want, just to be able to spoil you. And whatever you want, she’ll do it and it was a mutual feeling.
Mistress of the Robes : It is a title in the United-Kingdom and it’s a title beared by one of the senior maids. At the beginning, the Mistress of the Robes was responsible for the queen’s (regent or consort) clothes and jewelry and the title was closely associated with the First Lady of the Bedchamber’s title. Now, the Mistress of the Robes is charged to arrange the attendance of ladies-in-waiting.
Hadajuban and Susoyoke : They are pieces of clothing in the japanese culture, put under any sorts of kimonos, it can be seen as the traditional Japanese equivalent of the underwears, the Hadajuban being the top while the susoyoke being the bottom.
Futon : The traditional Japanese bed, right on the ground and composed of a shikibuton, the mattress and the kakebuton, the blanket.
Kimono : Traditional Japanese clothing. There’s many types of kimono, this term being a general one as it literally means “things to wear (on you)”. I deliberately used this term as I wanted to let the reader decide on what type of kimono they would bring to the Raiden Shogun.
