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“I promise, I don’t need anything,” Lumine says in slight exasperation, perusing her bag for some books of elegance. “I’ll let you know if I do.”
“You had better!” Itto says demandingly, crossing his arms. “You’ve done so much for so many people – maybe a little too much if you ask me – and I can’t just let one of the Arataki gang’s members go without payment. What kind of boss would I be then?”
Despite herself Lumine smiles, touched by his genuine concern. “You’re very kind, Itto.”
He gives her a toothy grin, and Lumine wonders how exactly she’s going to get him to stop hounding her about the subject.
Ever since he was released from prison after the whole blue oni debacle, Itto has been trying to get her to request a favor from him. The problem is, Lumine doesn’t need anything (at least, not something he can give). All of her own wants and needs are always taken care of by her, and breaking the habit just so she can send someone else instead sounds rather inefficient and uncomfortable.
It’s been about a week now, and Lumine is grasping at straws for ideas. Partly to get Itto off her back. Partly just so he doesn’t have to feel so indebted to her.
She likes Itto. He’s boisterous and loud, with a sort of infectious energy that is great among groups. Not to mention he’s very kind, forming a group of outcasts or simply people considered different, uncaring about anything other than their personalities.
Lumine can think of a few people who would flourish in such an environment.
Wait.
“Actually,” Lumine begins, the cogs in her head spinning as Itto looks at her curiously. “There is something you could help me with.”
“Really? Lay it on me!”
“There’s someone I want you to meet.” Lumine shoves the books into his hands and turns on her heel, intending to march towards a Statue of the Seven. “Give me a few days."
“Bennett,” the Traveler says, laying a hand on his shoulder and gesturing to the man in front of them, “this is Arataki Itto. Itto, this is Bennett of Mondstadt.”
Bennett almost gulps as he stares up at the giant towering over him. “Uh, hi!” He waves, trying not to stare at the red horns on the man’s forehead.
(He has horns, that’s so cool.)
“I’m Bennett! It’s nice to meet you!” he continues, holding his hand out.
“Hey there little guy!” Itto takes his hand in a firm grip, and Bennett suddenly realizes just how very small he is. “You can call me Itto, or maybe Arataki Itto the Great. Or Arataki “Numero Uno” Itto! Or—”
“Just call him Itto,” the Traveler interrupts, grinning at Itto’s affronted look. “Now come on, I’ve got commissions to finish and a Paimon to feed.”
Bennett winces in sympathy. Paimon’s a great friend, but even he can’t deny just how much the pixie can eat – it’s a little frightening, actually.
Knuckles crack, and Itto says, “Finally!” Looking at Bennett, he explains, “I’ve been trying to get her to let me do a favor for her all week. It was harder than it had any right to be.”
Wait. “We’re all going?” Bennett asks, turning to face the Traveler, who is rummaging through her bag of infinite space. She had told him on the way over that they were going to do commissions and meet someone, but he had thought she was just going to talk with one of her many acquaintances, as she is so wont to do.
It would be better if they went alone. The Traveler doesn’t mind his bad luck, not like others do. Itto, on the other hand, has never been exposed to Bennett.
This is a bad idea.
“Yeah,” the Traveler says, pulling out an apple and tossing it to him. “Itto wants to do something for me, and I know you like exploring. Let’s go.”
“Come on, buddy!” Itto pats him on the back, surprisingly gentle. “It’ll be fun.” He grins toothily, and Bennett can’t deny how he relaxes.
Gripping the apple, Bennett says, “Alright. Yeah, let’s go!”
There’s a loud crack, the smell of ozone, and a blackened patch of grass where Itto was just standing.
Bennett panics, heart still racing from how he saw sparks flicker and shouted at Itto to move. “Oh archons, I’m so sorry, that must have been my bad luck—”
Itto lets out a loud whoop, squinting at the grass. “That was a close one,” he says, sounding totally unaffected. “Thanks buddy, you really saved me there.”
“Let’s keep moving,” the Traveler says, oddly unconcerned.
The worst part is that Itto agrees, and so they keep moving across Tatarasuna.
One after another, several near-death incidents occur. Bennett has to constantly cast his healing flames, patching up some scratches and bruises. Neither the Traveler nor Itto comment on it, but Bennett knows they must be irritated (everyone always is).
Finally, Bennett can’t bear to keep bothering them with his bad luck, so he clenches his fists and says, “Hey, guys? Maybe I should turn back.” Nervously laughing as they turn to look at him, he starts to rub the back of his head. “I just think my bad luck’s acting up too much today. It would probably be better if I left—”
“Bad… luck?” Itto parrots, eyebrows furrowed.
The Traveler says something to him, too quiet for Bennett to hear. “Ohhh,” Itto says in realization. “That’s what you say all of that was?”
Bennett bites his tongue and nods.
“I mean, maybe!” Itto shrugs, nonchalant. “Sure, we’ve had a few more scrapes with danger, but it’s not too bad.”
“But, lightning nearly hit you!” Bennett protests, unable to believe his ears. “Three times!”
“Bah!” Itto waves a hand, then puffs up and stares up at the sky. “That’s just the Raiden Shogun being petty.” To Bennett’s confusion (and slight horror), he starts hollering at the sky. “Yeah, I’m talking to you! Go on, strike me down! You don’t have the guts!”
Bennett turns his bewildered stare onto the Traveler, who just shrugs and tugs Itto closer to her. “Lightning,” she says dully, and right on cue lightning cracks near where Itto stood.
“See?” Itto says, as if he wasn’t almost fried again. “The Shogun’s petty. She wishes she still had my Vision, oh yeah. Lucky you can heal, huh?”
Bennett balks. “What about when we were attacked by a Cicin mage out of nowhere?”
“Fatui are weird, why else?”
“When those trees fell down?”
“Probably struck by lightning.”
“The Onikabuto that were just Lavender Melons?”
Itto finally frowns. “That,” he grumbles, “is because I haven’t keep my eyes as squeaky clean as they ought to be. I’ve really gotta find a way to stop sleeping with these suckers open!”
What.
Ignoring that strange tidbit, Bennett doesn’t quite understand how Itto can brush off all of these near death incidents. But...
Something warm starts to bloom in his chest.
“And… the chests that only had empty crab shells?” Bennett asks, hopeful.
“Now that was really just bad luck.”
Oh.
“But it’s nothing big! Don’t sweat it, bud.” Itto gives him a thumbs-up. “So long as we’re still alive, it’s all good. At least you’re not asking me to eat beans or kitsune ramen, in which case, you’re dead to me.”
“I don’t think I’ll be doing that, then,” Bennett says, and if his voice is a little shaky neither one of his companions (his companions!) mention it.
“Then everything’s fine!” Itto jabs a thumb at the Traveler, who is quietly conversing with Paimon, who has just popped out from wherever she sleeps. “Now come on, we’ve got a job to do!”
Grinning, excitement coursing through his veins, Bennett nods. “Right! Traveler, let’s keep moving!”
The Traveler turns her attention back on them, smiling silently.
Paimon, on the other hand, puts her hands on her hips and narrows her eyes. “Itto,” she begins, “why don’t you take Bennett to visit your gang once we get back to the city? Paimon thinks that would be a great idea while we’re busy talking to Katheryne.”
“Huh.” Itto rubs a hand on his chin, looking thoughtful. “You know what? That is a great idea. Whaddya say, buddy?”
“Sure,” Bennett agrees, feeling nervous in anticipation. “I like meeting new people.”
“Heh. Then you’ll fit in with us just fine.”
“Hey boss! Finish your work with the Traveler?”
“Yep. After all this time, I finally got her to agree to the favor. I’m the best!”
“Totally. Say, who’s this? A new recruit?”
Bennett doesn’t shrink beneath all of their gazes, but he certainly feels like it.
“This is Bennett, a kid from Mondstadt the Traveler brought over,” Itto says, and Bennett opens his mouth to introduce himself only to be cut off as Itto continues. “He’s got a bit of a bad luck streak. We nearly got struck by lightning like fifteen times.”
Why would you say that? Bennett screams internally, even though he would have been almost as upfront if he had introduced himself.
Someone – a man with a hat – whistles. “Fifteen? That’s a little bit much, huh?”
“Hey, at least it wasn’t twenty,” someone else – a round man holding a book – says. “Could’ve been worse.
“Could’ve been worse,” the others parrot.
“See?” Itto says, quieter than before and catching Bennett’s attention. “It’s fine. We’re a gang of weirdos, and you’re not the worst case we’ve seen. You could have been a moron trying to sacrifice himself for an oath he hated.”
That’s oddly specific, but Bennett will ignore it in favor of the simple acceptance before him. “Thanks,” he says, as genuinely as he can. “Really. Thank you.”
Itto winks. “What’re friends for?”
I, Bennett thinks dazedly, have a lot to tell my dads.
“So, I met the kid. Is that all you really wanted?”
“Pretty much.” Lumine smiles softly as she remembers the wide-eyed gaze Bennett had worn after the confrontation. Itto really is very kind, isn’t he? “It was a huge help.”
Itto scratches his head, confused. “I didn’t really do much though,” he says, sounding frustrated. “How was that a big help?”
“It’s something I couldn’t do on my own,” Lumine replies, and right on cue Itto puffs up in pride. “So, thank you.”
“Of course! I’m Arataki “the Bestest Boss” Itto after all!”
“Yes. Yes, you are.”