"It's just up here, give me your hand."
"You shouldn't be doing this when you're sick, Lai."
"Oh relax doctor, it's just a bit of mountain climbing! Besides, doesn't it just show that I'm actually in pretty good shape?"
Her voice was light and happiness danced in her tone. It was hard to listen to.
"That's not how it works...but I'll say yes for now."
He pulled himself up with a bit of her assistance, and caught his breath, rolling over onto the grass and sitting up tiredly. Climbing for so long was tiring, he could only muster half of her stamina to collect resources for his medicines—and he was supposed to be the one in perfect health.
But it was worth it.
To see her upturned lips, and sparkling ruby eyes that bore straight into the far away orange hues of the setting sun. Her short messy locks brushed past her peach cheeks, a soft wind carrying it away in it's arms.
"Look at that view," she says with a dreamy sigh and brushing back her hair with a finger, "I always come up here when I'm feeling down or sick."
"...Do you feel that way now?" He questions, fanning away his embarrassing thoughts.
"Not really now I guess," her smile grows wider as she turns her head to briefly look at him, "I haven't been up here since we've crossed paths, and I guess I just felt like showing you."
A silence falls between them, a heartfelt moment and memory that they would both come to cherish. It was more peaceful than anything he's ever experienced, and he wished it could last forever. But...
"You're...going back soon, aren't you?"
...
That was stupid.
Mitsuki didn't intend to switch up on Kokomi like he did, but something just flickered inside of him all of a sudden. Even with all his smarts, he couldn't identify what caused him to feel so...unnerved and defensive when it came to people speaking with him. This is why he never liked being around people—why he kept to himself as a lone traveler for so many years. Whenever he was surrounded by anyone he'd have all these foreign feelings bubble up within him, even if he tried to ignore them. That was just apart of his human nature, he concluded, and he'd have to do his best to polish up on such pestering emotions and not make the same mistake again. The perfect being would never make such an error, but with further trial...he'd fix that.
His excuse for being here was to abolish the Vision Hunt Decree, experience history, and go down as a perfect warrior. But his mood could drastically change like it has now, to the point where he could care less about the innocents and fighters of the Resistance—and his mind plagues him with the thought of abandoning them and returning to Inazuma City before the Shogunate get a chance to discover he's there.
He briefly recalls the letter claiming his presence here. Well...if they haven't already discovered his whereabouts anyways.
Regardless, he wouldn't leave...not yet. He despised the thought of committing to something beneficial for himself, then leaving and wasting his time. If there was a reason to leave...a place to go where he'd be guaranteed something closer to his perfection like the Abyss, or hell even those annoying Fatui...then he would drop the Resistance without a second thought. But for now, there was nothing to sway him away.
Soldiers on standby watched him, and apart of him felt grateful that they didn't seem to care enough about him to question the annoyed look on his face. Or rather, maybe they were just used to it since it was his normal expression.
Kokomi told him to rest up, but the sun was still high. He winced and internally sighed. That stupid mutt didn't tell Kokomi he had sea sickness did he? He'd have to ask another time...when he wasn't mad at her.
Maybe he could go ahead and explore some Abyss routes here.
He left, not bothering to look any soldiers in the eye or notify him of where he'd be. He'd come back safe and sound anyways, just like always.
"Around...here..." he followed vague elemental traces, face falling further when he realized he had tracked down a floating specter.
"Maybe not."
He quietly muttered directions to himself, a habit he had grown during his time traveling. It's something he does subconsciously to the point he doesn't really realize it. If he were to travel with someone, he'd likely end up having to brush up on such an embarrassing habit.
His hand worked quickly against the paper of his journal, neat letters displayed upon his map. His handwriting was considered quite girly to most, similarly to his name which he found insulting. Neither of them were girly, especially not his writing...it was just neat.
He made swift work of a nearby hilichurl camp, satisfied when he collected their drops and pocketed them for later. Many could consider him a hoarder or a scavenger—at least during his travels. Anything he felt had any sort of value he'd take back, either to sell or research. Not like he really needed the money, his father left him a hefty sum of mora before disappearing.
Now that he recalls, he often begins to forget his father's existence. He isn't quite sure why that is the case, but he remembers him from time to time and shuts his mind from him again. His father is a wanted criminal, and he abandoned him with Yae Miko after running from the Shogunate. After that, he hadn't seen him since.
"Ngh..." a sharp pain in his head forces him to leave such thoughts alone. It always hurt to think on his past, which he assumes is why he forgets so much. Memories are slowly replaced by faded darkness, and he is sure there will come a time where he will forget most of his childhood. He does not care, as long as he holds onto his one important motivation. To be perfect.
"No more note worthy Abyss spots," he murmurs to himself, "It will be easy to take these all down and—"
"Look, Traveler! A person!"
He internally groans. That shrill voice sounded like it'd be a pain to deal with. Mitsuki turned around to come face to face with a blonde traveler, with a...
'What...is that?' Is that a floating baby?'
"What do you two want?" He questions, and the floating child seems to sense the aggression dripping from his tone because she fearfully floats back.
"Traveler, Paimon doesn't think this guy is a good candidate to be our guide...He seems scary...!"
"Oh really? Mitsuki thinks you'd be a good candidate as a source of nutrition for the hilichurls," He mocked, ignoring the sharp gasp she emitted, "What are you two doing out here?"
The baby seemed childlike and young enough, and the blonde traveler with them seemed to closely resemble a young teenager. Too young to be traveling so far away from the City.
"Were you speaking of the Abyss?"
Their voice was calm and their question straight forward that it actually kind of surprised him.
"That is none of your business," he dismisses with a squinted glare aimed at both of them, "Or I suppose it could be, if you are part of them."
"No, I'm not." they shake their head softly. The baby huffs and crosses her arms.
"You're so rude! We're just passing travelers who are curious is all."
"You have eavesdropped on my mumbling, so you were the rude ones first," He clicks his tongue and looks down at his notes again, "Now leave my presence."
"W-Wait," the baby begins to get flustered, "Can we talk this out? The Abyss is a really important topic to us and we haven't heard any info about it in a while..."
Mitsuki rolled his eyes, making sure they took a good look at his expression as he did.
"What could a duo of kids like you want with information on The Abyss?"
The traveler looked down at the ground, and the baby—or Paimon seemed to furrow her brows at this reaction.
"How about a deal," Mitsuki offers in pity, and the traveler and Paimon look up hopefully, "Take down the Vision Hunt Decree, and I will gladly allow you to accompany me on one of my Abyss hunting trips...and tell you what I know."
"Where can we find you?" The traveler questions.
He didn't have high hopes, but the fact that they spoke with such confidence that they WILL find him after they're finished was...quite surprising. But besides that, the question was likely answerable...but he didn't really wish to say. What if these kids were spies? No, the Shogunate wouldn't resort to such a thing as sending these two as spies, right?
'Whatever, not like they're going to do it anyways.'
"I'm stationed here in a nearby camp for personal matters at the moment."
He ignored the way Paimon and the blonde traveler seemed to exchange glances.
"Well, don't you worry mister scary glasses guy! The traveler here is an expert at taking care of anything, even the impossible. Taking down a Dragon, Fatui, the list goes on!"
The traveler turns to Mitsuki and gives a firm nod at this, which amused him slightly. Just slightly.
"Wonderful, then it won't be hard for you at all yes?" He muses, "Now run along, I shall be marking down more Abyss hideouts...and awaiting your return."
....
"I suspect you know why we are here, Guuji Yae."
"I could not possibly know that," the woman replies softly, "It would be best if you tell your subordinates to go, no? Visits like this are very personal."
"...Wait for me at the exit." She orders, excusing the two guards from her side.
"I must say, the Shogunate must have a very strong disliking for some random slanderer."
"You know more than plenty of us that Moriyama Mitsuki is a man of crime."
"Oh, that's an interesting way to look at a child throwing a tantrum."
"His tantrums have gone too far. Where is he now?"
"See, I would love to draw one big circle around some location on a map and tell you where he is—" her smile slightly tints with a teasing tone, "but he has all but left my care long ago."
"Truly? I was under the impression that regardless of where he went he was supposed to reside here."
"Would it really be hard to believe that he hopped to the opportunity to leave the place where everyone worships the deity he despises?"
"Of course not...but considering his abuse of power I would not be surprised."
"That's amusing," Her grin widens, "You and the Shogunate have been sniffing around his traces on your free time for over so many years and haven't been able to deduce that he'd rather go gliding without a glider than return to live here?"
"I think we're well aware of his issues, Guuji Yae. That is precisely why we seek to reform him...His father was devout and it would not hurt to bring him into Shogunate forces through a bit of a lesson."
"You obviously haven't been on the case long enough, so I won't blame you...If it helps you though, I will notify you when he returns from his expedition?"
"That would be most helpful...but, one more thing." Kujo Sara's sharp golden eyes narrowed as she continued, "Mitsuki displeases the Shogun and all of the Shogunate with his slander against our name. From what I've gathered he's selfish, egotistical, and would take chance to fight against us at any given moment, even with no vision. You were the one who raised him, were you not? Why has he turned out the way that he has?"
"You likely already know the answer to that, dear. It is quite inconsiderate of you to pretend like he targets us harmlessly, and while I would have banned him from here long ago, I've made a promise with an old friend not to do that no matter what. You can lecture him all you'd like, but he will always be allowed here."
Kujo Sara wanted to refrain from asking another question. Inside her heart, she felt like she knew the answer already...She was more than aware Yae Miko held little to no emotional attachment towards him, not with the way she acted about the subject. That would soon be proven, if she answered this..
"We have reason to believe he may be hiding. From the decree. Would you happen to know if the rumor that he is harboring a vision is true?"