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Mhin was avoiding you.
It wasn't hard to figure out why, of course, after what happened when you reported to the client. The memory of that night and the morning after replayed in your head over and over, haunting you. Mhin’s slumped-over body lying against the alley wall, and the scream that tore through their throat in the moments after was enough to sear the memory into your brain. The large, inky creature that erupted from their small body would have taken your head clean off had you not touched it—and you were glad you did. When you awoke in Kuras’s clinic the next morning, all you could think of was what happened to Mhin afterwards.
It was hard to form thoughts at the time due to the splitting headache that pulsed behind your eyes, but Kuras’s soft but direct voice reassured you calmly.
“Mhin is alright. They disturbed me late in the night by barging through my back door. It wasn't the sight of Mhin’s blood-covered body that shocked me, though, but rather your unresponsive form in their arms.”
Mhin took you to Kuras overnight, but by the time you regained consciousness the next morning, they were long gone. You hoped they had been treated by the good doctor as well, but as Kuras revealed more of what had happened while you were asleep, you learned that Mhin refused help until you were thoroughly checked. Even then, Mhin was only appeased when Kuras inspected them in the same room as you… According to Kuras, their eyes never left your sleeping form.
You tried to make sense of their behavior, and your thoughts swirled as you pieced together the mystery that was Mhin. Small tidbits of information they gave you rose to the surface of your mind, recontextualizing some things said between you. Countless times had they instructed you not to get close to them, and they tried shooing you away at least once every time your paths crossed, but you just chalked it up to be part of their prickly, untrusting exterior. This new instalment must have been a large factor in the reason they were so adamant about not staying close to you.
But, should you stay away? The answer was, most likely, yes. You've seen the damage that Mhin was capable of—both from the mutilated inquisitor in Hightown to the puddle of flesh in the Lowtown alley. If you wanted to guarantee keeping yourself in one piece, it would be wise to keep away from the creature lurking inside Mhin.
When you thought about the pain you felt when reaching out to the monster, it was searing agony, and your heart clenched at the thought of Mhin dealing with that pain not only once, but many times before. The creature was clearly tormenting them. It tore their mind apart, and in the moment your hand met feathers, yours tore along with it. Even if Mhin called upon the beast at their will, it was not something they’d do lightly. And if it were something Mhin could not control, it would be an even worse fate.
Now that you knew your touch could return Mhin to normal and help them, you desperately wanted to stay by their side. Deep down, you knew that even if there was nothing you could do to help Mhin, you wouldn’t want to stay away—especially after what happened during the heist in Senobium. The sparks that flew between you were undeniable. That feeling of Mhin’s soft lips and calloused hand on the back of your neck never left your mind.
Your feelings for Mhin were stronger than the fear of the creature they could become, and you knew that. You also knew that Mhin felt it too, but right now, the only explanation for their distance from you had to be guilt—a kind of guilt and stubbornness only Mhin can have, which was keeping them away from you. All the good moments of your day spent together were buried under the weight of that horrific night…
But it wasn't going to stay that way for long. If they were determined to keep you away, you were determined to snap them out of their reverie.
The only issue with that plan was actually finding Mhin so you could talk to them. It felt like every corner you turned in the streets of Eridia, Mhin was evading you. Even the usual hunting spots Mhin liked to frequent turned up empty, so you resorted to asking around for the moody hunter.
Kuras was your first choice to find Mhin, but despite being knowledgeable in almost anything you ask, he had supposedly not seen Mhin since the night they barged into the clinic with you in tow.
When you asked Kuras if he was being truthful with you, he answered with an incredibly polite “No.”
Knowing very well that Kuras wouldn’t budge on the matter, you made your way to the Wet Wick and asked Leander if Mhin had made any appearances. Leander must have seen the question coming—his answer was a practiced cluelessness, which tipped you off to what was truly going on.
Mhin must have asked both of them not to tell you where they were, which was fine, really! Perfectly fine. You can find Mhin just fine on your own.
A few days went by with no traces of Mhin, but something strange occurred to you. You weren’t a very paranoid person, but you couldn’t help but feel… watched. The hairs on the back of your neck prickled occasionally as you walked through a large crowd in the Amaryllis district, and you’d see movement in the corner of your eye as soon as you turned your head a certain way.
It became an obnoxious occurrence for all of two days before you caught a glimpse of the strange presence haunting you. The evening sun cast shadows through the streets, and you could feel the eyes watching you as you bought produce from a local vendor. A shifting figure peered out from behind a building on your left, and you quickly turned your head to face the figure head-on. By no surprise whatsoever, you locked eyes with Mhin. In the blink of an eye, Mhin ducked away, leaving you slightly reassured but also very irritated.
They were dancing around you—following you around while telling the others not to give information about them to you. It made you angry. All you wanted was to talk to Mhin and go back to how things were between you before that fateful night. If you just talked, maybe you could figure out a way to help Mhin with their strange transformation, whether it be a curse or something else.
It was a truly agonizing experience to inherit Mhin’s pain when you placed your bare hand against their feathery torso, but you were willing to do anything to spare Mhin the agony. If only they would actually let you help them.
You were nearing your limit, which meant it was time to take some drastic measures to lure Mhin out. At first, you decided to start enticing Mhin with different outfits. Maybe presenting yourself in an alluring way would drop Mhin’s guard. You never knew when they were going to watch you, so every time you went out for the evening, you decided to do something different with your appearance.
Your hair, which lies at a shaggy medium length and is typically quite unkempt, becomes your main focus as you learn to pull it back in various ways with some clips and ribbons that Vere lends you. The cloak you wrap around your body is discarded, and as you become more and more desperate daring by the day, you discard the overshirt of the outfit that Kuras gave you, which leaves you in a silken camisole that you second as a nightshirt.
Walking around the streets of Lowtown with nothing but your undershirt and the gloves Mhin gifted you made you feel incredibly exposed, and as the days went by, you started to feel foolish to ever think you could lure Mhin out in such ways.
Instead, you had to try something different. Something that Mhin absolutely wouldn’t ignore. You racked your brain trying to find something like that, and came up with only one logical method—
Ignoring the countless safety lessons they taught you.
With the daring idea in mind, you began to slowly disregard the tips Mhin had given you over the weeks you’d gotten to know them. You had no intention of being completely careless, of course, but once in a while, when you could feel Mhin’s presence, you had a few slip-ups where your keys would hang out of your pocket—ripe for any street urchin to pickpocket, or you would start to pay mind to the obnoxiously eager vendors that were clearly trying to scam passerbys who didn’t know any better.
One night, as you retired to your room at the Wet Wick, you ‘accidentally’ left your window wide open, with the intention of camping out for the night to see whether or not Mhin would show their face. However, your plan was ruined by your own sleepiness as you dozed off on the hunt...
When you awoke the next day, the window was sealed shut. You threw your pillow at the window, cursing both yourself and Mhin in equal measures.
You even wandered into the brothel one day, and your heart nearly skipped a beat when you looked back and peered under the silken curtains of the entrance, spotting Mhin’s leather boots standing on the outside. For a heartstopping moment it appeared as if Mhin were contemplating entering the brothel as well, but after a few minutes of shifting in place, they eventually retreated.
So close… You sighed to yourself loudly. The day turned to night, and you found yourself in the company of Ais, Vere, and Leander. On a normal day, you wouldn’t entertain their drinking games or petty competitions, but today you found yourself agreeing to try every drink they had to offer. It wasn’t long until things began to feel fuzzy, and it was even shorter to get overwhelmed by the lights and noise in the Wet Wick. With a polite decline for another drink from Vere, you ended up roaming the streets of Lowtown.
It was quiet, with the only sounds coming from the faraway streets and croaking toads in the river nearby. You strolled onto a carved stonework bridge and stared at the sky. Stars covered the far-reaching expanse, and you sighed to yourself as you wondered if Mhin was staring up at the same sky. They loved to watch the stars. You wondered if it gave them peace of mind, or if they just liked staring at something pretty.
You climbed onto the bridge railing, holding onto a statue beside you for support. It was a beautiful night, and you desperately wished to be sharing it with someone. At least…with a certain someone. Your brows furrowed as you rehashed all the events of the past few weeks in your mind—or lack thereof.
Why? Why did Mhin have to be so…stubborn?
Things would be different if Mhin disappeared completely from your life. As much as that would break your heart, at least it wouldn’t be as infuriatingly obnoxious as what Mhin was currently pulling.
With a growl in your throat, you brushed a gloved hand over your face. At first, looking at the stars calmed you down, but now they were just starting to make you feel lonely and, if you were being honest, a bit lovesick. As you turned your head sideways, you realized that you might be a bit more drunk than you really planned on getting. The alcohol was catching up to you. You had to be careful getting down.
You decided to start your trek back to the Wet Wick for the night, but when you shuffled yourself around to jump down from the bridge railing carefully, you saw a figure already standing beneath you. The person you’ve been chasing after was standing right there staring up at you like a tiny, angry ghost.
“W-Whoa—!”
Their appearance was so startling that your hold on the statue faltered, and you began to fall backwards toward the water. Just as you started to flounder for something to hold, Mhin was there to catch you.
Mhin’s lithe body pressed tightly against yours, and their arm wrapped around your waist to keep you steady. The other arm was wrapped around the body of the statue beside them, and they used it as leverage to pull you upward.
Mhin made sure to let you get your footing on the railing, and you found yourself face-to-face with the hunter. You made eye contact with them and couldn't help but notice Mhin glancing at your lips for a brief, fleeting moment. Just as the tension was starting to feel unbearable, they ushered you down to solid ground. You complied easily, if only so Mhin couldn’t see your flushed cheeks. They began to grumble behind you as you stepped down.
“I knew something like this would happen,” Mhin muttered irritably at you. “You smell like you’ve had too many drinks…”
Your cheeks turned red in indignation. “I only fell ‘cause you startled me, and you know it!” The shock and adrenaline of the situation began to wear off, and your frustration with Mhin from the recent weeks showed on your face. “Why do you care about me falling, anyway? I'd rather fall into the river than be saved by someone who refuses to show their face around me.”
Mhin jumped down from the railing, landing with a cat-like grace, and scowling in your direction. It was hard for you to stand straight without wobbling. “Don’t be stupid. You know exactly why I can’t be around you,” they bit out harshly—their arms crossed, and their tone defensive. “Why would you care about me showing my face to you at all? Especially after…” They turned uncharacteristically quiet. “After what happened.”
Your eye twitched—as much as you wanted to shout at Mhin for being stubborn, the topic at hand was a delicate one. Mhin felt incredibly vulnerable as it was your first meeting since that night. You had to tell them your feelings on everything—then bash their head in for being a pain in the ass.
“Well, if you just came to me instead of running away, maybe you’d know that I’ve been looking for you. I don’t—” You brought a hand up to your mouth to stifle a hiccup. It didn’t work very well. “I don't know why you feel the need to stay away now that you know I can help you—”
“—That's exactly why I have to stay away!” Mhin shouted. You jumped at their outburst, surprised to hear Mhin raising their voice. The alcohol raising your sensitivity to sounds wasn’t helping either, and Mhin seemed to realize themselves as they lowered their voice once more. It was still just as terse. “Kuras told me that your mind was strained from whatever you did to me that night. You were in pain. I know that whatever you did— it helped me. It turned me back to normal, and I…I appreciate that more than you’ll ever know. But I don't need you to help me. I don't…want to put you through that pain again. Can you understand that?”
“I…understand,” you said as steadily as you could. You wanted to prove your resolve. “But I’m telling you that any pain I feel is worth it if I can help you. Not only that, but I feel like it could help me understand myself better, too.” You raised your gloved hands, staring at them for a moment before looking at Mhin.
They still weren’t entirely convinced, and without preamble, they started listing reasons why it was a bad idea to help them. “I can’t control myself when the curse takes hold—what if I hurt you? The transformation is so unpredictable, I can’t expect you to always be there for me. What if I grow dependent on your help? Do you want me to use you like that—?”
You whined low in your throat as Mhin continued. Forming an argument against Mhin was pointless, especially in the state you were in now. Why was Mhin still saying these things? You already told them you wanted to help…
—And what of the way I look? Do I not scare you? You can’t tell me that I—Ah!”
The words in Mhin’s throat died as they received an armful of you. Had they been any weaker, they’d have fallen over from the force of your tackle.
Mhin’s arms hovered in the air as they took in what was going on. “W-What the fuck are you doing!?”
“St—Stop talking,” you stuttered, wrapping your arms tighter around Mhin’s waist and holding onto your elbows so your grip wouldn’t falter. “I want to be with you. We can…worry about later, later.”
You could hear Mhin grit their teeth. “You say that like it's easy to do.” Despite their harsh tone, Mhin relented slightly and draped their arms around you in a loose embrace. You were surprised to feel Mhin’s head nestle itself into the crook of your neck. “You’re impossible—and leaning into me way too much. Which one of them gave you the drinks tonight?”
“Mmn,” You hummed, not particularly interested in answering the question as you melted into Mhin’s hold. “Mostly Vere and Ais…but Leander too…”
Mhin sighed. “Dumbasses…all of them.”
“You’re one to talk. Do you know how long I’ve—ve been trying to get your attention? A long time… You’re so sneaky…”
Mhin lifted their head from your body. “You’ve been trying to get my attention? Is that why…” They trailed off, irritation coating the last few words. You were in trouble.
“Why what?” You said defensively. “I dressed up for you, you know. Stupid, stubborn hunter is too dumb to—to notice,” you sounded incredibly impetulant, but you couldn’t care less in the moment.
Mhin grabbed your shoulders, pulling you to stand so they could stare into your eyes. The signature glare was back, but a cute dusting of red coated their cheeks to accompany it. “I noticed, don’t worry about that. I also noticed how careless you’ve been—which is why I’ve had to follow you! You didn’t last a day without losing something, or keeping your door unlocked at night, or talking to the shady bastards in the Amaryllis district—”
“I know, Mhin. I did that so you would stop hiding from me.”
“...” Mhin blinked at you, then huffed out a short, incredulous laugh. “I can’t believe this…You did all that to get my attention? How are you…okay with everything?”
Your brow furrowed. “I told you that I cared about you. Stop…pushing me away.”
“Again, it's easier said than done,” Mhin sighed, and you opened your mouth to say more until they continued. “But…I’ll try.”
Your disposition brightened immediately. “Promise?”
Mhin looked away from you, a blush high on their cheeks. “...Promise.”
A smile broke out across your face, and you started to lean into Mhin once more for a hug. Mhin held you firmly back by the shoulders. “Ah ah, no more. You’re drunk. I’m taking you home.”
You whined in disappointment, but Mhin seemed to be firm in their statement. “The Wet Wick isn’t far. Can you walk?”
You started to smirk, feigning weakness. “Ah, I’ve had so much to drink, Mhin. I think—I think I need to be carried—!”
“I’m leaving you here.” Mhin turned on their heel and walked down the street, leaving you to stumble over yourself to catch up. The moody hunter turned their head to make sure you were still following, and as you caught up, you slipped your arm in theirs.
“At least let me lean against you! It’s hard to walk…”
“Fine,” Mhin pulled your arm closer to their body, and you both started the short walk back to the Wet Wick hand in hand. Mhin didn’t let go of you until you made it back to your room, and even offered to take off your boots when you couldn’t unbuckle them…
Maybe you’d have to thank the others for all the free drinks after all…