(When Things Return To Normal)

Hinata is well aware of the open wound across his right lip - he has been for a while. It hurts especially more as the endorphins from the run start to wear off, nothing but adrenaline pumping through his veins.

He's lucky that his mask prevented any injury to the eye but it doesn't help much that it's bleeding a lot more than he can manage with a minimal number of bandages. He clutches onto his achy jaw, reaching under his bed for a box of emergency supplies. Pulling out a cotton pad, he presses it against the wound and tapes it up with a bandage. He moves his mouth, checking how comfortable this is (not very, he decides).

Hinata kicks his legs up onto the bed, lying down. His younger sister used to tell him how bad he always has been with feelings. Hinata's eyes fall shut.

Mizuki awakes to an empty house. It's a familiar feeling, a lot like the other times she's been left alone in a house that she can't even call her own. In a world that isn't even her own.

Mizuki pulls the cloak over her head, ripping the cloth so she can bandage to open wounds in case they've been inflicted with dark magic. She holds out her palms, watching with an ambiguous expression. It's somewhere in between sad, disappointed and surprised. Otherwise, she's nothing more than directionless.

Mizuki wonders if Hinata has set off to Sigma without her. All that serves as a reminder of him is the lone fox mask that lies on his table. In hopes of finding any message as to where he could've gone, or if he'll ever be returning to her, she opens his drawers. They're empty. Mizuki's heart drops (she doesn't acknowledge that it does). She checks under his bed and over, where there's the open medical box and on his desk (which is empty for once).

She rummages around for the photo frame of him and his sister. It's gone. Mizuki falls against the bed. "Ah… He really is gone…" she laughs in a hoarse voice. She lowers her gaze sadly, her smile wavering. "I really drove him away…"

Mizuki rubs the back of her neck awkwardly. "It is what it is, I guess."

Goosebumps prickle against her skin. There are a few sets of clothes laid out for her on the bed, his clothes, that Mizuki wonders why he cares. Perhaps because he doesn't want her to get caught and out him if she does. Mizuki forces her train of thought to a halt. It's getting too infuriating to have everything revolve around him.

Picking up whichever one comes to sight, she slips out of her leather armour. Mizuki changes into a fit of loose pants and an oversized button-down which she then tucks into her pants. Latching her daggers onto her belt, she ties her hair up into a high ponytail, deciding she'll go out to buy herself new clothes with the money she has. Mizuki will soon need to worry about gathering food and the plants outside, then better weapons as well as armour.

Mizuki trots downstairs, picking up her satchel and hanging it on her shoulder. Before she closes the door behind her, she takes one good look at the house.

Mizuki turns away, ignoring the faint grumble in her stomach. "I'll take care of you while Yasui's not here."

Mizuki clears her throat upon feeling an itch in her esophagus. She looks up at the sky and she approximates it to be somewhere around noon. Mizuki approaches the town center, heart racing upon catching a troop of guards gathered around. They silently inspect each store, loitering past the line of houses beyond it as well. Mizuki dodges the soldiers that look her up and down as she passes, a queasy look on her face.

Mizuki's somewhat relieved that she left her mask at home. Scooting past the guards, she silently shuffles towards the Wanderer's Union. Just nearby, she catches sight of yet another scuffle between one of the soldiers and a stranger. He has curly black hair and olive skin, donning a bright orange kurta and white dhoti, baggy cotton pants.

"Who are you?!" the guard demands an answer.

"The guards at the gates allowed me to come in. I'm Naresh, a cloth merchant from Sirius. I am a regular visitor here," the stranger explains, holding his pressed palms up to his chest. The soldier looks at him cynically, whispering to his associates. Without a warning, he storms forward towards Naresh, taking apart his neatly-arranged clothes, searching through his things brashly. Naresh panics, yelling in distraught at the guards as they ravage through his things, scouring for proof they won't find.

A chill runs down Mizuki's spine. Both out of fear and out of guilt. She jolts at the feeling of a hand being placed on her shoulder. "You're jumpy today," Miko laughs, retracting her hand upon noticing Mizuki's discomfort. "Didn't mean to scare you," she clarifies.

"Haven't seen you in a while," Mizuki chuckles awkwardly. "Have you been fine?"

"Yeah, of course but things have been weird around here. Rumour has it that there was a castle break-in last night. People around town heard guards running past midnight, searching for the mysterious attacker," Miko purses her lips in thoughts.

"O-Oh… really…" Mizuki splutters. Miko shifts her gaze to Mizuki, eyebrow quirking in interest. Mizuki, on the other hand, pretends not to notice, fervently wishing that she said nothing at all. "I should probably go ahead and train before they yell at me for staring too long. The soldiers scare me more than they should."

A red heart appears over Miko's head. "You can find me any time in the Wanderer's Union, I'm usually by the front door if I'm not busy with commissions. The couches there are comfy, much better than the mattress in my apartment," she jokes. Mizuki acknowledges this, stealing one last look at the mess of a situation before scuttling off, trying to avoid the possibility of a confrontation as long as possible.