This mystery cannot be easily resolved.
The relationship between the heart and the flesh is a complex one.
The youth had fallen asleep soon after, having returned to the bed to rest. He watched as the brunette slept peacefully, still holding the cloth in a gloved hand. It was a strange thing: he felt like this person had to be the one he had sought for what seemed like an eternity, but at the same time he felt it couldn't be.
He had been watching the youth sleep for several hours. If there was anything he had come away with after his experiences, it was patience. If he'd had more of that to start with, he would have been better off. With this acquired forbearance, he remained there and watched the youth quietly. He had gotten up once, however, to replace the blanket the youth had somehow cast to the floor.
They seemed so similar, but he could not be sure that this was indeed his lost friend. In a way, he hoped it was. This person was clumsy and sweet, the things he remembered and loved. At the same time, this person could not tell him if they had met. It looked like there was recognition, but he could not be sure. The brunette looked the same as well, except perhaps the long hair. He also did not know the gender of this person. The brunette's voice would have to come back with time, he knew, and it was just a matter of waiting until he could ask questions and get clear answers. Although, he told himself, the gestures were quite adorable.
He chided himself in his mind, reminding himself that he was growing to have affinity for someone he might not even know. It surprised the silver haired boy, because he had gotten so used to placing barriers between himself and the people he met. That was the only way he could assure himself that he would not lose anyone else and he would not have to miss them. Already he hoped he would not lose this blue eyed stranger, even if they truly were strangers.
A knock on the door brought him out of his reverie, and he straightened, ready to go open the door. It was either the innkeeper, his wife, or his daughter. They came every so often with things he needed, things such as food or new sheets. If it was time to change sheets, though, that would have to be delayed. He hated doing it himself: it always seemed the sheets were crooked or wrinkled when he laid them out. Then, there was the matter of how it might look to someone who did not understand the situation. That and the fact that the brunette was a mute and couldn't help explain anything combined for a potentially uncomfortable situation.
"Sir, I have your breakfast if you're awake."
It was the innkeeper's daughter. She was fourteen and she looked like a black haired version of Kairi when last he saw her. In the past year, he never had learned to recall her name, nor had he spoken a single word to her. By now she knew very well he was up at this hour every day. She was sweet, but it got annoying when she fussed over him. He supposed it was because she was lonely and he was the closest to her age of anyone she saw on a daily basis. He got up and opened the door.
"Good morning." She beamed. The girl used to be even more chipper about it, but had toned down to gain his approval. He didn't understand why, but she cared what he thought. Again, he supposed it was because she had no real friends to visit.
She held up a basket and listed off the things her mother had prepared that day, although it was the same every day. It was always fruit he had grown to recognize, accompanied by muffins and meat in the form of half-burnt sausages. They both knew what was in the basket, as with every meal. It gave her something to say to him.
Behind him, the brunette stretched and made a small noise before rubbing tired eyes, oblivious to whatever was going on. He suppressed a smile and a grimace at the same time, not interested in breaking the silence he had maintained with this girl for over a year. It was obvious that she noticed the bedraggled youth and had come up with her own ideas on what and why. She looked past him and smiled.
"Your friend it so pretty." Despite the fact that this person could easily be a boy, the silver haired boy thought wryly. "You should let me take her shopping. Her clothes are pretty messy. Or is that because of you, mister blindfold?" She teased just like Kairi, and there was no real suspicion of anything immoral. It was her way of joking, and not knowing his name she called him by his most individual feature: and he wasn't even wearing it. He wondered if she had taken note of that.
He waited, knowing it was coming. He could almost do a count down.
"Hey, you're not even wearing your blindfold today." She had obviously noticed only because the youth was trying to find a place to put it and fell on the floor with a thump. He turned to see the youth smile sheepishly and stand on wobbly legs again. "Your eyes are strange. Are you from another world?"
He looked back to her. Since the brunette was pretty much mute, he was going to have to answer. While he agreed that the blue eyed youth needed new clothes, he wanted to take the brunette himself. If this was a boy he was dealing with, a dress was the last thing they needed. "We met last night. Unable to talk much less stand." It was all he had to say, and he took the basket to set it on the table, looking at the brunette just before being bumped into. The youth made frenzied attempts at silent apologies and sat in a chair. The blindfold had become a hair tie, and the brunette had plenty need of one.
The innkeeper's daughter came right in and knelt in front of the brunette. "I'm sorry you can't talk, but I'll make sure that mister blindfold is nice to you. Let's be friends, okay?"
Being the amazingly cute thing he or she was, the brunette smiled and nodded, but made a face at the comment on the silver haired boy's behavior. He was actually a nice person. A little quiet and strange, but a nice guy. The brunette also wanted to thank the girl for the pretty comment, although also troubled by it. The brunette wasn't sure if 'she' was a she or a he. The youth hadn't really bothered checking, either, but it didn't much matter at this time. Those things were also followed with the shock of seeing this girl's appearance as familiar, although looking like someone else.
"Okay. I'll see you later hopefully." The Kairi lookalike smiled and left, closing the door behind her as she did so.
The silver haired boy slumped into a chair beside the blue eyed youth. "That was a bit bothersome, wouldn't you say? She's usually in my room to change bedding or something, but I've never even spoken to her." He looked over to the brunette, who was debating on whether or not to go for some food. "You're welcome to eat whatever you want, but I'm warning you, the red fruits have lots of seeds."
Smiling gratefully, the youth took a muffin and carefully began to eat it in tiny bites.
While watching the youth, he began to wonder more and more, so he had to ask. "So, are you a boy or a girl? I thought you were a boy, but I might be wrong..." He trailed off, having no way to further explain himself.
The youth stopped short and set down the muffin. Brushing the crumbs off on an already messy shirt, the brunette tugged the collar out and looked into the shirt. The boy wanted to laugh again, but didn't. Looking confused, the youth watched as if there was a show going on in there and then looked up. Shrugging, the youth tried to find a way to answer, eventually giving up and pointing at him.
"...Boy?" He asked. The youth nodded, seemingly fairly sure of the answer. "Well, that makes things a bit simpler. I just wish I knew your name."
The youth pointed at him, trying to find some way to say it.
"Me?" He asked, for the first time not following.
The brunette nodded and took a knife from the basket, scraping the table with it. A few grunts of effort were issued as the youth cut at the oak table, trying to write something perhaps. He stood and leaned over the youth, watching as the smaller boy worked on the letters, barely legible as they were, and in tough wood at that.
When at last the youth finished, the silver haired boy stared in amazement.
It was his name written on the tabletop. There was no question now who this must be, he thought with a warmth he could not remember having. On the surface of the wood, in messy letters, the boy had carved the four letter name that was associated immediately with the blindfold boy. That name was Riku.
The relationship between the heart and the flesh is a complex one.
The youth had fallen asleep soon after, having returned to the bed to rest. He watched as the brunette slept peacefully, still holding the cloth in a gloved hand. It was a strange thing: he felt like this person had to be the one he had sought for what seemed like an eternity, but at the same time he felt it couldn't be.
He had been watching the youth sleep for several hours. If there was anything he had come away with after his experiences, it was patience. If he'd had more of that to start with, he would have been better off. With this acquired forbearance, he remained there and watched the youth quietly. He had gotten up once, however, to replace the blanket the youth had somehow cast to the floor.
They seemed so similar, but he could not be sure that this was indeed his lost friend. In a way, he hoped it was. This person was clumsy and sweet, the things he remembered and loved. At the same time, this person could not tell him if they had met. It looked like there was recognition, but he could not be sure. The brunette looked the same as well, except perhaps the long hair. He also did not know the gender of this person. The brunette's voice would have to come back with time, he knew, and it was just a matter of waiting until he could ask questions and get clear answers. Although, he told himself, the gestures were quite adorable.
He chided himself in his mind, reminding himself that he was growing to have affinity for someone he might not even know. It surprised the silver haired boy, because he had gotten so used to placing barriers between himself and the people he met. That was the only way he could assure himself that he would not lose anyone else and he would not have to miss them. Already he hoped he would not lose this blue eyed stranger, even if they truly were strangers.
A knock on the door brought him out of his reverie, and he straightened, ready to go open the door. It was either the innkeeper, his wife, or his daughter. They came every so often with things he needed, things such as food or new sheets. If it was time to change sheets, though, that would have to be delayed. He hated doing it himself: it always seemed the sheets were crooked or wrinkled when he laid them out. Then, there was the matter of how it might look to someone who did not understand the situation. That and the fact that the brunette was a mute and couldn't help explain anything combined for a potentially uncomfortable situation.
"Sir, I have your breakfast if you're awake."
It was the innkeeper's daughter. She was fourteen and she looked like a black haired version of Kairi when last he saw her. In the past year, he never had learned to recall her name, nor had he spoken a single word to her. By now she knew very well he was up at this hour every day. She was sweet, but it got annoying when she fussed over him. He supposed it was because she was lonely and he was the closest to her age of anyone she saw on a daily basis. He got up and opened the door.
"Good morning." She beamed. The girl used to be even more chipper about it, but had toned down to gain his approval. He didn't understand why, but she cared what he thought. Again, he supposed it was because she had no real friends to visit.
She held up a basket and listed off the things her mother had prepared that day, although it was the same every day. It was always fruit he had grown to recognize, accompanied by muffins and meat in the form of half-burnt sausages. They both knew what was in the basket, as with every meal. It gave her something to say to him.
Behind him, the brunette stretched and made a small noise before rubbing tired eyes, oblivious to whatever was going on. He suppressed a smile and a grimace at the same time, not interested in breaking the silence he had maintained with this girl for over a year. It was obvious that she noticed the bedraggled youth and had come up with her own ideas on what and why. She looked past him and smiled.
"Your friend it so pretty." Despite the fact that this person could easily be a boy, the silver haired boy thought wryly. "You should let me take her shopping. Her clothes are pretty messy. Or is that because of you, mister blindfold?" She teased just like Kairi, and there was no real suspicion of anything immoral. It was her way of joking, and not knowing his name she called him by his most individual feature: and he wasn't even wearing it. He wondered if she had taken note of that.
He waited, knowing it was coming. He could almost do a count down.
"Hey, you're not even wearing your blindfold today." She had obviously noticed only because the youth was trying to find a place to put it and fell on the floor with a thump. He turned to see the youth smile sheepishly and stand on wobbly legs again. "Your eyes are strange. Are you from another world?"
He looked back to her. Since the brunette was pretty much mute, he was going to have to answer. While he agreed that the blue eyed youth needed new clothes, he wanted to take the brunette himself. If this was a boy he was dealing with, a dress was the last thing they needed. "We met last night. Unable to talk much less stand." It was all he had to say, and he took the basket to set it on the table, looking at the brunette just before being bumped into. The youth made frenzied attempts at silent apologies and sat in a chair. The blindfold had become a hair tie, and the brunette had plenty need of one.
The innkeeper's daughter came right in and knelt in front of the brunette. "I'm sorry you can't talk, but I'll make sure that mister blindfold is nice to you. Let's be friends, okay?"
Being the amazingly cute thing he or she was, the brunette smiled and nodded, but made a face at the comment on the silver haired boy's behavior. He was actually a nice person. A little quiet and strange, but a nice guy. The brunette also wanted to thank the girl for the pretty comment, although also troubled by it. The brunette wasn't sure if 'she' was a she or a he. The youth hadn't really bothered checking, either, but it didn't much matter at this time. Those things were also followed with the shock of seeing this girl's appearance as familiar, although looking like someone else.
"Okay. I'll see you later hopefully." The Kairi lookalike smiled and left, closing the door behind her as she did so.
The silver haired boy slumped into a chair beside the blue eyed youth. "That was a bit bothersome, wouldn't you say? She's usually in my room to change bedding or something, but I've never even spoken to her." He looked over to the brunette, who was debating on whether or not to go for some food. "You're welcome to eat whatever you want, but I'm warning you, the red fruits have lots of seeds."
Smiling gratefully, the youth took a muffin and carefully began to eat it in tiny bites.
While watching the youth, he began to wonder more and more, so he had to ask. "So, are you a boy or a girl? I thought you were a boy, but I might be wrong..." He trailed off, having no way to further explain himself.
The youth stopped short and set down the muffin. Brushing the crumbs off on an already messy shirt, the brunette tugged the collar out and looked into the shirt. The boy wanted to laugh again, but didn't. Looking confused, the youth watched as if there was a show going on in there and then looked up. Shrugging, the youth tried to find a way to answer, eventually giving up and pointing at him.
"...Boy?" He asked. The youth nodded, seemingly fairly sure of the answer. "Well, that makes things a bit simpler. I just wish I knew your name."
The youth pointed at him, trying to find some way to say it.
"Me?" He asked, for the first time not following.
The brunette nodded and took a knife from the basket, scraping the table with it. A few grunts of effort were issued as the youth cut at the oak table, trying to write something perhaps. He stood and leaned over the youth, watching as the smaller boy worked on the letters, barely legible as they were, and in tough wood at that.
When at last the youth finished, the silver haired boy stared in amazement.
It was his name written on the tabletop. There was no question now who this must be, he thought with a warmth he could not remember having. On the surface of the wood, in messy letters, the boy had carved the four letter name that was associated immediately with the blindfold boy. That name was Riku.