This Asymmetrical Path

          Soft crimson eyes met the others. “Sailor?” He swallowed thickly around the fear as he approached the taller male and looked up at him. “You…can you tell me what it’s like out there? Please? I-in exchange you can stay in my tower for a…a day or two until mother returns…she, doesn’t like strangers. But at least you…should be safe to leave then..” Slender hands balled into fists nervously in his clothes. 

    It was clear that this man had no idea what his silver strands could do and that worked out just fine as far as he was concerned. The less people knew of his hair the safer he felt. It wasn’t ideal but..there were worse ways to learn of the world he’d read about in books. “I..I mean I’ve studied the ocean all my life and..I’ve read stories!”

     He was eager to please; eager to do anything in his power to learn more about the place he could only imagine in his mind. “I….I haven’t even seen any pictures please–”

“Describing the ocean doesn’t really do it justice. You’d have to see it yourself.” he said, sighing softly as if it were his first and only love. “But it stretches far beyond the horizon, sparkling blue. The waves are relaxing, most people love the sound of them crashing on the shore. But the ocean can also be quite cunning and cruel. Even I couldn’t fully master it myself. But if you respect it, it will show you respect in return.”

Perhaps a rather exaggerated story of a body of water, but it was apparent that the sea was his home.

         Koumei was not comforted by the others words; not in the slightest but he felt his tension ease slightly. when he knew that the other wasn’t after his hair. “I…” What could he say? What did one say to a total stranger they knew nothing about who could free them of the confines of this miserable tower. “You really…don’t want my hair?”         To timid and shy to ask much else, he curled in on himself as he stared nervously at the man who had invaded his home and turned his world upside down. “Wh-why are you hiding? What did you…do that warrants hiding in such a remote place as this?” 

        Curiosity would always be his bane; something he feared might one day get him killed, but there are thing he longed to see and places he felt in his heart needed to see him. “I’m…Koumei…” he finally murmured. “And you?”

“Listen, I don’t have any use for your hair. Even if I could pawn it off for a wig or something, people don’t want silver hair as a wig. It just makes them look old.” he said. “I don’t know who told you that people would want your hair, but they’re wrong.”

Turning his head, Sinbad stared out the window. The authorities were probably gone by now. No one would think to look up in a tower that had no way up but climbing through a window. He turned to look back at Koumei, lounging on the window sill. “I stole something valuable to sell.” he said. “So I could get the money to feed those less fortunate. Plenty of poor souls in this country who can’t even feed their children.”

    Backing up against the wall he gripped his hair tighter. Well, it was clear that he was about as intimidating as a mouse. Still, he couldn’t stand the thought of being taken away from his home. “Don’t! Don’t I’ve…” He swallowed thickly, pressing further against the wall. “This is my home…all I’ve ever known…I beg you…please don’t take me away from that! Please my hair isn’t worth it…” He had wanted to go out before, but not with someone he was afraid might possibly use him. 

      The last thing he wanted was to be bullied through the rest of his life. “Mother will be back soon! She won’t…she’ll kill you if you try to harm me!” It was his last retort really, nothing else was coming to his mind. Swallowing thickly around the fear threatening to choke him he pulled the strands further against him. “Please…”

What the hell was this kid going on about? Kidnapping him? His hair? It was also clear that he had some fears the were rather out there. “Why the hell would I want your hair?” Sure, it was weird to see someone so young with silver hair, but it wasn’t like silver hair was something valuable. “I can’t feed people with hair.” Then again, there were people who bought hair for wigs. He’d rather not run off with that much hair.

     “I am the dweller of this tower…you are trespassing here…leave!” He hissed to the other, gripping his hair tighter. After some consideration he carefully slid down, padding across the floor and into the light where the other could see him, the strands of silver going on for what seemed like ages behind him. “You do not belong in this world…outsiders are…not allowed!” He forced the tremble back from his voice as he stared at the other. There were options but his hair was valuable, or so he’d been told. Was he going to be taken away? That wasn’t something he desired. 

    “Leave at once or…or I’ll be cross!!” Standing up taller, his dress straigtening with his figure, he glared at the other male. The shaking in his hands wouldn’t stop but he was determined to not let his fear show and so he stood fast. In truth he was terrified beyond belief and should the other try anything he wasn’t sure he could save himself if the other did decide to prey upon him. Soft red eyes looked up at the other from behind thick lashes and strands of wild starlit hair. 

It didn’t take a genius to know that the figure standing before was scared shitless. It probably wasn’t even a surprise that he should be. The tower had no door and the only means to getting in was through a window. It was probably safe to say that this person was a hermit of some sort. How he got his food was beyond him, nor did it actually concern him.

Folding his arms, the sailor looked over the smaller male, golden eyes wandering over the seriously ridiculous amounts of silver hair. How did anyone keep up with that? If must take hours. His was long enough. “You’ll be cross.” Sinbad snorted. “I could probably pick ya up and toss ya out the window there if I wanted to.” A little extreme, but Sinbad wasn’t about to get caught by a bunch of imperials or by some long haired hermit.