Sinbad's adviser

“You will be punished if you don’t behave.”

“Pardon me, but would ya mind if I fired me cannon…

“This man is asking to face the wrath of my metal vessel” mama jafar is protective of his young

pulls Judal close and pets his head, glaring at Kouen. Don’t you ever speak to me or my son again.

Sinbad had no idea what to say in response to Kouen’s admission. He had been the prince’s hero? He who was nothing but the other’s pet. Who followed him around like a lapdog? “I don’t… don’t know what you, or anyone else sees in me. But thank you,” he said, trying not to cry. “You’ve given me more than you know, Master.” Finally, with Kouen, he felt he had a purpose again. And little by little, as slowly as it may have been, he was learning how to fix himself, to not be so broken anymore.

“Drakon used to be my enemy,” he said, returning to the other topic of conversation. He stated that fact casually, as though it were the most common thing in the world. “But eventually we found a common goal. He’s an excellent soldier.. I hope you two will get along well.”

Kouen smiled down at Sinbad and placed a little peck on top of his head. “We see in you what you’re not seeing in yourself anymore, so we want to help you to find yourself back again, or at least those parts you gave up on” he explained, gently rubbing his  back. He blushed a little then and looked down. “Thank you, darling” he murmured, not quite sure what to say to that. He took Sinbad’s hand then and squeezed it. “We can do this, okay? Get your friend back and make you feel… not broken anymore” he promised before looking up at Drakon and nodding. He surely wanted to get along with him too. “Oh, I’m interested because I’ve always liked what I read about you in Sinbad’s book… but it was like a fictional character to me, so now I’m glad to get to meet you in person” he admitted and sat down. Slowly but securely this day was starting to take his toll on him, and he wondered if it would be alright to retreat for the night directly after dinner. He just felt so exhausted and tense, even though they were all rather nice towards him.

"You liked what you read about me?" Drakon said, clearly surprised about this. The dragon man reached up, scratching behind one of his frills. "I was a brainwashed jerk who tried to get Sinbad killed more then once..." he said, trying to figure out what the other had liked about what Sinbad had wrote. He also wished he was better at conversation, spending years not really talking cause it scared people could make one forget how to talk to others.

“You don’t have to love me, Kil. But don’t take it out on the people who have cared for you. Rurumu, the kids… they clearly love you. You may not think you have a place to belong, but it’s clear to me that you do.” 

Sinbad didn’t know what else to say. He had no expectation of winning the other over, certainly not this quickly. But he didn’t intend on leaving things as they were, either. Even if looking at Kil brought back horrible memories… it wouldn’t be fair to be cruel to the other just because of that. 

“Thank you, Master. It means a lot for you to say that,” he said with a smile. It was always reassuring, of course, to be told that he wasn’t like other slaves. “And I, him,” he said, responding to Drakon. “But I failed him, and now he’s in danger… Will you help me, Drakon?”

Kouen shook his head, taking Sinbad’s hands in his own. “No, I mean… really. I’ve always admired you, ever since I first read your stories. Ever since then, you’ve been my idol. I wanted to be brave like you, strong like you, courageous like you, determined like you. You were what kept me going, Sinbad. You were the one that made me strong enough to take the place as First Prince, determined enough to conquer a dungeon… You were my hero long before I knew you, Sinbad” he whispered, then took a little step back and bowed to his slave. “It’s such an honour to be allowed to come with you now… to use my strength alongside with yours.” He took the other’s hands again, placing a kiss on each of them. “You gave me so much, strength and courage and determination before I knew you, and now you’ve become someone so important to me, close to my heart and one of my dearest friends… I want to give some of that back to you, your determination, your strength… your free will. It’s only fair that after I got so much from you, I’m doing my best to give you the same in return” he smiled, then blushed a little, ashamed to have said such a heartfelt thing in front of this group of  people he didn’t know. But as bad as he was with showing his emotions, sometimes he just couldn’t help it. He looked over to the dragon man then, hoping he would agree to help them get Ja’far back.

“Wait…. are you THAT Drakon that was in the first dungeon with Sinbad?” he asked, suddenly seeming like a small child that was seeing the heros from his favourite books standing before him.

"You love me, your kids love me, that's it. No one else here does. I'm pretty sure Ja'far has been watching me from day one for a reason to dispose of me. Your love of him is so blind you don't realize the deep hatred he looks at some people with, the look that he'd love nothing more then cutting their heart from their chest and scattering their pieces around. A look that not even one of his own friends escapes." he said, his hands gripping the chair he sat in till his knuckles turned white as he took a few deep breaths trying to calm himself the last thing he wanted was for the few that liked him to hate him. "I should go work...really I'm just going to ruin this little reunion."

Drakon was a bit surprised at Kouen's sudden excited look and tone. "I was in the first and second dungeon but yes I am." he said, his tail twitching a bit. "is there a reason you were wondering."

As Drakon stepped closer, Sinbad’s attention was focused on him. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes!” he exclaimed, his smile growing wider and more genuine. “Ah, I’ve missed you…”

Once the children at last gave Sinbad some space, he stood up and held out a hand to help Kouen up as well. “Master… I’d like you to meet Drakon,” he said at last. “And, no. You’re extraordinary just as you are, Master. Vessels or not…” After all, Sinbad had all but given up, completely succumbed to the fact that he would be a slave all his life and nothing more. But Kouen had seen something more in him, and made him want to see it in himself again, too.

“Kil!” One of the smaller Imuchakk children came run over after having let go of Sinbad, plopping down on the chair on his other side. “I tried calculating just like you taught me yesterday, and it works! You’re the best!” he exclaimed, wrapping his arms around the collared man  and happily hugging him tight. “Will you be my brother too, Kil? I want you to be my sibling as well….”

“A very good kind of crazy” he agreed, though maybe it would take a long while until he would be able to think of Ja’far as anything but a nasty assassin brat. He smiled at the Imuchakks and gratefully nodded as Sinbad helped him  up. He took a step back then to allow his darling to get away to hug that dragon or whatever, but as Sinbad stayed in place he just wrapped his arms around him again. He felt the little glare and returned it with a smile. He had not meant to hurt that man, he didn’t want him to think badly of him. Something about these people though made him feel at ease, made the constantly grumpy and never smiling prince able to show how comfortable he was.  As he was introduced to the dragon man his smile widened and he gave a little nod. “It’s a pleasure to meet you” he told him, and he meant it. Sinbad’s friends and family seemed wonderful apart from Ja’far and maybe that strange Kil guy.

“Sinbad, you’re too sweet” he smiled then and pulled him into a close hug, not letting him go for a long moment. “Thank you so much….” He pulled back a little, tilting his head. “You’re extraordinary too, Sinbad, very much so. Very very much so, and in the best of ways.”

Even so he didn't move from where she'd pulled him to sit, sitting there in silence. He jumped a bit when one of the imuchakk kids ran over, hearing them thank him for the lessons he gave a small nod, surprised when he was hugged. Rurumu and the children imuchakk's, they were the only ones who didn't seem to hate him. The father, the aunt and everyone else in the company looked at him as if they blamed him for Sinbad being lost and no doubt it was true they blamed him even if he'd only done what he was told and hardly had a say in what had went down. "I....maybe."

"We've missed you as well Sinbad, Ja'far the worst of all I think." he said, glancing at Kouen once more for a moment. "to meet you as well prince Kouen." he said, listening to Sinbad and Kouen compliment each other. They seemed to get along so at least that was good.

“Rurumu, please. It’s alright,” he said, having witnessed how she’d lifted up the former slave. “Kil has every right to criticize me. I… I know that he’s been through a lot. I’m sorry, Kil. I should’ve helped you somehow…” 

Sinbad couldn’t even finish before he felt himself being tackled, and even the broken slave he was couldn’t stop him from laughing. They hadn’t changed a bit, except.. “Ah, you’ve all grown so much!” he exclaimed, chuckling. Until he realized that Kouen had been knocked over too. He glanced over, flashing him an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, Master, they’re just… excited.”

And then came yet another voice he hadn’t heard in ages, He looked up, eyes wide as he gazed upon the man who had gone from his enemy to becoming one of his dearest friends. “Drakon!”

“There is a difference between criticizing and disrespecting someone” Rurumu told Sinbad, then sighed and put Kil down before pulling him in her arms and rubbing his back. “I’m sorry, dear. I shouldn’t have flipped on you like that. Just… you’ve both been through a lot, okay? Please don’t blame him for showing signs of that.” After all, that was what Kil did too, in the end. Still clinging to that woman and not wanting to let her go.  She looked over at the bunch of children clogging Sinbad and whistled a little. “Hey, sweeties, let go of him, you’ll crush him” she called, then smiled at the man that had just entered. “Don’t worry, they won’t. They just need to shower him in love for a bit” she explained, sure that they wouldn’t hurt her beloved Sinbad.

Kouen sat on a chair to try and stabilise himself a little, but then his gaze fell upon the large…. dragon?!?! standin in the room. He stared at him for a bit, then turned towards Sinbad with a chuckle. “I slowly start to wonder why you started to like me, I’m just a normal human after all… or is it because of my metal vessels? Does that make me extraordinary enough for you to like me?” he asked with a chuckle, then smiled at the dragon man and gave him a nod as a greeting.  He sure looked interesting.

When he felt his feet touch the ground Kil tried to take off running, wanting to get out of the room and away from everyone. He didn't like being around a crowd, even more after what Rurumu had said. He knew it was true, thought about it every day but hearing another say it only made it hurt worse. None of them wanted him around here, sometimes he even doubted Rurumu. He wasn't fast enough though, finding himself pulled close to Rurumu as he just stood there, stiff as he let her hold him and he looked rather uncomfortable. "I don't care, if you'll excuse me I have work." he said, trying to brush her off and escape the room, using work as a excuse to get away from everyone.

Drakon's tail twitched a bit, a slight glare being given to Kouen. He seemed rather crazy if you asked him but then again he was a prince so the dragon kept his mouth shut, nodding in reply to Kouen before looking at Sinbad. "Of course, what other giant green reptiles do you know?"

He took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. This day had been so overwhelming already, filled with seeing people he hadn’t seen since he was little more than a boy. And Kil… somehow he felt as though the other was angry at him. Did Kil blame him for what had happened? 

“No… he’s being reckless,” he said, somehow finding the voice to speak up even against the person who had triggered such terrible memories. “I need to go after him to make things right. It’s my fault he did this, so I need to fix it. He could die, going back there… I’m not going to let that happen.” Suddenly, he was filled with that determination again. Letting go of Sinbad’s cloak with one hand, he reached to grab his sword, gripping it tightly. The mark of the djinn began to glow, and he glared at Kil, before looking back at Kouen. “I’m going to fix things.”

“Kil!” Rurumu reached out, and a moment later Kil was in the air, hanging from her hand like a sack of potatoes as she held the back of his robes. “Do not speak of him like that! You don’t know what he’s been through, how they tortured him to break him, and how much it took for him to be able to come back here. You have no right to judge him, no right! You know it’s his dream, right? His vision that we’re following, taking everyone in that doesn’t have a home otherwise. You as well, Kil. I wanted to have you here because I like you, most others just tolerate you because they know that Sinbad would have wanted you here, that he would have let you stay. So don’t you dare talk about him like that, you don’t even know him!” Her hand was half raised, almost as if ready to slap him. She loved him dearly, and she always was as patient as him as with everyone else, but if he dared to say something like that about Sinbad, she would not tolerate that in the slightest.

“SIN!” Suddenly, a bunch of rather big people in their teenage years burst through the door, together with a man and a woman that came right after them, and all of them wore a striking resemblance to Rurumu. The whole Imuchakk family stormed towards Sinbad, almost knocking Kil out of Rurumu’s hand as they went. “YOU’RE BACK!” They just about jumped on him, burying him -  and Kouen because he was standing next to him - under a pile of hugs and  cuddles, showering him in confessions of how happy they were and how they had missed him, Hinahoho and Pipirika included.

When Rurumu started to speak loudly Kil flinched, listening to her as she said he had no right to judge or speak to Sinbad like that. It was no mystery to him that really no one liked him, that they simply tolerated him. When her hand rose Kil curled into himself a bit, waiting for her to hit him. Despite himself he couldn't stop shaking and it made him sick. He was weak, trembling like some scared baby in this woman's hold, Maader would be ashamed. He waited for the smack, only opening his eyes when a herd of people shoved past them and Kil felt himself almost dropped.

"Careful unless you want to crush Sinbad." A deep voice behind the herd said, a tall man covered in green scales having entered to find the herd if imuchakk's burying Sinbad.

for part one click here.

“i don’t want you hanging out with her/him anymore.”

“you’re mine.”

“did he/she touch you?”

“tell me there’s nothing going on.”

“i see the way you look at him/her.”

“i see the way he/she looks at you.”

“is there something you’re not telling me?”

“were you just flirting with them?”

“is there somewhere else you’d rather be?”

“do they touch you the way i touch you?”

“do they kiss you the way i kiss you?”

“forget about him/her, let me make you forget.”

“you have a thing for him/her don’t you?”

“everyone needs to know that you’re mine.”

“are you texting her/him?”

“what are you doing home so late?”

“i’m going to make it clear to him/her that you’re mine.”

花 by kingtrap

戦う ジャーファルさん by kingtrap