Tidal Waves

Chapter 3

My minds going blaaaaankkkk

The wind blew high along the horizon, waves bright blue hitting the edge of the ship, seagulls chirping as they flew. Ah, a true morning for pirate it was.

Sinbad took in the light breeze with a long breath before sighing it out. He smiled gracefully to himself, letting the wind flip through his hair- even if he knew it would get knots in it immediately.

As he stated, almost immediately he felt his purple hair get tangled in itself and he quickly went to untangle it before it got worse. It was already beyond fixing with just his hands.

"Shit," he grumbled, trying to comb through his locks with his fingers. His hair was braided- how did it get so tangled? Well, then again, it didn't really look like braids anymore, did it? No one on the ship really knew how to do their hair. Most times they'd just leave it down and deal with the consequences later. Not Sinbad. He was trying to teach himself how to braid his hair for a while now, but never really got it. "Ugh. This is never going to work." He sighed, feeling defeated as he let his hair go and get tangled once more.

"May I be of assistance?"

Sinbad looked up to see a familiar beautiful face. He grinned.

"If you know how to braid hair."

Jafar hummed, not responding but instead quickly walking away back into the quarters where everyone slept, apart from the captain.

He returned a moment later with a hairbrush and hair ties. Sinbad innerly smiled and turned around as Jafar pulled up a stool behind him, brushing out his hair.

"The ocean is beautiful today, isn't it?" He asked, making small talk once again. He winced, however, when Jafar hit a knot.

"Yes, it is. It is a wonderful sight to see," he responded with a slight apology of a bow. Sinbad had to hold back the urge to nod.

"I've lived on the sea for most of my life. A born fisherman, my father used to say. Hehe, I suppose he was right in some aspects."

Jafar tugged a few strands and started to braid them, his fingers working effortlessly with percussion and perfection. "I've only read about the ocean before. I lived most of my life in that tower."

"And what about the life before the tower?"

Jafar paused at the question, before quickly resuming. "My father was a local farmer. My mother, however, was a maiden."

"A maiden?" Sinbad turned to look at Jafar but the latter just pushed his head back into position.

"Yes. She worked at the local saloon in Partevia. My father, indeed a farmer, also had a little side-job. Mother used to call it his, "side-quest"." Jafar chuckled a little at the memory, causing Sinbad to smirk.

"Is that a chuckle I hear? Ah, if only I had my recorder."

Jafar hit him with the hair brush. "He was an assassin, working for the royal family in secret."

There was a long pause before Sinbad started, "no wonder why as soon as you showed signs of being a weapon they took you. They already had relations with your family."

Jafar nodded.

"Ceylan and I were already acquaintances by then. That's what made it harder to break free of him, I suppose. A debt. My father could finish an important mission. In response, he had two choices. Die or kill me. Wasn't a hard choice, guessing as why I'm standing here today."

Sinbad's smile had already downed. Goosebumps crawling over his arms and legs. Maybe it was from the cold, maybe it was from the story. Either way, he felt cold inside and outside. Gently, he reached up and placed his hand over Jafar's, which had found itself on his shoulder.

"My father was a retired soldier for Partevia. He had lost his leg in the war. When they wanted him to come back and fight another war, he refused. That same night an assassin came to kill him or his family. When the assassin saw me... they froze and told us to get out of Partevia as fast as we could... they didn't last the trip."

Jafar's hand gently turned over so now they could grip each others hands. Usually, hand holding was something Sinbad reserved for love and affection. Here, it was more-so for comfort. He liked this way...

"What was your fathers name, if you do not mind me asking?"

Sinbad hummed. "Badr. My mothers name was Esra." Jafar's grip tightened at that.

"I'm very happy..."

Sinbad slowly turned his head to look at Jafar's face, finding him smiling with small tears in his eyes.

"That our parents had the chance to meet."

Sinbad smiled back with a chuckle.

"What a strange coincidence."

"Strange indeed, Captain." Jafar sighed, his smile gone, as he pushed Sinbad back and returned to braiding. The two sat there, enjoying the others company then- with Jafar humming every now and then. Then, he finished.

Sinbad reached back to feel the braids, smiling happily. For once, he could stand in the open and not worry about knots.

"Thank you, Jafar." He said as he turned back to the former. Jafar nodded back.

"If you need practice, you could do so on me. I do not mind."

"Oh? Permission to touch? Who are you and what have you done to Jafar?"

Jafar grumbled and pushed Sinbad away then.

"Very well, then you can find someone else to practice on."

"No no! I'm sorry!"

...

"Now turn that piece over that strand." Jafar said as he watched Sinbad's fingers fold the strands of hair on the side of his face over. Sinbad's eyes were focused intently on braiding the hair, listening to whatever instruction Jafar gave him. "Good, now use the hair tie to tie the hair." With that, Sinbad was done. The braid was a little messy, sure, but it was better than it had been. He smiled, feeling pride in his work. Jafar rested his fingers over the braid, feeling it before nodding, giving it his approval. "I shall keep it for as long as I live. Once you get better at it, you can do the other side." He said before standing up and walking away.

... what an odd day this was. Sinbad had done nothing other than braid someone's hair. Well, not just someone's. His.

Jafar was like an emerald, something fragile yet hard. Someone you had to protect but also someone who protected you. He was welcoming and welcomed. A shining light in a dark room.

He was... Jafar.

"Have you located their ship?"

"Yes, sir. They seem to be heading East; to the Reim Empire."

"Good. We'll blockade them once they arrive... prepare for a potential battle. We start at dawn."