Episode 9- The Perfect Stranger
Zero hides his face under his robes as he creeps through a nearby alley. The sun shines on the long road beyond the alley with stalls filled with people selling goods. "Dragon crystal here! See your future through the magic of a light dragon!", shouts a salesman. "Designer suits for the man with everything!", shouts another salesman. Several suits are folded around the booth, complete with nice shirts and slightly worn shoes that are added to lower the overall price of buying the sets together. Zero creeps from the alley and slightly towards the stall. Zero quietly grabs a set and retreats back into the alley. Zero inconspicuously emerges from the alley on the opposite end wearing the full set. He looks at his arms and legs, relishing in the confidence of finally getting to wear nice clothing, despite how he obtained it. The black tuxedo jacket and black pants fit him well. The brown shoes on his feet fit comfortably as he taps his right foot on the ground.
Zero continues walking and takes sight of the tall and well built buildings. As he walks further, he sees a group of children dancing and swaying near a large finely crafted water fountain as a lovely melody plays. In the middle of the children sits a woman wearing white bandage wrapping over her eyes. The woman has long golden, brown hair and a very elegant dress worn by commoners in Grandoria. The woman hums a beautiful toon while playing a lute masterfully. Zero quietly walks closer to listen to the tune. Zero looks at the sky as the tune plays, enjoying an actual moment of quiet. The voice inside his head is silent, as if sleeping peacefully.
After the song ends, then the children run off together playing with each other. "Are you a fan of the lute?", the woman asks. Startled, Zero responds, "It was a good change from the normal.". "You sound very kind Mr. Abnormal.", says the woman. Zero thinks to himself for a moment. His name is known in Grandoria and there is a high chance he could be known in Creston. "My name is Zentaro", says Zero. "It's a nice name. Mine is Inoko.", says the woman. Inoko extends her hand outward in front of her for a handshake, despite Zero standing beside her five feet away. "Help a blind woman out please?", asks Inoko. Zero walks closer and shakes her hand. He can feel the attention and care put into her skin and how soft it is. "Your hands are rough", says Inoko, "like a rough stone.". Zero smells the perfume on Inoko deeply with his heightened sense of smell as his nose goes further and smells beads of sweat forming and cascading on her skin underneath her clothes. "Um, would you like to get out of the sun?", asks Zero. "Certainly, it's getting a bit too warm", responds Inoko. "Will you be accompanying me?", wonders Inoko. "Yes, I can if you like.", says Zero. The two walk close in silence until Zero speaks, "Your wraps over your eyes, they look a bit worn. Why not replace them?", asks Zero. "A very blunt one aren't you Zentaro?", says Inoko. "Apologies", says Zero. "Well if you must know, these are the first bandages that were wrapped on me after I lost my eyesight. Someone very important to me gave them to me", says Inoko. "Your husband?", asks Zero.
"You assume fast that I'm married", Inoko says with laughter. "No, not my husband. A man I considered to be a father. He showed me that there is light, even when everything is obviously dark. And if you must know, there is no husband". "Good...I mean...that's fine", says Zero. Inoko smiles a very large smile. Zero quietly takes note of her smile. He looks at her smooth yet large cheeks and her nice set of teeth. He looks at how the sun reflects off of her smile, making her glow in a way that only a picture could properly capture.
Zero spots a nearby table with two chairs and a large umbrella extending from the center of the table. "There's a table there", says Zero. He takes Inoko by the hand and guides her to a chair in which she sits down. Zero then takes a seat in the chair across the small table. "So, is there a woman at home waiting for the man with the hands made of pebble?", asks Inoko. The question breaks the nervousness of Zero as he accidentally lets off a small chuckle of laughter. "No, just empty chasm walls", responds Zero. Inoko laughs loudly.
The two continue to talk about various things like the places they would like to visit, their ages, their favorite foods, things that make them angry, and things that make them happy.
Zero takes her hand and traces images on it with his finger, and has her guess the image as a game.
With another game, Inoko tries her best to make sounds of various animals and have Zero guess the animal. Zero learns that Inoko is very bad at mimicking animals.
Inoko tells jokes and funny stories as they both laugh together.
The two then talk about what they would desire from a partner.
The two continue to talk for hours until the sun starts to fall. "It's getting late Inoko. I should help you home", says Zero. "My home isn't here, I'm just visiting to enjoy the town", responds Inoko."How will you get home? The nearest city is Grandoria and you don't exactly look ready to travel", says Zero. "Well, as we learned, I'm two years older than you so I'm a lot wiser. I have my ways. I'll be staying the night in Grandoria. I haven't decided where yet." Looking puzzled, Zero calmly says, "I guess". "What about you? What is your plan for the night? Will you be leaving Creston?", asks Inoko. "I just came to Creston to clear my mind. Things were troubling me. But you've helped clear up a lot. I'll head out now", says Zero. "Well, Zentaro, I guess I'll be escorting you now." The two smile as Zero takes Inoko's hand and walks towards the entrance to Creston.
Salesmen begin to pack up their merchandise from the nearby stalls. The two walk together in silence towards the outskirts of Grandoria while searching for the right thing to say to each other. Both stand on the windy road outside of Grandoria for a moment until Inoko breaks the silence. "Where will you be headed?", asks Inoko. "I may visit Grandoria. Haven't decided yet", responds Zero. "Well, I believe I've walked you safely out", says Inoko, "Thank you for showing me a good time as well". Inoko uses her hands to feel the face of Zero, then gives him a soft peck on the cheek. Her smells come together for Zero. Her hair, her perfume, her breath, and her scented musk from the heat. Zero grabs both of her hands and brings them downward near his stomach. He then gives her a kiss on the lips. For a moment, Inoko kisses back, then quickly pulls away. "What are you doing!? Do you think I'm a crazy woman!?", frustratingly asks Inoko. "I just thought, I don't know. I'll just go." Zero turns away from Inoko and begins to walk away. Awkward silence fills the air as Zero gets further away. Inoko puts her right hand fingertips over her mouth, remembering the kiss, then rapidly taps her right foot on the ground. Zero continues to walk away with no sign of turning around.
"Wait", shouts Inoko. Zero pauses in his movement without turning around. Inoko speaks in a nervous tone, "It's not that I didn't like it. It's just that, you don't know of me. I'm a dangerous woman!". Zero turns around and begins to walk towards Inoko. "I'm blind! I may say things you don't like! I hate dogs! I'm not very adventurous and I only come out like this once in a long time! I do like nice dresses but don't really wear them often because of my duty! In the morning I look like a crazy person! I don't want to hurt you and I don't want you to hurt me because I will hurt you if you hurt me, but not in a scary way, maybe! My face breaks out if it's too cold! Did I mention I hate dogs!?". Inoko takes a breath and continues as Zero stands in her face, "Most of all I'm a g....!"
Inoko gets silenced by lips kissing hers, followed by a gentle tongue rotating with hers. Zero wraps his arms around her waist, and Inoko responds in kind by softly gripping his elbows with each hand. The two continue to kiss as Inoko moves her hands on his chest. Inoko pulls on the suit jacket of Zero, signaling him to kiss her deeper.
No moment exists for the two other than now. The wind, still blowing, ceases all sound. Yesterday is removed from their minds, and tomorrow is too much of a hassle to think about.
Inoko loses to the moment, and loses to the touch.
Inoko unbuttons the shirt on Zero, making the eyes of Zero grow wider for a moment. Zero slowly removes his jacket, never relenting on kissing Inoko. Zero removes his shirt after Inoko undoes all of the buttons. Inoko stops the kiss, then grabs her dress from the waist, then throws it over her head making her hair fluff out more than it was. Zero removes her undergarment, followed by Inoko removing his pants. Inoko uses her hands to feel the body of Zero, then rests her hands under his pelvis. "Someone is happy to see a blind woman", quickly jokes Inoko. The two go down to the ground together in the low grass, then Zero touches the wrapping on the eyes of Inoko. Inoko pauses with hesitation, but does not stop Zero. He slowly unwraps the bandages around her head, revealing a large, healed scar going from one end of her face to the other. Ear to ear the scar trails, with two cold, gray, eyes staring into the distance. The gray eyes give a dim shimmer, as beauty is somehow found within them. The scar runs horizontally as if intentionally done. The calm eyes search in the distance, then rest on the forehead of Zero. Zero feels the scar gently with his hands from right to left, then traces his hand down her neck, then grabs one of her breasts, making Inoko gasp quietly. He continues to kiss her while gently fondling her. A small tear seeps down from one eye of Inoko as the sun goes down.