bloodbound. (earinor & akira)

He should've known better - he should know Richard better, as a matter of fact. Why did he forget so much in the first place? Yujin didn't even remember what the cause was, and yet he spend his days lamenting about not wanting to forget - and instead, he now had someone sitting in front of him that, by all means, was from a past he'd forgotten. He felt bad for not admitting to it in the first place, but rather for letting his dad guide him into doing something that he should've known was a bad idea, but to Yujin, none of this was - Richard looked like he needed someone to hold onto, or someone that would hold onto him for now, and he was also fairly aware that if he said or did something wrong, it could shatter all that Richard still was - he looked fragile like that. But why didn't all this remembering come naturally to him? He didn't know, yet picked up both boots and socks of Richard to set them aside - there still was so much more to do, so much more to figure out, and he wasn't sure if any of this was the key to something for either of them, but it couldn't hurt, could it? "If you want, you can roll your pants up a bit and just hold your legs in? If that works ... adrestian clothing is kinda stuffy.", he laughed, and he meant it - he didn't want to wear that, even if he were Richard.

Still, the banter wasn't going to solve anything, it just was used and abused as some sort of smalltalk that should even the odds, or at least let Yujin figure out something about the ghastly looking person that was led into his home and cared for by plenty of people that seemed to know what was going on. Yujin himself only kicked off one more layer, before rolling up the rest of his pants and sitting down to hold his legs into the water as proposed earlier, before he heard the prize winning and knee busting question that he'd dreaded. He gulped. Richard was going to bust him as some sort of sham, Yujin was sure of it, but there hardly was anything he could do about that. "I ... can I be honest?", he suddenly started, as if he wasn't always honest with Richard, which seemed odd to insinuate. "I remember some things, but I think I might need a bit to figure it out. I know you, I know that your hair was shorter, that you weren't as thin, and that you weren't as cuddly - and I know that when I hugged you, I didn't want to let go of you again, I thought that's where you belonged. I also know I wasn't mad at you, but I might need a bit to figure out something more - it's still there, though. I mean, I recognize you as you, but ... I probably don't remember the fine details, except ...", Yujin then glanced at Richard, whos hand he sought out himself, all the time. "You are you, and as things stand, I'm not going to let go of you again. You did leave me alone before, didn't you?", he asked, but he still smiled, as if it helped, somehow. There wasn't much that didn't help and this conversation couldn't go any more south than it already did, but he could try, couldn't he? "I'd like to figure it out, together with you, though, if you'd give me a chance - and I'm happy to have you back."

They both sat there and enjoyed some warmth, with Richard coming closer as if the steamy air and hot water didn't do much to help him warm up, and Yujin was the one offering him comfort. He'd heard of that a few times, of people firmly believing that the second prince did offer comfort, but he remember no names and no faces, nothing he could associate with the assumption and his memories, too - and he didn't mind, because for all that was important, he did now, and Richard was someone that remembered for him. "You lied to me?", he asked, as if he was confused by the statement alone, but the explanation helped, and after Richard had opened his mouth and told him all there was, Yujin slowly realized that there might have been something to that, that he was right and that there might have been an instance like this. Still, the wolf didn't stop smiling, and instead, wrapped his arm around Richard who was averting his gaze, pulling him in just the slightest bit closer, as if to show him that everything was fine, and that he didn't need to recall something like that, something that only brought both of them pain. The details were fuzzy, and his head was hurting ever since he saw Richard, but that was very much it.

"I'm not.", he simply answered, stating a fact, rather than an assumption. "I wasn't ever mad at you, either. I might not remember much about you, or about us, at least in my head, but I still don't think that I ever cried because I was mad. My dad said something about me crying a whole lot, and I think I ... missed you terribly, that I wanted you back. Maybe I felt betrayed, but I don't know that.", he mumbled as he rubbed over Richards back, trying to figure something out for himself, for the person he'd forgotten, too, and for the person that he was, before forgetting it all. Was he anything like the Yujin that Richard remembered? He didn't know, didn't dare ask, but he was silent for a bit, before he found his own voice again. "You're back, though, aren't you? And you missed me, too - you said that, no?", he inquired instead, and he was still smiling, unchanged, before he seemingly had a funny thought and giggled about it. Yujin didn't know who he was to Richard, or who Richard had been to him, but that wasn't as important right now, not when he did have a thought worth sharing. "That just means that we'll have to do all of that now. And knowing myself, I probably wrote it down somewhere ... which means. Richard, would you be willing to indulge my own selfishness and pick things back up where we left off?" Not that he knew where that was, or what his feelings were, but from here on out, he could guess, even if it meant he'd have to wrap his second arm around Richard, too, and hug him tight. "If you don't run off without telling me, all is forgiven - I'm sure I would've done that if I remembered, I'm not good at holding grudges, or being mad at anyone." He never was and never would be. "And besides, you can look at me - I'm not mad, Richard. I want you to feel at home."

Somehow, fortune favored the bold, and yet, Yujin was neither bold, nor particularly favored by anything - he had his own fair share of issues, cried about the smallest of things and was always in a different mindset than he should be. Why was that? He didn't know, and he wondered if he deserved to know in the first place, but right now, not only did it not matter, he also didn't need to figure it out - he liked being there for Richard, he always had, and for some reason, he felt as if he'd make his life more bearable, whyever that was. Did Yujin enjoy it? Very much so, especially if he always came back to look out for the same person, the one he didn't remember and that hardly was who he'd known before, and yet, Yujin could say the same about him - he wasn't sure who he was, or why Richard remembered him a certain way, but he had the functioning brain of the two. "And so did I, I meant that. I never want to miss you ever again.", he declared, as if he had a saying in whatever or not Richard went anywhere to look for something he might have lost as well, but even then, he'd stick with him, however he'd do that - and for some reason, Yujin had an odd feeling about it all, one that led him to believe that he kind of knew what was going on between the two of them. Maybe.

"And even if you aren't, what does that change? I'm the one that never changes, I'm probably the same as before - and if that gives you comfort, if I give you comfort, I don't see why we wouldn't pick it all back up where we left off. We don't have to, if you don't want to - we can start over, too.", he suggested, but he was still smiling, still happy, and still holding onto Richard, who felt like he was Yujins whole world, in some skewed sense that the wolf didn't understand. Was it because he had nobody else to cling onto? Or was it because he genuinely enjoyed being with Richard? For one, it probably was, what his body remembered, and for the other, it was what his mind recalled as right and just, as what he wanted to give away and as what the crying bundle, resting in his arms, deserved. Yujin stroked over his back, keeping him save from danger that wasn't there, but he sat there with him instead, offering up all that he could, physically, so Richard would cast aside any doubts and worries. "Who said that? You? I disagree. You deserve someone that you can trust and rely on, that comforts you and keeps you close. I don't know what it is that's gotten into you, but you can share your worries with me. I'm not just saying that to make you stay, I want you here - I want to be with you, stop saying stuff like this. You deserve so much more. After all, it's not like you left me because you disliked me, is it now?"

Nothing of this was a mistake to Yujin, not yet, and he knew well enough that he was only trying his best, not just for himself, but also for Richard, who deserved so much more than the company of someone like him that would keep on forgetting, would keep on wondering why he couldn't recall the most mundane things, but it hardly mattered, it never had, never would and it never should matter - as long as Richard was going to stick around and tell him who he was, what they were, he could figure it out and he could make things work again, maybe that was why he smiled like an idiot and couldn't help but wonder if Richard wanted to go back to what they were before. It would only be fair, no? "It's fine. You can take all the time that you need for a proper answer, but I won't treat you any different. I'll say it time and time again - you're still you, and that means you're important to me.", he spoke, with a smile as bright as the sun - and Yujin probably wasn't wrong. Whatever plagued Richard, they'd figure out - and whatever would help Richard, they'd figure out as well. It was silly to turn someone down just because they weren't who they used to be.

"And? Richard, I'm not shaming you, and by all means, I'm not blaming you either - I wish to comfort you, not because my past self would have done it, but because I want to. And I offered it to you, if I thought it'd not be fair, I wouldn't claim something as preposterous as that.", he made clear, but didn't sound stern, or the slightest bit annoyed with the statements that repeated themselves. Yujin didn't know himself, didn't know how much he tended to cry, or what it was that had made him like Richard before, especially if he wasn't the same, but right now, it felt as if keeping him close forevermore was the only right thing to do, for both of them, even if it wasn't for long. "See? I don't have any reasons to be mad at you." And he seriously doubted that he was capable of doing that. Not only was he enjoying all of this way too much, he also wondered for how long this would go on - would Richard cast him aside when he didn't need comfort any longer? No, that sounded silly, too - and Yujin was clearly worrying about the wrong things. The bundle in his arms moved, and he waited for him o fully let go, before he did the same. "Are you sure? I don't mind, but ... I'll wait right outside, so please, if you need anything, give me a quick yell, yes? You might be able to stand in there, but if you can't get out by yourself, don't hesitate to ask for some help, okay?", he implored the blonde, giving his back a pad. Before long, he got up and picked up his outer coat that he put on, without tying any sash or the likes of it. Then, he walked towards the door, opening it, and as he stood right outside, he recalled something. "Do you want me to close it or should I keep it slightly ajar? We could continue to talk like that if you want, I won't peek. If not, that's also fine - the choice is yours."

Closed it was, and Yujin complied, sitting with his back to the door to keep anyone else from walking in unannounced and disturbing the peace that Richard desperately needed. Maybe he should start asking less of these questions, more yes or no kind of questions to keep Richards seemingly sore throat from getting overworked - he could answer with a nod, too, but Yujin would be lying if he claimed to not be willing to hear the voice that he somehow longed for, and while he sat there, he tried to gather his thoughts. What had happened? Richard left, and they had something going on before that - and Yujin wanted him close, still wanted that in fact, and now he was struggling to figure it all out. Was it worth digging around in his thoughts, or was it just another assumption about something he neither understood nor knowingly remembered? It probably was, it had to be, and it wouldn't make much sense to claim that it didn't or that he didn't want to. Yujin wanted to know all that he could, and if that meant he'd have to stick around and find out so many more things, he would, simply for the fact that he hoped that it would comfort Richard, and maybe give him an idea who he was before that - and that it wouldn't make him leave him yet again.

There was a good chunk of time between him closing the door and a faint knock appearing on the other side - and Yujin knocked back, jokingly, before wanting to open the door, but Richard almost came barreling out of it and Yujin, inching away just a bit, caught him. He grinned, then chuckled. "Whoa there, hold your horses! ... Do you need some help?", he asked him, meaning the weirdly tied clothes that he saw, putting Richard back onto his own two feet, but he shook his head, not expecting an answer, and fumbling with the sash before undoing it, pulling the outer layers together the right way - the inner ones were good to go anyway, and Richard didn't want him to see what was going on beneath - and then, he pulled the sash back together and tied it nicely. Richard didn't look any good in his robes, though, he was too thin for them, seemingly, and while Yujin hoped they'd keep him warm, he also only now noticed that these looked awkward on him, for one reason or the other, even if mainly seemed to be the weight that was missing. Then, Yujin wanted to dip his own head into water, and go for a quick soak, but Richard didn't ... he didn't look too well, and he didn't look like he wanted to get in there, especially not with a bunch of wet clothes. Yujin didn't mind, he grabbed Richards hand instead. "I'll get you a change of clothes, come on.", he simply told Richard and led him all the way to his room, where he made sure to put Richard on his bed - and the first thing he did was to grab both a comb and a hairtie that would fix their pesky little problems, as well as some more layers of clothing, before sitting down behind Richard. "I'll try to comb the knots out of your hair as best as I can. I'll tie it up after that, and then I'll give you some dry clothes, alright? And after that, we can go back to your room - it should be warmer there. You don't have to answer if your throat hurts, a nod or a headshake for yes and no respectively suffices, yes?"

Richards hair was different from his own, not just in color but in texture too, and Yujin liked it for much more than that - in fact, he fainly recalled praising Richard for something that he'd long forgotten, but he understood that it had meant something too him and that it had gotten so long, and he himself had gotten so thin and pale, Yujin couldn't and wouldn't recognize him. Now, he felt bad for sitting there and just doing his work, but he soon enough tried to figure out another topic they could talk about, one that the prince himself knew quite well, but even when he couldn't find one, he wasn't going to back down from it. "That reminds me, I always liked your hair.", he started, and was marbling at it, now that he was guiding his comb through it, not making haste of the process. The blonde was already sick, but he had plenty of medicine to help with that and Shuren was, for all it was worth, a capable doctor that could fix just about anything that he came into contact with. Therefore, fixing Richard shouldn't be much of a problem either. "But it never was about color, because you stood out from the others - I think I did because I thought it suited you, and because I liked looking at you, all radiant, even if your face was telling a different story."

He didn't smile now, no, he seemingly was scared of whatever he came in contact with and especially of Yujin seeing all that he was, all that he'd turned out to be, and yet, Yujin couldn't help but smile on, and try to think of how he'd make Richard the most comfortable. While he was focused on his hair, they didn't talk all that much, and yet, he eventually noticed the hand that went for something else, for that pillow that the wolf liked so much, that he found to be so soft, he wondered if it had a connection to Richard as well; was that where he'd gotten it from? And yet, before he could say anything, the hand that reached out for it shied away again, which prompted Yujin to grab the pillow, and put it into Richards lap for him. "It's fine. You ... gave this to me, right?", he wondered aloud, all the while he diligently continued his work. "Touch it as much as you'd like, especially if it brings comfort. I like it a lot, it's my favorite - and it comforts me, too." It did, and it had for as long as he remembered a Richard that was long gone by now. Yujin felt sappy, but he didn't want to ruin the mood, and the pesky knots of blonde hair were almost all untangled, but it didn't take long for those to be done either. Yujin then grabbed the hairband from earlier and tied up Richards hair, high enough for it to not touch anything. "Can you move yourself to the side a bit? I'll wring out your hair.", he elaborated and he should have done that before getting his bed wet, but it was too late now. Yujin stood up as Richard moved the slightest bit, bringing the end of the ponytail with him and wrining it out on an already uneven floor. Once that was done, maybe it'd dry overnight. As Yujin let go for a bit, he walked over to his wardrobe and looked for some more dry clothes - some that would keep Richard warm regardless - and then brought them over. "Are the lower layers dry? If so, you can just put those three on, if not, I'll take a quick step outside so you can put the inner robes on, too." This was already a bit harrowing, if not exhausting for Richard - at least Yujin guessed it was - but they could go take a nap soon. Wait ... they?

They had done so much in such a short amount of time, Yujin was actually worrying about Richard passing out on him - but he hadn't, he'd held up very well and the wolf would have said something about it, but it felt like it would only sound misguided. Instead, he was wondering if the pillow as a mistake, or if none of this was supposed to be happening the way it was. Well, it hardly mattered, because they were done here, and all that was left was to get Richard something to eat, some more energy to burn through, but Yujin didn't need to ask again - too many times and Richard would probably feel like nobody was listening to him and that all he said was falling on deaf ears anyway. "We should get you back to bed.", he said, and that he meant, because as it stood, Yujin was not only comically underdressed, but the heat in the bathroom had made him sort of sleepy. As if he decided that he'd spend time with Richard for the remainder of the day, he grabbed both the prince off of his bed, as well as one of his blankets and the pillow that Richard had just put back on his bed. My, what an indecisive fellow he was.

He was glad to figure out that yes, the pillow he adored so much more than anything, was a gift from someone that he'd very much cared about and that if all things went on the way they did, maybe it wouldn't be the last gift he got from Richard. Still, he didn't want to pester him about why he'd been gifted something like that, or how Richard knew that Yujin would like it - the logistics weren't important at this point, it was important that they both felt good enough and with Yujin trailing off, back to Richards much warmer room, he had enough food for thought anyway. Whatever was he to do with all that he'd heard and seen, and whatever was it that kept both of them going? It was a stupid question, but one that he rightfully asked - and once he'd carried both of them back to where they ought to be, he sat Richard down on his bed. There was food, soup to be precise, but it looked sad and wasn't all that warm anymore - and yet, he didn't ask about whatever or not Richard wanted to eat it. Instead, he put his own stuff on the bed as well, and sat back down with Richard, grabbing the note his dad had scribbled. "You should take your medicine first, and then we'll get you some rest ... hm, the blue stuff and the cough syrup you can take now ... the fever medicine after you ate some, as well as the painkillers. Do you need painkillers right now?", he asked, patiently waiting for a nod and a headshake. "It says to take a spoonful of the blue stuff, and one of the cough syrup."

He had had hopes, none of them were as dire as the situation that Richard had been in before, but right now, he still didn't get answers, not verbal ones, and Yujin had to admit that he missed Richards voice, and that simple nods and shakes, while enough, didn't have the same effect. Regardless, he was the one that whined when Richard moved away, audibly at that, but not for long. This was a weird way to handle the loss of contant to someone that he had tried to wake up and get up and running, and now he was complaining because Richard had moved away. Yujin wasn't tired, not in the slightest, and he had no idea what it was that he was going to keep talking about, fearing that he'd be branded as an annoying loudmouth by yet another person, but he knew better than to judge and ask himself why he as someone like that in the first place. His eyes trailed after the lone figure in the bed they shared, not moving himself, but he did take the medicine - even if he didn't touch the soup the slightest bit, though, some of the medicine was probably not going to do him wonders that way. By now, yesterdays food was cold and stale anyway, and therefore, he hatched a plan, even if it was a stupid one.

Yujin moved closer to Richard again, to show him that no, he wasn't meaning that he wanted to get out and lose all the warmth they had shared, but rather that it might have been time for both of them to get out of bed, even if one of them was more well-off than the other, who seemingly appeared to be not much more than bones and some skin, with some tidbits of flesh here and there. "The soup is cold anyway.", he stated, and yes, as a matter of fact it was apparent and he was surprised that it hadn't frozen solid with the spoon inside, but Yujin guessed that Richard wasn't going to appreciate ice-cold, near frigid gloop in an equally as cold bowl - and the prince wouldn't either, no one fancied that. "I'll get up now and I'll get us something, yes? Do you want to come with me?", he inquired, before actually making the necessary moves. Then, however, he also stopped in his tracks - Richard could use some good, wooly socks for that matter, and something to keep his hands occupied for the time that he did spend in bed, even if Yujin was there and the blonde didn't feel like talking much. "If you want me to stay, nod. If you want me to leave, shake your head.", he instructed Richard, already smiling at him. Then, he figured that he could also ... braid is hair? That way it wouldn't get matted again, but Yujin would also prefer to wash all of it, but there was no rush to do so. There were many more things he wanted to ask, but he feared they'd be a bit too much for Richard right now.