It’s fairly well-known in Clock Town that about six years ago, the Mayor’s only child, Kafei, was kidnapped and given to a pirate captain. It’s speculated that the kidnapper was the man who currently holds the title of Mayor, the former owner of the Curiosity Shop. It’s known by no one but Kafei and the crook that the idea had been Kafei’s, and that he’d begged for help running away. Kafei doesn’t know what happened to Clock Town after he left, and it hasn’t been a priority to find out.
He’d gone to the Great Fairy when he was...ten? Eleven? It’s not important. He’d stepped on a nail, and his foot was bleeding. He’d never gone to the Great Fairy on his own before, and she’d always greatly intimidated him. He’d desperately wanted to simply bring the problem to his parents, but past experience had given him certainty that they’d only make a big fuss over it (his mother especially), hold him responsible for the discomfort they felt at seeing him in pain, inexpertly prod at the injury with no consideration of how or when he wanted to be touched... and then take him to the Great Fairy anyway. He’d tried to explain this to the Fairy, bravely, through tears. They’d ended up having a conversation about how his parents handle it when they learn he’s injured. It turned into a more broad conversation about his home life in general. The Great Fairy hadn’t directly told him that his situation was abnormal, that his parents were doing something wrong, but he’d pieced the color of her opinion together well enough by gauging her reactions. She’d sent him away with an offer to listen if he ever needed to talk again; given in a pitying tone meant to be friendly, meant to hold him and his problems at arm’s length. He’d summarized that she wasn’t willing to help him in any concrete ways. He hadn’t been able to come up with an alternate source of help (if the protector of the Town won’t step forward, who will, honestly) and decided that if his actual parents weren’t safe for him, the only thing for it was to...?? Join a pirate ship.
Life on the high seas hadn’t fixed a lot of his problems. He remained timid and sensitive, and something about him seemed to signal, as always, that he’d make a good target for bullies. But in this new life, he had found tools to fight back. An upper class politician’s child isn’t trusted with knives, or verbal equivalents. An upper class politician’s child is encouraged to keep his manner and appearance meek and agreeable to members of that same social class. On the high seas, bullies knew that they’d face no moral danger in taking a swipe at the skinny kid with red eyes and messy purple hair. But they also had to take into account that he was an expert at hiding, often inclined towards revenge, and would fight back bitterly if cornered. The Captain had a sense of humor that generously included reports of more seasoned crew members facing consequences for bothering a kid. He helped Kafei little more than the Great Fairy did, but he didn’t get in Kafei’s way.
Kafei doesn’t know exactly how old he is, and he’s almost certain he’s not 18 yet. But the ship he joined initially is starting to wear on him. The crew encountered him as a kid, and they don’t seem hugely prepared to see him as anything else. He’s close enough to 18 to not want to wake up 18 so close to the bottom rung of this social ladder. He asked the Captain if he could join another crew and was told, simply and almost fondly, “Listen, you’re a great kid, but I don’t give a fuck what you do.” Followed by an inquiry as to whether he’d ever drop his fancy manners.
The ship is docked at the sort of island that comfortably accommodates ruffians. Kafei’s been casually scoping out other crews when the ship docks near other pirate vessels, and he takes a moment to wander into a tavern to look for interesting characters. One thing he notices right away about Niko is how cheery he looks. He can think of a few crew members who’d take it as a sign of weakness and tie you in a fucking hammock for it. If you can walk around acting cheery of all things, if you’re part of Niko’s crew... color him curious.
“Hey,” he says, with easy friendliness, sidling up to the other like an old friend. “Are you busy? What’s your name, what do you do?”
