prose log with Lo Hak

[percivalthegale]

Who: Percival and Lo Hak (lo_rider_4)
When: today
Where: the baths
What: talking. friends-making.

Day after day of patrolling the region and righting minor wrongs, and then helping Kathy muck out the stables, left Percival in desperate need of a bath. He got out of as much of his armor as he could, leaving only his sweaty under-clothing and boots as he trudged his way through the dungeons and up through the grounded ship to the baths, more than eager for this much-needed visit.

Lo Hak bowed at the waist to the retreating costumer, trying very hard not to slip his hand in their purse and steal a few extra coins for the verbal abuse the man had heaped upon him. He always hated his type, but he was going on the straight and narrow, and he would not! Would not! The man disappeared and Lo Hak sighed as he straightened and ran a hand through his hair. He turned to go back inside when he spotted another costumer coming, and brightened as he made out the figure. "Percival!" he beamed.

Hearing his name, Percival lifted his head and smiled gently at the welcome. "My, my. The baths are certainly a much friendlier place with you around, Lo Hak." He stepped inside and breathed a tired sigh. "I'm just here for a bath, though. Long day, horses...you get the idea."

Lo Hak laughed. "Yeah, I do. Go ahead and undress behind one of the screens and I'll bring you some bathing stuff, k?" he smiled as he headed to his massage parlor to get the items, ultimatley selecting a subtle scent for Percival - almost musky in nature, but pleasant.

Percival did so without hesitation, gladly stripping off the nasty twill and wool shirts he wore under his armor, noticing a small tear in his pants as he folded them and made a stack of icky clothing. He snatched up a waiting towel and wrapped it around his waist before peeking out to see what Lo Hak was bringing him.

Lo Hak knelt by the baths and set the little tub down, filled with shampoo, conditioner, a wash cloth, and a body wash. There was also a small razor in the bottom, just in case. "I hope this will meet your need," Lo Hak smiled at him.

"Thank you..." Percival peered over the bath items before realizing that Lo Hak had remembered a long-past conversation about the washclothes and included what he preferred. Smiling to himself, he took the tub and set to work scrubbing up per usual routine, being thorough but swift about it so he could spend most of his time soaking.

Lo Hak went to do a quick clean up in the back, and grimaced when he held up a pair of gloves. Obviously they were not Lo Hak's, made of soft, high grade suede. "Damn," he said. "He would forget something."

"Hmm?" Percival wondered, hearing the muttering but not sure if it was directed at him, as he scrunched his fingers through his hair.

"Oh, nothing!" Lo Hak assured him as he slid the little cubby shut and swiftly turned to head for the door.

 

Someone beat him to it. The doors swung open, and the man orginally leaving when Percival arrived glared, face flushed and fuming, at Lo Hak. He glared at the gloves in Lo Hak's hand and snatched at them, the snatch audible like a slap. Lo Hak drew back and bowed, saying nothing as the man fumed.

 

"Impudent rat," the man snarled and turned, leaving with the door slamming behind him.

 

Lo Hak came back up and sighed. "I was afraid of that."

The flurry of action definiately caught Percival's attention. He looked over his shoulder anxiously, lathers of soap crowning his head and running in rivulets down the back of his neck. "What in the world was that?"

"An upset customer," Lo Hak shrugged, rubbing his hand. "Nothing to concern yourself over," he smiled.

"Are you sure?" Percival blinked at him, looking rather comical with the suds framing his face. "What's the matter? I can't imagine how any customer could be upset with the service here..."

Lo Hak shook his head. "It's not so much he's upset...it's just the way they are." He shrugged. "Some people with money are like that. I dunno. I'm used to it."

"Ohhh..." Percival nearly sang, clearly knowing what that meant. "I'm sorry you have to deal with that." He went back to his washing, dumping a bucket over his head to rinse out all the soap until he was satisfied that none was left. The hot bath was waiting, and he slipped into it with a long, grateful sigh.

Of course getting into the bath caused ripples, and the ripples moved a toy duck sitting in the back of the bath. It knocked the side, and uttered a loud, undignified quack.

Percival giggled in spite of himself - he remembered those ducks, from the wartime use of the castle! Intrigued, he prowled forward through the water in order to reach out and grab the duck, settling back to a seat so he could peer at it, and see if it was the same one, or just another, that he'd seen some of the younger folks playing with before.

It was older, and apparantley much loved. It bore little scrapes and bruises, but was otherwise unharmed.

 

Lo Hak came in with a bundle of towels and gasped. "That's where Mr. Quackers went!"

Percival squeezed the duck accidentally, so it made another quack. "Mister...what?" he laughed.

"Mr. Quackers," Lo Hak flushed. "And don't you laugh! He was a present from my siblings! The first one they could ever afford to give me!"

"He's very cute," the knight smiled, setting the duck afloat again. "We used to have one just like him, years ago...Sir Hugo got it in Duck Village, it was sort of the bath mascot during the war."

"Duck Village?" Lo Hak asked, sitting on his legs next to the bath, cocking his head to the side in curiosity.

"Yes..." Percival glanced at the younger man as he sat down nearby. "Oh, I suppose you wouldn't know. There is a village of Ducks in the Grasslands, they're one of the clans who govern themselves. Quaint little place," he added with a wink. "But not the sort I'd want to live in."

"Oh, so, they're sort of like an island, then?" Lo Hak asked.

"A little," Percival replied, waggling his hand side to side. "The clans of the Grasslands are their own entities, but in a conflict, they tend to band together and side with each other - against Zexen," he added with a self-depreciative roll of his head. "Or other foes."

"Like the islands," Lo Hak said. "Most of the islands rule themselves and sort of keep apart except for trade, but we manage to band together to drive back Kooluk."

Percival turned slightly, leaning his elbow on the edge of the bath. "That's right, you promised to tell me more about the islands. I'm very curious - I know the war was against the Kooluk Nation, which eventually ended, but that's about all I know."

"Well, what do you want to know?" Lo Hak laughed, sliding into a cross-legged position to be more comfortable.

"Hmm..." Percival stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Well, what are the islands like? Are they all the same, or unique each, like the Grassland clans? The Lizards, the Ducks, the Karayans, they're all very different from each other."

"Well, unique, I suppose," Lo Hak said. "I mean, they all share some of the same characteristics, but they're different too. Nay and Nay Kobold sound similiar, but one is more mountainous and one is greener, so to speak. Illuya gets constant rain, and Razril is just a big slap of concrete in the middle of the ocean."

"So is Middleport, but smaller, and not part of Gaeai...I don't think anyways. Obel is mostly a fishing island, and Pirate Island is just a big hollow cave, a refuge for pirates."

Percival arched an eyebrow. "Pirates? You mean Sir Sigurd and Sir Hervey..."

Lo Hak nodded. "Yup. Sigurd, Hervey, Dario, Nalleo, Kika - all pirates."

Chuckling, Percival shifted again and folded his arms on the edge of the bath so he could rest his chin on them and talk with his companion. "It sounds to me as though Sir Lazlo's army turned out a lot like Sir Hugo's - it took all sorts, even pirates, or mercenaries in our case."

Lo Hak flushed. "Erm, actually, I was a thief back then," he admitted.

"Like I said, all sorts," Percival added with a twinkle in his dark eyes. "I may be a knight but it's not my place to judge, not when I had to make allies of enemies and fight alongside Lizards and bandits and even Harmonians."

Lo Hak chuckled. "Yeah. We met some interesting people on the big old ship, and did some interesting things." He grinned at Percival. "So, what else do you want to know?"

"Do a lot of people live there? Or are they small communities? Oh! And what is the weather like?" Percival continued with an eager grin. "Is it tropical? Are there great jungles with big flowers and man-eating snakes, and all that sort of thing?"

Lo Hak laughed. "One at a time, Sir Knight!" He calmed himself. "Hmm, well, the islands are populated pretty good - especially on the bigger islands, but they're not crowded or anything. As for weather - well, it never gets to cold. I mean, the sea does, but overall we don't see snow or anything. It rains more in the north than south, and we can get some pretty good storms. Obel has a sort of tropical nature to it, but it's more south. From Nay up it gets more like around here."

Percival listened with eyes wide in fascination. "Is that so? Then, you're not at all unused to this summer weather, it's a lot like home so to speak."

Lo Hak nodded. "Yeah, pretty much. It's a bit hotter than usual, but nothing a dip in the lake doesn't fix."

"Naturally." Percival pondered the information and came up with another curiosity. "Then, are any of the islands home to demi-humans? I mean, here, the Lizards and the Ducks keep to their own clans, except for trade. They don't often mingle with humans in other villages."

"We have people call Kobolds. They're like cats, but they stand on two feet are just a little shorter than me in height, usually. And they wear clothes."

"Kobolds...that are cats?" It sounded vaguely familiar, Percival might have heard someone else speak of them before, but not with a description. "We have kobolds on the northern continent, but they're more like dogs. And they're rare this far west."

"Dog types?" Lo Hak's mouth opened in shock. 

Percival nodded smartly. "Mhm. I've only ever met one - Muto, the warehouse-keeper here. I hear there are more near Toran, but I've never been that far. I've never gone futher than Caleria, and that was just on a short errand with Sir Hugo, once."

"Oh wow," Lo Hak thought on that. "Oh yeah, we had one more. Mermaids."

Dark eyes widened even more. "Mermaids...? They were real?"

"Well yeah, of course they were," Lo Hak looked at Percival like he was crazy. "We had Lillen, Lilloon, Lilen, Lilan, and Lilon."

"I've heard stories, legends...but that's all they ever were," Percival exclaimed. "No one would have ever expected that mermaids really existed." He sat up in the hot water briefly. "Are they still...? Oh, wait, you probably wouldn't know."

"That they're extinct?" Lo Hak asked. "I know. Shoon enlightened me."

The knight's face fell. "Oh...that's terrible. Extinct...like some sort of animal..."

"Unfortunately, mermaids were pride for their hides," Lo Hak admitted. "Poachers would hunt them, and then sell them as high fashion to nobles."

Percival gaped. "Fashion? That's horrid! The skin of a...of another sentient creature?" He shivered in pure revulsion. "Of all the things...!"

Lo Hak shrugged his shoulders. "It was how they viewed them. People do that sometimes. Things that are alien to them can't possibly have feelings. The mermaids did though, even if their way of expressing it wasn't the same. They were pretty too. Lilen had the most gorgeous blue scales - the color of the ocean!"

Percival sank even further into the water until it covered his chin, while he rested his face against his folded arms. His eyes were filled with a sympathetic sort of pain. "To think, people can be so horrible. But then, haven't we always been the same, talking about the Lizard Clan? Thinking ourselves superior just because they have scales and claws...?"

"I don't think it's that," Lo Hak said. "I think it's because people are scared. They don't understand them, so they put on airs and try to make the lizards feel bad about themselves, and when that doesn't work, you ostracize them and ultimately hunt them."

"Oh, nobody is stupid enough to hunt the Lizards," Percival said with a dry, humorless laugh. "They're seven feet tall and carry heavy-bladed axes. They're actually a very proud race, I got used to them and I actually kind of admire them." He shook his head slowly. "But I'm not like most Zexens. Most simply consider them a barbaric race, prone to fighting and not much else. Rather than hunt them, there are Zexens who would rather exterminate them."

"Sad," Lo Hak murmured. "I sort of understand them."

Percival sighed sadly. "My town...my beloved Iksay, was burned by the Lizards during the war. And yet...I don't hate them. They did the same as we...as I, personally, did to the Karayan village before that. In that sense, Lizards are no worse than humans. We can be just as barbaric."

"It's a matter of understanding," Lo Hak said. "When you take the time to know someone instead of dismissing them, you can find you might actually like the person. Unfortunately, a lot of people, especially those in power, don't want to take that time."

"Ah, how true that is." Percival lifted up a hand and lazily patted Lo Hak on the nearest leg. "You're a pretty wise thief, my friend. Wiser than councilors and kings."

"Yeah, well, being the lowest on the food chain teaches you that stuff," Lo Hak grinned roguishly.

"Now, now," the knight cautioned. "There's no need to see yourself like that. I'd never have known you had a...shall we say, less than reputable occupation? ...if you hadn't told me. To me, you're simply a friendly fellow who knows how to run a bath right."

Lo Hak blinked, then laughed, and grinned. "And, you know, you aren't as stuffy a knight as I thought. You're pretty down to earth."

Percival smiled brightly. "Why, thank you. I do try. I like to make friends." He swished around and leaned his back against the rim of the bath, sinking most of himself, including his arms, under the water. "This is a good place for it. Mmm and I could never say no to a nice bath."

"I do try my best," Lo Hak smiled, shifting and putting his feet in the warm water, wriggling his toes. 

Percival luxuriated in the bath for a silent minute, his eyes closed, and then spoke up in a low tone. "You know, if any of your customers are giving you trouble...you ought to mention it to an authority figure. Say, a Zexen knight. This isn't our jurisdiction, per se, but we're good at looking the part."

Lo Hak decided not to mention the customer that had slapped him full on the cheek. "If anything to bad happens, I'll let you know," he assured Percival with a grateful smile.

"I hope you do," Percival insisted, cracking one eye open to look sideways at him. "You're a citizen of Budehuc now, you're entitled to a life of peace." That made him think a little deeper, and he turned his head to look fully at Lo Hak. "Do you miss the islands, at all?"

Lo Hak paused, his face going distant. "I miss my siblings," he murmured. "They're my family - my only family, and my best friends."

"I'm sorry," Percival said reflexively. "I suppose...if the opportunity to return to them ever arose, you would be glad to take it."

"Yeah, I would," Lo Hak admitted. He wrung his hands and bit his lip, then laughed. "You know, this is the longest I've ever been away from them."

Percival nodded, not entirely understanding, as he never had any siblings to miss. "It must be hard. But you've made quite a niche for yourself here. You seem to fit in very well."

"I was really scared I wouldn't make friends here," Lo Hak admitted. "I mean, I'm cheerful, but I never had to worry about friends or being alone before. I had Seng and Fong. It was never an issue."

Percival smiled cutely. "Perhaps this was fate's way of giving you the chance to prove to yourself that you can make it without them." He shrugged a bit. "At least, all you can do is make the best of a strange situation."

"Yeah, I know," Lo Hak smiled. "People seem to enjoy the baths, which I'm proud of. It's sort of becoming my baby."

"Well, it ought to - you've been working hard," Percival noted. "And you pay attention to your customers. You remembered that I turned my nose up at the idea of a...a what do you call it? The foofy thing."

Lo Hak laughed. "A poof," he corrected.

"Yes! That," Percival said, pointing at him. "It's a small touch, but it speaks volumes. I appreciated that touch, as if I didn't already have enough to be pleased with." He laughed brightly. "And all I really needed was soap and water to wash off a day's work!"

Lo Hak sighed. "Such uncouthness! Do you honestly think you just got clean with soap and water? Ew! You have to scrub to get all the gunk off!"

Percival tilted his head all the way back, until it nearly rested on the edge of the bath. "I'll have you know, no one has ever accused me of being uncouth," he gasped in mock scandal, that teasing gleam in his eye again. "At least, not since I was a mere squire."

"First time for everything," Lo Hak sallied and flicked water at him with an index finger. "Did you get behind your ears?"

"Of course," Percival gasped again, splashing him back. "I know better than most." He wagged a wet finger in the air. "My mother taught me a little too well."

Lo Hak smiled and then paused. "Is having a mom that great?" he asked.

Caught off guard, Percival blinked at him. "Er....well, I have nothing bad to say about my mother," he answered, unsure what else to say. "My father died when I was very young, so she raised me by herself."

"So...having a mom is nice then?" Lo Hak asked. "You did buy that necklace for her and all."

"I did...because I love her and want to show her what she means to me." Percival cocked his head. "But it doesn't mean I...or that you...ah..." He ruffled a hand through his damp hair (still swept-back) in frustration, and tried a different tactic. "Lady Chris, the captain of the Knights of Zexen, grew up without her parents, and she turned out just fine. Just for an example."

"Oh, I'm not saying it's bad or anything," Lo Hak said. "I just wanted to know was all."

Percival blinked at the rippled surface of the water. "I don't know that it's something that can be described. How do you tell someone who's never seen the ocean what it's like to sail on it?"

"Hmm, good point," Lo Hak said. "I just wanted to ask cause my mom died when I was really young, and my dad walked out before I was born. Seng and Fong are my siblings and parents."

"It's not that unusual," Percival reasoned. "With all the conflict in the world, there are many growing up like that." He sighed and looked up toward the open sky above the baths. "I'm sure I'm responsible for more than one orphan in this land."

"I don't know that I blame anyone for what happened," Lo Hak shrugged. "It just did." He paused, splashing his feet a little. "We met this guy once. Some crazy old kook. But he had this neat saying. The past is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. But today is gift. That's why it's called the present." 

Percival snorted, and clapped his hand over his mouth. "Charming," he said dryly, smiling. "I guess, then, that you're making the most of your present, and not really worrying about what might or might not happen."

He smiled. "Yup!" He sort of learned it from being a thief. You just made it through the day, called that a victory, and didn't worry about tomorrow or what happened in the past. 

Percival raised a hand out of the water and rubbed his forehead. "Ooh, I should probably not stay in too much longer. I don't want to faint from the heat..." He tossed Lo Hak another lazy smile. "I haven't eaten dinner yet."

"Going to go to Watari's?" Lo Hak asked. The ninja had brought him a few meals for half off massages, and Lo Hak was more than happy to make that deal any day.

"Ah, just the tavern, I think," Percival replied, waving his hand. "I'm not particularly picky, not when I'm hungry." He pushed himself to his feet, groping for the towel he'd left behind him and wavering slightly - the combination of hot bath and no food made him rather lightheaded.

Lo Hak caught his arm. "Sit. I'll get the towel," he smiled, going for the stack.

Breathing deeply to try to keep his head from spinning, Percival perched back on the edge of the bath, all too happy to wait. "I guess I'm a bit more hungry than I thought," he joked.

Lo Hak chuckled and brought the towels over, one for his body and one for his hair. "Maybe I should come with you to make sure you don't topple over. I like my customers to come and leave in one piece, thanks."

"I wouldn't want you to leave the baths unattended," Percival said politely, accepting the towels and help out of the water. "Give me a few minutes and I should be fine. But..." He gave Lo Hak a sheepish smile. "...do you have a robe I can borrow until I get back to my room? I don't want to put those sweaty clothes back on..."

"Oh! Oh! Yes! I'm sorry!" Lo Hak scurried over to the massage parlor and brought out a long robe. He handed it to Percival. "Sorry about that."

"Oh, it's all right," Percival assured, taking the robe and slinking back behind the changing screen. "Thank you, this is more than I could have asked for. I promise I'll run right back and return it when I've put on something clean and presentable."

"Take you're time," Lo Hak told him. "I know you have a busy schedule."

The knight laughed. "Me? Oh no...my busy schedule is over for the day. Dinner and making a nuisance of myself are all I have left to do before bed." He hurriedly dried off and slipped into the robe, now that the dizzy feeling had more or less passed. It left him feeling flushed - and hungry.

Lo Hak looked him over. "You know, maybe I should walk you to the tavern - at least that. It's kind of a ways and I don't want you fainting or anything."

"Well..." Percival wrapped the robe tight and tied it. "I suppose, if you insist. Is it all right if you leave the baths? I would think this would be a prime time of the evening for you."

"Since it's warmer, I don't get to many," Lo Hak said. "Many like to rinse off in the lake. And I need to take my dinner break anyways, so they can deal."

"All right, then." Collecting his things, Percival shrugged a shoulder to encourage Lo Hak to follow along. "I would tip you for such service above and beyond the call of duty - maybe I'll buy you dinner."

Lo Hak grinned. Who could resist free dinner?! "Thanks," Lo Hak said as he led Percival out and locked the baths and they headed for the tavern.

Percival raised a finger in warning. "My room first. I want to put some pants on," he grinned. "And get my potch."

"Haha, yeah, that'd be a good idea, wouldn't it?" Lo Hak smirked as he followed Percival.