Prose log with Watari

[percivalthegale]

Who: Percival and Watari (iii_ninja)
When: today
Where: the dojo
What: sparring

With his clean bill of health (except for his eye), Watari returned some of his normal routines, namely going to the dojo in the morning and getting in practice, even if it was by himself. He was devoid of his mask, dressed in a loose yukata shirt tied neatly with a black ribbon around his waist, deerskin trews, shin guards, and his sandals. Quietly, silent as death, he moved through the stances of his fighting style, the only sound that of the blade cutting air.

By contrast, Percival's morning routine remained unchanged: down to the stables, feeding and grooming Midnight, and then taking him for a short exercise if he wasn't going riding that day. With Zexen councilors lurking around Budehuc, he thought it best to stay within the castle walls, so after finishing with his horse and turning him loose in the pasture, the Mighty Knight made his way back up toward the manor, in no hurry to get into armor and go on rounds.

Watari finished, bowed to the an invisible opponent as he replaced his blade and made his way out of the dojo into the morning sun. He could use a cool down run or a swim before going into work. He sighed, taking in a deep breathe of fresh air and hoped that none of the councilors decided to make their rounds extra early this morning.

Percival was passing by just at that moment, and raised a hand in a wave. "Good morning, Watari. I should have known you were the up-with-the-sun type."

Watari paused, seeing the knight and favored the man with a friendly smile, visible with the mask. "Ohayo," he said in reply. "I usually am, though now I can actually do something now that the doctors say my wounds are healed enough."

"Oh? That's good news," Percival politely, stopping and leaning on the fence. He was dressed down in riding breeches and a woolen shirt, the laces on the chest undone. "I have seen you more active lately, now that you mention it."

Watari shrugged. "Good health and... other things had prompted me to want to keep myself in shape," he skipped around the bush a little. "Though I try to keep my training out of the eyes of the councilors."

"Oh, don't worry about them," Percival assured, waving a hand dismissively. "It's not like we all should drop our lives and habits for their sakes. They understand a training dojo exists on the grounds, people training is only natural."

Watari cocked a brow. "Rarely do I trust the minds of nobles," he said. "Lady Chris and her Knights being the exceptions."

Percival tilted his head in a humble shrug. "Not all of her knights are nobles."

"I'm aware. My point remains the same," the ninja shrugged. He looked the Knight up and down. "Out for your own training?" he asked genially.

"Horsemanship, actually," Percival said brightly. "I had to get Midnight through his morning routine. I really ought to go up and get ready for duty, but..." He looked up toward the manor house on the hill above them and sighed. "My only orders are to be available in the event I'm needed, so I'm not exactly in a rush to make myself...available."

Watari snorted his amusement, a hand shifting to rest on the length of this katana. "You had promised me a spar," he reminded the knight casually.

Percival straightened up with a start. "Oh! I did," he remembered. "If I can have half a minute to run up and get Zukunft, I would be happy to make good on that promise right now."

Watari nodded his head. "I shall meet you in the dojo then?" he asked, turning slightly back towards the building.

"Yes, that will do." Unencumbered by heavy armor, Percival dashed to the iron door behind the cafe and took the elevator upstairs, hoping to get into his room and back out fast and with a minimum of attention. Fortunately, the visiting Zexens were probably still asleep in the inn, so he fetched his sword and got back down to the dojo without being seen, much less interrupted.

Watari had settled himself on his knees and calves, facing he rising sun, eyes closed and breathing lightly as his sword rested across his thighs, patiently waiting for Percival.

Rather than wind himself before even getting started, Percival strode back along the return route, up from the dungeon door to Juan's dojo at a leisurely pace. The leather belt carrying his fine sword in its scabbard rested easily across his hips. He slipped inside and paused upon seeing the ninja's sedate pose, and merely coughed to announce his return.

Watari came out of it easily, sliding to his feet like a snake rearing its head. He turned to Percival and smiled, before moving to take a traditional stance on one side of the dojo, waiting for Percival to prepare himself.

Percival threw back his shoulders and lifted his chin, snapping into a proud pose that anyone else would mistake for posturing. Rather, it was the first step toward drawing his blade and entering a fight. He stepped to the opposite end of the practice floor and laid his hand on the bronze hilt of Zukunft, the sword with the green gem in its handle. "Well, then. What are the terms, when should we consider it enough?"

Watari considered for a moment as he slid into his own starting pose - a low, bended knee stand, hand poised over his blade, shoulder turned to Percival. "Do you prefer surrender, or three falls?"

Percival pondered it a moment. "Either. Whichever comes first?"

"Fair," Watari nodded his agreement. "Whenever you are prepared, Sir Knight."

Percival drew his blade in a snap, holding it straight out at the ready. With his shoulders back and posture erect, it was clear he was used to a very strict style that favored knights in armor. "I'll give it my all," he vowed, before taking a couple steps forward and slashing downward.

Watari easily set his weight to his knees and unsheathed his sword with a hiss, meeting Percival's blade in a shower of sparks. Just as they met, he surged upward with his hips and legs, throwing Percival back and coming in low and straight with his katana.

The sudden block made Percival step back from the force and have to dodge out of the way of the follow-up strike. He wasn't at all used to dealing with anyone with an actual technique, just fellow knights and untrained thugs. Biting his lip in determination, he danced in from the side and tried another slash.

Watari turned his blade vertical and carried it across his body, meeting the slash and stepping in, their blades screeching against one another as he brought the blade up and made for Percival's throat.

Fortunately, Percival was fast. He recognized the fluid movement of the ninja's body and dodged out of the way of the sword, nearly bending over backward to avoid being skewered. If he could twist his body back into position, there was a wide-open flank for him to target, but the best he could do was duck and swing and hope for the best.

Hoping for the best was never smart against a well trained ninja. Watari easily batted aside the awkward swing and sank onto a single foot, knee bent, as he twisted his hips and tried for a kick at Percival's knees in an attempt to bring him down.

The people of Zexen didn't call him "swordsman of Gale" for nothing, Percival was actually a decent fencer and very quick. What he lacked in technique he made up for in speed and agility, placing his feet together and springing straight up, letting the kick pass harmlessly beneath him. He landed a hop back and repositioned, bringing his sword forward at guard.

Watari carried the momentum and used it to pull himself back as well and rise, his sword and shoulder level and aimed at Percival, his free arm extender, fingers floating just beneath the tip of his blade as he watched the knight, waiting, calculating.

Aware that he couldn't dodge and avoid forever, Percival stepped in once more, deciding to engage the blade rather than the body until he could get a feel for the ninja's style. He struck lightly but quickly for the sword itself with short jabs and slashes, reserving his power for when it would be needed.

Watari saw it for what it was and shifted, so his legs balanced him and allowed him quick movement. He met the thrusts and jabs, turning them or avoiding them, but hardly moved an inch, maintaining a small circle made around one foot's rotation, preferring to let Percival wonder, guess, and guess wrong.

A vague sense of deja vu flitted to Percival's mind as he kept up the pointless attack and got nowhere. "That's right," he breathed after a moment, disengaging and backing off a few steps. "I remember, from the war. You're just as fast as I am."

"You're faster without the weight of so much steel," Watari replied evenly, flowing back into the defensive stance from before, content to wait for Percival to make the mistake. In a head on he lacked surprise, a key to many of his fighting techniques. In duels, he preferred to let the opponent make the mistakes and capitalize on them. Some might call that cowardly, but Watari called it smart dueling.

"Perhaps, but I gained that speed wearing it," Percival smirked, turning himself so his dominant shoulder was toward Watari. "It's been a while since I've fought without it, perhaps I'll be even faster." He danced forward again, lightly parrying Watari's blade in an attempt to get him to leave the tiniest opening.

Watari deflected it expertly, and made a split second decision. Percival was indeed a good warrior, and Watari knew instinctively the duel would remain at standstill if they kept this up. Neither would give ground the way he had hoped, so he opted for another kind. His hand reached down and grasped his scabbard, bringing it around in an upward strike, following quickly by a downward-horizontal cross slash with his blade and continued in that way with his assault - sword and scabbard - to push Percival back.

Ever the consummate knight, Percival refused to lose his cool even though the unexpected attack pushed him back and kept him from doing anything but parry. And parry he did, blocking and deflecting every swing of both sword and scabbard, his dark eyes keen as he watched and waited for his chance - if it came before he was backed against a wall, that is.

Watari felt a thrill as his attacks were parried, as he drove Percival back. Someone who could keep up - this was new and interesting. So why not make it fun? And had not they discussed fancy moves before this? This wasn't serious, and Watari needed to practice those as well. He swept sword and scabbard up, meeting the expected parry and forcing it further up. His legs bunched and he leapt into the air and swung forward, planting his feet on Percival's chest and using him like a springboard to flip back and away.

The momentum threw Percival back several feet, and his back thudded into the wall. He managed to keep his sword, though, and sprang from his place to rush Watari before he could get situated. Just as the ninja landed, Percival thrust forward, his entire body extended like a racing horse in the wind, the point of the blade focused right where Watari's chest should be.

Watari landed with his feet set a little far back and dropped onto his his hands, avoiding the thrust and using the strength of his arms and hips to swing his legs up on the inside, aiming for Percival's head.

His dodge was a little more sloppy this time, and as a result, the kick glanced off Percival's jaw. He staggered backwards a few steps, dragging the tip of his blade on the floor, and raised the back of his free hand to his lip to see if he was bleeding. He wasn't, but his jaw ached fiercely now. "Damn," he breathed. "I don't know if I'm ready to face these kinds of ninja-moves."

Watari slid to his feet with his snake like grace, chuckling as he kept his sword up in the defensive. "Not like your usual opponents, I'm sure," he said.

"What can I say?" Percival panted, taking a moment to catch his breath. "Knights battle knights. Even the Lizard clan fights in a rather straightforward manner, I don't get to face...unusual skills in my line of work."

"Duels aren't exactly my thing," Watari admitted, stepping back a few paces to assure Percival he meant no threat till the knight was ready once more. "I prefer one-shots."

"Yes, well..." The knight could only imagine. "Any fighter regardless of his type has to live by the same rule. Kill, or be killed. There isn't much room for finesse on a battlefield, in a melee when the only two moves you need are hack and slash."

Watari nodded. "This is true, but my skills weren't usually applied there," he noted.

"Perhaps not." Recovered enough, Percival raised his sword again. "We're both still alive, though. Our respective skills have served us well." He nodded once in a "come get me" sort of gesture.

Watari nodded and stepped forward, pushed off, and came at Percival with snake-strike speed, low and fast swing up with his scabbard to force Perci's blade away and then slice in low and across his own chest with his blade to aim for Percival's blade hand side.

Percival awkwardly held his ground, relying on his strength to parry the swing. It made his hand jolt with the impact, and he hissed under his breath even as he reversed his grip and struck back.

The attack thwarted, Watari rose to his full height and began a series of double-sword techniques and blows, working at Percival from all angles as he sought an opening, forced or otherwise.

The two-handed method reminded Percival uncomfortably of Yuber, he realized as he hurried to parry the swings one after another. At least only one of them was sharp, and he allowed the scabbard to strike him now and again if he couldn't block it fast enough. He tried to remember battling against Yuber, but he was pretty sure it hadn't gone well, and there wasn't time. Gritting his teeth, he suddenly reached out and grabbed the scabbard with his free hand, pulling it towards himself to bring Watari off-balance so he could attack, swinging his sword all the way from nearly behind him.

Watari cursed under his breathe and swung his sword out, meeting the blade, arm trembling as he tried to keep it back. He twisted so he was facing Percival, then jumped up, clamping his thighs at Percival's waist and thrusting his hips forward, the weight sending him forward and Percival back. It was all Watari could think of to undo the situation, hopefully it would land Percival on his back, and if not then it would at least let Watari escape long enough to regroup.

Percival toppled over with Watari on top of him, hitting the floor hard enough to knock the breath out of him and jar the sword from his hand. He lay gasping for a minute, apparently oblivious to the awkward position or else he might have been flailing desperately to keep "it" from happening again.

Watari saw it and instantly flipped the scabbard and thrust it up at Percival's neck. Match. "I think this means you're dead," Watari panted.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Percival batted at the weight on his midsection to try and get it to get off him so he could breathe. "Yield," he mouthed, his back arching off the floor.

Watari's scabbard slid away and he rose, stepped aside, and offered Percival his hand to rise. "Good match," he said.

Percival merely rolled over, the spasm inside his chest finally passing so he could breathe. He laid on the floor propped up on his elbows, coughing until he caught his breath and then only panting. "Bloody hell," was all he could say for a bit.

Watari realized he had probably hurt Percival and knelt, rubbing his back. "I'm sorry," he said. "Did I cause more damage than I should have?"

"Just...knocked the wind out of me..." Percival gasped, deciding to just stay where he was for a minute since he'd already wounded his pride far worse in front of Watari before. "Doesn't hurt...but...scares the hell of you...for a minute..."

"True enough," Watari nodded. "Should I fetch water? We could both use some."

"Maybe...that's a good idea." Percival finally sat up, swiping the back of his hand across his sweating brow. "That took a lot out of me. You're brutal."

"You weren't exactly a push over," Watari called over his shoulder as he sheathed his weapon and fetched water from the well just outside the dojo and brought in a bucket with two ladels for them to drink from. "You were faster than I thought. I didn't expect many of your movements - they are more fencer like than mounted knight."

Percival pushed himself to his feet and retrieved Zukunft before joining his opponent at the water bucket. "I fight very differently when I'm on horseback," he confessed. "There, I have the high ground, and no use of my feet." He twitched an eyebrow in an attempt at a smirk. "They don't make you a Mighty Knight of rank if you use the same meat-cleaver approach on foot."

Watari snorted in laughter as he sipped his water. "The giant bore of a man who rides with you might say different. The tall tan one," he clarified. He had forgotten his name, deeming the man insignificant.

"Giant bore? You must mean Leo," Percival grinned. "He also wields an axe instead of a bastard sword." He patted Zukunft affectionately and took a long swig of water. "Talk about different fighting styles. We almost can't spar among the Mighty Knights, since only Lady Chris, Sir Borus, and I have equal weaponry."

"But even so, axemen may have considerable skill," Watari pointed out. "He trotted around the field like a bear hunting for gooseberries and just as subtle." He rolled his good eye, drinking more.

Percival dribbled half the ladle of water down the back of his neck and laughed brightly. "That's probably the most poetic I've ever heard it put, though I've said similar things. He knows it," he added with a wave of his hand. "He makes no excuse for it, either. A man his size, with spiked armor and a huge axe? He couldn't be stealthy if he wanted to, so we don't ask him to."

Watari actually laughed at that, a full throated thing that came from his chest and was rather deep.

Percival smiled more gently at the sound. "By the Goddess, Watari. I don't think I've ever heard you laugh before. Really laugh, I mean. Not that little sarcastic chuckle you're so good at."

Watari's laugh faded and he peered at Percival, then his cheeks pinked ever so slightly. "I had no reason to really laugh before," he muttered.

Percival rubbed the wet hair on the nape of his neck. "Well, I'm glad you do now. It looks good on you, if you don't mind me saying." He continued smiling at ease. "Things certainly have changed in the last few months, haven't they?"

"More than you know," Watari agreed, letting out a happy sigh as he thought to his tent, where Kinnison would be when he returned from his day at work, stringing bows, fletching feathers, or playing with Shiro - his dear heart.

Curious though he might be, Percival decided not to press, remaining polite. "Then, you've settled in here, more or less. I'm inclined to think Budehuc is better for it - to say nothing of the influence it's having on you, apparently."

Watari looked at Percival, his cheeks pinking again. Was it really showing so much?

Percival gave him a sly sidelong look as he sipped another ladle full of water. "And what exactly are you blushing so much for...?" One thought occurred to him, and he straightened up to face Watari directly, his eyes widening. "It had better not be...not after you said..."

"Better not be what?" Watari asked, unable to keep the blush from his cheeks as his thoughts kept straying to Kinnison, and their warm tent, and their warm bed.

Percival cleared his throat and looked away. "You'd better not be blushing because of me..."

Watari laughed again, one of his real laughs. "No, no, no!" he assured the knight. "I'm blushing over Kinnison."

Relieved, Percival shook his head quickly and blinked. "What...Kinnison? The young man, the woodsman? Oh. I...I see..."

"Sorry," Watari said. "I know it makes you uncomfortable. I thought you knew I had moved in with him..."

"Er, no...I admit I've had my concentration on other matters, I haven't kept up with castle gossip as well as I used to, but..." Percival rubbed the back of his neck again. "No, no, I'm not uncomfortable. If that's what makes you happy, then that's fine. Congratulations, I suppose."

Watari smiled and reached out, clapping Percival's shoulder. "Thanks," he said, then paused, his blue-gold eye sparkling. "Did any of the ladies of the kissing both catch your eye?"

"Ah, it wasn't like that," Percival demurred, shaking his head. "It was merely platonic. A little fun for the sake of the castle, I was happy to oblige.”

Watari rolled his good eye again and splashed water over his face. His bad eye itched, and he knew it probably needed a quick washing, to get sweat and salt from the stitching. He shrugged to himself and undid the eyepatch, letting it fall across his lap and revealing his scars - a crescent moon slashed by a diagonal line. He reached to the water and slowly dribbled it across the stitches, the itching easing as sweat was washed away.

Percival's brow twitched in sympathy. "That looks like it still hurts," he murmured. "Do you need a little drop to soothe it?" He lifted his right hand, indicating the Water rune he carried.

"It could do nothing but good," Watari shrugged and pulled back his bangs, revealing the enterity of his scaring that claimed half his face.

It took but an instant to cast the low-level Kindness Drops spell, as Percival extended his hand and kept his fingertips from brushing the sensitive wounds. Even healers had to respect personal space. "If nothing else, it should refresh you," he reasoned. "Maybe I ought to take a dose myself before I suit up for duty."

"I would offer to use my own rune, but it lacks in healing skills," he shrugged apologetically, raising his hand to display his Skunk Rune. "And thank you, Percival. It feels much better now."

"Certainly, Watari." Percival huffed a sigh. "Oh, there are some days I just don't want to go on duty...but I have to. I feel like I'm the last line of diplomatic defense, these days."

"You deserve a rest as much as anyone," Watari pointed out. "Cecile and some of the other knights can manage without you for a day. You should come down to the bakery and have something to eat - a good meal for once."

"Ah, it's not that. It's those damned councilors." Percival paced away, going to the window to peek out and verify that none were out and about in this part of the castle. "I have to be on my toes constantly. It isn't at all like patrolling or riding, and there are no other knights at the castle who can take my place. Lady Cecile's duty is to Budehuc alone, not Zexen." He sighed again. "It's a welcome offer, though. Perhaps I'll have time for dinner this evening."

"I'll be sure to pull out my best recipes," Watari assured the knight as he to rose and replaced his eyepatch. "And after they are gone, promise me you will take a vacation, even if it's only here at Budehuc."

Percival turned to him with his usual playful grin. "I will tell Lord Salome I need a couple of days off, and brook no argument," he promised.

"Good," Watari wrapped his knuckles on Percival's shoulder. "Good match."

"And you. Fine sword-work. I'm in awe and I swear I will never get on your bad side," the knight laughed.

Watari chuckled and shrugged. "You should see me with shuriken and kunai," he smirked, noting the long ranged weapons he could use.

"I've stood beside you and heard them go whizzing past my ear," Percival remembered, from their days as temporary Fire Bringer. "I'll thank you not to put me on the receiving end of those, either."

"I'll do my best," Watari assured him with a wry grin.

The green pathways outside were clear of passersby, so Percival let himself out, giving Watari a wave as he retreated. "Until next time!"

Watari nodded, raising his hand in good bye as he headed for the bakery, feeling much better after a good match.