needed to clean them off to wear home. With his towel tied tightly around his waist, he followed his friend through another door and into the bathroom. And what a bathroom it was! Twice as large as the pool area at Ash’s local YMCA on Earth, if the Y was filled with kiddy pools only. None of the baths were deeper than four feet. Just deep enough to sit in comfortably.
While his mission for the night was to become more comfortable with using the bathhouse, Ash still felt the best way to do that was to not look around too much. He kept his eyes on Aura’s shoulders as they marched across the room, dodging from side to side to avoid the various patrons. Some of them were even small children.
On one occasion a little boy actually ran into Ash’s leg and clung to him tightly. The little boy shouted something unintelligible while laughing, and Ash felt the dreaded awkwardness setting in again. He tried to gently dislodge the child but was unsuccessful until the boy’s father came along and convinced the child to let go. All the while Aura stood by trying to conceal a fit of laughter.
Finally at an opening for a bath with very few men inside, the boys stepped into the hot steamy water. Ash had to admit, as much as he hated how uncomfortable the atmosphere was at the bathhouse, the actual bath was well worth it. It was essentially like bathing in a freshwater hot tub, complete with jets! Ash wasn’t entirely sure how the jets were created though.
He pondered on that while Aura dropped to his knees and soaked himself, making sure to dip his head below the water and rinse his hair. He grabbed a nearby floating bucket and removed some shampoo-like paste, rubbing the goo all over himself with the towel that covered his death touch hand. He was practically clean by the time Ash finally stepped into the water.
His wounded right leg stung as he submerged it in the hot water and the boy silently cried out in pain. After a couple seconds it didn’t hurt so bad, and Ash bravely continued lowering his body. As he feared, quickly dropping his arms under the water, they too stung with pain. He knew it had to be done, or else his wounds might get infected. Ash soldiered through the pain, dipped himself in up to his neck. The steaming-hot water worked wonders on the boy’s body, and for once he felt completely relaxed.
“What kind of people do you think the rebels are, if they really exist?” asked Ash.
“Oh?” said Aura. “Thinking about asking if you can join them?”
“I guess it depends on what they want,” said Ash, trying to keep his voice low. He didn’t want any of the other people in the water to hear their conversation. “If all they want is to overthrow the King and Prince, that would actually work to our advantage. Maybe if we helped them, they’d even let us go back to Earth.”
“It’s definitely possible,” said Aura. “Maybe we can catch one without Shiva around and do our own little interrogation.”
“Shiva…” Ash looked down, feeling guilty. “I won’t help any rebels that want to hurt her, though. She may be part of the Royal Family, but she’s the first friend I ever made here.”
Their conversation was cut short by a rowdy group of middle-aged men joining them in the tub. Ash had to divert his eyes since none of the men had the courtesy to wear a towel. Aura dipped his head under the water and emerged to see Ash, still waiting with his head hovering above the water. The boy had a look on his face that suggested a disturbing thought had just dawned on him.
“What now?” Aura asked.
“I don’t want to stick my head under,” Ash said.
“Why not?”
“Because… it’s gross.”
“How so?”
“We’re all friggin’ naked ! I don’t want to stick my head in the same water our junk is submerged in!”
Aura scooped out some more of the soapy-goo and then pushed the floating bucket towards Ash. Ash grabbed for the bucket, hoping to finally get a look (and smell) of Hell’s
While his mission for the night was to become more comfortable with using the bathhouse, Ash still felt the best way to do that was to not look around too much. He kept his eyes on Aura’s shoulders as they marched across the room, dodging from side to side to avoid the various patrons. Some of them were even small children.
On one occasion a little boy actually ran into Ash’s leg and clung to him tightly. The little boy shouted something unintelligible while laughing, and Ash felt the dreaded awkwardness setting in again. He tried to gently dislodge the child but was unsuccessful until the boy’s father came along and convinced the child to let go. All the while Aura stood by trying to conceal a fit of laughter.
Finally at an opening for a bath with very few men inside, the boys stepped into the hot steamy water. Ash had to admit, as much as he hated how uncomfortable the atmosphere was at the bathhouse, the actual bath was well worth it. It was essentially like bathing in a freshwater hot tub, complete with jets! Ash wasn’t entirely sure how the jets were created though.
He pondered on that while Aura dropped to his knees and soaked himself, making sure to dip his head below the water and rinse his hair. He grabbed a nearby floating bucket and removed some shampoo-like paste, rubbing the goo all over himself with the towel that covered his death touch hand. He was practically clean by the time Ash finally stepped into the water.
His wounded right leg stung as he submerged it in the hot water and the boy silently cried out in pain. After a couple seconds it didn’t hurt so bad, and Ash bravely continued lowering his body. As he feared, quickly dropping his arms under the water, they too stung with pain. He knew it had to be done, or else his wounds might get infected. Ash soldiered through the pain, dipped himself in up to his neck. The steaming-hot water worked wonders on the boy’s body, and for once he felt completely relaxed.
“What kind of people do you think the rebels are, if they really exist?” asked Ash.
“Oh?” said Aura. “Thinking about asking if you can join them?”
“I guess it depends on what they want,” said Ash, trying to keep his voice low. He didn’t want any of the other people in the water to hear their conversation. “If all they want is to overthrow the King and Prince, that would actually work to our advantage. Maybe if we helped them, they’d even let us go back to Earth.”
“It’s definitely possible,” said Aura. “Maybe we can catch one without Shiva around and do our own little interrogation.”
“Shiva…” Ash looked down, feeling guilty. “I won’t help any rebels that want to hurt her, though. She may be part of the Royal Family, but she’s the first friend I ever made here.”
Their conversation was cut short by a rowdy group of middle-aged men joining them in the tub. Ash had to divert his eyes since none of the men had the courtesy to wear a towel. Aura dipped his head under the water and emerged to see Ash, still waiting with his head hovering above the water. The boy had a look on his face that suggested a disturbing thought had just dawned on him.
“What now?” Aura asked.
“I don’t want to stick my head under,” Ash said.
“Why not?”
“Because… it’s gross.”
“How so?”
“We’re all friggin’ naked ! I don’t want to stick my head in the same water our junk is submerged in!”
Aura scooped out some more of the soapy-goo and then pushed the floating bucket towards Ash. Ash grabbed for the bucket, hoping to finally get a look (and smell) of Hell’s
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