A.S. Wheatley
LAKE PLACID: TORIYAMA STYLE
There was a significant difference between the afternoon sun versus the shade it created in conjunction with the massive, ancient oak on the bank of West Lake. Ants marched along the gnarled roots that wove through the mossy patches of dirt at its base, and the young Saiyan nestled in their crooks was more than happy to enjoy the show. Dappled shadows fluttered across the angled planes of her face whenever a breeze rolled through, flashing sunlight into her vision briefly. It didn't annoy her, as it might have any other person, as she had her sights much more focused on something else… well, someTHINGS else.
"Aspara! Come check this out—Piccolo is TOTALLY sliming it up in here!" Any other taunts made by her fellow student were drowned out by raucous splashing and growling by none other than the Slime Man himself. Aspara adjusted against the trunk, scratching her back idly with a grin as she watched her two favorite Namekians have a go at water rugby, minus the nets and ball. Rumina was no match for Piccolo, strength-wise, but he grappled as best he could, sneaking in kisses, bites, pinches—anything that would be considered fighting dirty and resulted in him being dunked underwater, over and over.
"Rumina, you know you aren't amphibious! If you keep teasing him you'll end up developing gills!" Her laughter carried across the freshwater waves lapping at the shore, causing her mentor to pause mid-murder of her fellow student.
"You know, I would have half a mind to stop teaching this brat a lesson if there was something else to distract me." She made a mental note of the baritone in Piccolo's raised voice mixed with the sound of the water, as she had with Rumina; another nice thing to be remembered about this day. She raises a hand to wave off the comment, but is cut off before she can open her mouth.
"Are you kidding?" Rumina spluttered, rubbing lake water from his eyes angrily. "If anyone gets to double team you in chicken, it's gonna be me and her! Come on, Aspara, we aren't getting any younger!"
With a flick of her hand, she brushed a lock of sweaty bangs from her eyes. "Don't you know fish live in there? How would you like it if a giant fish just waltzed into Capsule Corp. one day and just started shoving us around? No thanks, guys, I'll pass."
The comment elicited a grimace from the cranky Namek. "Don't remind me about the fish for Kami's sake." Dissatisfied, Rumina crosses his arms with a huff, and just as suddenly dropped his arms to start wading through the water, in her direction. "And you two call me the drama queen? The unfairness is tangible, people!" Unbeknownst to him, a distinct trail of translucent goo was left in his wake, leaving Piccolo sneering and attempting to dodge the sludge. He was acutely aware of his bodily functions, and cared immensely, while it seemed that his newest pupil was more, ah, care-free.
His toes dug into the sandy mud beneath his feet, Piccolo observed from afar as Aspara was unceremoniously hoisted over Rumina's shoulder—hilarious, considering that she was A) taller than him and B) caught completely unawares—and dumped into the murky lake water. The corners of Piccolo's lips curled upwards, a single snaggletooth glinting in the sun, when she finally surfaced and launched herself at the younger Namek, with all the fury and grace of a water-logged cat. Birds were startled from the guardian oak with their yowls of laughter, and before he knew it, the duo had drug themselves out to his station, hip-deep in the cool water with minnows fluttering past his ankles in an attempt to flee the calamity they brought with them.
Rumina caught his breath first, still laughing whenever he had the chance. "I was victorious! Now it's your turn to get dunked on, Sensei!" He slung a clawed hand around his drenched partner-in-crime, who was starting to look less and less enthused about being soaking wet in a cotton t-shirt and jean shorts. Aspara leaned into his side anyway, disregarding his slick body as she wiped hair from her eyes once more.
"Yeah, yeah, you got me in here, you big jerk. I'm playing one game of chicken, then I get to dry off!" A small shiver passed up her spine as a cloud shadow hovered over the trio, momentarily dampening in the mood. Gooseflesh danced upon her skin, and with cheeks darkening she deftly crossed her arms over her pricked chest with a quick look over at Rumina, and up at Piccolo. The look he returned her left her pinned, blush darkening; he hadn't caught on had he?
She doesn't have time to answer herself before Piccolo scooped her up, just as playfully as Rumina had much to her chagrin, and deposited her unsteadily upon her friend's shoulders; Rumina wobbled and squawked, but managed to keep his balance by grasping her toned thighs, claws pricking her skin. Aspara didn't seem to mind, or at least, she just continued laughing at him, delicately grasping the sides of his head to find her balance. "Ru, the game hasn't started—don't let him put us in the water yet!"
Panting, Rumina attempted to glare up at her, failing of course but he improvised by giving her inner thigh a sharp nip; he nearly drew blood, and issued an apologetic kiss to the area post-haste. His chest still heaved however, the sandy muck he was sinking into making his skin absolutely crawl; combining this with his own approximate body weight on his shoulders and you have a very regretful young Namek. "Ahaha, yeah, right! Don't worry, I won't let you down!... Yet…" Rumina shifted forwards slightly, looking for higher ground, and instead found more sand, making him lurch back in alarm. "Guys—guys! This sucks, I change my mind. No oceans, and no lakes, done and done."
Aspara yelped and hunched over her friend's head in order not to topple straight into the water, looking at him as angrily as she could from such an awkward, upside-down Spiderman angle. "Ru, come on, you're the one who wanted to try the lake! Look, I love you but, there's still sand and you still slime, I'm sorry sweetie. Now please don't drown me?" Her attention was drawn upwards momentarily when their mentor chuckled, staring down at them with crossed arms and an amused smirk.
"Rumina, wasn't the lake your idea anyway? I was under the impression that you liked it with all the colorful vocabulary you used to persuade us to accompany." With a single finger, Piccolo reached out and placed it on Aspara's forehead, before flashing them the cheekiest smile and giving her a nudge. With just enough pressure to put her off balance, Aspara squealed, arms wind-milling in vain for balance she no longer had. Almost as if in slow motion, her thighs clamped around Ru's neck, and as he was unable to dislodge her, he went down with that sinking ship as well. Piccolo roared with laughter as a torrential wave of lake water splashed upon him, and the two irate students popped above water after a pregnant pause, swearing like a couple of sailors.
Amid his laughter however, Piccolo failed to notice their preparation for a double-team attack; the way their eyes slid to each other, the evil grins that crept onto their faces. As a result, for the first time, it was Sensei who got a mouthful of slime and minnows. Sweet, sweet revenge, something best served wet, in this case. The ruckus that the trio caused was enough to scatter the surrounding wildlife from the shores within a three-mile radius; splashing, shouting, laughing filling the air. As time passed and the sun started to set, the elder Namekian was left to drag his exhausted charges back to shore, one clutched under each arm like a sack of Dragon Balls. Up through the shallows, the cooler waves of dusk lapping at his ankles, and into the twists of roots at the base of the oak tree is where they collapsed into a heap, slick arms and legs tangled together tiredly. While the temperature may have been dropping, the cooler summer air didn't seem to bother the trio, snugged into a pile as the fireflies began their nightly rumba among the stars.
Rumina, surprisingly, was the first to speak, worming his way closer to Piccolo's side. "Thank you, guys… This might not have been very fun without you."
"Might? Give us some props, Ru! We love you, of course we came, aaand made this the best day ever… just for you." Aspara's fingers crawl across their mentor's chest to twine with Rumina's, thumb brushing over his knuckles. Cuddled together, still damp but as giddy as little kids, the two pupils exchange charged grins; Rumina brought their entangled fingers to their mouth, planting tiny kisses along Aspara's fingertips.
A snore followed by a throaty sigh ends the heartfelt moment and draws their attention upwards, where a thin line of drool is seeping from the corner of their respected mentor's fanged maw. Aspara snickers, withdrawing her hand to cover her mouth in hopes of not waking him, while Rumina rolls over and starts searching for his camera in the duffel bag they brought, cackling openly. Withdrawing his prize and aiming it, grinning like a loon while crouched over poor peaceful Piccolo, a thrill of happiness shot through his heart and settled in his stomach, a pleasant warmth.
Rumina supposed he might be up for maybe one, just one, more lake day…