It was a hot summer day in San Campion. After the defeat of the Choten. And no sign of any activity beyond the veil or in town, everything seemed to go back to normal. Well, if you count normal with training with powerful creatures beyond any imagination in duels.
Ray was sitting against a tree sketching an image of Squeaky the Scaradorable cuddling her duelist. Said duelist, Ally was busy rubbing Squeaky's head and stomach. Cooing at her.
Ray knew Allie was close to Squeaky. Why not? They practically bonded together ever since the fire realm incident. Gabe was discussing with Gargle till he took his phone again. Running around to chase after the small water creature. Ray had Tatsurion. A fire creature, with an ill temper. Also, known as Bob.
Bob was half nature and half fire. Considered a double breed from Ray's perspective. Bob yawned knowing since there were no reports or sightings of creatures breaching the veil, there wasn't much to do. He couldn't really comprehend the idea of relaxing like how his human companions were.
He looked over to Ray still seeing him sketch. Bob nudged his head forward to see how he does it. As his last attempt wasn't the best in his opinion. According to Ray, it was good. He saw him do an outline of small shapes. Then make the outlines darker. Erasing some parts then put in the image's features.
Hearing a slight yelp. They turned their heads to see Gabe soaked. Gargle laughing. Or what was similar to a laugh. "Well to be fair it was hot out." Allie comments. "G-abriel hot?" Gargle questions. Making Allie and Ray bust out laughing. "What?" Gabe demanded. "It was kinda funny Gabe. Didn't mean to be rude." The response was a splash of water in the face.
Ray was laughing. Till he was sprayed. "Gabe! No fair! Allie and I can't defend ourselves!" He joked. Bob didn't understand what was happening. A water creature spraying you is pretty much an insult. Either telling the victim to back off or to agitate them. Yet somehow they were laughing.
As the sun was at its highest peak. It started getting too warm in their spot. They decided to pack up and get home to cool down. Bob was used to heat. The fire realm was practically made of magma and fire itself. Still, he was a bit uncomfortable. Even with his armor. Yet he was used to it. "You ok Bob?" Ray asked. Bob yawned in response. Showing off his large canines. "I'm fine." Many people will cringe seeing those canines that are at least 12 inches. Ray cringes sometimes but he knows Bob won't hurt him.
After his joke about eating humans and saying he doesn't like the taste of them seeing that he scared his human companion. Ray knew not to mess with him. He remembers the joke about bacon tastes like humans after Ray lost his memories. Again. He knows Bob won't harm him purposely.
A loud crash gotten all of their attention. Bob raised his head in the air reaching his full height. "What was that?" Bob sniffed the air gagging in disgust. "Darkness. It may be a Tarborg."
"Tarborg? You mean like Fumes?" Allie asked. "Probably. What else smells like death rotting in the sun?" Bob asked. The children shivered and slightly gagged. Bob had it worse. His sense of smell surpasses a bloodhound according to Ray. The smell nearly made him throw up in his mouth. Though he was used to things rotting in the fire realm. Yet, they were burned to a crisp. Not much smell other than cooked dead flesh.
Bob picked Ray up and put him on his back and Allie and Gabe went on Squeaky's. They ran towards the smell to see traces of mud and debris. "Other than the trials of mud, do you know where the Tarborg went?"
Bob sniffed the air and gagged. "North-East."
"You ok Bob?" Ray asked. Bob grunted in response. Ray knows how bad the smell was. After taking a long shower to get the mud and smell out the time he dueled with Fumes. Bob sniffed him once and said he smelled of decay. Even with the "strange smelling scents" as what Bob called deodorant, didn't help the smell at all. It only made it bearable but not any better.
The Tarborg stumbled slightly as it walked through the woods getting tree branches, leaves and other materials stuck in its grotesque barely solid body. Bob charged roaring up a blaze to get its attention. Knowing some information about Tarborgs, they don't react much. They stand there as if in a daze. The creature turned around and stared dumbly at the fire creature. Or Bob assumed it stared dumbly. It didn't react. It just stood there.
Then it raised its arms shooting blobs of its body at them. Gabe and Allie managed to dodge as Ray blocked the attack with the mana shield. Bob, and Squeaky were almost lucky but some of the residue splattered on them.
Squeaky made a meow like noise as she didn't like the muck on her fur. Bob, wasn't pleased as some hit his muzzle. He wanted to gag as it felt awful and sticky. It even smelled worse up close. He growled and wiped it off. He knew his chains won't do much damage as it will slip through its mucky body. Using fire? Probably. He pulled out a tourette and was about to blast it when Ray yelled no. "Bob, we can't use the rockets or any fire. We don't need to cover up a forest fire!"
Bob groaned as it meant that he had to hit it with his claws. Understand, he loves an old fashioned duel. But Tarborgs were nothing but mud, to a fire creature that is an embarrassment also disgusting. Squeaky casted bats at the Tarborg. It didn't react as much as it should as Gabe noticed it was mostly stiff. "Guys, I think it's the heat!" "Uh,what?" Allie asked in confusion. "The Tarborg is made of a substance similar to mud right? And what does heat do to mud?"
"Are we having a science lesson right now?" They asked. Gabe groaned. "It will dry it up turning it to clay. It can't move." It shot another mud attack. "Well barely."
"Good enough for me." Bob said. He charged again to hopefully knock it down. "Bob, maybe we can get it into sunlight. To dry it out and weaken it." "Maybe. But its body is barely solid." The Tarborg shot acid at them causing Ray to block the attack and then it spewed fumes at them blocking Bob's eye sight. He ran into the Tarborg in blind anticipation and managed to get the gunk all over his body.
Squeaky was hit as well. Roaring in disgust. Gargle came up with a contraption to generate light to dry the beast out and banish it. He could see due to the smog. "I can't see!" Ray yelled. Covering his eyes the best he can. Bob's nose burned as he inhaled the smog.
"Rock and loaded," Gargle said as he made other gibberish noise. He took aim and luckily shot the creature banishing it successfully. The smog cleared showing Bob trying to rub his eyes as mud got into them. Ray jumped down from Bob's back to see what was wrong with his eye. "Bob don't rub it. It'll make it worse." Bob grunted. "I can't see," Gabe gave Ray a water bottle as he asked for one to hopefully clear up the muck. He unscrewed the cap. It was cold to the touch. This will be fun. Ray thought. "Hold still Bob." He told the creature. He gently held the bottle over his eye to rinse it. When cold water hit his fur he growled. "I know you don't like water. But this is the only way to do it. Sorry that its cold." Ray told him. He put some in his hand and gently rubbed it against Bob's fur and eye. Clearing as much mud as he can so Bob can at least look at the boy out of that eye.
"Squeaky, your fur is covered too. Man, you think a bath is needed for them?" Allie asked. "Well it is possible. But how? Bob can barely stand a bottle of water on his fur. No less a hose." Gabe interjected as they watch Ray rub the mud off Bob's eye. When the mud finally cleared, he was able to open his eye again.
"You ok?" "I'm fine." He grunted. Noting all the gunk and Tarborg substances all over his body. "Great. Just great." Ray smiled. "I think you need a bath. I don't think it's a good idea to have that stuff all over you during this heat."
Bob groaned. Sure. He didnt mind baths in the fire realm. It was because they don't use water. They use magma. It burned all the nasty stuff on their bodies and it felt warm. To humans. Water was necessary. They're skins are fragile and they burn to a crisp. And Bob hates water. All fire realm creatures do!
"Like or not but we have to. Besides I doubt you want to smell like Tarborg when you go back." Ray smiled at him.
He lamented. It can't be that bad, right? "Alright. I'll let you bath me." "This will be fun..." Allie muttered under her breath.
Allie took them to the beach that was in front of her house. The boat house a few miles away. "Ok my dad isn't here. And I have a few buckets and hoses." Allie announced. The waves clashed into the sand.
"Ok Squeaky, bath time!" She cooed. The chimera squeaked. Gargle grabbed some hoses other materials to make another contraption to hopefully bath them. Mainly Bob. The children changed their clothes so if they get drenched it wouldn't be their normal ones and they would have something to change into.
Allie grabbed the buckets and some dish soap. "Um...how is Dawn dish soap supposed to help?" Ray asked. "Well it's used for cleaning tough grime. Also its not harmful to animals. They use it to clean animals that were part of oil spills." Gabe explains.
They filled the buckets with water and soap. "Ok Squeaky hold still." Allie grabed a sponge and started washing off the mud. Ray grabbed a bucket himself. Bob took his armor off to make sure that the armor itself would be clean also, allow Ray to wash the muck off effectively.
Gargle seemed lucky in Bob's opinion. He didn't get drenched also he's a water creature. He can wash himself. "I don't like this Ray." Bob said. "I know Bob. And I promise that I will try not to spray you in the face." He said with a laugh.
Bob gave him a glare that didn't last long when Ray placed the sponge in the water and placed it on his forearm. Bob moved his arm as the water was cold. Ray scrubbed his arm from the muck. It was lot sticker than expected. When Ray had to scrub this stuff off himself. It stuck like gum to hair. Ray thought this would be the case for Bob's fur.
Bob tried not to flinch or move away as Ray washed him. The Tarborg muck was stronger than expected. Ray then grabbed a hose and sprayed his arm and side to get it off as the soap fought back the grime.
He saw that Squeaky was struggling not to run away from Allie as she washed her. Lucky for her, her fur is softer and much easier to clean. Bob's fur and skin was much tougher as his home was nothing more than heat.
His thoughts were interrupted as Ray sprayed his arm and side. "Gah! Ray!" "Allie no fair!" Ray shouted as he tried to defend himself. Bob noticed as both of them engaged in a water fight. Screaming and laughing. "Guys c'mon. We need to finish-" Then he was sprayed. Causing them all to laugh.
Bob didn't get it. Yet his skin didn't feel like it was burning as it was before. "Ok. Ok, truce!" Gabe laughed. Ray went back to washing Bob again. Allie back to Squeaky. Gabe was sitting with Gargle as he observed the sea life nearby.
"Hey Allie, do you have another sponge? It seems this one isn't doing much." Ray asked. "Well, we have the ones with bristles. That might work." Allie responded. She went to grab the bristled one and Ray scrubbed Bob's arms, stomach and chest. Ray heard a rumbling sound. He ignored it. He continued with scrubbing his stomach. The strange rumble continued.
Bob had to keep calm. The constant rubbing gestures made him feel queasy. He tried not to squirm. He didn't want to scare Ray. However, he wanted him to stop yet wanted him to continue.
Its nothing inappropriate. It was similar to petting a dog on its stomach. The fire creature couldn't prevent the rumbling sound and tried not to...well purr. If you can call it purring.
Ray kept noting of the strange sounds. Is Bob doing that? Allie came back with the bristled sponge. He thanked Allie and dumped it into the bucket. Ray started scrubbing Bob's neck. The strange rumbling sound continued. But much louder this time. He scrubbed the sides of his neck.
Bob had some difficulty trying not to embarrass himself. Oh ancestors. It was bad enough to be called barebottom. Now this?! This can't be happening right now! Ray then started scrubbing under Bob's chin.
Ray noted the strange sounds again and again. A lot of mud on his muzzle. He dunked the sponge again and placed it under his chin and scrubbed it gently. As a result, Bob made a strange purr and his body shook slightly. Ray stopped for a moment to listen. He even felt it in his bones judging how loud it was.
Ray did something he never thought he do. He scratched Bob's chin. The rumbling continued. Ray chuckled. He couldn't believe it. Doubt he will ever do it again. That's one way to get Bob to calm down for a bath.