Hello! Son Gohan and his friends. Babidi Saga (Chapter 17)
Videl
"Animal handler? What are you, Tarzan?"
"Hey, the pay is good. And we were at Capsule Corp, we know some of the people there." Videl barked back as they sat on the couch in her apartment, dadless. They rustled through countless applications and Erasa scanned all of them. Her lips pursed outward and she made a face at her Bestie.
"Capsule Corp. atrium handler do be kinda paying doe."
"That's what I'm sayin'. It's really not bad. I just hope I don't get stepped on by a T-Rex or something because I'm pretty sure they deadass have one."
"What a way to go." She said, standing up and proclaiming to the world but really to the only other person in the room. "Videl, 17, local Orange Star City resident, stomped to death by a dinosaur before even finishing high school."
"Brutalll~" Videl laughed out as she rocked back and forth on the comfy grey couch.
Erasa smiled before looking down at the application.
"Hol' the fugg ub."
"What?" Videl asked, getting way too nosey and shoving her face directly onto the page, totally not giving herself any space to actually see what was on it.
"There's more than one of these spots open. Do I go down and get a job at Capsule Corp?"
"I mean if you don't it's gonna be boring as hell so~" Videl responded as she tore her face away from the page.
"Sounds good to me."
The pair shot goofy but earnest smiles at each other before running out the door to the apartment and into the open ended nature of the front of Orange Star Highschool, the morning sun just barely coming up in time as they strolled through the doors.
"So I guess we just wait for the call back then?"
"Nah, I'm gonna call Bulma up."
"What!? You have her number?"
"No, … but Gohan does."
Erasa's jaw dropped.
"Yeah, you're right. Okay. I guess I'll holler at him too. He's in my first period."
"Get on that, and text it to me."
"100." Erasa claimed as they separated, waved each other off and Erasa entered the classroom.
Videl marched along the swimming school halls filled to the brim with tired and energetic teens all the same. She sat down at the back of the class, clinical blacks and glassy test tubes and vials spread around the room as she looked down at her phone for the number.
Redacted
She didn't say anything at the number on screen but a smile did break out before the bell rang, signalling class to start and the yammering on of a Biology teacher relaying the importance of life and the many facets it takes on. Most of the hour fell away like usual but something caught her attention near the very end of the period.
"And as of recently it has come to the attention of many scientists and physiologists that perhaps there is more to life than what we have currently been studying. Even so far back as 300 years ago there have been sightings and claims of certain special individuals, namely martial artists that have gone above what humans traditionally claim as normal. While unable to rationalise the data so far studies indicate that the many tournament martial arts series might in fact be somewhat based in reality. People speculate that the energy or aura, that these martial artists are able to utilise is a concept that comes from chinese mythology called Chi."
Bu-Bo-Be-Bu-Bu-Be-Bo-Bu~
"Looks like my time is up but people have noticed that globally, every single police force has in fact increased in their efficiency to solve, report, and reduce all manner of crime." The teacher relayed as her students started shifting and packing their bags. "Perhaps they know of this phenomenon. Have a good rest of your day."
Videl grabbed tightly at her bag, visions of her father miming mystical auras of long since past. She sighed from the chest and plodded along the running stream of kids and teenagers to get to her second segment of schooling. Like usual, she and Gohan met in front of the door, not because they waited for each other but that's just how it seemed to line up.
"Hey, Videl."
A smile formed on her face and she grabbed at the back of his black vest and pulled him out of the way of the door.
"Hey!"
"Snooze, ya lose." She taunted, waltzing through the doorframe and hobbling up the steps to their wall seats.
Gohan filed in just behind and sat to her right as always. Before class got started she asked the question.
"So have you been near the dinosaurs and stuff?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"At Capsule Corp."
"... Oh... You mean the atrium?"
"Mmhmm."
"Erasa asked about that, said she was thinking about applying for a job there and wanted Bulma's number. I don't think she'll mind."
"..."
"Are you looking for a job there, too?"
"Yeah."
"I think Dr. Brief would appreciate that. He's been working on a new project I think so he hasn't been able to put in as much time with the animals."
"It's a good look for me then."
Gohan just shrugged his shoulders.
"Good luck with the job."
"I don't need any luck, I practically have it in the palm of my hand." She replied with a smug smirk, leaning back deep into the shoddy school chair and crossing her arms behind her back.
"..."
"Now you're gonna have to deal with this stuff everyday so you might want to bring a mask. Here, I have extras but for your own sake you'll probably want to bring your own." The father of Bulma stated to the two girls as he brought out some gas masks, some shovels, and a few capsules.
Videl and Erasa stared wide eyed at the giant brown pile of 'matter' stinking up the grass.
"We're picking up Dinosaur poop?" Erasa asked, the mound standing taller than her.
"Mmhmm. It's easy to put it in capsules but I want to use this, cause it's great fertiliser on the plants in the greenhouse so I need you two to shovel some of it to separate and then categorise it. After that, go ahead and pour it on all the plants in the back."
Videl and Erasa simply had nothing to say as the old man grinned ear to ear, his mustache unable to hide his happy eyes. He patted them on the back and left the premises on his electric scooter.
Vwirrrrrrrr~
Videl and Erasa just shot one look at each other before the daughter of Hercule shoved her shovel into her friend's hands.
"This one's all you, Bestie. Go out there and girlboss."
"Bruh."
Sharpner
Darkness enveloped everything. Only a single sparse line of light trickling with faint dust drawing vertically. Heavy breaths kept quiet by sheer determination.
Bu-Bo-Be-Bu-Bu-Be-Bo-Bu~
"Whaddoya know? Galaxy Brain ain't on time again today neitha'. I tell ya. I have halfa mind ta jus' throw that boy outta this classroom!"
A chorus of teen aged giggles rocked the room but before they could finish their indulgence the closet doors opened and Sharpner revealed himself like a superhero tearing off his civilian garbs to show the true colours of his heroism.
"Hah!?"
The class burst out laughing as Sharpner declared as loud as could be.
"Got your ass! I'm on Time, today!"
"Da nose, knows. How in the hell did you get in there without me…"
Sharpner's cocky grin only grew sharper as he bulged out of the clearly unfitting orange blazer lining his frame.
"Boy, thoseain'tyourclothes!"
Smack!
Sharpner and the rest of the class couldn't contain their excitement as Konkichi smacked him into next week, forcing the blonde youth to shed 'his' orange jacket and make a pathway up the stairs. He collected high-fives and grinned wide, making eye contact with his friends at the top row before being halted by a:
"Look out!" Gohan shouted from the top rope, alerting to the fact that:
Fshuun! WHAMM!
Their teacher had thrown the book at him.
"Nice try, teach~"
WHAMM!
"HAHAHAHA~"
"Nah. You get your butt down here in the Konkichi section, young man." He relayed, tapping his fox finger down at the middle table in the first row, directly opposite of his podium. "You're not sitting back up there until you learn how to behave."
"Ooooooo~"
"You're in troubleee~"
"Nice goin', Sharpie!" Erasa yelled across the way, falling back into her seat with dumb chuckles.
"You gettin' comfy there, Galaxy Brain?"
Sharpner neglected to answer, just smiling and sitting astutely opposite the teacher.
Bu-Bo-Be-Bu-Bu-Be-Bo-Bu~
The day progressed as normal, well, as normal as one could call it before the bombshell dropped.
"I don't see you going anywhere in this class."
Sharpner's brow slammed into the roof, and he stared back at the ever so slightly withering skin of Ms. Amaguri.
"Huh? I even switched electives, talked to my counselor and everything."
Her eyes ushered in an icy glare that couldn't be dissuaded, the words he wished to say:
"Fucking bitch."
didn't dare leave his mouth, one part common sense, another part pure intimidation. He steeled himself after getting stared through and he shook his hands somewhat trying to conjure up the necessary verbiage.
"Why not?"
"You want me to sugar coat it, doll?"
"Nah, brah. Give it to me straight, doc."
"Your acting is just terrible. You come in late most days, you can't find your way around a script or a stage to save your life. Your chemistry with most of the other students that aren't Gohan is average at best and an absolute slog to sit through at worst, which is most of the time by the way."
"Damn! Layin' it on a bit thick, ain't we, teach?"
"You told me to tell it to you straight. Even with most of the school year still left to go, the only way I could see you playing any major part is if you practiced over the break and somehow became a star. And I definitely don't see that happening, especially if you can't be bothered to show up to class on time. Now, you can still help with the props, dressing, and set design because we always need extra hands."
"I ain't doin' that! That's for lames!"
"Then go ditch this class and do something else like every other boy in here besides Gohan and Chapu did. I'm not signing you up for Paris, or Tybalt."
"But those roles are the only ones that hit." He fought back, bending over a bit as she walked back to her office at the end of the dimly lit room. Sharpner hit his open left palm with the back of his right trying to convince her.
"We're done here, Sharpner. Either find some other way to be useful or pick up another class. I'm sure with your Amazing argumentative skills you might be able to persuade a counselor to let you switch this late in the semester."
Slamm!
With the door in his face, and a cacophony of drama students reading their lines, mostly schoolgirls, Sharpner breathed out a long, and increasingly vitriolic grunt.
"Gohan!"
"Hey! What's up?"
"Am I bad at acting!?"
"... What do you mean?"
"Am I good or not, it's a simple question!"
"You're alright, why do you ask?"
"Amaguri isn't gonna let me read for Tybalt or Paris!"
"What?"
"Yeah! That's what I said!"
"But…" Gohan let out exasperated, letting his script flop onto the galaxy coloured carpet. "We did Awesome in that last bit."
"I know! It's the only reason this silly little story is worth a damn!"
Gohan's air of allyism turned on a dime and he side eyed Sharpner's assertion.
"..."
"..."
"My fault, I was heated." The blonde youth reiterated, flopping the script around.
"Did she just say you couldn't?"
"Yeah…"
"Well she sorta said the same thing to me too. Just kind of at the whimsy of our tyrannical overlord on this one." Erasa chimed in from the table, the light from early midday striking off her green tube top.
"No. That's not how it works."
"What do you mean, Gohan? She's the teacher. You just think you're good because she gave you Romeo."
"She gave me Romeo because I stood up for myself."
Erasa grit her teeth and sucked in a bit of air as Gohan marched across the room her direction.
"Okay, let me rephrase, that came out wrong. Look, I think… your perspective seems more correct because you happened to get Romeo. I think you're a good actor and everything but I don't think you'd try and stand up for us if you got… I dunno, Balthasar. He doesn't have many lines, you're uhh… biased! Yeah, biased."
"I don't think so."
"Look, Sharpner, this guy doesn't think so."
From an upside down smile to an upside down frown, Sharpner finally let the last bit of anger and trepidation flutter form his face and he shook his head from the comment.
"If you want a better part, you have to fight for it."
"Is it worth it though? She's kind of a bidge, no cap." She replied, hands on either side of her head and smooshing her cheeks together.
"..."
Sharpner just clicked his tongue and looked to turn around, about to straight up ditch class were it not for the warm hand on his shoulder.
"..?"
"We're getting you that part, Sharpner."
"Really? Cause she thinks I'm not good enough. She's the one that does the casting, brah. How am I-"
"We just prove to her that she's wrong. Are you interested in coming over after school to practice?"
"Practice? Brah! I got way better stuff to do then-"
It wasn't even Gohan, but the piercing pair of blue eyes behind him, sitting on the table, full of doubt.
"Alright, fine. Maybe."
"I think you do great with the action scenes, we'll just have to sharpen up the other stuff. No big deal." Gohan claimed, patting down the boy's shoulder once more.
"Okay."
Gohan
The warm familiar feeling of the wood accompanied by the tantalising aroma of home cooked meals from mother pushed into Gohan's senses as he breached the door from a long day.
"Tell me about your day~" Chi-Chi turned on a dime, coming in close and looking up at her son in earnest, Gohan standing a fair bit taller than her at this point, still growing.
"Huh-heh-heh. It was nothing, mom, honest. Not everyday something interesting happens. Sharpner found a new way to get into class, I guess. He somehow got into Mr. Konkichi's classroom earlier than he did. I don't even know how he would have done that." Gohan replied as he rubbed the back of his ever growing hair.
"I don't like you hanging out with that boy, Gohan. He sounds like a delinquent. A nice boy knows how to manage his time." She remarked, grabbing onto both sides of her son's hair.
"He's good, mom. You don't need to worry."
"You need a haircut, young man."
"Do I?"
"You are starting to look like a delinquent."
Gohan just smiled before breaking away and walking towards his room, he opened the door and revealed both Goten and Trunks, jamming out on some toys on the ground.
"Hey guys."
"Vrowww~ hey, Gohan."
"Hi, Gohan!"
"And then, and then~ he runs over your entire army. No one survives."
"Hey! Nu-uh! They've got uhh… force field!"
"What? Force field!?" Trunks shouted as he stood up from the many little action figures standing attention over the 'battlefield' which was really just a carpet. "I wouldn't have pushed if I knew there was a force field! I take that back!"
"No takesies backsies! Hyahaha~"
"..."
Trunks watched with a mean mug as Goten picked up his own big superhero guy off the carpet and looked to do battle with his own piece.
"Myguyhasforcefieldtoo!" He shouted at the last moment as the two roided out bits of plastic clashed and threw in the middle of the air.
"No way!"
Gohan stepped around their conflict and settled into the desk across the way, pulling out one of the drawers, getting his pens and pencils together before shuffling through his backpack and getting out the script, folded and messy in the many items he held, shoving Romeo and Juliet onto the wooden countertop so that it would realign despite its many folded edges. The boys' rambunctiousness behind him pulled a smile to the forefront but soon enough he lost himself in the pages and read and reread every part, not just for his own role. As he drifted away, reality pulled back at him as the two kids shoved their bodies on either side of him, sticking their noses into it.
"Whatcha' readin'?"
"Nah, it's cap, Goten. He's doing homework."
"... Uhh… I'm reading Shakespeare." He commented, lifting up the script.
"What is that?" Goten asked as he landed back down on the ground.
Gohan scooted his chair away from the desk and stood up tall.
"Well. It's like make believe. Like you do with your toys."
"Really!?"
"Yeah."
"Can I do it!?"
"Sure, Goten."
"Yes!"
The trio spent the day reading out their lines and despite the hiccups of the strange old English dialect, the boys did fine, but really only because Gohan ran them through the various action scenes, Gohan taking the fall of course. The boys laughed it up as they pulled Gohan from the carpet and Chi-Chi called them for dinner.
"Sounds like us."
"Yeah!"
"You're going to stay for dinner, right Trunks?"
"Yes, Mrs. Goten's mom."
She stared down with laser-like precision, the motherly gaze shooting into his soul and forcing an automatic:
"Yes, Chi-Chi." to fall out of his mouth as he hopped up onto the table.
The would-be family of four turned into five as the son of Bulma joined them in their nightly ritual as the owls hooted, and the pterodactyls tore across the skies like shooting stars.
The simple start of the school year turned from days to weeks. Time slipping by ever faster than most mortals are comfortable with when they actively spend the time to reflect where they've been.
"More gusto!"
"Gusto?" Sharpner raised a brow, tilting his head as he side eyed Gohan, the both of them running through their script just outside Grandpa Gohan's shack.
"Yes! From the chest, bro. You gotta bring it out, like a rapscallion!"
"Brah. Romeo's the villain. Why can't I sound like a suave gentleman?"
"... Huh. Alright. Give me smooth." He proclaimed, pushing his hand outward as the characteristic crunch of wheel on rock alerted the pair to an off-road traveler.
"Is that Erasa's car?"
Krrmmm~ Vrnn~ Gligcc. Klm.
"Hey guys!"
"Hey! You came!" Gohan shouted out as he jogged over to give her a hug.
"Well if you think you can get this guy to play Tybalt, maybe I can get a bigger part than just the freaking Apothecary."
"I'm really thinking about it, Gohan, and… why does Ms. Amagoopie even care so much? It's fuckin' high school, brah. We ain't broadway."
"Amaguri-"
"Idon'tgiveafuckGohan."
The eldest son of Son Goku nodded his head as the words flew out of the blonde teen's mouth.
"Yeah. That's what I'm saying. So what are we reading for?"
"We were just gonna run through The scene, ya know?"
"Ohh~ Romeo versus Tybalt?"
"Yup. You read for Mercutio"
"Got it." She replied back, a smirk creeping along her lips as she pulled out a rough, stapled together mess of a packet.
Gohan's schooling went on for a long time, as is the constant. Time breezed by for him, maybe not so much for the other students but Gohan was interested in every class he took, his intrigue and proficiency in all subjects was envied by the various students around him but he paid it no mind. The four friends got closer and closer, hanging out many times after school and always sitting together at lunch.
"You guys want to hang out today?" Gohan asked as he leaned against the tall tree casting shadows over the outside of the courtyard moments away from the double doors of the cafeteria.
"Nah, I got work."
"Same here." Erasa answered, looking the biscuit up and down for any oddities.
"Picking up dinosaur poop is just So important."
"What?" The eldest son questioned, not sure of what they just said.
Videl and Erasa just glanced at each other a single time and snickered.
There was a moment that cut through above everything. Gohan watched the two girls eat their food and instead of just eating his food, his eyes wandered. Both to them, and away from them out into the grassy field. He didn't move or anything but he got lost, deep in thought.
"I want to be with them…" The thought ran through his mind as he gazed over at Sharpner scarfing down his food. A smile broke out. "For a long time…"
Time slowed to a snail's pace as Gohan watched his friends simply eat the school food.
"My dad is lucky to have so many friends and keep them all for a lifetime. That's what I want. I want to be friends with them forever."
"Gohan?"
"Hmm?"
"You got a little…" Erasa prefaced, putting her index on his cheek and scratching off the breadcrumbs.
He blushed and forced a giggle out of the girls.
"..." Gohan smiled and looked down at the grass for a while, playing with it instead of finishing the rest of his food.
Yamcha
"Hey Yamcha?" Gohan asked as he strolled out to the loft, gazing down at the man watching TV lazily.
"What's up, Gohan? Long time no see."
"Yeah umm… I just had a couple of questions."
"Okay, shoot." He answered back, turning the television down all the way and shifting his full attention to the boy.
"Bulma and my mom mentioned a couple times that you were basically a small time celebrity back in the day because of baseball."
He shook his head and laughed a bit.
"Yeah, and?"
"Well I was wondering how you deal with a bunch of girls at the same time cause Bulma said they were all over you."
"No way!" Yamcha almost knocked the couch over as he stood up and rocked the son of Son Goku by his shoulders, chuckling up a storm as he did so. "Son Gohan the player! Atta boy!"
"No, Yamcha… this is not good. I don't want to be a heartbreaker!"
The Wolf pivoted on the back foot and waltzed away with his hands held high.
"Alas, being so sexy does have some downsides, Gohan. Just choose the one you want more and tell the others to-" He mimed the pirate's execution with his thumb.
"But they are both very nice ladies."
"Wow! So you are a player."
"I don't want to go out on dates with both to figure it out, they'd just call me a scumfuck then both dump me!"
"Hagh-Hagh! Good luck, killer!" He shouted, leaving the loft through the metal grating of the stairwell.
"Yamcha! Please!"
Raditz
Gohan rubbed Icarus' nose which in turn ushered out some cutesy coos. The eldest son smiled and fed the purple dragon some fruit and left her alone as he walked into The Saiyan's workout room, the man himself pushing out rep after rep of bench press. Gohan waited for a while, not wanting to interrupt but his feet did tap at the edge of him the whole time.
"What is it, nephew? Could you hand me that towel? … Thank you."
Gohan stepped back a bit as his uncle stood to his full height, looming over him.
He explained the situation.
"So do any of them do sports or fight?"
"If what I remember is right, Videl does boxing and her dad Hercule is a cop."
"Then just choose that one, she'll pass down good Saiyan genes. I gotta hit my next set, Gohan."
"I'll come hit a set too…"
"..."
The nephew watched as his uncle slammed the weights, just going at it as the sun stained orange petered into the apartment from his sliding glass window.
"Hey, Raditz?"
"..." The Saiyan let out a snorting snicker as he banged out the last repetition. He locked up the iron and sat up straight on the bench. His wicked warrior smile broke out into a fit of laughter as he prefaced. "I can tell. You want to learn more about the heritage."
"..." Gohan only smiled back.
"I knew it. It'd been a while since you asked questions."
"Well… I don't know. I just… I have a lot of…" He placed his palm on his face, cheeks red. "Thoughts."
"HA-HA-HA!"
"Don't laugh…"
"It's okay, boy! I was beginning to wonder if you or Kakarot were men at all!" He shook the room with chuckles as he slapped Gohan on the chest, only furthering the boy's embarrassment. "But, considering my brother now has two little ones running around I suppose I now know the answer myself! HA-HA-HA!"
"Why did I do this to myself..?" The nephew of Raditz questioned out loud, much to the amusement of The Saiyan.
"Saiyans have a lot of testosterone, boy. That's what builds muscle and what builds character. It might feel a little punishing if you have no release but ultimately that's a good thing even if it might not feel like it right now."
"..."
"What else you got?"
"Well… this one was just more for my curiosity than anything." Gohan stated as he backed off and sat on the stool in front of the countertop.
"Well?" He asked, crossing his burly arms.
"Is there Saiyan lore… or myth?"
"..."
"I was reading Shakespeare and learning a lot of stuff I didn't know in history class and I just got to thinking. It would be awesome to like… I don't know, publish a book on Saiyan history or something."
Raditz paused, and then a killer grin ran along his face.
"Yes, boy. There is one."
"What is it?"
Gohan's eyes twinkled like Kakarot's. He might not have been a one for one recreation, but he was definitely that man's son. The child-like wonderment for learning was right there.
"The Super Saiyan."
"Super Saiyan?"
"Some call it The Legendary Super Saiyan, some call it Super Saiyan God."
"Wow."
"Many accounts are mixed and muddled together. We only know one thing. The Super Saiyan definitely existed."
"... Do we know who?"
"It is the only thing we Do know. Some say that he transformed at the light of the full moon, just like an Oozaru. Others claimed he ascended due to the sorcery of early Saiyans, a forgotten age of magic once the Saiyans became strong enough to conquer with only their fists. Some say he could only transform when his anger reached a peak."
"..."
"Some stories say that his hair turned a neon green. Others… red, a deep, ominous red. But most Saiyans like the interpretation that his body would transform into a glimmering gold. The man's hair spiked up and glittered like gemstones."
"Whoa…"
"His name was Yamoshi."
Bulma
In the Capsule Corp. garage Bulma yammered away both at the machine up above and the man sitting right next to her with his heart on his sleeve.
"I think there are two girls who like me and I think I like both of them. So what do I do?"
"Just choose the one that's in your heart." She answered, tightening the bolt up above.
"But how do I know which one, Bulma?"
"The one that you feel the most comfortable around is always the best."
Gohan felt something hit his chest. Erasa was nice, anybody would be happy with her but there was something about the way that Videl fought back and pushed against him. Perhaps it's Saiyan nature or something else entirely that cannot be rationally explained.
The Half-Saiyan looked down at his non-weathered palm.
"They both sound like nice girls so if you go around and break any hearts I'll be very disappointed in you, Gohan." She said, staring into his soul as he gazed up just in time to get shafted.
"Yes, ma'am."
Goku
Goku practiced beautiful katas by the fishing hole near Grandpa Gohan's shack, the one named after him standing just behind.
"Well I just chose your mom cause she said we were supposed to get married. You're smarter than me son." He claimed, turning around and putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. A smile broke across Goku's face.
He had to look up to lock eyes with his son now.
"So I Know you'll make the right choice."
"Thanks, dad."
Tien
"Why are you asking me this stuff, Gohan?"
Fwuuuuu~
"Because I respect all of you guy's opinions, Tien."
"Which one has bigger breasts?"
"... Erasa."
"Which one has the better ass?"
"Videl."
"Then choose your preference."
"Isn't that misogynisti-"
"Gohan?"
"..?"
"Shut the fuck up."
"..."
"The fact that you could answer me so expediently means that you're looking." Tien claimed, pointing his index against the Half-Saiyan's chest. Gohan just blushed.
"But choosing like that feels wrong, though…"
"Well if you can actually choose then choosing your preference is only logical."
"Yeah…"
"Nah, I was just playing with you, choose the one that gives you more sass. That makes the relationship more dynamic and engaging."
"Ahh, I see."
"I prefer ass myself but realistically you can grind out a booty with training whereas you can't really do the same with boobs." He mimed, pressing his hands against his massive bodybuilder chest together.
Gohan took on a thought provoking pose and let his eyes wander into the blizzardy wasteland.
"Hmm, I hadn't thought about it like that."
Piccolo
"I have nothing to say about these simple quandaries. I think it's foolish that you even brought it up."
"Heheh. My bad, Piccolo." The son of Son Goku exhaled, leaning over the calm stream of water that flowed just below the meditating Namekian.
"If there is anything I can say, it would be to continue as you have been until the time feels right. You have to make your move, whatever it may be, when victory is assured. No sooner, no later. If you cannot find the right balance, then there is no way you can win."
"..."
The trickling of water caressed around the rocks as Piccolo closed his eyes and moved the stream with his mind.
"Thanks, Piccolo." Gohan stated as he hopped over the rocks and embraced The Green Man in a tight hug.
"Release me, Mongrel!" He shouted to the heavens, his green skin looking particularly tomatoed just under his sunken eyes.
Gohan
"What are you doing here, kid? You already break their hearts?" Bulma asked as the eldest son banged up the stairwell and stared at her.
"What? No! Nonono~" The kid cowered and waved his hands back and forth with defensive flare.
"I was about to say."
"Heheh~ I just want to know where you think would be a good place to take someone out."
"Oh wow~ we got that far already?"
"Nooo~"
"Oh. Shame."
"I've never been on a date before so I just don't know where I'd take someone."
"Dream Land. Easy."
"Dream Land?"
"Mmhmm." She mumbled, turning her attention back at the little device on the marble countertop of the loft. "It's an amusement park. I think most people would love to go play around and ride on the rides, boy or girl."
"Boy or girl?"
"I mean I'm not gonna pry, Gohan. I don't care if you're a little on the uhh… well I guess if you batted for the other team."
"Of course."
"..." She pulled down her glasses just slightly and locked eyes with Gohan.
"And there wouldn't be anything wrong with it."
She nodded and returned to her work on the laptop. The Half-Saiyan came in close and hugged her tight before opening the balcony door, shutting it with a modest display of force and leaping out into the aether. The Nimbus flew in from below and caught the kid.
The next day, friday. Every school student's favourite day of the week.
Videl and Erasa watched as Sharpner and Gohan gabbed at the edge of the cafeteria, the blonde youth opening it for the both of them with his backside before turning around and making his way to the tree.
"Hey!"
"Hey."
Gohan's eyes couldn't help but dart between all three friends and his mouth opened. It took a little longer than even he expected, as evident by the fact that all three of his buddies stared back with goofy cantors already at the ready.
"You good over there, brah?" Shaprner prefaced as he slapped Gohan's chest.
"Yeah uh… you guys want to go to Dream Land?"
"Yo! That would be sick!"
"You got gas money, Gohan?" Erasa asked. "I always take us Everywhere."
"No, I could take… us."
"You have a car, Gohan?" Videl asked from across the tree.
The pair locked eyes but Gohan averted his.
"Why did I say that?" He thought. "I was, I was just gonna say… No. I Am gonna say it. I have to try again. Okay." "Ahemn!"
His loud throat clear got Erasa hype, she laughed a bit and slapped Videl's shoulder.
"Here comes some Shakespeare, Bestie. He's Romeo in this year's play."
"Really?" She giggled back before it came out and floored everyone.
Gohan was the only one still standing out of the four of them, gripping tightly to the cafeteria plate in his hand.
"I'm very excited you all want to come, and I do want you guys to go but that's not what I meant to say. Videl-"
"..."
"Will You go out with me?"
Chi-Chi
"She's not a delinquent, mom."
"Nonsense! All of those delinquent girls are scared away by your honesty! That's a fact!"
"I just did it like a goofball. Maybe she would have said yes if I didn't but I probably did it all wrong." He caved, slumping his face and then his fist into the kitchen dinner table.
"Well how'd you do it?"
Gohan turned his face slightly askew so that his mother could lock eyes with his left specifically. He took in a deep breath and:
"She said no, mom. That's really all that matters."
"Aww, don't be so hard on yourself, baby."
"I'm not. I just want to take a minute to think about it." The eldest son of Son Goku claimed as he backed out of his seat and picked himself up.
Earrrrn~
"I'm gonna go out for a while, save some dinner for when I get back."
"Be careful! And don't do anything foolish!"
Gohan let out a few laughs, the colour already returning to his face as he opened the front door.
"I won't."
Gohan
Gohan looked down at his phone, a group chat full of messages from his three best friends, empty as could be. His Nimbus cloud strung along the air with its orange line following far behind for miles. It caressed and coddled the windstream, toting Gohan's thin Half-Saiyan frame towards West City. He put his head in his hand and got closer to the giant blue orb in the sky. It was like a springboard toy of some kind only titanic in stature, towering over even the many West City skyscraper apartment complexes.
Are we still down for Dream Land?
Minutes went by and there was no response. Not anything from Erasa, nothing from Sharpner, and a wicked fast speech bubble that Gohan missed as he had his attention stolen by a honking car at street level. The caressing cloudy apparition felt like magic on his back, the cool wind above the skyscrapers pressing into his skin gently. The eldest son of Son Goku watched the sun set on the glass orb atop Dream Land and was about to lull to sleep.
"Hey!"
Well he practically was asleep.
"Hey!"
"Whuh~" Gohan's body shot awake and past the cloud, the boy's frame falling off as The Nimbus raced to catch him.
Vwerrrt!
"Videl!? What are You doing here!?"
"... Nothing! It's just a coincidence!"
"Yeah! For sure! I totally believe you!"
"... Can you let me up there!?"
"What!? I can't hear you!"
"Bullshit!"
Gohan smiled as the cloud crept along at a snail's pace, leaving a squiggly line of orange in his wake, only forcing Videl's half-angry, half-amused smile to the surface.
"What's up?"
"Look. Sorry I was mean earlier but you put me on the spot like that, what was I supposed to do!?" She asked, looking up at the cloud.
"Maybe not say it like that."
The two recall the day's events previous.
"Will You go out with me?"
"..."
The memory shaky, warping as Videl's cheeks ran red. It was only three people but it felt like the weight of the world came crashing right onto Videl's shoulders as her friends all eyed her in that one moment.
"Go out with You? As if!"
"Oh shit!"
Sharpner's laughter only turned the knife in deeper as Gohan's jaw dropped and Erasa backed away, wincing as if she just got hit with the radiation of the blast.
They return back to reality.
"... Okay. Maybe I could have been less mean but I'm Still not going out with you."
"... Yeah. I got it."
"Are we cool?"
"..."
Gohan looked down at Videl's gloved hand and rosey cheeks.
"Yeah. We're cool."
The pair shook hands.
"So we're not going to Dream Land?"
Videl gazed up at the enormous tower casting its shadow unto them, the last bits of daylight walking the streets at its set.
"I mean maybe if You pay."
"Perhaps we can have that arranged."
"So are you going to let me up on that cloud or not?"
Gohan smiled and offered his hand, Videl accepted only to fall right through. The puffy cotton ball of orange parted as Gohan snickered and grabbed at the fingerless glove gripping her palm.
"What the hell..? GOHAN! You Did That On Purpose!"
"I didn't!" He claimed, his smile as bright as could be as he pulled her up and waved with his off hand. "Honest!"
"So what, this cloud is magic and you had nothing to do with it!?" She barked, her pigtails rocking out as she got in his face.
"Well I don't have Nothing to do with it. I could have told you only some people are allowed to ride the cloud."
Her butt started to slip through again, like she were too thin to be held together by a toilet seat. Gohan grabbed her hand again and the smokey apparatus they sat on came together again.
"Ayy! Hands off! Whoa~"
Vwernn!
"Videl. You need to hold onto me or you can't ride The Nimbus."
"What!?"
Gohan held her hand and stared into her eyes as he pulled her back up to the top level for the third time.
"Sharpner can't ride it either, it's no sweat. If you want to, you can just put your hand on my back and that counts."
Videl's furious face ran with a bright crimson across her cheeks as she puffed them up, stood tall, and placed her hand on Gohan's shoulder.
"There we go."
VYUUUUUUUUUuuuuuuuuuu~
Dream Land was a marvel on many aspects, due to the populated city's many skycars not everyone had to enter the tube from the bottom. Gohan's orange cloud skated along the air to get to the drive-in portion just near the gate on the left side. A few valets raised their brows at the doughy 'vehicle' as it came into view.
"Uhh, sir? Where do we park this?" They asked the eldest son of Son Goku as he neared the step-off point of the platform.
Gohan and then Videl's boots hit the blue metal flooring and The Nimbus whisked away on the wind.
"Sir, your ride..?"
"Oh, don't worry about it."
Videl skipped ahead and got to the ticket booth.
"Two adults please."
"That'll be~"
~Redacted~
Gohan fished some extras out of his pockets and looked out to the not-so-many inhabitants filing in from the elevator just behind them. Gohan paid and the pair walked through into the fluorescent light show beaming down on them through the tunnel, he peered out the blue coloured glass and watched West City's dusk wash over the tube tunnels, the skyscrapers, the street, and its citizens with a bit of glare glistening off of the glass windows of the many buildings far below. Videl stared at him the whole time as the escalator track pulled them along the rest of the way. He turned around but something took over and pulled her head to the glass on the other side, gazing aimlessly down at the city below.
Videl
"So..?"
"Shut Up. Just let me work."
"You're getting overly fussy. Perhaps even more fussy than usual, Bestie. Does this dino shid really have that kind of hold on you?"
"... No. We even get these masks." She pointed "I can't smell anything while I'm wearing this."
"Then what's up?"
"..."
Erasa leaned in close, all smiles.
"Nothing! That's what's up!"
"I don't think it is~" The blonde girl teased, waving her hands like she were casting a fecal incantation off of her bright blue gloves.
Videl took off her protective gear and rearranged the plants, checking her watch and clocking out as the boops and beeps of Capsule Corp. sounded off all around them, tiny machines whirring across the ground, T-Rex and many other creatures hounding the grounds just outside the greenhouse.
"Is it about Gohan?"
"... Give me a break."
"So if it's not then… I can go out with him?"
Her cheeks ran red but she held the line as best she could.
"What do I care if you do?" Erasa's Bestie turned her back in a huff, crossing her arms, her black pigtails waving wildly, dangerously next to the fertiliser.
"Relax, bruh. I'm kidding."
"Hmm."
"So why'd you say no?"
"I… I don't think he's boyfriend material."
"Really?"
"Nope."
"That's kinda… huh. I guess I woulda' just assumed we'd see eye to eye on this sort of thing."
"He's not stronger than me and that's my one and only rule."
"Ooh… that's kind of a big rule." She lamented, taking off her own gear and tossing it into a vat of cleaning chemicals monitored by a computer constantly spraying fluids and washing with sponge.
The two schoolgirls took off their aprons and walked out of the front lobby, Erasa making sure to wave to the robots as they headed out. Erasa drove Videl home, the girl sparing a few glances here and there as the car pulled along the city at a breakneck pace.
"Erasa?"
"What is it, Bestie?"
"Can you drop me off at the dojo instead? I can just walk home."
"... Sure."
Complying with her friends' demands, Videl got out of the car and stood in front of a rustic temple. Cracked and faded stairs leading up to an old gate. She hopped the fence and marched up the thousand steps to get to the open-ended dojo. She shot sharp looks all around as Erasa got out of the car and attempted to peer over the red gate.
"No good… Can't open this darn thing either." She claimed, trying and failing to force open the giant red blocks acting as 'doors' in front of the massive gate at the bottom.
Wildlife of all types cooed and cawed as Erasa attempted to jump it.
"If only I had a… skycar~"
Birds of all manners chirped, some mimicking strange noises with their impressive vocal chords, some just singing their songs. Monkeys guffawed and roughhoused off in the distance as Videl climbed each single step with an intention behind it. Erasa finally made her way to the top, wiping her brow and then wiping out on the concrete below.
Bonk!
"Oof! That one's gonna hurt tomorrow."
Erasa haphazardly goofed up the stairs until she got behind her Bestie.
"Hey!"
"whatthefuck!?" Videl shouted in a whisper.
"Hey. Just thought I'd come with."
"there's like poisonous snakes and crap. I can deal with it, where's your martial arts training at?"
"Hey, Bestie. I saw you get faded in round one, if anything, I'm trying to protect you, girl."
"oh piss off."
"why are we whispering?"
"there are still some monks whose job it is to survey the dojo."
"I thought you were cool to be in here?"
"no, why do you think I hop the fence each time?"
"I just thought you weren't strong enough to open the doors, Bestie."
"..."
"my fault."
"besides, you know this isn't where I normally train."
Erasa bobbed her head back and forth, pursing out her lips as they climbed ever higher.
"you right."
"Sssss~"
Before Erasa could really even comprehend the noise, Videl's strong arm shot out and vice-gripped onto the lanky predator. Erasa chuckled dumbly to herself as her Bestie wound up and tossed the thin green noodle back into the bamboo line. It hissed at the development but ultimately snuck back into the brush instead of trying its luck a second time, tail rattling as it went on its way.
"Yeet!" She laughed, accentuating Videl's throw.
"Shut up." She laughed out, face palming.
"so what are you doing?"
"I'm gonna just run some drills here. this place always calms me down. I think it's because I have to stay quiet."
"okay, sigg."
And so that's what she did. Videl shed the weary day's events as the torchlight and lanterns illuminated the open-on-all-four-sides dojo. The stone slab underneath her feet was cold, the nightly winds trickling in one after the other. Animals of all sorts came to sneak a peek and then retire into their nightly hiding holes. Erasa looked out at the big moon in the sky before Videl stopped abruptly.
"..."
"What it do, Bestie?"
"Did you lock your car?"
"Hmm?"
Vrrnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!
The sound of screeching tires punctuated the nighttime silence and low hums of the jungle. Erasa winced and crossed her fingers as she made her way down the steps. Videl put back on her shoes and launched down the stairs in one leap, clearing the gate too.
Fshuu! Whumpp!
"Uhh… it's not like I want to tell you bad news, Bestie but uhh~"
"Bruh."
Gohan
Gohan and Videl met up outside of Mr. Challenger's history class, the boy a little apprehensive, deliberately taking a step back but she did the same and the pair kind of danced around the door until another student broke up the rhythm and entered between them. Gohan coughed once and entered, with Videl following behind. The pair walked up the stairs and got into their seats, awaiting the start of class.
"..."
"..."
Gym class came and it was much the same. On the field they shot long looks at each other across the grass but little came of it. Something from beyond compelled them to stare a bit. They acknowledged each other's presence for sure but neither could muster the strength necessary to say much of anything at all. Gohan made sure to pass the ball to her at practically every junction during play but she just sent it elsewhere every time.
"Did they break up?" A girl asked.
Bop!
"They were never together, dumbass! … I think."
Gohan just laid back and stared at the white fluff floating by on the winter gale's winds. He took in steady breath after steady breath through his nose before closing his eyes.
"Hey!"
"..."
"Gohan! Wake your lazy ass up!"
The Half-Saiyan's eyes peeled apart and instead of the clouds stood the girl, looming over him like some sort of titan. Her blue eyes pierced the veil of darkness her shadow cast and Videl's pouty lips pursed together.
"..?" He didn't manage a word. The boy stared back intently, spread eagle on the track and field's grass next to the baseball fencing.
"Why do you like me?"
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me." She said, crossing her arms in defiance as a bit of crimson shot acros and seared her puffed up cheeks.
"What?"
"You Heard me. I don't need to repeat myself."
A bit of loose breath escaped Gohan's nose as a smile etched itself into his smooth skin.
"I just think you have a hard time with the words. Buuut I'm not sure I heard you right so you might need to repeat yourself after all."
"..."
"..." Gohan held the line with a wicked smile as the schoolgirl stood over him.
"I just want to know what makes you… forget it." She turned around on a dime, her black pigtails batting aggressively.
"Are you sure?"
"... I don't know why you like me, Gohan!"
The entire class turned over to the pair despite the fact that they were spread and lining the field for baseball. The sound of aluminium verses the rough and tumble nature of cork and rubber. The ball soared through the air and the players shot a glance at the two instead of trying to clamour for the orb of which the sport was named after. Soon enough the ball turned into a makeshift homerun as the students got to it far too late to make the play.
Gohan's earnest smile only continued its vibrancy despite the shadow coming over him as Videl's face ran bright red.
"I'm mean! And that's on purpose! I don't Want people to like me!"
Gohan didn't say anything. He shrugged his shoulders a single time.
"Stop looking at me like that!"
Gohan closed his eyes as the sun shone on the both of them and she stomped off.
"Uhh, aren't you gonna say anything, dude?" The catcher yelled from the metal fencing to Gohan's left.
"She'll be back. And I bet she's gonna challenge me to something."
The grass gave way to Videl's ferocious stomps and dust clouds filled the air all around the Half-Saiyan.
"Gohan!"
"Yes ma'am?"
"I challenge you!" She declared as if the whole school was listening, pointing down at the boy with her left hand.
"What are we doing?"
"We're gonna spar!"
Gohan's lips came together like a duck's as he sat up and locked eyes with her more animalistic nature at that time.
"They're gonna fight?"
"Yo!"
"You can't hit a girl!" Another girl shouted from the pitch, baseball bat in hand. "What are you, Stupid!?"
"Don't accept, Gohan!" A weary tan guy yelled from the back end, mitt in hand. "It's a lose-lose! You win, you look like a bad guy, you lose, you look like a goat!"
"Gohan!" Her voice rang out through the field and into Orange Star City's intersections. "If you don't accept I'm never talking to you again!"
"What!?"
"I'm serious!" Her bravado increased and the tomato red vibrancy around her cheeks were no more, now laden with veiny, crazy eyes.
"Really?" He asked the second time, finally standing to his full height that stood over hers.
"Yes!"
"Well what are the terms?"
"... The… only… terms are you accepting! Win or lose doesn't matter but you had Better accept!"
"I do."
"..." A bit of the embarrassment came back and then hit a second time full force as she realised the entire gym class was staring at the pair from the baseball field, teacher included. "What are you staring at!?"
"Buddha help him." The kid lamented from the far end of the track, chewing on some bubble gum. "He wants to go out with that girl? The reason people don't like her isn't because she's strong." The kid remarked as he took off his hat to fix his curly black hair, a small red spot in the middle of his brows. "It's because she's fucking crazy."
"You know that guy?" Another schoolgirl asked as she backed up near him, mitt out and ready.
"Yeah. He's in my drama class. He's reading for Romeo."
"Huh."
"Chapu, head in the game, man!" Another kid roared from the other side of the back half.
"Yeah yeah…"
"Play Ball!"
"I mean it, Gohan. We're really gonna fight."
"But a spar's not a fight."
"Then we're having a match, Not a spar. First to give up or get knocked out loses."
"Sure." He replied, taking off his red Titans cap and black vest. He swallowed a single time as he eyed his clothes on the grass.
"You ready?" She asked, leaning back into her stance.
"... Ready."
Gohan VS Videl
Objective: Unclear!
The wind hit against their skin and the cold crept in slowly. Gohan's face straddled the line between uneasy, excited, and embarrassed but Videl's stoic frown only let sheer determination shine through. The faded grass whistled from the air's stream and the two met in the middle. Gohan didn't throw, instead lunging forward and just staring her down as she reared back a right hand.
Fuuush!
Gohan rounded the outside and looked down at his hands as if alien artefacts. He mustered up the strength to take in a breath as Videl hounded him, throwing down shot after shot. Gohan weaved the attacks with a pretty good pace.
"Hey! What are you two doing over there!?" The teacher shouted from across the grass.
Gohan finally steeled himself, locking eyes with his opponent as he took a shaky but rooted stance.
"Rock, scissors, paper!"
Whap! Fshun~WHAMM!
Gohan barely saw what happened but he was already on his ass, eyesight blurry. Videl parried the palm strike without even trying and judo threw him onto the ground.
"Oh!" One of the students shouted as the grass and dirt dipped in ever so slightly.
"Hey! Break it up!" The teacher yelled as he started to run rampant onto their location.
Videl got ready for another overhand, looking to launch it on Gohan's face.
THMM!
Gohan rolled to the outside and looked to punish her overcommitment but Videl ducked down low and elbowed him in the jaw for good measure. The eldest son took a forceful backpedal as she chased after him again.
"That's enough!"
THWAKK!
"Oh!"
Videl didn't see it coming, running headlong, full force into a spinning back thrust kick.
"You can't just hit a girl!"
"Damn! He hit that bitch! Hahahaha~" A spritely student screamed from across the pitch as Videl slid along the grass.
"That's right…" Gohan recalled, as if a surge of inspiration stuck him like an arrow. "The back thrust…"
Before Gohan could really get his bearings Videl lunged from the ground, tackling him from behind and mounting his back, throwing her arms over and tightening her grip around his neck.
"Stop that!" The teacher baseball slid into position, rooting up grass and earth to separate the pair.
"..!" Gohan's eyes widened and he shot up to his feet, Videl dangling from his neck as he dipped and darted around the kids, the teachers, and the cars in the parking lot.
Foosh!
Gohan landed in a front roll at the top of Orange Star High School, Videl squealing out as he rolled over her like a tube of toothpaste from the hasty front roll leap. Videl took on her stance as fast as she could and the two stared at each other. Gohan breathed out a heavy breath as Videl's eyes sharpened with fierce intent. Students started pouring out of the building as an intercom announcement blared over the school speakers.
"Everyone remain calm, teachers report to the track and field, thank you."
"Ayy! There's a fight!"
"Yo!"
"Why they on the top of the school, bruh!?"
"Gohan!?"
"Bestie!?"
Erasa and Sharpner stared at each other from across the grass and met up in the middle.
"What the hell are they doing up there!?"
"Don't ask me, brah. Yo! Gohan! It ain't that serious! Take no for an answer!"
Gohan's face ran crimson as he shouted back.
"No! It's not like that at all!" He made sure to shout out, dropping his hands for the briefest of moments.
WHAMM!
"Ooo~"
"Mr. Konkichi!" The gym teacher let out a sigh of relief as he saw The Green Fox's fur march out onto the track and field. "Could you do something about these kids?"
Videl was on a tear, a greenish mark already laid in on her face from the single strike Gohan landed. He couldn't find his footing, despite being able to eat up a lot of hits, the eldest son of Son Goku didn't really have an answer for all the offence his adversary put on the table.
"Ruuuagh!" Her voice echoed across campus as Gohan was stuck on his butt, left hand high to sheepishly block whatever she had lined up.
Wshh~Fshu~Wsst!
In three epic leaps, Konkichi dashed from the pile of students and teachers, skirted up the edge of the building and then absolutely blasted onto the pair's location, tripping up Videl in a 360 spin with his bushy green, white tipped tail.
"Oh, Brotha'. You twose really got into it, hah?"
Videl looked down at Gohan and the animosity that had so intently burned behind her eyes gave way to sadness and tears welled up in their stead. She choked up and turned to run.
"Not so fast, girlie." Mr. Konkichi reprimanded, grabbing her white shirt collar and stopping her momentum altogether. "Youse recahd ain't tha' best, Ima' keep it a buck. So if youse gonna just run out on us I'm gonna hafta call da chief? You wouldn't want that, now would you?"
"..." The tears simply didn't dry up fast enough and she whimpered out. "No…"
"Good. Now bothayas, To Da Principal's Office!"
Chi-Chi
"You got into a fight? With a girl?"
"..."
"With That girl?"
"Sorry mom."
"Gohan I don't know what to say…"
"I didn't, I wouldn't…"
Chi-Chi stared him down and Gohan looked her right back in the eyes, stunning the poor mother.
"Mom. She said she wasn't gonna be my friend anymore if I didn't."
"Well those aren't very good friends then, are they?"
"You haven't met them, mom. How would you know?"
"Excuse me?"
"I'm serious. How would you even know? Sure, I can understand your frustration but I'm not going to sit here and just let you talk poorly about them."
"Gohan, I-"
"I accept any punishment you want to throw at me but what I Won't do is allow you to belittle my friends."
"..."
"..."
Chi-Chi backed off, sighed, and then returned to the fridge.
"..?"
"..."
"Am I grounded or..?"
"No. You're not grounded."
"... Huh."
Gohan just sat there for a while, taking it all in before scooting his seat back and heading towards his room.
The days kept coming and they didn't stop coming. To these mortals, each day feels like the most painstaking event, grinding through each 24 hours as slow as it could get. Only when reality hits them do they realise just how insignificant they are.
"Now you're speaking my language, Whis. Fuck those mortals."
"I wasn't finished."
"Please~ what else could you even say about them? You already wrapped it up. Where's Shu with my boba?"
"Right hea', Lord Beerus."
"Thank you. Hmmhmmhmm~"
"Now where was I..? Oh yes."
"Ah-hem."
Only when reality hits them do they realise just how insignificant they are. Not that they don't matter but that the passing of the days happens in a blink, it's the present that feels like forever, but the past that only continues to grow.
"Brah, what are you, my mom?" Sharpner's voice rang out into Mount Paozu as they roamed the dirt path leading out of The Son Family Home.
"Sharpner, it's all about character. If you read both Paris And Tybalt the same, how will the audience tell the difference?"
"Through the drip, obviously."
Gohan just scratched his head, unable to hide the wry smile peeking out of his skin.
"But that's why Ms. Amaguri doesn't want to cast you. I don't think you really get the concepts here."
"Okay, then. What makes you so sure?"
"Uhm… Romeo's a bit of a wimp. Emotional, confused. He should sound young, not so confident. Light." He reiterated as the warm sunset glow washed off his frame. "And in contrast, Tybalt should sound… commanding. Sure of himself."
"Not like That, brah. You sound like a goof."
"I mean, we all sound a bit goofy reading the old passages. Why not go with it?"
"Hmm…"
"Just, I don't know. Read Tybalt in your normal voice and phone it in for Paris."
"Phone it in?"
"Uhh… be willing to sound a bit sillier. That highlights the differences in their character."
"I feel like I'm in class and we're supposed to be hanging out." He replied, walking down the rest of the way as deer and doe, tiger and chipmunk, monkeys, buzzing insects, and other woodland critters eyed the pair from the brush.
"But we are hanging out. Don't you want the parts?"
"Duh. Doing dumb shit in front of the whole school auditorium sounds sick but only if I don't have to put in the work."
"Hmm. Sounds more like you're lacking in drive."
"Here we go again?"
"Pardon?"
"That's what everyone says, brah. 'You would be so much better off taking things seriously' or 'You're such a smart kid, why don't you study?' S'cause I just don't fucking care, brah. Why does this shit matter? People get born into things and they don't have to try to be successful. The only thing that really makes sense to me is lifting weights cause they don't be lyin' an shit."
"Hmm…"
"What?"
"So we just have to make it something you Do care about."
"How do you mean?"
"My dad always said that if you fail at something at first, you might as well try again just to see."
"... I don't really see where you're going with this."
"I know!" Gohan declared, slapping the script with the back of his hand. "How about we make our action scenes so cool Ms. Amaguri would be stupid to cast you as anything other than Tybalt and Paris?"
"..?"
"If she really understands what makes plays engaging then she must know that the theatrics are very important. If we make a choreographed routine instead of going through the typical motions, maybe that'll secure your part."
"... You mean like playing outside?"
Gohan stared back, goofy smile just like his dad.
"..."
"Like little kids do."
"..."
"Play fighting."
"..."
"I'm so down."
Gohan and Sharpner both smirked as wide as could be, meeting in the middle with an emphatic clasping of the hands, reverberating out into the wilds of Mount Paozu as dusk began to settle in.
Jewel
"Thou, wretched boy, that didst consort him here! Shalt with him hence! Heheh~ what the fuck does that shit even mean?" The blonde youth whisper-shouted, the frost off his breath clear to see as he mimed drawing a blade that didn't exist. Sharpner swung around the non-existent sword before putting his hands back into his pocket and laughing to himself. He stepped along the sidewalk of Orange Star City's roads, looking up at the dark sky.
The first bell rang, signalling school to start and just on time, or not on time, Sharpner walked his way towards the front steps of the building. There stood a man with a familiar head of blonde hair. The early morning sky blues were absent in favour of a darkened vista, visible frost on car windows, capsule buildings, and of course the many tube tunnels inhabiting the city skyline. Sharpner's shoes scuffed and crunched the leftover ice on the sidewalk as he made his way to his friend.
"Jewel..? Brah!"
"How's it goin', dude?"
The pair of blonde haired studs hugged it out, both sporting impressive manes as if pairs of lions hunting the wild wastelands.
"I finally found a master that's willing to take students. But… he's got a… Big plan in the works."
"Big? Define big, brah." Sharpner shot back as he attempted to make his way up the stairs. "..!"
Jewel tugged at the man's arm, forcing Sharpner's attention back at him.
"We're talking down here."
"... Okay…" He remarked, sparing a single glance for Konkichi's classroom, one of the nearest in the building towards the front entrance.
"Now I know this is gonna sound wild but the first order of business is to… how do I say this… see if it works on a large scale..?"
"Brah. What the hell are you on about?"
"My master wants me to… assassinate someone."
"... Hahaha~ You're joking, right?"
"..."
Cars drove by as Sharpner's jaw dropped.
"There is a lot in this world that can't be explained. Like how I can do this now."
Vwerrrnnyuuwwh~
Jewel's palm glowed with an ethereal energy and a teal coloured orb spawned in the teenager's hand, sparkling with low electricity.
"Apparently there are special items in this world called The Dragon Balls."
Sharpner swallowed once.
"My master said that if I completed my task he would… wish the man I murdered back to life with their wish granting ability."
"Brah… you're not talking any sense right now."
Vyuuu~Ba-BOMM!
The shockwave of the Ki blast tore Sharpner's eyes open, not through damage but the fact that his lifelong friend really just did that. A smokey shadow cast over the two of them as an ethereal energy left his hand and then exploded above the grassy field leading up to the front steps. A warm wind bellowed into his backside in one wave before returning to the chilling normalcy of winter's breath.
"I can do This, bro. I don't think that magical wish granting items are such a leap of faith."
"... I guess not. But… who are you-"
"Some green fox named Konkichi."
"..."
"Master told me that he's secretly a martial arts genius himself and has been training for a few years now. If I can take out a fox with his heightened senses, then it should stand to reason that I've progressed nicely in my training. Do you think you can help me out?"
"..."
"I looked at the register and I know you're in his class. This is the best chance I got, bro. Can you help me out?"
"..."
"Come on, bro. Give me a yes, here. If I get this done I can teach you this stuff, I can get you into the program and we can both be shooting fireballs. This is it, this is our era. The shit we always wanted to do. Gamma 1 and Gamma 2 bro." Jewel relayed as he slapped the front of Sharpner's chest.
"..."
"It's a big ask, bro. But… The Dragon Balls will wish him back. I wouldn't do it if… I had to live with that, ya know?"
Fwuuuuu~
Winter is characterised by cold winds and the fact that students show up to school before the sun even rises into the sky.
"I can help."
Jewel's face lit up and he hugged the blonde adolescent tight.
"You're not gonna regret this, bro. I promise."
"..."
Sharpner's glossy glaze meandered, but eventually fell upon the orange star centred above the front entrance at the school and furrowed his brow.
"We don't have to do it today or nothing so I'll let you get back to class. I don't have the same number anymore so I'll call You, okay?"
THUUHMMM!
And before Sharpner could even respond Jewel faded into obscurity, launching away into the buildings beyond faster than anything he had ever seen before.
"..."
Gohan
A tiny buzz hit inside Gohan's pocket but he ignored it. He even ignored the other five buzzes. It was in fact Erasa who heard the little ring go off in his pocket next to her. She raised a brow and:
"Are you gonna answer that?"
"It's not nice to answer it in class."
"Yeah but that thing's blowing up."
"So?"
"What if it's an emergency?"
"..." Gohan's eyebrows shot to the roof and he got the tool out of his pocket effective immediately.
Sharpner
Bro, skip class right now
Where are you?
I'm not joking btw
Like for real I need you to ditch class.
Bruh
I'm outside right now, look out the window
Gohan shot a glance at Mr. Konkichi then stood up and waltzed around Erasa.
"What are you doing?"
Shuup!
"You betta' not be letting Galaxy Brain in hea'! Ayy!"
"Sharpner. What's going on? You gotta tell me."
The rest of the kids in class looked their way.
"We can't talk about it in class, brah. Get your ass down here."
"Mr. Konkichi, could you please excuse me for a moment?"
"..."
The class all simultaneously froze up as the two locked eyes, or more so to say that Konkichi's facial posturing matched up with Gohan's exactly since the green fox teacher's didn't open.
"Take the hall pass, youse got five minutes." Konkichi stated as he grabbed the blue belt off the rack near the front door and lobbed it at the boy in the back.
Wsht!
Gohan snatched the piece of plastic.
"Thanks."
The eldest son of Son Goku hopped out the school window and touched down, bits of snow falling down ever so slightly. It was a faint covering all across the campus. Gohan's breath resulted in foggy white clouds and he met eyes with Sharpner.
"What is it?"
Erasa leaned over to watch their conversation until a book came crashing right near her head.
"Close that winda'! It's cold enough as it is!"
Erasa frowned but slung the glass back to where it belonged.
"I'm just going to keep it brief. Someone I know personally wants to kill Mr. Konkichi."
"... What!?"
"... I don't… I don't know whether or not to believe him because… well he said that if he goes through with it he… and his master or whatever can revive them with some sort of wish thing, I forget what they were called."
"The Dragon Balls?" His voice echoed across the empty, snowflaked campus.
"Maybe… I just… I Know he's not joking. Apparently Konkichi's some sort of martial artist in secret. And he needs to die in order for my friend to prove his worth."
"Shouldn't we be going to the police for something like this?"
Sharpner's eye contact faltered and he looked snoward, losing his friend's vision.
"Hey, talk to me, man, this is serious." Gohan's soft voice ran up a beat, the rasp in his throat coming out from the conditions.
Master Shen
"So did you tap it?"
"Yes. I don't know why you think it's such a big deal, master. Sharpner wouldn't betray me. We go way back. All this stuff is so unnecessary."
Just as he said that the computer monitors lit up the dusky dungeon of the back water cave crevice. The lights came on and the texts showed:
Gohan ~ Da Homie
See you later
Bro, skip class right now.
Where are you?
I'm not joking btw
Like for real I need you to ditch class.
Bruh
I'm outside right now, look out the window
"Ahh, he's probably trying to recruit. See I knew you were going on about this stuff for no reason."
Shen's tired eyes focused behind his sleek black shades and he scrolled down.
Someone's trying to kill Mr. Konkichi
"Fool. You can't trust anyone these days. You have to reign them in with force or their 'free will' Will take them somewhere else." The swivel chair he inhabited spun on its wheels as Shen stood up and crossed his arms behind his regal kung fu gi. "This is your best friend? He already made pals with someone else in less than a year of your absence. Foolish. This is reality, Jewel. Now you can finish the job while I still have respect for you, or you can sit back and watch me do it."
"..." The blonde youth fell to his knees and banged his fist ever so lightly on the black rock flooring of the cave.
"Well?"
"I'll do it, Master. I thought I could trust him… but I guess not."
"Good. I'll be watching from the tube tunnel at the first street intersection."
"..."
"Don't disappoint me."
Gohan
"I don't know what you want me to do. If we're not gonna go to the authorities about this I'm not sure I coul-"
"Brah."
Sharpner's firm hand on his shoulder broke the cold gale and ushered in a warmth as the frost left his lips.
"We don't need to fight, do we? Couldn't we just talk him down or something? That's my homie, I don't want to hurt him but more importantly…" Sharpner looked down to the ground, a sigh that shook the world falling out of him before he returned eye contact. "I'm not sure I Could stop him."
"You said he has a master, right?"
"Yeah…"
"I think I might know who's behind it."
"You think?"
"Maybe…"
Shen looked down from miles and miles away, his frame hidden by the light sprinkles of frost on the icy tube tunnel. He wore a white garb, fitting in as snug as a bug in the wintery conditions. The Crane Master took out a scope from his suit and:
Slnnnk!
Went the full distance, eyeing the eldest son of Son Goku with a keen, beady eye. His brow turned down more than it already was and he tisked at the revelation.
"Is that… the boy?"
Fwuuuuu~
"... He looked about 10 years old, give or take about six or 7 years… that would mean high school if he so chose. That might be him… but probably not. He doesn't have that tail."
The classroom was Mr. Konkichi's playground. He was Really rough around the edges to be sure but that just meant that more students were willing to relate to him. He definitely toned down the swears and inappropriate language when other teachers walked in but if not, he was a sailor. Konkichi knew his class inside and out, despite getting faked out one time by Sharpner, it was really only due to the fact that it was two familiar smells smacked on top of each other, not one. Jewel was strong but the fox was cunning and very perceptive.
A flash of inspiration cut across the green fox's face and he opened up his eyes, much to the horror of the entire class.
"Oh My God!"
"They look like that?"
"Get down!" The Fox roared as he ducked low and mimed his hand as such.
Fshuunn! Tssss~
His eyes widened for the second time as he watched the brisk fuse on the kunai trickle down to its last flickers. With a one-two, Konkichi threw the book at em', smashing through the window and then piercing the fluttering text with the weapon.
Wsht~Krshh! Kah-KOOOMM!
Glass and smoke poured into the classroom, providing the natural cover for the teal coloured assassin. Jewel's green kung fu gi matched the baklava covering his face and he kept people from identifying him with sleek visor-like shades.
Wsht!
"Damn… he's good." Jewel kept to himself as he got parried right into the closet from the opposite end of the entrance door.
"Whoaa~"
"Only in Konkichi's!" A particularly hype student shouted, arms raised.
"Ayy! Lunatics! Get tha' fuck outta hea' before youse get killed!"
Konkichi and Jewel ran wild, clashing up a storm in the middle of the classroom, papers and bookbags flying up and crashing into the walls due to their bout. Erasa was sandwiched in a way the other students weren't, right next to the action while in the very back. Classmate after classmate slowly filed out as the fire alarm rang.
"Students need to evacuate immediately! There is a stranger in the building! Students need to evacuate immediately! There is a stranger in the building! Students need to-"
Erasa fell over and crawled underneath the desks as The Fox and The Apprentice clashed over and over again. Konkchi ducked low under Jewel's right-to-left knife slash, tripping the boy up with his tail and finishing with a turnabout right thrust.
Fshu~WHAMM! Krshhhh~
Gohan and Sharpner looked up in horror as the second window broke and a teal ninja with blonde hair rocketed out of Mr. Konkichi's.
"Ayy! Get movin', Brothas! This is dangerous!" The Fox shouted with his foot on the windowsill.
Fwofff~
His orange blazer flew around wildly as he jumped from the window, stalling on the air as if frozen in time before landing in a booming leap off the grass.
The Fox dashed wildly in zig-zags onto the fading snow. There was very little to begin with but it started to trickle away under the heat of their battle. Jewel retreated with wild dashes, landing on the orange star near the front. The Fox pursued, locking him down before getting faked and clean backflipped over. Konkichi's nose twitched and he leaped backfirst into the foe as a dusty nail bomb burst on top of the school. Jewel separated the two but as soon as Konkichi's feet hit the roof, he blasted forward and tackled the would-be assassin off the roof and onto the track and field.
The white and black checkered line scuffed and smeared from their pugilistic endeavor and Jewel got the best of the tumble, flinging Konkichi off with a wild left boot, aiming a leftover kunai to spear The Fox only to have it batted away by his opponent's bushy tail.
Bah-BOOOMMMM!
The campus rocked from the display and Master Shen only grumbled to himself as he stood to full height. His mechanical hand whirred to life and he checked it once over, revealing a hidden blade before nodding at it and taking in a deep breath.
"Can't trust Anyone to do your job for you it seems." He claimed, crossing his arms behind his back before taking a deep inhale through his crooked and narrow nose.