A Nap in The Sun

[aaron wright]

A heavy sigh sounded in the empty air; this exhalation of breathe almost blending in with the more natural cacophony of bird song and rustling plants. Following this physical release of mental stress, the pale boy allowed himself a fleeting glance to check for the presence of others among the flowering plants and waving booths. His dark eyes scanned the sprawling lawns that were bathed in the light of a sunny afternoon, marred only by the occasional cloud scuttling across the bright sky.
When no person caught his eye he allowed himself to stretch his arms up into the air- exhilarating in the rare warmth that he so craved. The day was so nice that the half-Japanese boy had forgone his usual layers in favor of a chain-covered t-shirt and a light paint spattered jacket. He hadn't even bothered to put on anything to cover up the sporadic holes cut into the dark denim of his jeans that exposed his legs.
A moment after his stretch he turned his gave to a nearby tree- checking to make sure that the ground beneath it was mostly sunny and free of dirt before he headed toward it. Before he lay beneath its welcoming branches he shook out the quilt he had been carrying in his hand and lay it down so as not to get any lingering specks of grim on his precious clothes.
Another sigh escaped him as he settled his tall frame down on the clean blanket- his pale face hidden in the shadows of the tree, while the rest of him luxuriated in the sun.

[varun thurathumaly]

Varun peeked around the thick trunk of a tree, wary of giving away his hiding place but needing to check out his surroundings, scope out potential ambush areas. It was imperative he keep the upper hand, and that meant he needed to stay cautious and focused. His secret weapon wasn't doing too badly either. He took a moment to check the water level of the copper canisters strapped to his back, smiling a bit evilly when he saw he still had a whole canister full. He'd fashioned it at the last minute, but it had already proven to be worth the all-nighter he'd had to pull. The sack on his waist was still heavy with ammo, and he had a hidden cache underneath some shrubs nearby. He was going to win this war for sure.

The water balloon fight had been a fantastic idea, and one he wished he could take credit for. It was the perfect way to celebrate the string of perfect-weather days the academy had been experiencing. A sort of last hurrah before the school year really got underway and everyone became too busy with classes and homework, lectures and grading. Though it rarely got hot, the day was warm enough where a splash of water would not be unwelcome. So far Varun had managed to stay relatively dry; a testament, he pretended, to his agility and grace and not a reflection of his enemy's poor aim.

A flash of movement. Varun whirled around, only catching a glimpse of a shadow behind a tree. Aha. Crouching low to the ground, he stealthily pulled out a water balloon from his satchel, and inched his way towards the tree. He'd jump out and surprise the enemy before they had a chance to realize they'd been spotted. Frozen with shock, he could drench them with his home-made water gun before they could react and then he'd be proclaimed the king of all water balloons. Huzzah!

Taking a steadying breath, he leapt from around the tree, water balloon raised high in the air. "Ha!" he cried, but, thankfully, stopped short right before he launched the balloon at the hapless victim. He blinked for a moment, then lowered his arm with a sheepish grin.

"Er...sorry. I mistook you for someone else." He stashed the balloon behind his back, still smiling guiltily down at Aaron. "Erm, lovely weather we're having, isn't it?"

Well wasn't this just dandy?

[miryo evelyn fenrick]

Miryo, on the other hand, was not as forgiving. Having waited in a set of branches from some time, the girl grinned from ear to ear seeing another target walk right into her range of fire. A closer look, and she realized it was one of the other students...ah, Aaron? his name was? He didn't appear to be participating, giving the lack of ammo.

Well. His fault for being off-guard.

Several small bags of balloons were secured around her waist and across her torso.

Stealthy as she could, Miryo fished a water balloon from around her waist, almost dangling it above the boy's head. She had a clear shot through the branches. Condensation dribbled down the rubber, nearly detaching before she suddenly pulled back at the sound--oh.

Fortunate indeed.

She waited, expecting Varun to make the first hit--she'd give him that. However, he didn't drench the boy. She snorted.

"HA!"

She redirected her aim to the professor, a balloon aimed to the back of the young man's head.

[varun thurathumaly]

The polite niceties had barely left his lips before he he felt something hit the back of his head, the sensation of dripping water letting him know that yes, he'd just been struck by a water balloon. The water sprayed out as the balloon burst, running down the back of his neck and under the collar of his linen shirt. It was altogether an unpleasant sensation.

Gripping the barrel of his water gun, his finger poised on the trigger, Varun whipped around to stage a counter-strike. How dare they attack him, and in the vicinity of an innocent bystander! That's how unnecessary casualties were created! Well, they'd soon see the folly of their ways. He waved the gun back and forth, trying to catch sight of his attacker. No one was in sight.

Water balloons don't just fall from the sky. How had they attacked and retreated so quickly?

"How---?" Varun lowered the gun, confused. He turned back to Aaron, frowning. "Did you see anyone?"

[aaron wright]

The boy's tall frame lurched off the ground the second the other man rounded the tree trunk- springing to action from pure shock. It took him a moment to orient himself after such quick movement and another second after that to pull himself out of the defensive posture he had assumed as he realized the man didn't intend on attacking him.

Just as his dark eyes roved from the now hidden water missile behind the other's back and to the man's face in order to respond in the usual sarcastic manner to the previous comment water fell from above. Aaron's jaw dropped as the spray of liquid sloshed over the other man's head and the residual spray coated his face.

Before responding he dashed the sleeve of his long shirt over the droplets that remained on his fair skin, his mouth now set in an angry line at the thought of these childish shenanigans. So it was through clenched teeth he finally spoke, "Why no- I was too busy having the life scared out of me to notice your assailant." He punctuated this statement by flinging some of the droplets back onto the ground. As he resisted the urge to grind his teeth at the way these people had ruined what was going to be a pleasant nap he eyed the other man.

His eyes lighted upon the equipment the other had strung across himself and he was forced to ask out of sheer curiosity, "What..... are you doing?"

[varun thurathumaly]

Varun had the decency to look chagrined as Aaron wiped the water from his face. Though he knew it wasn't his fault, as the only teacher involved with this silly game, he also knew it was his responsibility to ensure everything ran smoothly. Already random students were getting caught in the crossfire, and he'd equipped these kids with water balloons and water pistols, and given them permission to sneak around the Academy campus...

Perhaps he'd not thought this through.

He perked up though, when Aaron asked his question. "Water balloon fight!" He answered, his cheerful smile turning a bit goofy. "Or rather, a water balloon and water gun fight. Well, no because we didn't really specify what is and isn't allowed, so basically if it's gets someone wet, it's an acceptable weapon. A water weapon fight?" Varun shook his head. Whatever. Who had time for clever game titles when there was a war to be fought? His mysterious attacker had already struck once since he'd let his guard down; they could easily do it again! And this student, obviously minding his own business and not involved in any way, would once again be in danger of death by water balloon. It was an expensive-clothes-ruined-because-they're-dry-clean-only tragedy waiting to happen.

Unless...

Varun adjusted his grip on his gun, the water in his back canisters sloshing with the movement. "Did you want to play?" He asked, still grinning. "I've a few extra water pistols and balloons. Wouldn't do for you to be running around unprotected, eh?"

[miryo evelyn fenrick]

Don't laugh. Don't laugh. Don't laugh. That's how people give away their positions. If anything, one might notice some of the branches in the tree trembling irregularly against whatever breeze there might have been.

Too late.

A burst of laughter rang from above their heads, just before their "assailant" chose to reveal themselves. Swinging around her perch, Miryo hung upside down, her head and torso in sight. "The look on your face was priceless!" she said, grinning from ear to ear.

Smeared onto her cheeks were two red stripes as some joking attempt at war paint. Her hair was pulled back from her face, and she donned a vibrant yellow bikini top; if one were to see her bottoms, they were Short swimming bottoms--any more clothing was useless since they were just getting going to wet anyway.

"Hey, Aaron!" she greeted the other boy with a warmer smile. "What are you doing? Want to play?"

[aaron wright]

A water... thing fight? Why would anyone in their right minds assent to such a foolish thing. As he watched the man before him grow excited about the prospect of the game it occurred to him that he had no idea what such a feeling was like. Surely it couldn't be so fun to run around in a crazy fashion getting drenched and cold, despite the brilliant weather? A shiver shook his thin body at the thought. To this boy it was of paramount importance to remain as warm as possible, no matter the surprisingly attractive prospect of such a mundane entertainment.

When he was about to decline sudden laughter rung out from the boughs above. Colored hair flew about his face as he whirled to view the body now hanging from the tree tops. It occurred to him suddenly this must have been the source of the earlier water missile. As his dark eyes roved over the scantily clad body downward to her face he realized that the assailant had spoken his name and only then did he remember her.

"Ah Miryo- so you were the source of such a bothersome little rainstorm." A slow smile spread across his face as he attempted to fix the hair that had come misplaced- it wouldn't do to lose face in front of someone of the opposite sex, especially one so attractive. His hand stayed in place on his fringe as he contemplated her query- two offers to join in almost as many minutes.

Letting the two options weigh equally in his mind he cast his eyes fleetingly between the two people, "But why don't you just enjoy the day the way it was meant to be enjoyed? Isn't the warm sunshine enough?" No matter how much he meant these words the prospect of such an odd experience was still slightly enticing to him- no such thing had he ever seen before in his days at private academies and on city streets.

[varun thurathumaly]

"The warm sunshine is the whole reason this game came into being!" Varun said, sending Miryo a cheeky smile. He should have known it was her. Only she would be dedicated enough to climb a tree and wait patiently for unlucky victims to pass below. She had actually been one of the few female students--well, she might as well be one with the amount of time she spent at the school--who had showed up to the game dressed in semi-appropriate attire. Better than the girl who was wearing layers of petticoats and high-heeled sandals anyway.

Varun transferred his water gun to his shooting hand, smiling casually. "What better way to embrace a perfect day than by enjoying it with friends?" And with that he turned, took aim, and fired a burst of water right at Miryo, the friendly smile turning evil. Ah, revenge was sweet.