"So…if Shi doesn't even realize when he's been shot…how can he feel anything at all?" Arlua asked out loud one day. Izaya gave her a slightly disturbed look.
"Are you going where I think you're going with this?" he asked. She blinked, then stuck her tongue out at him.
"Ew. No, you perverted germ," she snapped. "I just mean…like when he hugs Rimi-chan. If he can't feel a bullet wound, how can he feel what he's doing?" Izaya sighed.
"Lu-chan, it's not that his sense of touch is lacking, it's that protozoan brain of his that always has that monstrous strength. It's like when someone has an adrenaline rush and their body overcomes it's own safeties remember? So why wouldn't the brute has the other effects of adrenaline, too? Like maybe a dulling of pain?" he explained. The technician considered this for a moment, then suddenly grinned.
"First of all, I'll get you later for that patronizing speech," she informed him. "And second of all…do you think Shi might be ticklish?" Her boyfriend eyed her warily.
"Did someone spike your food with something?" he demanded. "Being ticklish is a human weakness. There's no way a protozoan like Shizu-chan would be ticklish." Arlua grinned.
"Wanna bet?"
"Sure. What do I get if I win?" he wanted to know. She tilted her head, debating, then grinned.
"If you win, I'll let you use one of my viruses on Supai and Shi," she said. "And if I win, I'm using that picture from the cat incident as the background for FanaTECH's website."
"I don't think that's really a fair trade," Izaya protested.
"Take it or leave it," she told him firmly. He sighed.
"All right. I'll take your bet."
"Excellent! Now to convince Tania to help me…"
"Hey, Zuo?"
"Yeah?" He looked up and found Tania watching him, expression tinted with uncertainty.
Am I really going to do this? she thought. …I am, aren't I? Damn you for making me curious about this, you stinking fleas!
"Hold still," she ordered, concealing her nervousness. Her husband blinked but nodded his agreement. He remained motionless as she walked over to him and slid her hands under his shirt. He shivered as he always did when she ran her fingers over his skin. But this time, she ghosted her fingertips over his sides, paying special attention to his reaction. His shiver seemed more like a faint squirm, and she tilted her head slightly, pressing more firmly and wiggling her fingers.
He was definitely squirming now.
Right there, huh? the teacher thought as she began tickling the bodyguard in earnest.
"Ani," he growled. "Are you tickling me?" She blinked up at him innocently.
"Are you ticklish?" she countered, keeping her tone light as she continued to tickle him.
"Apparently I am," he grumbled.
Arlua wins that bet, then, Tania thought to herself. Wonder what she won from the flea.
