These Dreams
Part Three
Piccolo handed me the steaming vial he just finished shaking up. Just like he promised, it was half the amount I received last time. That didn't make it taste any better, though. I slammed it back like a shot of tequila and cringed as my throat burned. Within a few seconds, the heavy feeling laid itself pleasantly across my head and body. Not near as strong as before.
"This stuff works fast," I commented sleepily.
"It goes right to your bloodstream." Piccolo replied flatly, eyeing me closely. "Are you ready?"
"I think so."
"Then let's begin." He scooted closer on the stone floor and reached both hands out, "Take my hands, close your eyes and let yourself fall into the trance. Nice and slow."
I placed my hands in Piccolo's and felt his long fingers close around mine, nearly swallowing them. This felt a lot safer than last time...hopefully I won't make an ass of myself the way I did before.
My eyes closed on their own
and I soon found myself sinking out of reality.
Something nudged against my subconscious, gently pulling me into dim awareness. It was a sound. A constant, gurgling roar. Then came an image. A waterfall. A big water fall comparable with Niagra falls. The river it spilled into flowed right past me and cascaded beyond my sight. There was nothing else, just the waterfall and outer space all around. Very peaceful.
So this is what Piccolo dreams about.
By the way, where was that Namek? "Uh...Piccolo? Are you here?"
"Of course I'm here. This is my dream, remember?"
I startled and spun to face the voice. "Ack! Piccolo, you scared me!" When I jumped, the landscape flickered like a flame about to go out. "Hey...what just...you know...happened?"
Piccolo came closer and crossed his arms. He was just as real as I was, and I mean real as in he wasn't Anime. I'll never get over how amazing he looks in the flesh. "Every time you have a lapse in concentration, the dream will weaken. You're lucky I'm holding you here or you'd wind up in your own little chaotic nightmare again. This is where you need the most training...now focus and you'll see more." He walked forward until we stood just a foot apart and I had to incline my head to see his handsome face, "The way you are now, Void would rip you to shreds. We have a lot of work to do, so let's get started."
I tightened my fists, determined to do this right. "All right, what do you want me to do?"
"Feh, you ask too many questions. Just pay attention." Piccolo touched his palms together and brought them apart. Between them stood a little white ball of ki. "Hold your hands just like this - good. Now don't let the light go out."
Stretching out my hands, I tightened my lips and stared at the little spark Piccolo just placed between my palms. I concentrated like its light was the only thing in the universe. But the stupid thing still flickered out almost as soon as he took his hands away.
Instant frustration.
"Grr...dammit!"
Piccolo frowned down at me, slightly irritated. He curled his lip a bit, "You weren't concentrating hard enough."
"Yes I was!" My voice bordered on whining.
"I get the feeling that you have no clue about how to do this." The Namek smirked mockingly at me, his liquid black eyes burning into mine. "If you want the energy to stay lit, you have to relax and will it to keep glowing. In a dream, it's all about whose willpower is stronger, not how powerful a fighter they are. Now I see what really needs work here."
"Hmph!" I imitated one of his indignant snorts. "Tell me, Piccolo, just how do we train my willpower?"
Piccolo curled half his mouth into a sexy smirk, "It's really quite simple, Cyndi. From now until we've beaten Void...you're not eating any chocolate. I know you think you can't live without it now, but just you wait. The more you resist your temptation, the stronger your willpower will become. And don't let me catch you cheating either. You won't like the consequences."
I felt my jaw drop as I stared aghast at him. No sweet, gooey, rich chocolate for....for however long this will take? I rolled my tongue at the sudden craving my thinking about it brought on. "That...that's not fair! I need my chocolate!"
"It's just junk that tastes good. You can survive without it for awhile." Piccolo turned away and lowered his head, "Now concentrate so you can see everything. There isn't just a waterfall, you know."
"Uh...what exactly am I concentrating on?"
The green man sighed visibly and growled, "The environment, Cyndi, the environment! Do I need to spell it out for you?!"
Yikes. I guess he was dealing with Namek PMS or something. I've never seen him act this agitated around me. I decided my best bet was to shut up and focus, so I did. I let my eyesight blur, staring blankly ahead at nothing in particular. Now what the hell am I supposed to see here?
Gradually the blankness around the waterfall filled in. I saw trees, grass and a bright blue sky. Birds twittered from their branches and fish swam lazily in the water. A few pale clouds drifted across the sky above my head. The yellow-gold sun glowed, warm and inviting. The more I concentrated, the more I saw, until finally I stood on a landscape as real as the words in front of you now. I found it to be quite...eerie. There was a strange tension in the air that I couldn't quite put my finger on.
"That's a little better," Piccolo said, turning around and lowering himself to sit Indian-style. "Now hold onto it."
All at once the image before me seemed harder to focus on. I tensed my body and struggled for control. Beside me, Piccolo watched intently, I sensed his large eyes burning twin holes in my skull. It drove me nuts because here I was trying to concentrate on keeping this landscape visible and I had a drop-dead sexy Namek with a chip on his shoulder staring at me!
I couldn't take it anymore. My head was starting to pound and Mr. Attitude over there wouldn't stop staring. Details in the vivid landscape around me began to fade, though I didn't notice until the sky vanished from my sight.
"Okay, I'm done. This is giving me a headache!"
Piccolo stood up again and crossed his arms, "Don't be a sissy. A little pain won't kill you."
"Stop being so mean!"
"Stop complaining!"
"Bite me!"
"Fine." Piccolo walked over, grabbed my arm and bit me. Hard. His fangs sank into my forearm and drew thin trails of blood that dripped into the grass under our feet. I felt a burning sensation as his teeth burrowed through muscle...I really thought he was going to bite my arm right off!
"Hey...HEY HEY!!! OW!!!!" I stared at him in shock and pain, "OW! STOP IT!! I didn't mean that literally you asshole!!"
"You can still use that arm." Piccolo licked the blood, my blood, from his fangs and spat on the ground. "So you've got a headache. Big deal. It's just like your arm...it hurts but it's still useful. So USE it!"
I'd had enough. My arm was oozing blood and my elbow throbbed. It pissed me off.
Like I always do when I get mad, I lashed out. I hauled off and kicked Piccolo right in the crotch as hard as I could. Piccolo crumpled instantly to the ground, clutching himself. A wounded noise escaped his throat.
"Now try to piss with that and you'll see it hurts so bad you don't want to!" I regretted what I'd done, but I held my ground. Piccolo shot me an agonized glare, however I was already running away by the time he lifted his head again. No idea where I was going, I just needed to get away. I ran while clutching my injured forearm. Oddly it didn't hurt as much as when it initially happened except for a dull ache in my elbow.
That's the man you love and you just HURT him, you stupid baka girl! Of all the childish, stupid, selfish, moronic things you've done, this is the dumbest! I wrestled with myself through a blur of tears and sweat as I gasped for breath, That probably hurt his feelings too. Outside he might look cold and indifferent, but inside you KNOW a lot goes on!
My legs stopped pumping. I halted and looked back at Piccolo a hundred yards or so away. He was on his side in fetal position with both hands clutching his wounded area. The dream around us had faded completely. Good God, how unfair could I be?! Piccolo wasn't used to having that weak spot and I just exploited it. Only sissy fighters attack like that!
Whatever he planned to do as revenge would be well-deserved for my childish behavior. I felt so...so stupid!
Piccolo's form drew closer as I returned to his side. I knelt down beside him and touched his arm. "Piccolo, I'm sorry...that wasn't fair. I guess I shouldn't blame you if you hate my guts now and want to go find someone else to do this."
The wounded Namek didn't speak to me. Unless of course the growl he emitted counted as a response. Damn, I didn't realize I could kick that hard! What if I seriously hurt something in his body?
"Piccolo..." I tried again, "...are you okay?"
Piccolo groaned and straightened, climbing to his full height. I watched him reach into his pants and adjust himself(or maybe he was 'checking', hard for me to tell). The pain seemed to lessen on his features. Then, finally, he spoke back to me, "I'll live. What I'd like to know is how the heck you humans get along with such exposed...parts."
I blushed, "Well um...most men wear a jock strap or just kick a leg up to block an attack there."
"Hmph."
I sighed, hanging my head. I'm a hugger and when someone else gets hurt I usually hug them to make it all better. Piccolo was not exempt from my embrace. I walked forward and wrapped my arms around his narrow waist. It left my cheek pressed to his chest, giving him no choice but to awkwardly hug me back. I realized a little too late that my arm was bleeding all over the side of his gi. Er...I hope he didn't mind too much.
"Piccolo, really, I'm sorry...that was dumb of me. I just..."
"You talk too much, Cyndi. I heard your apology the first time, all right?" Piccolo cupped the back of my head with his large hand. His voice rumbled through his chest, "I'd forgotten you had a temper, kid. Heh, thanks for reminding me I'm still alive."
"Huh?"
"...nothin'. C'mon, let's get out of here. We need to use the Time Chamber and work on tuning our minds together."
The hug felt too nice to break, I didn't the warmth of his arms to leave me too soon. I kept hanging onto him and looking the long way up towards his face, "Before we go, I need to go see Bulma. I have too much stuff in my backpack...I need to Capsule it. I also need to get...ahem...girl supplies so we don't have to make new clothes for me every day. And I need to have my medicine replicated so it'll last a year..."
"Women..." Piccolo rolled his eternally dark eyes at me and slipped his hands down my arms, lacing our fingers together. "Then sit down and I'll wake us both up."
"Right." I missed his warmth
after it retreated from my arms.
Before I could go anywhere, I needed food. I was so horrendously hungry that it wasn't even funny. Not unusual for me, I gorge regularly during the week...just not like I did right then. My stomach didn't seem full no matter how much I ate! What was wrong with me?!
Poor Mr. Popo, I just knew he had better things to do than wash all my dishes.
I was glad the bite wound didn't come with me when Piccolo and I left the Room of Dreaming. If it had I wouldn't have been able to shove food into my mouth a mile a minute.
Like I was now.
Piccolo kept giving me odd looks while I shoveled food down my throat. We were both Anime again, which made reading his expressions more difficult, so I wasn't sure what kind of mood he was in. I forced myself to stop after my second ham sandwich and third bowl of chicken salad.
"What are you staring at? I was just really hungry! Don't you ever...oh yeah, you don't eat. Duh."
He tilted his head slightly, "Cyndi...your hair."
My hair? Did I have dandruff? Lice? Was I developing a gray one somewhere? "Yeah? I have hair, you know, and it's long and brown and I need to brush it. Is that it?"
Piccolo opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it again and frowned. He shook his turban-clad head and looked away, "Nevermind."
"Ugh...Nameks! So hard to please!" I grinned wolfishly, excusing myself from the table. "I'm gonna go straighten myself up a bit and then we'll go, okay? Um....is there a bathroom I can use?"
"I can show you to it," Dende's voice cut in over our conversation. For the billionth time, I was startled and spun around to face the smaller green form. He wore Kami's outfit - the blue cape and white floor-length tunic with a red symbol on the front. In his left hand he held Kami's wooden staff. The difference between the warmth in Dende's eyes and the apathy in Piccolo's was like night and day, and their eyes were both the exact same color! Here I thought it was just Piccolo's eye-color that made his gaze seem cold.
"Oh! Yikes, I am too jumpy these days." My smile was a tad mirthless, probably from being tired. "Lead the way, I'm right behind you."
Dende nodded, turning from the kitchen door. I raced to catch up with him and walked at his side. Darn it, even though he was small, he still stood at least three inches taller than I! Gah! I'm always the shortest, even Freeza had two inches over me and he's short!
"Piccolo told me a lot about your world and the fight with Void. If the tales he told were all true, then this Void creature is much stronger than last time."
I gasped and felt my heart skip a beat. "You've gotta be kidding me! I mean, we barely beat her the first time! She ALMOST destroyed everything! I mean...you know...if it wasn't for the Believers, nothing would exist." More autistic babble from me, I tend to repeat words when I don't know what exactly I want to say. It makes me sound stupid, doesn't it?
Dende turned his head to indicate the bedroom I slept in. Figuring we were turning, I went in with him right behind me. He spoke as we walked past the bed, "I've been watching the dreams of people on Earth and...it's just horrible what she does! She takes perfectly nice dreams and twists them into horrible nightmares. Children won't go to sleep at night and people are causing wrecks because they're driving tired. She's causing chaos everywhere..."
"Piccolo and I are gonna try and beat the sh - " I stopped myself...I'm talking to a respected being here, I should at least talk decently, "...gonna try and beat her senseless. We'll show her our dreams are ours and ours alone."
"I hope so." The Namek tightened his lips and gazed across the room. He looked tired too, like he'd spent the entire day pacing to collect his thoughts. "The bathroom is behind that door by the bed. Push hard, Mr. Popo's last paint job kind of sealed it."
"Thanks. Hey, go get some sleep in the Room of Dreaming like Piccolo said. You can't keep a sharp eye out on the world if you're tired and scared all at once."
That got a smile out of Dende, albeit a small one. "You take care of yourself, tell Bulma I said 'hi'."
I gave him a peace sign and smiled, "No problem!"
He nodded, excused himself and left me to my own devices. I yanked the hairbrush and some makeup from my backpack, hoping the bathroom door wouldn't be too challenging for me. It was...I shoved all seventy-seven pounds of my body against the door twice before it relented. The sink stopped me from falling.
I caught sight of my reflection in the mirror above the sink. Wow, my hair was a mess! I went to work brushing it immediately. Frizz central. I wet the brush under the sink and continued running it through my locks. Darn it, my hair just wouldn't lay down! Even my bangs were sticking out in weird directions.
"Oh, for God's sake! Lay down!" I commanded my hair like an idiot. Then I gave up. The tangles were gone, that's all I cared about. I applied my usual makeup - smoky eyes, blush and pink lipstick. This time I used gray eyeshadow, since my shirt was gray. With my face made up I had eyelashes like Videl and lips like Bulma. I smiled, feeling as if I finally looked like one of the gang.
Piccolo stood waiting for me by the bed when I exited the bathroom. He was closely examining the action figure I brought with me for luck. In the Anime world it really looked like a tiny version of him. How adorable!
"Ah, I see you found...you." I giggled.
Piccolo shot me a glance and experimentally moved one of the figurine's arms. His mouth curled into a sideways grin, "Not bad craftsmanship. But they forgot my claws." He grinned evilly and wiggled his fingers, showing off his pointed white nails. Funny, I never really paid attention to them until then. Geez, everything about Piccolo is pointy!
Just one of many features that make him so damn sexy.
I wished I had a camera to capture his candid mock-evil moment. "Well these are toys for children and they'd be a hazard if they all had pointed nails that could injure someone. They also plastered your antennae to your head...heheh...but the turban wouldn't go on otherwise. I think it's a pretty good likeness of you."
"I guess." He handed the figure to me and I placed it back into the plastic bag.
Smirking, I lowered the little Piccolo toy into my pack, laid my makeup kit on top and zipped everything shut. "I think I'll just take my pack with me. Maybe Bulma can capsule the whole thing so I can just whip it out whenever and dig for my stuff."
Piccolo shrugged, "Whatever. C'mon, let's get this over with. I'll drop you off and wait while you and Bulma do that shopping thing. Hmph, maybe Vegeta will provide me with some entertainment while you're gone."
"Sure," I hefted my bag onto my back, walked over to Piccolo and let him lift me up in his arms. The weight of my backpack didn't even phase him.
The strong Namek carried me outside to the edge of the Lookout. Here was the part I hated...looking down! I shut my eyes tight and buried my face in Piccolo's neck. I felt safe in his arms, true, but the extreme height made me dizzy. It was just easier if I kept my eyes closed until we were closer to the ground.
"Here we go," I heard Piccolo mutter.
Muscles shifted against my
side and arms as Piccolo's body defied gravity and shifted towards a horizontal
orientation. At least he was taking us down easy...I don't think my stomach
would've kept up if he went for a straight dive.
"Capsule this backpack? That's easy!" Bulma lifted the heavy backpack from where I dropped it on the floor. Boy, Goku was right when he said she looked middle-aged! She could be MY mom now! But I won't tell her that. "Oof! What do you KEEP in this thing?!"
"Rocks, of course," I joked. Then I leaned forward and shielded my mouth with a hand so only she could hear me, "I also need you to Capsule a year's supply of....ahem...pads. Piccolo and I kind of forgot that last time and it was disgusting. I mean...well I don't know if you need them anymore..." Oh God, that was a bad line on my part and I realized my mistake a bit too late.
A fist smashed against the back of my head. I hit the floor with a giant lump rising off my skull and spirals for eyes. Bulma loomed over me with sharp teeth and huge eyes, "I'm nowhere NEAR menopause yet, you little brat! How dare you! Argh! Just sit here and I'll get my keys so we can shop for what you need."
"Oy....Sorry! Geez! I'm a poor judge of age!" I sat up and rubbed my head 'till the bump went away. Good thing Piccolo and Vegeta were keeping each other busy, I didn't need that Saiyajin breathing down my neck. He and I never did get along very well.
Unfortunately, I forgot about Trunks. He stood in the kitchen doorway with a can of soda in his hand, looking pretty embarrassed at his mother's behavior. I'll admit he is kinda cute. I just don't have a thing for him like I do Piccolo.
"Uh...she's been like this since Goku left with Uub. I guess I don't blame her." Trunks sipped from his drink and leaned on the doorframe. "Even dad was pretty upset. He doesn't spar with me as much as he used to and doesn't let me into the gravity room while he's using it."
"Well that's Vegeta for you. He's turning into such a grumpy old man. Even if he doesn't look a day older than he did when he fought Buu."
Trunks' eyes bulged. He coughed on his soft drink. I thought he was laughing at my comment until a rough male voice spoke behind me, "So now I'm a grumpy old man?"
My eyeballs shrank to pinpoints. I grimaced and felt the blood drain out of my face. Dammit...me and my BIG MOUTH! "Er....Hi Vegeta! I didn't mean it like you think! Really!"
"I think you did." Vegeta walked around in front of me, arms crossed in that proud arrogance of his. He eyeballed me with a mocking smile that I wanted to slap right back off. "You should talk, twig girl."
Ooh! I really HATED it when Vegeta made fun of me like that! My blood boiled as I got nose to nose with him and growled in his face, "Stop calling me 'twig girl', you hairy monkey's ass!"
Vegeta cocked a thick brow. "Okay....twig girl."
"Grr!"
SMACK!
"OWWWW!!!"
Vegeta stood there in hysterics while I clutched my bruised hand and swore under my breath. He didn't even feel it when I slapped him across the face! Not even a mark!
And where the Hell was Piccolo while all this went on?
I looked at Vegeta again, sneering. Wait a minute here...there was a mark on him. From my nails. Not more than a cat scratch to him. But still, how did I manage to damage him at all when he was a thousand times stronger than I? This didn't make sense!
I had no time to think. Bulma returned before Vegeta and I could lock horns again. She heaved my backpack into a plain white box with a yellow switch on the side. When she pressed the switch, the box poofed into a capsule no larger than my palm.
Cool!
"Okay you two, break it up!" She waved me over and twirled her keys on her fingertips, "Cyndi and I have to go pick up a few things. Trunks, do your homework. Vegeta, watch Bra for me while I'm gone. Don't eat everything in the fridge either, got it?!"
Then we were off.
"Grrr! Just how DO you live with Vegeta?" I asked once Bulma and I were well on our way. Hover-cars proved to be a much smoother ride than cars with wheels. A feeling one must get used to, too. I actually got a little nauseous and I never get car sick!
"Well...feed him, keep his clothes clean and give him room to train and he's happy. He's kind of like a pet. Cute in some ways, but a pain in the tush when he gets mad. He's surprisingly easy to please if you give him what he wants when he wants it." Bulma kept her eyes on the road, her grip on the wheel tight. Traffic was pretty bad. I realized Dende must be seeing this same chaos in his visions.
I averted my eyes from the road. Rolled the capsule containing my backpack around in my pocket. Wiggled around in the seat. For some reason I felt uncomfortable sitting there. "Maybe...you know...when we go buy my 'girl stuff', we should get a little from different stores so the cashier doesn't get weird ideas."
The car halted at a red light. Bulma laughed. "You can buy capsule packs of a hundred! How many do you use?"
"Depends on how heavy. It can be anywhere from three or four to half a pack on the worst day."
She shrugged, not at all irked by it like my parents get when I talk about my period around them. "Then get three capsules. They'll last ya and leave you with some extra."
"Cool." I gripped the door handle as the car went back into motion. A marquee billboard above the highway scrolled the date, time and temperature in large red letters. I read it, blinked and looked again.
It said: May 9, 12:54 p.m., 77 degrees.
"Hmm...I might need to pick up something extra. I'll have to look around until I see it though, since I dunno what it is I'm gonna buy."
"No problem. How about I grab the Capsules you need and you look for whatever it is you're looking for. We can meet by the entrance again in...oh..." She turned her wrist over and checked her watch, "half an hour?"
"That'll work fine." I smiled, leaning back. The car pulled into the parking lot. We got out and I followed Bulma into the mall.
"Okay, I'll see you in thirty."
"Yup."
Bulma and I walked off in opposite directions. All around me was a multitude of people in different shapes, sizes and colors. Hair in every hue on the rainbow and then some. There were even animal people walking by, I nearly bumped into an anthro bulldog while staring at the signs above store windows.
The anthro mumbled, "'scuse me." as he brushed by.
I paid little mind. Before I had even entered a store, the small object I didn't know I was searching for until then shone right in front of my face. I knew that was it.
The shopkeeper happily took
it down for me when I flashed some cash. He even placed it in a nice silver
gift bag for me. I paid him and hurried off in search of a decent card,
barely able to contain my excitement.
Bulma, Vegeta, Trunks, Bra and Piccolo all gawked at me as I finished my snack in record time. Snack indeed. Two bowls of pasta and half a pot-roast. Not nearly as much as Vegeta and Trunks ate. But for me it was a lot. I still didn't feel quite full...but I wasn't in the mood for an overstuffed stomach either. I also made sure I didn't puff my cheeks out with the pasta and slurp it like Goku. Poor Piccolo, watching people eat spaghetti still makes him squirm.
"Uhhh...sorry guys. I guess my training with Piccolo gives me a bigger appetite." Speaking of Piccolo, I stood up and walked over to him, "Hey, Piccolo, can we talk alone outside for a minute?"
Piccolo gave me an inquisitive look through his perpetual frown. Without a word he stood up and slipped out the side door to wait for me. I raced for the living room, excitedly grabbing the little gift bag and card as I went. Kept it concealed behind my back when I joined my Namekian friend outside. My heart started pounding in anticipation, and just because it was Piccolo - he always makes my pulse race. He stood there, arms crossed and feet planted, the wind playing through his cape.
Piccolo turned and lowered his muscular arms to his sides when I emerged outside. "So what is it you want to speak about?"
"Well," I scuffed my foot on the grass, "While Bulma and I were pulling into the mall, I...you know...noticed the date on a billboard and well..." I produced the silver gift-bag and card and handed them to him, "Happy birthday, Piccolo."
Piccolo stared at the objects I placed in his hands. He looked a bit shocked at first. Then his expression softened a little. He sat down in the lotus position and opened the card, which had a simple Happy Birthday message inside. Then he lifted tissue paper from the gift bag and pulled out his birthday present. When I saw it hanging from his fingertips, I knew it was perfect for him.
It had white thread woven like a web in the center with green around the outside edge. Four rows of purple feathers and blue beads dangled from the bottom. A shiny black arrowhead was bound to the thread in the center.
He turned his gaze on me, his eyes questioning.
"It's a dream catcher, Piccolo. Indians...I think it was Indians...believed these neat little things warded off bad dreams if you hang it up near where you sleep. My mom has one in her room, but it's blue and white. I got this one since it matched...well...you." I put my elbows down on his knee and smiled, "I thought that maybe, when this is all over, you could keep it to remind you of what we're trying to save."
Piccolo lowered the dream catcher back into the gift bag for safekeeping. All the usual hardness was gone from his face. The stern frown, the sneer...even his onyx eyes lacked their menacing glare and looked a little misty. Whatever walls he kept up behind them were temporarily down, allowing his true emotions a brief moment in the light. The powerful spirit I saw shining through was so beautiful and perfect. He touched my face with his fingertips and flashed a lopsided smile, "That was...very kind of you, Cyndi. Thanks. What possessed you to recognize my birthday, anyway? Nobody ever has before..."
"Because I love you, duh." I felt my heart swell happily. "Not too sentimental, I hope?"
Another sexy smirk. "Nah."
"Good." I pushed my face up to his and kissed him smack on those soft, moist lips. Piccolo was so surprised by the sudden kiss that he tumbled backwards with me landing on top of him. His cheeks instantly gained a purplish hue. I just giggled and wrapped my arms around his neck for a birthday hug. Then I sat up triumphantly on his stomach and looked down at his blushing visage. "See what happens when you let your guard down, birthday boy?"
The Namek under me grunted. "Thanks for reminding me...I think."
I put my palms down against his sides. "You know what...there's something I've always wondered about you..." This had to be timed perfectly. I arched my fingers, "Are you ticklish?"
"I -"
As if I'd let him answer that! Mwa ha ha! My fingers instantly went to work and fluttered against his ribcage.
Piccolo's face tightened and flushed. He looked ready to kill me. Then he let out a gigantic snort and grabbed my wrists. Trying to keep his voice from trembling with laughter, he said, "I am not ticklish."
"Oh yeah?"
I pulled a hand free and dug my fingers against his ribs. Piccolo pursed his lips. Squeezed his eyes shut. Turned another shade of purple. I saw a smile breaking the corners of his mouth. He shook all over. A huge, fangy grin split his flushed face from ear to ear. I felt him tense under me as the laughter finally found its way out - he kept it to a quiet rumble, but he was really cracking up. There were even laugh-tears in the corners of his eyes! I saw it all!
Okay, he'd had enough. I stopped tickling the hapless Namek and climbed off his stomach. "Liar."
Piccolo, still blushing, picked himself up and tucked the gift I gave him into his blue belt. Next thing I knew, I was pinned to a tree by his weight. It hurt for a second, but I didn't have time to locate the pain. Piccolo's fingers dug lightly against my ribs, moving so fast they were everywhere at once. I yelped and squirmed, laughing uncontrollably.
"ACK! Hey - AHAHAHA!!! AHHH! AHAHA - help! AHAHA!"
Above me, his deep voice snickered mockingly, "See what happens when you let your guard down?" Then he backed off and let me go.
I rubbed the back of my head and grinned, red-faced. "Uh, yeah! Thanks for reminding me! You know..." My mind went right into the gutter after that. I leaned closer and whispered seductively, "...you can put your hands on me whenever you want to."
Piccolo just shook his head at me, smiling. "You never change, do you?"
"Nope." I reached back and grabbed a handful of his tight rear end. The term 'buns of steel' definitely applies to Piccolo, his butt is very firm. "I've got it bad for you, you big sexy green hunk!" I giggled some more. "Did I mention you taste good?"
He balked at me. I grinned.
"Hey, how old are you anyway? I forgot to check my notes and I think the Believers would want to know."
"Thirty-two." Piccolo replied promptly, "In human years, anyway. In Namekian years, I'm twice that."
I did the math by drawing invisible numbers on my palm and multiplying them by two. "Sixty-four...you're an old fart!"
"Feh. Thanks a lot, kid."
"Piccolo I'm just kidding. You don't even look your age, so don't worry." I smiled sweetly at him, "By the way, you're welcome."
Argh. My back wouldn't stop itching. I realized that I stupidly forgot to let my hair out after I'd stuffed it under my shirt for my flight with Piccolo. How idiotic I must've looked, walking through the mall with my hair tucked down my shirt.
I pulled my hair free and untucked my shirt to scratch my itchy back while I headed towards the building. As soon as I was inside, everyone stopped in mid-conversation and stared oddly at me. I mean, it looked like everybody just saw a ghost. Even Vegeta lowered a forkful of pot roast from his mouth to gawk. Piccolo came in, stopped and made a that weird guttural noise he always makes when he sees something completely weird.
I quit scratching myself and gazed around at all the odd expressions. This was very irritating.
"....okay, WHAT are you all staring at?!"
Vegeta's pot roast fell off the fork, which he dropped rudely on his plate. He shoved his chair back and walked over behind me. Blatantly staring at my butt.
"Argh! Just what the hell is so interesting!?" I looked over my shoulder to glare at Vegeta, but my eyes didn't fix on him. Instead I stared at the fuzzy brown object wiggling an inch from my nose.
A tail.
A Saiyajin tail.
And it was attached to me.