Disclaimer: Depression can be caused by one or more of several things: a)
Drugs b) Boyfriends c) Siblings d) Not owning DBZ. Allow me to clarify
that I am NOT a druggie, am currently single *winks at any hot guys out
there*, and am an only child. But yet... *sniffle*... something still
troubles me...
*~~*~~*~~*~~*
Dinner was a family event at the Briefs household. The doctor always made it a priority, putting it ahead of almost everything else. He realized that there wasn't much that their particular lifestyle offered that could be considered normal by most standards, so he wanted to at least have a little family time to spend alone with his wife and little girl. It was entertaining enough, what with his wife's constant chattering about every stray thought that happened to pass through her mind at the moment. He sighed. She was so very lovely, and the kindest woman he could ever have hoped to have married. He loved her with everything in his heart, but did she EVER shut up?!
The clinking of dinnerware sounded in the dining room of the mansion, Mrs. Brief's most recent topic of conversation wafting about in the air around them.
"...And so I told her, 'Honey, that color would look marvelous in the baby's room, right next to those gorgeous off-white curtains.' I mean, I never was one to put Pastel Tangerine into a nursery's color scheme, but the colors just clicked! And do you know what she told me? 'I really love your idea, but don't you think that Luscious Lavender would be more appropriate for the theme?' And I just said, 'Darling, Luscious Lavender is perfect for a modest changing room, but don't you want your baby to sparkle with the elegance and sophistication of an orange?' I mean, I'm right, aren't I honey?" Mama Briefs paused her onslaught of words to direct a question towards her husband. She was met, however, with the sight of him staring at her, his fork hanging halfway out of his mouth as he tried to keep up with her ramblings. When his mind finally reached the point she had left off at, he quickly stepped out of his reverie and hastily answered her.
"Of course, of course!" he exclaimed with the accompanying frantic nods. Bulma just remained silent at her end of the table, chewing thoughtfully on her food. Her mother turned her attention to her.
"And you dear?" But Bulma did not answer, for she was far lost in her thoughts. Maybe it was just a different language... she knew she heard him say something, but she had no idea as to what it could have meant. Was it secret code maybe? Naw, it couldn't have been. They were alone in the room anyway, so there was no reason for him to have to conceal the meaning of his words. Maybe daddy would know what the word meant. He was a genius, after all.
"Bulma? Is everything alright?" her mother questioned, sending Bulma a concerned look. The little girl snapped out of her thoughts immediately, nodding quickly as she assured her parents that she was fine. Her parents just shrugged and kept eating.
The clinking of dinnerware reigned supreme at the table as for once Mama was silent. After all, even she had enough culture not to talk with her mouth full (but that seemed about the only time one could get her to stop talking). Each member of the family was lost in their own thoughts, the doctor thinking about some new product to be released into the market in a few weeks, Bulma wondering about the edibility of that green wiggly thing on her plate, and Mama about the quality of the manure in her fertilizer. As the family continued with their meal, however, Bulma decided that this was the perfect opportunity to speak up and voice the question that had been nagging her since earlier that day.
"Daddy? What's a 'bitch'?"
Bulma's eyes widened and she let loose a tiny squeak, ducking under the table as food and drink from both her mother and father were sputtered across the table like ammunition. Peeking her head out from her hiding spot, her eyes met those of her father and mother in turn, seriously wondering what warranted that reaction from them. They, however, stared at her as if she had committed the most horrendous sin imaginable. She shrunk down in her chair, knowing she wasn't going to like what came out of her parents' mouth next.
"THAT'S IT! NO MORE TELEVISION FOR YOU, YOUNG LADY!" Dr. Briefs roared. He spun around to face his wife. "I TOLD you it was a bad idea to put the plasma TV in her bedroom!" he hissed at her. Bulma's eyes darted back and forth between her parents as they both offered their arguments, none of which, by the way, were very good. She waited silently for the chance to explain herself, hoping that they would regain level heads within the next oh... ten minutes or so. Fortunately she didn't have to wait that long before the questions were finally aimed at her.
"Bulma. dear," her mother said in a tone of blonde seriousness. "Tell me, where did you hear this... word?" She said 'word' as if it pained her.
"Vegeta told me it!" Bulma chirped with an innocent smile. Dr. Briefs wriggled his moustache.
"That's it! I'll bet that's one of those Japanese cartoons she's been watching! Such vulgar things they are... I'll have to cancel that channel..." He trailed off, mumbling to himself under his breath. Bulma just rolled her eyes at her father.
"Da-ad," she whined. "Vegeta's not a cartoon character!" She gave him a small frown.
"Then who is he, honey?" her mother asked. Now Bulma might have been young, but she did realize that there was some significance to what she was about to say next. As a result of that, she took a deep breath and slowly let it out, attempting to add a somewhat dramatic effect to her next words. The exaggerated pause was exactly what she needed to assure herself that her parents were paying very close attention, as they leaned forward just a bit in their seats to hear what she had to say next.
"Vegeta is the boy in the cage," she stated with an air of mysteriousness. Boy, they're gonna get a kick out of this one. She scrutinized their faces for that dawning look of comprehension she knew would appear there at any moment. Her mother was the first to react.
"Oh, how ADORABLE! You gave him a name?! That's so sweet!" she squealed in glee, clapping her hands together. Her father leaned back in his chair, removing his glasses to wipe them on his lab coat.
"That's wonderful, dear," he stated, "I'm glad you've taken the opportunity to bond with the boy. Giving him a name is the perfect start between a pet and his owner, giving them a psychological link that runs deeper than the relationship they could invoke..." Blah, blah, blah, Bulma thought to herself. It seems they hadn't gotten her point yet. Maybe she should reiterate her point, with emphasis on certain parts. She cleared her throat, causing both of the adults to pause mid-rant (Papa was deep into the scientific significance of name-giving, while Mama was thinking of alternate names - "Fluffy" and "Bananas" being among the few).
"I didn't name him. He TOLD me that was his name." /Now let's see if they get it/, she thought to herself. Mama just nodded and opened her mouth to continue. The doctor did much of the same thing, but paused before any sound came out, his eyes widening. Bulma gave herself a small smile, before suppressing it and exchanging it for a look of innocent curiosity.
"He. TOLD you that was his name?" Dr. Briefs asked of his daughter. She nodded. "You're sure of this?" She nodded again. He removed his napkin from his lap and stood from his chair. "Thank you for the delicious dinner, dear. I'll be back in a bit." He departed from the room in a rush, leaving behind a bewildered wife and a knowing daughter. Bulma turned to her mother.
"You STILL haven't told me what that word means, you know."
*~~*~~*
He couldn't believe it. He just had to see it with his own two eyes; to hear it with his own ears. Bulma said the boy told her - TOLD her - his name. He could speak? Dr. Briefs needed his proof. As a scientist, his conscious could not allow for this event to go unchecked. He'd get words out of the boy if it took him the rest of his life. His daughter may have been young, but he trusted her judgment, and if she claimed the boy spoke to her, then the father believed her. If it was his wife, then that may be a different story, but as the situation presented itself, the more reliable of the two family members had come across this discovery, and he would be damned before he didn't believe his little princess.
He balanced a plate in his hands, being sure no food toppled off the edge as he hurried down the long hallways to the aviary. Halfway through the trip he had realized that the boy probably hadn't eaten all day, so he stopped at the nearest wall-consol and had a bot bring him a plate of dinner - meat preferably, he added as an afterthought - to give to the boy once he saw him. Now as he walked down the final corridor, his own stomach grumbled as he recalled the half-eaten meal he had left behind. Oh well, at least it would give him a good excuse tonight when he would leave the bedroom for a midnight snack. He smiled at the thought as he approached the set of doors leading into the garden.
Pushing the button on the side, he caused the doors to open with a small beep. They swooshed shut behind him as he stepped through, setting his sights on the nearby cage. The boy's head within turned slightly to look at the doctor in a casual manner, almost as if he knew he was coming all along. His arms were crossed and his chin was tucked into his chest, his eyes following the old man from behind black spikes of hair. He sat with one shin atop the other and leaned on the bars with his back. The boy didn't move as the doctor approached, but emitted a low growl as he came up to the cage, He gave the plate topped with food a quick glance before darting back to look the doctor in the eyes.
Dr. Briefs smiled warmly at the boy and passed the food through into the cage, backing off almost immediately. The child gave the older man a wary look before slowly reaching for the steaming plate. He sure hoped these people fed him more often than this. Reaching for the fork and knife that were next to the plate, he began eating at a rapid pace, ignoring the doctor as he stared. How rude. When he lifted the steak-filled fork to his mouth, though, the old man chuckled. Lowering the utensil, he sent a glare in the old man's direction, searching for an answer to his amusement.
Dr. Briefs was laughing heartily by now, obviously finding something about the situation at the peak of hilarity. /What the hell?/ the boy thought. After taking a deep breath, he was able to reign his laughter in. The child watched his eyes twinkle as he spoke next.
"You know, you're quite sophisticated for a wild beast. In fact, I think you're the most educated pet I've ever had!" he teased, pointing at the utensils in the little boy's hands. His dark eyes followed the old man's pointed finger to his own, widening when he realized his folly. /Damn it! Pets don't use forks, moron!/ He flung them across the cage, nearly skewering a bird as they flew through the bars. He snarled in his frustration and flung the half-eaten meal at the doctor. The old man calmly stepped aside, allowing the plate to whiz by harmlessly.
"Now, now. Behave yourself, Vegeta." The boy froze, ending his tirade so suddenly that he subconsciously thought he might have whiplash. /Did. did he just say. my name?/ Vegeta turned shocked eyes upon the doctor, completely baffled and just a little fearful. How did he...
"You know Vegeta, I'd really appreciate if it you didn't teach my daughter obscenities. I don't know what things were like where you came from, but here on Earth we wait a few years before we teach our youngsters how to be vulgar little adults," he half-kidded with the Saiyan child. The boy's eyes only widened further, looking quite literally like a deer caught in the headlights. /Well,/ Dr. Briefs thought to himself, /it looks like things are about to get a little interesting./
*~~*~~*~~*~~*
HEY!! I'm so sorry for the ... erm... DELAYED update. School just started here, and I'm having a heckova time getting accustomed. New schools can do that to you, lol. I hope this made up for a little of the delay! I know this wasn't a very action-packed chapter, but I hope you review anyway. I think next chapter will have a bit of chibi mayhem, so you can all have that to look forward to. I'm so glad that this story is getting such a wonderful response from readers, and I want you to know that I appreciate each and every one of your reviews! ^__^ So if you liked, disliked, or didn't care for the chapter, review anyway! The more the merrier!
Shippou: Kitsune-Bi!!
Walis: *__* Ah! Hot!! HOOOT!!!
*~~*~~*~~*~~*
Dinner was a family event at the Briefs household. The doctor always made it a priority, putting it ahead of almost everything else. He realized that there wasn't much that their particular lifestyle offered that could be considered normal by most standards, so he wanted to at least have a little family time to spend alone with his wife and little girl. It was entertaining enough, what with his wife's constant chattering about every stray thought that happened to pass through her mind at the moment. He sighed. She was so very lovely, and the kindest woman he could ever have hoped to have married. He loved her with everything in his heart, but did she EVER shut up?!
The clinking of dinnerware sounded in the dining room of the mansion, Mrs. Brief's most recent topic of conversation wafting about in the air around them.
"...And so I told her, 'Honey, that color would look marvelous in the baby's room, right next to those gorgeous off-white curtains.' I mean, I never was one to put Pastel Tangerine into a nursery's color scheme, but the colors just clicked! And do you know what she told me? 'I really love your idea, but don't you think that Luscious Lavender would be more appropriate for the theme?' And I just said, 'Darling, Luscious Lavender is perfect for a modest changing room, but don't you want your baby to sparkle with the elegance and sophistication of an orange?' I mean, I'm right, aren't I honey?" Mama Briefs paused her onslaught of words to direct a question towards her husband. She was met, however, with the sight of him staring at her, his fork hanging halfway out of his mouth as he tried to keep up with her ramblings. When his mind finally reached the point she had left off at, he quickly stepped out of his reverie and hastily answered her.
"Of course, of course!" he exclaimed with the accompanying frantic nods. Bulma just remained silent at her end of the table, chewing thoughtfully on her food. Her mother turned her attention to her.
"And you dear?" But Bulma did not answer, for she was far lost in her thoughts. Maybe it was just a different language... she knew she heard him say something, but she had no idea as to what it could have meant. Was it secret code maybe? Naw, it couldn't have been. They were alone in the room anyway, so there was no reason for him to have to conceal the meaning of his words. Maybe daddy would know what the word meant. He was a genius, after all.
"Bulma? Is everything alright?" her mother questioned, sending Bulma a concerned look. The little girl snapped out of her thoughts immediately, nodding quickly as she assured her parents that she was fine. Her parents just shrugged and kept eating.
The clinking of dinnerware reigned supreme at the table as for once Mama was silent. After all, even she had enough culture not to talk with her mouth full (but that seemed about the only time one could get her to stop talking). Each member of the family was lost in their own thoughts, the doctor thinking about some new product to be released into the market in a few weeks, Bulma wondering about the edibility of that green wiggly thing on her plate, and Mama about the quality of the manure in her fertilizer. As the family continued with their meal, however, Bulma decided that this was the perfect opportunity to speak up and voice the question that had been nagging her since earlier that day.
"Daddy? What's a 'bitch'?"
Bulma's eyes widened and she let loose a tiny squeak, ducking under the table as food and drink from both her mother and father were sputtered across the table like ammunition. Peeking her head out from her hiding spot, her eyes met those of her father and mother in turn, seriously wondering what warranted that reaction from them. They, however, stared at her as if she had committed the most horrendous sin imaginable. She shrunk down in her chair, knowing she wasn't going to like what came out of her parents' mouth next.
"THAT'S IT! NO MORE TELEVISION FOR YOU, YOUNG LADY!" Dr. Briefs roared. He spun around to face his wife. "I TOLD you it was a bad idea to put the plasma TV in her bedroom!" he hissed at her. Bulma's eyes darted back and forth between her parents as they both offered their arguments, none of which, by the way, were very good. She waited silently for the chance to explain herself, hoping that they would regain level heads within the next oh... ten minutes or so. Fortunately she didn't have to wait that long before the questions were finally aimed at her.
"Bulma. dear," her mother said in a tone of blonde seriousness. "Tell me, where did you hear this... word?" She said 'word' as if it pained her.
"Vegeta told me it!" Bulma chirped with an innocent smile. Dr. Briefs wriggled his moustache.
"That's it! I'll bet that's one of those Japanese cartoons she's been watching! Such vulgar things they are... I'll have to cancel that channel..." He trailed off, mumbling to himself under his breath. Bulma just rolled her eyes at her father.
"Da-ad," she whined. "Vegeta's not a cartoon character!" She gave him a small frown.
"Then who is he, honey?" her mother asked. Now Bulma might have been young, but she did realize that there was some significance to what she was about to say next. As a result of that, she took a deep breath and slowly let it out, attempting to add a somewhat dramatic effect to her next words. The exaggerated pause was exactly what she needed to assure herself that her parents were paying very close attention, as they leaned forward just a bit in their seats to hear what she had to say next.
"Vegeta is the boy in the cage," she stated with an air of mysteriousness. Boy, they're gonna get a kick out of this one. She scrutinized their faces for that dawning look of comprehension she knew would appear there at any moment. Her mother was the first to react.
"Oh, how ADORABLE! You gave him a name?! That's so sweet!" she squealed in glee, clapping her hands together. Her father leaned back in his chair, removing his glasses to wipe them on his lab coat.
"That's wonderful, dear," he stated, "I'm glad you've taken the opportunity to bond with the boy. Giving him a name is the perfect start between a pet and his owner, giving them a psychological link that runs deeper than the relationship they could invoke..." Blah, blah, blah, Bulma thought to herself. It seems they hadn't gotten her point yet. Maybe she should reiterate her point, with emphasis on certain parts. She cleared her throat, causing both of the adults to pause mid-rant (Papa was deep into the scientific significance of name-giving, while Mama was thinking of alternate names - "Fluffy" and "Bananas" being among the few).
"I didn't name him. He TOLD me that was his name." /Now let's see if they get it/, she thought to herself. Mama just nodded and opened her mouth to continue. The doctor did much of the same thing, but paused before any sound came out, his eyes widening. Bulma gave herself a small smile, before suppressing it and exchanging it for a look of innocent curiosity.
"He. TOLD you that was his name?" Dr. Briefs asked of his daughter. She nodded. "You're sure of this?" She nodded again. He removed his napkin from his lap and stood from his chair. "Thank you for the delicious dinner, dear. I'll be back in a bit." He departed from the room in a rush, leaving behind a bewildered wife and a knowing daughter. Bulma turned to her mother.
"You STILL haven't told me what that word means, you know."
*~~*~~*
He couldn't believe it. He just had to see it with his own two eyes; to hear it with his own ears. Bulma said the boy told her - TOLD her - his name. He could speak? Dr. Briefs needed his proof. As a scientist, his conscious could not allow for this event to go unchecked. He'd get words out of the boy if it took him the rest of his life. His daughter may have been young, but he trusted her judgment, and if she claimed the boy spoke to her, then the father believed her. If it was his wife, then that may be a different story, but as the situation presented itself, the more reliable of the two family members had come across this discovery, and he would be damned before he didn't believe his little princess.
He balanced a plate in his hands, being sure no food toppled off the edge as he hurried down the long hallways to the aviary. Halfway through the trip he had realized that the boy probably hadn't eaten all day, so he stopped at the nearest wall-consol and had a bot bring him a plate of dinner - meat preferably, he added as an afterthought - to give to the boy once he saw him. Now as he walked down the final corridor, his own stomach grumbled as he recalled the half-eaten meal he had left behind. Oh well, at least it would give him a good excuse tonight when he would leave the bedroom for a midnight snack. He smiled at the thought as he approached the set of doors leading into the garden.
Pushing the button on the side, he caused the doors to open with a small beep. They swooshed shut behind him as he stepped through, setting his sights on the nearby cage. The boy's head within turned slightly to look at the doctor in a casual manner, almost as if he knew he was coming all along. His arms were crossed and his chin was tucked into his chest, his eyes following the old man from behind black spikes of hair. He sat with one shin atop the other and leaned on the bars with his back. The boy didn't move as the doctor approached, but emitted a low growl as he came up to the cage, He gave the plate topped with food a quick glance before darting back to look the doctor in the eyes.
Dr. Briefs smiled warmly at the boy and passed the food through into the cage, backing off almost immediately. The child gave the older man a wary look before slowly reaching for the steaming plate. He sure hoped these people fed him more often than this. Reaching for the fork and knife that were next to the plate, he began eating at a rapid pace, ignoring the doctor as he stared. How rude. When he lifted the steak-filled fork to his mouth, though, the old man chuckled. Lowering the utensil, he sent a glare in the old man's direction, searching for an answer to his amusement.
Dr. Briefs was laughing heartily by now, obviously finding something about the situation at the peak of hilarity. /What the hell?/ the boy thought. After taking a deep breath, he was able to reign his laughter in. The child watched his eyes twinkle as he spoke next.
"You know, you're quite sophisticated for a wild beast. In fact, I think you're the most educated pet I've ever had!" he teased, pointing at the utensils in the little boy's hands. His dark eyes followed the old man's pointed finger to his own, widening when he realized his folly. /Damn it! Pets don't use forks, moron!/ He flung them across the cage, nearly skewering a bird as they flew through the bars. He snarled in his frustration and flung the half-eaten meal at the doctor. The old man calmly stepped aside, allowing the plate to whiz by harmlessly.
"Now, now. Behave yourself, Vegeta." The boy froze, ending his tirade so suddenly that he subconsciously thought he might have whiplash. /Did. did he just say. my name?/ Vegeta turned shocked eyes upon the doctor, completely baffled and just a little fearful. How did he...
"You know Vegeta, I'd really appreciate if it you didn't teach my daughter obscenities. I don't know what things were like where you came from, but here on Earth we wait a few years before we teach our youngsters how to be vulgar little adults," he half-kidded with the Saiyan child. The boy's eyes only widened further, looking quite literally like a deer caught in the headlights. /Well,/ Dr. Briefs thought to himself, /it looks like things are about to get a little interesting./
*~~*~~*~~*~~*
HEY!! I'm so sorry for the ... erm... DELAYED update. School just started here, and I'm having a heckova time getting accustomed. New schools can do that to you, lol. I hope this made up for a little of the delay! I know this wasn't a very action-packed chapter, but I hope you review anyway. I think next chapter will have a bit of chibi mayhem, so you can all have that to look forward to. I'm so glad that this story is getting such a wonderful response from readers, and I want you to know that I appreciate each and every one of your reviews! ^__^ So if you liked, disliked, or didn't care for the chapter, review anyway! The more the merrier!
Shippou: Kitsune-Bi!!
Walis: *__* Ah! Hot!! HOOOT!!!