#piccolo's turban

[kopykunoichi]

Everyone out here saying Piccolo is "black coded," but if he and the other Namekians are coded after any earth culture, wouldn't it be Middle Eastern?

I mean, you could pretty much play "who wore it better?" with Nail and Aladdin (Nail wins because he accessorized with an infinity scarf).

The other Namekians are all wearing some version of traditional Middle Eastern men's clothing.

I mean, c'mon, Piccolo is wearing a freaking turban, people.

Minus the upturned tips, he's also got an almost "Jafar" look to his weighted clothing, though it also could have been inspired by medieval Burmese/Siamese armor.

[the-lonely-human]

Enjoy angry green man

[dbphantom]

biblically accurate sun god

[chaoflaka]

I always find this part interesting and hilarious. Like…this whole time, Piccolo can just vanish his cape and turban without putting any effort into it. He’s fully aware he can do this, but throws them off him during a battle regardless.

Which only leads to one thing.

He just does this to show off! 🤣

[tobiasdrake]

Also apropos of nothing but I just. I want you to understand that God and Piccolo are the worst secret agents imaginable.

The reincarnated Piccolo attends the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai in secret, plotting to assassinate Goku. He keeps his true identity withheld by wearing a turban.

Which. Works? For some reason?

But the name he enters the tournament under is "Majunior", which kinda gives the game away. It's like he wants to be caught.

Not to be outdone, God enters the tournament under the Chinese name "Shen", or "Shin" in Japanese. Which. Means. God.

Fucking clowns, the both of them.

The worst part is that Chi-Chi's up there making them both look like fucking assholes because did you know you can WITHHOLD your fucking name during registration?

Apparently that's a thing you can do. These two clowns came up with the worst possible aliases while Chi-Chi walked up to the registration desk and just wrote down "Nope".

[ato-catto]

Y’know how piccolos cape and hat are REALLY heavy? How would he react to his seemingly ‘weak’ s/o putting on his hat and cape and jumping around as if they weigh nothing? Female reader or gn!

Pls and ty have a great day!

Ooh! Hehehe!

This one's short but sweet;

"You won't be able to withstand it." He warns, dragging his weighted turban from his head, and holding it to you. "Just don't come crying when you fall on your ass."

You took the cap- admittedly, it was heavy. Heavier than any cap should be..no wonder Piccolos neck was so thick with muscle.

Putting on your head took a moment to get used to, and Piccolo prepared his 'I told you so' speech- but then you stood straight and hopped up and down, like it weighed no more than a feather.

His mouth fell open slightly, and his eyes followed you in disbelief. "Wha.. what- how!?"

You smiled, adding his cape to the mix and fixing the pouldrons to rest comfortably in your shoulders.

"I'm not that weak, Piccolo."

[celticcatgirl2]

“…Is that a HAIR sticking out of your turban Piccolo…”

“…Oh Crap…they’re gonna kick me out of bald club!!!”

[cuttyclowngirl]

DAIMA EP.2 (Spoilers) Review/theories

•Shenron is a troll and basically confirmed he considers the z fighters & co his homies, so no Evil Third Eye (Tertian Oculus) for King Gohma... Yet. Also, at least King Gohma won't stoop to baby k*lling, though kidnapping is still bad. It's extra motivation for our protags though.

•Neva thankfully can't spam kidnapping/reviving D balls. At least not Earth's D balls. Neva also won't just hand over his D balls to anyone no matter what who they are it seems. Tamagami's look like they'll put up a good fight.

•Always wondered what was under Popo's turban. Kinda cute. He kept his cool, probably assuming Goku & crew can help. Chi-Chi & Bulma react exactly as expected. I hope kid Roshi doesn't get too weird about this. Also, proof that Goten & Trunks were born to be best friends.

•Bulma's staff members have great designs. Hope they get fanart. And Bulma taking advantage of Kibito's teleportation is a classic Toriyama bit.

•So Namekians were free spirited demons who migrated out of the demon realm, leaving Neva alone with his responsibilities. (As stated by Piccolo who never had a reason to bring him up till now.) Other demons had done so as well, until it became forbidden without permission. Not even "Kai-Kai" can teleport you into the demon realm. Goku & crew definitely don't have permission, which will lead to trouble.

•Thank goodness being turned into kids is actually affecting the Z-fighters and their not just going "Oh well!" Y'know?

•BLOOD! YIPPEE! NYOIBO! HOORAY! NIMBUS! WOO - oh...

•Thank goodness the pointy ears thing was cleared up so early, cuz some people were immediately becoming annoyingly dismissive out of confusion.

•Shin's (Supreme Kai) ship (beaten up during G & V's fight with K Buu) definitely ties into the collective backstory of him & his siblings. Flashbacks ahead, for sure.

•Confirmation that the 3 demon worlds have their own rulers beneath the Supreme King of the entire realm. (Toriyama was so jrpg story-pilled.) The opening featured who is likely former Supreme King Abura(Dabura's father). We'll probably get a specific flashback showing how the Tertian Oculus was lost. Looks like it appears 43 seconds into the opening. Metal design confirmed.

•While the feathers in the intro and outro are likely tributing Toriyama-sensei, I can't help but wonder if the feathers coincidentally also belong to a new creature that will help Goku in a major way. Perhaps the demon realm equivalent to Toki-Toki? There's also the shots with focus on water in the intro. I suspect they hint at the Namekian's original demon Homeland.

•Theory : Dr Arinsu is clearly manipulative and was mentioned to have already visited Earth, probably collecting all sorts of Intel. My theory is that she's manipulating Glorio, Panzy, and the 3rd world King to get rid of King Gohma, while also tricking Goku & crew into collecting Neva's D balls to obtain the Tertian Oculus/becoming Demon Queen. Explains why Glorio seems to know too much. The whole "the 3rd demon world King told me." Thing doesn't necessarily explain why Glorio already knew about the current situation. Glorio said "I was given the request in secret to come get you." A little convenient, yeah?

•I teared up at the OP & ED.

[2darklymelanatedstories]

Surprise me (ft Piccolo)

Inspired by

You don't know my name

By

Alicia Keys

~

You quickly dashed into the coffeeshop you worked at, all while avoiding people passing by. You were late, as usual but to you it seemed like you were early.

As soon as you opened the door, you immediately regretted it. Your manager was waiting by your post and by the look of it he wasn't happy. This was the third time this week and he tried to be understanding but now it seems like your were taking advantage. Luckily it wasn't that busy. Merely only about eight people that morning.

You quickly went over to apologize before offering to take over some of the orders and fill in for the other co-workers. One of which was one of your closest friends.

"Hey, sorry I'm late. Let me get that.",you said trying to take the dirty plates from their hands.

"It's okay, it's okay. I got this sweety.",they said.

Their attention soon went from you to the door the moment they heard the clinging of the bell.

They turned to you with a smirk. "Your boy just walked in."

In a second, your face lit up as you battle to jump in excitement.

Your head swung towards the door where the man of your dreams stook out like a sore thumb. He's emerald skin instantly put attention to him and the bright clothes didn't help either.

You noticed he wasn't in his usual attire. Usually he had on his purple gi and turban. Rare occasions he'd come in with his cape but today he had on a yellow shirt with the logo Postboy and denim jeans along with a blue cap. Not what you are used to but you found it cute.

You turned your head away from him so he couldn't see you staring but it seemed as if you were too late when he all too suddenly passed a glance towards your direction.

"You okay?",your friend asked. You gave them a nod and took a deep breath. He took a seat in the corner close to the window. His favourite spot. Everyone knew it.

He was avoided by the rest of the staff, mostly because they probably knew that he preferred you taking his orders.

You took your notebook and headed to his table. He seemed off so you thought to be extra cheerful.

"Good morning.",you said giving him a warm smile. Though you thought it'd be a better greeting if you knew his name. "So what will it be today, the usual?"

"Hey, uh yeah. The usual please."

"Sure thing." You needn't give him a menu, he always ordered the same thing.

You went to place the order but as you were about to you thought of something else.

"So the usual?",the cook asked. You thought for a moment before reluctantly shaking your head.

"Nah." You leaned in and whispered something in his ear. He looked over at the Namekian who's gaze was fixated on the outside garden with the gentle breeze blowing in his face from the open window. He then looked back at you, he was skeptical but shrugged and went on with the order.

Once he was done he called you over. "Okay I'm done, just do that thing you always do with his tea first."

You quickly whipped up his tea and placed everything on his tray before delivering it to him.

He looked at it then back at you with a brow raised. He was about to speak but you cut him off.

"I know this isn't usually what you order but you seemed a bit off lately so I thought it'd be a nice surprise."

He stared at you for a moment then gave you a small smile which warmed your heart.

"Thanks." He then got up and opened a chair for to sit. "How bout joining me this time?"

You felt your face heat up. This is the most his talked to you and now he was inviting you over to sit with him. Without saying another word you sat down and could hear the whispers and soft cheering of your co-workers.

"Oooh. Get it sweety.",you heard your friend say. You honestly felt a bit embarrassed and it seemed you weren't the only one.

As the morning passed, you two spoke as if you were just two close friends even though you knew barely anything about each other. Though it seemed like it was mostly just you asking countless questions about him and him just smirking at how amazed you were at his answers.

Though like how good things must end, the time came when you had to hand him the check and he had to leave.

"So I'll see you next week?",you asked as he reached the door.

He smirked. "Sure."

~

Four weeks passed and you haven't seen from him. You couldn't help but feel terrible because he was on your mind since that day. Now he's presence was never felt in the cafe. Sure it was only four weeks but to you it felt like months. You stopped being excited for work and it was just a reminder of how he wasn't coming back.

Your friends and co-workers noticed and tried to cheer you up but they knew your smile was fake.

~

Another week passed and it was around 4 in the afternoon. It was Sunday so you closed earlier. Last of the customers left and you were cleaning up with your friend while the speakers played soft throwback music.

As you were sweeping you heard the bell as the door slowly opened.

You were too deep into the song to notice, that is until your friend tapped you on your shoulder. "Sweety," they whispered. "Your boy just walked in."

You reluctantly turned to him. His gi was ripped and burnt in places and his beautiful skin had bruises all over. You dropped the broom and cupped your hands over your mouth.

Though he seemed very messed up, he couldn't help the smile on his face.

"Hey (y/n)."

You approached him and gently placed your hand on his bruised arm. "Piccolo? Are you okay? What happened?"

"It's nothing, I'll be fine.",he said. You looked up at him and were a bit reassured by the look in his eyes. You seemed to stare into each other's eyes for a while until you realised that your hand moved down to intertwine with his.

Once you noticed this your hand unintentionally tightened it's grip. Seeing him that way made you hesitant to let him go.

"Soo..." Your friend stepped forward. "You need to sit down or..?"

"Yes actually. I'd like to order if you'll let me."

You almost jumped. "Sure, what'd you like?"

"Surprise me."

[serenacypher]

General consensus of the art poll says I need to draw Piccolo! His silly turban gave me such a hassle, I probably redrew it like 10 times just to get it looking okay, but his cape was fun to do. I decided to do a quick color and shade on him, enjoy!

[erimeows]

Wanted You

It’s a cool summer day when Gohan turns twenty one and decides to ask Piccolo the question that’s been bothering him since he was a teenager.

The two of them are sitting on a cliff’s edge that overlooks the long river by Gohan’s home on Mountain Paozu. The grass is green and lush, blowing in the wind that’s just light enough to be comfortable so long as Gohan is wearing long sleeves. Piccolo is in his usual attire; purple gi, blue sash, brown shoes, white cape and shoulder pads, purple and white turban. Gohan is dressed in a black sweatshirt and matching pants, an outfit that Chichi accused of not being nice enough for his birthday celebration. He wore it anyway in preparation for his time with Piccolo- just in case the Namekian wanted to train with him.

It’s his twenty-first birthday and his mom threw him a small celebration. Initially, she insisted on throwing a huge party with everyone she knows, but Gohan pushed back enough until the guest list was narrowed down to her, his dad, all of his dad’s friends, Goten, and his friends from high school; Erasa, Videl, and Sharpner. It was still far larger than Gohan really wanted it to be, but it was better than last year. After the party started to dissipate, Gohan snuck out to find one of the only people he actually wanted to see today; Piccolo, who didn’t attend the party because of the crowd.

They’ve been talking for hours. Gohan has his head on Piccolo’s shoulder. It’s a gesture of affection that Gohan got in the habit of doing a decade ago, but it’s different now. It means something other than what it used to mean, something less pure. Gohan remains just as baffled by his ever-changing feelings as he has been since his sixteenth birthday when the realization came crashing down on him. They did the very same thing they’re doing now that day, and a lot of other days, too. Gohan sighs and snuggles into Piccolo’s shoulder, not daring to speak his thoughts out loud. His romantic love for Piccolo grows stronger each day and he doesn’t know how to tackle the subject.

Does Piccolo even feel romantic love for others? He’s never talked about it, and Gohan has never asked. But, he figures now is better than never.

“Piccolo, can I ask you something?”

“You can ask, doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll answer, though,” The Namekian shrugs and crosses his arms, which makes Gohan’s head shift in a way that’s uncomfortable.

The half-Saiyan sits up straight and stares down into his lap as he fidgets with his fingers.

“Have you ever thought about dating?” 

“Dating…? Yes, I’ve thought about it, but I don’t think I’ll ever partake.”

Gohan’s heart shatters into tiny pieces right then and there. It’s a very Piccolo-like answer. Part of him expected it. Still, it stings like stepping on one of Goten’s legos. 

“Why not?”

“I don’t want to date earthlings, they die too fast and couldn’t possibly understand me… And they’re most of this planet’s population. Your father and Vegeta are taken, not that I’d date them anyway… Buu is just weird, and I have no interest in going back to New Namek for the sole purpose of finding a partner when the few people I love are all here. Then, there is one person who’s an exception to all of it, I suppose, but I wouldn’t dare say anything to them about my true feelings… I expect to be alone for the rest of my life in that sense.”

Gohan sits quietly for a moment. He supposes with the whole ‘earthling’ thing that he himself is out of the running since he’s half earthling, so who is it that Piccolo could possibly be in love with? Another Namekian? A full-blooded Saiyan? 

“Oh… Who is it that you do like?”

A pause, and then, Piccolo shakes his head and stands up with a sad, far-off look in his obsidian eyes.

“...I can’t tell you that in good conscience, Gohan. It’s complicated and I don’t want to burden you with it.”

“Okay, um, do you want to spar now?”

“Sure.”

~

A few days pass after that. The issue of Piccolo’s secret love bothers Gohan every second he has the free time to think about it outside of his college classes and familial obligations. He can’t clear his mind of it no matter how hard he tries. He’s jealous, and he wants Piccolo all to himself, but at the same time, he wants Piccolo to be happy. Even if it’s not him, he wants Piccolo to be with who he loves, so he’s determined to figure out who that person is. 

If Piccolo won’t tell him and if he can’t figure it out, he’ll inquire with those they both know to see if it gets him anywhere.

The first person he goes to is his father, Goku, who usually gives some pretty solid advice and offers good insight despite his dense nature.

It’s a hot summer day, hotter than it was on his birthday. Gohan stumbles upon his father training outside after some searching around Mountain Paozu.

“Hey, dad?” Gohan asks, a little awkward since his father is smack-dab in the middle of swimming laps around the local lake. 

He feels like a nuisance for daring to interrupt. Upon seeing him, however, his father surfaces from the water to flash him a smile. The younger of the two stands by the water’s side and waits for his father to swim over to him. 

“Hey, Gohan! What’s up? Did you come to swim, too?”

“Uh, no, actually. I have lab in an hour on campus, but I wanted to talk to you before leaving… Can I ask you something?” 

“What is it, Gohan?” Goku questions with a grin as he bobs up his upper half out of the water and rests his elbows on the edge to hold himself up while Gohan talks.

“Do you know who Piccolo might like?”

“Well… Hm…” Goku pauses, thoughtful. He contemplates for a moment before breaking out into an even larger grin and speaking up like he’s just solved the world’s hardest math problem. “I know he at least likes you!”

“W-What!?” Gohan exclaims with wide charcoal eyes and bright red cheeks.

“Well, you two are friends, right?” Goku shoots back, clearly oblivious.

“Oh…” Gohan responds upon realizing what Goku initially meant. The half-Saiyan lets out a sigh of relief, then nods his head. “Yeah, we are. You’re right.”

“What, is that not what you meant or something?” His father tilts his head in that dumb, innocent way that so endearingly reminds him of a puppy, and Gohan suddenly realizes that this is not the person he should be discussing the issue of Piccolo’s love-life with.

“No, no, it’s fine, uh… I’ll see you later.”

Gohan recovers just enough to walk off, leaving his father to return to Mount Paozu’s clear waters. He’s anxious about it now… Well, then. Next time he asks someone about it, he’ll just have to phrase it differently. His father probably wasn’t the best person to go to in the first place…

~~

Gohan’s next stop in his journey to find Piccolo’s true love is Capsule Corp. It’s been a day since he tried to discuss the issue with his father and after some reflection, Gohan has come to the conclusion that he needs to talk to someone more familiar with romance than his father is. Bulma is a logical and intelligent woman with plenty of life experience and a couple relationships under her belt. Surely, even if she doesn’t know who it is that Piccolo is in love with, she’ll have some good insight about his situation. 

Gohan braces himself to knock on Bulma’s front door. It’s hotter than it was yesterday. West City is sweltering with no wind in sight to ease the heat. Gohan is stuck in a white tank-top, grey shorts, sandals, and an assload of sunscreen with his few stray locks of midnight-hued hair clipped back by Videl to keep them from sticking to his forehead with sweat.

Instead of knocking on the door, Gohan catches himself in time to ring the doorbell. He always forgets that they have a nice one installed when his own home back on the Mountain just has its plain wooden door that’s constantly on the brink of falling off its hinges.

He’s unsurprised when Bulma opens the door quickly, her short cyan hair perfectly combed and a red dress on her small frame as she flashes him a bright smile. 

“Bulma,” Gohan greets with a nod and walks in when Bulma holds the door open for him to enter her home. 

Bulma’s top of the line air conditioning hits him so hard that goosebumps raise on his warm skin. The half-Saiyan lets out a sigh of relief. Despite the hot weather outside, the Briefs’ home is ice cold, no doubt so that Vegeta doesn’t get overheated when training. Gohan can hear the familiar noises of the gravity chamber that’s built inside the house just down the hall as he’s led to the living room.

“Gohan, it’s been a bit, how are you?” The scientist says and sits down on the living room couch.

Gohan sits in the chair across from her. As much as he’d love to sit and catch up with Bulma right now, he’s a man on a mission. He averts his eyes and gets straight to the point.

“I’m good, but I actually came over to ask you something. Aside from me and my dad, you’re the closest to Piccolo,” He starts, and it’s true. Piccolo and Bulma aren’t exactly friends, but aside from Goku, she’s been the only one out of their friend group to really embrace and try to socialize with Piccolo, even giving him a cell phone and a capsule house after the defeat of Frieza. “So I was wondering if you knew about his, er… Love life?”

“Love life?” Bulma places a finger on her chin. Gohan watches with a gulp. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea… Bulma sounds totally confused. Gohan suspects that he may be the only one out of all of their friends and family that has actually stopped and thought about Piccolo’s romantic interests. It makes sense that the others don’t see Piccolo engaging in such things. He felt like that at different points, too. Now, he’s in love with Piccolo. Things are different. He feels like an idiot for thinking about it in the first place, let alone asking both his dad and Bulma for answers as if they’d have any idea. “I don’t think he really has one of those, but Gohan, why do you want to know?”

“Well, um, I just worry for him and-...” Gohan tries to come up with an excuse. The first and easiest one that comes to mind is that he’s concerned that Piccolo. His teacher and father figure (and nothing more, of course) is lonely and needs to start dating someone. That sounds believable, doesn’t it? Before he can get through that thought, however, he senses Vegeta’s ki heading their way and is proven correct when the compact Saiyan enters the room. “Oh, Vegeta, it’s nice to see you…”

Neither Bulma nor Gohan say anything. Bulma shifts on the couch and stares down at the floor like it’s suddenly become the most interesting thing on the planet.

Vegeta walks to the couch and sits close to Bulma with an arm over her shoulder and his brow furrowed. Gohan doesn’t look him in the eye, simply eyeing his outfit instead. Vegeta is dressed in a sleeveless spandex suit that only goes down to his knees, so there’s a lot visible that he’s sure he honestly never wanted to see.

“Why’d you get so quiet all of a sudden?” Vegeta demands, then continues with a sarcastic edge to his tone. “What, are you throwing me a surprise birthday party? Come on, now, don’t let me ruin your little chat.”

“Huh? It’s nothing like that,” Gohan feigns obliviousness. “I just, um, I-”

“What were you two talking about?”

Bulma turns to face Vegeta with crossed arms and a clear glare of disapproval that the other ravenette only slightly slouches at.

“Vegeta! How rude, it really isn’t any of your business!”

Vegeta doesn’t reply to Bulma, simply talking to Gohan once more.

“Just because you’re a man now doesn’t mean you get to come into my home and play these games of secret keeping-”

“For starters, Vegeta, you don’t pay the bills around here. This is my home, not yours,” Bulma chews out her husband (?) and grabs him by the ear. Vegeta lets out a noise of discontent when she pulls at it. “Second of all, Gohan can do whatever he wants. We were just talking about Piccolo, anyway, it’s nothing for you to be concerned with.”

Vegeta huffs, pulls away from Bulma, and lowers his voice.

“What could be interesting enough regarding the Namekian for the two of you to be in here whispering to each other about?”

“Ugh, why are you so nosy all of a sudden?” Bulma snarks. “Not like you’ve ever given a damn about him, Vegeta.”

At that, Vegeta crosses his arms and looks away with a light blush. Could it be him…?

No. No way. Gohan sits there awkwardly, trying to put the pieces of this puzzle together. For a moment, he thinks he senses Piccolo’s ki in the midst of it all, but then the feeling vanishes. He must be so bothered by this debacle that he’s imagining things…

“We’re… Comrades, in one way or another,” Vegeta answers after far too long of a silence. ”Are you really surprised that I’m concerned?”

“Look, Vegeta, it’s a little complicated,” Gohan rushes to explain in an attempt to clear the tension in the air. His intuition tells him that Vegeta’s hiding something, but he refuses to interrogate the older man to find out what that something is. He nervously drums his fingers against the arms of Bulma’s living room chair while trying to find the right words. “It’s more of a personal issue, but Piccolo is fine, I’m just… Inquiring about something.”

“But Gohan…” Bulma interjects before Vegeta can say anything. “Back to the subject of why you came here in the first place, why do you even want to know that about Piccolo? Isn’t it weird for you to think about your teacher’s love life? I think it’d almost be as awkward as you thinking about Goku’s.”

Vegeta’s spine straightens within the same second that his eyes shoot wide open. His cheeks flush pink as he looks at Bulma and speaks with a peculiar sense of urgency.

“Bulma, if this is what it’s about, let the boy figure out his feelings on his own.”

“O-Oh, no, it’s not like that!” Gohan insists with a dismissive wave of his hands and a stutter.

Vegeta only rolls his eyes.

“Bullshit.”

Then, the Saiyan is up and leaving, presumably returning to his training. Another awkward silence ensues. Bulma is the first to break it.

“Uh, Gohan…”

Gohan shifts in his chair and offers an anxious chuckle, followed by-

“Don’t tell anyone? Please?”

“Sure, I promise. It’s not my business, anyway… Sorry about Vegeta, too. You know how he can be. I’ll see you later, okay?” Bulma, seemingly flustered by the whole ordeal, stands up. She straightens out her impeccable dress and looks at Gohan with a guilty sort of smile. “Sorry I wasn’t able to help you out with your problem.”

“That’s alright, thank you for your time…”

~~~

Another week passes after that. Gohan teeters between the line of giving up before he gets too deep in the shit and continuing to pursue the mystery that is Piccolo’s lone love interest. After dealing with his father’s obliviousness, Bulma’s confusion, and Vegeta’s… Well, whatever label could be put on Vegeta’s behavior was last week, Gohan isn’t sure he wants to take the risk of asking more of he and Piccolo’s shared circle of friends about the Namekian’s non-existent love life.

The more people he tells, the higher risk of it getting back to Piccolo. It’s true that Piccolo keeps to himself and doesn’t seek out social interaction, but with Gohan’s luck, he wouldn’t be surprised if it happened after this, hence why he’s now headed toward Kame House to speak with the one person he knows won’t tell another soul. 

Gohan is unsurprised to see Krillin firing Kamehameha waves at the ocean when he lands feet-first in the yellowy sand. Immediately, the shorter man stops and rushes to give Gohan a hug. Gohan quickly reciprocates and grins down at Krillin, who’s the first to speak.

“Gohan! It’s been forever since I’ve seen ya, buddy, how are you?”

“Oh, I’m good, how about you?” Gohan responds with a slight tilt of his head as Krillin pulls away and puts his hands on his hips.

“I’m great! Did you just come to visit, or…?”

“Well, I suppose so, yes, but there was something I was wondering about… Could I ask you something?”

“Sure, Gohan, what is it?”

“I know this is a little bit of an odd question, but you’re good with romance, right? I mean, you’re married and all, and…” Gohan trails off and makes his way to the porch with Krillin following him. They both sit on the top steps, Gohan with his head in his hands and Krillin staring at him worriedly. “Well, to get straight to the point, do you know if Piccolo might be interested in anyone? Like, romantically?”

“I’m not gonna lie to you, Gohan. It’s pretty hard to imagine that guy having the hots for someone. If anyone had a chance with him, it’d be you.”

“W-What?” Gohan shoots straight up. A glimmer of hope flashes in his chest. After two instances of it being insinuated that Piccolo isn’t interested in anyone at all, finally having someone tell him that he has a chance is reassuring… Not that it makes his anxiety about their age difference and everyone’s opinions any better. That’s a whole other can of worms that he has yet to open with himself, let alone with anyone else. “Don’t you think that’s a little weird?”

“Why would it be weird?” 

“The age difference!” Gohan exclaims with a blush.

“...You know you guys are only four years apart in age, right?”

“What!? But- but he was an adult when-”

“Namekians age differently, Gohan, he was only eight when he killed Raditz and took you.”

And that’s a whole lot of information that Gohan doesn’t know how to unpack. Neither of them speak for a moment as Gohan processes. He had always assumed that Piccolo was his father’s age if not older. 

“...I see,” Gohan murmurs after a moment and fidgets with his hands in his lap. “So, you think he likes me?”

“Well, I’m not sure about that for certain, but if anyone has a chance it’d be you.”

“But- but don’t you think it’s still weird? I mean, he was my teacher for so long and-”

“Gohan,” Krillin interrupts with a firm, reassuring hand placed on Gohan’s shoulder. “It’s okay. It’s been a long time since then, you’re an adult now. Do what your heart tells you to do and I’ll be behind you every step of the way, alright? Whether you tell Piccolo or you don’t tell Piccolo about your feelings, I’m here for you to talk to. You can come visit me any time- I know Eighteen and Marron would be happy to see more of you around here, too.”

Choked up with emotion, Gohan nods and manages to force out a reply.

“Yeah… Thank you. I’ll be sure to take you up on that.”

“Sounds good. You’ll be fine, okay? Now come inside, I’ll cook us something to eat.”

Gohan lets out a sigh of relief and follows the older man into Kame House, where Master Roshi is passed out on the couch and where Eighteen and Marron are sitting at the coffee table reading a book. Maybe Krillin is right about all of this… He’ll be just fine.

~~~~

Later that night, Gohan finds himself lounging on the living room couch of the Son residence with a pen and notepad in hand. The only light is that of the lamp on the nearby table. Normally, he’d be at his college dorm, but since summer break has started, he’s been staying with his parents to spend some more time with them and Goten.

It’s half past midnight when Gohan hears feet shuffling in the hallway. He hurriedly tucks the notepad (which is filled with a list of pros and cons of telling Piccolo his feelings) between two couch cushions and tries to make it look like he’s just relaxing. Goten is the one who comes into the room, though, and even at only twelve years old, he’s able to read Gohan better than both of their parents. 

“Gohan, what’s wrong?” Goten asks from the doorway, dressed in a t-shirt and pajama pants.

“Oh, Goten, it’s nothing,” Gohan attempts to wave Goten off with a forced smile. “I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine, are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“You know you can talk to me, right?” Goten insists. Then, he sits next to Gohan on the couch and looks at him with a concerned expression. “You’ve been acting off since your birthday and I’m really starting to get worried. I won’t tell Mom and Dad if it’s something that bad.”

“You promise?”

“Of course!” Goten agrees with a hurried nod and puts his hands in his lap to nervously wring them together just like Gohan is doing.

“Hm… Okay, well, I’ve fallen in love with someone, but I’m afraid to tell them. Other people seem to think this person loves me back, but I’m not so sure that they actually do.”

Of course, Goten being Goten, gets to the main point and asks the one question that Gohan doesn’t want to answer.

“Who is it?”

“I can’t believe I’m telling you this, but…” Gohan takes a deep breath to calm himself down before confessing the truth. He closes his eyes, almost scared to see Goten’s face contort with disappointment or judgment or whatever it is that he’s going to react with. “It’s Piccolo.”

“You’re in love with Mr. Piccolo!?” Goten shouts, to which Gohan pushes his shoulder and whisper-yells back.

“Goten! Lower your voice before Mom and Dad wake up and hear what we’re talking about.”

“Oh, right, okay,” Goten chuckles and lowers his voice to a whisper as well. “Sorry, Gohan!”

“It’s fine, I just… I don’t know what to do. If I tell him and he reciprocates, it’ll be worth it, but then if he doesn’t… It’ll ruin everything between us.”

“Well, yeah, I’ll give you that,” Goten says casually, as if Gohan’s entire world ending because of his feelings isn’t that big of a deal. Then again, Goten has always been like their father, dense about social cues and far too light-hearted about everything… But maybe that’s what he needs right now. “It’ll definitely be awkward if you spill the beans and he rejects you, but I think things being weird between you two for a bit is better than you sitting around miserable like this.”

“God, you’re right… I need to tell him. Okay, I’ll do it later today.”

“Great! You know, we should go catch a movie in the meantime. That twenty four hour theater in West City is still open,” Goten suggests.

Gohan quirks a brow.

“Are you sure we should go this late? Mom will be pissed if she finds out…”

“Eh, who cares? We’ll be back before she wakes up,” Goten argues and stands up to stretch his arms and legs.

“Fine, fine, we can go… You’re such a bad influence.”

~~~~~

The trip to the movie theater with Goten ended up turning into a shopping spree and sparring as well, resulting in them not returning to the Son home until roughly five in the morning. Thankfully, they were able to slip in without waking up either of their parents, with Goten practically collapsing on the couch to sleep upon their arrival. Gohan, unable to even think about sleeping, goes to the lookout to find Piccolo.

He has to deal with the awkwardness of greeting Dende and Mr. Popo, making small talk with them despite the odd time of day. He’d normally be there to visit Dende. This morning, however, is different. He manages to excuse himself to go sit in front of Piccolo’s door, but he can’t bring himself to actually knock on it for a bit. He wastes half an hour sitting in front of the damn thing.

It’s nearly six in the morning when Gohan musters the courage to knock on the door. He doesn’t know why he bothers doing that. He’s sure Piccolo must’ve sensed his intense ki coming from miles away, as he’s so emotional right now that he can’t make so much as an attempt at hiding it.

Apparently, he’s correct. The moment his fist comes into contact with the wood of the door, Piccolo opens it for him, almost as if he’s been waiting on the other side for Gohan to make his presence known.

The Namekian is as gorgeous as he was on Gohan’s birthday, and every other day, too; dressed in a large purple sweater and matching joggers. It’s different from the usual attire, but it makes sense that Piccolo is wearing it. He’s at home, after all, and was probably either asleep or just waking up when Gohan arrived. 

Gohan’s eyes trail up and down Piccolo’s body. It’s large, lean, and a hue of jade green that Gohan would drown himself in pools of if he could. Part of his mind shifts to more unsavory thoughts before he shuts it down and forces words out of his mouth.

“Piccolo, I need to talk to you.”

“Actually, Gohan, I need to talk to you first.”

Gohan freezes. He is standing in Piccolo’s doorway, feeling so very vulnerable. He shifts nervously and raises a hand to rub at his bicep. He can’t look Piccolo in the eye.

“O-Oh, um, okay, what is it?”

“I don’t know how to say this or where to even start, so I’m just going to come out with it. I heard you when you were at Bulma’s last week,” Piccolo admits. The sudden onslaught of emotion is so dizzying that Gohan has to grip onto the side of the doorway to keep himself standing up straight. So, Piccolo knows about his feelings, and Piccolo has known about his feelings for days now. Even worse, Piccolo knows that Gohan was running around probing their mutual friends for information about Piccolo’s love-life. “I was there training with Vegeta in his gravity chamber… I stayed behind when he said he was going to talk to Bulma about something, but as you know, my hearing is leagues above that of the average earthling, so-”

“You heard everything I said that day…?” Gohan asks just to be sure before he lets the well of tears building up in his eyes flow out.

Piccolo nods. Gohan manages to look up at him just long enough to see it and to see the purple blush that’s consumed Piccolo’s cheeks. 

“Precisely.”

“God, Piccolo, I’m so sorry. I hope this doesn’t make things awkward between us…” Gohan apologizes and uses the sleeves of his shirt to wipe the tears from his eyes before they can pour down his cheeks. The crying doesn’t stop, though, so he has to keep wiping his eyes while Piccolo stands there awkwardly, probably waiting for an explanation that Gohan doesn’t know how to give.  “I- I know you don’t want me, you don’t have to say it. I should’ve just taken the hint when I first asked you about it and-”

Gohan can’t finish the sentence. A choked sob tears through his throat and takes him over so he’s sitting on the ground with his head in his hands and his knees pulled to his chest. Part of him expects Piccolo to slam the door shut and leave him there. The other part of him expects Piccolo to berate him, to call him disgusting for having such feelings for his former teacher, to tell him that he’s never had a chance and never will. What Gohan doesn’t expect is for Piccolo to get down on his knees, pull his hands away from his eyes, and force him to make eye contact.

“Of course I want you,” Piccolo swallows and lets out a heavy sigh- whether it’s from stress or relief, Gohan can’t tell. Gohan sniffles and cautiously stares at Piccolo’s face. As per usual, he’s unable to read the expression on it. Piccolo shakes his head and holds his arms out. Gohan, frantic, buries himself in them and cries even more when Piccolo picks him up and carries him inside. The door is shut behind them as Piccolo asks- “Why wouldn’t I want you?”

“It’s like you said, you’re not interested in earthlings, and you could do so much better-” Gohan starts to ramble again as Piccolo sets him down on his bed and sits down next to him.

“You’re all I could ever want, Gohan,” Piccolo effectively ends Gohan’s rambling with his reassuring words. Gohan stares at him, half-convinced that this is a dream. It must be, right? Because the way that Piccolo is so tenderly wrapping an arm over one shoulder and using his spare hand to wipe Gohan’s tears off of his face feels unreal. It can’t be real. “You’re not just an earthling- you’re Saiyan, too, and even if you were completely human… I misunderstood what you were saying when you asked me about it and thought you were going to try to set me up on a date with one of your friends or something. I don’t want anything to do with anyone if they’re not you, so I tried to throw you off by making it clear that I don’t want to date anyone on this planet. I was hoping you’d drop the subject, but I guess you’ve never given up that easily… Stubborn brat.”

“You really want me…? You don’t have to say stuff like that just to spare my feelings, Piccolo. Really, it’s okay, I can take rejection-”

“Gohan, if you don’t shut the hell up and come here right now I’m going to special-beam-cannon you into the next stratosphere.”

Gohan blinks. Then, in a rare moment of shared vulnerability, both of them laugh. Gohan listens to Piccolo’s words and falls into the older man’s arms, relief flooding him like hot water when those arms are wrapped around him. He buries his face in the crook between Piccolo’s neck and shoulder. 

“I know you’re gonna get agitated with me for this, but are you really sure you want me like this…? I just- I just need to hear it one more time,” Gohan says with a nervous chuckle, all of it muffled by Piccolo’s shirt.

“Of course I’m sure,” Piccolo responds, and though Gohan can’t see Piccolo’s face, he can feel the Namekian rolling his eyes from the way the air in the room changes just a tad. “Why don’t you stay here and get some rest? You look like you haven’t slept at all, and I haven’t either. We can talk more when we wake up.”

“I… I think I’d like that,” Gohan agrees and lays back on the mattress with Piccolo lying right next to him. “I love you.”

Gohan dares to glance at Piccolo, who is already staring back at him with that fondness in his gaze that Gohan has never seen him have for anyone else. Piccolo reaches out and pushes Gohan’s hair out of his face with the slightest hint of a smile.

“I love you, too.”

[larkawolfgirl]

Being Honest (Gohan, Piccolo)

Rating: General Audiences Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Category: M/M Fandom: Dragon Ball Relationships: Piccolo & Son Gohan, Piccolo/Son Gohan Characters: Son Gohan, Piccolo (Dragon Ball), Dende (Dragon Ball) Additional Tags: Queerplatonic Relationships, Heart-to-Heart, Confessions

Summary: Sequel to Honest Feelings. Gohan tells Piccolo what he realized. 

(I have a third installment planned but we’ll see if I ever actually write it)

Read on ao3

Gohan felt a lot lighter after discussing Piccolo with Videl. He wanted to get the rest of his feelings off his chest by telling Piccolo himself, but he was still nervous to do so. He didn’t want this to change things. At least, not change things for the worse.

He tried to push his concerns aside by telling himself that Piccolo’s worst reaction would probably be confusion. It isn’t like Gohan had ever asked him or Dende about Namekian romance and sexuality, but he wouldn’t be surprised if neither existed on Namek. Piccolo probably didn’t see him as anything other than a godson.

As long as Piccolo wasn’t repulsed for some reason, Gohan would be happy with the outcome. It wasn’t like he was telling him to gain anything in the first place.

He landed at the lookout to find Dende watering the flowers. He could sense Piccolo’s energy but couldn’t see him, so he was probably inside.

“Hey, Dende,” he greeted with a wave.

Dende looked up from the flowerbed. “Oh, hi, Gohan. It’s nice to see you.”

“It’s nice to see you. I know I should catch up, but I actually wanted to talk to Piccolo about something serious first.”

“Oh. He’s inside meditating.”

“Thanks.”

It didn’t take him long to spot Piccolo inside the entrance hall. The Namekian was deep in concentration. Gohan took a moment to really look at him. He was wearing his normal white turban, cape, and purple pants. Together with his green skin It gave him an exotic look. His facial muscles were defined, and often he looked intimidating, right now his face was smoothed out. It was the closet the man would ever be to the sleeping state which meant this was also his most vulnerable. Gohan was sure Piccolo had already sensed his energy. Gohan already knew that he trusted him, but this reminder brought a smile to his face.

“Hi, Piccolo, can we talk?”

Piccolo opened one eye. “Speak.”

Gohan fidgeted, then decided to sit down cross-legged across from him. "Video made me think about a few things that I want to talk to you about."

Realizing this wasn't a trivial visit, Piccolo opened his other eye. The rest of his stance was unmoving. "What is this about?"

"Well, you know that you are like family to me.”

Piccolo lifted his forehead muscles. “Yes, I do. Did you come all this way just to tell me that?”

“No,” Gohan said, floundering with how best to express himself in a Not-Weird-Way. “Videl is also my family.”

Piccolo looked a bit impatient. “I assumed so when you decided to marry her.”

“What I’m trying to say is that my familiar feelings for you are closer to the ones I have for her than they are the ones I have for my dad.”

Piccolo nodded, clearly processing his words. “We are both your found families, so that makes sense.”

Gohan shook his head. “That’s true, but it’s more than that. I love you, Piccolo.”

Piccolo’s reaction was full-body. His arms rose up and his face took on a slight pink color. “What?”

Gohan put his hands out placatingly. “Sorry, no, that sounded wrong in this context. Well, not wrong exactly, but…” Piccolo didn’t look any less agitated. “What I’m trying to say is that I love you more than a friend or even an uncle. But I’m not saying that I love you like that . At least I don’t think I do.”

Piccolo relaxed, hands falling into his lap. “I don’t know what to say.”

“That’s okay,” Gohan said quickly. “I didn’t tell you because I wanted anything. Videl just thought it would be good for me to be honest. Besides, I had no idea if you maybe had something you wanted to get off your chest as well.”

Piccolo thought for a moment. “We do not have very complex relationships on Namek.”

Gohan smiled. “I wondered if that was the case. That’s perfectly fine. If you aren’t sure what you feel, I totally get it. I just wanted you to know and that it’s okay if you do. With me and with Videl.”

Piccolo’s face tensed. “How did Videl take this?”

Gohan scratched his cheek. “Believe it or not, but she’s the one that made me realize. She trusts me and seems to not really care if this does change something.” It took less than a second for him to realize how that sounded. “I don’t mean that in a weird way! Just in case we get a bit closer, if that makes sense.”

Piccolo was silent for a long time. Gohan was just about to ramble more when he finally spoke up. “You were such a weak kid when I first met you. Kind-hearted and a crybaby. I tried to beat that out of you since I thought it would get you killed one day. But now I see that your gentler qualities are what really gives you life.”

“Piccolo…”

Piccolo clamped his hand down on his shoulder. It was a simple touch, one that he had done many times over the years, but right now it felt more meaningful, and Gohan could feel emotions swirling in his chest.

“Back then I did think of you as a son. I was so proud of your fighting progress and accomplishments. I still want to protect you and watch over how you grow and succeed, but I suppose you are right that there is more to the feelings I have. I am not sure what they are, though.”

Gohan laughed. “I don’t either. I, uh, don’t dislike you touching me, though.” He could feel his face heating at that confession. He knew that anyone else would probably take that the wrong way.

Piccolo squeezed his shoulder. “I don’t either.”

Gohan nodded, taking in a breath. “Okay! We’ll be family that occasionally touches, then.”

Piccolo gave a short, huffed laugh. “I suppose that works. For now at least.”

Gohan rubbed the back of his head. “To be honest, I was a bit nervous to tell you.”

Piccolo dropped his hand. “Why’s that?”

“I thought you might find it too weird or find me gross or something.”

The Namekian snorted. “Humans may have concerns with it, but we only have one gender on Namek.”

“I guess you’re right. Still, though, you don’t exactly have these sorts of relationships at all.”

“Usually, no. You don’t normally spit up eggs to reproduce. Do you think that is gross?”

A bit yes, since it involved spit, but Gohan understood his point. “Nope, it’s how nature intended it. And life is always beautiful.”

Piccolo gave another short laugh. “Perhaps you should try your hand at writing poetry.”

“You think? I think biology is more up my alley.”

“It doesn’t hurt to have a hobby.”

“What about you, then?” he pressed. “Do you do anything besides meditate all day?”

“Of course, I do,” Piccolo said but it was obviously mostly a lie.

Gohan stood up. “That’s it. I’m going to buy you some books.”

“Are you calling me uneducated?”

“Maybe.”

They both laughed. Gohan’s hand moved without him thinking and landed on the edge of Piccolo’s leg. They both stared at it for a moment, then continued laughing.

[weizhentian]

[ image description: limited palette pixel art of Piccolo from Dragon Ball Z, dressed his turban and cape, grilling meat on a lidless grill. He has tongs in both hands and puts down meat with his left hand while his right hand holds onto a rack of ribs. ]

i’m a day late for piccolo day but I couldn’t not draw a picture of the grill master

[thetoxicgamer]

Fortnite Dragon Ball Returns With Gohan, Piccolo Blending Old and New

The Fortnite Dragon Ball part 2 crossover has been formally unveiled by Epic Gaming, reuniting anime and battle royale games. The likes of Piccolo, Gohan, and other returning characters from the first Fortnite x Dragon Ball Super partnership are descending into the game ahead of Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 2, so here's what you can anticipate. That’s right, Dragon Ball’s Piccolo and Gohan are in Fortnite, after the first anime crossover from last year introduced the likes of Goku and Vegeta. You can get the two – Piccolo and Gohan – in their Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero forms from the Fortnite shop. The Kamehameha weapon and Nimbus Cloud mobility item have both been unvauled and are set to drop onto the Fortnite map in the form of capsules. The Dragon Ball Adventure Island is also back from the last Fortnite Dragon Ball event as well. The Adventure Island has Goku’s House, Kami’s Palace, the Room of Spirit & Time, and Beerus’ Planet, alongside a Tenkaichi Budokai PvP arena. You can find the island on the discover screen or with the code 5642-8525-5429. It also isn’t just Gohan and Piccolo Fortnite skins either, as each has accessories and back bling in bundles as well. You can find all of this in the item shop, with Epic Games saying old Fortnite Dragon Ball skins and cosmetics will be coming back to the item shop at a later date. Fortnite Dragon Ball cosmetics Below are all of the Fortnite Dragon Ball cosmetics that are currently available: - Piccolo outfit - Piccolo’s Cape and Turban Back Bling – Cape and turban that Piccolo can put on and take off with his demon power. (Included with the Piccolo Outfit. Can only be used with this Outfit.) - Piccolo’s Demon Symbol Back Bling – The mark that Piccolo used to wear. (Included with the Piccolo Outfit.) - Piccolo’s Handheld House Pickaxe – Piccolo’s unique shell-like house. - Red Ribbon Army Aircraft Glide - Gohan outfit - Gohan’s Cape Back Bling – A gift from Piccolo to inspire him to return to training. (Included with the Son Gohan Outfit. Can only be used with this Outfit.) - Gohan’s Beast Axe Pickaxe – Go beyond ultimate! - Capsule No. 576 Glider You can find out all about the Dragon Ball Fortnite crossover on the Epic Games website. In the meantime, you can check out our new Fortnite weapons breakdown that details all the guns in Chapter 4 Season 1, or you can look at our list of the best multiplayer games available on PC right now. Read the full article

[tobiasdrake]

So, following your issues with Goku using a mere fraction of his power as an election, there is even more to dig into: The power of base Saiyans seems to plateau by Goku's time in the time chamber; that's peak body, and, from there on, what's left is getting the most of their transformations. And, going by Beerus meeting Goku, the base saiyans seem to have yet to surpass Freeza. Which is still insane by mortal standards; even if the humans had surpassed the Ginyu force, they'd still be a few orders of magnitude behind. Still, "not yet surpassing Freeza" is still "behind Shin and insignificant to Dabra". But there is a mortal who had surpassed Freeza quite significantly. He was noticeable beyond the original batch of Super Saiyans, and we were told he had trained quite a bit beyond his last displayed strenght, even if lagging behind the level standard Super Saiyan now reaches. He is green, wears a turban, and is part of the Daima group. Seriously, this franchise and its tendency to forget that the non-Saiyans are still insanely strong, and that Piccolo in particular is pretty much just behind 4 guys and FAR beyond the historical impossible milestone...

Oh, yeah. Piccolo absolutely gets screwed pretty much from Buu onwards. As soon as he merged with God, Piccolo ran into the same thing that ruined Tenshinhan's relevancy after the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai: He ran out of story to tell.

Piccolo had undergone his redemption arc, he'd explored his origin and reconnected with his people, and he'd reunited with his other half. There was nothing left for him to do, story-wise. And so the series became less interested in featuring him as a prominent character.

This is the same thing that happened to Tenshinhan. The last interesting things Ten had that he could do was surpass and renounce Taopaipai, and be overtaken by Goku in a rematch. Once he did that, that was it. He had officially run out of plot. His story was complete.

And that way goes his relevancy in fighting. Like Ten, Piccolo following his merger became a Warm Body. Someone who can occupy a role if a role needs occupying, but for whom there is no longer any compelling reason why this role should be occupied by him specifically. There is no specific narrative purpose that can be served in using him over any other character. He's just. Available for use when he needs to earn his paycheck.

But Dragon Ball doesn't have a lot of use for Warm Bodies. Usually, when they have a story they want to tell, they have specific characters in mind that they want to tell it with. And so Warm Bodies tend to just be left hanging out nearby while the plot is happening.

[luckykatsranch]

Lissa: there you are! Want some orange juice for a little break?

“That’s much appreciated. However, ya came in just as Louise’s trainin’s finished.” Bailey said to Lissa, bringing something metallic. “And as such, I have a gift.” With that, he gave Louise what he had brought out: a pair of gloves.

“These were made from some old spoons an alakazam gave me as he got new ones, so they’re highly compatible with psychic energy and channeling elemental attacks.” He explained. “If ya focus your psychic powers into these, you can form an assortment of physical objects, like blades or shields. And, with enough practice, you should be able to do the same without these on.”

@micheleandlissasblog