Waking with a hangover

Ping was snickering by the time Charlotte was done reading, finding the poem very amusing. "This is fun. We should do this more often," he said. He wasn't sure if he would be approved of for getting so friendly with the girl he was supposed to be protecting, but he didn't worry about it too much. After all, if Charlotte was to entrust her life to him, they should at least be friends of some sort, right?

Charlotte grinned and nodded. "Yes now. On to one of my favorites ever. And don't mind if I start to act silly I really get into this one."


"If the world was crazy

If the world was crazy, you know what I'd eat?" She asked as she sat on her knees.
"A big slice of soup and a whole quart of meat," She giggled as she held her arms wide apart.
"A lemonade sandwich, and then I might try
Some roasted ice cream or a bicycle pie,
A nice notebook salad, an underwear roast," Her voice louder as she read.
An omelet of hats and some crisp cardboard toast,
A thick malted milk made from pencils and daisies,
And that's what I'd eat if the world was crazy.

If the world was crazy, you know what I'd wear?" She stood on the bed grinning down at Ping.
"A chocolate suit and a tie of eclair," her hand moved from her neck to her middle, indicating were the tie wold be.
"Some marshmallow earmuffs," She put her hands over her ear, "some licorice shoes," She extended one foot in front of Ping.
"And I'd read a paper of peppermint news.
I'd call the boys 'Suzy'" She poked Ping on his nose. and I'd call the girls 'Harry," She pointed to herself proudly.
I'd talk through my ears," She pointed to her ears. "and I always would carry,
A paper umbrella for when it grew hazy
To keep in the rain, if the world was crazy.

If the world was crazy, you know what I'd do?
I'd walk on the ocean" She walked on her bed grinning and spinning on her toes. "and swim in my shoe,
I'd fly through the ground" She jumped off the bed spinning. "and I'd skip through the air,
I'd run down the bathtub and bathe on the stair.
When I met somebody I'd say "G'bye, Joe,"
And when I was leaving --- then I'd say "Hello."
And the greatest of men would be silly and lazy
So I would be King" She pointed to herself smirking." . . . if the world was crazy."

She grinned. "How what that?" she asked with a giggle.

Ping ended up laughing throughout the whole thing, greatly amused by Charlotte's little antics as she read the poem. "That was hilarious, I loved it," he said, smiling at her. "You make it so much more entertaining."

Charlotte hopped over and plopped back down on the bed.

"Well I always feel you should make things as fun as they can be no matter what it is."

She put the book back in front of her. "So pick something else fun for me to find." She grinned at him widely.

"Exactly," Ping said, agreeing with her. "People are so serious all the time. They need to live a little, enjoy life while they still can. Human lives are over in a flash. Might as well do some good things while we're around." He paused for a moment, not meaning to give a preachy sermon about life. That was hardly his style. Thankfully though, Charlotte had asked him to pick a poem. He flipped through the pages for a moment, seeing if any titles jumped out at him. He got to the middle of the book before he finally said "How about that one?" as he pointed at the page.

Charlotte was on her knees on the bed looking at the book upside-down. She grinned.

"I like that one."

She took the book and began to read.

"The Crocodile's toothache

The Crocodile
Went to the dentist
And sat down in the chair,
And the dentist said, "Now tell me, sir,
Why does it hurt and where?"
And the Crocodile said, "I'll tell you the truth,
I have a terrible ache in my tooth,"
And he opened his jaw so wide, so wide,
That tell dentist, he climbed right inside,
And the dentist laughed, "Oh isn't this fun?"
As he pulled the teeth out, one by one.
And the Crocodile cried, "You're hurting me so!
Please put down your pliers and let me go."
But the dentist just laughed with a Ho Ho Ho,
And he said, "I still have twelve to go---
Oops, that's the wrong one, I confess,
But what's one crocodile's tooth, more less?"
Them suddenly, the jaws went SNAP,
And the dentist was gone, right off the map,
And where he went one could only guess . . .
To North or South or East or West . . .
He left no forwarding address.
But what's one dentist, more or less?"

She said the last line jokingly. She had done the crocodile in a high funny voice and the dentist in a deep ridiculous voice for her tiny frame.

Ping laughed along with her. "I always told my mother that dentists were evil. And now we have the final proof." He laughed again, the usual professional demeanor he had around Charlotte finally slipping off. Then again, it probably disappeared ages ago. Ping felt more like he was with a friend than somebody he just had to protect.

Charlotte grinned as she saw Ping become more relaxed around her. She did prefer friends over protectors.

"Ok so think of something weird again, unless you want to do something else?" She asked as she bounced on her knees in front of him.

Ping was really very handsom man his face was soft and gentle but she bet he had a hard body under those clothes. She would never say it to him though, she didn't want her father to somehow find out. She learned long ago if she kept her thoughts in her head no one could tell on her. As her father would say 'Two people can keep a secret if one is dead.'

Ping shrugged. "Can't think of anything else to do, really. If you can't come up with anything, I'm content to keep flipping through this book. Especially if you're the one reading the poems." He grinned at her.

Charlotte grinned.

"Ok I know a really good one let me find it."

She began flipping through the pages.

"Here it is."

"Eighteen flavors
Eighteen luscious, scrumptious flavors --" Charlotte gave herself a dreamy look as she spoke.
"Chocolate, lime, and cherry,
Coffee, pumpkin, fudge-banana," She began speaking faster and more excitedly.
"Carmel cream and boysenberry,
Rocky road and toasted almond,
Butterscotch, vanilla dip,
Coconut and mocha chip,
Brandy peach and lemon custard,
Each scoop lovely, smooth, and round,
Tallest ice-cream cone in town," She said in awe as she looked up like she was looking at the treat.
"Lying there (sniff) on the ground." She sniffed sadly looking down as if it was lying on the ground before her.

Ping found himself laughing again. "I think that happened to me once, when I was younger. Dropped my ice cream on the ground and cried like I was at a funeral. My sister found it very amusing." He smiled a little at the memory.

Charlotte gasped. "Oh how could she do that? As a kid sloosing something like that is like loosing your best friend." She shook her head kindly.


"I'll find another poem for us to read." She moved over on the bed and settled herself next to Ping closer then she realized. She was so close that if she leaned over her head would be on his shoulder.

"Pirate Captain Jim
'Walk the plank," says Pirates Jim
But Captain Jim, I cannot swim.'
'Then you must steer us through the gale.'
'But Captain Jim, I cannot sail.'
'Then down with the galley slaves you go.'
'But Captain Jim, I cannot row.'
'Then you must be the pirate's clerk.'
'But Captain Jim, I cannot work."
'Then a pirate captain you must be.'
'Thank you, Jim,' said Captain Me."

Charlotte giggled as she looked over at Ping.

"That's how siblings are, I suppose," Ping said as he shrugged. "We teased each other constantly when we were younger. Now, we're practically joined at the hip." He wondered if Charlotte remembered doing stuff like that with her siblings, before they were turned into vampires. He would never ask out loud, though. Everyone knew that the subject of Charlotte's sisters was practically taboo. He pushed the thought aside as Charlotte read another poem and he smiled. "I don't think I'd mind being a pirate. You get to sail to all kinds of different places, have a lot of adventures, get lots of treasure. Sounds pretty cool."

Charlotte grinned as she curled up her legs under her.
"Well if that's how you feel then I should read Captain Hook.

She flipped quickly through the book.

"Captain Hook

Captain Hook must remember
Not to scratch his toes." she put one of her bare feet in the air and wiggled her toes.
"Captain Hook must watch out
And never pick his nose." She tapped her nose grinning.
"Captain Hook must be gental
When he shakes your hand." She tapped Pings nose jokingly.
"Captain Hook must be careful
Openin' sardine cans," She then began counting off on her fingers grinning.
"And playing tag and pouring tea
And turnin' pages of his book.
Lots of folks I'm glad I ain't ----
But mostly Captain Hook!"

Ping ended up laughing again. "Nice. A hook instead of a hand could come in handy though. You'd never have to worry about carrying a weapon with you. You'd just have your hook with you at all times." That was just a positive way of looking at it though. Ping didn't exactly want a hook instead of a hand for himself.

"Oh I never have to worry about that any way.". Charlotte waved off. "My shoes hav silver daggers in them. " She grinned.

"Wow. Pretty handy. Maybe I should get Mulan to wear some. Although she only were heels for special occasions. Any other time, she says that her feet are going to break off." Ping laughed again, remembering seeing his sister teeter around on high heels once. She had nearly fallen while trying to get them off her feet.

"Well that's understandable. I've been learning to walk in heals since I was a kid. I'm just well practiced." She said casualy.

"Ok so think of something odd for me to find another fun poem for us to read." She grinned.

"I guess that's typical for rich girls, to wear heels and stuff?" Ping asked. "Although I'm not sure how many of them have silver daggers in them like yours." Charlotte was better protected than most of the other wealthy girls in the area. "Something odd...um..." Ping thought for a moment. "Anything about leprechauns in there?" he asked, blurting out the first random thing that popped into his head.

Charlotte grinned. "I have just the poem for that." She laughed as she flipped to the back of the book.

"The search
I went to find the pot of gold
That's waiting where the rainbow ends.
I searched and searched and searched and searched
And searched and searched and then ----
There it was, deep in the grass,
Under an old and twisty bough.
It's mine, it's mine, it's mine at last . . . .
What do I search for now?" she looked up at Ping with an inquisitive look.

She then smiled. "Not an actual leprechaun but it did have the gold." she did grin.

'Yeah, I think that's close enough in my book," Ping said, smiling back at her. "Do leprechauns actually exist? I mean, we've got werewolves and vampire and witches out there. I wouldn't be too surprised if leprechauns were added to the mix. Or any type of fairy for that matter." It was an interesting think to think about, and it had crossed Ping's mind more than once when he had found out that werewolves, vampires, and witches didn't just belong in fairy tales. They belonged in the world around him as well.

Charlotte smiled. "I don't know. All things considered if they do exist they won't be telling us anytime soon." She shrugged. "Anything else funny you can think of?"

"True. Seems like most supernatural creatures and stuff aren't too fond of humans finding them." Although Ping figured they probably had a good reason, especially if they ran into people like Korso, who despised everything that wasn't human. "Um...I think I'm running on empty here," he said, laughing.

Charlotte smiled and laughed. "Yeah. You want to go down to the Dinning area? I could make us some tea?" she suggested with a grin.

"Dining area sounds good to me," Ping said, grinning. He hopped to his feet, the idea of a hot cup of tea sounding pretty inviting at the moment. "After you, milady," he said, grinning as he gestured for Charlotte to go in front of him.