Popsicle is a Dragon Ball fanfic by KDblack. It can be read here
on Archive of Our Own.note
Vegeta unexpectedly stumbles across Raditz's corpse stashed in a freezer in Bulma's basement. He isn't sure how to feel about this.
Popsicle provides examples of:
- Adaptational Origin Connection: Bulma suspects that her Future self used Raditz's corpse to develop the heart medicine for Goku.
- Alien Autopsy: Bulma has been planning to perform an autopsy on Raditz to learn more about Saiyan biology. She just hasn't gotten around to it yet.
- Cannibal Tribe: Saiyan society partook in ritual cannibalism of the dead. The Saiyans now living on Earth are unaware of this custom except for Vegeta, who chooses to ignore it.
- Dead Man's Chest: While Bulma wasn't the one to kill Raditz, she has been storing his corpse in her basement freezer for years. It's a bit of an open secret.
- Desecrating the Dead: Vegeta views Bulma's treatment of Raditz's corpse as disturbing and humiliating, but he ultimately doesn't care that much given who the victim is.
- Due to the Dead: Part of the reason why Raditz ended up in Bulma's freezer in the first place was because no one knew the proper burial rites for Saiyans and didn't want to be disrespectful. Bulma changes her mind about this after Vegeta tells her Saiyan funerals involve ritual cannibalism. She decides Raditz is staying in the freezer indefinitely.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Played for Laughs. Despite being responsible for the deaths of many in his past, Vegeta is disturbed by Raditz's corpse being kept in the freezer and the fact that his young son not only knew about it but affectionately referred to him as "Uncle Raditz".
- Freaky Funeral Forms: Bulma is disgusted to learn that Saiyan burial practices involve ritual cannibalism.
- Human Resources: Bulma speculates that her future self in the alternate timeline used Raditz's body, at least in part, in the creation of the heart virus medication.
- Proud Warrior Race Guy: Downplayed with Vegeta. While he likes to believe all Saiyans were warriors and soldiers, he acknowledges that may not be true. He doesn't remember enough about life on Planet Vegeta to confirm either way.
- Secret Snack Stash: Bulma has a secret stash of ice cream and popsicles hidden in some of the freezers in the basement laboratory.
- Sneaking Snacks: Trunks likes to steal ice cream and popsicles from Bulma's secret stash in the basement freezer.