◤ | › * BRAWN > BRAINS !

        ‘ that’s not what i––– thanks for the NON offer though ! whatever happened to having my back, huh ? ’

‘ do .... you want me to impregnant you? or fake impregnant you? ’

          ‘ STOP lookin’ at me like that you fuckin’ wimp, ’ she muttered before letting out a small hiss of pain. it was her fault — she was the IDIOT that decided to leave base to tend to the useless girl that was crying outside the wall. the IDIOT that managed to get locked out for w e e k s. thankfully she was just coming back with the bullet wound in her shoulder. ‘ c’mon, i don’t look that bad, do i? ’

‘ ---- ---- well, you look ... i mean,  p r e t t y  as usual. but still in pain. ’

         ‘ of course, pup. –– a real PRODIGY ! you’re missing one important detail though… it takes two to make a baby. ’

‘ ------------ you’re cute and all, mischa, i pinky promise with rainbow sprinkles and a cherry on top. but i don’t think i want to be the fake dad to your fake baby. or the real dad to your real baby, just to put that out there. ’

          ‘ that’s your MASTERPLAN ? –– – a fake pregnancy for sympathy ? ’

‘ well, yeah! isn’t it perfect? you’d prolly get more rations, too. and if you ever snapped? BAM! an excuse. see? sometimes i have good ideas too. i’m a prodigal.  ’

         ‘ of course they are, pup. but –––––– they’re not LIKED people ! just stating the facts. blame society, not me. –– – and then what ? i’ll just pretend to push out a DEFLATED basketball ? nine months of fake waddling & having people touch my fake belly ? no, thank you. ’

‘ you could pretend it died, or like, just pretend it never happened ---- imagine what a mind fuck that would be for everyone! you’re really good at fake crying, or just, you know ------- faking! ’ 

Messy is fun. My whole life is a giant mess, and I love it.

       ‘ dapper. –– –– and nobody likes a slut, david ! no one. if i want people to like me… i have to act as virgin mary herself !! –– – it’s TIRING. in the palace, there was less of that. much less. pretty just don’t cut it in here. god; it’s going to be a long ride…’ 

‘ sluts are people too, mischa! whores have  f e e l i n g s; you can’t go around saying things like that. i love sluts just as much as i love people that are ... regular and people that are virgins. and hey, i’m pretty sure the virgin mary was pregnant. everyone feels bad for pregnant people! maybe you should pretend to be pregnant. we could like, put a basketball under your shirt, and no one would know. ’

‘ .... i said pretty please. ’

          ‘ and i’m ninety-nine percent sure it doesn’t. maybe not even a word ! but… ’ the younger spoke with a shrug, having no interest in entering a DEBATE regarding the english language. ‘ less than ! –– – we make them like us. sound easy enough, no ? lucky you, –––– you don’t even have to act like somebody you’re not. me ? –– i have to act all sunshine & rainbows, pretending i don’t wanna shoot myself in the face. you just need your looks, –– i need the personality of a five year old. ’

‘ it’s definitely a word, mischa ------- i wouldn’t know it if it wasn’t, that’s just logic. ’ he objected, clearly missing the flaws in his own “ logic. “ ‘ you’re very likeable, i don’t know what you’re talking about. i know you, and you’re my best friend. if i could get by  e n t i r e l y  on looks, i wouldn’t be the damper and strapping young man i am today! ‘sides, you’re plenty pretty. you totally could have gone for the whole woman of the night thing instead of tiny & cute. did you know that a woman of the night is the same thing as a hooker? this whole time, i thought it was just a female insomaniac. ’

Hey, have you ever been to space?

         ‘ does intelligence count for nothing ? ’ the younger countered, brows raised in response to his latter comment. ‘ ––––– do you need a minute, spinach-boy ? ’

‘ hey, i’m plenty smart! my teacher wrote that i was intrusative on my third grade report card ---- and i’m like ninety-nine percent sure that means smart. if you’re so brilliant, tell me what we should do. unless you need a minute .... ’ he clamoured to mimic her phasing, but after a few moments passed, he still had nothing. ‘ ..... mischa! ’

        ‘ –– – such a CHILD. ’ the younger spoke, scoffing masked by a short laugh. the word sounded off, but mischa wasn’t one to nit-pick in languages besides her mother tongue. risking making herself look like an idiot ? no, thanks. she’d choose him making himself appear a fool over that ANY DAY. ‘ it’ll take time, though–– won’t it ? with appa… all it took was a little trust & a little poison. now ? we’re at the  bottom  of the pyramid. we never were before ! –– –– what’s there to do but wait ? ’

‘ full grown adult here, mischa. you’re the child, ‘cause you’re tinier. ’ david said, full confidence in his speech  u n w a v e r i n g  because of the other’s lack of correction. ’ and younger. but that’s beside the point, we can climb to the top of the pyramid again ---- ---- well, we could ... ’ he trailed off, not really having any ideas.