INTERIOR – The girl’s underground base, living space. The firepce is not on.

  PRESENT - THE BOY (Wearing basically the same clothes as before, but not torn and tattered. Basically a fantasy t-shirt and pants. Probably stolen from someone.) THE GIRL (No armor, gray hoodie, maroon ballcap. The stuff she fell asleep in. She is visibly displeased and cking in enthusiasm.)

  TIME – A little after midday.

  “iiiiiiiiiIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M Still tired!” The girl loudly announced, her neck rolling back along the top of the sofa, the same one she’d been reclining in during the intermission. “But I caaaaaaan’t get back to sleeeeep! Today already sucks forever! We’re not doing anything, I duneven CARE about CRAP!”

  “okay. that is a very good idea.” The boy nodded from his seat beside her on the sofa.

  Ordinarily, the girl was quite restless. Even on days when she talked about having nothing to do, she'd often suddenly decre that they’d be doing some kind of activity (usually in the midst of doing something else), which almost invariably a change of clothes and at least an hour of travel.

  With this in mind, the boy was very interested in observing her during a day devoted solely to rest.

  “Of course it’s a good idea.” The girl decred, her eyes squinting heavily. “I always have good ideas.”

  The boy didn’t say ‘Usually.’ He didn’t.

  “Also, just so you know, me being like this is entirely your fault. Healing you for eight hours really freaked up my sleep schedule.” She stared into his face through her half-lidded eyes. “You are bad and you should feel bad.”

  The boy felt bad, as he was told. He attempted a frown.

  That seemed to satisfy the girl, who looked at him with just the slightest bit more pleasantness. A nigh imperceptible amount.

  “Nice.” She nodded.

  The girl readjusted herself, getting as comfortable as she possibly could on her slightly aged sofa. She sunk into the cushions as best she could, allowing herself to be enveloped by the warmth of her sweater.

  . . .

  She frowned. “Mmmnnmnmnmmm…” She began to groan.

  “what is wrong?” The boy tilted his head, watching her intently.

  “Uuuuughnnnnhhmmm…” She mumbled. “Hold on…”

  The boy held on.

  “. . .Yeeeaaah, oookay, we’re doin’ one thing today.” She defeatedly decred.

  The boy was incredibly saddened by this. “okay. what?”

  She raised her arm towards the firepce, and within moments an orange bolt of searing fme shot out of her hand, and danced towards the firepce. A few seconds ter, and a warm, gentle fme sparked up, providing a little warmth to their cold little hole in the ground.

  “Aaaaaaand now we’re done, back to nothin’…” The girl smiled as she sunk once more and allowed the fme to envelop her.

  The boy was a little confused as to how such a minimal dispy of effort wasn’t part of ‘nothing,’ but he wouldn’t question it. He’d just note it.

  . . .

  “Hey, Bug…” The girl mused, her voice dispying an uncharacteristic gentleness

  “yes, hat?”

  “Sit on my p.” She decred. Very gently, but it was a decration none the less.

  “okay.” The boy did as he was told. “why?”

  “’Cus you’re smaller than me.” She expined as he crawled atop. “I think it’ll be funny.”

  “we are roughly the same height.” The boy pointed out, his legs extended perpendicurly from her.

  “Yeah, but I’m wider. I got muscle.” She smirked. “You’re just a weak lil’ Bug.”

  “the difference appears negligible.”

  “I could squish you, Bug.” She softly decred, with a smile, as she toyed with his noodle-arm, which was even thinner than his ‘good’ arm.

  “unlikely.”

  Ordinarily, the girl might have scolded or stabbed him for this. But this was no ordinary-the girl, this was a chill, rexing-the girl. She merely chuckled knowingly.

  They sat in a strange yet comfortable silence like that for some time. The girl’s hand moved from the noodle arm to his upper torso, and steadily travelled downward, exploring the rest of his body.

  Lower, lower… ‘Till, eventually, it came to a…

  ?

  *flip, flip*

  Oh, that’s… Sure...

  a stop.

  “Woah. You’re kinda hard down there, Bug.” The girl said, her eyebrows raising slightly.

  “am i?”

  “Yeah. A bit. I hadn’t expected that at all.”

  “i also had not.”

  “That so? Well, either way… It’s a pleasant surprise.”

  “that is good.”

  “Yeah... I’m really happy about it, actually...”

  She took some time just feeling up this unexpected hardness. She seemed to seemed to enjoy how it felt, or at least found it quaint.

  Bleehhhhhh…

  “I mean, seriously, who’d’ve thought a little Bug like you would have abs?” Her hand was, of course, tracing his abdominal region, a region on one’s lower torso.

  “it does seem odd, considering the thinness of my arms and legs.”

  “Yeah. Weird muscuture on ya, Bug.” She nodded in agreement with herself. “I mean, it's not like it's anything special or all that impressive... But still, it means that there’s hope for you yet! Yes, this is happy news.”

  “indeed it is. if you say so.”

  “I do.”

  “indeed.”

  Very good.