“Your height matters not to me, you are neither a freak nor abnormal. You are just Nnoitra” the third would smile softly before opening a book pointing to a page. “The mantis, one of the most agile and cunning of insecta, the largest being the Mantidae. Their bodies are among the longest of the 2,400 species of Mantids. So, it would appear your height is just as it’s supposed to be.” The ram woman would look up at him with hazel eyes trying to compliment his height rather than set him off.
‘ Your height matters not to me ‘ — OH! That fucking bitch! Nnoitra was about to SNAP back at her and say that he didn’t give a shit about her opinions! The way she said ‘ just Nnoitra ‘ made him feel like she didn’t think being him was anything special at all. Hah! As if there was anyone else like him! He glared at her, only to see her smile. She didn’t usually SMILE in his presence, and his first instinct was to assume she did so to mock him. Though, he had to say he preferred her smiling rather than that overbearing pokerface she usually wore. The smile was the lesser of two evils, he supposed. She had a book resting in her hands, and before he could say anything close to ‘ fuck off ‘, she began to read from a page, pointing at it while she read.
Nnoitra DID know that his being was connected to the Mantis. He didn’t particularly like it, seeing as insects weren’t exactly strong. At least now when compared to other animals. The Mantis was one of the most dangerous insects though - among other insects. Nnoitra crossed his arms over his chest while she read. Was he cunning? Not exactly. Was he agile? Yeah, he was.
She thought his height was just as it was supposed to be? It was the closest thing to hearing any sort of APPROVAL from her that he had ever gotten. He hated how he didn’t hate her for saying that shit. Usually, her words would make him feel anxious. Angry. Restless. They always made him want to fucking KILL her. No wonder, considering her words were always aiming to hurt him. He tried to sort out what she was saying - or reading - to him right now. Where was the insult? Was she calling him an insect? Something that was only made to be stepped on? Nah, if that was her meaning she would’ve said it more straight out. But, he shouldn’t give her the benefit of the doubt. She had an ulterior motive, he was sure of it!
He didn’t know how to respond. It wasn’t an insult ( or, if it was, he was too stupid to see it ). Snapping at her was what he was used to doing, but right now, rather than feeling angry - he just felt confused. He couldn’t let his guard down around her! Not for a second! She couldn’t be trusted. She only wanted to see him suffer. Whatever she was trying to say to him, he had to assume she meant to upset him in some way. He didn’t feel upset though, which was a first. Was he simply too stupid to understand the meaning of her words? Probably.
❝ I ain’t no fuckin’ insect. ❞