Courage and Sacrifice
Posting a bit of my last mS2SL fic because I’m happy with how tight the dialgue is. And I very, very rarely say that!
mS2SL is all about getting rid of DIPG, a virulent form of brain cancer. It affects children. Consider joining us and writing for this next round! Submissions are due in late August. Check us at at ms2sl.tumblr.com, or ms2sl.com.
Johanna stood with her hands on her hips tapping her foot. "Brainless, it's about time you got here. You look like shit, by the way. If this is how monogamy affects you, maybe you and Guy Montag over there shouldn't have moved in together."
"Who?"
Johanna rolled her eyes. "Guy Montag. Bradbury. Anything ringing a bell? No?" She shook her head and muttered, "It's only one of the best dystopian stories of all time. Personality of a slug, I swear." She turned to their quietly glowing friend Annie. "Annie, what do you make of our friend Katniss's dark circles?"
Annie settled her newly rounded curves on a beach chair set up for her by a very solicitous Finnick. After kissing him in thanks, she replied, "I can make a broach or a pterodactyl…" at Katniss's continued blank look, she shook her head. "Huh. I really thought you'd get that one."
Jo looked smug. "Now tell her she looks like shit."
Katniss interrupted, "Look, you guys, Peeta and I spent all day yesterday moving so we could come to this party, and then stupid Buttercup woke me by batting at my face and meowing at five in the morning. He wouldn't get off my face until I got up and gave him a treat-"
"-You know, I have that happen all the time. Not with a cat though," Jo added.
"-so I'm tired because of Peeta's asshole cat."
Peeta approached to give Katniss a beer and clinked his bottle against hers. "He's not my asshole cat. He's our asshole cat. And I'll take that over him yakking up another mouse any day."
"So true," Katniss vehemently agreed.
Jo grinned. "So, Peeta, tell us how much you've been looking forward to being awakened by an insistent pussy every day. We all want to hear about it."
Peeta took a calculated sip of his beer, then stared at the lip of the bottle before meeting Johanna's gaze. "I'd rather hear all about the payback for the little purple pill you slipped Pollux."
"You told?" Jo wheeled on Katniss. "You told your fucking boyfriend that I let Pollux have payback for dosing him with Viagra?"
Katniss shrugged. "I also told him that Pollux reminds me of one of the kids from The Mighty Ducks. I didn't think it was a secret. You practically announced that he surprise glitter-bombed your girly-parts to everyone in Starbucks. Annie and I both thought you should be worried about yeast infections, remember? "
Annie nodded. "Yeah. It doesn't matter if the web site says it's safe. It seems icky."
Peeta rubbed the back of his neck. "That wasn't why Katniss told me. We were, uh, discussing performance enhancement techniques. Katniss said the pill you slipped Pollux that night was purple. I don't know where you got it from, but that's not Viagra. That's Prilosec." He paused. "Or, in your case, maybe we should call it Prilosex. Because I'm pretty sure you treated his dick for heartburn."
Annie smothered a laugh. "Oh my God."