"Are things always this bad for you?" Brainy glanced up with a perplexed expression. Star waited with an expectant expression for him to answer the question.
"I don't know what you mean," he replied, quietly. Star frowned.
"You know exactly what I mean," she retorted. "We've been here a month and everysmurf – well nearly everysmurf – has been horrible to you! You constantly get chucked out, mocked, and overall treat you like you don't belong here."
"Oh. That," Brainy said, flatly. "It is fine, Star. Really."
"It is not fine!" she retorted. "If this month has been this bad then how bad has your whole life been?" Brainy didn't answer that. "Is this why you left?" A slight shrug. "Brainy..."
"You'd better go get lunch," he murmured.
"Are you coming?" Star asked. Despite the fact he had again skipped several meals he just shook his head. He didn't want to deal with the glares and snide comments. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure," Brainy replied, seeing Hefty enter the food hall from the corner from his eye. All the more reason to not go in there.
"Okay," Star said, doubtfully. "I'll see you later then."

Brainy nodded and headed straight for his mushroom. The bruising was worse than usual given it wasn't just Hefty kicking him out after he 'betrayed' everysmurf and he was regretting more and more telling Papa what the antidote was. Or not just straight up poisoning himself instead of the Unsmurf Formula. He went over to his desk, sitting there and staring at his book but not really reading it. Yet again he couldn't find any motivation to do anything. At least he would probably have the rest of the day to himself, which would mean not getting kicked out or insulted agai- A loud knock on the door made him jump. He stared at it in confusion. Star was eating and no one else cared enough to ever visit him. The knock again. So he wasn't imagining it. Reluctantly he headed over to the door and opened it, hoping it wasn't somesmurf too mean. He was surprised to see Gutsy standing there, in his usual good mood.
"Afternoon laddie," he said.
"Afternoon," Brainy replied. He didn't get why Gutsy was still being insistently nice. Brainy assumed it was due to guilt and not any actual like but it was still weird.

"Can I come in?" Gutsy asked. Brainy reluctantly nodded and stepped to the side to let Gutsy in. Gutsy entered with a grin then frowned slightly. The bespeckled smurf had gotten rid of any personal decorations and everything was overly neat. Pretty much everything he had once enjoyed doing such as chess, books and potion ingredients were too neat. They seemed almost untouched. He also noted the brainiac had newly forming bruises across his arms.
"Hefty kicked you out again?" he asked. The brainiac shrugged. "That's a yes then...And other smurfs are picking on you too now?" Another shrug. Gutsy realised how untactful he was being and quickly changed the subject. "I noticed you weren't at several meals again so I brought you some lunch." He passed Brainy the paper bag he had been holding. Inside was a sandwich, apple, smurf berries and a chocolate muffin.
"Thanks, Gutsy," he said with a small smile. It, like all of them, faded as quickly as it came though. Smiles were too big of a rarity and one he couldn't remember how to hold onto.

"So coming down to the stream today? Everysmurf else is," Gutsy asked. He got an instant shake of the head. "Why not? You can't just stay cooped up in here all the time."
"No, I can," Brainy replied, flatly. "And nothing ever goes well when I go in group activities. I may go for a walk though since I know bumping into anysmurf is unlikely."
"Can I keep you company then?" Gutsy asked. Brainy hesitated and Gutsy began to feel his shoulders sink slightly.
"Sure," Brainy agreed, noticing the forming dejection from one of the few smurfs being nice. He didn't want anyone to feel as bad as he constantly did.
"Really?" Gutsy asked, perking up slightly. He received a small nod from the brainiac. "I'm guessing you know some pretty nice areas?" Another nod. "Alrighty then!" He took the food back off Brainy. "May as well have a picnic then!"

The two set off, Brainy quietly leading the way and stealing confused looks at Gutsy.
"Is something wrong, laddie?" Gutsy asked.
"Just the usual," came the quiet reply. "I still don't get why you're being so nice."
"Because you deserve it, Brainy," Gutsy replied with a loose shrug. "And you aren't bad company."
"I'm not?" Brainy asked, doubtfully. A headshake. "Everysmurf else would beg to differ."
"Well everysmurf else is wrong," Gutsy said stubbornly, crossing his arms defensively.

The two walked a bit longer and eventually reached a hidden cove. Similar to the more common area it has a place to jump from, clear running water and was pretty. There was softer grass though, more variation of flowers dotted around.
"This place is beautiful," Gutsy commented, not admitting it wasn't the nicest thing in the area to look at. "How did you find it?"
"I spend a lot of time avoiding the village," Brainy admitted. "Often when I get kicked out I wander for a while for becoming back. It isn't like anysmurf ever wanted me back."
"Brainy..." Gutsy said, frowning slightly. "I'm sorry everysmurf is still being so horrible. I can try talking to them if you want?"
"I doubt it would accomplish much," Brainy muttered, tiredly. "I'm hateable and nothing important."
"You aren't a thing," snapped Gutsy, crossing his arms. "You are a being. And you are important and are not hateable. Sure your advice used to be a tad annoying but now I miss it."
"Hmm," came the unconvincing reply.

The two sat down, Brainy with his back against a tree and knees pulled to his chest.
"Muffin?" Gutsy offered. Brainy nodded and Gutsy passed it over. "I'm going to go jump."
"Do it from the lower ledge? The higher one doesn't have the best landi-" Brainy began to suggest then fell silent.
"Landing?" Gutsy finished for him. "I'll use the lower ledge then." Ge gave Brainy a friendly smile and headed straight for the ledge, doing a flip jump off. The splash was a big one, a few bits splashing Brainy. "Well how was the jump?"
"Pretty good," Brainy replied. He didn't risk saying much else given he never wanted to say the right thing but he was realising how good the brave smurf's company was.

Gutsy went over, watching in interest as Brainy threaded daisy's together in a chain, substituting with an occasional clover.
"Pretty," Gutsy commented. He sat next to him and once the circlet was finished he gently took it from him. He then placed it on Brainy's head on top of his hat, chuckling slightly as it slipped over his eyes, covering one lens of his glasses. "A bit big for you maybe. I'm guessing more decorative?"
"More for something to do," Brainy replied as he took it off, putting it to the side. "Keeping myself occupied is an essential these days."

The brainiac was growing more confused as the day went on. It was quiet. Relaxing. Something he didn't want to end. Yet it hurt for the simple reason that he didn't understand why his emotions were flickering again. They may be good emotions but he didn't want to feel anything. Nothingness was easier. Positive emotions invited in the negative ones that lead him to erasing the old Brainy. For one day though maybe he could pretend that things were okay. Maybe for one day things were. It hardly mattered because, even though it was confusing, with Gutsy Brainy was happy for a change.