Pin looked at the saddest, most depressing, most *incapable* group she had ever seen.
The Squishy Cherries were a terrible team. They just were. If the pushpin had been chosen to pick nine other people to Battle for Dream Island with in an ideal scenario where nothing was wrong and everything was fine, she would've chosen far, *far* better candidates than the ones that stood before her now. Well, 'stood' is a very, *very* generous term; she had to shout at them basically every other second to keep them together, to stop them from just walking away. Pin was already growing tired of this, but she knew better than anyone that life wasn't all too keen on giving out easy stuff. This was a competition, after all. She was up against another team of the same size, and they already had to battle over *these* selections. This was the best she could do, and she was just going to have to live with it. A true heroic leader makes do with what they have, after all.
"Alright, everyone." Pin clapped once to get everyone's attention, to even remotely speak up against the constant chatter and conversation. "Let's just get this over with; I know you guys are already *excited* to leave, so-" "What if we just don't?" Blocky quipped, and the rest of his clique chuckled. Pin grumbled, deciding to just move right past that instead of wasting her breath and energy on someone that likely wasn't going to listen. "You guys want to win Dream Island, right?" She'd continue. "You want to out-compete the rest and get that island for yourself and your friends? Then you better have to listen to me; you're not gonna get *anywhere* without a good strategy. You need to think about your strengths, your weaknesses, the strengths and weaknesses of others, their hopes and ambitions, their relationships with others..."
"Uh..." Blocky scratched his head and raised his hand. "Question, question." Pin seethed. "*Yes*, Blocky?" "Yeah, why should we listen to you, exactly?" The hexahedron asked, with his compatriots nodding and mumbling in agreement. Pin folded her arms. "Isn't it obvious, or maybe you don't have a brain, just like your friends?" "Hey!" Blocky shouted. "Only Eraser doesn't have one." "HEY!" Eraser shouted back, but nobody cared; Pin sighed. "Well, in case it *somehow* went past you, *I* selected *you* to be on the team. I was the one that won the first challenge, and-" "Uh, last time I checked, it was *me* that selected him, actually." Pen interjected, with Eraser nodding in agreement. "Hey, wouldn't that make *me* the team leader?" "Huh." Blocky nodded too. "He's got a point; maybe *he's* the team leader instead of you." "What? That's crazy!" Pin exclaimed. "I was the one making the decisions; you only got away with it because I *let* you!" "Or maybe because you couldn't do anything about it." Eraser remarked, laughing. "Yeah, I remember being able to pick you up and wave you around like it was nothing." Blocky added. "Remind me again, why *do* we have to take orders from you? Since when did you start feeling confident about *anything*?"
Pin grumbled. "Again, I won the first challenge!" She'd reiterate. "I stayed on the balance beam the longest, I was chosen to select the teams. I'm the team leader!" "Says who?" Blocky replied. "I *won* the *first* challenge!" Pin emphasized every other word in some desperate attempt to get through his thick, wooden skull. "The speaker box saw that, and decided that I would be responsible for choosing the teams!" "Hm, hm." Blocky feigned understanding. "Well, your word was *choosing* the teams, right?" He'd ask. "Choosing the teams is very different from *leading* them, ain't it?" "I was the one that put the team together, of *course* I'm the one that leads them!" Pin replied. "And who decides that?" Blocky kept on going. "Shouldn't the team leader be decided in, like, a vote or something?" "And why's *that*?" Pin asked. "Well, you may or may not have picked me." Blocky replied. "But I *definitely* didn't pick you; I feel like I- well, *we* -should have some sort of say on how this team is run going forward." Pin shook her head. "Well, you've already proven that you're incapable of leading *anything*." Blocky smirked. "So have you. Who's really the loser here?"
Pin let out a deep sigh; what was she *doing*? She had a team to run, and she was out here bickering with the one that was least likely to get anywhere in life. That stupid Blocky. It's his fault. She'd finally get a hold of herself and would move on. "Match. Pencil." She'd turn to the two in question, who were already well and truly beyond all this nonsense and were just gossiping to themselves. "Hey!" Pin would clap again to get their attention. "You two talk a lot about the others, right?" "Uh, yeah." Pencil replied. "Maybe." Match also chimed in. "So what? Does that, like, bother you or something?" "...No." Pin replied. "Really, that could be beneficial to us! Tell us everything you guys know about the members of the other team; we can plan our strategy based on that, and-" "No." Pencil shook her head. "Yeah." Match nodded in agreement. "We're not gonna, like, share those juicy secrets for no reason." "...No reason?" Pin raised an eyebrow. "I just *said*-" "Why should I trust you with *any* of that?" Pencil interrupted. "All I've ever heard from you is all this talk about being some big, strong leader; odds are you're gonna use what I know for all sorts of bad stuff."
Pin grumbled. "You remember that I chose you for my team *first*, right?" She'd respond. "Out of *all* the people I could've selected. You were the first one I picked to join the team." She'd fold her arms. "I didn't *have* to; the only thing I've heard about *you* is how you're always holding secrets over everyone's heads to get what you want." Match scoffed. "Seriously?" She'd interject. "That's what you think of, like, my best friend? Now we *definitely* won't, like, tell you *anything*." Pin shook her head and disregarded anything that matchstick had to say. "My point *is*... I *generously* allowed you to be on this team, the team that'll *definitely* win. Since I'm in charge. At the very least I'd expect you to repay that." Pencil raised an eyebrow, frowning. "That's just, like, wrong on so many levels." She'd remark. "Really, I don't wanna be on this team either; the Squashy Grapes seem nice enough. Leafy definitely isn't as bossy as you." Pin glared at her. "They also have *Flower*." "And that's supposed to be, like, a bad thing?" Match queried. "That would mean that she's, like, on *our* side. Being here definitely sounds, like, a *lot* worse now."
Pin sighed. "Just tell me what you know, alright?" She'd demand. "If you actually want Dream Island, then it's just in your best interest." "It's in my best interest to get away from you ASAP." Pencil remarked. "Yeah." Match nodded. "Even if I, like, don't get Dream Island, at the very least I'd be satisfied with, like, not having to hear from you again." Pin groaned, turning to everyone else. "I don't *get* it!" She'd shout at them. "We're all on the same page here, the same boat, the same team! We're all working towards one goal: winning Dream Island. Why won't you guys listen to me?" "Uh, 'cause then we'd have to listen to you?" Eraser quipped. "And what's wrong with that?" Pin asked. "I'm a great leader! I actually know a thing or two about competition; if anyone here has a chance of winning, it's me!" "The only thing you're great at is being bossy." Eraser remarked. "And, uh, in case you couldn't read the room, nobody here *likes* anyone who's bossy." "Yeah." Pen nodded. "The only reason we even *somewhat* tolerated being here is because bossy-bot GB wasn't here; turns out there's someone just as bad, though." "What?" Pin was flabbergasted. "The fact you guys are even comparing me to GB is just ridiculous; I'm not even *remotely* as bossy as she is!"
Blocky had been keeping silent for a lot longer than he normally would; he *really* wanted to get out of there ASAP, but he knew that trying to wriggle his way out with Pin on the hunt was not an option. He figured his best option was just to bide his time, eventually striking back at her once he had some actual time to think. While doing that aforementioned thinking, however, he noticed a rather peculiar thing about this little meet-up of theirs. Blocky was fairly certain that they'd all been divided into two teams of ten, as that's just common sense. And yet...
Pin was still in the middle of going on and on about how *totally* humble, kind, generous, and heroic of a leader she was, especially compared to the absolute bossy-bot that was the ball used for golf. Blocky would end up having to do the unthinkable: actually, *willingly* going up to the pushpin to tap her on the shoulder and get her attention. It was just about worth it, given what sort of ammunition he now had. "*What*?" Pin turned to him, angered. "Yeah, uh, just a quick question. Again." Blocky replied. "I'm the team leader because the speaker box said so." Pin answered. "I'm not gonna debate this any further; anyway-" "No, not that." Blocky interrupted. "Though I *still* think that that's bogus." Pin scoffed. "Tough luck." She'd remark. "Okay, can you just zip it and listen?" Blocky groaned. "You're out here doing all this talk about being this great leader, and yet you haven't even noticed, even for just *one* second, that one of us is missing."
Pin blinked. "What're you talking about?" She'd ask. "We're all here; I *very* specifically remember having to wrangle you all up." "Uhuh." Blocky nodded. "You sure about that, bud?" He'd ask rhetorically. "Of course I'm sure." Pin confidently declared. "I actually care about people, unlike you." As she said that, however, she'd quickly do a headcount just to really, *really* make sure. There was herself, of course. Then there was Blocky, Bubble, Eraser, Firey, Match, Pen, Pencil, Spongy...
Woody. Woody was missing.
She didn't ever want to have to think about that block of wood again; she figured that everyone would see sense and the one that was afraid of everything would be eliminated before she knew it. Part of being a leader is making sure no one gets left behind, but surely an exception can be made *just* this once, right?
But no. Her forward-thinking attitude and ingenuity had somehow failed her; they had won their first ever challenge as a team, and so that deadweight was going to be sticking around.
Pin grumbled. "*Right*." She'd glare at Blocky; she held her tongue for just a moment, looking for *something* to fire back with, something to turn this mishap into a victory. "But since when did you care so much about Woody?" She'd ask. "Is there anything I don't know about? Any... feelings?" Blocky became flustered. "Oh?" Pencil suddenly became interested in the conversation again. "Like, this should be interesting." Match remarked. The block snapped out of it. "I don't care about him, *duh*." He'd quickly clear that out of the way. "But since you're so insistent on being the team leader, I just thought *you* would." Pin scoffed. "Of *course* I care about Woody; I know for a fact that he's gonna do nothing but drag us down, and that he should-" "Oh, you *do* care about him?" Blocky interrupted. "Well, ain't that funny. And here you are, berating me for any 'feelings'..." Pin's eye twitched. "I-It's clearly different!" She'd shout. "I obviously have an obligation to look after my teammates, while-" "Yeah, yeah." Blocky smirked. "Don't try to hide it. It's as clear as day. You-"
It was at that moment when Pin decided to pull a BFDI 1a and pick him up like he had done to her. Things quickly turned sour after that; they'd start angrily fighting each other, while the rest of the Squishy Cherries were just helpless bystanders, basically forced to watch.
How unfortunate.
-
Now, who's *that* sitting next to Teardrop?
Woody had gone through a lot to walk the several dozen yards over to the Squashy Grapes just to get a glimpse of that drop of liquid again; despite everything and everyone trying its hardest to pull him away, he just *knew* he wanted a second chance. He was entirely fixated on it right up until he finally saw her... and *her*, too. She actually talked, very much unlike the silent type; she could actually bother to talk to him, perhaps comfort him about all that's going on. The more he thought about it, the more he drew nearer, the more
Needle very quickly slapped Woody away the moment he got too close for comfort.
