A Marshmallow's Guide to Loving a Complete Idiot (Inanimate Insanity)(Marshple)

Lesson #5: Keep your Enemies Closer

Apple. Familiar, comforting, but so stiflingly close that Marsh couldn't even breathe. She was warm, uncompromisingly warm, almost like a campfire she'd been thrown into. If she just had a little distance, it'd be nice. She didn't, and she needed out.

"Paintbrush, think fast!"

Marsh only got a glimpse of Paintbrush before diving into a bush beside them. She curled into a little ball, holding her limbs close, willing her thundering heartbeat to slow down for just a minute-

"Paintbrush!" Apple yelled, skidding to a halt. "Marshmallow's GONE and we're playing hide and seek but she's going to miss leapfrog a-and it's getting dark and there's BEARS and it's dangerous and I need to find her right now!"

"Breathe. I saw her and Lightbulb by the docks earlier." Apple ran away, nary a thank-you. A few seconds passed. "You're good."

"Ugh. Thank you!" Marsh crawled out from under the bush and sat beside Paintbrush. "I'm actually going to lose it. She acts like being attached at the hip is the only thing keeping her alive! I just want a minute to think; is that really so hard?"

"To be fair, we're talking about Apple here. Thinking isn't something she does much," Paintbrush mused, half-joking. "Have you tried telling her directly?"

"I've tried," Marsh gestured, "But she never listens, and like, she's always nice, but I get the feeling standing up for myself would be Santa all over again."

"So you're worried about setting her off."

"Well, yeah! The first time I mentioned a friend I had... before, she got up in my face. It was like she wanted to get into it all over again." A breeze chilled Marsh. It was autumn, alright. "When MePhone said he couldn't do anything she just... dismissed it."

"That's not a good sign."

"It's like I'm not even allowed to have other friends!" Then she felt bad, so she added, "Which, I-I know I'm her only friend, and she's been really nice, but... It's bad enough being stuck waiting for MePhone to think of arbitrary crap to humiliate us with next. I don't need this."

"Sounds pretty annoying, but getting hung up on it is no good," Paintbrush answered, and tapped the chart on their lap. Marsh could see, now, that there were little watercolor versions of the remaining fourteen contestants, all connected by colorful lines with miniscule, meticulous labels. Marsh noticed her and Apple were linked by a bright gold stroke.

"I was just figuring out some strategies," Paintbrush answered Marsh's unformed question. "Look here."

'Is this what Paintbrush does in their free time?'

"There's a three-person alliance on the Grand Slams; if they all make the merge, it'll be dangerous, which is why I'd like to unite our team now. I know you're on my side, but Yin-Yang, Fan, Test Tube, and Lightbulb are all potentially against us."

Marsh's eyebrows raised, "What do you mean, Lightbulb's against us?"

"Did you even SEE her last challenge?" Paintbrush exclaimed. "She clearly has issues! Who in their right mind would send ME to the Calm-Down Corner?"

"Well- yeah, but she's still our friend." Marsh thought back to all their hangouts between seasons. They even had a sleepover just a few days before MePhone came along with that big slot machine. They'd brought the game console and TV up to Marsh's room for the night; she remembered being happy in a consistent third place, because Lightbulb and Paintbrush had fun taking turns pretending the other won through dumb luck.

"The point is, you and Apple are the two people I can count on to have my back, because Apple will literally do whatever you tell her to. Three votes guarantees us at least a vote tie."