Alternate Battle for Dream Island

ABFDI 19c: Restitution

Bubble didn't have a brain, and yet she was constantly surrounded by all her past regrets.

All her friends were now gone, and it was all because of her. All the others claim that they're also friendly, can also be someone to rely on, but always seem to backstab her on every turn. She was all alone, helpless, and with not a single hand reaching out to help her. Not even her apartment, the sole place marked out as her own, felt safe anymore; it emphasized her claustrophobia, her isolation, her emptiness. Not a single thing stirred besides the breathing in and out, as well as the ticking of the clock; one second passes by, then another, then the next, then several more. On and on it would go, further increasing the already-boundless gap between her and any semblance of happiness and joy. It may feel like a tired trope at that point; all this constant talk of how this competition is draining, exhausting, aggravating and frustrating. Indeed it can be, though only one could imagine how one would feel if they're *actually* going through that. The same pain, every single day. Nothing too crazy, nothing that'll eventually make her pop and cease to be, but still noticeable, still present, still *there*. The seconds kept going by, the fear and dread grew ever nearer. All her emotions were just barely kept inside that thin film, but at *some* point it had to burst...

There was a knock on the door.

"Huh?" Bubble wearily got up and made her way over, gently opening it to get no more than a peek at the interloper. "It's you!" She'd grumble angrily; Pen had decided to pay her a visit for... whatever reason. "Yeah, it's me." The writing utensil gave an anxious smile. "Can I, uh... come in? Can we talk?" "Of course not!" Bubble exclaimed. "After you voted me to be eliminoited? Whoi would Oi do that?" Pen groaned. "I already explained *why* I did that, didn't I?" He'd ask. "I mean, we even already agreed on that a while ago, and you didn't complain-" "Oi *agreed* to you eliminoiting me? That's just insane! Oi may not have a broin, but Oi can at least tell when something's bad for me!" "Like what's going on right now?" Pen raised an eyebrow.

Ellipsis.

"If it's obvious to you, then it's *very* obvious to me." The one used for writing continued. "All your friends are gone, one after another in rapid succession, and you blame yourself for all of it. This competition has taken anything and everything away from you, and there's been absolutely no one and nothing to help you up." He'd sigh. "I understand that it might be a bit too late to try and comfort you about it; I've seen how Leafy and Pin have been... You know. I myself have been busy with... my own thing." Bubble frowned and quickly went to shut the door, but Pen would quickly explain himself further. "But I think that's a good thing, actually; I don't think I've *ever* actually interacted with you in any meaningful way. I *was* friends with Blocky, but for the most part I just stood in the background and-" "You were." Bubble interrupted. "So whoi should Oi trust you now?" "Well, he's gone now." The capped one answered. "And do you remember me trying to carry on his legacy?"

Awkward silence.

"Look, Bub." Pen continued. "The reason I came here is because... I think we're on the same page. Our friends are all gone, those who remain look at us funny, and we feel all alone in regards to facing our troubles and predicaments and whatnot. We've also seen the strange things going on with this competition, how it's turned all of us into..." He'd shudder. "We're both lost. We're both confused. We need support from others more than ever, but nobody's willing to give. So..." He'd frown a little, feeling nervous. "Why don't we help each other? We understand each other better than most, right?"

Bubble still wasn't convinced. "So whot?" She'd ask. "Even if you have experienced the same thing, so whot? So has everyone else; we're all on the same competition!" "Well..." Pen rolled his eyes. "I've been talking with your friends as well. Before they got eliminated, anyway. After *my* friends got eliminated, I had no one to talk to, so..." She thought about it a bit longer, before ultimately relenting. "Oi suppose Oi can think about it." She'd remark. "Think about it?" Pen stifled a chuckle. "What's there to think about? You don't have a..."