Alternate Battle for Dream Island

ABFDI 20b: Agriculture Good Guy

Leafy was uncomfortably silent as she watched her cake bake in the oven.

If she wasn't doing that, she was idly sitting by a window, focusing on photosynthesis. If not that, then she was just wandering about, looking for somebody, *anybody*, to talk to. The leaf never liked to be alone with her thoughts; even before she made herself out to be this approachable, friendly gal, she always wanted to be positive and forward-thinking. It's that direct lineage with nature that made her think that way, she presumed. She always felt in touch with her countless duplicates, her near-infinite inanimate cousins and extended family. She always felt connected to the world, its struggles and its triumphs. And so, whenever she saw someone down on their luck, or unable to deal with whatever life throws at them, it made her feel bad. It made her feel sad. It made her feel mad. Though she had her own worries to think about, to care for, that would end up subtly nudging her towards who she was now; someone that tried her *very* hardest to be the best Leafy she can be, the best friend that anyone can have.

But that can only go so far. Though this vibrant and beautiful world felt totally invincible, so immovable compared to them, a rock from space that's not even a thousandth of the size could do considerable damage to it, scarring it for millions of years. Likewise, she was just a single living leaf; one bad day and she could be ripped to pieces, or starved to death by a lack of sun, or any number of other ways to go. And then there's the whole competition too. That thing that's very clearly designed to rip them apart and have them fight for the sake of 'entertainment', whatever that word may mean nowadays. There's only so much that one can do, that *they* can do, against such extreme forces, such overwhelming odds. Leafy liked to think that she was still hanging in there, just barely keeping it together. She clung on to the hope that the moment she (or a friend) won Dream Island, that this whole thing could be turned around. But as time continued to pass by, as those in the PRISON lingered there for longer, as the number of contestants dwindled and the competition grew more fierce... That just didn't seem like a possibility before. That was something that not even a force of nature could do. She started to think that maybe Pin was right; that niceness unfortunately has a limit, and the only way to get anyone going anywhere is to give them a solid hit in the right direction.

That can't be true, can it?

There was a knock on the door. She knew there was gonna be one; she specifically asked for it. She quickly went over and opened the door, first by just a little bit to ensure it was the right person, then all the way through once she was certain. "Pin!" Leafy would chuckle. "So glad you could make it!" "Of course." Pin nervously smiled. "Not like we got anything better to do, anyways. What'd you want me for, anyway?" "Oh, you know." Leafy replied. "It's just like last time; we can talk things over some cake! Decided to try my hand at baking some again, just like you." Pin nodded. "Sure thing; sounds like a *great* way to pass the time."

They'd shut the door behind them and quickly got to the day's activities; they sat around and waited as the cake finished up in the oven. It was rather simpler compared to Pin's, as Leafy was more focused on the taste and substance rather than the flair. More time passed, and before they knew it they were already digging into their respective slices. The pushpin was rather more methodical with her tasting process, cutting everything into neat cubic chunks and taking one at a time, while the leaf would just *devour* her slice.

The thumbtack nodded. "It's good." She'd finally pass her judgment. "Tastes great, nothing's burnt..." She'd pause for a moment. "Really, the only complaint left is that it isn't decorated." Leafy sighed. "Yeah, yeah. I know." She'd remark. "Seriously." The red one continued. "It may be absolutely *delicious*, but no one's gonna want to eat a bland cake. It's gotta have some appeal to it. Some design. Some character." Leafy frowned. "Pin-" "Marketing is half the battle nowadays." The pushpin continued. "You can convince anyone to do pretty much anything, given the right words." "*Pin*." The leaf interrupted. "What's all this, huh? I thought you said the cake was great!" She seemed genuinely upset, and Pin couldn't help but frown as well. "Oh, Leafy..." She'd instinctively reach for her hand, but remembered she was still holding her fork; feeling rather embarrassed, she'd pretend she was just reaching for another chunk of cake. "It *is* great. Of course it is. I'm just worried that nobody else will see it as such; that's why I'm giving you advice, tips on how to make it even better."