There is a Leafpin Among Us

I Hate Video Games and Everyone Who Plays Them

Location: Reactor

Time: Still Round Three

...

Liy, for just a second, was rather confused.

She didn't hear the sound of lead tearing through Nickel's body, nor did she here the sounds heralding an Impostor victory.

Instead she heard some ethereal smashing sound, like an angel's china collection shattering on the floor because her stupid nephew thought it would be fun to play with.

Nickel was still alive. His Guardian Angel had saved him.

Recognizing he was still among the quick, Nickel sped out of the room. He was given a golden opportunity, and there was no way he would pass it up.

Liy and Pin barely had time to process what had just happened before he pressed the button.

Round Three Meeting Transcription:

Nickel has pressed the emergency button.

Price Tag, Leafy, and Bomby are dead.

Nickel: IT'S PIN AND LIY I SAW IT THEY KILLED BOMBY AND NOW THEY TRIED TO KILL ME YOU GUYS GOTTA BELIEVE ME HELP WAAAAAHHHHHH!!!

Pin: Uhhh

Naily: I dunno... Icy, what do you think?

Ice Cube: Nickel's a shit liar, we trust him on this. Vote Pin.

Naily: But what if he is lying?

Ice Cube: I honestly don't really care that much. I just want Pin out 'cause she dicked me over in CS last night.

Pin: Oh, piss off.

Pin was ejected.

End Transcription

Pin had approximately fifteen seconds before her body ran out of oxygen and she suffocated in the vacuum of space. She thought about several things during those fifteen seconds. 

She thought about what she was going to make for dinner tonight. 

She thought about how badly she wanted to toss Ice Cube into the Goiky Canal. 

She thought about how badly she wanted to swap spit with Leafy. 

She thought about how embarrassing it would be if there were anyone who knew that she had just thought about swapping spit with Leafy.

Then she died.

And then, just like that, she was back in the ship.

Pin found herself surrounded by the ghosts of all the dead players, for she had entered the realm of the departed herself.

"Nice job there, Captain Crunch."

"Shut up, Coiny."

Most of the ghosts dispersed to deal with whatever tasks they had left to do. They all knew well enough that the game was practically over by now, and weren't expecting to actually finish all their tasks. It was just something to do to pass the time.

The only spectating specters remaining in Cafeteria were Pin, Coiny (who hadn't completed any tasks and did not plan to start now), Book (who didn't have any tasks to complete), and Leafy (who had already completed all of her tasks like a good little Crewmate).

Pin noticed that Book had been looking at her kind of funny. "Hey, Book. You good? If you're wondering, I'm not really all that mad about you throwing so early."

"Oh, no, it's not that. It's just, um... I just realized that, uh, when you're a ghost, your space suit is, eh, kinda transparent..."

"Book, what the hell is that supposed to mean-"

"UH NOTHING BYE GOTTA GO DO MY TASKS BYE!"

And with that the hardcover sped off to the north, a notably taskless direction. Not that it would even matter, as Impostors can't do tasks. But we digress.

With that distraction out of the way, Pin finally had a moment to try to talk to Leafy. That is, until she noticed something odd. Something that made a few disparate puzzle pieces click together.

"Good job on saving the game for your team, Leafy."

"Huh? What do you mean? If you're talking about me keeping you occupied, that was just a coincidence. I swear I didn't know you were an Impostor! Honest! You played good!"

"I'm not talking about that, Leafy. I'm talking about the little angel wings behind you. You saved Nickel."

Leafy's  otherworldly wings fluttered slightly at the call-out.  "Oh, huh. I guess I did, hehe. Sorry! I know how much you like to win, but I couldn't just let them lose like that..."

"I'm not mad, Leafy. I would've done the same thing. You were just playing the game."

"Aw, shucks, thanks Pin!"

The translucent lemon leaf let the pause in the conversation carry on just long enough. 

"But I still that know you like girls!"

And her ethereal form swooped close for a quick peck on Pin's cheek.

"ACK!" Pin's face warmed up a brighter red than her already bright red space suit. If her heart were still beating it'd be pumping right out of her chest!

"OOOOOH! Pin and Leafy, sittin' in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

Pin's spectral head snapped in the coin creature's direction.

"SHUT UP, COINY!!!"

And Leafy was reduced to a pile of ghostly giggling.

Meanwhile, in the realm of the living, Liy had just stabbed Nickel through the forehead moments before Ice Cube pressed the emergency button.

Round Four Meeting Transcription:

Ice Cube has pressed the emergency button.

Nickel is dead.

Liy: I hate all of you.

Liy was ejected.

End Transcription