BFDI All Over: Flower in Bloom

I need my Space!

Going from sleeping on the ground to a van, to an actual bed, and then back to the van was a bit of whiplash. It was still better than the ground at least. Flower was woken up by the gentle vibrations of the car moving and the sound of a radio playing just a little louder than mute.

"Morning, Flower. I got some donuts!"

Flower finally got up fully. The Freesmart van was currently parked just outside a small convenience store. In the seat in front of her, between her, Pencil and Ruby, were a small box of glazed donuts and three coffees.

"Oh, thanks!"

As Flower took one of the coffees, alongside a small handful of sugar packets, (the ones Ruby didn't swipe anyways), and a donut, she decided to ask.

"What time is it?"

"11:30. We still have, like, another hour to go."

"Okay, good." Flower said, slumping back in her seat. She'd rather not have to do a challenge as the very first thing of the morning...

"I'm really worried." Ruby admitted, rubbing her shoulder. "I mean, if I just get to be part of the alliance, right when the leader gets sent to the TLC..."

"I wouldn't worry about it." Pencil said, in a way that was unclear if she was trying more to convince Ruby or herself. "I'm more worried for...well, Pen."

Flower nodded at that. "I really think you two should talk things out."

"Why? So Pin can make it worse?" Pencil grumbled, "I don't think talking is gonna do anything until that backstabber is out of the game."

"So, we can all agree, she's target number one?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah, pretty much." Flower said, counting off on her fingers. "Blocky and Snowball are both out again , so that just leaves her on the chopping block."

Pencil bit her tongue. Man, was it some bad luck that both returning contestants were enemies 

"I'm not looking forward to whoever that third rejoin is gonna be." Pencil said.

"There's gonna be another?" Ruby asked.

"Oh yeah... Flower brought that up, like, before you joined."

Ruby side-eyed Flower. She was still coming to terms with her being a time traveler of all things, which... that was fair, she supposed.

"Do you think we should head back now?" Flower asked.

"Yeah, probably. That Announcer guy is probably gonna get angry if I'm late for Garbage at Stake ."

Flower assumed she was still mad about the lack of any actual cakes... well, that and how she had to suffer through four ice cakes.

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As the team made their way back to the contest area, they noticed something odd... the plains were completely bare. They knew where they were, of course - the TLC and the elimination area were still there... but there was nobody else. Not the ball duo, or the jerk alliance, or the Announcer, or TV, or even any recommended characters.

"What's going on?" Ruby asked, peering out the window.

Both her and Pencil turned to Flower, but... even she wasn't sure. This was still before she rejoined the game.

"Ugh... don't tell me we missed something." Pencil grumbled, stepping out of the van...only to suddenly get caught up in a net and thrown upward.

"Pencil?!" Both alliance members shouted out in a panic. Ruby would jump out too, only to get the same treatment, being sent several feet into the air out of nowhere.