Alternate Battle for Dream Island

ABFDIA 19a: Spore Night

Every waking moment was miserable. But the nights were *especially* so.

Though the cool evening breeze provided *some* comfort after a long, dreary, and scorching day, it also provided a lot less stimuli for the eyes, a lot less assurance of safety. What were once clear, distinct features under the harsh sunlight became vague, shadowy shapes during the night, which in rather unfortunate times would also blend quite well with the night sky. Colors blend together and detail is lost, meaning a wandering figure, perhaps one with malevolent and threatening aspirations, could very easily hide themselves and sneak through undetected. And even when such a threat isn't present, when there's nothing going on and everyone can rest easy, the lack of *anything* to see allowed the imagination to run wild and free. Any change in the scenery, any sound heard from anywhere, *anything* can set the mind loose, conjuring up 2,763 or more explanations for what was occurring. And with their enduring of the Battle for Dream Island, in conjunction with years (maybe; it's difficult to keep track of time around these parts) of personal experiences even before that, they are naturally inclined to imagine the worst possible scenario, the biggest possible inconvenience to a day already filled with such bothers. All one can do to placate themselves during these trying times is to look up at the moon and the stars, constantly hovering above them, twinkling and shining. Everything could change on a whim, things set in stone could be washed away, but those features of the firmament remained the sole constant, a single reminder of where they were, and perhaps a calming indication, a proof that things aren't *all* different, all that bad.

For Pin, the cover of night was a double-edged sword. There were plenty of things it provided that could potentially allow her and her team (well, maybe not them) to tip the scales and get this whole thing over with, but she knew that Golf Ball was a clever and cunning opponent, so those services were ones she could *also* avail. In the darkness, Team Not could very easily keep watch without being spotted themselves; over a far enough distance, if one laid down, they were basically indistinguishable from a nearby rock or tree. Meanwhile, GB would *have* to emerge from a single exit, a place they could focus on at all times. The moment she pokes her head (well, her entire body) out of there, she was done.

But, of course, the universe wasn't gonna provide all those benefits for free. Anyone that's been forced to listen to the bossy-bots lessons (of which the pushpin was certainly one of) would know, living beings tend towards being awake in the day, and falling asleep in the night. They have a finite amount of energy, after all, and that's best used up in decisive actions that have intent and purpose. For the most part, due to a lack of vision, they'd just be stumbling and bumbling around at night. Absolutely no good. And so, they subconsciously chose this time to do something also essential to their function, to maintain the balance and order of things.

That was all well and good, and served its purpose well during the Battle for Dream Island. But things were different now; well, they were *always* different from day to day, but... you know. Pin knew that the moment their eyes were drawn away, whether by distraction or by drifting off to sleep, as soon as Golf Ball knew about it, she would immediately seize the opportunity and run off to somewhere more hidden, more impenetrable, more *miserable*. If they had their lapse in vigilance at that critical moment, if GB was given even 2.763 seconds to run out of her little hiding spot, she could very easily disappear into the darkness. *Very* unfortunate.

They could just stay awake. It *could* be done. Well, Pin could get it done; the rest of her team could probably do it, but probably won't just to spite her. But that also came with its fair share of weaknesses. The longer they were denied their rest, the weaker they would become. When that valuable moment came, they might not be able to properly grasp it. This whole thing became a tricky, tedious affair, one which absolutely *none* of them looked forward to. Not Pin, not Team Not, and probably not even Golf Ball; once again, all those problems could potentially be a detriment to her as well.