It was a rather ordinary night in Goiky.
Though the Battle for Dream Island dominated pretty much their entire lives, being the sole focus of their attention for well over a decade (for most, anyway), it didn't actually... *happen* for most of it. The competing, the fighting, the suspense, the drama, everything that's seen and caught on camera was actually a rather tiny sliver of all that time, if they gave it any sort of thought beyond the occasional consideration. The rest was just... limbo. The time in-between episodes, in-between seasons. Waiting for the next contest to begin, waiting for Cake at Stake, waiting to see if you or someone you care deeply for has been eliminated by the capricious, faceless, *soulless* viewers. Just one big game of anticipation, of horrific agony, of waiting and seeing just how long things were gonna stretch on for *this* time before the Announcer, or Four, or Two, or *whoever* finally decided to get up in the morning and do some actual business.
They appreciated it. They *definitely* appreciated it. It gave them plenty of time to think things through, to strategize, to figure out what their next step is, to go into things carefully and methodically. It gave them plenty of time to rest and recuperate, regain however much energy they possibly could, given the continuing looming threat of the Battle for Dream Island. They were very much thankful for it most of the time. But one of the laws of the universe states that eventually, *eventually*, given a long enough period of time, something *will* arise to break the status quo.
Though the prevailing sentiment was that all that break time was good for their body and soul, there was still that sizable fraction of contestants that just couldn't wait any longer for the next episode to start. In most instances, it was just whichever team was up for elimination; they knew it was a bandage that had to be ripped off *eventually*, so why not spare them the further pain of waiting for that unexpected moment? There were also those that thought that it was just too much... in general. When it all started, when the Announcer fell out of the sky, episodes usually started and ended in a day or so, give or take. They weren't exactly keeping track of the time (they couldn't even if they wanted to, given *everything* that was going on), but it *roughly* felt like it just took an afternoon or so. There were... *some* exceptions, but those were thankfully rare. It was usually just a day, and that would be that. Afterwards, they would be given a month to rest and recuperate.
A *month*.
There were twenty (and later one more) contestants in the original Battle for Dream Island, and it took them around two years to whittle it down to a single winner. Even in the second season, when the contestants were largely in control over their lives, their destinies, they decided to go for much the same pace, even after having lived through all of *that*. And it's only been getting *longer* ever since.
Once again, the contestants were *extremely* thankful that the hosts have been so generous with the time they've given. These were days that they've spent to the fullest, spent hanging out with friends, getting up to all sorts of shenanigans, acting and pretending like they weren't on a desperate Battle for Dream Island, or some other prize that they can't quite describe, can't quite grasp. But *again*, there were times where they could *really* feel each and every second ticking by. There were moments where they wished they could just get it over with right away, do things back-to-back, and just be *done* with it.
For the logical types like Golf Ball and the others, the time given was just *far* too much. In an ideal scenario, one can plan for the future, have all the fun they want, and be well-rested within... a week or so, at most. A month was just excessive; all that time was just being wasted, with the contestants getting up to all sorts of nonsense, not using it to do *anything* productive. Also, all that extra time *did* help them be better rested and prepared for the next episode... but only up to a point. It doesn't take long for them to get back up to 100%, no matter how much some of them try to deny it. Eventually, it all just becomes *exhausting* more than anything. They could replace that month or two with *any* stretch of time- a year, a few years, a decade, a century, a millennium -and it would be too much all the same, they wouldn't be able to enjoy it. They know that at the very end of it, at *some* point in time, they're gonna have to go back to Battling for Dream Island. Doesn't matter whether or not they were doing something else when the time strikes, doesn't matter if they want to go or not, they *have* to compete. That's what they signed up for.
