(cw for general ick)
Pin was sitting all by herself, quietly contemplating.
The Battle for Dream Island (Again) was slowly, but steadily, reaching its conclusion. Its cast of a little under two dozen contestants have been gradually whittled down into the single-digits, making it *very* clear that the end was in sight. Though the prize wasn't anything to gawk at (she'd know, she made the thing), and they probably wouldn't even get to enjoy it once someone *did* win, she knew that the remaining contestants in the running were gonna stop at nothing and do *everything* in order to win. These *were* the final contestants for a reason; as long as you ignore the fact that everyone's fate is ultimately decided by the random and capricious whims of unseen forces, anyway. They've had to have *some* ability, some competency, some strength, some ability to fight back. The days of pushovers and easy choices were long gone; each episode was a struggle to stay in the lead, and the thumbtack knew that *very* well. She had to, of course; what kind of leader would she be if she wasn't?
And so, in the brief interludes of calm in-between episodes, she'd mostly be keeping to herself, minding her own business. After having been held back by a catastrophic series of disasters and obstacles over the past few episodes, only now managing to crawl out of that deep, dark hole, she didn't intend on wasting *any* time. She was doing far, *far* better than she ever did back in the first season, but it just wasn't enough. If she didn't win, if she couldn't write her name into history, it would've all been for nothing. And so, she carefully contemplated her next move, wondering what sacrifices could be made, what she should concentrate her efforts on, what she had to do in order to make up for lost time and
"Hey, hey! Pin!"
Pin's already thin patience very nearly snapped right then and there, but her self-control would narrowly win out; politeness and grace was one of the expected hallmarks of a dictator. Er, team leader.
Team *co*-leader.
Whenever Coiny was around, there was *always* bad news. Even after being forced to begrudgingly cooperate with him for *so* many episodes, the two still couldn't see eye to eye. They can claim to be a great team in front of all the cameras, they can exploit that fame and fortune from being a 'popular' duo, wringing out everything they could out of those suckers. But no amount of PR can make up for the truth. This just wasn't working out; Coiny was dumb, brash, and emotional. Pin was cold, calculating, and pragmatic. They were near-exact opposites of each other. They could set aside their differences under exceptional circumstances, but this was *absolutely* no way to live. And that isn't even considering the fact that, as a wise person once said (guess who), only *one* of them could win.
It had to give in at some point. Everything had to collapse. One of them had to strangle the other. They just didn't know who it would be, and when.
The thumbtack didn't want to be the first; if she cracked first, she would become known as the betrayer, the traitor. Her reputation would be *done* for. But with every second she remained under Coiny's thumb, the more he was able to force his way into every single action and decision, the weaker she would become.
And so, she forced herself to stay in the game. The *very* dangerous game.
"...Yeah?" Pin tried to maintain a friendly expression as she turned to the coin creature; a certain somebody once told her that friendliness was *key*. However, Coiny didn't seem all too pleased. "Care to explain?" He'd ask. The pushpin's faux enthusiasm quickly went sour. She'd raise an eyebrow. "...Explain what?" "I've been eavesdropping on FreeSmart a little bit." The denomination of currency elaborated. "During that, I overheard Book complaining about you specifically. Something about... something to do with a swing." He'd shrug. "I dunno; it was hard to hear, given that Pencil won't shut up-"
