A Marshmallow's Guide to Loving a Complete Idiot (Inanimate Insanity)(Marshple)

14. Take Things Slowly

"MePad, this is terrible. Not one, but TWO rogue contestants!" MePhone 4 restlessly paced the length of the stage. "First the season one deaths, then the lawsuit, and now this?! At this rate Inanimate Insanity will be cancelled!"

"Sir, that is concerning," said MePad. "But-"

"Those pro-contestant activists will stop at nothing, MePad. We're doomed. No more cookies, no more lavish lifestyle!"

"Sir-"

"I'm of half a mind to storm up to that mansion and give her a piece of my mind. That Marshmallow is such a complainer."

"SIR." MePhone finally shut up. "As I've been meaning to inform you, they are outside of the show's parameters, but not outside of the range of the show. We have footage of their happiness that should quell most of the activists."

MePhone looked over, interest clearly piqued. "Really? What are you waiting for?! We gotta let the sponsors know! Let those darn activists bother someone else's game show."

"I believe we have a live feed on them as we speak." MePad opened some sort of program. An error message soon cropped up. "...It would seem all of the Purgatory Mansion cameras are offline."

"What? Are they tampering with my stuff?! I'm of half a mind to storm over there and bring Marshmallow back right now."

"My apologies sir, but that is inadvisable. Her reasons for defecting elude me on an empathetic level, but she seems to no longer have interest in the million."

"Psht, what an idiot! She's giving up the million for, for... no reason?!"

MePad corrected, "She has a reason, but as I said, it is one that I lack understanding of. In any case, though Marshmallow has been a longstanding fan favorite, there is plenty of other activity on the show for others to pay attention to. Marshmallow can still help you profit when she comes to the reunion tour. It's in her contract to attend."

MePhone swiped an imaginary bead of sweat from his brow. "Phew! There are more popular characters, but that's a relief. Last season I got so many angry emails from Marshmallow fans when she got eliminated that I still get nightmares. Hopefully they'll refrain from blowing out my inbox..."

XXX

Marsh opened the huge wooden door of the mansion. The cold, early-morning light filtered in around them. The furniture was mismatched and eerie; there was a fake plant, a shattered mirror, a strange hat stand.

"N-nice place you got here."

"It'll take some getting used to... but it'll certainly beat the show." Marsh shut the door behind them. "Hello? We're back."

Dough phased out of a wall nearby. Apple jumped. "Hey, welcome to the mansion! I'm like the master of 'there,' so I can totally, like, show you around!"

"Suuuure... But do you know where Bow is?"

"She's still disabling the cameras up the stairs. Would you believe there are seventeen of them?"

"Wow; I can't even count that high," Apple remarked.

"Oh, it's Apple. Like... didn't see you there. Your voice sounds different than I thought it would."

Apple walked up to him with a wide grin. "I don't think we've talked before. You seem cool. I hope we can be friends." Apple extended a hand to him.

She looked on in surprised intrigue as Dough's hand phased right through hers. "Like, same. Anyway, let's get this show on the road."

Dough's tour of the mansion revealed that, as depressing as the atmosphere was, there were plenty of rooms to hang out in on even just the first floor to stave off boredom.