100 Dates

Witness to be Witnessed

Taco was an observant type, a serpent who lurked under the most alluring of wildflowers. Her demeanor had been unpredictable and playful among the other contestants until her reveal in the show's finale. Sadly, it was her true nature that cost her the one friend she had made, and even when Inanimate Insanity was over, she couldn't go home free, not without a prize in tote. 

Debts hung over her head and new infamy dragged her reputation lower than a sewer rat. The only saving grace had been Pickle who couldn't care less about her empty pockets and welcomed her with open arms, but now he wanted nothing to do with her. Taco was not a sap, but she couldn't deny her better memories were lemon-scented and on picnic blankets.

The second season of Inanimate Insanity started with another million-dollar prize hanging above it like a beacon, its blinding light enticing people to blindly walk towards it. There glowed the end of the tunnel, a shred of hope, an escape for Taco had to acquire. In her state, her body wouldn't be prepared for the stress and her mind was swarmed with 'what if' scenarios, so she stood back and watched from the sidelines. What felt like a rushed choice proved to be the right one as her past rival, Balloon, become the target for others. It was a special type of ruthlessness they showed him from physical harm to emotional neglect as they continued to drift away from the red fellow.

The similarities between herself and him were notable but it was the paths they chose that truly distinguished the two objects. Balloon's failure last season had led to becoming a people-pleaser while she herself had become a loner, neither seeming to find support. That is until Suitcase came into the picture. 

Taco curiously watched the interactions between the two and it amazed her how far their bond affected the voting. The balloon had made it farther then she could've imagined and continued to find favor in the voters, even if the others paid him no attention. How confusing yet aggravating it was at first, seeing him make it through eliminations using her own strategy from the first season.

Would it work for her? The mere thought of having someone to work with was terrifying. The fallout between her and Pickle had left a heartache she never accounted for, so to go back and try again with someone new was out of the question at first... Being alone meant safety, although the lack of stability, happiness, action, was suffocating. Was she really going to sit back and watch these bastards laugh and fight for the million when none deserved it as much? The selfish thoughts fell flat, 'You're getting emotional'  and she was back to contemplating.

Her mind felt compromised with the thought of having another partner, another friend, or even just someone to give her a little sympathy. Although it betrayed her original plan, she started to look. She didn't know what to look for, taking people off the list for fair and silly reasons. It felt like being a kid at a foreign candy store with every treat looking appetizing but every warning label spelled in the gibberish of a language that could not be read.

 The first task included crossing out enemies from the last season and Taco couldn't deny her luck that both her old friend and past winner were both out, leaving Knife and Balloon to be crossed out. Having the sociopath that was Paper and short-tempered Bomby out was an additional plus in her search for a partner among the available contestants, though the new ones weren't much better. There wasn't much trouble in rejecting the dimwitted among them, crossing out Apple, Cheesy, Box, and Cherries from the roster. After all, why risk the frustration and waste time on those who wouldn't stand a chance in the first place? They would swim like fishes in quicksand and bring her down with them to drown.

Another day of observing left her restless at night, dreams ebbing in lazily and without logic. The floor is sandy, fields of flowers covering the dusty ground as the moons poured water down into jellyfish blue pools. Vines hugged her gently and bloomed wildflowers and lemons, oddly enough. Pastel yellows filled the dream and dripped down to an orange hue as the flora continued to grow and muse her lettuce innards. Something grabbed her hand but she barely batted an eye, the silhouette taking no specific form. It moved closer, orange flowers blooming on its shoulders and with the distance closed, Taco feels a sudden bullet of dread hit her. A shudder runs through her while asleep, turning her head barely to face the person who didn't exist with a newfound fear. She jerks her head forward but immediately cringes back to the being's amusement.

"What was that?"

"I tried to headbutt you but got scared halfway.."

They nod and reach out to hold her with a comforting warmth, carefully as if treating her like a glass figurine. It felt so odd but personal, and she chose to lose herself to the embrace while the wildflowers continued spreading. Taco wanted to wait for the dread to be justified as it chewed away at her nerves but a nightmare never came and soon her mind felt hollow. The celestial bodies above continued to pour down and the plants continued to bloom. Soon the sun showed face and her dream vanished with a groggy yawn, her own arms wrapped around herself for reassurance. The wonderful dream was euphoric only to be crushed by the gravity of reality and the added sting that half the day had passed, her silly mistake to stay up late costing her the chance to watch a majority of the recent challenge.

Desperate to catch up, one hand busily scribbled every detail of behavior and another held her binoculars, effectively taking Tissues, Trophy, YinYang, Fan, Paintbrush, Soap, Baseball, and Nickel off the list. An unlikable or brash ally would prove helpless against the voters and soon it was down to the last handful of options. Of course, during the process, Taco had developed her favorites and calculated each individual's chance of winning alongside their likability. Marshmallow and Suitcase were added to the growing list of rejects, their personalities too spineless to accomplish anything daring if asked to.

As Taco scribbled out the name Test Tube, a recluse whose nature would become an issue, she noticed the moon had already risen from the world's edge. It glowed softly over the forest and a soft breeze swayed the leaves that surrounded her. The forest behind her was filled with deep indigoes and a few leaves greeted her from above as the wind whistled through it. A tall figure emerged from the elimination bleachers and went along the stone path with an obvious weight on their shoulders as if their bowed head and sad stumble said enough. She neared them cautiously, side-stepping into every nearby bush to avoid being seen.

Although the contestant had not seen anything, they took notice of her rustling and froze. Soon they were inching towards the suspicious shrubbery wearily. Taco watched and tried adjusting herself in the bush, desperately digging into the dirt to hide from the other. The only sound heard was their heartbeats going off, beating hard against the chest of both objects as the distance between the two closed and a hand warily moved a few bushes. When nothing distinguishable could be found, the figure brought down their other hand and searched deeper into the bush with an uneasy expression until they felt a texture unlike rounded leaves or pointed sticks.

Taco wanted to shrink at that moment as the stranger gingerly traced the edges of her hard shell, a shy, feminine voice calling out, "Hello?"

Should she reveal herself? The voice didn't belong to any of the older contestants and it lacked the satirically imposing voice MePhone4 and MePad shared. Her thoughts throttled each other, begging her to act already, whether it be to dash, brawl, or confront, but they instantly disappeared as two firm hands lifted her out of the shrub, dark timid eyes staring into her own. Panic set in for the smaller being but she could only stare agape at the other, quivering in their grip. Microphone.