#ooc: i read this all while listening to the chonny jash cover of ruler of everything

[heroicleader2763]

Evie adjusted Leafy (?) in her grip. She had no idea what she was going to do. Most of her memories were static pudding but even so she could tell that something was wrong. Fake Leafy was There! Right There. But. Pin was there. And Leafy liked Pin(?). So no Mauling.

Yet.

Evie scowled before bringing the small plush in front of her. The stuffed toy responded by poking the middle of her face.

Boop!

What's your deal?

Whaddya' mean? :)

What's wrong with you?

Oh! :° My insides feel gross and weird but that's okay... Yeah. I think. The thing in there makes loud noises that hurt but it's fine.

That's not. Hmm. I mean why are you like this?

Pin? I dunno what you're talking about. Sorry. :/

Don't apologize to me, okay? Hey. How long were you with that... thing? The not Pin one?

Oh. You mean That thing? I called it fake Me before. I dunno why, though? I'm me! :>

You were right though. Its fake.

Oh, good to know I was right! :D I said a lotta stuff before but I don't know why..

Evie lowered the toy to glare at the two objects. They'd started to hold hands. Evie blew a raspberry. Leafy mentally tried. Evie smiled at that then proceeded to pretend to squish the fake leaf.

Leafy tapped Evie. She gestured to try what Evie was doing.

With a stupid smile Evie rose Leafy up. They then pretended to pat Pin on the head complete with fake 'Oofs' and 'Ouchie's. Evie snorted.

"Idiot."

The fake Leafy turned and locked eyes for just a moment. It leaned in to Pin and gestured to a bush while wispering conspiritorially. Pin only looked at Evie for a second before agreeing.

Hey Leafy?

Yeah?

Do you remember I can teleport?

Nnnoo? That sounds neat, though! :O Can I see?

Yeah, dork. Brace yourself.

For wha-

------------------------

Coiny heard a voip. He had an impulse to scream and that could only mean one thing. Pin let out a little "Eep!" with a startle. He patted her on the back.

"Hey. Calm down."

"Sorry." Pin said. "I Am just a Little On Edge."

"Don't worry about them. They... Don't matter. Not right now. All that matters is that we're together." Coiny cooed. He brought Pin's hands up to their face. She ran her thumb across Pin's knuckles slowly. Pin smiled softly.

Both let go of the other's hand. Coiny let out a small "Ooh!" as he grabbed a large bundle of firewood from a dead bush. Pin giggled and poked Coiny in the back. They both startled.

"Oh. Huh- Um I mean, I should Build A Fire. You Don't Do well with Fires." Pin offered.

Coiny tensed briefly as Leafy's memories flashed before him.

"Y-yeah. I forgot." Coiny stammered.

"Forgot?"

"Well, I was so caught up in the moment. Keeping you warm was all I could think about."

"Corkboard, Leafy. I Missed you. I really Missed you. You Don't have to Put yourself in Danger for me."

If Pin tried she could not have cut Coiny deeper.

"I'm so glad. You care. About me..." Coiny started to sink as his knees buckled. The firewood fell piece by piece from his grasp. His voice was shaky. Broken.

"But Why Wouldn't I?" She asked, genuinely confused.

"I love you. So much. Please. Don't leave me...." Coiny whined miserably.

Pin gathered as many of the fallen sticks as they could. Their movement was gentle. Loving. Carefully putting the dropped branches back into Coiny's pile while staring at her deeply in the eyes.

"I Won't, Leafy. I promise." Pin leaned in and delicately planted a kiss on the lips of the fake plant.

Coiny smiled a world weary smile as he walked away.

They soon found a spot and with a large enough place for a fire. The night was near pitch when Pin suddenly lit with the glow of the campfire. Coiny flinched from the crackle and heat. When the light was no longer painful to look at, Coiny stared longingly at the figure softly illuminated in the dancing flames. He grabbed the wrist with the bracelet tightly, feeling the beads dig into his palm.

Pin turned to him with a quizzical tilt of her face, beckoning Coiny closer. Her warm smile danced in the firelight. Coiny was drawn like a moth. The glow bouncing off of their features was hypnotic, mesmerizing. She chuckled with the heat of the flame when he lay a hand upon her cheek. She guided his braceleted arm to the spot just far enough away from the smoke but still near enough to the fire the warmth could catch them.

It took only a moment for Coiny to place his head in her lap, staring up at her eclipsing the stars like his own personal moon. He sighed and searched for her hand. After a brief struggle he found it and intertwined his fingers with hers, never taking his eyes off of hers. Coiny's brought the hand to his stomach while his free arm caressed the side of her face.

"You're... Amazing. You know that?" Coiny reassured Pin.

"I know. But not as Amazing As you."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Coiny began to tear up.

"What Do You Mean? I'm Always Nice to you. And you Deserve it!"

Coiny squeezed Pin's hand tighter while weeping.

"I just wish time could stop. If time stopped here I could be happy. Die happy. Why does time have to keep going and going..?"

"There will Be All the Time in The Whole World later.."

"I love you Pin."

"I love you too, Leafy"

------------------------

Evie and Leafy had been watching the two. Only Evie truly felt the cold while Leafplush snuggled softly into her side. If Leafy had the capacity to understand why Evie was so high alert at the moment perhaps they would have stopped idly wiggling. But the gravity was beyond her.

To Leafy this was merely an odd game.

"I think they've finally fallen asleep." Evie noted.

Shouldn't you sleep?

"No. I have to keep watch. If you aren't there with them I can't find them. And I'm... not giving you up."

I must be important! C:

"The most."

The night wore on, Evie had started to drift off little by little. Each time Leafplush poked her, asked questions, attempted to slide out, screamed mentally; the works. But. Even they were having trouble staying awake. Evie started to bounce her in her arms but it was far too late. Evie was not going to make the night.

Hey.... Evie, right? Umm... You're very tired. Maybe I can keep watch? :>

You are falling asleep. Don't lie to me.

No, really. It's fine. I don't need sleep.

Bull.

B-but I didn't need sleep before! Why do I need it now!? When I need to not need it! I remember I couldn't sleep for so long..

I don't care, but I'm not letting you go without it. Go to sleep then. I can stay awake for both of us.

But. You kept me awake?

Shut up.

That's so rude!

Evie smiled wearily.

And it doesn't even answer the question! >:U

Evie's smile dropped.

You're not getting an answer. So don't waste your- oh. Yeah. You're just not getting an answer.

Super rude!

I'm a rude person. And I don't owe you that.

Despite winning the argument Evie soon fell asleep. It must have been a total of two hours that night she managed to doze off. Rustling from the lovebird and the anglerfish woke Evie who was still so tired she was dizzy.

------------------------

Coiny couldn't help but look at the ragged looking woman tailing him. She felt bad. Not bad enough to stop. Or branch forbid, give her little piece of heaven up. Just bad enough to look over there from time to time in concern.

Just bad enough to wrap an arm protectively around Pin when Evie sneered.

"Where Were you, Anyway?"

Pin's question caught Coiny off guard.

"Around." He fumbled.

"Around?"

"Yeah! I looked all over for you. I even searched the canal a bit."

"Why would I be In The canal?"

"I unno? Memories?" Coiny offered. She desperately searched Leafy's memories and found their first true meeting. And the middle finger Pin gave her when they were on the balance beam. Coiny snorted.

"What? Did I do something Funny?" Pin asked angrily.

Coiny looked back to Evie and the true Leafy. But what is a person but an assemblage of memories? Both of them had started to... Converse? It almost felt like they were jealous of Coiny and Pin. Occasionally Evie would speak up but Leafplush remained silent. Still her noodle limbs moved from time as if in deep conversation.

Coify turned back to Pin.

"I was just thinking back to the first challenge. How this practically all started with you flipping me off. That's so like you."

"It is Not!"

"Sure it isn't." Coify teased with a wink and a nudge.

"I'm not-... . um. Uh."

"Pin? What's wrong? Did I cross the line?"

Pin squinted and rose her hand to block the sun. Something was coming. Before Pin could say anything he heard a screech.

"It did WHAT?!?"

The same agressive popping noise that Coify knew so well and the reflexive panic was enough to tell what was happening. Coify withdrew her braceleted arm just in time for Evie to fail a grab at it. Claws barely missed raking the fake Leafy's sides as Coify fell backwards.

Pin grabbed Coiny and pulled the imposter to her. Evie let out a grunt of frustration. She barely managed to hold Leafy's plush shell as Leafy screamed in fear. The force causing the voicebox to skreek and stun the plush. Her sewn limbs taut. The strings struggling to hold her with the whiplash. The thread ripped, nearly severing the arm from the plush

"What The Hell Has Gotten IN To You!!?" Pin screamed, not caring that it was "Leafy's" ear she was screaming into.

Coify pushed free just in time to come face to face with the only real lemon leaf in the situation.

"Give it BACK!" Evie made another grab at the bracelet as Coify desperately tried to keep the precious treasure out of "unworthy" hands. Both screamed and Coify barely managed to avoid Evie' so many times. It was only when Coify grabbed the plush Leafy's arm in retaliation did Evie reel her arm back for a punch.

Coify missed but at the cost of Evie managing to use the hand in her preoccupied arm to rake the beads . The bracelet rolled off of Coiny's arm. He let out a shreik of anguish. Leafplush fell from Coiny's grasp as both leaves dove for the bracelet.

Only for them to meet the side of Pin's leg, immovable wall it was. At least when she dug her toes in. Pin grabbed the bracelet with a fell swoop and held it over her head.

" Stop Fighting!!" Pin demanded. Both leaves grabbed at the object of their desire. But Evie had a slower start, picking up Leafplush first.

Pin saw Maple and two other sentient plushies behind the squabbling leaves. Sadly she could care less as "Leafy" grabbed her rim and started climbing only to get pulled down with a thud by Evie grabbing his ankle.

Pin Carefully pushed Evie off of Coiny only for Evie to cry out in pain as a hideous bruise appeared on the side of the leaf.

Shit shit shit! She was losing control! Not now!

Both people talked over each other.

"P-Pin? Give me the bracelet. Please. I need it. It's special. I-can't live without it. I NEED it. I swear, I'll be good for you, I just-just. You can't know how important it is to me! Just hand the bracelet to me. We don't need anyone else. Just us." Coiny begged.

"The bracelet is Leafy's! Why are you giving it to that thing!? You don't even know it but you let it steal her gift!? What kind of a partner are you?! You stupid Herculean piece of plastic! She's crying! Why can't you even tell!?" Evie demanded to know.

"Enough! I can't Even Think with you Two squabbling." Pin shielded it with her arm. Literally nobody would actually fight her for it.

"If You Two can't reach an Agreement I'll Have To wear It Instead! Then None Of You can get It!"

"No." Coiny mumbled as Pin slipped it on.

Pin's eyes got wide.

She turned to the fake Leafy.

------------------------

The fight had stopped. Junior was basically having to be held back from trying to help. Pinior's sanity or Plushior as Maple would never let anyone know she'd started calling her, was putting a stuffed hand to where her ears would have been.

"Uh.... Pin's fighting Junior's mom and Evie." Maple volunteered.

Hospintal plush shifted to "look" up to Maple.

"What do you mean? I heard them at the same time. I shouldn't hear that. Aren't they the same person? Sorta?" The Hospintal plush asked.

"I don't know anymore. I thought they were. Maybe it's like me and Leafy Junior? I mean Evie is cradling what looks like you, knuclehead. Um. Talking about Junior there."

"I'm confused. How many people are there?!"

"It doesn't really matter. I hate all of them. Egh-"

"WHO ARE YOU?!" Pin yelled out in disgust loud enough for the spectators to hear.

Pin slung the bracelet to the dirt like it was burning her.

"What's going on! I can't see! I can't see! Somebody tell me I can't seee..."

Maple couldn't hear what "Leafy" said as she approached Pin placatingly. Pin grabbed "Leafy's" hand and pulled back. A beautiful arc of blood sprayed out of the arm that used to belong to Coiny.

Evie barely sheltered Leafplush from being sprayed. She winced as if in pain and dove for the bracelet.

"LET'S FREAKIN' GO!"Maple yelled all while trying to hide the spectacle from the panicking Junior who redoubled her escape attempts. Maple ran right up to the scene with Hospintal plush barely holding on for dear life.

------------------------

Pin knew from the moment pain blossomed down her side. Why they had been nervous for days. She knew exactly who had done this to her. Who he whispered sweet nothings to. Who kissed him. Let him believe the love of his life had returned for days.

Who violated his trust.

Who violated him.

Pin could barely stand. Her knees were clattering. Coiny had flipped himself up off of the bloodied ground to stare her directly in the face. Pin grabbed Coiny's remaining arm he struggled to balance on. The crunch of fingers were audible

He pulled it off. Like the petal of a flower. Loves me not.

The arm nearly punched straight through Maple, barely missing her by a few inches. Blood sprayed painfully all over the three at a speed like a power hose. The sonic boom of the arm knocked Maple to her side, ears ringing. The plushes fell to the ground as the newly deafened leaf tried to get up. Both (with a brief pit stop to pick Hospintal up) of them got Maple to her feet. All of them managed to reach Coiny.

Coiny was bleeding out. Pin towered above him. Evie was the last to arrive with Leafy, the real Leafy, covering her eyes with her only functional arm. The one with the memory bracelet. Even the plush prisons of Junior and Pinior's sanity blocked what little light Coiny had left.

Why was he so calm?

Coiny smiled peacefully. With what little strength Coiny had left, she spoke.

"I love-"

Pin stomped straight through Coiny's open mouth.

Everyone flinched at the squelch.

Pin screamed in pure anguish. Her hands desperately tried to find their way to cover her mouth or grab on to her side. But she knew there was no way her hands wouldn't rip her body to shreds in this state. Still the limbs sought to comfort her. Evie nervously tried to approach Pin more out of societal obligation than a genuine need to comfort her. Pin couldn't hear anything but ringing. Her hands finally found their purchase on the opposite sides of her rim-

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Pin woke up at the base of the recovery center's output slot. Evie stood over them. Leafy, the real Leafy, had buried her face in Evie's side. Her small spheres that should have been hands softly thumped against Evie's skin. The fake fists banging against her.

A length of red thread had sewn the nearly severed arm back on. The side Pin had cut open had the same shade of red thread. Her body wracked with fake sobs.

On Evie's elbow sat Junior patting Leafy on the back comfortingly.

In the distance Maple looked to the side all while the plush version of her sister during the hospital breakdown tried in vain to wrest herself from Maple's arms.

Both children plushies were still stained with Coiny's blood. An attempt to wash them had been made but it obviously failed.

Pin got up, a woman possesed. She kept breaking sticks. Not in half, just in her grip when they got picked up. When she finally managed to get a stick that didn't get compressed immediately Pin poked the C button on the recovery center. And it broke again.

Each time one broke she wordlessly went back to trying to pick one up again. One by one the two large red Leaves watched her spell out the name.

Coiny.

He fell out of the slot, confused as to why he was still alive.

"This is For Whoa Bunch. My Debts Have All Been Payed." Pin stated.

Coiny nodded and pulled his limbs close.

Everyone watched as he rolled away.

-🌿

[cheese and rice. my god]