Chapter Text
Cabby slowly wheeled her way across the shore of Indefinite Island, the grimy black sand getting stuck in her casters.
Cabby had been lost ever since she arrived here. Mentally by accident, physically by choice. The day she arrived, unceremoniously catapulted into a withering palm tree, she had been inconsolable.
Not in an erratic way, of course! Cabby couldn’t let the others there see her break down so easily, over something so small. Something so… deserved. The pain of the fall, and the sound of the distressed Tea Kettle and Lifering trying to ground her drowned under the ringing of thoughts in her head.
Thoughts wondering why Test Tube had turned against her, how she could have gone wrong. Her actions were justified, right? She had tried to do what she thought Test Tube wanted, any little thing she could.
She apologized for eliminating Fan and shared her knowledge, her files, the very things she dedicated her life to, the preservation of actions, and what could be learned from them.
Yet it hadn’t been enough.
Test Tube didn’t even begin to hear her side of the story. Cabby could begrudgingly see her grievances with her files, but what other rationale did she stand on? If her files hurt others it was only because she was right.
Her files were immaculate, accurate in predicting others to a fault, they just didn’t want to admit it. It scared them, so they became scared of Cabby.
Couldn’t they see her passion, her good intentions? How many times had her files aided the team, or served as a learning tool? Yet one object’s concern was enough to tear that compassion apart with heroic resolve.
The situation sat bitter in Cabby’s chest, like a sick imitation of butterflies in one's stomach.
Once Lifering deemed her well enough to fend for herself she left the small area the other eliminated contestants had turned into what could barely be called a home base and didn’t return, and sobbed herself to sleep once she knew she was truly alone.
She had wandered the island since, looping around its melancholy beaches and barren landscape. There were no landmarks of note, and the sun never seemed to shine through the overcast sky.
For most, it was amiss and uncomfortable, but for Cabby’s state of mind, it was a welcome bleakness, a blank slate to let her thoughts roam.
In all honesty, Cabby didn’t know why she stayed. Rejoining meant going back into the competition where half the objects detested her, but at the same time leaving would mean facing Fan, and the rest of the cast, who very well might have seen her actions and judged her the same as Test Tube.
Test Tube. What could Cabby say about her? She’d had months to dwell on the scientifically minded contestant, to regret, or perhaps try to atone for her actions, yet she still felt just as lost as when she arrived.
Her feelings on Test Tube changed like the tide, now lapping at her wheels as she stared out into the sea. Some days she’d want nothing more than to apologize, to childishly hope for the other’s forgiveness, yet become swamped with anger at her the next.
It made Cabby feel foolish, to so badly want forgiveness from someone she had seen make such an ignorant judgment of her, so she pushed her thoughts Test Tube down as often as she could, to at least lessen the soreness she had left her.
However, Cabby’s somber reflection was cut short by a hand on her arm, and a voice. Not many people sought her out, if any, she had made it quite clear that she wished to be alone, but of the few objects she had seen Tea Kettle was the kindest of them, who stood beside her now.
The motherly object had taken to checking on her every few days to ensure she was, in her words, “Looking after herself.”
Even if the action was unwelcome, Cabby could understand the sentiment and indulge in it for Tea Kettle’s sake, knowing how much looking after others seemed to ground her.
“Hey there, Dear! Good to see you’re doing alright, I’ve got some exciting news for ya this time!” Tea Kettle said, beginning to pull Cabby along.
Cabby removed her hand from Tea Kettle’s, she was perfectly capable of rolling wherever she was being taken on her own, thank you very much, but played along nonetheless, “What happened?”
Cabby expected Tea Kettle to rattle off some story about how the camp was going like usual, but what she said genuinely interested her for once, “The lady on the walkie said the challenge to rejoin is going to be in just a few! I figured I better gather up all you kids, wouldn’t want your time here to be for nothing!”
Cabby followed the other back to the camp, seeing the other inhabitants of the island for the first time since she arrived, noticing that Goo had also joined the objects waiting to rejoin. Lifering waved to her, but she didn’t return the gesture, all that mattered now was rejoining, there was nothing for her here.
As she rolled up to join the group the walkie-talkie blinked to life, the energetic disembodied voice ringing out over the group.
“Is that everyone? Oh, wonderful! Now we can start our challenge. Unfortunately only one of you can rejoin… So it will be a free for all! See that boat in the distance?” The group looked around aimlessly at the many shores a boat could be on, until Lifering spotted it, pointing it out to the others.
Sure enough, in the distance, just on the edge of the island’s shoal, a small boat floated, clearly more powerful and complete than the tiny rafts offered to those who wished to return to the mainland.
The group looked back to the walkie, “First one there gets to rejoin!” The objects looked at each other warily, each raring for the spot back on the show, until the walkie spoke one last time, “Well what are you waiting for?”
With that Cabby didn’t hesitate, slamming open her bottom drawer into Tea Kettle beside her, knocking her to the group with a yelp, before making a run for the boat with the others.
—---------------------
The boat cut through the waves as it took Cabby back to the competition grounds, the dark clouds of indefinite island fading into the distance behind her. Cabby knew with her departure there was nothing to be proud of. She did what she knew she had to win.
That awful feeling she had been failing to discard back on Indefinite Island came back tenfold as the island came into view, backed by the setting sun. She would get to see everyone again, and they would see her. Test Tube would see her.
Cabby flailed to keep herself from rolling off the boat deck as it roughly washed up onto the beach, and pulled herself off into the sand. How nice it was, to see an island with life, and color again, Cabby only wished she could be as delighted as she was by this for the confrontation that lay ahead of her.
In the near distance, Cabby could hear voices, with one cutting out over the foliage clearer than the others. Mephone’s charlatan reality show-host voice rang out to the beach loud enough for her to hear bits and pieces of whatever he was announcing.
Cabby took her time approaching his voice, silently dreading what would come next. She was able to faintly pick out the news of Yin-Yang’s elimination, before hearing the not-so-faint sound of the aforementioned contestant being launched by Mephone, who knows where they’d end up now that Indefinite Island had served its purpose.
Mephone’s voice was clear now, with Cabby wheeling her way just to the edge of the clearing, nothing but a bush to separate her from the crowd of objects hanging on Mephone’s words.
“And before the night ends I’ve got a few more surprises in store!” He announced, met by a collecting groan from the remaining contestants, no doubt exhausted from whatever challenge they had just endured, yet Mephone continued without issue.
“I’ve had a third party arrange a rejoin for us! What a shake-up, I almost feel like I’m back in season one! Right guys?” Paintbrush and Balloon seemed especially miffed, the former lashing out at the host “What? The last time you did that, Paper literally skipped half the game!”
“And I’ll do it again,” Mephone smugly replied, “Without further ado, our rejoiner everybody!” He announced, exaggeratedly gesturing towards the bush in which Cabby was hiding.
With no time left to wallow, Cabby unceremoniously rolled her way out of the bush and into the field. No one said anything, just looked on in shock and confusion, the ambiance of crickets and rustling leaves suffocating Cabby’s nerves.
She made eye contact with Test Tube, if only briefly before the other object looked away, conflicted. As if she didn’t even want to acknowledge her presence. Breaking the awkward silence The Floor moved forward, “Um… Welcome back, mate? Or uh…” his eyes moved back and forth to the crowd of displeased faces “Or maybe not?”
“You think?” Paintbrush irritably replied, looking up at Cabby with disdain, “She better not be on my team again,” they huffed, beginning to walk off.
“Now hold on-” Mephone cut in, stopping Paintbrush’s departure, “I said surprises, didn’t I?”
Mephone strode back to the center of the group, “It wouldn’t be fair to only let a fan rejoin in this fans vs. favorites season, so I’ll be bringing back a veteran as well-”
“That won’t be possible,” Cabby cut him off, “All of the veterans who were eliminated left your ‘third party’s’ island, so it would be impossible for one of them to-”
“We get it Cabby, we don’t need you to explain it to us.” Paintbrush interrupted, to which Cabby shot them an annoyed look, as she was about to criticize how they wouldn’t have had to fight for their spot to rejoin either, not like her, yet Mephone seemed unphased.
“Ah, well,” Mephone shrugged, before making a list appear in his hand with his trademark summoning, nonchalantly skimming the contents. Cabby was quick to recognize it as the list of favorites Mephone had used to pick the returning contestants; she had bribed him to see it once before.
Mephone dragged his finger down the list line by line, until he stopped and visibly cringed.
“What’s wrong?” Balloon questioned. “I avoided inviting her because I was already inviting “Bow” as a joke and the LAST thing I wanted was two of the most annoying of you guys stuck here with me, but a poll’s a poll,” Mephone replied with a shrug.
Before anyone could question what he meant Mephone had pulled up an app on his screen, entering in an object’s info, and hitting the send button, letting a burst of neon purple light engulf the small clearing.
—---------------------
Taco sat against one of the hundreds of trees in the forest, truth be told the normally witty object had no idea where she was, and she couldn’t steady herself enough to begin to care.
The ground was cold, and the wind was frigid, tasting of dew and coming rain. She knew she should find shelter, but as she looked down at her arms, tightly wrapped around herself in a pitiful hug, she found that she couldn’t stop shaking.
Microphone was gone, really truly gone. Taco couldn’t tell if her heart had been ripped from her chest or if it was exploding inside of her with how loud it pounded in her head like she was feeling everything and nothing all at once, even weeks after she’d left.
It made her feel weak, a notion she tried very hard to bury deep down in her subconscious, to pretend such a side of her didn’t exist.
Every once and a while Taco would briefly consider running to the Hotel, and begging on her knees for forgiveness. It didn’t matter from who anymore, she just needed to know someone wanted her around, that someone could at the least tolerate her.
As the rain began and Taco imagined herself, broken, soaked, and pathetic upon OJ’s doorstep, and knew she wouldn’t have the resolve to bring herself to do that. She was better off alone, like always, maybe then there wouldn’t be anyone around for her to hurt.
She must be so selfish, to be on the verge of breaking down over something she caused. She should be the one feeling guilt, not sadness. She didn’t deserve sadness, hadn’t earned it.
Small splashes of rain drops pulled her from her dissociative state. Taco steadied herself as best she could, taking a deep breath and beginning to stand up. If she was quick she could find a log or tree to shelter in before the real downpour started.
She took one shaky step forward, pushing down her emotions, feeling a little more grounded than before, now that she had a goal. Maybe if she kept distracting herself she could keep her mindset in better check.
However, just as Taco was about to take her second step, she felt a mysterious force pulling on her body, catching a glimpse of purple light before being blinded by the brightness.
For a moment, all Taco could comprehend was the spinning sensation, like being on the edge of blacking out, everything felt light and airy until she fell back into reality with an abrupt trip, flat onto her face.
While the newly teleported contestant regained her senses, the remaining cast looked on in bafflement, Cabby included. She would be a fool to not recognize the object Mephone had brought to the island, someone who had come up so often in her notes as a legend of the first season of II.
Taco, dubbed ‘The Liar’ by the fans, a mastermind in the realm of manipulating the game, Cabby had criticized the others for leaving her as the only one playing with a strategy, but now before her stood a break, someone with an eye for opportunity and tactics that rivaled her own! All she had to do was…
No. Cabby had been here before, trusting someone she thought she knew, someone she respected. Reading the room of other objects, most of which condemned Taco’s actions, Cabby buried the thought of an alliance and made herself look just as disapproving.
Cabby had a 100% record of the people she gave out her secrets to betraying her, but if there was no one to take her info, there was no one to hurt her with it.
Paintbrush was once again the first to speak up in complaint, “Are you kidding me? She tried to ROB you, Mephone.”
“Then she did a pretty poor job of it because she obviously didn’t get the million,” Mephone shot back, slightly taunting Taco, who had now pulled herself up to her feet, guardedly taking in her new surroundings, “Where am I?” She worriedly asked, picking up on all the objects staring at her.
“You’re a surprise mid-game join for season three of Inanimate Insanity, welcome on!” Mephone cheerfully announced, quietly adding, “Our ratings are sure to go up from this!”
Taco looked around anxiously, taking in all the objects she didn’t know, as well as a very displeased Paintbrush, Nickel, and was that Balloon behind him? It could certainly be worse, Taco had no clue what she would have done if Pickle was here, but their judgemental stares did little to ease her fears.
The objects she didn’t know varied in reaction, some must not have known who she was, or were preoccupied. A taller Silver object was consoling a somber-looking Candle, muttering comforting words about whoever had been eliminated before she arrived, and was that a face on the ground?
Taco also noticed what looked like Bow, peeking out from behind Test Tube. Taco felt a bitter spark of rage at the object that had caused her to lose the million, before becoming incredibly confused, she’d seen Bow die, 4s had used her own lemons to kill her.
The last object stood apart from the others, a pale blue file cabinet, she was the only newcomer that appeared defensive toward Taco, odd.
“And for our final surprise, we’re breaking up the teams, but with a twist! All of you must find a partner to form a team of two, a pair if you will! Find your friends fast, or get stuck with some random schmuck,” Mephone announced boastfully.
With that Taco was set aside by the others and everyone scrambled to find who they wanted to team with. It was clear that pairs were forming fast, the tall object and purple candle teamed up immediately, as well as Test Tube and ‘Bow’, and Nickel and Balloon.
Anxiously looking around for any remaining objects who didn’t seem to hate her, Taco was startled by a voice beside her.
“Hey there, need a teammate?” someone asked in an Australian accent, causing Taco to step back, looking back and forth for who had just addressed her, “Hey, ow! Watch where you’re stepping, yeah?” The voice spoke again, to which Taco looked down.
“AH!” The ominous face on the ground was beneath her, to which she took a step back to keep from trampling him “But- weren’t you just all the way over there?”
“Everyone here acts like they’re never seen a guy teleport, I swear! So is that a yay or nay on the team?”
Before Taco could reply, Paintbrush stepped between her and the face, “Oh no, Floory, the last thing you want is to be on a team with her, we should team together,” they shrewdly stated.
The Floor looked slightly bummed, but didn’t argue with Paintbrush, “Ah, sorry mate, guess I’m taken, good luck with Cabby,” he said before teleporting away. There was no way Taco was going to get used to that.
Cabby looked around at the remaining objects, realizing that only Taco was left, wasn’t that just her luck? She supposed neither of them was wanted elsewhere. The two made eye contact, and Cabby rolled over to the runner-up without saying a word, ending the scramble to find teams.
With that Mephone seemed happy, and finally done with all his surprises for the night, “I hope you’re all happy with your choice, next challenge is tomorrow, so be ready to test that teamwork, night!” he concluded, leaving the contestants to their own devices with a yawn.
Most contestants began to file out of the clearing, save for Cabby and the remaining veterans, besides ‘Bow’, who had left with Test Tube.
Taco noticed her new teammate, ‘Cabby’ if the face on the ground had been telling the truth, watching the vial leave conflictedly. Turning on her charismatic charm, she tried to make the best of the situation, “Well since we’re a team now, I’m Taco, I assume from the look you gave me you already knew that, but an introduction can’t hurt,” she opened, offered up her hand to shake.
Cabby looked away from Test Tube to acknowledge her, taking her hand and shaking it stiffly, “Cabby,” she responded, clearly unenthused by her new partner, looking back up to where Test Tube was, or rather, had been, the object now out of the clearing.
On the other side of the field, Paintbrush leaned down to talk to Nickel, “Those two are going to be an accident waiting to happen teamed together, we should make sure they know we’re not going to be tolerating any messing with the game, from either of them.”
Nickel nodded, “I’ve gotta agree with you there, it might not be a bad idea to psyche them out a little, plus it could be funny! Right, Balloon?” Nickel asked, turning to address the object behind him.
Balloon shook his head, “I don’t know Nickel, I was someone who manipulated the game once, maybe we should give them a chance.”
Nickel’s smug expression fell as if he had forgotten that he and Balloon had used to be enemies for that very reason, but weren't anymore, “Alright maybe not, want to go give them one of your patented Balloon ‘Keep changing’ pep talks?” Nickel joked, doing a terrible impression of the speech Balloon had once given him.
Balloon gave Nickel a light shove, “Maybe I will!” he responded, laughing, “Where did Paintbrush go?”
The two looked up to see Paintbrush had left them and was storming over to Taco and Cabby, “Uh oh,” Nickel whispered, as both he and Balloon braced for one of Paintbrush’s fiery outbursts.
Taco flinched as Paintbrush’s voice rang over the remaining group, dripping with venom, “Mephone might not have an issue with you clawing your way back into the competition, but none of us are ever going to trust you ever again after what you did to Pickle,” they snapped.
Taco puffed herself up, not about to let herself get humiliated in front of others, “I wasn’t trying-” Paintbrush cut her off, “I don’t CARE what you were trying to do, you’re nothing but a parasite on others.”
Cabby watched on, wheeling herself slightly back to ensure she didn’t get caught up in the blaze beginning to form on the edge of Paintbrush’s bristles. She hoped that sinking into the background would keep their ire off her. Paintbrush already knew from her files that she thought of them as overreactive, so staying out of their way was for the best, even if it meant leaving Taco to fend for herself.
Luck didn’t seem to be on her side though, as her eyes caught theirs, “And you know what? You’re just like her, Cabby! Making notes, planning how to use us, expecting us to act exactly how you write us to be.”
“You’ve got it all wrong!” Cabby desperately tried to explain herself, “I didn’t mean to offend you! Everything I did, I did for the team, to learn and help you all, why can’t you see that?”
“Likely story when your files have all the knowledge to take each one of us down in,” they responded, gesturing to the Balloon and Nickel, the former of which looked incredibly uncomfortable being used in their argument, “How about we ask the original liar herself?”
Paintbrush stepped closer to the two, making Taco feel claustrophobic as they stared down at her, “Do you think Cabby is like you, Taco?”
This had all come on so fast, Cabby was hated, just like her, but why?
Taco froze, her brain trying to calculate the correct response to their query. Saying no would make Cabby feel better, but give her no ground to connect with her on, but saying yes would turn Paintbrush against both of them. Her eyes darted between the two for a beat, before she managed to fumble out a response.
“I… I don’t know.”
Taco’s eyes locked with Cabby, who now looked to be on the verge of tears, “I mean… No! Not at all,” she tried to correct herself, but Cabby was already quickly rolling away.
“I mean- Cabby, wait!” Taco called out, watching the other girl disappear behind the dark bushes, the sun almost fully set.
“Lost your pawn, huh? So sad.” Paintbrush taunted her one last time, before walking off, leaving just Nickel and Balloon with her. Nickel turned to follow them, only making it a few paces before he realized Balloon wasn’t following. He sighed, turning back around.
“You want to go talk to her, don’t you?” He asked Balloon, who was staring at Taco from across the clearing.
“Yeah… I know she may not be the best,” Balloon replied, remembering the many times he had slandered and insulted Taco to try and get the season one cast to like him again, “But I know what it’s like to not have anyone to turn to.”
Nickel didn’t look fully convinced, but hell if he was going to stop Balloon from doing what he wanted, “Alright, just stay safe, okay?” Balloon laughed, “I’ll be fine, but it’s nice to know you’re worried,” he teased his teammate.
“That’s not what I- Ugh, I’m not going to win this, good luck. Meet back up with me at the Pic-nix tables when you’re done.” Balloon nodded, watching Nickel leave, and began walking over to Taco.
“Hey!” Balloon announced himself to Taco, who looked less than eager about another object coming to talk to her, “What do you want? Weren’t you with hothead over there? Haven't the lot of you humiliated me enough for the night?” She snapped.
“No! I didn’t want them to chew you out like that, honest!” Balloon assured her, to which Taco skeptically raised an eyebrow, but didn’t respond.
“Look… I know how you feel! It can be tough to not have anyone to talk to, and improving yourself can seem like more trouble than it’s worth,” he continued, stepping closer to Taco with an honest smile on his face.
As he got near he could see how roughed up Taco was. There was dirt stuck to her limbs from her arrival, and many tears in her lettuce that looked like they had been there for a while, but what was most alarming was her shell.
Her right eye was split over a sharp crack in her shell which spread to the very edge of her body. Her fall had looked rough, but Balloon was sure he would have noticed if it had been hard enough to break her shell.
“What… happened to your face?” he asked, tilting his head slightly to try and get a better look.
Taco scowled at him, giving no leads as to the injury’s origins, so Balloon brushed it off for the time being, “Whatever, what I’m trying to say is I don’t think you’re a lost cause, sure you might have done bad things, but that doesn’t mean you have to stay that person, I’d understand that better than anyone,” Balloon assured her.
With that Taco snapped, swatting Balloon away from her, “No, you don’t understand! We’re nothing alike. You can bask in your little world where your mistakes don’t matter because you weren’t intentionally hurting anyone, but for me? I don’t have that option. Objects like me don’t get that chance, we’re already hated by everyone so there’s nothing left to do but double down!” she yelled at the well-meaning object.
“It’s nice you got your chance to be redeemed, but I don’t need your pity,” Taco finished, turning to push her way through the bushes in hopes of finding Cabby.
Balloon cringed as Taco yelled at him, not saying anything as she stormed off. He watched her leave disappointedly before leaving to go find Nickel.
—---------------------
Taco hustled her way through the bushes, putting as much distance as she could between herself and Balloon. It frustrated her how easy it was for him to be forgiven, his little act of making a friend who was ‘nice’ so he could be trusted again should have never worked if you asked her, and now he thought he could ‘help’ her, how condescending.
Once she was far from the clearing she began to look for signs of Cabby. If there was one good thing about living in the woods for the last few years, it was that your perception becomes very sharp.
Looking around Taco eventually spotted a clear trail of flattened grass and leaves from Cabby’s wheels, and began to follow.
She followed the trail for a long time, eventually exiting the center of the island to follow the marks into the sand on the island’s shore. Taco had to give it to the other girl, despite not having legs Cabby could certainly hoof it when she wanted to.
Cabby’s path winded up and down the beach, often skirting the edges of the waves. As the sun fully set the horizon grew dark, obscuring her vision, and Taco struggled to follow the trail much farther. Beginning to lose hope, she turned to look out at the ocean.
Taco took a breath, deciding that it was probably a lost cause, and sat down on the beach. She wouldn’t call it beautiful, but the sight was calming. The night sky cast a shadow over the water, rendering it near darkness, such that only the faint light of the moon and the crashing of the waves let you know they were there.
When she looked up she noticed that she could see the stars, back on the Mainland the light from the Hotel always made it so she had to strain to see them.
Alone with the calming sounds of the ocean, Taco’s thoughts began to wander back to Microphone, pulling her back to that place of loathing and guilt that she had been in before until a few meters away a flat rock flew past her. The rock skipped on the water twice, before being pulled under by a wave.
Taco looked back up on the dunes where the stone had been thrown from, spotting Cabby just up the beach.
Taco stood up again, silently walking over to where Cabby was. It would have been near impossible to spot her had you not known she was there, under the shadow of a small palm tree. She didn’t seem to be able to lay down, not having any way to easily get up, so instead, she was leaning against the tree.
Taco stared for a moment, before sitting down beside her. She couldn’t see Cabby’s face from her angle to read her expression, curse how short she was, but she could tell from her body language she was far from lively.
When it seemed like Cabby wasn’t going to acknowledge her, Taco fumbled with her hands, thinking of something to say.
“You know I didn’t say I thought you were like me, right?” she asked.
“You didn’t need to,” Cabby dully responded, reaching down to pick up another rock.
Cabby pulled back her arm again, throwing the rock, and again it only skipped twice before capsizing, so she tried again and again, all to similar results. Frustrated she finally grabbed one and chucked it, making no effort to skip it whatsoever, the stone disappearing into the ocean with a comedic plunk.
Taco chuckled, to which an irritated Cabby finally turned to face her, “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing, I just get it.”
“Get what?” Cabby responded, unconvinced.
“Being upset at yourself,” Taco evenly replied.
Cabby’s expression from annoyance to sorrow, she didn’t respond but Taco could tell that she had resonated with her. The two sat in silence for a time, though it couldn’t be called a comfortable one.
Ever curious, Taco brought herself to speak again “So… files on people?”
Cabby winced, “I’d rather not talk about it, last time I let anyone try to use what I know they turned it against me,” the taller object didn’t elaborate, but Taco was smart enough to connect the dots between her statement and why the others seemed to dislike her and cringe as well.
Taco knew that there was nothing worse than having an entire lineup of people against you, yet was still curious about what exactly she could have written to tick them off so badly.
“Would you mind showing me mine?” Taco tentatively asked.
Cabby was dismayed by the request, what could she do? Taco was probably planning on using her… but then again she had only asked for her file, and already knew that she probably wouldn’t like what was on it.
In the end what choice did she really have? Just like when Paintbrush had asked Taco if she thought Cabby was like herself if she refused it would send the same message as giving her the file anyway.
Cabby hesitantly opened her bottom drawer and thumbed through its contents until she reached her files on the season one contestants, pulling out a lemon-yellow folder with Taco’s outline on the front, and handing it to her, bracing for her to lash out like her teammates.
As she skimmed Cabby’s writing Taco could see why everyone disliked her so much. She certainly wasn’t afraid, to tell the truth in her file, even if it might hurt. That being said Taco did want to know what others thought of her, without someone like Balloon in the way trying to convince her otherwise.
In that regard the file was scathing. There was everything from highlighting her outburst at Pickle, to criticizing her for dropping the act when she could have kept herself from burning bridges, and of course, contestant and fan opinions on her were harsh.
Taco would be lying if she let herself believe it didn’t hurt to know everything in her file, but knowing who she was seen as now was comforting in a strange way, plus there were some other notes she found quite humorous which she’d have to ask Cabby to elaborate on.
Taco closed the file and handed it back to Cabby, noticing that she had been anxiously watching her the whole time, “Thank you, I think I needed that.”
Cabby looked perplexed, “Really?”
“I needed to know, I haven’t any idea what to do with myself lately for… many reasons,” Taco responded, reaching up to trace the scar over her eye, “If it’s worth anything I really don’t think you’re ‘Like me’, whatever you take that to mean.”
Cabby looked away, “That’s nice, but I’d have to disagree,” she quietly responded. With how quiet she had been Taco hadn’t noticed the change in Cabby’s tone before, that initially confident and smooth voice now meek. It didn’t fit her, Taco wondered if the same was true for herself when she was somber.
“I ran away because Paintbrush is right, I am like you. No offense…”
“Don’t worry, I probably some after everything I pulled, but it certainly hasn’t helped,” Taco awkwardly tried to comfort Cabby, not quite hitting the mark.
Cabby pushed her wheels forward while leaning back, letting herself fall to the ground with a thump, startling Taco.
“I guess you’re right,” Cabby lamented, “I really didn’t mean to hurt them, I can’t help but feel like this all started as one big misunderstanding, but now I might be too far gone from them to ever fix it, you know?”
Taco wanted to comfort her, to yell out how she knew more than anyone, about her and Mic and how badly she wishes she could redo everything. Her pride stopped her, too guilty to admit what she had done, especially since Cabby’s file didn’t have anything about her in the second season, she couldn’t lose having someone like Cabby to talk to. Couldn’t be alone again.
Instead, Taco nodded, “That’s all it takes, I suppose. I wish I had more advice but I’ve yet to find a way out of that hole myself.”
Taco picked up a stone near her feet, attempting to skip it as Cabby had before, watching it skip quickly once, before immediately sinking, and hummed in displeasure, this was harder than it looked.
Cabby laughed softly at the attempt, “Well… we’re still here, that’s something.”
“I guess, though that might not be a good thing, seeing as we’re still outside I take it Mephone still makes everyone sleep on the ground?” Taco joked, to which Cabby laughed in full, beginning to push herself back upright.
Taco grabbed her hand and helped pull her back up as Cabby wiped a tear from her eye, whether it was from crying or laughing Taco didn’t ask.
“Yeah, he’s a jerk when he needs to be.”
“One more thing,” Taco questioned, catching Cabby’s attention, “In your file on me, it said that I should have won season one… Why?”
“Well that’s just common sense, Bow gave you an unfair disadvantage, and OJ never performed well in challenges, not to mention that time when Bomb did a whole challenge for him and…”
Taco listened as Cabby began recounting her thoughts on the previous seasons, in truth she had only mentioned the note because it intrigued her, but seeing Cabby this passionate about something revealed another side of her to Taco.
She was confident and smart, and though Taco rarely noticed such things when interacting with people, she would hazard to call her voice pretty, in a comforting feathery way.
Taco decided that she liked Cabby, and if the others couldn’t see that then it was their loss, yet at the same time her guilt tugged at her, Cabby’s files were powerful, how could she be sure not to try and use her, to throw her aside like Mic and Pickle.
She shook her head, no, she wouldn’t do that. Not again, not if she could help it. She could only hope that she could keep that aspect of herself under control, that it hadn’t become her true nature.
Cabby finished rambling, and looked down at Taco, “Want to go grab something from the Pic-nix tables?”
“The what now?”
Cabby flapped her hands excitedly, taking one of Taco’s in her own and beginning to walk “Oh I have GOT to show you them, Mephone might be a buzzkill most of the time, but he really outdid himself with this, it’s a table that generates whatever food you…”
Taco tried to keep up with Cabby’s spiel but struggled to match her pace, having to jog slightly to keep up. As their speeds evened out, Taco looked up at her hand in Cabby’s.
She couldn’t remember the last time she had held hands with someone, even in passing, for more than a few seconds. Sure Mic had picked her up once or twice, but only out of necessity.
It probably meant nothing, they just met, after all, she just wasn’t used to touch anymore, not that she needed it, of course, she’d fared just fine on her own in Perilous Forest.
Shaking off the thought Taco tuned back into Cabby’s lecture, now retelling the events of season three thus far.
Taco felt guilty about how she’d have to ask her to repeat it later, having missed most of it by spacing out over silly things like hand holding.
For the moment though Taco repressed that guilt, savoring the companionship,m it felt bitter after everything in season two, but nice all the same, she could sort out her feelings later, or never, should she be so lucky.
As the two approached the Pic-nix tables and sat down, a member of another pair across the field noticed.
Balloon watched the two sit down, elbowing Nickel to point them out, and smiling.