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Tonight was just like any other night. Fern laid on the grass, playing with the azure rubber band by stretching it between his legs in all sorts of wacky positions. The movements were like trying to make a balloon animal but with your legs, minus the balloon animal.
And as usual, it only took a few minutes for him to be interrupted again.
Toothpaste sighed and plopped down beside him. “Hey.” She sighed.
Fern glanced at her. “Ruler?”
“Ruler.”
Fern nodded in understanding. “How many enemies do you even have right now?”
“Well now that I broke my one enemy rule, 4.”
“Four?”
“Jammy, Ruler, Sticker, and you.”
Fern gave a disappointed stare.
Toothpaste raised her hands in defense. “Ok ok fineee, even though you helped my enemy Sticker be safe from elimination, i’ll give you a pass.”
“I had to! David was pulling me down and I would have gotten eliminated if I didn't do something!”
Toothpaste rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”
Fern sighed, his voice turning soft and soothing. “You still mad?” he asked.
“Mhm.” Toothpaste grumbled.
“Hmm…” Fern, as per usual whenever Toothpaste got grumpy, looked around for something to help calm her down. His eyes lay on the rubber band that was used in the three-legged race.
He picked it up and examined it, azure and well-intact, unlike the vermillion band which snapped in half after Toothpaste and Ruler fought over it. Maybe they could have a little fun together?
“Hey.” Fern called, showing her the azure rubber band. “We didn’t get to be partners during the challenge. Want to try it out?”
Toothpaste stared at it. “I dunno Fern, the challenge was in bad taste for me.”
“Well that was because you had enemies and an uncooperative teammate, but now you’ll have me!” he smiled.
That seemed to lift her spirits. Toothpaste smiled back. “Hmm, alright. Challenge accepted!”
They slid one leg each into the rubber band, tightly wrapping it together. “That should do.” Fern said. “Ready?”
“Always am!” Toothpaste yelled. Together they started to march towards the first leg: the long stairway.
Fern had to admit, it was nice walking with someone who actually moved instead of being either an immovable statue or an unstoppable force of nature.
Toothpaste also was SOMEWHAT relieved she didn’t have to worry about enemies for once. After today’s challenge, she needed a break from all that snapping and anger.
They arrived at the first step.
“You’ll have to help me a bit with this, heh.” Fern giggled. “I didn’t actually use the stairs, as you probably know.” he gasped. “OH! And sorry for crashing into you I SWEAR I didn’t-”
Toothpaste just laughed and patted him on the back. “It’s fine, I get it. It was pretty badass though.”
Fern sighed in relief.
“It was David who did it anyway,” Toothpaste continued, “So he’s added to my enemy list now!”
Fern’s face fell in fear. There was no way she was winning against that supercharging stickman that takes 3 to 5 business days to power up.
“Butttt he is eliminated so he’s off the charts for now.”
Another relieved sigh from Fern. “Can we climb up now?”
“Yep.”
It took a while to get to the top, with the nightly breeze flowing through Fern’s hair, causing him to almost slip off once or twice. Thankfully, Toothpaste caught him whenever that was about to happen.
“Gah, sorry, this wind keeps on pushing me!” He apologized.
“Make the wind your enemy.” Toothpaste replied.
“....and?”
“What?”
“That’s it? I was expecting a philosophical quote right after.”
“Just make the wind your enemy man.”
Fern rolled his eyes and let out a small laugh. Unpredictable as always.
“Woah.”
Fern glanced at Toothpaste, who was gazing at something in the horizon.
Fern looked, and it turns out she was gazing AT the horizon.
The moon cast a faint but silvery glow down upon the landscape, the trees and grass shining in the moonlight. Up above, stars twinkled in the sky, while down below the other contestants slept peacefully on the ground.
Toothpaste picked up a small rock at her feet and showed it to Fern. “Watch this.” She aimed at Ruler from above, carefully setting the trajectory before throwing. It hit him head on.
Even from that height, they could hear his screams. Apparently the rock ricocheted off the ground and hit directly on his eye.
Toothpaste laughed maniacally, spitting out her tongue. “That’s what you get!”
Fern couldn’t help but giggle as well, seeing Toothpaste enjoy herself. His attention was quickly drawn back to the landscape when the nightly breeze sifted through his leaves again.
“....it’s pretty nice here, isn’t it?” Fern said.
Toothpaste looked at him. “Mhm. Definitely. Didn’t even notice all this the first time I climbed up here, was too busy with the challenge.”
“Well we don’t have to worry about that now, this staircase is ours.”
They sat down on the ledge, legs dangling and swinging to and fro.
“Hard to imagine our world is this big.” Fern said. “I wonder what’s on the other side.”
Toothpaste shrugged. “Maybe another competition similar to ours but it’s hosted by other Speaker Boxes, bugs, eliminated contestants, random people, and a flower.”
Fern nodded. Somehow it didn’t seem all that far-fetched.
He gazed at the horizon again, sighing. “It’s beautiful.”
After what seemed like a small tender silence, he felt something brush against his palm. He glanced on over and saw Toothpaste lacing her fingers with his.
They blushed simultaneously.
Toothpaste scratched the back of her head. “....just thought that, uh, since our legs are, you know, connected, maybe our hands should be as well.”
Fern laughed softly. “Not a bad idea.” he paused. “Maybe… our heads can join in on the fun?”
Toothpaste got flustered immediately but nodded in agreement.
Hence, Fern leaned on her, and she did so too.
Their heads clicked together, joining the attached party of hands and legs.
Neither really said a word after that. They just sat there in silence gazing at the moon.
Maybe since their heads were connected, they were now telepathically communicating.
Or maybe there wasn’t anything to say at all.
The proximity spoke for itself.