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Poly Bright Lights is the poly ship between Fan, Lightbulb, Paintbrush, and Test Tube from the Inanimate Insanity fandom.
Canon[]
Inanimate Insanity II[]
After the icebreaker challenge, Paintbrush, Test Tube, and Fan all end up on Lightbulb's team, The Bright Lights, based on the order they got out in the challenge. In the dodgeball game, Lightbulb, Paintbrush, and Test Tube do well in taking out their opponents at first while a distracted Fan gets hit shortly after.
During the cooking challenge, Lightbulb and Paintbrush get into a disagreement over who the better leader for the team is. When Paintbrush steps themself up as the new leader, Test Tube and Fan among the rest of the members support them on this. Afterwards when Yin-Yang ends up eating the team's pizza, Lightbulb pulls out the cookie pizza that she prepared while Paintbrush sent her away. Fan and Test Tube enjoy the sight of it while Paintbrush is doubtful that it'll appeal to the judges.
For the soccer challenge, Fan plays as the team's goalie while Lightbulb, Paintbrush, and Test Tube play on the field. After failing to block the first two shots, they and the rest of the team cheer after scoring a goal against Microphone. Later after kicking Paintbrush out, Lightbulb motivates Test Tube and Fan to score the last few goals against The Grand Slams.
While in the haunted house, Test Tube explores inside with Fan and mentions Paintbrush and Lightbulb fighting frequently. Fan believes that Lightbulb isn't the most serious leader though she is popular because of it, while Paintbrush wants what's best for the team despite coming off as rude. Test Tube and Fan then briefly run into the debate of what Paintbrush's gender is (before they came out as non-binary). Later after the two are targeted by Bow, she goes after Paintbrush and Lightbulb next.
When OJ takes over hosting duties, Paintbrush lies to him about their team winning the previous challenge. Lightbulb, Fan, and Test Tube are shocked by this, though Paintbrush tries to get them to realize they can all stay in by saying so. During the challenge, Paintbrush tries to motivate the team into getting ahead of Soap on cleaning Hotel OJ. Fan points out that because of a recurring pattern on which team loses, they will win regardless. Paintbrush tries to emphasize that they still need to put in the effort to win, but Test Tube defends Fan by looking at it statistically. Losing hope at first, Paintbrush is grateful that Lightbulb will help them with the challenge. However, she accidentally trips on a mop and shatters before she can. Fan and Test Tube then admire the count of how many times Lightbulb has shattered up to that point. Later when Paintbrush gets impatient because of no one helping them, they snap at Fan when he mocks their anger issues. The team later wins as a result of a coin toss and when MePhone returns to host the elimination, all four of them are safe and are given shards of glass as a last-minute prize. At this point, the four, along with Marshmallow, are the only remaining contestants on the Bright Lights.
After MePhone shuts down from getting an infection, Test Tube tries sprinkling rice on him per Fan's suggestion. When the two are surprised that this doesn't work, Paintbrush tries to point out that it only works with water damage. Lightbulb is inspired to throw soy sauce on him to go with the rice, causing MePhone to further glitch out. For the challenge, the team rides with MePad on a hot air balloon to get to Meeple Headquarters. Paintbrush sarcastically claims to be impressed with Fan and Test Tube when they are excited about the challenge rather than letting statistics win for them. As Paintbrush become angry about this, MePad plays a waterfall to help calm the team down. Upon arriving at Meeple Headquarters, CEO Steve Cobs gives them a tour around the place. Later as Cobs tries to persuade Fan into giving up his egg for him, Fan is hesitant to do so despite the promises of him being an innovator if he does so. Test Tube and Paintbrush defend Fan and tell Cobs to stop acting creepy, meanwhile Lightbulb claims to know a guy who can get creepy with them. After Suitcase is caught stealing a battery for MePhone, Paintbrush catches it when she kicks it away and The Bright Lights follow Paintbrush out of the store. The new MePhone6+ tries to stop them but quickly malfunctions when Paintbrush bends their screen. Right as they get back in their hot air balloon, Toilet slashes their balloon using Knife after feeling like he didn't get the chance to prove himself to MePhone. Right before they hit the ground, MePad quickly teleports the team to safety. Toilet reaches an understanding with MePad and apologizes to The Bright Lights for almost killing them.
After The Grand Slams' next elimination, MePhone apologizes to the contestants for being throwing off lately and tries to keep them busy. He tells The Bright Lights that Marshmallow lost her bottlecap collection and orders Paintbrush and Lightbulb to help her find them.
For the maze contest, Lightbulb is saddened that Paintbrush would rather go inside with Marshmallow, but she finds Fan and offers to find their way through it together. Fan accepts and approaches Test Tube to see if she can watch over his egg, not trusting it to be around Lightbulb. Test Tube proudly accepts the role as Lightbulb grabs Fan and runs into the maze with him. Later in the maze while Test Tube tries her best to protect the egg, Paintbrush becomes angry when Fan and Lightbulb mock Marshmallow's tendency to talk about Apple. Fan, Lightbulb, Paintbrush, and Marshmallow eventually get out of the maze as Test Tube is the last one out of their team still inside. Test Tube ends up tying with Knife, the last one from The Grand Slams in the maze, causing there to be no elimination between them.
Forgetting that there was no team to lose last time, MePhone hurriedly gathers The Bright Lights over to the elimination shortly before realizing that there was no voting. At this point, since Marshmallow wandered off of the show parameters, Fan, Test Tube, Paintbrush, and Lightbulb are the only ones remaining of the team. MePhone sets up the bucket brigade challenge, mentioning how he did so specifically to highlight the two teams' abilities to work together. Right before he starts the challenge, Paintbrush gets him and the other Bright Lights to realize that Marshmallow is not present. As the challenge starts, Lightbulb grabs water using the teams' bucket and passes it to Test Tube, who then passes it to Fan. Fan takes the bucket and pours it into the team's tank to get the platform Paintbrush is standing on closer to the key hanging above. As Paintbrush motivates the team, they find Lightbulb swimming in the water trying to do a challenge from the previous season. An angry Paintbrush yells that Lightbulb has reached new levels of nonsensicality, making Fan shout that anything is possible now. Fan gets distracted explaining to Paintbrush how the tie in the maze broke the team winning pattern that he does not notice Test Tube trying to get him to take their team's bucket. While Paintbrush is at first unsure of how to feel, they become flattered when Fan personally apologizes to them. As Paintbrush asks if he understood that he was wrong, Fan takes the bucket from Test Tube and rushes over to fill the team tank while admitting so.
Later in the bucket brigade challenge, Lightbulb accidentally throws Test Tube into the lake instead of the bucket and causes Paintbrush to get further angry. However, Test Tube allows herself to be used as the bucket as Lightbulb and Fan carry her over to fill the team's tank with her. This successfully rises Paintbrush up to where the key is as they grab it and dive into the tank with it. Though, Paintbrush is still annoyed with Lightbulb when walking up to unlock a chest with balls to hit their team's target with. Lightbulb wants to throw the first ball but Paintbrush grabs it out of her hands, saddening her. Paintbrush successfully hits the first shot out of three but becomes annoyed with Test Tube when having been in the lake water has affected her ability to think. Lightbulb charges up a ball and hands it to Fan, warning him not to get electrocuted. The ball shocks Fan and causes Paintbrush to yell at Lightbulb as to why she would do so. Fan is astounded by the fact that Lightbulb electrocuted the ball, although he regains focus when Paintbrush yells at him to throw the ball. He makes the second shot and Paintbrush cheers for him. Test Tube is left to make the final shot as Fan roots for her to do so. Test Tube, still feeling dizzy, feels like she is unable to, making Fan point out that she is her own pattern rather than there being one among the teams. A stressed Paintbrush urges Test Tube to throw the ball, causing her to snap out of it and regain focus. Right as she and Balloon make their teams' respective final shots, Test Tube successfully scores the third shot. MePhone gives immunity to The Bright Lights and mentions how their ability to pull through got them the victory despite the numbers disadvantage against them. Paintbrush excitedly cheers and hugs Test Tube and Fan, although they get annoyed when Lightbulb celebrates with a crab she found.
After Marshmallow's disqualification and The Grand Slams' double elimination, the four make up the final eight remaining contestants of the show. Along with this, MePhone breaks up the teams, leaving them to compete for individual immunity. Before MePhone starts the challenge, MePad informs him that Lightbulb and Test Tube are missing. Fan freaks out that Test Tube is gone and Paintbrush is sad at first about Lightbulb but then uses it as an opportunity to have a distraction-free environment. Right as the challenge runs its last few seconds, Fan and Paintbrush find Test Tube and Lightbulb just arriving as they call out for them. However, when MePhone gives Paintbrush's painting of Steve Cobs a score of zero without explanation, Fan, Lightbulb, Test Tube, and the other contestants take cover when Paintbrush accidentally enflames the area around them. During the elimination, Paintbrush ends up getting the most votes out to the surprise of the other former Bright Lights. Lightbulb gifts them her pet crab Baxter as a way to remember her by, which Paintbrush is grateful for. As they walk to the elimination portal, Test Tube and Fan wave them farewell as well.
After Lightbulb and later Baseball's elimination, Baseball walks into Hotel OJ to find Lightbulb catching up with Paintbrush, Test Tube, and Fan. When Lightbulb welcomes him, Baseball explains how different they were as team captains and how Lightbulb was able to be more closer to her teammates than he ever could. Lightbulb gives him advice that he should be looking out for his teammates if he wants to be a good captain.
During the Hotel OJ party, a screech that Fan recognizes as the sound his egg would make wails through everyone inside. He declares an adventure to seek out the sound and Paintbrush and Test Tube are both willing to help him find it. However, Baseball and Lightbulb reunite with the other partygoers and the former warns them not to leave. Lightbulb discards of his warning and assures them that everyone is safe, with Paintbrush agrees with. They give a farewell to Lightbulb as they, Test Tube, and Fan leave the hotel and seek out the source of the screech. Lightbulb is satisfied with this while Baseball looks at her with annoyance. Later as Lightbulb ends up witnessing OJ getting deleted, the screech is provoked right as Fan, Test Tube, and Paintbrush approach the Purgatory Mansion.
When the contestants in Hotel OJ gather everyone to ensure where they are, Lightbulb remembers the former Bright Lights that she let leave. She sets out to find them as Baseball wishes her luck out there. Lightbulb sends out emergency signals to Paintbrush using a device that Test Tube made for her while on the way. After Test Tube and Fan end up getting deleted, Lightbulb finds Paintbrush and is about to come together with them. Realizing that MePhoneX is about to delete her, Paintbrush orders her to run as they try to find a way to fight back against MePhoneX. Lightbulb accepts her fate and motivates Paintbrush to become the leader shortly before she herself gets deleted. After tearing up by the sight of Lightbulb's lifeless body, they take her and Fan's corpses back to the mansion.
In the MeAfterLife, Fan finds out that anyone who's a part of MeLife can be recovered there and quickly brings Test Tube back. Test Tube shortly realizes this as well and the two revive Lightbulb and Paintbrush. Later after the contestants escape and are brought back into the real world, the four all partake in singing for the MePad memoration ceremony.
Fanon[]
Poly Bright Lights is a popular pairing in the fandom, particularly being considered the most popular poly ship for Inanimate Insanity. The ship stems from the four growing a close bond all with each other as a result of being teammates in the show. Especially since they were the four highest ranking in the team, this has been mentioned in the show itself that The Bright Lights had a closer bond with each other than its opposing team, The Grand Slams. The ship is known to combine two of the show's most popular ships in general, Fantube and Lightbrush, while also putting together their other individual ships with each other: Fanbrush, Testbrush, Testbulb, and Fanbulb. The ship has grown a following among various platforms as a result of all of their bonds connecting together, with the majority of artwork depicting the four in a close and/or affectionate manner. In particular, art on Tumblr connects them together and often serves as a basis to explore their individual dynamics as well as to help users find this.
On AO3, the ship has 53 works under its romantic tag and 50 in its platonic tag. It is the second most written ship for Lightbulb and Test Tube, third most for Fan, and fourth most for Paintbrush on the site. It is also the most written poly ship for the show.
Fandom[]
- FAN FICTION
- Fan/Lightbulb/Paintbrush/Test Tube tag on AO3
- Fan & Lightbulb & Paintbrush & Test Tube tag on AO3
- Poly Bright Lights stories on Wattpad
- FAN ART
- Fan, Lightbulb, Paintbrush, and Test Tube search results on DeviantArt
- TIKTOK
- Poly Bright Lights posts on TikTok
- TUMBLR
- Poly Bright Lights posts on Tumblr
- Poly Bright Lights posts on Twitter
Gallery[]
Variations[]
- Fanbrush refers to the ship between Fan and Paintbrush
- Fanbulb refers to the ship between Fan and Lightbulb
- Fanlightbrush refers to the ship between Fan, Lightbulb and Paintbrush
- Fantube refers to the ship between Fan and Test Tube
- Fantubebulb refers to the ship between Fan, Lightbulb and Test Tube
- Lightbrush refers to the ship between Lightbulb and Paintbrush
- Testbrush refers to the ship between Test Tube and Paintbrush
- Testbulb refers to the ship between Test Tube and Lightbulb
- Testbulbrush refers to the ship between Test Tube and Lightbulb
- Testfanbrush refers to the ship between Test Tube, Fan and Paintbrush
