KNOT

♧ Confused Afterparty ♧

"If anyone wants to kill you, they'll have to get through all of us.." She gestured to everyone in their team. "..first. Loser's spirit too."

"LOSER ISNT DEAD YOU KNOW!" Firey yelled

-

"I just don't get- when our whole AIM is to prevent death, she would just... run like that??" Tree tugged at his leaves. They were slowly slipping into an orange-brown gradient, and they were slowly weakening their hold on his branches. If he lost all his leaves now, when Four couldn't recover him, what could he actually do?

Black hole hovered close to him, but not so close as otherwise Tree would be lost in his dark void. "I can't really explain why either. You and Pie were close friends, right?" Tree nodded. "Yeah, that's the point. We've been friends since this competition started - since Four randomly appeared after you tried killing everyone." Tree couldn't see it, but Black hole held a very awkward expression.

"And then for her to just get up and... leave?!" Tree felt like he was just going in circles. He was about to start again before Remote interrupted him.

"You know, a true friend wouldn't mind if their other friend went and did something else. You don't always have to be together all the time. 'Together forever' doesn't always mean it physically." Her deadpan voice told him.

"I don't have friends." Pillow said. No one responded.

"Take it like this." Remote took out a whiteboard. "Friends are like water." She drew 'FRIENDS' on the board, then an equal sign with water next to it. "You need them, however..." Remote rubbed out the diagram. "You can do without them for a few days."

"That's a terrible analogy." Bottle said, with a smile on his face. "I bet Liy could make a better one."

"Remember Bottle, we don't speak about Liy anymore. It's not like we have to, though." Black hole told the glass container.

"Hehehe! Why not? She's not dead forever! I hope..." Bottle questioned the mysterious entity.

"We're getting a little off topic here." Tree muttered, but he appeared to be ignored. He sighed, walking off.

However, there wasn't really anywhere to walk. The pool he usually dived into to cool off wasn't there anymore, and Four of course hadn't bothered to fix it. They probably would've made that a challenge anyways.

Suddenly, he felt his leafy head plant into the monotone ground, alongside the clatter of something mechanical. He spat out a tuft of burnt grass before looking to see what had made him fall. Suddenly, he was face to face with a rather annoyed, blue mechanical fan.

"I HATE PEOPLE WHO DON'T LOOK WHERE THEY ARE GOING!!" Fanny yelled, right into Tree's face. "THAT MEANS I HATE YOU!"

Tree shook his leaves around a little. "But I didn't even see you. I think you-"

"UHM. YES YOU DID?" Tree realised that Fanny's head had detached from her blue body and was on the ground. "YOU KNOW WHAT? THAT DOESN'T. EVEN. MATTER!! NOW THROW ME TO IANCE."

"But I don't want you dying from the impact-"

"UNLESS YOU WANT TO-" Fanny paused. "Just do it."

"Uhm... really odd thing to ask for but... okay?" Tree picked up Fanny by the head, tossing her over to where he thought iance was. He saw her soar into the sky, then hitting the ground with a thud. He shuddered slightly.

-

Get... off of me, you piece of corn...

That I won't do, my blue friend.