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Two Time stared down at their torn shirt. It’s sleeves were ripped off, and the back of it was in tatters from the group’s escape from the Spectre and those damned ‘games’. It was Taph who suggested this, after a long time of no one knowing what to do quite yet with their clothing. It’s supposed to be freeing, letting go of the past. Burning their clothes that they wore for round after round was to be this liberating thing, something to free them from the past.
Two Time... felt it was useless, and quite frankly not right. For one, Taph likes fire and all, so letting them burn clothes was probably something for him to have fun or whatnot, and for two.. They had been told many times that the idea of throwing something so basic as clothing away was wasteful and not to do. Even if it’s as torn as the shirt in their hands. It could be used to make rags, or for stuffing. (That’s what they used to do in the commune, at least. ... They’d torn one of their own shirts in order to keep the one Azure was wearing back then intact.)
Alas, the others were in on the idea, so they’ve assumed that they should be, too. There’s no reason for them to be against the others, after all. Doing so would just be for no proper purpose than to be against the group. ... Besides, they, alongside Azure, have been working to break down the different things that they had been taught that aren’t.. ‘proper’. (... It was hard to find out that it’s alright to believe in the Spawnism but not to follow everything that their commune had taught.)
“It may feel wrong, but it’s necessary.” Azure’s voice fills their ears, as the man walks over, holding the hat that the Spectre had possessed. He’d managed to find a new similar hat, but the original was shoved in the back of his closet for the past few months.
“Is it, though? It feels like a waste of materials we could be using elsewhere.”
“No one would use them outside of us, Two. Burning them is a use, too.”
... “How so?”
“Well, I saw C00lkidd running outside with marshmello-”
“.. You’re implying that the children are going to make s’mores?”
“I’m saying that we are, too.”
... “I guess we could, as well.”
----
“I don’t get how we’re going to burn Build’s hat.”
Taph shakes their head, and he signs a response; “Why try to burn it? It’s not going to. Exploding it would be best.”
“Let’s not explode it! I have a way to get rid of it.”
“So be it, Shed.”
----
C00lkidd darted past the rest of the group, holding marshmellows above his head. S’mores were his idea, and he was going to be the first to have one. It may only be a tiny fire right now, just a starter one before they all burn their clothes, but it’s enough! Maybe he can even surprise his Dad with a s’more, too, if he’s quick enough. Noli did promise to try and distract him in order for him to do so! (Okay, well, Noli offered to distract him so C00lkidd could make himself one first, but it’s the same thing!)
All it is is finding a good stick and then shoving two marshmellows onto it and toasting them on the pitiful fire. Orrr, of course, using his tail! He can’t even feel the flames, and he’ll be able to tell if they’re melty enough just by feeling them! It’s just how he can make perfect s’mores, now! At least, s’mores he knows he’ll enjoy. Once the marshmellows are toasted, he quickly rushes through making them and shoving one into his mouth before darting towards where he knows Noli and his father are. Maybe he should’ve made Noli one, but that’s a later C00lkidd issue.
----
Jane Doe exhales, as she sits off to the side of everyone else. John hadn’t wanted to come down, which.. She understands. He, much like the other past killers, have been isolating themselves lately. So, in her lap, she has his clothes alongside her own. One of these days, she’ll drag him out to these little events that the others hold. But, even she understands the space he requires.
She’d needed it too, after all. It wasn’t for very long, but she couldn’t even look at the other survivors without feeling the same way she had during the ‘game’. That rush of adrenaline and dread mixed together, pulling her through the motions and just barely even so. It still happens, but on a lesser scale, as she’s just.. Forced herself to be more active within the group.
And it’s been benefical, overall, in fact. Noob’s been teaching her to drive again, as she’s gone out of practice and simply wanted to learn again. The admins, er... ex-admins, have been quite nice to get to know again, after years of not really knowing them, after she and John left to pursue their own lives. She’s found herself speaking the most with Dusekkar, as the other two have their own things they’re often doing. (Builderman’s working on figuring out what the Spectre even is/was, and Shedletsky’s... simply changed from the Telamon she’d met once or twice.)
Her spending time with him is actually how she ended up being dragged into burning the clothing in the end, because by proxy, she ends up also spending a decent amount of time with Taph. And she was there when this idea had come to fruition, and had been the first to agree with the idea. Letting go of the past is something she can agree with wholeheartedly, especially given everything they’ve all gone through. And keeping those old clothes, which have gotten ripped and torn and in some cases entirely destroyed from their escape is just.. Keeping a hold on the past which is holding them back, too.
She’ll join the group in a moment, but first, she’d like to breathe in the fresh air. In the past few days, she hasn’t quite gone outside. Helping John through the physical therapy regimen they had found online had taken priority, especially since she’d quite wanted to make sure he would be able to be.. Himself again, despite his corrupted code. So that was how she’d spent a decent bit of her time this past week. (Hopefully, soon, he’ll be able to walk around without some form of support. It’s.. a dream, but she can hope.)
----
Eventually, the flames get high enough that the first set of clothes is thrown into the fire. There’s no knowing who’s it was, but soon enough the whole group that surrounded the flames have thrown their clothes into the fire. Those a decent distance away do soon do the same, but it’s not quite the same time as the initial group.
And then.. Taph starts to worry a bit. And then informs Dusekkar... Who barely manages to get everyone out of the way before the fire grows worse in a vague sembalance of an explosion, scorching their grass and completely engulfing whatever was set around it. (A few chairs, C00lkidd’s marshmellows, a table, etc.) In fact, they were all quite lucky that they managed to get out of the way in time, especially given how spread out the group was, and how Dusekkar had to rush between them. (Seeing as he rarely raises his voice as is, and couldn’t quite do much except for that.)
...
It is quite unfortunate that the marshmellows were eaten by the flames, though.. The height that the fire has reached would make it decent to make proper s’mores by anyone’s standards.