As an active volcano, few creatures venture near Nori for fear of being too close during an eruption. On most days there is a continuous slow flow of molten rock seeping through the mouth of the volcano, so travelers are advised to dress appropriately. (+2 to Endurance)

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The Worst Trip Ever

Postby crow » 10/30/2016 2:50 AM

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"Whose bright idea was this anyway?" grumbled Heat as he hopped out of the car. Sometime between second and third grade, it was like he'd woken up and decided he was going to develop a bad attitude, and it had only gotten worse since. Being stuck in the car with Hotshot in the back for six hours hadn't done anything to improve his mood either.

Ember, who was already out and unpacking, rolled her eyes. "We go camping every year, tough guy. Here, carry this," she said, handing off a cooler full of food. Heat took it, though he grumbled about that too. Ember made a point of pretending not to hear him.
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Re: The Worst Trip Ever

Postby crow » 10/30/2016 2:52 AM

"Yeah, but it didn't have to be to a volcano," Heat said, setting the cooler down with a thump. He watched their dad as he bustled about, setting up the tent. "What are we going to do, go skinny dipping in the lava?"

"I hadn't thought of that, but now that you mention it, it's not a bad idea," said Torch, overhearing him. He clapped Heat on the back, grinning. "Good thinking, champ."

Hotshot's head poked out of the car window. "Really?" he said, already too keyed up. "Are you serious? We're going to swim in lava? Hot dog!"
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Re: The Worst Trip Ever

Postby crow » 10/31/2016 3:42 AM

"Dad," said Ember, shooting him a glare. Torch put up his hands in a placating gesture, or maybe one of surrender. Turning back to Hotshot, she said, "No one is swimming in lava. Now get out and help me with this."

"Aw, sis, why do you have to ruin all the fun?" Hotshot didn't sound terribly deterred, however, and bounced out of the car with his usual energy. Ember handed off another box of supplies to him, and he ferried it to where the tent was being built. It didn't take long for them to fall into a system: Ember unloading from the car, Hotshot ferrying things back and forth, and Heat unpacking at the site.
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Re: The Worst Trip Ever

Postby crow » 10/31/2016 7:44 AM

As disgruntled as Heat might have been about the trip, it really had become family tradition. Everyone more or less knew what they were doing by now, even Hotshot. Well, maybe she ought to stop thinking like that now. Hotshot was seven, and Ember had been five when they'd first started going on these trips. In retrospect, however, she didn't know how her dad had managed when her brothers had been babies.

The campsite was set up in short order, and the four of them raided the cooler for lunch. "Sandwiches again," said Hotshot with evident disappointment. "Dad, when can we roast hot dogs?"

"Let's wait til we get the campfire set up this evening, champ," said Torch.
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Re: The Worst Trip Ever

Postby crow » 10/31/2016 7:59 AM

But a slow grin was breaking over Hotshot's face. "Why?" he said, holding up a hand. "I bet I could roast them right now!" Right on cue, his entire hand burst into flames, which spread down his arm all the way to his elbow. They burned white hot, presumably with the conviction of his eagerness for hot dog flambe. Ember, watching him, sighed. Hotshot might just turn out to be the strongest of the three of them, but he was also definitely the rawest. Even Heat had had better control at that age.

"Hotshot," said Ember warningly, but Torch shook his head slightly, and she subsided.

"Let's put that away," he said, reaching out to hold Hotshot's burning hand. "We can burn things at home whenever we want. It'll be more special if we roast it over a real campfire."
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Re: The Worst Trip Ever

Postby crow » 10/31/2016 8:10 AM

Hotshot mulled this over for a moment, and the flames sputtered out as quickly as they had come. "Okay, I guess," he said. Ember thought he would be more bummed out, but maybe it was because she was still expecting a repeat of Heat. Heat had always been the type to sulk and linger over things, but Hotshot had been mercurial ever since he was a baby.

That was that, she supposed.

Torch kept Hotshot occupied with conversation after that, so Ember glanced at Heat. He had spent the meal in silence, eating his sandwich almost as if fulfilling some kind of duty. "What, is yours no good?" she said, raising a brow.
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Re: The Worst Trip Ever

Postby crow » 10/31/2016 8:12 AM

For her part, she was enjoying her meal. Their dad had always been a good cook. Nothing like a chef, of course, but there was a warm rough-hewn nature to his meals, and they were tasty. Heat met her gaze, and shrugged. "It's fine," he said. Now that she was looking at him, he seemed to be preoccupied with his phone.

"Got a text?" she said, edging closer.

"No service." He sounded irritated. Maybe that was what this was about. Come to think of it, he'd been checking his phone periodically on the car, and his irritation seemed to grow the further away they got from town.
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Re: The Worst Trip Ever

Postby crow » 10/31/2016 8:46 AM

A sudden mischievous smirk tugged at the corner of Ember's mouth. "Who is it? Got a crush?" She pounced, holding her brother by the shoulder as she tried to peer over him at the screen of the phone. He shut it off immediately, before shooting her a glare.

It was kind of disappointing. She was hoping he'd be more flustered, but he just looked mad. "None of your business," he growled. His voice was already changing, cracking slightly when he put force behind it. It wasn't quite the flustered reaction Ember had hoped for, but it was still something. She laughed, and he glared more balefully.
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Re: The Worst Trip Ever

Postby crow » 10/31/2016 8:54 AM

And it wasn't as if all was lost. The fact that he'd turned off his phone meant there was something to hide. She'd caught a glimpse before he quite managed to snatch it away. It was too quick for her to read the name, but the icon was a blurry photo, half a face against a bright blue sky.

It was probably a crush. Probably.

"Well, don't miss 'em too much. It's only a week, you know?" She ruffled his hair, the way she used to when he was smaller. He looked like he was ready to bite her hand off. "But man... What should we do? You don't have a chance like this, Heat. You're not cute at all."
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Re: The Worst Trip Ever

Postby crow » 10/31/2016 10:06 PM

"What does that have to do with anything?" he said, but there was a sulky note to his tone. He slapped away Ember's hand with an irate motion, cramming his earbuds back into his ears.

Ember sighed. Maybe she shouldn't have teased him after all. She didn't know what had happened; they'd been fine once, and she really did want him to have fun on the trip. But now she didn't know how to read him, didn't know what to say. She could feel the chasm widening between them, but it didn't seem like there was anything she could do.

She returned to her own sandwich and left him be. Maybe it was just a puberty thing.
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