IRIS MESSAGE

[jediblack]

[Marek looks irritable, but then that's a normal state for him, really. He's slightly off to the side of the frame and absentmindedly rubbing his left elbow with his right hand.]

You know that game you play when you're a kid where the floor is lava, and you try to jump around on the furniture to avoid getting burnt? Sometimes the climbing wall reminds me of that.

Except, when I was just playing pretend, it wasn't real lava that can burn your flesh off. Which is way more fun than it has any right to be.

Comments

[shylyintrepid]

It's the adrenaline, I think.

[jediblack]

It's certainly not the smell of it. Doesn't smell like roses.

[shylyintrepid]

I've tried to grow roses near it, but they keep getting burned up. Lava disagrees with them, apparently.

[jediblack]

Lava seems to disagree with most living things. Mainly on the subject of whether they're allowed to continue living.

[shylyintrepid]

Makes me wonder why we even have a lava pit, especially with the nymphs around. It's just asking for an accident to happen!

[jediblack]

Camp Half-Blood: you'll be totally safe here, except for the lava pit.

[shylyintrepid]

And the monsters in the forest. And the prank wars. And the elephant.

[jediblack]

They should use all that in an advertisement. Really lure people in.

[jediburn]

Loser.

[She's smirking a little. She'd know if he was severely hurt, so she feels comfortable laughing at him for falling.]

[jediblack]

[He didn't fall, asshat. She might not have said it, but he knows what that smirk means. His expression is even grumpier now.]

Oh, shut up.

[jediburn]

[The grump just delights her into a laugh.] It's okay, little brother, everyone falls sometimes.

[jediblack]

[Now he's rolling his eyes.] Wrong on two counts, little sister.

[jediburn]

[Grumpy Marek is so fun.] Oh? Other than your delusion, what am I wrong about, little brother?

[jediblack]

I didn't fall, dumbass. With age comes coordination, but of course you wouldn't know that yet. When you're my age, then you'll understand.

[jediburn]

What did you do, then? [She's 90% sure it's going to be stupider, and therefore better, than falling.]

[jediblack]

I climbed the fucking wall, idiot.

[jediburn]

Oh yeah, good job, the thing we do like every other fucking day. What did you do to your arm?

[jediblack]

Nothing.

You've missed my entire point.

[jediburn]

[Eyeroll.] Okay whatever.

I took over your bed temporarily. [People were getting too close to her and the top bunk is less accessible, until he gets back to act as shield.]

[jediblack]

[A grin.] Because the floor turned to lava?

[jediburn]

[Grinning back:] Yes. That is one hundred percent what happened.

First one to die in the lava is younger.

[jediblack]

Obviously.

You're going down.

[jediburn]

Bring it on, little brother.

[creepyfreezone]

Is that why it's less fun for me, because it can't burn my skin off?

[jediblack]

Probably. Unless you like being not-burnt by having lava all over you?

[creepyfreezone]

It is useful in the forges.

...Do people usually like the risk of physical injury?

[jediblack]

People like all sorts of things that are terrible for them.

[creepyfreezone]

Why? Wouldn't things that are terrible for them be terrible?

[jediblack]

Eating candy could give you cavities or diabetes or make you fat, but doesn't it taste delicious?

[creepyfreezone]

Wait... candy is bad for people?

*This is news to her.*

[jediblack]

Yep. Also, Santa isn't real. [Marek will ruin your life if you let him.]

[creepyfreezone]

What's a Santa?

*How alive she is happens to be a philosophical question, so... good luck with that.*

[jediblack]

[Eh, it's not funny if you have to explain the joke.]

Nobody important.

[creepyfreezone]

Okay.

Well, candy does taste good, but it isn't a very efficient fuel for me, so I usually don't eat too much of it.

[wordtechgodhood]

Did you fall off?

[jediblack]

Please. I haven't fallen in years.

[wordtechgodhood]

Mistakes happen, dude. It's nothin' to be ashamed of.

[perenials]

I've never played the floor is lava game before! That sounds ... infinitely more fun than the climbing wall, to me at least.

[jediblack]

Seriously? You should give it a go.

[perenials]

That - that isn't to say that I've never played similar games before but not that particular one. Would a group of teenagers be willing to play that game again?

[jediblack]

Only if they're not lame and boring teenagers.

[perenials]

[ She laughs. ] I should hope we have that type in camp!

[lastplaceigo]

The trick is, you can't let the fire wall get the better of you, you know.

'Sides, games are more fun with real lava than without.

[jediblack]

Why does everyone assume I failed it? I'm awesome at climbing the fire wall.

[lastplaceigo]

The way you phrased it made it sound that way, that's all. Glad you didn't burn your dumb face off, then. That would be a real tragedy.

[jediblack]

I'll burn your dumb face off.

[lastplaceigo]

[Smugly.] Impossible. My face isn't dumb.