https://augustwritingchallenge.tumblr.com/post/658405154269331456/day-2-is-already-here-what-comes-to-your-mind
"I should have never gone on this trip with you guys," Needle said for what was probably the fifth time today.
"Oh come on, Needy!" Leafy said before promptly getting slapped.
"Don't call me Needy!"
"Jokes on you, Needle. You actually helped her. I think you just killed a mosquito on Leafy's face," Firey pointed out.
"What?! She killed a mosquito? But the mosquito is a living thing too!" Leafy yelled.
"Leafy, you make jokes about murder all the time," Pin deadpanned as she and Coiny continued to cut through the branches ahead of them.
"Yeah but it's jokes about murdering humans, not innocent animals."
"...You're a hypocrite."
"I'm not!"
"Yes, you are!"
"See, this is exactly why I didn't want to come here!" Needle yelled, exasperated. "All of you act like children!"
"Then why did you even come?" Coiny asked. He had stopped cutting the branches and was turned around to face Needle.
"Because someone responsible needs to come with all of you so that you don't die in the middle of the jungle."
Coiny blinked. "But Pin can be the responsible one," he said, pointing at the redhead.
"Huh?" Pin asked, as she also stopped cutting branches to look at Coiny, confused.
"I'm telling Needle that we didn't need her to be the responsible one," Coiny explained. "You can be the responsible one. After all, you stopped me from eating the dirt here. Even though I really wanted to eat it..."
"...Coiny, I think anyone would tell you to not eat the dirt here," Pin said. Needle nodded.
"I wouldn't," Firey cut in. "I would love watching Coiny get sick from eating dirt."
Needle and Pin both turned to glare at Firey, while Coiny made a mock offended expression. Meanwhile, Leafy just shrugged.
"While you shouldn't be eating dirt, plants like myself basically eat dirt, since you know, fertilizer...." Leafy said.
"Just because you're named after a leaf doesn't really mean you are. You... you do know that, right?" Pin asked.
"Maybe I am a plant who just looks a lot like a human. Who knows?"
"...You're impossible."
"See," Coiny said to Needle, "Pin's already doing a great job of being the responsible one, so you can relax."
"No," Needle said, sighing. "When I was younger, I had always wished she'd be nicer, but now she's too nice. You and Leafy get away with stuff all the time when left with her because you give Pin puppy eyes and Leafy always plays innocent. I, on the other hand, can see through all your lies and facades."
"So? She doesn't let Firey just get away with anything and he's the biggest idiot of us all so-"
Coiny was suddenly cut off by Leafy and Pin yelling for Firey to come back. Both Coiny and Needle whirled their heads around to find that the ginger had run off. Needle sighed.
"I'll go after him since I'm the fastest runner," she volunteered. She then turned to her younger cousin. "Pin, make sure Leafy and Coiny don't do anything stupid."
Pin looked a bit anxious, but nodded anyway. With that, Needle turned and raced in the direction she saw Firey run off towards. Despite the branches constantly whacking her face, she managed to catch up to him after a few minutes. She grabbed his arm.
"Firey. Don't ever run off like that again," she said, dead serious.
Firey gulped. "Sorry, I just thought I saw a glimpse of the temple we're looking for. But I guess I got over excited and ran ahead without everyone else... oops."
Needle sighed and dragged him back to the group. When she got there, she was relieved to see that Leafy and Coiny were still fine. It seems like Pin was teaching them about the plants in this area, particularly about whether they were safe to touch or eat.
"I'm glad I got the chance to see all these plants in person. I'm gonna take some seeds home to put into my garden later. Of course, I'll only take the ones that are safe to touch," Pin explained.
"And safe to eat, right?" Coiny said.
Pin shook her head. "I don't really care whether it's safe to eat or not. I'm just gonna grow some pretty plants. I'm not going to make food with them."
"That's exactly what someone who would try to poison people would say," Leafy said, giving Pin a look of suspicion.
"Stop projecting onto me, Leafy."
"I don't think you should bring anything not safe to eat home," Needle said, cutting in. "Oh, also here's Firey."
"Hi," Firey said as he waved to the group.
Pin gave Firey a blank look for a second before turning to Needle. "Don't tell me you think I'm going to poison someone too!"
"No, I don't think you would poison anyone," Needle said. She paused before adding, "Intentionally, at least."
Pin frowned. "Are you implying I would make as big of a mistake as putting poison in food?"
"No but... well, there are some people who may or may not be with us right now who would probably eat a random plant of yours if they're bored or hungry enough."
"...oh, I see what you mean," Pin said, dejected.
"You can always keep those plants at my house," Leafy suggested. "I won't just eat random plants because that's basically cannibalism."
"Okay first of all," Needle said, "no, it's not basically cannibalism because you're not actually a plant. Second of all, Leafy, unlike with Pin, I don't have faith that you are incapable of poisoning people."
"...Fair enough."
"...so can we go to the temple already?" Firey whined.
Needle sighed. "Fine. Why do you want to go to the temple anyway?"
"To take cool selfies," Coiny said.
"I heard it's haunted!" Leafy said, her green eyes wide in eagerness.
"I just came for the rare plants in the area," Pin confessed.
"I'm just bored," Firey admitted.
"Yup., this was going to be a long vacation..."
