Aeseir glanced at the cooler out of the corner of her eye, at once curious to know its contents and afraid to rouse Mr. E's ire. The latter won out.

40/40 HP

Hour's end found her seated in the car, the cooler seated beside her. She'd never used a trunk and didn't realize it could be stored there. She had also never driven.

Less than five miles from the spa, she and the cooler both were flung out the window. (So those straps of polyester did have a purpose.) The car exploded as she crawled towards the cooler, hurling them airborne a second time. As she fell, it dawned on her that this would be her future for however long it took to reach her destination.

20/40 HP

Three hours and eight miles later, a passing driver offered to carry her. The previous drivers who'd offered had been summarily rejected; this one, she saw, had a large bed she could sit on without actually getting into the car. She acquiesced.

The ride was not unlike horseback riding. She had even gone so far to think it might even be pleasant when she was told their paths crossed here. Had they truly traveled so far so quickly? She supposed cars really did have their uses—when they weren't busy exploding at least.

Gripping the handle, she conceded to make the final leg of the journey by bike. Surely, this wouldn't be too bad, right?

The pothole on the road said otherwise.

10/40 HP

"You were supposed to be here yesterday!" An employee said, pointing at their watch with rigor. They used a ring on their finger to bypass the seal, lifting the lid just a crack to peer within. Their eyes narrowed. (Aeseir supposed three crashes did nothing to preserve the quality of the thing.) They lowered the lid slowly, lifted a finger, inhaled—and changed their mind. With a shake of their head, they took the battered cooler inside.