[ All right, so he walks a bit like a drunken toddler, but they may be able to work with this. She doesn't feel confident about getting Akira up the stairs, but together they can probably manage. ]
...
[ Akira. Why do you have experience in walking in heels. Lux pauses for a moment, blinking once, twice, then opening her mouth. ]
I don't think I want to know.
[ Congratulations, he finally came up with something seedy that she isn't going to question! Carefully inching past him, pressing her wings as flat to her back as she can, Lux tries to reach the stairs before him. Ascending the first few, she offers down a hand to him. ]
Here. If you need it.
[ She's trying to help, but also she wants to get ahead of him so that he doesn't end up falling on top of her. ]
[ He feels vaguely accomplished for having found a subject where even Lux's curiosity won't tread. And that's fine, because there are more important things right now than explaining the source of the comment and the inevitable exposition on the Metaverse that would have to come with it. ]
Thanks.
[ He accepts her hand, careful not to scratch with the black claws that tip his fingers. Like this, he won't fall on her, but if he goes down, she's definitely coming with him. That's enough to motivate him to be more careful.
Luckily, the first couple of steps go smoothly, albeit slowly, as he makes sure he's stable before shifting his weight to move himself up. ]
Maybe this is some kind of hex...
[ There are still people in the city unhappy with their presence; maybe the pranks and harassment have elevated to a new level? ]
[ At least she's small(er), maybe it won't hurt as much if he has to break her fall. Hopefully all that practice running in heels will help him here. ]
I've never heard of a hex giving people wings or horns. They're usually more malicious. [ Like this is considered benign.
Lux takes her time, making sure that both feet are planted on both steps as she leads him up. Judging from the disproportionate look of concentration on her face, Akira might have triggered something. ]
We would have the same features as well. Hexes are extremely limited.
[ She touches her forehead with her free hand regardless. She doesn't feel anything coming in... ]
[ Yeah, Akira doesn't know much about hexes. Magic isn't his speciality, obviously—well, most magic, now that his puca abilities have been coming in over the past couple of months, slowly but steadily. He practices when he can, in quiet moments and when the opportunity presents itself.
Like now. ]
Wait... I'm— [ His features begin to shift, morphing into... hers, actually, as if Lux is looking into a mirror.
And then Akira's ankle buckles as he steps up the stairs, breaking his concentration and snapping his features back to normal. His grips her hands tighter, trying to regain his balance without pitching forward or backward. ]
[ Lux isn't ready for this. Seeing herself briefly looking back at her, she startles, nearly letting go of his hand. As soon as she feels his balance break and the disguise fall away, she redoubles her efforts, grabbing his arm with her other hand. ]
Akira—!
[ She has no idea how he managed to do that, but it's unimportant. She needs to make sure he doesn't fall down the stairs! ]
[ If she were to let him fall, he'd completely deserve it at this point. But Lux's determined grasp on his arm keeps him from tumbling backwards, and the startled tightening of the muscles in his back shifts his wings out a bit, providing him a serendipitous bit of balance. Akira steadies and exhales slowly. ]
[ She isn't going to just let him breezes past what she saw, but that's a discussion for later. Helping him up the rest of the way, Lux lets go of Akira's arm when they reach the top of the stairs. ]
All right...
[ She exhales, scanning the room. There are still breakable things in here, but there is much more room than his room in the basement. ]
Do you think this will work?
[ They could try going outside if not, but judging by his reluctance to leave his room during the full moon, Lux isn't confident he will want to venture out. ]
[ He's fine from here. Slow, but after climbing the stairs, keeping upright on level ground feels like a cakewalk. Akira glances around the room, assessing the space. ]
... We should go outside.
[ The rooms in the house are spacious, for sure, but his wingspan seems to be even larger than he thought it was originally. Rather than risking wrecking the place, it's probably better to just go out into the openness of the night air. ]
[ That's a wise decision; the last thing they want to do is break something valuable while trying to figure out how wings work. Lux gives him a brief nod. ]
The courtyard, then.
[ That would give them the most privacy, and while that likely doesn't matter given the time of day, she wants to be courteous.
Heading outside, she notices the odd haze tinting the night, adding to her theory that this must be a dream. The chaos has yet to set in, so while it seems odd, Lux files this information for later. ]
[ The mist that seems to hang over the courtyard is the first thing he notices. Fog is a natural occurrence, but something about the haze seems... off. ]
Weird fog, huh?
[ But the lack of walls all around provides such a sense of freedom that he doesn't continue to dwell on it. Akira gives an experimental flex of his wings, taking note of how they react to each movement. ]
I wonder if I can fly... [ His gaze flits from the dark feathers over to Lux. ] You, too.
[ It makes this whole thing feel even more surreal than it already is, but the fog doesn't seem directly hazardous. They would know as soon as they ventured out if it was dangerous, wouldn't they?
Looking back at Akira with a fluttered blink, her attention shifts between him and the wings on her back. Could they carry her weight? ]
We could try. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. [ Flight in dreams is reasonably harmless, it's probably fine. She focuses, as she moves her wings, not quite lifting off, but feeling... Lighter? Huh.
Should she be weirded out at how instinctual this is? Probably. ]
[ There's a little bit of instinct working in Akira's favor, too. He doesn't have to think too deeply about the actual movements of his muscles, quickly learning that shifting them in one way makes them unfurl and another makes them contract. If he focuses a bit more, he discovers the control goes deeper than that, down to the feathers themselves.
Well, that's a bit complicated. He'll stick to trying to flap right now. That seems like Flying 101.
Lux seems to be doing the game. He watches the way hers flutter, eyes going wider with curiosity as his own motions slow. It looks like she's getting the hang of it, but they're so thin... ]
Can they hold your weight?
[ A rude thing to ask a lady, but he isn't thinking about that right now. ]
[ They're thin, but feel oddly strong despite how they look. Each wing beat feels like it could easily propel her if she put a little more effort into it—something that Lux very seriously considers as she gets used to the motions.
Thankfully for Akira, she doesn't pick up on how rude that question could be, too focused on experimenting and figuring out how this works. She directs a surprisingly cheerful smile towards him. ]
I'm not sure, but I guess there's only one way to find out. You'll catch me if they can't, right?
[ Famous last words. Are you sure you want to be Bonded to this reckless idiot, Akira? ]
[ Seeing the bright smile she aims at him, his eyes respond with excitement. Whatever this is, temporary or permanent, dream or reality... Now that the pain has passed, they can enjoy it before going looking for answers. ]
Of course. [ A toss of his head indicate the long, angled horns. ] I'll just try not to skewer you in the process.
[ With a grin, he steps back a couple more paces and gets back to testing the flap of his wings, billowing air that rustles the grass of the courtyard. ]
[ Who says they won't find any answers by testing their limits? Being able to determine whether their changes are purely cosmetic seems like it would be helpful in figuring out what's going on, so it makes logical sense why Lux would want to see if either of them could fly.
Issuing a challenge only makes her more eager to beat Akira to it. ]
That's bold coming from someone with his feet still on the ground.
[ Jumping up, she times it with the flapping of her wings, gaining a bit of air. Lux isn't able to do much outside of hovering clumsily for a few seconds before coming back down again, stumbling but still managing to stay upright. ]
[ Even with how excited he is for the challenge, Akira jolts when she jumps into the air, half-expecting her to take off—but she only floats for a long moment. Okay, he's not out of the running yet...
It won't be so simple for him. When he tries a similar method of jumping and seeing if the flaps of his wings will provide the lift he needs, he hits the ground with only a tiny bit less impact than usual. Hm. ]
Maybe I need to run first... Like an plane. [ Lux has no idea what an airplane is; he's just thinking aloud for once. ] Or...
[ Akira's gaze shifts up towards the house, noting the bit of roofing that extends under the attic window. Maybe he just needs to start with some height? What's that saying about birds throwing their chicks out of the nest to see if they can fly? ]
[ Flying, as it turns out, is a lot harder than it looks. How do birds make this look so easy? It seems like Akira is also having some issues with maintaining any lift, she curls a hand at her lips. ]
Like a plain... what, exactly?
[ Yep, that one soared over her head.
Following his gaze as he turns his attention back to the house, Lux doesn't seem to make the logical leap that he has. Was he lost in thought and just happened to look in that direction, or was there something that caught his attention. ]
Did you come up with something?
[ The challenge is still on, but she's curious what has the gears in his head turning. ]
[ If he were a little less focused on this flying thing, he might take great amusement in her misinterpretation of his comment. Explanations of airplanes can wait until later, though. ]
Yeah, I think so...
[ His attention blinks back to Lux for a moment. ]
You should keep figuring yours out. Last one in the sky owes the other dinner.
[ And with that, he's starting back towards the house. ]
[ Airplanes will go in the same category as televisions, as something Lux doesn't fully understand but is completely fascinated by. Earth has so many strange inventions.
Her brows rise bemusedly as she watches him walk back towards the house. Oh, those are some high stakes. Lux calls out to him as he leaves; ]
Just know that I have very expensive tastes!
[ She's going to end up eating those words—especially considering how, on a second and third attempt, she doesn't get much more lift than the first time. There must be a trick to this... ]
Edited (Phone are you okay) 2019-11-05 19:05 (UTC)
Won't matter! [ He shouts back at her as he heads inside.
It takes him a considerable amount of time and effort to hobble all the way up to the attic. Hopefully Lux doesn't think he ditched her. Getting out of the window is an ordeal in and of itself (why didn't he consider how difficult this would be with all of these extra parts?), but eventually Akira shimmies free and touches feet on the roof. His balance falters on the slanted surface, but he regains it and straightens.
Whatever Lux is doing down there, be it already flying or staring at him, he's too focused on measuring the drop and the distance he needs to jump with calculating glances to take any real notice. Once he's confident he can get it, Akira takes one, two, three steps backwards with a deep breath, and then bounds into a jump.
For a split second, he starts to drop, but every bit of him is zeroed in on his wings. They spread and flap and suddenly he's caught and buoyed in the air. ]
[ Talk about overconfidence. Lux scoffs quietly to herself, a brief smirk surfacing before she focuses on figuring out her own wings. She can clearly support her own weight (thankfully), but for some reason she can't seem to get the sort of lift she feels that she should. Lux has mastered hovering at the very least, but that's a far cry from taking to the skies.
Thankfully, Akira is giving her plenty of time to figure that out. She even begins to wonder if he's given up, turning to face the house in case he decides to stick his head out a window.
Except he decides to stick his entire self out instead. ]
That's enough for instinct to finally kick into high gear, her heart leaping into her throat as she propels herself forward, angling herself in an arch upward to try to catch him in his descent.
But then he shoots into the sky, and her wings flutter as she chases after him, a mix of relief, amazement and (surprisingly mild) frustration rippling through her. ]
I can't believe you!
[ And he's the one lecturing her about being reckless! But why does it sound like she's trying to be mad at him? ]
[ Her shock reaches him first, blooming with his own at the fact that he's flying. He's actually, honestly hovering in the air, well above the ground. Exhilaration bursts in his chest, the strangeness of the situation and the mysterious mist momentarily forgotten in favor of how cool this is. The excitement bleeds into his expression when Lux flits up to him. ]
You got it, too! [ Nevermind that she seems kind of angry with him. ] Did we tie?
[ Akira gives a couple of flaps of his wings and finds that it lifts him a bit higher, but it also poses a new issue: He doesn't know how to approach anything but vertical movement. It's kind of like he's just gotten into a pool for the first time—he's got staying afloat down, but actual swimming is another matter entirely. This may be where the finer aspects of control come in. ]
[ He jumped off the roof and scared the daylights out of her, she has every right to be a little angry with him! But he seems so delighted—and Lux can't deny that hovering up here is exhilarating. She can't take the wind out of his sails, and Akira is the reason why she's up here in the first place.
But the roof, Akira? Really? This man is going to be the death of her. ]
Of course I did! I thought you were going to fall! You didn't do that just so you could win, did you?
[ And yet she can't seem to keep the excitement from her voice, or from trickling over toward him. She must not be as mad as she's trying to make herself seem to be, or perhaps watching him continue to rise higher gives Lux something else to focus on. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
he suffer
Only one way to find out.
[ One wobbly step later, he's managed to stay upright—a good sign. Maybe if he takes the stairs very slowly...
He glances back at Lux to check her reaction. ]
Not the heels I'm used to, but I think I've got it.
[ He offers no more context for that comment than that, just continuing towards the stairs. ]
Deserved
...
[ Akira. Why do you have experience in walking in heels. Lux pauses for a moment, blinking once, twice, then opening her mouth. ]
I don't think I want to know.
[ Congratulations, he finally came up with something seedy that she isn't going to question! Carefully inching past him, pressing her wings as flat to her back as she can, Lux tries to reach the stairs before him. Ascending the first few, she offers down a hand to him. ]
Here. If you need it.
[ She's trying to help, but also she wants to get ahead of him so that he doesn't end up falling on top of her. ]
no subject
Thanks.
[ He accepts her hand, careful not to scratch with the black claws that tip his fingers. Like this, he won't fall on her, but if he goes down, she's definitely coming with him. That's enough to motivate him to be more careful.
Luckily, the first couple of steps go smoothly, albeit slowly, as he makes sure he's stable before shifting his weight to move himself up. ]
Maybe this is some kind of hex...
[ There are still people in the city unhappy with their presence; maybe the pranks and harassment have elevated to a new level? ]
no subject
I've never heard of a hex giving people wings or horns. They're usually more malicious. [ Like this is considered benign.
Lux takes her time, making sure that both feet are planted on both steps as she leads him up. Judging from the disproportionate look of concentration on her face, Akira might have triggered something. ]
We would have the same features as well. Hexes are extremely limited.
[ She touches her forehead with her free hand regardless. She doesn't feel anything coming in... ]
no subject
Like now. ]
Wait... I'm— [ His features begin to shift, morphing into... hers, actually, as if Lux is looking into a mirror.
And then Akira's ankle buckles as he steps up the stairs, breaking his concentration and snapping his features back to normal. His grips her hands tighter, trying to regain his balance without pitching forward or backward. ]
no subject
Akira—!
[ She has no idea how he managed to do that, but it's unimportant. She needs to make sure he doesn't fall down the stairs! ]
no subject
... Thanks.
[ Time to continue up like nothing happened. ]
no subject
All right...
[ She exhales, scanning the room. There are still breakable things in here, but there is much more room than his room in the basement. ]
Do you think this will work?
[ They could try going outside if not, but judging by his reluctance to leave his room during the full moon, Lux isn't confident he will want to venture out. ]
no subject
... We should go outside.
[ The rooms in the house are spacious, for sure, but his wingspan seems to be even larger than he thought it was originally. Rather than risking wrecking the place, it's probably better to just go out into the openness of the night air. ]
no subject
The courtyard, then.
[ That would give them the most privacy, and while that likely doesn't matter given the time of day, she wants to be courteous.
Heading outside, she notices the odd haze tinting the night, adding to her theory that this must be a dream. The chaos has yet to set in, so while it seems odd, Lux files this information for later. ]
no subject
Weird fog, huh?
[ But the lack of walls all around provides such a sense of freedom that he doesn't continue to dwell on it. Akira gives an experimental flex of his wings, taking note of how they react to each movement. ]
I wonder if I can fly... [ His gaze flits from the dark feathers over to Lux. ] You, too.
no subject
[ It makes this whole thing feel even more surreal than it already is, but the fog doesn't seem directly hazardous. They would know as soon as they ventured out if it was dangerous, wouldn't they?
Looking back at Akira with a fluttered blink, her attention shifts between him and the wings on her back. Could they carry her weight? ]
We could try. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. [ Flight in dreams is reasonably harmless, it's probably fine. She focuses, as she moves her wings, not quite lifting off, but feeling... Lighter? Huh.
Should she be weirded out at how instinctual this is? Probably. ]
no subject
Well, that's a bit complicated. He'll stick to trying to flap right now. That seems like Flying 101.
Lux seems to be doing the game. He watches the way hers flutter, eyes going wider with curiosity as his own motions slow. It looks like she's getting the hang of it, but they're so thin... ]
Can they hold your weight?
[ A rude thing to ask a lady, but he isn't thinking about that right now. ]
no subject
Thankfully for Akira, she doesn't pick up on how rude that question could be, too focused on experimenting and figuring out how this works. She directs a surprisingly cheerful smile towards him. ]
I'm not sure, but I guess there's only one way to find out. You'll catch me if they can't, right?
[ Famous last words. Are you sure you want to be Bonded to this reckless idiot, Akira? ]
no subject
Of course. [ A toss of his head indicate the long, angled horns. ] I'll just try not to skewer you in the process.
[ With a grin, he steps back a couple more paces and gets back to testing the flap of his wings, billowing air that rustles the grass of the courtyard. ]
Well, if I'm not higher up than you by then.
no subject
Issuing a challenge only makes her more eager to beat Akira to it. ]
That's bold coming from someone with his feet still on the ground.
[ Jumping up, she times it with the flapping of her wings, gaining a bit of air. Lux isn't able to do much outside of hovering clumsily for a few seconds before coming back down again, stumbling but still managing to stay upright. ]
no subject
It won't be so simple for him. When he tries a similar method of jumping and seeing if the flaps of his wings will provide the lift he needs, he hits the ground with only a tiny bit less impact than usual. Hm. ]
Maybe I need to run first... Like an plane. [ Lux has no idea what an airplane is; he's just thinking aloud for once. ] Or...
[ Akira's gaze shifts up towards the house, noting the bit of roofing that extends under the attic window. Maybe he just needs to start with some height? What's that saying about birds throwing their chicks out of the nest to see if they can fly? ]
no subject
Like a plain... what, exactly?
[ Yep, that one soared over her head.
Following his gaze as he turns his attention back to the house, Lux doesn't seem to make the logical leap that he has. Was he lost in thought and just happened to look in that direction, or was there something that caught his attention. ]
Did you come up with something?
[ The challenge is still on, but she's curious what has the gears in his head turning. ]
no subject
Yeah, I think so...
[ His attention blinks back to Lux for a moment. ]
You should keep figuring yours out. Last one in the sky owes the other dinner.
[ And with that, he's starting back towards the house. ]
no subject
Her brows rise bemusedly as she watches him walk back towards the house. Oh, those are some high stakes. Lux calls out to him as he leaves; ]
Just know that I have very expensive tastes!
[ She's going to end up eating those words—especially considering how, on a second and third attempt, she doesn't get much more lift than the first time. There must be a trick to this... ]
no subject
It takes him a considerable amount of time and effort to hobble all the way up to the attic. Hopefully Lux doesn't think he ditched her. Getting out of the window is an ordeal in and of itself (why didn't he consider how difficult this would be with all of these extra parts?), but eventually Akira shimmies free and touches feet on the roof. His balance falters on the slanted surface, but he regains it and straightens.
Whatever Lux is doing down there, be it already flying or staring at him, he's too focused on measuring the drop and the distance he needs to jump with calculating glances to take any real notice. Once he's confident he can get it, Akira takes one, two, three steps backwards with a deep breath, and then bounds into a jump.
For a split second, he starts to drop, but every bit of him is zeroed in on his wings. They spread and flap and suddenly he's caught and buoyed in the air. ]
[1/2]
Thankfully, Akira is giving her plenty of time to figure that out. She even begins to wonder if he's given up, turning to face the house in case he decides to stick his head out a window.
Except he decides to stick his entire self out instead. ]
What is he— [ He wouldn't. ]
[2/2]
That's enough for instinct to finally kick into high gear, her heart leaping into her throat as she propels herself forward, angling herself in an arch upward to try to catch him in his descent.
But then he shoots into the sky, and her wings flutter as she chases after him, a mix of relief, amazement and (surprisingly mild) frustration rippling through her. ]
I can't believe you!
[ And he's the one lecturing her about being reckless! But why does it sound like she's trying to be mad at him? ]
no subject
You got it, too! [ Nevermind that she seems kind of angry with him. ] Did we tie?
[ Akira gives a couple of flaps of his wings and finds that it lifts him a bit higher, but it also poses a new issue: He doesn't know how to approach anything but vertical movement. It's kind of like he's just gotten into a pool for the first time—he's got staying afloat down, but actual swimming is another matter entirely. This may be where the finer aspects of control come in. ]
Now to figure out how to go...
no subject
But the roof, Akira? Really? This man is going to be the death of her. ]
Of course I did! I thought you were going to fall! You didn't do that just so you could win, did you?
[ And yet she can't seem to keep the excitement from her voice, or from trickling over toward him. She must not be as mad as she's trying to make herself seem to be, or perhaps watching him continue to rise higher gives Lux something else to focus on. ]
How to go..? [ What? ]
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)