[ 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) Date: 2019-11-05 07:05 pm (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. ]
No, it just seemed like the best way to get in the air.
[ He really means that, too. It was either that or run across the lawn and jump, and this seemed like the more surefire method. Akira keeps himself bobbing in the air with slow movements of his wings, growing more distracted as he tries to focus on the little shifts in them. ]
Um. Forward. [ Lux seems to have that part down already, but that's probably a difference in their wings. ]
[ He's awfully nonchalant for having just leapt from the roof. What if it hadn't worked, or she wasn't able to help break his fall? It all worked out, and he managed to get them both in the air, but at least acknowledge how dangerous that was...
Blinking rapidly, Lux looks back at her own wings, suddenly aware of what they're doing. Hmm. ]
Have you tried leaning in the direction you want to go?
[ Sure enough, even if it is subtle, Lux doesn't seem to be completely straight, angled slightly toward the house. ]
I think it may have something to do with wing position, but yours likely work differently.
[ Clearly Akira isn't even thinking about all of the ways that could've gone wrong. It worked, and that's all that matters, right? He's just focused on how to figure out how to get moving for real. Lux's suggestion does seem like a solid place to start. Lean forward, and combine that with some slight adjustments to the position of his wings...
The next flap does, in fact, propel him forward, as well as the next. Akira tries to grin over his shoulder at her, but the movements of his wings block most of the view. ]
Got it.
[ Turning is still a thing, but he'll cross that bridge when he comes to it. ]
[ He sounds so proud of himself, and even if his wings block his face, Lux can hear the grin in his voice. Coasting over to his side, she smiles at him coolly.
Directly beside him. Leaning forward slightly, she tries to catch his eye. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2019-11-04 11:56 pm (UTC)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
Date: 2019-11-05 06:26 am (UTC)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
Date: 2019-11-05 07:18 am (UTC)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
Date: 2019-11-05 07:47 am (UTC)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
Date: 2019-11-05 08:00 am (UTC)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
Date: 2019-11-05 03:10 pm (UTC)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
Date: 2019-11-05 07:05 pm (UTC)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
Date: 2019-11-05 08:41 pm (UTC)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]
Date: 2019-11-05 10:38 pm (UTC)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]
Date: 2019-11-05 10:41 pm (UTC)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
Date: 2019-11-06 03:12 am (UTC)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
Date: 2019-11-06 04:18 am (UTC)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
Date: 2019-11-06 02:21 pm (UTC)[ He really means that, too. It was either that or run across the lawn and jump, and this seemed like the more surefire method. Akira keeps himself bobbing in the air with slow movements of his wings, growing more distracted as he tries to focus on the little shifts in them. ]
Um. Forward. [ Lux seems to have that part down already, but that's probably a difference in their wings. ]
no subject
Date: 2019-11-06 03:03 pm (UTC)Blinking rapidly, Lux looks back at her own wings, suddenly aware of what they're doing. Hmm. ]
Have you tried leaning in the direction you want to go?
[ Sure enough, even if it is subtle, Lux doesn't seem to be completely straight, angled slightly toward the house. ]
I think it may have something to do with wing position, but yours likely work differently.
no subject
Date: 2019-11-09 06:19 pm (UTC)[ Clearly Akira isn't even thinking about all of the ways that could've gone wrong. It worked, and that's all that matters, right? He's just focused on how to figure out how to get moving for real. Lux's suggestion does seem like a solid place to start. Lean forward, and combine that with some slight adjustments to the position of his wings...
The next flap does, in fact, propel him forward, as well as the next. Akira tries to grin over his shoulder at her, but the movements of his wings block most of the view. ]
Got it.
[ Turning is still a thing, but he'll cross that bridge when he comes to it. ]
no subject
Date: 2019-11-10 06:15 am (UTC)Directly beside him. Leaning forward slightly, she tries to catch his eye. ]
Want to put that to the test?
no subject
Date: 2019-11-10 09:37 pm (UTC)Sure. What do you have in mind?
[ They already raced to get into the air—is it time for a proper competition through it? ]