LtJG Hiro Jones - Come Fly With Me, Let's Fly, Let's Fly Away
notyourfrog
((Draivon - Draivon District, Cait))
Luxa and Hiro (the latter fairly sweaty by this point in the hike) crested a ridge Hiro couldn't see beyond until they'd reached the top. The view was in a word: awesome. Adding to the contrast, the tree line stopped on a level with them, revealing they now stood near the edge of a sheer cliff face. Below them was more, thicker, wilder-looking jungle than even that through which they'd been walking. A "crack" of sorts ran through the dense canopy, indicating a river on the jungle floor. in the place where it forked, Hiro could see a watering hole, rich with animal activity. The scene was simultaneously prehistoric and utopian. Tentatively, he took a small step closer to the edge. He assumed there was a barrier, but it was always better to be safe than sorry when it came to long drops.
At a complete loss for words, Hiro just stood, mouth agape, wishing he knew what words to say to convey how this view made him feel. All that came out was a small squeak of joy. Fortunately, Luxa filled him in on what exactly he was seeing.
Lorana: ::points to a large home in the distance:: That's my family's land. This is where I was brought up. The jungle was preserved by my forebears and they've refused to destroy any of it. Long ago, the Lorana clan were custodians of this land. Sworn to protect it and all of its inhabitants.
Jones: You must have loved growing up around ::sweeping a hand toward the vista:: all this.
Lorana: I never really appreciated it, always trying to escape, and find something else to believe in.
(( OOC - cutting the flashback for brevity, but it's quite lovely. Make sure you go read it! ))
He considered her response. It ran familiar - the old story of no matter where or in what environment an individual grew up, there would always be a drive toward independence and individuality. Now however, was not the time for psychoanalysis. She was encouraging him to step even closer to the edge. He finally noticed a small building he hadn't before. There were a few Caitians loitering outside, and one waved while walking toward them.
Yonteer: Luxa?!
Lorana: It's me Yonteer. The winds have carried me back to a home that will never forget my scent.
Hiro noted the inclination of the head. Knowing how to bow properly was always something Hiro's dad had insisted upon, and he supposed the skill stuck.
Lorana: This is my friend Hiro.
Jones: ::mirroring the bow as best he could:: I'm pleased to meet you.
Yonteer: We don't get many humans here :: looks to Luxa:: Have you come to glide?
oO Um ... what? Oo
He stared blankly from Yonteer to Luxa and back.
Jones: ::tentatively:: I agreed to an adventure, but I have to admit: I was not aware that would include "gliding."
Lorana: Hiro, are you afraid of heights? I want to take you to a secret place, but we can only get there if we glide? Which means we have to jump off the cliff. Yonteer is the best on Cait, I promise.
Hiro wasn't afraid of heights. He wasn't even afraid of jumping from them. Heck, he wasn't even afraid of a good free-fall. It was the unknown odds of a sudden and bodily detrimental coincidence with the ground that made his toes go cold.
Still, he had agreed to an adventure. He had said he trusted Luxa. He did want to be respectful of various aspects of other cultures. If Luxa trusted Yonteer, he supposed there was only one course of action.
Jones: No, I'm ok with heights. Let's ... uh, yeah. I'm in. Gliding! Sounds ::swallows hard:: invigorating.
Lorana/Yonteer: Response
They walked a short distance further, and Hiro caught a glimpse of the platform from which they'd be taking off. It stuck out like a pier from the edge of the cliff. It was a fairly narrow landing though, which made Hiro wonder what kind of contraption these gliders were. He'd had friends back on Earth who enjoyed hang-gliding, but he'd never gone with them. Presumably, the vehicles they were about to use were similar.
Oh he was wrong.
Yonteer led them to an even smaller building - more of a shed, really, from which he retrieved large, oddly floppy suits. He held one up, eyeing Hiro appraisingly, shook his head, and grabbed another. Hiro's mind was at war with itself. It first hoped that these suits were a means to secure the gliding individuals to a larger, more fool-proof contraption. The more logical part of his mind called the first a rude name, having already deduced these suits were the gliders.
oO Maybe I should establish a live emergency transporter lock? Oo
Yonteer/Lorana: Response
Jones: No, I'm fine. Just suddenly grateful I haven't eaten lunch yet.
Yonteer was clearly knowledgable. The skill and practiced hand as he helped Hiro don and fasten his suit was somewhat reassuring. When he gave a very detailed instruction course, Hiro paid attention as though his life depended on it, which he realized in an uncomfortable instant it kinda did.
Tilts of one limb or another in relation to the other limbs would (according to the gliding instructor - who seemed to be enjoying Hiro's nerves) alter the course of the descent. Folding the arms down to the body would send the glider into a nose dive (good for speed, if that's what one wanted). The list went on. The more information Hiro ingested, the greater the juxtaposition of confidence and disease he felt.
Finally, Yonteer seemed satisfied. Luxa had quickly and expertly adjusted her own suit, underlining the fact Hiro was the newbie here. As they waddled (ok fine, as Hiro waddled - Luxa seemed incapable of lacking grace) onto the pier, Hiro thought maybe he should ask Jovenan to water his plants after he died, but the moment for bequeathing houseplants was passed. It was time to fly.
Lorana: Response
Jones: ::putting on a brave face:: Go ahead, I'm right behind you.
So she did. The crazy Caitian stepped backward off the platform with as little thought as Hiro might give to stepping into a pool. One minute she was standing, smiling at him, next, gone. He rushed to the edge, dreading what he might see. What he saw was honestly pretty amazing. She had oriented herself into a flat splayed figure, and was now gliding in slow, lazy circles, waiting apparently for him to follow.
Yonteer suggested Hiro jump in the splayed figure, since it was his first time, and Hiro completely agreed. He wasn't interested in trying anything fancy right out of the gate. He took a deep breath ... and leapt.
Now, Hiro wasn't a screamer. Usually. Under normal circumstances, he was calm, collected, poised, and as in control as the situation allowed. This situation had no interest in his self-control, and the scream that issued from him sent a flock of birds angrily from their nests in the cliffside scrub. By the time he'd regained a modicum of composure, he could hear Yonteer laughing - even over the roar of wind in his ears.
Convinced he wasn't going to die, he cast about for Luxa's suit. She was there, about a hundred meters below him, still circling. He shakily adjusted his arms, arcing around to the left to form a larger circle above hers. This was a signal that he was ready to follow her. How she saw this was a mystery to him, as he was afraid to move his head too much. He figured it had something to do with her tail. That would be a very handy stabilizer, he supposed. He clenched his glutes, but it had no effect.
Luxa arced out of her spiral, heading away from the cliff. Hiro saw, now he had a more panoramic view of the area, the forest covered just about everything visible. Kilometer after kilometer of dense vegetation. There was so much green here! As they sped onward, three grazu came to investigate. Hiro remembered the huge creature off the walking path, and was momentarily frightened. When he saw the large, curious, almost whale-like eye of the beast, it became a magical moment. He dove a little lower; the grazu matched his decline. He pulled up way harder than he'd meant to, and accidentally sent himself into a backward summersault. The grazu gave a huge flap of its wings, which sent it skyward, then wrapped them in tight, hanging weightless for a moment before arcing back down. It whizzed passed Hiro by about two meters. Heart racing, Hiro couldn't help but laugh. He was flying with a huge Caitian bird-thing. Scientific nomenclature be damned. This was fun.
The Grazu flew off with a trumpeting call that rang through Hiro's whole body. This little game had increased the distance between him and Luxa though. He needed speed now. Maybe it was playing with the grazu, maybe he was just getting comfortable, but he slapped his arms to his side and spread his legs wide, turning him into a missile. The speed was incredible. His cheeks flapped furiously from the resistance and his eyes streamed freely, but he did catch up to his friend just as she arced away into another spiral, apparently slowing her descent for an eventual landing. He followed suit.
A few, loopy minutes later, Luxa landed gracefully on an unbelievably thick carpet of moss not far from the watering hole. Hiro was ... less graceful. His landing, while not a crash landing, was more of a semi-controlled, flop/tumble/roll. Whatever it could be called, he was grateful for the springy moss. He looked up panting with exhilaration and excitement from the ground at his friend.
Jones: Best. Shoreleave. Ever.
Lorana: Response
TAG/TBC
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