ioduanlogs | we'll take to the skies [open]

Entry tags:

we'll take to the skies [open]

Characters: Naesala, Pepper, and anyone else!
Date: Throughout March
Location: Various locations in Aifaran, including a restaurant
Situation: Here's what Naesala's up to this month, including some shady stuff, a new job, appreciating art, and a flying race.
Warnings/Rating: Nothing yet

A. COMMERCE 3 (If You're Good To Mama...)
Should anyone happen to step into a mid-range seafood restaurant called The Pearl, you might be in for a surprise. Stop in at the right time and you'll find Naesala behind a podium, in a casually-worn black suit, at his new part-time job serving as a host and taking reservations.

Whether or not this is a surprise might depend on how well you know him. Sure, Naesala's good-looking enough that a job as a host makes sense, but he hasn't exactly been a go-getter when it comes to looking for a job of any sort. The especially attentive might realize that there's a darker side to this particular establishment. Situated so near the docks, The Pearl tends to get clientele that's far more on the shady side the later it gets at night, and Naesala is right there happy to seat them and schmooze a bit up until closing time.

B. CRIME 3 (Insurance)
It's in a wide alley behind a store, secluded but still in view of a nearby street, that Naesala is talking to two men, one a kedan and the other a respectably tall kin'nal. At first glance, Naesala might appear to be relaxed, but there's a tension in the air between the three of them that isn't so easily brushed off. The two of them seem to have been expecting a fight, but what they got was a Dreamfolk that wasn't only willing, but happy to accommodate them.

"I understand completely," Naesala tells them, his voice even smoother than its usual. "Business is business, and in the end it benefits me as much as it does you." He reaches into one of his pockets to take out a short string of rhinn, working a cobalt triangle off of the strand before flipping it over to the kedan.

"There, that ought to settle my account. Give your employer my regards, won't you? And make sure you let him know I always keep my end of a deal."

C. GENERALLY HIGH ARTS
When he's not working, Naesala has been spending plenty of time with his new hipster friends. Odd or not, they have a finger on the pulse of what's trendy and new in Aifaran, and Naesala is quite happy to let them drag him along to events like plays, concerts, and poetry readings. While he's not an artist himself, Naesala has quickly learned what to say to cast himself as an appreciator and art critic, and uses his charm to smooth over any misunderstandings that pop up. He's still one of the Dreamfolk, after all, and he still has a lot to learn about the fascinating culture here.

Whether or not you're also involved with the art world, you might just run into Naesala either at a particular event or on his way home from one.

D. WILDCARD
[Or if you want to thread any other scenarios with Naesala, feel free to put one in!]

E. THE BIG RACE (for Pepper)
When the appointed day comes, Naesala arrives a little early to the bridge that he had marked as a starting point for his race against Pepper.

Given how confident she had sounded over her flying abilities, the map he had given her some days earlier wasn't simply a flight in the park. He had marked places on the route that weren't always above roof level, in some places passing under Skyway trains or between buildings with a tight enough gap that even Naesala would have some trouble getting his wingspan through it. He had the route memorized by now, of course. He wasn't about to be given an advantage like this and not fully use it.

Naesala spends his time watching clouds while he waits for her to arrive. He's not doing or wearing anything special, so it might not look like he's particularly prepared for what ought to be a fair bit of exercise for his wings.

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Pepper had actually been very pleased with the route Naesala had chosen. It was interesting, and laid out some challenges in a city that she didn't yet know like the back of her hand. The tight corners and low spaces also meant she couldn't (or at the very least shouldn't) push the suit to top speed. The armor computer translated the map in such a way that it would appear on her HUD if she wanted it to, but leave the autopilot off.

Rather than fly all the way to the bridge and give away the ability of the suit immediately, Pepper, she lands nearby. Helmet under one arm, repulsors and boot jets off, she walks towards Naesala with a broad smile on her face. "Hey," she calls, waving a gauntleted hand. His wings are still really cool. "You need some time to warm up?"

Perhaps it wasn't the best timing, but fortunately, Tenn's hearing is excellent. He knows to avert his gaze and stroll by with an air of unconcerned elitism. But before turning away, he recognizes those black wings from both the Dreaming Bridge and local arts events.

After Naesala completes his transaction, he may find another frequenter of theaters lurking along the street. Tenn is normally all professionalism and smiles at events, chatting knowledgeably with the entertainers. Now, his lips are turned in a frown that is definitely disapproving - but not for the reasons most people would be.

"Are you certain you haven't been had? I was offered a deal for only silver crescents a few days ago. I believe their standards can be more flexible."

As it is, Tenn is used to seeing significantly larger amounts of money exchanged at home, and he was quite frankly disappointed with the lack of professionalism from the last group to approach him. He might have inadvertently pushed the price up a little with his complaints. Maybe.

Turning when he hears Pepper calling out to him, Naesala opens his mouth to respond and then just stops, looking her over in bewilderment. That wasn't anything like what he'd been picturing when she said she had flying armor of some kind. It was far more streamlined than the armor he was used to seeing, for one thing, and what was that... glowing thing on her chest? Some manifestation of the magic it used?

"I've seen plenty of colored plate armor before, but purple and silver is a new combination." He regains his composure quickly, giving her a little smirk as he flexed his wings out to their full span. "I flew over here, so I already got in a little workout. I'm fully prepared for this. How about you?"

Naesala stepped away from the scene when the two thugs did, in a sort of mutual understanding, stepping over to the street as they left in the opposite direction. Of course, seeing someone he recognized there was one of the last things he expected. He gives a slight start, briefly shooting Tenn a surprised look before huffing and smoothing his (metaphorically) ruffled feathers.

"Damn! You about made me jump out of my skin. Isn't it a little rude to be eavesdropping?" Well, Naesala absolutely would have done the same thing in his position. That wasn't the point. Smoothing his frown back into a polite enough smile, he nodded to Tenn, "I knew they were taking advantage of me, but it seemed safer just to fork over the money. I'm sure they were carrying some kind of weapon, and I didn't want it to end in violence."

Not that he had made even the slightest indication of that during their transaction. Neither of the thugs had even taken their threats that far, given how quickly Naesala had bowed to their demands.

Oh, this is so worth the ruse; judging by the look on Naesala's face, he has absolutely no idea what to expect.

"It's pretty," Pepper declares, opting not to remark on how badass it was, too. For now, anyway. Let him think that the suit was slow and heavy (it was heavy unpowered, but Tony's technology made it incredibly maneuverable). "All I need is my helmet."

She dons it smoothly, the HUD coming to life. Now she can grin from ear to ear and have it remain hidden. This is super exciting. Pepper gives Naesala a thumbs up, and her voice is modulated when she speaks again: "Ready when you are."

A flat look in response. He can't help if his hearing is good... enough to listen in for his own wellbeing. Who wouldn't?

"I see." Tenn says simply, while eyeing the large wings. If he had those, he would've used them to escape. Wouldn't it be a simple enough matter, even against a kedan shapechanger? He raises his gaze back to Naesala's face, with a slight smile. I don't believe you, but if you say so. Tenn knows better than to press the matter, especially if what he just witnessed was more than an exchange of mere insurance.

"It's thoughtful of you to prevent violence in the street." Take that as you will, but Tenn's tone softens slightly. "It would've frightened the citizens, and I'm sure no one wanted that."

That modulation doesn't sound the same as someone having their voice muffled by a normal metal helmet. It was odd enough for Naesala to take notice of it, but there was no time to question it now.

"Then I'll count us off," he told her, stepping back to give them both plenty of room. Perhaps she wouldn't need it as much, but Naesala also wasn't eager to smack his wings against all that metal she had on. "You can get as much height as you want, but don't think about taking any shortcuts, got it?"

"Three, two, one... go!" He did at least wait to finish the count before launching himself forward, powerful flaps of his wings picking himself off of the ground. Without having picked up any speed yet, it still likely looked rather slow to anyone that was used to being in a car... or using jets to fly.

"Thoughtful? Sure, whatever you say. I was a little more concerned with violence against myself than how much it might scare someone."

Even if Tenn didn't look completely convinced, Naesala knew better than to push it and end up digging his way into a deeper hole. He also had no idea how long Tenn had been standing there listening to the exchange. If whatever he heard had the potential to cause a problem, there were more subtle ways to mitigate that kind of damage.

Resting his hands on his hips, Naesala asked, "What are you doing on this side of town, anyway? There isn't some sort of art show nearby that I didn't hear about, is there?" As often as he saw this human at similar events, it didn't hurt to ask - and that was a far better topic than lingering on his shady activities.

The response stirs Tenn’s concern, but he’s careful to keep his expression neutral. In his experience, the ones who don’t want to be hurt are liabilities. He follows the lead into a more conversational tone, remaining alert.

"No. I was asked to survey a building that my guild is considering for a new school." My guild. Still sounds a bit odd to say, since it's the first he's been affiliated with such a group. But the community has been pleasant, and Tenn is eager to help them as much as they've assisted him.

He tilts his head, curious. "I've seen you with the local writers. You wouldn't happen to write or recite yourself?" It would be an impressive recital with his presence, the height and wings. He'd be surprised if none of Naesala's poet companions have suggested it.

"Follow the route, got it," Pepper confirmed with a nod.

The repulsors and jet boots powered on with a slight whine, glowing brightly as Naesala counted down. He launched forward, but Pepper launched upward. This really was unfair of her.

She let Naesala get a bit of a lead on her, bringing up the map display on her HUD. Hopefully, he wouldn't be so miffed as to give up entirely. "Time to have some fun," she said to herself, and dove back to Naesala's altitude.

"Eat my dust!" Pepper whooped, darting past him-- but not far enough that he couldn't try to overtake her, for now.

The lead he was given allowed Naesala to start building up speed, looking a little more graceful now that he was actually moving at a decent clip. He was still very aware of Pepper's presence behind him, something about the faint whine of her suit setting his teeth on edge. He wasn't blessed with incredible hearing like some other laguz were, but some of his senses were more sensitive than a normal human's were.

"Hey!" He squawked when she suddenly flew past. "You little-!" He didn't know how that had happened, but it didn't matter as much as catching up. That's when Naesala starts to glow, a silver light sweeping over his body as he changes right in mid-air. It's no longer a winged man hastily flapping to catch up, but a huge, blue-black raven with ornate silver symbols traced over his feathers on his head and breast. He makes a rather annoyed-sounding caw, angling his somewhat larger wingspan out to catch the air better.

"Oh? That sounds like quite a worthwhile cause. Is education normally the focus of this guild of yours?" It's certainly easier for him to relax now that they had moved on to regular conversation, no acting required. Naesala is legitimately curious about the guild, too. He was still in the process of learning who the movers and shakers in this city were, and that wasn't something that was easy to absorb even after living here for a couple of months.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I don't have enough creative bones in my body to do that kind of thing. I just happen to know a few of them - and where those few like to get drinks." Naesala's probably seen at least half the cafes in the city by now, if not quite as many bars.

"If by education you mean training new performers, then no. It's not their focus, but they have an interest in exploring that direction. The previous school has fallen into disrepair, so they are expanding." And Tenn knows a thing or two about dance floors and studios, especially how valuable a secure one is. If he's aiming for a teaching position at the same time as surveying property, well, all the better.

Ah, the 'I'm not creative' excuse. Being able to create art and being able to support it are two very different fields. Tenn's smile is confident as he poses a challenge. "Have you tried? Reciting is done by memory and vocal intonation, and you have the presence for it."

Pepper's HUD flashes... something unhelpful as Naesala transforms. It knows there's an energy surge, or at least an energy change, and that her race partner is now shaped quite differently than before. She risks a glance back, and her eyes widen to see the huge raven pursuing her. Giant Eagles she's heard of, but this is new, and it is awesome.

"That is so cool," she yells back, the suit amplifying her voice over the sound of the bootjets. Eyes forward again, Pepper looks ahead to where the first turn lies, a fierce grin on her face. Once, she would have been bouncing off buildings and making a fool of herself. Now, she can execute tight maneuvers smoothly and just have fun.

She puts just a little bit more distance between them and doesn't lose speed as she makes the turn.

"At least you don't sound like you're trying to recruit me to this future school," Naesala commented, amusement slipping into his tone. "I'm not all that bad at public speaking, though I can't claim to have ever tried something like poetry. I feel like being so unfamiliar with the cultures here would be a bigger obstacle than memorizing something. It's not going to be much of a performance if you don't understand what you're talking about, is it?" Sure, a simpler poem or topic might work out, but there were bound to be nuances there that he'd have trouble picking up on.

Was that an excuse? Maybe. But Naesala did like being 'in' with the art crowd without too many expectations being made of him.

"Besides, I'm sure your guild will be combing through plenty of new talent once you get that school up and running. Or do you think you'll have any competition there?"

Despite his transformation, Naesala was still merely a mortal bird. Even if he was gaining speed a little faster now, he had to slow to make the turn, his skill and previous practice at least making the action look completely smooth. He was still lagging behind Pepper, the way she was just ahead of him making him feel both annoyed and hopeful. It was too early in the race to be throwing in the towel just yet, but the way she flew in her suit seemed effortless, and that shouldn't have been possible.

"Did I forget to mention I could do this? It must've slipped my mind!" Not only could he still talk in this form, Naesala's voice was mostly the same, as though his transformation had been kind enough to spare his vocal chords. "It's still no enchanted armor," he called out to her. "How'd you get your hands on that?"

"Uh-huh," Pepper called, amused skepticism clear in her voice. She was not the only one who had approached this race with secrets, it seemed. Unless he'd been lying about his top speed, however, the Rescue armor still outclassed him by leaps and bounds. The fact that his voice was the same was a neat trick.

"My friend built it for me." The sly grin was audible even through the modulation of the speakers that made it possible to be heard through the air. "And it's not enchanted - it's technology!"

Though, she could see how it would be viewed as magic. Clarke's Third Law and all that. Pepper began to put more distance between them, as if to make a point.

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we'll take to the skies [open]

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