Vax and Shen | Backdated to 10/1
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ax_mainVax learns how to fly (not just glide) by jumping off of the roof, and Shen gives him a what-for for grabbing her.
It was early evening, just after dinner, when Vax started his climb, swinging out of his window and grabbing the bricks to pull himself up, past the third floor, swinging over the gutter onto one of the low slopes of the roof. It was exhilarating, as always, doing shit like that, and once up, he trotted lightly along the slope until he got to one of the high edges, looking out over the setting sun.
Closing his eyes, he reached for the shadows around him, feeling the weight and off-balance of the shadow-black wings cling to his back, pushing through the material of his shirt as though it wasn't even there. He took a deep breath, unfolding them, letting them stretch out and grinning a little at the sensation. He could feel the breeze shifting along his feathers and when he opened his eyes, he looked out at the grounds, trying to judge the uplift of the winds.
Sharper eyesight was a blessing, if you asked Shen, especially when it allowed you to spot someone on the roof. The new kid, Vax, with the shadow wings, she suspected as she focused on the dark wings on his back. Who else could it be? She changed both her speed and trajectory, hoping to reach him before he did anything stupid. Just because it had worked for Warren didn't mean that it would work for everyone.
Too late, Vax took a running leap off of the roof, all darkness and long hair, flaring black feathers against the purple sky. There was no fear, no hesitation. He just...jumped. And plummeted. Then, ten feet into the fall, the shadow on his back stretched into an impressive wingspan that caught an upswell of wind and he began to coast upward, a sharp victory "Whoo!" on his lips.
Shen had pushed herself as fast as she could go when she saw him jump, wings close to her body, hoping to be there in time to catch him and afraid that she'd get there too late. When he managed to catch the wind, she spread her wings abruptly, a jarring stop to her desperate attempt. "Fuck," she let out, heart thudding hard. She stayed in place for a few seconds, getting a hold on herself, before heading over to the new flyer. "You scared the shit out of me!"
Vax looked up, bright eyes, a grin on his lips, and he darted out to catch her in his arms, pumping his wings upward to send them soaring in celebration. He didn't even know who she was, but it didn't matter. He was actually flying - not just gliding like he'd done in the city.
"What-" But he was taking her up before she could finish asking what he thought he was doing heading for her. It was instinct to tuck her wings in so he could maneuver without their windage getting in the way. She was trying hard to be affronted, but his enthusiasm for flying was catching. "It's usually not a very smart idea to grab random girls without asking them first," she told him, but her hands on his shoulders were still hand-shaped (unlike her feet), and she could not quite help the smile twitching up the corner of her lips.
His smile faltered a little, and he had the decency to look ashamed as he flared his wings out and slowly dropped them toward the ground. Fortunately, his landings were better than his actual ability to fly, and he set her down, stepping away with a soft cough. "Shit. Sorry."
"Let's chalk that up to first flight adrenaline rush," Shen replied, pushing her hair out of her face. She needed another hair cut. "You're Vax, right? I'm Shen." He looked properly sorry, so she didn't bother adding, 'Don't do that again' just then.
"Shen. Fuck, trust me, I don't usually go about grabbing strangers like that," he told her wholeheartedly. Their money, sure, but not their bodies. "I didn't hurt you did I?"
The more earnest and sorry he sounded, the more Shen was okay with it, and she shook her head. "Nope. You're lucky I didn't crash us in surprise, but we're good. And you're good, for a beginner."
Vax glanced back at his wings, flexing them. "I've had a lot of practice with short bursts and gliding between buildings. Just never anything like this, out in the open."
Shen paused, then offered, "Let's go again? I can take us up, if you need to start from a height for now."
"No," Vax gave another flex, careful. "Can you teach me how to get off of the ground on my own? It would probably go a long way with my training."
"You don't have super strength or anything, right?" Shen checked. It made it so much easier, being able to leap high enough.
"No," he agreed. "Nothing like that. But then, my wings aren't like regular wings, either. They come from shadow made material."
"No shit," Shen replied, since she remembered, and it was obvious from the look of them. Or it was when you knew what Vax did, anyway. "They're gorgeous, by the way.
"But anyway. Flap them repeatedly, angled like this..." She demonstrated, without jumping up, and the beat of her wings alone was enough to take her off the ground on the second flap. A third flap, and she spread them, slowly making it back to the ground. "The angle works for me, anyway," she added, remembering what Teddy had said about different kinds of wings.
Vax watched, then attempted to mimic her, his light frame working in his favor (for probably the first time ever) as he lifted an inch or two off of the ground, wobbling a little sideways as he did. The next flap came with more power, and unsteadily made it a few feet off of the ground, shifting this way and that as he tried to keep the flapping going.
"That's pretty good," Shen stated encouragingly, and resisted the urge to join him in the air just yet. He looked wobbly enough that she didn't want to make it harder on him by displacing the air with her own wings. She could still catch him if he began to fall, she was pretty sure. "Think core muscles. Flying is pretty much like a neverending, totally awesome planking exercise."
With a flare of his wings, Vax glided back down to the ground and took a deep breath, looking at her a little askance. "Planking what-now?"
"You know, the plank?" Shen winced, then dropped to the ground in the simplest version of planking. "Holding this position?" She got back to her feet, wiping her hand-shaped hands together. "Works all of your core, and it helps with like, balance and posture. All of that helps with stability up there."
Vax watched her curiously. "So if I do more of that, I'll have more control and balance."
"That's how it worked for me, anyway," Shen confirmed, although both Warren and she had had it easy with the superstrength. That hadn't stopped her from putting in the extra hours at the gym, as her muscle definition was beginning to attest.
He nodded thoughtfully. "Thanks. I admit, I've never been much of one for exercise, but if it will help with the wings, I'll try it out."
"I never thought I'd end up being a hit-the-gym-once-a-day kinda girl," Shen replied with a small shrug, wings shifting with it. "The places mutation takes us, huh?"
He gave a pointed look back at the mansion. "No shit. If you'd have told me I'd be brushing shoulders with wealthy brats in a posh boarding school three months ago, I would have laughed my ass off."
"I'm friends with the richest of whitest boys now," Shen answered, lips quirked in an amused smile. "I feel you."
He made a face. "As much as I hate to admit it, apparently I'm money now too. Asshole of an absent father suddenly decided to do the rags to riches bit. My sister's now living at a place on Kensington Palace Gardens and attending charity events. Three months ago, we were living on the street."
Shen raised her eyebrows. "...wow. Talk about an adjustment. You said she's your twin, right?"
Vax gave a nod. "In everything but book smarts. That's her area of expertise."
Shen huffed out a small laugh at his answer. "I'm looking forward to meeting her." She smiled. "We've got all the other complete sets of twins. She'll make it here eventually."
He frowned a little. He wanted to believe her. He did. But every minute apart from Vex was a stomach-punch. Then again, everyone kept telling him that they'd be together. He gave a small smile and nodded. "I'll take your word for it."
Well, now Shen really, really hoped she was right, if he was going to do that. She smiled at him. "Anyway. You wanna fly some more?"
Vax looked around, drawing on the lengthening shadows as the wings on his back thickened and re-formed. Then he grinned at her and nodded, jumping up and flapping to get himself into the air.
Shen smiled as she watched him make his way up, then leaped to his level, wings spreading to catch the wing and keep her afloat with (relatively) gentle flaps. "You're getting the hang of it."
It was early evening, just after dinner, when Vax started his climb, swinging out of his window and grabbing the bricks to pull himself up, past the third floor, swinging over the gutter onto one of the low slopes of the roof. It was exhilarating, as always, doing shit like that, and once up, he trotted lightly along the slope until he got to one of the high edges, looking out over the setting sun.
Closing his eyes, he reached for the shadows around him, feeling the weight and off-balance of the shadow-black wings cling to his back, pushing through the material of his shirt as though it wasn't even there. He took a deep breath, unfolding them, letting them stretch out and grinning a little at the sensation. He could feel the breeze shifting along his feathers and when he opened his eyes, he looked out at the grounds, trying to judge the uplift of the winds.
Sharper eyesight was a blessing, if you asked Shen, especially when it allowed you to spot someone on the roof. The new kid, Vax, with the shadow wings, she suspected as she focused on the dark wings on his back. Who else could it be? She changed both her speed and trajectory, hoping to reach him before he did anything stupid. Just because it had worked for Warren didn't mean that it would work for everyone.
Too late, Vax took a running leap off of the roof, all darkness and long hair, flaring black feathers against the purple sky. There was no fear, no hesitation. He just...jumped. And plummeted. Then, ten feet into the fall, the shadow on his back stretched into an impressive wingspan that caught an upswell of wind and he began to coast upward, a sharp victory "Whoo!" on his lips.
Shen had pushed herself as fast as she could go when she saw him jump, wings close to her body, hoping to be there in time to catch him and afraid that she'd get there too late. When he managed to catch the wind, she spread her wings abruptly, a jarring stop to her desperate attempt. "Fuck," she let out, heart thudding hard. She stayed in place for a few seconds, getting a hold on herself, before heading over to the new flyer. "You scared the shit out of me!"
Vax looked up, bright eyes, a grin on his lips, and he darted out to catch her in his arms, pumping his wings upward to send them soaring in celebration. He didn't even know who she was, but it didn't matter. He was actually flying - not just gliding like he'd done in the city.
"What-" But he was taking her up before she could finish asking what he thought he was doing heading for her. It was instinct to tuck her wings in so he could maneuver without their windage getting in the way. She was trying hard to be affronted, but his enthusiasm for flying was catching. "It's usually not a very smart idea to grab random girls without asking them first," she told him, but her hands on his shoulders were still hand-shaped (unlike her feet), and she could not quite help the smile twitching up the corner of her lips.
His smile faltered a little, and he had the decency to look ashamed as he flared his wings out and slowly dropped them toward the ground. Fortunately, his landings were better than his actual ability to fly, and he set her down, stepping away with a soft cough. "Shit. Sorry."
"Let's chalk that up to first flight adrenaline rush," Shen replied, pushing her hair out of her face. She needed another hair cut. "You're Vax, right? I'm Shen." He looked properly sorry, so she didn't bother adding, 'Don't do that again' just then.
"Shen. Fuck, trust me, I don't usually go about grabbing strangers like that," he told her wholeheartedly. Their money, sure, but not their bodies. "I didn't hurt you did I?"
The more earnest and sorry he sounded, the more Shen was okay with it, and she shook her head. "Nope. You're lucky I didn't crash us in surprise, but we're good. And you're good, for a beginner."
Vax glanced back at his wings, flexing them. "I've had a lot of practice with short bursts and gliding between buildings. Just never anything like this, out in the open."
Shen paused, then offered, "Let's go again? I can take us up, if you need to start from a height for now."
"No," Vax gave another flex, careful. "Can you teach me how to get off of the ground on my own? It would probably go a long way with my training."
"You don't have super strength or anything, right?" Shen checked. It made it so much easier, being able to leap high enough.
"No," he agreed. "Nothing like that. But then, my wings aren't like regular wings, either. They come from shadow made material."
"No shit," Shen replied, since she remembered, and it was obvious from the look of them. Or it was when you knew what Vax did, anyway. "They're gorgeous, by the way.
"But anyway. Flap them repeatedly, angled like this..." She demonstrated, without jumping up, and the beat of her wings alone was enough to take her off the ground on the second flap. A third flap, and she spread them, slowly making it back to the ground. "The angle works for me, anyway," she added, remembering what Teddy had said about different kinds of wings.
Vax watched, then attempted to mimic her, his light frame working in his favor (for probably the first time ever) as he lifted an inch or two off of the ground, wobbling a little sideways as he did. The next flap came with more power, and unsteadily made it a few feet off of the ground, shifting this way and that as he tried to keep the flapping going.
"That's pretty good," Shen stated encouragingly, and resisted the urge to join him in the air just yet. He looked wobbly enough that she didn't want to make it harder on him by displacing the air with her own wings. She could still catch him if he began to fall, she was pretty sure. "Think core muscles. Flying is pretty much like a neverending, totally awesome planking exercise."
With a flare of his wings, Vax glided back down to the ground and took a deep breath, looking at her a little askance. "Planking what-now?"
"You know, the plank?" Shen winced, then dropped to the ground in the simplest version of planking. "Holding this position?" She got back to her feet, wiping her hand-shaped hands together. "Works all of your core, and it helps with like, balance and posture. All of that helps with stability up there."
Vax watched her curiously. "So if I do more of that, I'll have more control and balance."
"That's how it worked for me, anyway," Shen confirmed, although both Warren and she had had it easy with the superstrength. That hadn't stopped her from putting in the extra hours at the gym, as her muscle definition was beginning to attest.
He nodded thoughtfully. "Thanks. I admit, I've never been much of one for exercise, but if it will help with the wings, I'll try it out."
"I never thought I'd end up being a hit-the-gym-once-a-day kinda girl," Shen replied with a small shrug, wings shifting with it. "The places mutation takes us, huh?"
He gave a pointed look back at the mansion. "No shit. If you'd have told me I'd be brushing shoulders with wealthy brats in a posh boarding school three months ago, I would have laughed my ass off."
"I'm friends with the richest of whitest boys now," Shen answered, lips quirked in an amused smile. "I feel you."
He made a face. "As much as I hate to admit it, apparently I'm money now too. Asshole of an absent father suddenly decided to do the rags to riches bit. My sister's now living at a place on Kensington Palace Gardens and attending charity events. Three months ago, we were living on the street."
Shen raised her eyebrows. "...wow. Talk about an adjustment. You said she's your twin, right?"
Vax gave a nod. "In everything but book smarts. That's her area of expertise."
Shen huffed out a small laugh at his answer. "I'm looking forward to meeting her." She smiled. "We've got all the other complete sets of twins. She'll make it here eventually."
He frowned a little. He wanted to believe her. He did. But every minute apart from Vex was a stomach-punch. Then again, everyone kept telling him that they'd be together. He gave a small smile and nodded. "I'll take your word for it."
Well, now Shen really, really hoped she was right, if he was going to do that. She smiled at him. "Anyway. You wanna fly some more?"
Vax looked around, drawing on the lengthening shadows as the wings on his back thickened and re-formed. Then he grinned at her and nodded, jumping up and flapping to get himself into the air.
Shen smiled as she watched him make his way up, then leaped to his level, wings spreading to catch the wing and keep her afloat with (relatively) gentle flaps. "You're getting the hang of it."
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Date: 2017-10-04 10:28 pm (UTC)