acatalepsy_rpg | [Video]

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[Video]

[Keith spent a long time debating whether to bother with video for this or just go with text. But the truth is, for what he's aiming for, it's better to do this virtual-face to virtual-face. Or something. He's even done bothering with the frankly ridiculous mask. For now.

The video opens to a fairly normal looking teenager (aside from the fact that what's visible of him is definitely dressed in a skin-tight vaguely glowy futuristic space suit), hesitating a moment like he's still debating on how to begin.]

So. Uh.

[Good start, Keith. Solid.]

I guess all of us are stuck in the same boat whether we want to be or not. And apparently that boat is headed for some other world before we know it.

I'll be honest. I don't know if we can trust this Astoria as far as we can throw her. [And he knows she can hear this, but he's said as much to her face, so there's that.] But for now I guess I plan on going along to see how things play out. [Which after discussing with Shiro, he feels pretty okay about, as plans go.]

But... just waltzing into other worlds, and potentially meddling in them... that could go bad really quickly if someone makes an enemy of the wrong person. If that happens, it might not be a terrible idea to know what we've got on our side.

Not just magic either. Because... that's really new to me at least. But we all bring some experience or skills or knowledge or something to the table, right? If we're gonna be any sort of team, we may as well know our strengths. And what we might be lacking.

[Maybe? Keith is now wondering if it was a bad idea to give him a way to talk to so many people at once. But he's committed now, no help for it. So he'll even go first.]

I'm Keith. Uh... I guess I'm pretty good with a sword. Pretty good in anything that flies. And I'm mostly used to being in space, lately. But it does't sound like that'll be helpful in this El Minha place. Also apparently I can fly now. So... there's that.

Anyone else feel like sharing?

(( hit him up, hit each other up, threadjack as you like! ))

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Of course it will be you. I asked you to go flying.

[Technically he suggested it but details. Shiro chuffs a laugh at Keith's eagerness to fly. He likes chuffing better than the rolling growls that was an attempt at human laughter. Probably sounds less disturbing too.

He's not used to someone climbing up on his back without warning but it's Keith. He lifts his great head and peers back over his shoulder.]

Strap yourself in and we'll take off.

[A series of straps serve as a safety line for the rider. The ground is going to be a long ways away and it won't always be Keith riding him.]

Yeah yeah. And here I am.

[Ready and absolutely willing. Eager is right. Keith is always happy to jump into a cockpit, never mind this, where he gets to actually hit the sky with nothing between him and the open air.

Doing it with Shiro is even better somehow.

Keith takes a moment to figure the straps out, making sure that he's secured -- as secure as he's going to be anyway.]

Okay. I'm strapped in. Go for it, Shiro.

[He bursts into motion and races across the ground with a low pleased rumble in his chest. He's always happy to fly but doing it with a friend who has known him a long time is better somehow. He's never been the sharing his troubles sort.

But sharing something like this? He launches into the sky and steadily pours on the speed in their upward climb. He levels off when they clear the trees and the walls of the temple.]

Holding up okay?

[Shiro slows down to adjust himself and circles the temple, giving Keith time to get used to being strapped in before they test just how fast he can go now.]

[Keith grips at the straps, ducking low to keep his profile down and along Shiro's, cut down on drag as they rise up. He straightens just slightly when Shiro levels out.]

Doing great. It's an easier grip with these.

[So far anyway. ...and well.]

So... let's see if you can shake me. [A challenge.]

[He answers by making a hard turn and blasting towards the forest. It puts the speed of their flight to shame. He can feel his speed increasing like he's got an internal console to keep watch of. Shiro misses being a pilot and feeling united with the Lion but being the Lion is an experience in of itself. It's freedom in an odd way he couldn't ever experience before.

He stops trying to play anything safe. It's like letting chains slip through his fingers. Keith can handle it. The boosters in his legs and wings fire, sending them tearing through the sky as faster than a hoverbike. Enough to notice before their speed levels off and can't ramp up any further.]

You're the rider. What does our speed feel like?

[A momentary jerk, but Keith holds on, leaning down closer to Shiro's back, trying not to grin like a maniac as he does it, but it's kind of hard to keep that expression off his face.

Once it seems they're done accelerating at least, he leans up.

And the only answer that Shiro will get at first is a laugh. An entirely pleased adrenaline-filled laugh.]

Fast. Real fast. Faster than anything open-air I've flown in before. But the harness is holding. ...you might knock someone loose who isn't ready for it though.

So slow acceleration and a lot of warnings. Got it.

[He can't smile with metal jaws but he can still sound amused. ...after months of moving at the speed of a wild animal the increase is so welcome he laughs. It's a rolling series of growls just like the last time he tried to laugh like a human being.]

I still think a special harness is in order. A few more safety straps to make it safe for people not used to riding or the speed we might have to go in emergencies.

[He can't put more speed into a turn so he just warns Keith with the words 'turning left' and puts them in a smooth turn to sweep over the left side of the forest that stretches below them in seemingly endless miles.]

[It may be an odd sound, but Keith has at least figured out that it's laughter, which is... good. Definitely good. The little he's seen of Shiro back home has been missions and briefings and seriousness, so it's a relief to hear him laugh.

Keith ducks down low as they turn, a laugh of his own escaping. He waits until they've leveled out again to answer, so his voice isn't blown away by the wind.]

Probably a good idea, yeah. I mean, even with this you're not going to lose anyone entirely at least. [Someone not ready for it might slip from their place, but not all the way to the ground.]

Good. I can work on things like comfort levels for long rides and things like that later. These intial tests will serve as the framework.

So, where would you store supplies on this rig? Up with the rider?

[He hasn't heard Keith laugh in a while even back home. He'd closed off then...the trial. Something loosens up in his chest as he calls he's descending for a closer look at the tree tops. He dives once he gives his warning, slowly and pulling out of it so his claws skim the tree tops.

He slows to the speed of a hover bike and a little further to peer curiously below them.]

I haven't been in the forest yet. Have you?

[A brief glance around and Keith nods, drawing his legs up (a precarious perch, but with the harness and his own magic, he's not worried about falling off.]

Yeah. Depending on what you want, up here would give whoever was riding the best access. And there's enough room it shouldn't interfere with your movement...

[In theory.]

Only for a few minutes when I first got here. I had to get out of the temple... try to get my head together. But then I heard your voice on the communicator and exploration got cut short. You?

I’ve only been over it or at the edge. I considered going in once the Circle got settled. We do need to know what’s in there.

[He slows down further. They can both peer below if they want to. Shiro glances back at him.]

I imagine some of us have already tried to explore it. But I’d like to see it for myself. Probably best to start as a Lion and go normal when I’m sure things are alright.

Not a bad idea. No telling what might be living out there. And how hungry it might be.

[A little pat to Shiro's very metallic back.] You're definitely pretty inedible like this at least.

[HOWEVER.] And even if I'm a little more snack sized, I'd like to come too.

I was hoping you'd want to. Yes, you're smaller but, anything mistaking you for breakfast will regret it.

[Shiro keeps his eyes on the endless forest while he considers where to fly now. They've tested the harness and his speed.]

Astoria mentioned something about the forest...or I think she did. The moment I heard your voice I focused entirely on you.

Good. Then we'll plan on it. It's definitely better to know what's out there.

[...and since Shiro can't see with both of them watching the trees below go past, Keith smiles. Okay. So they both got pretty distracted straight away. But finding Shiro became top priority the minute Keith knew he was around. He sees nothing amiss about that.]

I wonder how far it actually goes.

I don’t know. It seems endless until we want to go back.

[He recalls someone said it could be the protections of the temple making it seem so. They can’t leave the surrounding area. He reaches out with his claws to skim the top of a tree and rumbles. Is it endless below?

He won’t give in the curiousity now but he has to wonder. They need to know.]

I’m going to take us back. We can practice your flying nearer to the temple where we know what’s below us.

Guess we'll find out... or try to anyway. Might mean camping out...

[A mission for another day. For now though Keith is all for more flying. So he pats a hand against Shiro's metal back where he's sitting.]

Great. Flying practice it is! [Exciting. Keith likes flying a little too much. He's going to wind up overdoing it and paying the price someday. But probably not today while he's supervised at least.]

[Shiro envisions the temple as he slowly cranks up his speed. The temple rises in the distance as if it had always been there. He cuts his speed slowly in half for the approach.

There's no telling who might be trying to learn to fly today. With a low rumble he slows down until they're hovering over the arena.]

Remember to pace yourself. Magic can take a lot of you.

[Once they've slowed, Keith is already working the harness free. Shiro says remember to pace yourself, and Keith, in what is probably not a surprising turn of events, does exactly the opposite.

A smirk finds his lips before he more or less just throws himself right off Shiro's back, letting himself free fall for a moment or two before he lets his magic kick in and he swoops back up to the same level as the other.]

Right, yeah. I remember. I'll take it easy.

[He'll try.]

[He sighs. Keith and flying...it's such a fitting combination and so dangerous. It's probably a good thing he can't make expressions as a lion. Instead he rumbles in his chest and rubs his metal cheek against Keith's shoulder on his way past. He puts himself into a turn and carves a circle around the arena.

Shiro shoots right up at the end of his circle and barrel rolls, leveling off and settling feet facing down in the sky above.]

Don't copy that. Keep getting the feel of controlling your direction and speed.

[If nothing else, Keith feels entirely at home in the sky -- which yeah, probably has its dangerous points to it. He glances over at the brush of that metal cheek against his shoulder, turning to watch Shiro executed that maneuver with...

Yeah, let's call it envy.

He wants to try it. He's already considering it when Shiro calls him on it.]

...I think I could do it.

[For the record. But okay. Baby steps. For now he leans to the left, bringing himself back over towards Shiro in a slightly more sedate loop.]

Speed though... I haven't really found out how fast I can go.

[So there's something to try.]

Control first. We can work on your speed when you can stop exactly when you need to.

[He rolls in the air, stopping halfway with his wings at an angle. Shiro rights himself and descends, dropping down slowly until he hovers just over the top of the arena walls.]

First time I tried to barrel roll as a Lion I crashed into four trees. [Don't be him.]

This is basic flight at the Garrison all over again, you know.

[He just wants to go fast, Shiro. Let him go fast. But because it's Shiro, and Keith trusts him implicitly he will try to follow his advice here. Try. Try really hard.

But he already has terrible ideas about maxing out his speed and then pushing it further with a little help from his friend gravity.

For now though he follows along with Shiro, weaving back and forth to try to get a handle on his turns, less shaky than the first time for sure.]

Ouch. So... avoid crashing into trees? Lesson one?

Lesson one is to get the basics down before you try anything fancy. Exactly like the Garrison.

[He weaves back and forth, curving upwards in tighter and tighter turns. He spirals back out, diving down with his feet tucked up against his metal body. Shiro keeps an eye on Keith.

This isn't going to be enough for a talented pilot. What can he do to fix that but still make it safe learning? He comes to a halt and reaches out a paw to prod at him.]

Let's try this. Try and catch me. I'll only use basic flying and no boosts. But you have to actually have a solid grip and can't be shaken off to win.

[Keith may have pushed every last boundary in his basics courses he could, put the flight simulator through absolute hell over and over again. But this is no simulation. Even so, he's definitely itching to find where the outer limits of what he can do lie.

What Shiro proposes has him lighting up though. Okay. It appeals to his competitive streak, and gives him a goal instead of just practicing basic maneuvers.]

Okay. So... aerial tag. I like it.

[He'll definitely catch him. He's determined.]

Stay down here. I'm going to rise up. You can start after me when I put myself into a dive.

[Shiro rises, curving upwards and kicking in his boosters to get some quick height. He waits for the count of three and puts himself into a steep dive. It's game on.]

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