re_alignment_logs | can you teach me how to fly [closed]

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can you teach me how to fly [closed]

WHO: Kagerou & Kay Faraday
WHERE: The skies in Trion's sector
WHEN: Sometime soon after Blurr's post
WHAT: Birthday presents.
WARNINGS: FLUFF. SAP. AND ALL THAT.

[He still felt badly about all of this. He should never have forgotten the day. It was important to her, and she to him.]

[Only one way to make it up, really.]

[Someone else is handling her party -- which is good, considering Kagerou has only the basic understanding of how to put one together, let alone one so important to him. And her. This though -- this he can do. He's sure of it.]

[He just hopes it makes everything as it should be. That it's a decent enough present for the girl. Then again... it's not something he shares with just anyone. He'd done it once, here, on his own, and while Wing had looked on, it just wasn't the same.]

[Not the same as having a partner along for the ride.]

[He calls her, finally, deciding it's stupid to put it off any longer, and waits, up on the top of the temple, for her to arrive. All the while, he fidgets a little nervously in place.]

[This better be good enough.]

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[She'd really never held it against him--forgetting, that was. It was just one of those things that you never really notice pass by.

Days here were different than days on Earth.

When she gets the message from Kagerou, her eyes practically light up. He'd promised her a surprise, and Kagerou, despite a few, kept most of those promises. It excited her--and while she had been well over the magic of getting gifts, it still brought out the little girl in her.

She felt like a kid. An actual kid.

So don't mind if she scrambles to the rooftop, to find Kagerou there.]

Kagerou!! You sure do pick the coolest spots to give a surprise, don't you?

[He hears her before he sees her -- his sensory systems are more visually oriented than his fellow ninja's, but the sound of someone scrambling around is pretty obvious.]

[So by the time she gets up to the roof, he's kneeling, holding his hands down to her, expectantly.]

It's only a roof.

[But there's a smile tugging the corners of his mouth.]

... and we need to be up high.

[And just as expectantly as he was to her, she immediately runs to his hand, hopping into it like a giant skateboard, arms out to balance her. It'd become practically second nature for her.]

Just a roof? You sir, have not seen many roofs. Or too many.

[She sees that, and her own smile widens.]

Are you gonna tell me what my surprise it? You still owe me.

[Once she's stable and secure in his hands, he straightens up, holding her carefully. It wouldn't do to drop her now, of all times. Though, as much as it's become second-nature to her, it's become much the same to him, as well.]

I've seen a lot of roofs, Kay.

[He turns, looking out over the drop below.]

... I want to show you, instead. Hold on, all right?

[As soon as that hold is secure around her, she does as she's told, getting a tight grip on his hands.]

I guess the only people who really see a lot of roofs are ninjas and hobos.

Or roof cleaners.

[But she looks up at him, obvious that she places her full trust in him.]

I'm ready.

I could count as both of those first two.

[He holds her a little nearer to his chest, and curls his fingers around her.]

[She must be as secure as possible, before they go.]

[If anything ever happened to her...]

All right. Here we go.

[And just like that, he steps off the edge of the roof, kicking on his thrusters in the same motion. There's a sudden lurch, then they're airborne.]

[She had no worries about being safe. She completely trusted Kagerou with her. In fact...there wasn't a single place on Cybertron she felt safer.

So when he says he's ready, she braces herself, just figuring out what was happening.]

L-Let's do this!

[She didn't have much left to say--they were already in the air, and any words she had were replaced by screams of joy.]

I've got you.

[Even though there's air rushing past, and his thrusters are roaring, he doesn't speak any more loudly than usual. She'll hear him...]

[... he hopes, anyway, that was just sort of his instinct.]

[And he doesn't slow down. They go straight up, gaining altitude before he evens out, and begins making long loops over the ground below.]

Where do you want to go?

[Before he shows her the trick.]

[If she replied, it was amist the screams of excitement as she scrambles to grab the nearest part of Kagerou she can. With the wind so fierce against them, it was hard to hold on for long. But you know what? She loved every minute of it.

The open sky...it was like she belonged there.]

Let's go over Prima's! It's really pretty there!

[The glittering tower of Prima's sector was a sight to see.

The two flaps of her scarf whip back, past her neck, and if you looked close enough...they were like little wings.

Guess what, Kagerou, your baby bird's taking flight.]

[He glances down at her, checking in. Making sure that screaming is excitement, and that nothing is really wrong. The look on her face is reassuring enough.]

Right. We're going.

[Onward! He kicks up a little higher, until they're soaring well above the planet's surface.]

[It's not long before they near the area. Anywhere she wants to go, he'll fly there for her. Happily.]

[The look on her face is well-worth it.]

[When she senses that they're nearing Prima's Quadrant, she can't help but pull herself a bit out of that grip--to get a good look at the tower. Prima's tower was large and glowing. No one could miss it.

And when she sees it, you'd think her eyes were stars themselves, the way they glittered. This was one of the most beautiful things she'd ever seen.

And yet..]

Whoa...COOL!!

[Nice description.]

How fast can we go, Kagerou?? Can we zip around it? Like a bullet?

PHWOOSH!!

[If she looks up, she could probably see the smile on his own face. Even if it's not the most eloquent of descriptions, hearing her so happy... it's exactly what he was hoping for.]

Not as fast as the others... but I can try.

[Maybe if he were a jet, he could -- no. He'll try. It's what she wants.]

Hold on tightly.

[Because he kicks into a higher gear, so to speak, swinging to one side and catching a sudden, sharp wind. He has to go a little lower to actually circle the tower... but that's only going to help them go faster.]

[And there they go! Phwoosh!]

[She doesn't care what he is. She's having the time of her life, and he could have been the slowest thing that ever took the air. It'd be fast enough for her. She clings on tight when he kicks his engine into high gear, laughing at the sudden direction change.

Screams erupted, much like the kind you'd find on a large drop from a roller coaster.

She was having the time of her life.

But when they get to Prima's tower, circling it, her eyes peek open, and she gazes in awe at it. It was a sight to see from the GROUND, being in the air and watching it glisten...

It was more than she could hope for.]

Kagerou...this is amazing...

[This time, he doesn't have to check. He can tell she's having fun, now. And, in return... it feels good. It feels as if he matters, as if he's finally done something right in this place.]

[She's always managed to make him feel alive like this. He doesn't wonder, doesn't worry, when he can make her happy.]

[So he continues circling the tower, longer than he'd intended, in order to make sure she's seen it from every possible angle.]

It's still not what I wanted to show you...

[He picks up speed for another pass.]

... But we can do that when you're ready.

[Hold the phone. As they circle the tower, she snaps her head up to look at him, practically in awe.]

There's MORE? What could be better than this?

[Yeah, Kagerou. You've already made her day with this. Her face is practically split with a smile as she squirms in place, excitement taking over.]

I'm ready! I'm ready!

... Something I don't share with just anyone.

[Shown, yes. Shared... no. Only one other person.]

[He circles one more time, before hearing her answer. Then, and only then, does he take off, straight upward.]

[He doesn't so much as slow down, climbing higher, and higher into the atmosphere.]

...You're showing me something top secret?

[There's a squeal from her, practically giddy. But before she can say anything else, Kagerou takes off for the upper sky, and she can only hang on tight.

Whatever it was, she had a feeling it'd be worth the wait.]

Yes.

[That's all he says. He knows he can't go as high as he once did -- not here. Not with that thing in the way. But he can go high enough.]

[High enough to where the air begins to thin.]

Hold tightly. Here we go.

[He pauses, just for a moment, in silence, to give her time enough to brace herself. His hands are steady around her, holding her close -- nothing will happen to her while he has her in his grip. He swears it to himself.]

[And then...]

[His thrusters cut out. His wings fold. And his optics offline.]

[They fall, dropping straight down into free-fall in the time it takes his vision to blacken out.]

[She didn't say much after that either. With the air being so thin, and Cybertron not exactly DESIGNED for air in the first place, she had to save her breath.

At the request to hold tightly, she buckles down in his grasp, holding onto any part she can get ahold of. She trusts Kagerou not to let her go, but she also trusts his advice.

But when his thrusters cut out, her eyes widen, head immediately snapping around to look at his wings. Was he malfunctioning? Did they go too high?? His optics going offline worries her for a moment.]

K-Kagerou?

[But before she can ask anything else, they're in freefall. And she wasn't even sure if she was supposed to be. That ground was coming fast. There's a scream as they pick up speed...it's really the only thing she can do right now.]

It's all right.

[His voice comes out a little breathless, despite not actually having lungs, or needing to breathe. But it's calm. Breathless but calm.]

Just hold on.

Trust me.

[They're picking up speed by now. Faster than they were going before. As calm and elated as he looks, there are scans running constantly in the background, notifying him of even the slightest change in altitude. He's ready, prepared, to kick back into flight mode in less than a moment's notice. She's safe.]

[But for the moment, all there is... is free-fall.]

[At his voice, she looks up, eyes wide. So...Kagerou was alright? This wasn't a malfunctioning. He knew what he was doing. And she trusted him, more than anyone else on this planet.

So she braces herself, peeking her eyes open from the wind only a sliver, watching the ground approach sooner and sooner.

She had to admit, her heart started to race.

[He leaves it as long as he can. He lets them fall as long as possible -- savoring this feeling. The only choice he'd ever known, for so long. Whether or not he would choose to let himself fall.]

[... Or whether or not he would fly.]

[It's not a sharp, sudden stop, like it would be, if he were doing this alone. He shifts, slowly extending his wings until the plummeting dive turns into more of a shallow arc. Only then does he kick his thrusters back on again.]

[And only then does he take them up out of the dive, into a spiral, casting long, quick shadows over the ground.]

[She could see individual rocks. The dust on the ground. It was almost scary, but at the same time, she knew they'd be okay. Like you would on a roller coaster. There was something stable holding you. And Kagerou...was more safe than that.

Still, her eyes grew, as at the very last second, they pulled up. Those wings flared, spiraling them up into the sky, away from everything. A scream of joy splits the air as she holds her arms up, letting the wind whip her hair back.

Nothing felt this great. Absolutely nothing.]

WOOOO!! OH gosh, this is AMAZING, Kagerou!!

[Once they've leveled off, he speaks with her again. There is a grin on his face -- a real, honest smile.]

I've only ever done this with one person. And... now you.

I wanted you to know what it felt like. Just as I wanted him to know.

[She probably doesn't have to guess very hard about who he's talking about. Or just how much this means to him.]

[She'll know.]

[That grin--it was nice to see. It was a rarity for Kagerou. And something she was glad to see now. Right now. While they were airborne.

Where they both belonged.]

...K-Kagerou...I...I mean--

Dad. You're the best. You know that?

[Saying 'Dad'. It felt so natural. To be shown something that Kagerou would only show to the person he valued most...

Don't cry, Kay. Don't cry. You're manly as hell.]

[... Dad ...]

[It makes something in his AI spark. Something bright, something warm. Family -- right. Maybe he needed this, too. Needed this reassurance he did belong somewhere in this place.]

[With his family.]

Happy birthday, Kay.

[He pauses, hovering in the air, now, and holding her up to optic-level. The better to tell her, this way.]

[Those were like magic words. Her eyes, usually full of pep and a little flighty, now softened... This was the best present she'd ever gotten.

She was flying. Flying with her dad.]

Thanks, Dad.

[When lifted to his face, she leans in...and places a kiss on his cheek. Only the best.]

I love my present.

[He's never going to get used to that. He should be. But all the same, his head pulls back a little in surprise, when she does it.]

[But.]

[He smiles a little. Just a little.]

Any time you want to... we can go together.

All right?

Anytime...?

[Her eyes glance up at him, practically emeralds glittering.]

I'd...I'd like that.

Who knows? Maybe one day I'll fly with you.

Any time.

[He nods, as he says it, bowing his head down over her.]

Fly with me?

[The corners of his mouth twitch again.]

I would like that, as well, little bird.

[And when he does that, she puts her hand up, running it along his cheek.]

I'd like that too, Dad.

I promise we will.

I promise, too.

[One more promise. One he will keep. For her sake.]

Is there anywhere else you want me to take you?

[And one she'll keep in return. Because he was special. You always kept your promises to your dad.

No matter what.]

I...can we go over Mr. Trion's lake? I've never seen it from above...

[His smile is very real now, very apparent.]

[Funny... how when he arrived, he thought there was only one other living thing that could make him smile.]

It's your gift. We can go wherever you like.

[He shifts, to hold her more securely again.] Hold on.

[And in turn, her smile is just as vivid, practically lighting up her face. She nods, clinging to Kagerou as he tells her to hold on, looking outwards at the sky.

She was ready.]

Let's go!

[And no matter what reality they were in, this was something she wouldn't forget.]

[He'll fly her anywhere she wants. For as long as she wants.]

[Anything for the girl who somehow, makes him feel as if he's alive -- against all odds and self-perceptions.]

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can you teach me how to fly [closed]

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