concoursec | It's time to open myself // Do something new~

Entry tags:

It's time to open myself // Do something new~

Character(s):

tinkercat
Location: Quad >> then wherever.
Rating: PG? Will update if it goes higher.
Open/Closed/Finished: [CLOSED]
Summary: Botan promised to take Tom for a flight on her oar. The poor, poor guy.

Botan hummed to herself as she teetered back and forth, from heel to toe. Excitement fizzled in the air about her, practically visible as she took in a deep breath and glanced at the sky above. The lovely weather they had been blessed with outside was only partially the reason for her happiness -- perfect weather for flying, really -- while the other was that, finally, she was going to get Tom on her oar and up in the air!

She knew that he wasn't so sure about this, and really she couldn't blame him for that (at least, she couldn't blame him too much); her driving skills when they were cadets were abysmal. Were. She had gotten better! Besides, driving was nothing like flying. Flying was so very different, you could go oh-so fast with no need to stop due to fuel nor turn sharply and stopping was such an ease to do. No brakes to maneuver, or anything like that. Steering relied upon the movement of your body. It was just... bliss, to her. Second nature, really, and she couldn't wait to share the experience.

If only Tom would hurry up, already!

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He must've been hammered when he agreed to this. Tom couldn't think of any other rational explanation for agreeing to fly on Botan's oar. Was that even safe? (Please, God, he was too young to die! Even if he was a ripe old twenty-three years old.) Rubbing his temples, Tom made a mad dash through the campus, nearly knocking out a Cadet or two, before finally arriving at the Quad.

True to Bronson form, he was indeed five minutes later than their arranged meeting time. Managing a weak smile at her, Tom then playfully saluted her, "S'up Instructor?"

He couldn't say that he was ready for these lessons (ha, more like the opposite!), but if all else failed, at least they were pretty close to a doctor and a fully-stocked infirmary. Small comforts when he would be plummeting to his doom, but at least he could say he tried. Maybe.

The first thing Botan noticed was that Tom had finally arrived! The second thing was how nervous he was about it all. She pouted at his unease in all of this. Really, some best friend... All of those driving incidents had happened nearly two years ago! It was time for the past to be the past!

"Come now, Tom!" she chided, looking slightly offended and upset. She huffed, tucking her head down just a tad and looking up at him through her bangs -- not completely unlike a child who wasn't getting their way. "It's been ages since you taught me to drive and I did pass the class! Besides, flying is completely different. You don't have to rely upon any mechanics other than the self power it takes for the oar to be enchanted."

Botan was getting into one of her lecture modes, she knew, but she couldn't help it. He was doubting her and it hurt. Even if he did get injured -- and he wouldn't unless he tried to jump off mid flight and landed poorly -- she specialized in healing magic in this world and her own. He would be safe and well taken care of.

He knew that, somewhere in his head. Granted, Tom wasn't afraid of heights - it'd been something he had come to terms with the moment he joined the JSA - but it was a matter of trust this time. And he did trust Botan, right? She had a point: flying and driving weren't exactly alike.

Managing a weak smile, he tried to comfort her with a, "Sorry. I didn't mean to make you upset... you know how I get about these things."

Part of him vaguely wondered if he was being suckerpunched into this, but he knew better than to voice that opinion right now. "So we're gonna begin, right? I'm ready when you are."

Botan beamed at his apology, nodded at the acknowledgement, and once he voiced his acceptance of that this was going to happen (he wasn't going to get out of it, ever) she summoned her oar with a flick of her wrist. It was exactly the same as Tom might've remembered, looking like your standard oar. It was tan in colour, wooden and the only abnormality was that it floated several of feet off the ground. Of course, that was quite the abnormality, even for this world.

With a smile, she gently sat down on it and motioned for him to come and do the same. There was also an unspoken message in her actions, voicing that he'd better not try to get out of it. Botan was giddy about this, this was something she wanted to share deeply with him, and any more attempts at not going through with it would undoubtedly hurt her worse.

Once he agreed to this, he knew he'd be in it for the long haul. He took one look at the oar before tracing a cross on his chest and then following Botan's lead. Carefully mimicking her, he took a deep breath and gripped the oar tightly with his fingers.

He thought about transforming - it'd be better in case he fell - but this was a matter of trust. He'd have to believe that he'd be alright, even if it might cost him a leg in the process.

Now, Botan may not of grown up in a place where Christianity ran rampant, but she recognized the Sign of the Cross and made a mental note to take him for a couple of loops. After he got used to it, of course.

"There we go!" she praised, leaning up just the slightest of bits. With a smile, the oar slowly began to rise up into the air. Botan had decided on letting him get adjusted to the feeling of being in the air without his feet upon something or another, before going near any speed she deemed bliss.

"If you'd rather, you can grip onto me. Keiko used to do that, when I first took her for rides."

Keiko? Ah, right, one of her friends. Tom nodded, leaning forward and gently wrapping his arms around her waist. By this time, he'd gotten somewhat comfortable with the idea of being off the ground, so he rested his head on her shoulder and grinned.

"Fine by me," He purred, not realizing the shift in his tone, "Let me know if I'm holding on too tight."

Maybe he could get used to this! It sure didn't beat cars - not yet - but it wasn't as bad as he thought it'd be.

Botan quirked a brow at the tone, yet her gaze remained forward, mentally mapping out a path they would take for the first run, to where Tom couldn't see her expression. The last time she had heard that tone was... well, she couldn't say she had ever heard that tone come from Tom before, at least not towards her. Waving it away as part of his nerves, she raised the level the oar was on to a better height for a first flight, not in danger of hitting anyone below them.

"You're absolutely fine~ Nothing like how Yusuke first went off it, and he had just died!" she replied cheerfully -- perhaps too cheerfully for talking about the death of a friend. But Botan was used to death, and at least Yusuke had been granted a second chance at life.

With absolutely no warning, Botan began to have the oar move forward, as they were now technically flying instead of just levitating. With a happy expression, she increased the speed to about 10mph, letting her friend get used to this before she really began to take Tom for a ride.

Her attempts at being comforting worked on some level. Tom couldn't help feeling slightly nervous - how could she be so cheerful about someone dying again? - but he tried to shake it off for now. It felt kind of---

Okay since when were they flying? Tom couldn't help looking panicked (though to his credit, at least he didn't scream) for the first five seconds. They were---He held onto her more tightly, though he tried his very best not to squeeze her tightly.

"Give a guy a warning next time, will ya?"

It wasn't death she was cheerful with, not exactly, as each one was a serious occurrence to her, but the relationship she had with her friend was what made allowed her to laugh. Sometimes, at the worst moment, people just needed a kind, smiling face...

Credit earned where credit due! Botan noticed the panic and bit down on the reaction to laugh. Poor Tom, she hadn't meant to freak him out -- not yet, anyways (she was going to save that towards the end, with a few loops or something equally as fun). Really, there was no reason to be scared with her in control... but apparently, as hard as he was trying to trust her, this was still just far too new.

She adjusted to his tightening grip and downplayed the laugh she was desperate to release to a chuckle, one hand actually coming off the oar to her mouth as she did so. "Oh, don't be silly! It's no more fast than riding a bike~ Less so, even."

Edited 2011-07-13 23:08 (UTC)

Yeah, but at least the bike was on the freaking ground! Tom closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them and simply looked forward. He wasn't afraid of heights so much as him potentially falling from the oar and landing himself in the infirmary for a week and a half.

Okay, he could do this. He could let her take the reins. He needed to trust in her and believe that everything was alright...

"You're right," He said after a few minutes, relaxing the tension in his arms and loosening his grip. "It's... well, it's better than I thought it'd be."

What if the bike was being ridden on the side of a cliff, huh? What then Tom? Botan smiled as he seemed to give her a bit more trust than before, taking a calming breath and relaxing his grip. The tension and stress of what could happen on this little adventure seemed to melt right off him.

"What did you think would happen, hmm?" she asked, a teasing lilt to her voice. "I'd take us through a T-Rexaur breeding ground?"

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It's time to open myself // Do something new~

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