1861/Flying 101!

Flying 101!
Date of Scene:	23 March 2015
Location:	Spira(AOA)
Synopsis:	The Guildmaster of the Izzet learns the joys of flying with her own wings!
Cast of Characters:	Bahamut, 325, 636

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Bahamut has posed:
     It is late afternoon in the Bikanel Desert, where a large airship is hovering above the oceanside cliffs. The airship is somewhere between a sailing ship and a magitech-type vessel, with wood along the upper deck and stylized metalwork along the body. Atop it, Bahamut is standing with Rhapsody, having picked her up at the warp gate. Ryu may be with them as well as the airship hovers there.

     The steely dragon is standing with his usual confidence, a slight grin on his face. And with the airship several hundred feet above the ground, the view is pretty spectacular. The desert stretches away in one direction, and the rippling ocean stretches in the other direction. And where they meet, the ocean spray reaches high into the sky thanks to the hot air of the desert rising quickly against the cooler air of the ocean. Perfect for fledgling fliers.

Rhapsody (325) has posed:
AIRSHIP. This was a wonderful little trip upon a fantastic little vehicle. All along the way the Izzet Guildmaster had been looking all around the ship, wondering how it worked, how it moved, how it could be replicated? ... Nah. The Izzet had plenty of ways to fly, airships were more of a .. Boros thing? Point is, it wasn't an Izzet thing. Of course, she was fully aware of the company that was with her. Bahamut, her teacher, and Ryu, probably the closest friend she had recently made. And both of them were going to watch her crash, face first, into the desert below. WHAT FUN.

    In all seriousness though, Rhapsody is a little nervous about her first flying lesson. She did, at the moment, have her wings present at her back. As both had seen her true form before, it was probably no surprise that they were of the feathered variety than the bat-like variety.

Ryu (636) has posed:
    Yes, indeed, Ryan has accompanied the both of them. He stands on the floor of the airship in human form, staring out at the widely stretching desert. His golden eyes fixate on it with an odd intensity, like something about it is distracting him. His face is otherwise neutral in this passive state, though his arms remain crossed. When he caught sight of her nervousness, he unfolded his arms, his distraction then being him thinking of a way to help her relax.

    Ryan approached her and reached out to touch her on the shoulder, and gave her a confident smile. He didn't say anything to her, his intention entirely just to show that he's here with her as her friend.

Bahamut has posed:
     The airship is quite impressive. It does not seem to have an engine the way a modern Earth aircraft has. Whatever propells it leaves no disturbance in the air. And, the engineers would have been happy to give Rhapsody a tour, though even with her credentials and Bahamut's insistence they would not allow her into the engineering spaces.

     When they are in position, Bahamut turns to Rhapsody and grins. "This is the time, Rhapsody. You will learn to fly, and be one step closer to being a full fledged dragon." he says proudly. "And, I will join you in the skies, so that if there is a problem I will be able to catch you."

     He then steps to the edge of the airship's deck and spreads his wings before motioning to Rhapsody. "Come, stand beside me. Let yourself feel the wind through your feathers." He motions to Ryan as well. "And you, Ryu. Even without wings, I am sure you can appreciate the feeling of the wind."

Rhapsody (325) has posed:
    The twitching in her tail is what gives away the anxiety that Rhapsody has in her stomach and in her chest. Stepping up to the edge of the ship she closes her eyes, her wings spread just a little, she inhales deep, exhales slow, and then slowly peers out across Spira. She was either going to see a lot more of the country side, or spin into the dunes below. She would much rather get flying than crashing, but, well, she'd find out shortly. After her breath, the Guildmaster turns to glance at Ryan with a smile, "I'm glad you came! I hope I um.. don't do something disappointing," she says. Her glance turns up to Bahamut, "You have enough confidence for the both of us.." then back out across Spira, "I wish I did," she muses quietly, to herself.

Ryu (636) has posed:
    When they prepare for the moments right before the flight lesson begins properly, Ryu steps up to the edge of the deck so he can feel the wind blowing against his face and snagging at his hair. His coat cloth dances around his shoulders and his eyes close as he leans into the wind just slightly. The look on his face is like stress has started to melt from his features and the natural instinct of a dragon in the sky has replaced it.

    Ryan is smiling warmly.

    He opens his eyes and turns, remembering that he came along side that he could watch Rhapsody's flight lesson. "Everyone stumbles when they learn to walk," he tells Rhapsody, "It's the same idea. You have a good teacher, and we'll both make sure that you'll recover even if you screw up. All we need now is for you to try."

    He looks back out at the wind and the desert. "I wish I could fly," he murmurs aloud, to himself.

Bahamut has posed:
     Bahamut chuckles gently at Rhapsody. "Confidence comes easily to dragons. You have it. I have seen it. When you were training with Jeanette. She had to push you, but you finally displayed the fire and confidence of a dragon. Simply call on it again here. You can do this. It may take you a few tries, but you can do it."

     Bahamut spreads his magnificent wings outward above Ryan and Rhapsody. "Now, the first step to flight is knowing your own body. Your wings must be strong enough to carry you, and you must know how to angle your wings to give yourself lift and maneuverability. So, for now, stay on the deck. I am going to hover just off the deck and use my wings to strengthen the wind against you."

     With that...Bahamut just dives off the edge of the airship. His wings are spread, but he plummets downward like a comet. It is only at the last moment that he pulls up, and goes flying like a jet over the surface of the water, his passing creating a current that cleaves into the water and sends waves flowing off to either side. He then spirals up into the air before making his way back toward the airship and comes to a hover just a few yards from Rhapsody and Ryan.

     "This is not something that can be taught. You must feel the wind on your wings, feel how it flows over them. Feel the resistance when you spread them and push down, and the fluidity when you fold them and bring them back to the upward position, ready to push down again. Practice that motion." he says, then he starts to flap his own wings more forcefully, causing the insistent desert wind to grow to a practical gale. It is easily strong enough that Ryan and Rhaps can lean into it a bit without falling over, but not so strong as to unbalance them.

Rhapsody (325) has posed:
    The larger dragon had a very good point. She did seem to respond to being pushed somewhat well, for better or for worse. She gives a nod to Bahamut before he drops off the ship and goes plummeting down, only to soar across the water's surface. Her face shows that she's impressed. By the time he returns to the side of the ship, she's eager to listen, and happy to put what she's told into practice.

    With the winds against her, Rhapsody slowly leans forward, even letting her wings slip further out from her sides. She was trying to do just as she had been told. It was a sensation she hadn't felt a lot in the past, but one she was trying to pay very close attention to, "Mm... it just feels right, you know?"

Ryu (636) has posed:
    The blue-haired young man raises an arm to shield his eyes some out of reflex when Bahamut leaps off the airship, the wind whipping at his clothing and pushing at him enough to be quite startling. A big dragon jumping off an airship does a lot to push the air around. Once the wind dies down for a second, he lowers his arm, watching the royal dragon soar through the air with a grace that certainly amazes Ryu quite a lot.

    Once risen back up near the airship, he leans into the wind, feeling it push at him. His arm goes back down to his side and he tries to imagine himself with wings, closing his eyes. After that, he turns his head to look at Rhapsody, watching for what she chooses to do here. His face is aglow with curious energy, more than the dour or sullen emotion his face is more prone to displaying normally. All of this has brought another side out of him.

    "It does," Ryan agrees with Rhapsody, though blinks at himself in confusion at the emotion he was feeling toward this despite not having wings.

Bahamut has posed:
     Bahamut keeps generating the strong wind for about 30 seconds, giving Rhapsody plenty of time (he thinks) to get used to the feeling of the wind against her. Then, he hovers his way back to the deck of the airship and lands. He nods at Rhapsody's words. "Flying is as natural to a dragon as swimming is to a fish. Or, in some cases, a dragon." He chuckles, then grins. "Now! The next step to flying is learning how to generate your own thrust with your wings. There will not always be a powerful wind to carry you. So, this time, as I push the wind against you, you must use your wings to lift yourself off the deck. You do not have to stay in the air, just push enough to lift your feet off the deck, then lower down again. But, be wary. If you let the wind carry you then you could drift right off the other side of the airship. In that case, you will get an impromptu lesson in actually flying before I catch you." Bahamut gives a wink, then rumbles pleasantly.

     "Remember how much pressure you need against the air is vital." he booms out at them. "You must keep it in mind so that when you do attempt to fly, you know the minimum thrust you need to achieve flight. Also, this time, try to practice your paddling." He gives a demonstration of 'paddling' with his own wings, leaning forward and flapping in a eliptical motion, his wings spreading at the up and forward position, dragging through the air to the back, then folding quickly and moving back to the up and forward where they open again and repeat the process.

     Demonstration done, he hops off the airship again, but doesn't show off this time. He just does a quick loop before coming back to a hover. He generates the wind current again, grinning with a bit of giddiness himself. It is contagious when your students are so enthusiastic about their lessons.

Rhapsody (325) has posed:
    "Right, ah, okay!" Rhapsody responds, hoping to do this right. Before Bahamut even starts to put the gale against them both, she's trying to mimic the motion that had been displayed to her. As the winds are pressed again, Rhapsody starts to do as told. A wingbeat, an attempt to get off her feet, but at first it doesn't really work. At least she's managing to keep her wings syncronized, though! Another attempt, she almost lifts up, but doesn't. The third time, however, she manages to lift up ever so slightly, but starts to drift back across the deck of the ship. Not wanting to fly off the other side, she drops down, heaves a breath, walks back across the deck, then snaps her wings out to give it all another shot.

    Looking more determined than earlier, her wings catch the gusts coming across the deck and she lifts up ever so slightly again. This time, however, she's managing to keep her place, for the most part. She'd drift back ever so slightly, but then she'd cheat a little by catching her claws against the deck to push herself back forward a little. Either way, it's progress!

Ryu (636) has posed:
    Ryan stands back and watches as Rhapsody gets a hang of flying. He shows a serene smile on his face, and only raises his brows when he feels a reflex to try and catch her when she is about to fly off the other side of the deck. He is able to restrain it, but only barely-- his arm had already reached out somewhat uselessly. A nervous laugh or two later, and he's back to enjoying the visual demonstration of a dragon learning how to fly.

    "You're doing great, Rhapsody!" he says over to her, encouragingly, doing a little fistpump to punctuate his words!

Bahamut has posed:
     Bahamut grins even more as Rhapsody floats away a short distance, then chuckles as she grips the deck. He keeps the gust up a bit longer this time, nearly a minute, allowing both Rhapsody and Ryan to enjoy the feeling of the wind before he floats back toward the deck. He lands again, then chuckles a bit. "Are you ready to try it?" he asks Rhapsody. "Remember. You are a dragon. You can do this." he says as he gently urges Rhapsody closer to the edge.

     He then looks to Ryan. "Would you care to ride along? I will be diving with Rhapsody, just in case she does not get in in the first attempt." he says, grinning and crouching down so Ryan can climb onto his back if he so wishes.

Rhapsody (325) has posed:
    The wind stops, her pads touch back down to the deck, and she takes another breath, mentally preparing herself, while trying to settle any nervousness she still had left over. "I'm willing," she finally manages to say as she siddles herself up to the edge, even gulping down some air once she looks out and down. That's a loooooooooong way down.

Ryu (636) has posed:
    Ryan does a lot to fret about Rhapsody while she's preparing to start flying for real. And stops when Bahamut lands, looking at him distractedly. The offer for a ride is accepted, the knightly young man climbing on Bahamut's back carefully and grabbing tightly. Thanks to his heightened strength even in his human form, it'd take a particularly jarring motion to lose his grip.

    His excitement is seen plainly in the very strangely happy look on his face. He flashes that smile toward Rhapsody, and he calls over to her, "The first step's always scary! Don't worry, we've got you!"

    Trying to be as supportive as he can of a dear friend, by the sound of his voice. He really sounds like he genuinely believes they can keep her safe.

Bahamut has posed:
     Bahamut stands tall again once Ryan is aboard, then looks at Rhapsody. "I will give you...15 seconds, then I will..." He chuckles. "...give you a little push." He then steps forward, right behind Rhapsody, and starts counting. "...15...14...13...12...11...10..."

     The pressure builds. Will Rhapsody choose to leap, or will nerves get her and will she end up being pushed from the airship like a little bird from its nest?

Rhapsody (325) has posed:
    9... 8... 7... A push, he said. Bahamut may be pleased to see he wouldn't need to do so. At the same time, there's no grand leap, no step out into the nothingness of the sky, instead wings are spread wide, Rhapsody tilts forward, further, and simply does not stop. In a moment, she goes from standing upright to plunging straight down toward the realm of Spira below. She can feel everything that the larger dragon had spoken about. The feeling of the wind over her wings, but now it's also across her chest, her back, head, tail, and her entire being. On the ship she had been focused entirely on the feeling in her wings. Now? She felt every inch of her entire form all at the same time. It was almost overwhelming.

    The Guildmaster nearly gets lost in it. Her form actually turns, tilts, spins. It LOOKS like she may be losing control of her decent, but somehow, she's managing to keep very calm despite the anxiety that she felt on the deck. There was a difference here. On the deck, she wasn't in the moment. In the actual moment, there was no room for worry, or fear, or anxiety. There's a beat of her wings, she pulls up, and it's about the time she tries to level off that she starts wobbling. A LOT. Its hard to tell if she's going to be able to maintain...

Ryu (636) has posed:
    Ryan sucks in a breath when Rhapsody goes off the airship and starts flying... and the sight is something he fixates on for every second. He watches and soaks in what she's doing, every detail that he can. He may not be able to fly, but just watching another dragon in flight, a peaceful flight, is enough to hold his attention better than anything else in the Multiverse.

    Though it might just be because it's Rhapsody doing the flying.

    Her wobbling makes him visibly tense, his instinct being to worry that she might fall out of the sky if she isn't caught soon. His eyes trace her path through the air, trying to make sense of whether she can keep it up without being blown wildly off her balance by the wind.

Bahamut has posed:
     Bahamut is indeed pleased to see Rhapsody take the plunge on her own. He is off the ship almost at the same time she is, following at the same speed with careful control of his own flying. He grins as he watches her, the wind whipping passed the both of them, and Ryan as he rides.

     Then, Rhapsody starts to try and level off. "Wider! Spread your wings as wide as they can go!" he bellows to cut through the sounds of the wind. "You must balance your body on your wings! Use them to bleed off speed and at the same time angle your momentum forward!" The ground is closing in fast, and Bahamut is moving in to position to catch Rhapsody if she needs it. He keeps shouting instructions as they fall. Adjust your wings this way, hold them straight, angle your body! But, getting flight in the first try is a lot to ask, so as they near the ground, Bahamut moves in. He doesn't want to catch Rhapsody before he has given her every chance to fly on her own, but if they pass the 100 feet he does grab her and pulls up.

Rhapsody (325) has posed:
    Some part of Rhapsody wants to bark back at Bahamut that her wings ARE spread as far as they can go, but upon trying to stretch out, and able to do so, the thought gets bitten back. Still, there are a lot of instructions being yelled out at her and while she is trying to do all of them, some slip through the cracks. She's managed to level out a lot but the way she's wobbling and rumbling around in the air.. well, she's losing speed fast.

Bahamut has posed:
     Bahamut pulls the plug for now. He catches Rhapsody and chuckles as he banks upward into the sky again. "Good! You almost had it! If the ground had not been quite so close, you would have gotten it." he says as he carries Rhapsody and Ryan back upward and once again lands on the airship. He sets Rhapsody down, then grins to her. "Take a moment to rest, then we can try it again." he says, giving her shoulder a 'good job' squeeze. "You will be flying circles around your siblings before you know it.

Rhapsody (325) has posed:
    There's a grunt of anger when Rhapsody gets plucked up, but she relaxes a moment later, "Thanks," she at least manages to the larger dragon. She was just so close, and she knew it. When everyone's back on the ship, the dragoness takes a seat for a moment to catch her breath, "I was really freaking close, too! I Know, just... aagh.."

    That said, and after another moment or two, she's up on her feet and marching right toward the edge of the ship again. She's got a fire in her eyes that is a lot like when Jean pushed her so hard she changed forms. "I -will- get this.."

Bahamut has posed:
     Bahamut chuckles at the angry grunt, and again at Rhapsody's words. "You will get it this time, I am sure of it!" Bahamut encourages. He follows Rhapsody back to the edge of the airship, and again leaps off only a moment after Rhapsody.

     The dive begins again. The wind whips passed them, causing clothing to flutter and feathers to twitch. And Ryan no doubt continues to watch tensely from Bahamut's back. "You may as well spread your wings now. The more time you have to get used to controlling your momentum, the better!" he roars as they fall.

Rhapsody (325) has posed:
    Lunge. Dive. Spread. Oh yes, she can feel all of it, and seeing as it's the second time, it isn't quite so overwhelming! The speed increases, her wings stay spread out as far as they can go, and when she pulls up -this- time it appears to be a LOT smoother. Problem is? That's gliding, not flying. She isn't going to celebrate just yet. Her first wingbeat is awkward at best, it even sets her wobbling again, but the second one seems to correct the issue. There's hesitation before the third downstroke, but with the fourth one she actually seems to -surge- forward!

Bahamut has posed:
     Bahamut watches closely, but he doesn't seem to have to correct her this time. Instead, he just grins as he watches, then lets out a whole-hearted laugh as she surges forward on her own wing power. "Again! Fly, Rhapsody! Fly!" he calls out, his voice full of encouragement, confidence, and excitement.

     Just in case, though, he is staying close. But, he fully expects her to make it this time. He continues to shout encouragements as the ground continues toward them. "Almost there!"

Rhapsody (325) has posed:
    Pulled up, wing beat, another adjustment, and then she's leveled off and surging ahead on another wingbeat! Seems like she's going just fine, at least for now! "HA!" She isn't doing anything fancy, but she seems to be going. For now!

Bahamut has posed:
     Bahamut stays close! But, he isn't going to catch Rhapsody unless she really needs it. He isn't about to interrupt a first flight in action! "Hahaha! Excellent! Keep it up! Let us see how far you can make it before you hit the water!" he says as he follows Rhapsody.

Rhapsody (325) has posed:
NOW Rhapsody cheers as she pushes forward, managing to keep herself up the whole way. There's wobbles from time to time, but she's definately got it!

Bahamut has posed:
     Success! Rhapsody has learned to fly! And in only one day! She will need plenty of practice before she is an amazing flyer, but as the airship flies around to meet them, ready to pick them up whenever Rhapsody is ready, Bahamut assures Rhapsody that she is amazing and should be very proud of herself. And when she does get tired and comes in to land, Bahamut and Ryan are there, ready to congratulate her.