If you cannot teach me to fly . . .

[freedom_is_grey]

It only takes Dave ten minutes to pull Ysalwen away from the siren call of maps and ancient scrolls.

Then she and Liranan decide to show him their favorite places in Milliways.

One location to begin from is the tropical inlet. Because the water and the sand there are warm, and it's very much unlike anywhere else that Ysalwen has ever been.

Comments

[stridersgonnastride]

"ugh guess what i don't want to talk about

"it's that

"you win a prize."

[freedom_is_grey]

"So is this the part where I tell you we seem to have found some spiders?"

World's greatest segue is happening right now.

Right?

[stridersgonnastride]

There's suddenly a broken sword in Dave's hand.

"holy fuck where"

As he whirls around to look, the sword glitches, blurs, and becomes whole.

[freedom_is_grey]

In the branches of a nearby tree there is a veritable horde of tiny blue-ish spiders.

There's a fine coating of frost on said tree.

And the tiny ice spiders are spinning tiny ice webs. Most of them look like snowflakes. One of them reads Some Pig. There is no pig in sight.

"Um. There? But I think we can avoid them. Just. Trying not to startle them is probably best."

[stridersgonnastride]

"youuuu

"jerk"

Dave exhales heavily. The sword vanishes again.

"i was expecting something a little bigger"

And then, a moment later:

"ha that's what she said"

[freedom_is_grey]

"That's what prosthetics can be for," Ysalwen says, very primly.

"Now, let's keep moving."

Liranan trots ahead this time, keeping himself between Ysa and Dave and the spiders.

Just because!

[stridersgonnastride]

That's definitely not quiet snickering that Ysalwen hears behind her.

Dave picks up the pace to keep up.

"hey is that the mountain up there it looks sort of mountain-y anyway"

Apparently that means 'vaguely uphill and more rocks' up ahead.

[freedom_is_grey]

"Um. Not yet? But if we turn west a little we will eventually get there."

She flicks a quick look in Dave's direction.

"Have you been climbing before?"

[stridersgonnastride]

"climbing is not usually a problem for me because i can fucking fly," he says.

"but other than radio towers no not really"

[freedom_is_grey]

"Ah, yes, I had almost forgotten."

She grins, quick and bright.

"I'll meet you at the top, then? I apologize in advance if you get bored."

[stridersgonnastride]

"hang on sec," Dave says. "gimme your staff, i have a genius plan"

He starts going through his sylladex, which mostly involves staring off into space.

[freedom_is_grey]

"Um. It took me a long time to get this, what are you going to do?"

But she hands it over anyway.

Because. Well.

He asked.

[stridersgonnastride]

"i'm not going to hurt it i'm upgrading it check this out."

He pulls out one of Terezi's scalemates. This one has a noose around its neck. Okay, let's be honest, most of them end up that way.

He undoes the knots and puts the plushie away. Then, he ties each end of the rope to one end of the staff.

Dave holds the rope in the middle, and the staff now hangs parallel to the ground.

"bam"

[freedom_is_grey]

"Oh! Huh.So you're going to hold the rope and Liranan and I are going to sit on the staff part?"

Hmm.

It --

Could work. Probably. Um.

[stridersgonnastride]

Dave looks dubiously at Liranan. "think he could keep up if we flew low?

"you have opposable thumbs and he doesn't. i don't want to be discriminatory or some shit but that's kind of an advantage when you're trying to hold on"

[freedom_is_grey]

"Maybe? But -- "

They haven't been separated in so long, it feels --

"Hmm. Maybe if I take a page from Thor's book -- I've seen him do it enough times. Um. Do you mind if I cast magic while we go? Continuously?"

[stridersgonnastride]

"no that's fine why would"

He pauses.

"are you going to make your fucking dog fly i thought you couldn't fly which is why we are doing this"

[freedom_is_grey]

"It's an untested spell! It's going to be really high winds and a lot of debris flying around. And also perhaps Liranan, but he's got the right kaddis on so it won't hurt him much. Which --"

Well.

"I suppose I could do it to myself, too. But that seems -- like a step in the wrong direction. Madly cackling evil-wise, I mean."

[stridersgonnastride]

Dave turns to Liranan.

"dude does that sound like a good idea to you

"cause it sounds like your boss wants to stick you in the middle of a tornado while i fly her through the fucking sky"

[freedom_is_grey]

Liranan whines, tail and ears both drooping.

He thinks it is a terrible idea, Dave! Thank you for asking.

Then, of course, he trots over to Ysa and licks her face. He likes to run, Ysa! It will be okay!

He will beat you both up the mountain, just watch him!

And then he bounds away over the rocks and fallen trees and --

More rocks.

"Yes, well. It's fun when Thor does it."

[stridersgonnastride]

"this thor guy sounds like he knows how to have fun all right.

"but it's cool because honestly the dog probably weighs more than you and i have no idea how much i can actually carry."

Clearly these two are the best at planning.

"climb on and let's find out"

[freedom_is_grey]

"Don't worry. If I fall I probably won't die. Shields and magical rings come in handy, sometimes."

Now, how best to -- straddling it is. It is definitely not wide enough to make a comfortable swing-like seat.

"Thank you, Dave."

[stridersgonnastride]

"shut the fuck up if you fall i'll catch you obviously

"but hang on anyway can't trust you flighty broads. okay here we go"

Dave wraps an end of the rope around each wrist, and takes a firm hold. Then he lifts off, slowly moving them into a less densely wooded path before picking up speed.

[freedom_is_grey]

She'll get him back for that comment later.

When flying is not happening.

Ysa works on keeping her weight balanced evenly across her staff, because.

Well. To do otherwise would make Dave's life very difficult, and no thank you.

Once she gets the hang of that it's feeling the experience all the way. Also looking around at the view. (And pondering strategic locations. Shh.)

[stridersgonnastride]

Lifting her isn't hard, but it does take some effort. Flying the Mayor around was easy. He didn't even notice, in the rush to save him. Must have been the panic born burst of adrenaline.

"are you thinking happy thoughts

"you have to think happy thoughts or the fairy dust runs out"