[open] if my velocity starts to make you sweat

[burnmetwice]

WHO: Kazu, Ikki, Kururu, Yayoi + whoever it makes sense to be there + concerned passerbys
WHERE: Heropa! Random several-story building, probably a hotel.
WHEN: May 26th
WHAT: stupid teenagers jumping off a building
WARNINGS: stupid teenagers

[There appear to be a bunch of stupid fucking teenagers jumping off the roof of a hotel near the beach.

This is fine.

But really, more context: A cadre of teenagers, laughing, whooping, complaining, and goading each other on can be seen racing up the side of the hotel on Rollerblade. Zig-zagging upwards around windows and balconies, completely perpendicular to the wall though they're going so fast their bodies are almost parallel with the surface of the building. Once they hit the top, they excited conversation is muted but it's only a few minutes later that one of them grabs the other byt the arm and flings her, pigtails streaming, clear of the building and into the open air above the very hard looking ground below.]

Comments

[learntofly]

[The girl lets out a startled, yelping shriek, arms spread wide almost like she hopes they'll transform into wings as she falls. Not the most reassuring image for anyone watching from below. There's a long moment where it looks like she's trying to change her angle—to get...closer to the building's wall?

But the moment passes, and just when it seems like it's too late, a pair of brilliant blue wings sprout from her back, allowing her to land with only an awkward stumble instead of a horrible splat.]

[violentmotion]

[Another punk kid had dropped after their apparent murder attempt.. there was a moment, just before landing where he seemed to be reaching out.... and stops when the wings sprout in a wild display of vivid blue feathers.

He lands beside her in a wide dragging circle.. and completely ignoring the gasps, shrieks and cellphones recording for BlueTube,]

Okay! Grab her! We're going back up!

[burnmetwice]

[The one who threw her just dives head-first like a damn swimmer, coming dangerously close to a balcony just to kick off of it to gain even more speed. But he too pulls back when he sees pigtails take wing, flipping around to plunge feet-first and land near by, making a neat semi-circle to take him closer to Yayoi and throw her over his shoulder.]

Oi, Nakayama! You've got to learn to land right! No cheating.

[learntofly]

[Yayoi doesn't even bother trying to get away, flopping sulkily over Kazu's shoulder with a whine while she folds her wings back up into nothing.]

Can't you guys give me some real advice instead of just throwing me off a roof?

[burnmetwice]

[Kazu leaps onto the side of the building.]

We couldn't even if we wanted to. That's just how you learn! Trust me; I tried looking at a ton of videos before I ever put on my A-T. They were useless. You just have to feel it out for yourself.

[learntofly]

Useless...

[She shifts her weight a little to keep herself balanced on his shoulder, watching the ground shrink away beneath them.]

How many times did it take you to figure it out?

[violentmotion]

Who the hell says we've figured it out?

[Ikki dashes on up past Kazu, throwing a grin at both of them.]

[burnmetwice]

[Kazu snorts affably, kicking with more force—it's not even a race, but seeing Ikki ahead of him makes him want to go faster, as always.]

That featherbrain has a point—every time you fly it's different, y'know? But we won't let anything happen to you, Nakayama.

[learntofly]

I know you won't, but I'm still not looking forward to being thrown off a building dozens of times. Someone's going to call the cops eventually.

[violentmotion]

[The steady thrum of Ikki's A-T scraping the concrete releases suddenly as he clears the top of the building (still well ahead of Kazu. It DOES give him new ideas for racing rules.) He twists in the air and lands somewhere back by the AC units.]

What are they even gonna do?

Just keep your feet under you!

[burnmetwice]

[Kazu makes an irritated little 'tch' as he tosses Nakayama up ahead of him, onto the roof]

Yeah it's not like they can catch us.

[violentmotion]

[Immediately after they APPARENTLY ATTEMPT TO MURDER THIS ONE GIRL, Ikki leaps off the side himself, twisting in the air to hold steady - as if floating - just above the roof.

He flashes a wide, happy grin before shifting his angle, spreading his arms and just falling.]

[burnmetwice]

[A LITTLE EARLIER, Kazu hits the edge of the roof and leans into a wide arc, carefully shifting the weight on his back to keep upright as he drags his back skate to help kill momentum, pulling a bright line of sparks behind him that gentle singes the roof top.

Completely smoothly, not blushing at all, he lets Kururu's thighs slip from his hands so she can get down off his back.]

[resoundingpledge]

[ Completely smoothly. As if the racing of his heart is only from the exertion, and the red of his cheeks is only due to Heropa's warmth. It's nothing at all to do with how she still favours short skirts over shorts, or how really soft parts of her have been pressed up against his back, punctuated with her delighted indrawn breaths as he scaled the wall.

Her arms pull back from being wrapped around his shoulders, unwinding to let her slip down the few inches that separate their heights. ]

Ahh, thank you! That was really . . . mm.

[ It was really kind of him, to help her up here. But even more than that . . . it really is different, feeling Kazu-kun's run up close. Different enough to forget her hands on his shoulders; she pulls them back after a moment more, after she's found her feet. ]

[burnmetwice]

[ALL OF THAT INFORMATION IS COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT!! Or at least lazu fervently hopes. And doesn't hope. He deeply wishes he could just know whether he was gay or not already, the anticipation was killing him. He kept hurting himself in confusion, soon he'd faint.]

Really, um... I wasn't too—rough?

[resoundingpledge]

[ She shakes her head. ]

Not at all. Your run . . . it's really smooth. There was only vibration—there was only friction and drag when you wanted there to be. Really just when your wheels touched the wall.

The rest of the time . . . it was really smooth. And Kazu-kun's hands are a lot softer than Ikki-kun's, too.

[burnmetwice]

Trying to go easier on my joints, [He mumbles, fussing with his beanie.]

Er, yeah. All that wind stuff... [Hand gesture.]

[resoundingpledge]

Mm, it leaves a lot of callouses. My work, too . . .

[ She turns one of her hands over, rubbing her fingers against her palm. ]

Kazu-kun has nicer-feeling hands than either of us.

Your joints . . . have they been bothering you? I could take another look at them, if you needed . . .

[burnmetwice]

I, ah, think your hands feel. Fine. Callouses just mean you work hard, right?


Er. Not really, I just... feel a lot better. And I don't want to fuck that up again.

[resoundingpledge]

Callouses can mean a lot. Not just work, but also that something may not fit right, or someone isn't really taking care of themselves.

[ Not that she would ever fit in the latter category. ]

I'm glad, though. I like seeing you run again. Or hearing it—sometimes Kazu-kun is a little too fast to really see.