carbungle | Hugtopia Contact Post

[ One afternoon, Pyra greets him whenever he may return to their home with a bright smile and sparkling eyes. Her won't even be able to kick off his boots by the time she makes her way over to him, taking both of his hands in hers in that oft-excited manner that she does, giving them a squeeze. (Thank goodness he didn't step into the garage.) ] Noct!

[ Days of caring for him and cuddling him, finding him exhausted and ill after the Fetter incident-- after he nearly died, lest she forget or try to minimize it-- have passed slowly as he recovered. Prompto, too, is better. Since then, the two following weeks flew by as the new arrivals slowly trickled in. Gladio is now here. The world continue to turn. He's just about to his same self, albeit with one new scar upon his ring finger and a artifact housed within his armory.... ]

Are you busy?

[Well, she definitely caught him off guard... he blinks at her, then down at their hands briefly before looking up again. Okay, something's got her riled up again, apparently (in a good way!).]

Not anymore. What's up?

[He's immediately curious, helpless to it. What's so exciting that he can barely get through the door?]

[ The tilt of his head and his curious look earn him an encouraged, fond smile. If had that cat-ear glamour, surely one of the fur-covered ears would be perked at her.

Still holding his hands, she turns him right around and begins pulling him out the door with her. ]

A surprise.

[ A surprise that she can hardly contain, because she seems to be bubbling with the excitement. ] It's in the garage... So when we get there, I'm going to ask you to close your eyes.

You didn't find a chocobo, did you? Because I'd definitely smell it first.

[He smiles easily, following without hesitation; he loves those birds, but they can certainly be... distinct, at times. (Not that he actually expects a chocobo, but the location makes him even more intrigued.]

[ There's a bit of a hitch to her step-- no, it's not a chocobo. But maybe she should have done some writing to Rawna about getting a chocobo, if that would even work... ]

You'll just have to wait and seeee~!

[ She chimes in return, and when they reach just outside the garage, she releases his hand. ]

Mm... Alright. Close your eyes.

[Now he's wondering what that little misstep was... but obediently, he closes his eyes, reaching a hand to catch the doorframe so he has a point of reference.]

I'm trusting you on this.

[Like he'd give her anything less.]

[ He'll hear the garage opening, her calling-- ] Don't open them yet!

[ --and then the car, the Regalia itself, starting, the purr of its engine familiar to him by now. She can't very well showcase the entirety of what she's made by keeping it inside, after all, so she must stall it out in their driveway. ]

Still not yet, not yet! [ She instructs again, as a new set of sounds occur from the car, ones which he wouldn't have heard before: an electronic whirr, the sound of a set of chrome pistons as if something heavy is moving and expanding, something metallic locking in place, and finally, a high pitched wzzzt sound, and he'll see a flash of light from behind his lids-- ] Okay... [ --as the teal-green wings manifest and flourish outward on either side of the stern of the car.

The car door opens, then closes, and she walks around to its front towards him, stepping to the side. With both pride and anticipation of his reaction, she says, ]

...Now you can look.

Edited 2021-01-13 02:02 (UTC)

[He waits quietly, listening, intrigued. That's the Regalia. She's borrowed the car, then- maybe the surprise is to go somewhere? Or some new decoration? Must have gotten his dad involved.

....

That's. Not the Regalia. Wait, what's that noise? Mechanical, not his car... oh, it's tempting to peek. He lifts a free hand to cover his eyes to make doubly sure he doesn't. It only takes a few minutes, but the intrigue is absolutely piquing by the time she finishes and gives him permission, and he opens his eyes.

It takes him a second to react at first, brows furrowing as his gaze travels from the car's body proper to the mechanism attached and the bright wings of energy stretching out of the sides. What the hell is-]

Oh shit. [It hits him then, and his eyes immediately go wide, looking from her, to the car, then back again twice more.] Is that- holy shit, no way! Wings? You're not-

[-serious. She wouldn't prank him like that. He closes the distance, still staring, utterly transfixed by the vehicle's new attachments. His hand reaches out, running along one of the metal supports, a smile curling across his lips and growing with intensity as each second passes and reality sinks in.]

No way. [He kind of thought she was kidding, even knowing about Ophion, even when she said she meant it.] No way! You made the Regalia fly?

[ Oh-- his reaction. He's happy... He's happy. She had worried for a moment, a number of moments, actually, that perhaps what she was doing was a bit much, or that amending something to the Regalia would infringe on something his cherishes so much--

But he's happy. His smile is as breathtaking as it is infections, and she can't help one in return. ] Ah-- Yes! I had asked your father, and once he gave permission, I set to work, and...

[ She could have taken this pause to look upon the car again, but instead, she remains gazing at him and his smile. ] ...The Regalia can now fly.

[ Don't ask her how she tested if it could fly. That took a lot of careful planning on her part, too, to not be spotted by any non-Regis personnel who might give the secret project away. It had taken months of effort to both acquire the materials, to plan, and then to build, and it only been an inkling of an idea when she even had enough scrap materials gathered by employing Cloud to continuously gather some. Finding scrap metal isn't too difficult in ruins, but finding metals that could conduct power were even rarer. It had been a slow process, but she managed.

...It's a bit nostalgic to see the wings with their ethereal teal glow, their energy almost appearing like structured, solid glass, the mechanism unfathomable and precise, Mythra's. They are fashioned after one of her Artifices, but designing them in that manner makes her all the more secure that their flight will be safe. ] You should be able to fly it, too.

[It's so hard not to just keep staring at it, running his fingers over the details, crouching down briefly to look at the way it's attached to the car. He's no mechanic, so it's all lost on him, but it looks so fascinatingly intricate. It must've taken so much work. And they'd talked about it months and months ago, meaning she'd had it on her mind and worked on it for who knows how long...

With a bounce in his step he rises to his feet, closing the distance between them so he can scoop her up by the waist and spin her around with a helpless laugh. It can fly! And he can fly it! What!!]

I can't believe you! All this? You're amazing-

[He could spin her around another three times at least, but he'd rather pull her in for an appreciative kiss instead. What a brilliant surprise.]

[ How she adores it when he lifts her like such, the world is spinning and he is her center, and he only brings her down to earth with an unanticipated kiss.

When they break, she's blushing and breathless. Joy sparkles in her eyes, and, quite not so privately as before, she allows herself some pride in her work. Amazing. He's called it amazing-- ah, no, not the car. Her. She's amazing. She lets the moment of his smile and kiss sink in, and then she shakes her head as if to shake herself from a dream.

It doesn't work, it's like she's still in it, and she can't help but be inspired by his enthusiasm, rocking a bit on her feet-- ] I'm... I'm glad you like it. [ She laughs happily. ] I had been working on this for you for some time, and...

[ She's proud that it's turned out just as she imagined. Alos, the engine is already warmed up, boiii ] Ah, what are you waiting for?

I love it.

[He's shameless and unafraid to say it, kissing her cheek this time- because he wants to kiss her but he also really wants to look at the car again. It's so cool. So, so cool.

Hang on. What is he waiting for?]

Uh. Okay, you know I have no idea how to fly, right?

[He really, really wants to fly it, but. He also does not want to die in a fire. (Or crash his dad's car. That might be more terrifying.)]

[ She giggles happily at the kiss upon her cheek, taking his hand

...He brings up a good point, but that he doesn’t know how won’t be an issue forever, because— ]

I can teach you!

[ She takes his hand and leads him closer to the car, knowing that he wants to go to it. ]

You learn things fairly quickly... [ She had a fair amount of confidence that they’ll be fine! Totally fine, if they take things slowly. ] Unless you’d like me to fly you around first?

[He absolutely wants to go back to it, gravitating towards the door when she starts to move closer. He runs his free hand along the frame, thinking quietly for a long moment... then offers up a slightly more hesitant but hopeful smile.]

I like that. Take me for a ride?

[In his heart he definitely wants to hop in the driver's seat and take it up into the air, and a week or so ago he might have done just that. Now, though- he's only just recovered from nearly dying, so taking a moment to consider his own reckless self makes him realize that he's 100% going to be distracted by all sorts of things while in the air and won't pay attention at all. He can learn quickly, sure, but not with a whole world underneath them. And his driving habits on the ground are... not always the greatest.

Anyway, he likes being driven around just fine, and this sounds more fun than the usual taxi trip with Ignis where he falls asleep in the passenger seat. He's not opposed to letting Pyra show her the ropes first.]

[ Giving his hand one more squeeze, she parts from him to open the passenger-side door, waving him to enter the vehicle. ] Then... Your carriage awaits.

[ As soon as he's seated, she shuts his door and takes her place at the driver's seat. The dashboard itself has an additional panel, a teal touch-screen, that she taps away at two buttons to begin. With instructions for him to come a different day, she'll save any commentary about what she's selected for later and begins driving down the street. ]

Top down or up?

[ It is chilly, but. If he'd like his first ride with feeling the wind in his hair, she leaves the decision to him. ]

[He looks curiously at the extra panel, but doesn't ask yet, half-turning in his seat to watch the wings as she gets them moving.]

Oh man. Down, definitely down.

[He can warm up later- she ambushed him at the door so he still has his coat on anyway. He'll be fine. Feeling the ride is way more important!]

[ With one lingering glance at him, she turns her eyes forward and selects one more button on the screen.

The take-off is near instantaneous. One moment the wheels are on the ground, the next they're above the line of houses, the momentum causing them to be pressed back into their seats. Suddenly they're flying above the buildings, soaring about the streets of Havenwell, and passing over familiar landmarks as the cold wind whips through their hair. Pyra takes him on a trip that's fast and slow, filled with some turns to showcase the vehicle's agility and responsiveness to the pilot for a graceful ride, unafraid to speed when there's no obstruction in their path, or cruise to allow him to catch his breath.

Behind them, the 'feathers' of the wings fan out and adjust automatically with each turn or change in altitude. With the flight-engine being remarkable quiet, their tour of the sky is filled only with the smooth whistling of the wind past the car's wings.

Every now and then, Pyra steals glances at Noctis to see how he's doing, wanting to know his reaction. When it seems that dive is too deep, she adjusts; when it seems she's going too fast, she slows. But it's his excitement that she wishes to capture, his smile that she wishes to sustain...

As for herself, she's content. Flying upon Ophion's back in VR had been one thing, but it definitely does not beat the real thing. The nostalgia of being up in the air is far easier to overcome when it's been this long since she's flown. ]

[It doesn't take long for her to get the response she desires. His breath catches as the car shifts into flight mode and lifts up into the air, and he rises in his seat with it (not too far, but somewhat unsafely) to stare out over the dashboard, eyes wide and delighted. He twists around to watch from all directions, sometimes leaning over the side of his seat, faced away from her but clearly still pleased, by the way his foot bounces as it hangs off the edge of the seat where he's kneeling, sometimes facing out the back as the world soars past them and the wings shift and turn in response to Pyra's steering.

Yeah, definitely a good call on Pyra flying it. There's no way he'd have been able to pay close enough attention to the controls this time around. He's giddy, almost like a child, delighting in every thrilling turn and the sights all around them. He shows no fear even when they're going what feels like too fast, his face flushed by the cold and the thrill, combined. Once in a while she might catch him quietly mouthing, "so cool" under his breath.]

[ She'll make a note to install safer belts to secure passengers in their seat while flying, but she trusts him not to get too excited so as to lean too far out of his seat. With Noctis, she also doesn't have to worry about him (as much) because he has a magical power to thwart his falls or warp to break one. ]

Mm, Noct?

[ Calling to him, she raises one brow to give him a bit of a challenging look, the corner of one of her lips tugging at a smile. ]

Do you want to see how fast she can go?

[That question nets her a wide, wild grin, and an eager nod. They probably shouldn't be too reckless with his dad's car, but he trusts Pyra to be careful- or to at least help make things right if anything gets messed up in the process.]

Hell yeah.

[He knows how fast the Regalia can go on the ground. But in the air, with no resistance? He'd love to see it.]

Then, [ With both hands on the wheel, she turns her attention in front of them. ] face forward and hold on tight.

[ Granted, in a barrier-encased city, there is neither that much room nor altitude to truly test the extent of the new flying-Regalia's capabilities, but that's not going to stop her from cutting a straight diameter across the city. ] Let's... go!

[ The wings spread, then flatten to sharp daggers behind them, giving them a boost to begin with and accelerating them right from the start. The city zooms by them as they fly across the skyline, leaving contrails behind and vortexes in their wake. Pyra herself feels pressed to her seat, her smile wide as she keeps her grip firm upon the wheel as they cross over all below them. She makes a note in the back of her mind that if they are to fly again without the top of the car, they ought to do so with goggles, because her eyes are watering from the sheer speed of the machine.

Pyra's careful to decelerate when they approach the other side of the barrier, but it seems her hair is now in a permeant state of being swept back from her forehead. It's a miracle that her headband had managed to stay on at all. Descending the car from a higher altitude to a lower one, she places the Regalia into a cruising mode to allow them to catch their breaths. ]

Ah... Mm. That was--

That was fast. [ The fastest she's ever gone in this world, anyways. ]

[He's laughing. He is so laughing. And while he did sit properly in his seat as she'd asked, he doesn't hold on; instead he braces his feet and has both hands in the air, whooping boisterously and feeling the air rush against his arms, forcing them behind him. His own hair is practically slicked back from his forehead, locks hopelessly out of place, and with a breathless exhale he slumps down in his seat, shoulders shaking with leftover chuckles as his hands fold together behind his head.]

That was so fast. [omgggg. He wants to tell her to do it again, but maybe they ought to catch their breath first.] Have I mentioned that I love you today?

[Like- yes, okay, he loves her every day. Absolutely. But this was so much! A genuinely lovely gift that is giving him an overwhelming thrill, and she's driving for him and indulging in this silly thrill-seeking mentality he's cultivated over his lifetime despite being seemingly so "important" in the grand scheme of things... he's high in the sky and getting a chance to see everything below them rushing by instead of focusing on not crashing, and it's incredible. He really, really loves this. And her. Again, and more.]

[ Had they been on the ground, she would have hugged him in this moment. She looks at him, beaming and breathless, her own cheeks flushed by the bite of the wind and his words. ]

Noct... [ She speaks his name, touched and looking at him as she relaxes in her seat. If his hair looks like that, then hers must be just as wild. ] Noct, there's no reason other than love that I give you this gift.

[ It hadn't been a some sort of holiday gift, and it hadn't even been his birthday. It certainly hadn't been a gift out of an apology or guilt for the Fetter-almost-killing-him incident, either, because she had begun working on this months ago. It just is a gift given to him unconditionally, out of wanting to make him smile because she loves him. Of course, she (and Mythra, especially) had fun designing and making it itself, having spent the greater part of a year away from tinkering with anything robotic herself aside from fuel cells, and it is a bit of a pride boost to know that he's impressed. The reason for even starting it at all had been him and the love they have for him.

He had once mentioned that at the full power of the Armiger, he could fly, as if warping isn't some sort of form of gliding already. However, she knows that his power can hurt him.

The energy within her flutters and swells as she looks at him again and sees his smile, and for once out of these past weeks, she feels as if she's done something right for him. Flying... is something she had always enjoyed. She had wanted to give him the experience of knowing what it is like to fly without exhaustion or pain, to simply experience flight for the joy of it and nothing more, and all at no cost to him. Flying is something she loves to do, and she loves that he loves it, too. ]

Edited 2021-01-14 23:44 (UTC)

[He kinda wants to hug her too, and pepper her with kisses and spoil her rotten. He's going to be riding this high for days. He does refrain, though, content to wait until they're safely on the ground. She worked hard on this, so he'd better not ruin it by causing her to crash when he asked her to drive so he wouldn't.

His cheeks are flushed, again due to both windsweep and pleasure, and he can't help looking back at her with a softer smile, warmed to the core despite the cold air around them. She really has given him an immense gift, here, and he hopes she realizes the scale of it. It's very different from the Armiger- there is no danger around him, but rather he's in the Regalia, the very definition of a safe space for him. The safest place he's ever known, where he's felt the most at home from childhood all the way until they'd had to abandon it in Gralea. Instead of power, blood, and ozone, it smells like gasoline and leather. It feels like the thrumming of an engine instead of magic in his veins and survival instinct keeping him in constant motion. He can sit back, relax, and enjoy the feeling of being in the air, safe while in flight, and there's no ticking clock in the back of his mind, reminding him to get back on the ground before the power runs dry and he falls from the sky. There's no monster around to swat him out of the air either, just Pyra, smiling back at him.

Yeah, this is amazing. He's going to treasure this. He doesn't even know what else to say, just:]

Thanks... seriously, thank you. It's perfect.

backdated... to the 11th? sure.

suuuure

no subject

no subject

.

no subject

no subject

1/2

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject