Song Listened To :
Another by Francis Karell
Every couple I've written for has their own song... This one's Kepa's and Gideon's! Go listen to it if you want not only a feel for this chapter, but a warm snuggly embrace that represents their romance. This song is incredibly beautiful, please go do yourself a favor!
*Chapter 114*
Comfortable sweat pants and tank tops, windswept hair atop Juniper's green mountain side, Gideon, Kepa and Novus grunted in the final lurch it took to get to the highest point they could find. Although not necessary, the three opted for brief training atop said mountain, a place that had a harsher more steady breeze, a place where Kepa could properly spread her wings and really take in every ounce of Novus's readied advice for proper flight. Gideon followed Kepa's hefty, adorable paw prints through the dirt as they arrived to the sunny, gorgeous scene of the ocean far below them, the lighthouse down on the beach wasn't too far away, though Gideon felt it odd that he could see the top of it, said sight not something he usually had a visual of. He grinned, placed his bigger hands on his hips, relished in the cool breeze that whisked about their hair and fur alike, and scanned his sunny surroundings.
Upon said scan his golden eyes took, his gaze gripped with something by Kepa's tail. Having flown up here and landed fifty or so feet down, so to continue said trek on foot through an easy footpath, Gideon took note that Kepa's tail had garnered a few stickers lodged in her soft fur, alongside a few twigs that held onto said stickers for dear life. In kind attempt to help, and in an understanding that Kepa maybe hadn't felt said stickers weighing her down due to their lightweight, burred appearance, Gideon cautiously stepped closer to her backside, welcomed himself into her bubble, leaned down and reached his bigger hand for her tail. Knowing it now wasn't off limits, he was certain she wouldn't be upset with his aid, and as his bigger hand so gently gripped about her thicker tail, which was about the girth of her forearm, she tightly flinched and only half whirled around to see just what was going on. Upon seeing that said grab was only Gideon, and also seeing his eyes fixate on getting the stickers out of her tail, she sagged in smiling relief and patiently watched as Gideon's careful, bigger fingers picked through the longer fur towards the end of her tail and aided her in freeing her of brush.
"Hey," Novus suddenly barked in full authority, said snap had both Kepa and Gideon jolt in a flinch of prickled alertness. Novus firmly held his ears taut atop his head, in a show of full dominance, whirled around and glowered Gideon down, "Why are you touching her tail?"
"O-Oh, I was just-" Gideon nervously staggered as he suddenly let go of Kepa's tail; due to her allowing it to go limp in Gideon's care, she steadied herself and flexed her tail upright before it could thud to the ground, and though Kepa wanted to urgently and cutely assure Novus that Gideon was now allowed to these things, she stiffened in full surprise as Novus began to bare his fangs as he very brashly allowed a guttural of a snarl escape his scary fangs.
"You know that's off limits," Novus stabbed sharply through his scary prickle of the beginnings of a full growl as he began to saunter closer to Gideon, who stood frozen in innocent shock, though Novus jolted in hot surprise the second Kepa suddenly unfurled her wings, popped her left one open in a full spread and stopped Novus dead in his tracks due to said separation she had suddenly put between Novus and Gideon.
"Hey," Kepa suddenly yelled as Novus took a stagger of a step back and peered hard into her eyes, and to both boys surprise, Kepa wrinkled her cat snout in the full bare of her own fangs and let loose the scariest, nastiest snarl her figure could afford. Her ears pinned flat to the back of her skull in a stab of sudden anger. Said choke of a return-snarl had Novus's ears immediately sagging in full submission as Kepa's tight cross-hair pupils landed firm into Novus's eyes, she stood before Gideon in full defense of him, her scary fangs bared in full. Although she was very clearly no match for Novus, so much as challenging him, in such an animalistic way, was enough for Novus to recoil and rethink what was going on. Kepa ceased her sudden snap of a snarl, though she spoke with fangs still bared, "Gideon was getting twigs out of the fur on my tail, he's allowed to touch my tail, why are you so quick to jump all over Gideon, all of the sudden? Is it because of earlier?"
"I-I'm sorry, I just... Thought you were way against anyone touching your tail," Novus complained gently as he sagged a step or two away and apologetically peered to Gideon, who was surprised to see Kepa's full wing out before him, in an aid of protection, though the look of dejected guilt still hung fresh in Gideon's gaze.
"I am, and I'm sorry we didn't communicate to you sooner that we were going out, now, but... Gideon's my boyfriend," Kepa firmly explained, "He's now allowed to a lot more than previously. One being, he can touch my tail. So long as it's kindly."
"I really don't need you to keep protecting Kepa AGAINST me, over these things," Gideon cautioned sadly as Kepa lowered her wing and allowed both to sag behind her in an ease drape to her shoulder blades.
"I-I'm sorry, she just... Doesn't have big brothers or parents or anyone to protect her, y'know?" Novus mumbled, he glanced to Kepa's eyes, and though she looked still stern and saddled in frustration, she sagged in a show of tepid gratitude as she finally began to soften, "I just... Am trying to be a good big brother, I guess."
"You are, Novus, it's very kind of you," Kepa ushered as she shook her head and blurt a shy giggle, "You and I both know Gideon doesn't have sour intentions for me... I think you can trust that if he's quietly picking something out of my tail, it's absolutely not malicious. If you see him bending my tail in half and ripping all the fur out, then yeah, by all means, torch his ass... Lest I beat you to it."
"Do I look like the kinda jerk to just torture the people I care about?" Gideon begged, desperate to ease off of the rocky situation that happened earlier, he huffed a chuckle and tried to make light of all of this, "I'm really glad you're protective of Kepa... But, I am too. You don't have to worry about me hurting her."
"Well, you're aware of what will happen if you ever do," Novus grumbled with a cute side-eye, "Earlier better've been a fluke, dude..."
"It was a low blow, but we're all a work in progress, we're ALL subject to mistakes, and, hey... We're all kind enough to FORGIVE," Kepa loudly urged to Novus as she gestured to her chest and then back to Gideon, who still stood nervously off behind her, near her tail. He jolted in surprise as she looked over her shoulder and gently swat her hefty tail back into the bend of Gideon's wrist, as if to kindly insinuate she'd like if he continued helping her, "I can't say I'm the kindest soul in the midsts of trauma responses, either."
"This did happen kind of all at once, didn't it," Gideon mumbled cutely as he so gently gripped Kepa's tail, once more, and brought the section up closer to his gaze, so to continue getting the rest of the stickers out of her fur.
"Four days apart was enough for you two to realize that maybe you'd be better suited committed to each other?" Novus wondered with a teasing smile, although the air was still tense from said sudden, snippy show of fangs, the three made proverbially clear that finding solace was their immediate goal.
"Yeah, we're making up for the small amount of time lost," Gideon stifled a small laugh, "We become a couple, Kepa meets my sister, AND learns how to fly."
"Big day for the house cat," Novus muttered cutely as he eyed Kepa, she flattened her ears and shot him a dirty look of a grin.
"Somehow, the sugar particles must've gotten to your boys brains or something, and coming down off of that ridge has caused a severe swing in mood," Kepa rattled as she crossed her arms, though she softened once she could feel Gideon's picking cease, thus replaced with long, loving strokes down the half way point of her tail, all the way to the end where said twigs and stickers were. Relishing in his touch, she tried to focus on his warmth instead of the huge, impending task at hand. Her and Gideon caught eyes, though his gaze was a lot gentler and sweeter until he noticed the look of anxiousness written on her face as she continued on, "I think the moon is gunna be full, tonight... We all seem a bit on edge."
"It's hardly past noon and already so much has happened," Gideon soothed, he finally gave Novus a pleading look of warmth, "Let's just... Be easier on each other, none of whatever has happened today has been easy. Getting together, sure, that's been wonderful, but then meeting my sister for the first time, and then, I said something incredibly stupid that made you cry, and now we're all on a cliffside ready to teach you how to not plummet to the planet."
"I'm WONDERING if we should just head to the lighthouse and watch tv for the rest of the day, y'think we should chance this flying stuff while we're all pissed at each other?" Novus rattled, Kepa barked a giggle and shook her head as Gideon freed her tail, once and for all.
"Boys, come here, get in closer," Kepa gestured both Gideon and Novus to press tighter to her, though neither being moved. Kepa choked a laugh and emphasized her gesturing, her tail swat about a little, "Come on! Act like we all love each other, come on, let's bounce back..."
"I'm sorry," Novus mumbled to Gideon as both boys gently eased into Kepa's presence, once and for all.
"It's okay," Gideon eased in gentle humility as Kepa lovingly gripped his right hand in her left one, and sagged her own right hand into Novus's snout.
"I'm not," Kepa stabbed, both boys flinched and erupted into happy laughter as Kepa smiled and shrugged, "Been awhile since I've had to snarl at someone."
"One noise down," Gideon's voice trembled in cute excitement as he curiously peered to her, he shook his head and showed a deeper swathe of humility for her kind, "I'm very quickly being reminded to not pick fights with you, lest I want to find out what it's like to fight a jungle cat."
"Yeah, being with a lion gargoyle isn't for the faint of heart, I'm shocked you even agreed to be mine," Kepa muttered cutely, Novus sagged and eyed Gideon in rising warmth.
"So when's the wedding, you two?" Novus cheesed, Gideon wildly furrowed his brow and shot Novus a cheeky grin.
"Tomorrow, we're also moving to the moon and are planning on having ten litters of kittens," Gideon stabbed playfully, though Kepa cocked an eyebrow and aimlessly looked off.
"Ho-kay, glad expectations are immediately put forth," Kepa chirped cutely as her and Gideon caught eyes in a swing of playful laughter everyone fell into. Kepa wrangled her hand underneath Novus's chin, grappled Gideon's uninjured arm and yanked both boys closer, "Alright, group hug, no more bickering, no more hard feelings."
"I have one hard feeling," Novus mumbled as he closed his eyes, and though Kepa stiffened with worry, Novus's gentle chuckling cued both her and Gideon into understanding that Novus was being playful, "I'm now legitimately the third wheel, considering you guys are together."
"Stop it," Gideon muttered with an annoyed smile, "We're a friend group. Sure, Kepa and I..."
"Made it weird?" Novus stabbed as the three pulled apart, though everyone erupted into happy laughter that echoed off of the cliff side they stood on.
"Sure, made it weird, let's go with that," Gideon stabbed as he bashfully rubbed the back of his head and eyed Kepa in shy curiosity, to which she rolled her eyes and beamed happy smile of to the atmosphere about her.
"Alright! Flight lessons are a-go," Novus cheesed excitedly, he loosened the drape of his massive wings and peered to Kepa in full eagerness, "Y'ready?"
"No," Kepa mumbled nervously, her demeanor sagged as she peered hard out to the sky and scenery about her, she shook her head and eased a shaky chuckle, "I'm... I'm really scared of falling."
"You won't fall," Novus assured sweetly, he gingerly tucked the bigger thumb of his wing underneath Kepa's chin and kindly tilted her head so the two locked eyes, "Neither me nor Gideon will allow it."
"I'd dive off of Novus to catch you, and I have no way of correcting that situation," Gideon gawked with a laugh, to which Kepa shyly smiled down to her feet as she lovingly rested her littler hand on the wrist of Novus's massive wing.
"Alright, let's see that wingspan. Let's see what we're working with," Novus stated proudly as he sat on his rear, puffed his chest with pride and eagerly sprawled his massive wingspan. All gorgeously splashed with the proud, cerulean blues his ventral consisted of, Kepa inhaled a readied breath and shyly expanded her full wingspan, as well. Although obviously much smaller than Novus's, her wings still held nearly the same exact shape as Novus's. He bobbed a nod and grinned as Gideon took a step back, eyed Kepa's entirety in a show of impress and nodded alongside Novus's fervor, "Beautiful! Strong, looks a lot like mine, don't you think, Gid?"
"Yeah, I was just gunna say that," Gideon chirped, Novus heavily nodded, once more and sagged as he took a gentle step closer to Kepa; she, too, sagged her wings a bit.
"How many times have you flown in your life?" Novus tenderly wondered, Kepa fiddled her fingers.
"Twice, I was just barely a year old," Kepa mumbled, understanding that this was about a decade ago, "I've had instances where I've glided before, but flapping and actually getting air and maneuvering myself in that way scares me."
"What are you truly scared of?" Novus patiently wondered, Kepa's little nose began to wiggle with the true onset of promised tears, something Gideon could be seen visibly cueing to in the form of a fully-concerned facial expression and tension of the tendons in his neck.
"I-I guess, outside of falling... Failing," Kepa muttered sorrowfully, "I've never really truly tested my flight, I've never had a reason to fly. I'm worried I won't be strong enough, I'm worried my wings will fail me."
"Well, why don't we do this," Novus started with confident suggestions, he nodded and shot Gideon a curious look, "Why doesn't Kepa sit as the main flyer on my back, and Gideon, you sit further down, on the base of my tail. I'll keep a strict, easy glide, Kepa can hold onto my saddle with her hands to steady herself, and she can glide directly above me. That way, if you DO fall, you'll just come down on me, which... Won't affect me at all."
"And I'll be there, just in case," Gideon encouraged, Kepa fingered her lip and nodded in fervent certainty, she sighed and looked as if this was a good suggestion. Gideon sweetly cupped her shoulder and smiled, "I think you'll find, once you're in the air and once you've gotten a feel for the movement, you'll take to it. It's in your code."
"I'll do my best," Kepa murmured shyly, Gideon scrunched his face and shook his head.
"That's a given, but even if you fail," Gideon cutely continued, his deep voice so sweetly ushered her all the warmth and care in the world, "There's always next time. It's okay to fail. It's okay if this doesn't work out, because... Novus and I aren't going anywhere. We're happy to keep doing this as long as you need."
"I could fly all day long, I love flying," Novus encouraged as Kepa cutely looked back and forth between both boys, she bobbed a nervous nod and looked as if she was showing signs of rising confidence with the way she looked off to the sky and sunny surroundings, "You and I got a lot of sky to catch up on, anyways. Once you're comfortable, Gideon's gunna hate how often we're going to want to take a spin around the game."
"C'mon, I'll love it, I love flying, too," Gideon argued with a smile, "Even though I can't physically do it... I AM pretty jealous, of you guys."
"Y'ready?" Novus wondered with a kind smile, he tilted his head towards the gape of the cliffside, sprawled his wing to welcome her to it and smiled into her eyes, "I'll give you a few more tips, once we're up there. I know Gideon can help out, too."
"Absolutely," Gideon encouraged, to which he was excited to see Kepa bob a fervent nod and press about Novus's body.
"Okay, let's... Let's try," Kepa ushered with a gentle show of nervousness, though the gumption to board Novus's spine, as he lowered for her aid, proved to Gideon that she had a spark of courage she needed.
"You're gunna do great, babe," Gideon firmly assured with a nod as he, too, board Novus's spine, though took Novus's advice and sat further back on the base of his tail, where as Kepa straddled his broad saddle at the base of Novus's shoulder blades.
"Y'guys ready?" Novus wondered excitedly, and though Gideon almost opened his mouth and answered, he knew that question was for Kepa. The way Kepa's cute little voice meeped Novus a definitive 'yes' had Gideon swooning. He choked a silent little laugh, clutched his chest and steadied himself as Novus spread his incredible wings in preparation for take off. Gideon laughed as Novus stiffened his tail and eyed him over the fur of his shoulder blade, "Y'better hold on tight, Gideon."
"I'll do my best," Gideon called sheepishly, though as Novus's body lurched forward in a steady, hefty few gallops, Gideon gripped the thick fur on the base of Novus's tail and held on tight as Novus's majestic wingspan took to the clear blue skies, their lovely lighthouse being their audience for this venture.
With the whip of Turbotime's cool ocean air on their hair and fur, Gideon grunted a small laugh and now had to readjust just how he sat and handled himself aboard Novus's much more animated tail. Doing well for himself, he was glad Novus didn't adhere to any vigorous flapping and resorted to the gentle gliding, like he promised. Excited that he'd have a front row seat to this adventure, he could see Kepa keeping her wings nearly glued to her back, her tail was in an aggressive curly about her hips, her body language read true nervousness, though with the lean she took so her and Novus could converse, Gideon got comfortable and could tell that she was at least willing. She gripped the rungs of Novus's saddle and listened to Novus's words, and though Gideon could hear their voices, he couldn't hear the conversation at hand. Trusting it was simply stuff only Novus could explain, Gideon graciously understood that he was the moral, boyfriend support and Novus was the encouraging vessel that would hopefully get Kepa in the air.
"For now, just let the air fill your wings. We can glide for a bit, but if you want, you can practice flapping with me," Novus called sweetly. Going at a much slower, loftier glide, the wind wasn't too noisy for them to talk back and forth, though it was all lost and jumbled by the time it reached Gideon, at Novus's tail.
"Wh-what if the wind is too powerful and I-I like... Crumple?" Kepa staggered in full worry, her eyes scanned the ocean's horizon in a pin-prickle of fear, though Novus choked a hard laugh and shook his head.
"Well, then you'll go crumpling into Gideon, whose on my tail," Novus erupted into full laughter, which had Kepa encouraged enough to shyly giggle, "He'll catch yah. He promised he would, right? If you go crumpling into the wind, Gideon's the first thing you'll collide with. Truly no one better, that kid won't let you fall, no matter what."
"Yeah," Kepa sighed shakily as she tossed her eyes over her shoulder and caught the adorable image of Gideon sat back into Novus's gorgeous sprawl of tail sails, right at the base of his tail, near his rear. Gideon grinned in full encouragement, gave her a dainty wave concluded with an eager, firm thumbs up. Kepa giggled, returned the thumbs up, grappled Novus's saddle and scanned the horizon, over the top of Novus's head as she turned back around. She heaved a long, shaky sigh, lulled her eyes closed and steadied herself, "Alright, I'm... I'm gunna try..."
"Slow and easy," Novus's gentle voice encouraged as he remained in a strict, lofty glide over nothing but ocean, "Leave bend in your wings, not too stiff, not too flimsy... Let the air carry you."
"Okay," Kepa whispered in reply to Novus, though mostly to steady herself, and though her heart raced, the wind whipped her braid about her shoulder blades in mild chaos, she lulled her eyes closed and prepared to gently sprawl her wings.
Gideon held his breath and watched as Kepa unfurled herself, and like watching the visual representation of a tangible crescendo, Kepa's gorgeous wingspan began to so gently catch air. Beautiful pops of her bigger freckles all along her incredible wing webbing, the glint of sunlight through the thinner skin, Gideon caught a breath and watched as her tail also unfurled and patiently held to a proper, stiffened, hovered state to mirror Novus's spine. Gideon heaved a shaky breath and watched as Kepa bravely removed herself from her straddle, got to her bigger pawed-feet in a crouch and allowed her wings to spread to full mast. She just barely wobbled as she got used to the push of the wind, her wings hesitated to open fully in some instances of being tested, though all in all, she persisted until her wings were in a confident stretch with Gideon as her single, grateful audience.
Gideon scoffed a silent little choke of smiling surprise as Kepa's tail cutely revealed a secret, splayed a few feet before his face. The pop of littler tail sails, at the very end of Kepa's tail, aided in her steady stance, and with said show of the adorable splay of tail sails, Gideon did absolutely everything he could to not reach out and gently touch said sails. Knowing she needed this opportunity to focus, he flinched in full surprise the second Kepa very bravely lifted off of Novus's saddle, save for her hands that still gripped the rungs near his shoulder blades. Gideon felt his heart race, the sheer sight of her beautiful wings on full display, the hesitant few flaps she took to steady herself in the glide above Novus's saddle, Gideon clutched his chest, once more, and so desperately wanted to call encouraging words to her, though he remained patient and silent as she concentrated.
Kepa squeezed her eyes shut and felt her heart race as the wind finally filled her wings, ruffled the shorter fur on her body, she panted in the exhilarating thrill of finally taking flight, though she grit her fangs and very nervously kept her hands and fingers angrily grappled with Novus's saddle. She flinched in full surprise the second Novus's wings very slowly took a gentle downward flap, returned in an upward swoop that ever so gently clipped the ends of Kepa's wing tips. She flinched, allowed a full flap, or two, and steadied herself alongside Novus's glide. Grateful that Novus was testing her, she inhaled a few deep breaths, peered out to the big blue world before her and very bravely allowed another full, confident flap of her beautiful wings. Her tail remained stiff, though she gently tilted her tail sails in curious assessment, just to see how to handle the full spectrum of steering. Feeling confident that she had what it took to let go of Novus's saddle, she squeezed her eyes shut and felt as if something was holding her back. Now gripped with her hands and claws, she patiently began to silently wager with herself, somehow she wondered if she would brave enough to let go of Novus's saddle.
Gideon patiently watched as Kepa and Novus slowly allowed bigger, full flaps, easy confidence that now came to Kepa's figure, though he firmly eyed her littler hands, still angrily gripped to the rungs of Novus's saddle. Gideon bit his lip and contemplated his next move, and though he desperately wished he could somehow dance with Kepa midair, to fly alongside her and prove this was all gunna be okay, he wondered if there was one last little thing he could do before the sky welcomed her home. Gideon held his breath, grunted to a fuller sit, got to the flat of his chest on Novus's rear and now began to army-crawl his way to the head of Novus's saddle. Careful to stay tight to Novus's saddle, so not to touch Kepa, who hovered now above him with her arm's length in between them, he very bravely came to her little hands and, still in his army-crawl of a crouch, he firmly bit his lip in tight concentration and so delicately gripped her littler hands between his much bigger thumbs and pointer fingers. With a tiny bit of convincing, he was floored to feel Kepa's hands finally remove from Novus's saddle and immediately grip Gideon's much bigger hands.
Gideon now began to nervously breathe through his mouth as he ever so slowly began to help aid Kepa a little higher into the air, her hands still firmly gripped in his. He eagerly peered up to her and kept his balance in a now sitting crouch as she allowed him to so slowly maneuver her upwards and away from Novus's body, he kept his grip on her hands soft to insinuate that she had the power to keep holding on or to let go, and as Gideon wobbled to steady himself in said kneeling crouch aboard Novus's spine, he grinned in panting delight as he peered up at Kepa's adorable little face, eclipsed by the sunlight she near-absorbed by her beauty alone. Her face peered forward in a sting of excited terror, and just when Gideon was certain his heart couldn't leap any harder, he was floored to feel Kepa's little hands so gently slip out of his, once and for all, and with the rush of everything, Kepa finally gained flight all by herself. Gideon shakily scoffed a hard laugh out to the atmosphere and cautiously kept his hand at the ready, directly underneath her figure, just in case she fell, though she happily held her arms out and donned the widest, most excited smile as her wings came down in a heft, confident flap.
"You're doing it," Gideon loudly urged in a full, excited chuckle as he finally grappled the rung of Novus's saddle with his right hand, he shakily uttered a loud noise of pure elation as he kept his eyes trained to Kepa, directly above him, "Kepa, you're doing it!"
"I'm flying!" Kepa shouted with a shaky, excited giggle, and with one last gentle nudge in the right direction, Gideon narrowed his gaze and just barely tucked the backs of his knuckles into her tensed core, directly above him, so to push her a bit higher into the air.
"You're flying, Kepa, you're FLYING!" Gideon shouted as Novus happily peered over his shoulder and caught sight of her body hovering up and away from the aid of Novus's spine.
"Gideon, I'm so SCARED!" Kepa loudly shouted with a hard giggle out to the sky, proving she was being playful though showing true wariness for the raw situation she had found herself in, though Gidoen properly saddled himself to Novus's spine and peered up at her with adoring eyes.
"You're made for this, fear isn't even an option!" Gideon called as all three beings happily laughed, though much to Gideon's whole surprise, Kepa tucked her arms to herself, peered forward in the swing of finally falling into her element and tucked a hefty downward flap, which ultimately propelled her forward with a push of gained speed.
"I know I'm no match for a dragon, but I'd like to say I have a bit of speed on my side," Kepa cutely called, her voice shook, it was clear she was shocked that any of this was real, though the confidence that suddenly oozed from her was entirely palpable.
"Prove it, little lady," Novus snipped cutely, though as he switched gears and allowed Gideon's steering to take over, Gideon bit his tongue and cheekily steered Novus so that Kepa was now flying solo, without the protection of Novus being underneath her. Kepa choked a hard noise of full protest, angrily flapped downwards a few times and propelled forward a bit faster before settling back into the glide she previously was in. Kepa gaped and peered hard to Novus and Gideon, who now confidently hovered beside her, the gap between them was simply their own wingspans. Novus shrugged and eyed Gideon, over his shoulder, "Don't blame me, I have a rider, I'm not steering myself, any longer."
"Gideon!" Kepa cried playfully, she swallowed hard, peered down at the ocean below her, the sheer few-hundred foot drop began to bevel underneath her, though Gideon shook his head and hunkered tighter to Novus's spine.
"When were you gunna tell me that you have tail sails?" Gideon called in cheeky authority, a clear playful tone he took as Kepa largely rolled her eyes and looked off, though Gideon jolted as Novus cranked his neck to get a good look.
"WHAT?" Novus barked in surprise, to which Kepa happily flapped a few times and gained speed over both boys.
"This tail ain't just for aesthetics!" Kepa called with coy confidence, to which Gideon firmly side-eyed the back of her head and eased a cheeky, teasing grin.
"Coulda fooled Gideon," Novus called as Gideon huffed a devious little laugh, his heart soared as he hunkered to Novus's spine and prepared to chase after Kepa's speedy figure, which was now quickly getting away from the two.
Kepa blurt a giggle and confidently eased her wings in and out of flaps that caught the wind, she eagerly peered forward and felt her heart race and race with the idea that all of this open sky was now hers, and with that, she looked about in devious delight, tucked her wings to her body, ducked down in a sudden dip to the planet and totally caught Novus and Gideon off guard. With a pop of her wings, once more, she bravely aileron rolled once, banked left and began to cheekily fly in a different direction. She loudly choked a nervous giggle as her wings flapped in a mild show of uneducated nervousness, though she quickly steadied herself, once more, as she could hear Gideon and Novus loudly complain of the sudden direction change. Kepa grinned, peered over her shoulder and squealed in playful terror as Novus firmly followed suit and began to fly in her direction, once more, the very image of his huge, haunting blue eyes locked to her position in the sky was enough to get her to flap forward, a giggling, panting mess.
"What about fire breathing?" Gideon loudly called as Kepa bravely took an upward swoop and now began to fly up towards the big, billowy white clouds that hung over head. Gideon heavily panted, grappled Novus's reigns and began to steer him up in Kepa's direction, so the two were directly underneath her, once more, though she shot upwards like a rocket. Gideon flinched as they began to sag into the whips of the white cloud, suddenly unable to see the sky about them. Gideon fervently pushed on as Kepa's flapping bravely continued on, the tip of her tail came into his view, "What's stopping you, here? The sky is all yours, why don't you claim it?"
"I haven't done that in awhile, either," Kepa called nervously, though Gideon choked a small laugh as Novus bravely sagged his snout into the bigger toe beans on Kepa's feet, and though she wobbled due to the sudden differential, she allowed her wings to daintily cup near her body as Novus's speed was the thing rocketing her upwards into the sky.
"You asked if I valued my eyebrows, and, I'd say in this instance, no, I don't," Gideon loudly returned with a happy laugh, though to his whole surprise, Kepa bravely took in a huge breath and steadied herself.
With the foggy whips of white all about them, Gideon lowered a bit to Novus's spine as the sky erupted with fire, the press of her breath to the clouds they were surrounded in, the three suddenly popped from the mess of her clean splay of her power and into the wild blue of Turbotime's sunny, crystal clear skies. Kepa ceased her work with the final push off of Novus's snout, and as the three came to an easy lull of a hover above the planet, Gideon cutely let go of Novus's saddle and allowed his own propelled gravity to ease him off of Novus's spine, once and for all. Although the three hovered with each other for a few dainty seconds, they all began to succumb to gravity, once more, though not without the toss of happy smiles and laughter in the rapid swallow back through the pocket of now smoky-coated clouds they were tossed through. All three beings hooped and hollered as they fell, though Gidoen clumsily thumped back to Novus's spine and was thrilled both Novus and Kepa corrected themselves in flight back to lower altitudes. With breakneck speeds both flyers kept up with, Gideon's heart soared at the sight of Kepa's little figure so confidently finding her place in this big blue world, the grin on her face, the sound of her laughter that hugged the planet, he shook his head and couldn't help but keep his eyes trained to her beautiful, sunny soul.
Gideon could swear the sheer amount of air swallowed, due to flying with the dorkiest, open-mouth grin, was due to making him nauseous for the rest of the day, though still, he persisted. Windswept for the rest of his life, sun-kissed and due to stinging for the next few days, it all was something he was willing to endure for the rest of eternity if he were to have a front row seat to seeing Kepa entirely in her element. Tosses of her wings in brave maneuvers over Novus's spine, the slap of cute high-fives the two occasionally gave each other, the tease of her scary talons that clipped Gideon's shoulders, he almost was sad to see the lighthouse approaching so rapidly. Although Novus banked about the spire of the lighthouse, he was thrilled to see Kepa very confidently come to a flapping thump of a halt to the very top of the lighthouse's spire; understanding the assignment, Novus swooped around, leveled with the top of the light house and skillfully allowed Gideon to glitch-hop off of his spine and straight into Kepa's equally as electrifying bubble. With the hugest hug the two collided into, alongside the wails and hoops of full, loud excitement, Novus cutely lofted off and allowed the two to have their own moment. Gideon grinned and twirled Kepa as they stood atop their lighthouse, he finally pulled away and gripped her shoulders in the jostle of continued, vigorous energy.
"You KILLED IT," Gideon loudly urged as Kepa bounced up and down, her hair and fur was poofed a bit, it was clear she was still coming down from this incredible high.
"I can't believe I just DID all that!" Kepa squealed, both beings heavily panted, hair a mess, faces blistered with grinning, windswept excitement, Kepa's shaky hands grappled Gideon's upper arms as he kept his equally as shaky hands gripped to her shoulders. She shook her head and looked as if she was due to getting happily emotional, though she kept it all in nicely, she practically glowed as her trembling, adorable voice ushered Gideon all the love in the world, "I owe a lot to you, Gideon, you... You believed in me. I-I can't believe I just FLEW."
"AND breathed fire," Gideon's cute, boyish tone firmly encouraged with a nod, the sheer selfless excitement on his face was enough for Kepa to feel as if this was all she ever needed for the rest of her life. Gideon shook his head as the two continued to pant in each other's faces, "You owned the whole game... Hell, the whole ARCADE."
"I don't know about that," Kepa sharply giggled as Gideon firmly scooped her into a big hug, once more, alongside a much gentler twirl, this time. Kepa sighed and sagged into Gideon's powerful care, she squeezed her eyes shut and felt her fur prickle with newness, her arms fastened about Gideon's neck like the lifeline he was, "I'm so glad you're mine. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"You don't have to worry about that," Gideon huffed cutely as he firmly kissed the side of her head a few times, "C'mon, let's find Novus."
With ease, Gideon peered down the spire of the edge of the lighthouse, allowed his coding to engulf his body and carefully glitch-hopped down the spiraling swoop of said spire, all to erupt into the sand below where Novus had patiently landed, as well. Kepa easily spread her wings and allowed herself to lift off of the lighthouse and eventually come to a gentle swoop of a glide down to where Novus and Gideon were patiently waiting.
"What if I fall! What if the ocean swallows me!" Novus whined in a playfully mocking tone as Kepa's feet skid to the sand to a gentle halt, she flapped her gorgeous wings once or twice and swat at Novus's snout with a playful grin, "You did... SO well. You were worried for nothing. That was some awesome fire breathing, too!"
"Yeah, let's uh... Let's save that for the sky," Gideon rushed cutely as Kepa and Novus eagerly peered to Gideon with big smiles. Gideon scratched his forehead and rested his hands on his hips in a lazy lean as he looked down to the sand, "Look, I know I said that I didn't value my eyebrows, in the moment, but uh..."
"It's okay, we got that beachside barbecue tomorrow," Kepa shrugged, her voice lilted in cute encouragement as all three beings continued to gently pant, though Gideon erupted into laughter and curled over due to it. Kepa grinned in full giggling and pat Novus's snout, "I mean, right?"
"Yep, poor boy doesn't understand just the floodgates he just opened," Novus muttered cutely as he watched Kepa and Gideon loudly laugh with one another, the blossom of a very bright, promising romance so properly christened by Turbotime's sunny, wild blue.
