Somewhere on the mainland, Sunday afternoon

[sharp_as_knives]

One of the best things about having a multiplicity of worlds to choose from was that you could find nearly anything if you were willing to look long enough. In this case, a hang-gliding school that ran through the entire course in one long day.

It had more to do with the fact Hannibal was a fast learner than that he didn't want to wear jeans any more than he had to, honestly.



[For the one mentioned! NFB for distance.]

Comments

[furnaceface]

And maybe a little bit to do with the way Jono insisted that if he could fly motorized aircraft, a simple glider shouldn't be difficult to figure out at all. Though he would've gone with the week-long courses if Hannibal had expressed interest in taking it a little more slowly, this seemed to be an arrangement that worked out nicely for them both.

//So,// he said, doing another once-over of their gear as they stood at the top of the hill, readying for take-off, //nervous?//

He already knew the answer. Honestly, now.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal grinned. Was he ever nervous? Perhaps very occasionally, but not for something like this. "I'm looking forward to it." He watched the other students take off, the instructor checking everything one last time. "You?"


These were actually rather different than motorized aircraft; for one thing, you had to be very aware of and in control of your own body.

Not that he had ulterior motives at all.

[furnaceface]

Oh, no. None in the least. Fortunately, if there were any, Jono didn't seem to suspect them just yet. He simply gave a little wink and a shrug of his shoulders.

//I was born ready,// he shared. //Now I'm just looking forward to seeing how many times I eat dirt before I get up there correctly.//

He was actually banking on 'none.' No times seemed like a nice number, really.

[sharp_as_knives]

"It's only running with a bit of added weight," Hannibal pointed out. He nodded forward. "And I believe they're ready for us."

[furnaceface]

//Looks like,// Jono agreed, looking toward the take-off point. //Would you like to go first, or do you want me to show you, hopefully, how I go about not eating dirt, first?//

Not having a mouth helped with the not eating dirt part, admittedly.

[sharp_as_knives]

"Please, be my guest," Hannibal answered. "I enjoy watching you."

[furnaceface]

Jono gave Hannibal one more amused look, did one last check to make certain all of his safety equipment was in place...

And then, as they'd been instructed to do, he took off at a run, continuing on until the air caught his wings and his feet left the ground.

It took a bit of doing to keep the wave of pure exhilaration he felt from hitting anybody but Hannibal, but there it was. He was in the air. He was gliding. It wasn't quite the same as the collar, no, but there were enough similarities that he could almost pretend.

//Your turn, Hannibal.//

Jono would just be here, not bothering with anything fancy just yet, but very much enjoying the flight.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal watched him, unable to keep from smiling at the joy he radiated, both psychically and simply in his body language. Then it was his turn, and he did the last check with the instructor, and the run up, and then he, too, was in the air. It took a moment to get used to, but he'd always been good at controlling himself, and the glider was surprisingly forgiving.

He sent back a thought to Jono as the wind whipped past and held him up. Lovely.

[furnaceface]

//Freedom,// Jono thought back, making little adjustments here and there to keep his glider on course. //It isn't quite as fine-tuned as the collar is,// understatement, //but it still gets our feet off th'ground. Talk me out of getting one of these things for back on the island, hm?//

Hang-gliding on Fandom Island couldn't possibly end well. Probably. Maybe.

[sharp_as_knives]

Why should I do that? Hannibal asked. If you enjoy it, you should. Hannibal was nothing if not an enabler. He looked forward to learning the differences between this and the collar and experiencing both for himself, but if Jono enjoyed this way of flying on his own, why shouldn't he?

He adjusted his weight and dove a little, then caught the air again and rose once more. He found freedom in many places himself, but this was still thrilling.

[furnaceface]

//Somehow, I figured that might be your answer,// Jono admitted. Because, really, Hannibal had never really struck Jono as the sort of person to refrain from doing things that were enjoyable without a good reason. And, try as he might, Jono couldn't actually come up with that many good reasons. //Have we even got someplace to keep one of these things?//

... His old apartment. His other old apartment... Jono had more than a few options looking at his own real estate alone.

[sharp_as_knives]

The gym, or the storage room, Hannibal added to Jono's growing mental list. And the beach and cliffs would offer a good place to practice. Hannibal swooped to one side, grinning.

[furnaceface]

//... Brat.// This was, as always, a term of endearment that Jono tended to reserve for when a certain somebody was being a shameless enabler in exactly the way Jono had hoped he would be. //You know if I went ahead and got one for me, I'd have to get a second. After all, there's a certain sort of charm in gliding with company.//

And while Hannibal was welcome to use the collar to fly along, Jono didn't want to have him flying circles around him all the time.

[sharp_as_knives]

I could fly with the collar once I've learned a bit more, Hannibal answered, oblivious to Jono's semi-grumpy thought. He caught a bit of air in a quick rise and dip, just for fun.

[furnaceface]

//True enough,// Jono agreed easily. It was hard to stay grumpy when he was up in the air like this. He veered a little, having seen a few other gliders catch a thermal for lift over that way not long before. //But I'd like to be able to keep up now and then, too.//

He'd flown with that collar enough to know that there was a certain sort of satisfaction to leaving everyone else riding your wake.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal smiled and followed Jono toward the thermal. Two gliders it is. Perhaps we can request them for wedding presents. Do you think any of the suppliers have registries?

[furnaceface]

//Doesn't strike me as a traditional wedding gift,// Jono replied, his tone bordering easily on laughter, now. //But we've got a whole multiverse to poke at, I'm certain there's something out there that would. Besides, I don't think we need a new toaster.//

[sharp_as_knives]

That depends upon how nice the toaster is, Hannibal said, equally humorously. But we'll see what we can find.

[furnaceface]

Jono was quiet for a moment as he put his focus into catching the thermal, riding the lift it gave him for a few blissful, uplifting seconds.

//Worst that can happen is nobody gets us hang-gliders for our wedding present,// Jono agreed, the amusement clear in his voice when he finally spoke up again. //Honestly, I'd be most surprised if anybody did. But then, on the island, people might see the ability to glide as a sensible necessity.//

[sharp_as_knives]

Warren might purchase them for us, Hannibal pointed out. He, after all, understood the value of flight. Or Lucivar, if he attends. It took him a moment longer to catch the thermal, riding up behind Jono.

[furnaceface]

//I don't think Lucivar would know what to make of a wedding registry if somebody sat him down and explained it to him,// Jono replied, because the idea of Lucivar even having the first idea as to where to start managed to break his brain a little. //... Worthington, maybe. Granted.//

Because guy with wings. Even if there was still that animosity between them. Forever.

//Speaking of, I don't think Karla's gotten back to us about the announcement, yet. At least, I'd like to think I'd know if she had. I still have functional eardrums. Did I mention, Dinah didn't get hers?//

That was probably something he could have mentioned weeks ago, granted.

[sharp_as_knives]

You didn't, Hannibal said. He sighed, though whether that carried through mentally he had no clue. I'm beginning to wonder if any of them made it through.

[furnaceface]

Well, Jono caught enough of the exasperation in Hannibal's tone to be able to guess, at any rate.

//Off-island, I have no idea. Emma knows, but you posted that thing on the internet, didn't you?//

You know? The thing on the web-place about the stuff. There were probably cookies involved. Or the googles.

[sharp_as_knives]

She mentioned some places we might go for rings, Hannibal answered. But yes, apart from her, I haven't heard from anybody off the island.

There had been no googles involved, Jono.

[furnaceface]

//... I'm going to have to make phone calls, aren't I?// Like a responsible adult with a telephone and the ability to use it? //Christ, Karla's going to kill me if she realizes how long between the notice going out and us realizing that nobody's gotten back to us yet.//

In his own limited defense, things had been...

... Well, not busy, exactly. He was working fewer jobs these days than he could have been!