[sfw] ❀ Wings Room ❀

[awuka]

[The new witch's house they found had been a huge success! Alluka got a good night's rest that night, exhausted from casting her first spell. She hoped it would get easier with time, feeling particularly optimistic as she tucked into bed.

The next day, Alluka has another menu item on her plate. Beaming with the eyes of an explorer, she keeps bugging Killua over breakfast to take her to that weird, feathery door that resembled an angel's wing. He convinces her to wait until breakfast is over, but assures her they can go. Before they leave, she dips into her walk-in closet and comes out clad in an ethereal green fairy tutu dress with pink accents and small rosettes. The front of the skirt is adorned with flowery vines. Today, she feels more connected to fae than usual, so the choice comes naturally to her. She grabs her cat bag with two potions and snacks for later and slings it over her shoulder before they head out.

Killua insists on opening the door first, of course. Alluka holds her breath, her hand squeezing Killua's to keep him from getting sucked in. The other side is a beautiful pasture with distant hills and mountains lining the backdrop. Just barely visible are huge trees on either side of the meadow that pierce the sky.]

Ooooh, I wonder what this leads to?

Comments

[awuka]

No! I can do it!

[Her hands are hot against his bared skin, shielding him from the cool mountain wind rolling over them as they jet through the air.]

I'm a big girl, Oniichan--!!

[Wanting to prove herself, she forces herself to keep her eyes open except for when she needs to blink, staring down at the moving terrain. It makes her dizzy but she persists, thinking that Killua probably isn't afraid, being as cool as he is.]

[devil_or_angle]

*killua huffs a laugh, glancing down to see the adorable look of resolution on her face and grinning with pride.*

'atta girl.

*he turns his gaze back to the mountain range stretching out before them, shifting their trajectory to glide along its length rather than strictly towards it, silver hair fluttering in the breeze. it feels even better in his feathers, streaming smoothly through the long pinions at the edges of his wings and ruffling the downy fuzz closer to his body. he's starting to get a little tired from their prolonged flight, but he doesn't want it to end just yet.*

[awuka]

[She blushes happily at his spirited response, wishing they were at an altitude where it was safe for him to pat her head. She absolutely trusts him not to drop her, as much as the possibility frightens her. Exposure to so much air rapidly dries her wings until they're almost completely translucent. They feel uncomfortable all bent, so she instinctively flexes her back and stretches them out wide. They're big for her body but much smaller in comparison to Killua's. Though they've expanded, they're still not ready yet. Not that she was brave enough to fly from here.

Alluka pulls back and gazes up at her handsome brother, mystified by him as always and attracted to his new set of wings. It was like something she'd seen in a hazy dream once, where Killua rescued her and they flew away from the Zoldyck mansion together. Her lived reality is better than the dream, she's decided, because she doesn't wake up when she leans in and gives him a kiss on the cheek.]

[devil_or_angle]

*the glint of alluka's new wings catches killua's gaze as the wind and light bounces off their delicate surface, casting colors all around them like stained glass. he can't help but be captivated by the sight, his little sister every bit the exquisite, ethereal being she's always been in his eyes. their altitude wavers as he gets distracted, and drops suddenly when she smooches his cheek, throwing him off balance.*

w-woah!

*face flushed, he quickly rights them with a laugh and a flap of his wings, but decides to begin their descent before he gets any more flustered. he chooses a clear spot in the meadow near a wooded path leading deeper into the mountains, swinging her around in a circle as they land in the soft grass. once their feet are on the ground, he leans in to give her her own kiss, right on the forehead.*

there ya go, princess.

[awuka]

[Alluka's wings are like a prism under the bold sunlight, reflecting vivid rays that bring color to Killua's pale face.

When they suddenly drop, her stomach is thrown for a loop and she gasps, her eyes wide in terror as she fears she's about to fall. However, her reliable brother manages to land them in an even more brilliant meadow than the one at the entrance. Being swung around would normally please Alluka, but after almost falling it hits her differently. Dizzy, she tatters slightly and clings to his hand. Tall flowers brush their knees as she's set down, and she squeezes her eyes shut and pulls him into a tight hug, her wings fluttering anxiously.]

That was so scaryyyy!

[devil_or_angle]

*killua chuckles breathlessly as alluka throws her arms around him, petting her hair to comfort her.*

i'm sorry. it's your fault for distracting me.

*he can't help but tease her, using easy humor to abate her fear before reassuring her:*

i'd never have let you fall, i promise.

[awuka]

Okay...no more kissing in the sky, then..

[She loosens her grip on him and steps away. Her wings, standing tall, feel stable and strong, whipping up a breeze as they're batted to and fro. A beetle lands on her knee and starts crawling upward, making her freeze and squeak. She hastily brushes it off into the tall grass. It flies away, hovering noisily above Killua's nose.]

Eek--!!

[devil_or_angle]

*killua frowns, glaring up at the sky above. he'd like to be able to kiss her wherever she wants, thank you very much. he's already devising plans to practice keeping his focus in the air.* not until i get better at flying, at least...

*he's startled out of his thoughts when alluka squeals, gaze snapping to the bug between his eyes. he swats it away with a lightning-fast swipe, sending it fleeing back into the swaying grass.*

s'just a beetle, nothing to be afraid of. hey, aren't you kind of a bug now, too?

*he raises two fingers above his head, twitching them like antennae.*

[awuka]

Wait, I am a bug...am I at least a pretty one?

[She twists and poses for him, spreading her wings out wide behind her as she lifts the frills of her dress to show it off.]

I wanna try flying now...but I dunno how, Oniichan! You made it look so easy...

[devil_or_angle]

*killua can’t help but laugh, grinning as he drops his hands to his hips and reassures her,* you’re the prettiest bug i’ve ever seen.

*he takes in her glittering wings for a moment, wondering what it must be like to fly with appendages so different from his own. it was easy to adapt to bone and muscle, to treat his wings as just another limb on his body, jointed and flexible and strong. he starts to walks around her in a circle as he inspects her wings, squinting at the junction where delicate scales meet skin.*

i dunno, it just kinda came naturally to me once i was up in the air...

*a playful grin returns to his contemplative face.*

what if i pick you up and spin you around again?

[awuka]

[She turns her head to watch him circle her, wondering what he's looking for. He seems to stop behind her, focused on the back where she can't see. She wishes she had a mirror to confirm his compliment.]

Mmm..that sounds nice, but I don't think being dizzy would help me fly..

[She flicks her wings, fanning him.]

I'll try to do it myself!

[She puts her all into flapping, beating the wind with a strength she didn't know she was capable of. However, it doesn't seem to lift her in the air the way she thought it would. Her wings don't push the air underneath her as powerfully as Killua's does, suggesting that she may need to fly at an angle.]

This is hard...

[devil_or_angle]

*killua can’t argue with her apprehension, smirking as he steps back so she can try batting her wings. despite their delicate apperance, they seem strong and sturdy, but the way they’re angled while she’s standing doesn’t lend itself to lifting her weight.*

…okay, how about i just lift you up?

[awuka]

[She was so close! However, on her own, not much seems to help, so she doesn't mind reeling back and relying on Killua again. Alluka turns to him and steps closer, raising her arms up so he can pick her up.]

Mm, okay. raise me up high, okay?

[devil_or_angle]

i gotcha.

*happy to be able to lend her his help again, he steps forward and scoops her up beneath the armpits, lifting her high as his arms can reach. with her torso angled down toward him, her wings are now facing the earth, much more likely to catch the air beneath them. he grins confidently up at her, urging,*

now try again!

[awuka]

[Hoisted up into the air, Alluka spreads her limbs out wide like a flying squirrel. The muscles connected to the root of her wings powerfully swat against the wind, forcing the air beneath her. She tries to match the strength of Killua's wings, but having not trained and having wings primarily composed of chitin, her body doesn't possess the same tempered muscles. Still, she gets the sense that it's enough to lift her out of Killua's hands.

Soon enough, her weight lessens as she maintains flight. The only step left is to become untethered.]

Oniichan, when I start flying, will you eat me? Since I'm a bug and you're a bird.

[devil_or_angle]

*sure enough, the flapping of alluka's wings begins to lift her out of killua's grasp, his muscles relaxing as her weight begins to sustain itself. the flapping of her wings is mesmerizing, creating a halo of glittering colors around her sunlit face. he chuckles fondly as he gazes up at her, absolutely smitten.*

no way, i couldn't eat something as cute as you. we're still mostly human, anyway.

*he loosens his grip, sliding along her arms until all that tethers her to him are her hands in his. he squeezes them gently, asking,*

ready for me to let go?

[awuka]

I believe you! I probably wouldn't be very tasty, anyway..

[She braces herself to be let go, but is struck by the same fear that she had when Killua was carrying her. What will she do once she's in the air? Will she have any control? What if she gets distracted and fails to recover before it's too late? What if her wings have a mind of their own and send her diving straight off the mountainside into the rocks? Alluka's face screws up in abstract thought, not one of them coming to fruition in her shaky, high-pitched voice because she's determined to impress her brother. She attempts to flap free, and, with just a little hesitation, she declares:]

Ready!

[The look in her eyes is that of someone who's not ready at all, however.]

[devil_or_angle]

*killua can see the fear in her gaze, feel it in the way her hands cling to his even after she's said she wants him to let go. empathy tugs at his features, eyes twinkling with her reflected light as he promises,*

i'll be right behind you.

*he lets go, then, letting her drift into the sky -- and unfurling his massive wings in preparation to join her.*

[awuka]

["I'll be right behind you."

There's a reassuring glint in his eyes that puncture straight through to her heart, and, with all her faith placed in his ability to save her if something goes wrong, she reaches her arms for the sky and strokes against the wind while her glittering wings defy gravity. A rose-tinted rainbow splashes across the ground, bathing the grass in an unstable glow that fades and returns with each jerk of her wings. The movement of her wings is methodical and rhythmic beyond her experience as if controlled purely by an instinct she wasn't born with. The top halves of her wings lunge forward first, followed by the bottom segments which sweep elegantly in their wake like a silken wedding train. The top swings back. Everywhere it goes, the bottom is sure to follow.

Alluka hovers higher and higher above him, subtly bobbing up and down and waiting for them to unite in the sky as she maintains her elevation effortlessly. Holding a deeply satisfied smirk on her face, she forgets her imitation swimming and holds her hands up to her mouth as she calls to the bird boy down below:]

I'm really doing it! And it isn't as hard as I thought it'd be! Let's fly together, Oniichan!

[devil_or_angle]

*breathless, joyful laughter rises from killua's chest at the sight of his sister hovering above him all on her own, triumphant and proud. the motion of her wingflaps is so different from his, an elegant, rippling overlap to contrast his straightforward strokes. it's fascinating to watch her fly, but there's nothing he wants more than to join her.*

i knew you'd figure it out!

*with a powerful pump of his wings he's in the air again and whirling effortlessly around her, still laughing playfully.*

[awuka]

[Killua's wind knocks her off balance slightly but she persists in the same spot. She follows his circle with her eyes and envies his mobility, wanting to glide like him.]

This is so...so amazing! Having the freedom to fly around and go wherever I want...it's all I ever dreamed it would be!

[She tilts herself forward and splays her wings out, riding the wind current without the need to flutter aimlessly. She isn't nearly as fast as Killua but the speed is enough to make her pause and flap in place with a curling tummy.]

Oooh...I'm really not used to this yet..

[devil_or_angle]

*killua keeps pace with his sister, flapping his wings more often to slow himself down to her speed -- but even this seems to be too fast for her, and he circles around her as she hovers in place again.*

no need to speed. we can take it slow.

*he's eager to see what's at the top of the mountain, but he doesn't think she'll fare well with the height. instead, he sets his gaze on a serene little lake nestled in the foothills, pointing it out to alluka.*

think you can make it to that lake?

[awuka]

But seeing you fly like that makes me wanna do the same thiiiiing...

[She whines, her little hands balled into determined fists. If Killua can do such a thing so easily, why can't she? But his attention is pulled to the hillside at what looks like a small lake bordered by a ring of trees and bushes. It connects to the main path via a scenic side trail.]

Y-Yeah, I can do it!

[She hovers quite slowly in its direction and carefully descends downward, eyeing the rocks and trees nervously. If she fell, it wouldn't be a very comfortable landing...]

[devil_or_angle]

*killua nods encouragingly as alluka sets off toward the indicated clearing, flying slightly behind and beneath her so he can easily catch her if she runs out of steam. she seems determined to make it on her own, so he tries not to make his subtle stewardship known, just flapping casually after her as they approach their destination and praising her progress.*

almost there, you're doing great!

[awuka]

[The amount of flapping she has to do is somewhat exhausting, so she considers just gliding down instead. But the thought of that is gut-wrenchingly scary for her, so she relents.

Even though it's way too slow, she eventually reaches the edge of the lake and perches in the grass. She takes a moment to catch her breath, her face shrouded in a rosy blush.]

I landed on my own..and I'm just fine! That's surprising, haha..