A New Friend

[Ari]

Nova

Glancing over at the toolbox that sat over by the falcon, 'Ava is what she's called..', she looked at Cayde and nodded in understanding. Making her way over to the workbench where Ava was perched, warily glancing at the Bird of Prey, she pulled the toolbox off the bench. However Nova may have underestimated just how heavy that toolbox was, because that damn thing almost made her fall to the floor, luckily she managed to lift it up enough to carry it to Cayde. Placing the toolbox down near Cayde, she then began to search through the box looking for the B-10 tool, pulling it out and handing it to Cayde.
After placing the toolbox down she then went back over to the workbench to grab the lamp from its spot, and carried it with her back to the giant machinery. She turned the lamp on and extended it above Cayde's head, revealing all the complex handiwork put into this flying vehicle.
She stood beside Cayde as he worked, carefully holding the electric lamp over his head to provide some light for his work. She was curious as to what he meant by 'flying machine'. He really believes this huge thing could fly, doesn't he? 
"So this machine will be able to make you fly? Howzit gonna get up in the air? And howzit gonna stay up there, this thing looks too heavy to stay in the sky!" Sure it looks impressive for a machine, but something that big won't be able to support not only its own weight, but also Cayde's while in the air. She simply didn't understand all this engineering crap.

[Sparky]

[Refs]

   Ava glared down at Nova but didn't make any moves, aside from puffing up and narrowing her eyes. But at least she didn't nip or scratch or whatever. Ava might be upset that there's a feline pest in their home right now, but she wasn't going to be violent about it. Besides, at least she wasn't as horrific as Cayde's sister. Deep in the bowels of the engine housing, Cayde listened to Nova with a smile on his face as he tightened the last little bits.

    With a hearty laugh, Cayde pulled off a glove and tussled Nova's hair. The pilot handed her the socket wrench and pulled his glove back on. Now that he had some light, it was easier to see everything. He reached on in and checked everything by hand. All the key pieces were locked in tight. Back on out, he checked the oil. Perfect! Pulling the Aero Cores out, the soft glow hummed and signaled that they were all fresh and brimming with life. Great! Cayde felt joy bubbling up in his throat and he slotted them back in, clicking them into place.

    "Alright, go around to both wheels and pull the wooden blocks out of the way of the wheels. I'll let the Mako answer your question herself." The young man said cheerfully as he closed the cowling. He tightened both of the locks and began his pre-flight check list. Oil and fuel was already checked, the filters were clean, propeller undamaged. Next, the wing's leading edge was undamaged, ailerons flowed freely and moved the control surface properly. Flaps held and moved properly. Rudder, elevator, perfectly fine and checked. Onto the other side and the same deal as the first. Wheels were solid and full of air- no leaks.

    Bubbling with excitement, Cayde climbed up the side and hopped into the seat. All that was left were final checks, and once the blocks were removed, he was good to taxi. "So Nova!" He called out. "You ready to see this baby fly?" 

    The boy couldn't help but grin as he popped his goggles down and started the engine. 

[Ari]

Nova

Scowling at the ruffle to her hair, Nova batted Cayde's hand to get it away from her curly head. Taking back the tool from Cayde, she put it back in inside the toolbox and went back to watching him work. With the light she could see that Cayde was checking the machinery, making sure nothing was out of place. She could see that he put something inside of a compartment, she could see the faint glow but nothing more than that. 
Looking up at Cayde once more, she could see that he was feeling giddy and excited for his new ride. It made her in turn feel faintly happy for him, he worked so hard on this thing and now it's complete. But now the bigger question is, will it really fly?
She perked up when she heard him tell her to remove the blocks, scurrying around the flying contraption to remove the wooden blocks out of the way. Once the obstructions were moved out of the way, Nova tossed them to the side somewhere away from the flying machine. Speaking of which, they really need to come up with something other than 'flying machine' that's not a mouthful to say. Maybe she'll bring it up once he's finished with his test run. She scurried back near the workbench, watching as Cayde hopped into the seat. She saw him start up the machine, hearing the rumble and roar of the Mako as it came to life.

[Sparky]

[Refs]

   The engine growled and roared like a beast and with a little prompting of the throttle, the propeller too began to spin, hurling gusts of wind back behind the machine. Cayde still kept it set low, just enough to pull the aircraft out of the barn. Cayde pushed and pulled the throttle, making sure he didn't speed up too quickly as the pilot carefully maneuvered the aircraft towards the end of the runway, pulling a quick u-turn to spin her in the proper direction. 

    Ava would feel sharp feet prod against the top of her head as Ava fluttered and landed upon it. The bird was surprisingly gentle with those murder weapons though, and she was careful not to actually hurt Nova. That might not really say much for the intimidation factor of having an assortment of tiny blades upon your scalp but you know we're just going to ignore that part for now. Ava shrieked and gently flapped her wings a bit, trying to motion Nova out the door for a better view. It was as if she was trying to boast her owner... master... friend's(?) creation over the young girl's doubts. 

    Cayde meanwhile went through the final checks. Boots pressed hard onto the breaks as he pushed the throttle to full, the engine roaring like a behemoth, fighting against it's chains waiting to be unleashed. The breaks held, the chains remained taught. Throttling back down to idle, the young man sucked in a deep breath as he released the breaks. Flaps to take-off. Wind calm. Oil pressure good. The engine held. This time there would be no issues. 

    This time, he would have his flight without incident. 

    In the distance, a red hawk watched from the treeline. It felt as if the whole world was holding it's breath. Cayde began steadily increasing the throttle and  the aircraft lurched forwards. Then, all at once, the young man slammed the throttle forwards. The chains were released. The beast was free.

     That magnificent man and his flying machine screamed down the runway at full throttle. At first, it looked like nothing would happen. It would remain on the ground. Like a glorified carriage. But the courier had already had a successful maiden flight. Even if he would up crashing halfway through due to engine failure, he knew exactly what would happen. And he was ready for it. A wide grin grew on his features as excitement bubbled up in preparation for the feeling that he knew and loved all too well. 

    Just after the halfway point it happened. 

    Cayde felt his stomach lurch as he was pushed down by gravity into his seat. The wheels had lifted off the ground, subtly at first, but the second they were off, there was no going back. The aircraft rose up into the air, higher and higher. The more it was let free of the earth, the faster it flew and the higher it rose. The higher it rose, the faster it flew. The simple courier laughed and hollered as he lifted up into the air above thew tree tops. Once more he was above the world. Once more he entered that endless horizon. Once more his dreams had been met. He felt at home and he felt at peace.

    The young man circled around his property, waving down at Nova and Ava below. The falcon was brimming with pride, and Cayde had to admit, he too felt a small satisfaction in not only proving Nova wrong, but showing her the real potential of machinery. In a sense, it could have even worked as a bit of an advertisement as to how good of a mentor he could be for his new apprentice. A showcase of all the new things she could learn, so to speak. 

    The aircraft's wings wiggled back and forth, and Cayde pealed away from the property. As the distance grew, the sounds of the engine quieted more and more. Until finally, Nova and Ava both were left in relative peace and quiet, as the aircraft turned to a speck upon the horizon. The world returned to silence. The red hawk flew off. And as for Cayde...

    Cayde was happy. 

[Ari]

Nova

She watched in anticipation as the propeller on the vehicle began to spin as Cayde started to slowly drive outside to get more space. The flying vehicle was almost fully out of the barn when Ava landed on her fluffy curls, trying to be careful to not harm her with her talons, as she tried to lead Nova outside. Trying not to think about the falcon's talons against her scalp, she rushed outside to see the Mako in its full majesty before it fully took off.

Once she exited the barn hangar she watched as the propeller to the flying vehicle spin even more rapidly as Cayde began to ride down the runway. She felt anxious as she waited for the moment of truth, will this huge bucket of bolts fly? She hoped it did, if only to see Cayde's hard work come to fruition, she didn't want to see such a happy-go-lucky guy become upset if his invention doesn't work. 
So far it didn't look as if it would take off, even as it neared the halfway point, it was still close to the ground. That is, until it went past the halfway mark she could see that the front was slowly rising up from the ground. Is it actually happening? Her disbelief and awe grew as the flying machine rose from the ground as Cayde pulled up from the dirt runway, the wheels of the vehicle slowly going inside their compartment within the flying vehicle.
Up, up, up it went as the aircraft soared up into the sky, Cayde's whoops and hollers of delight sounding out as he circled the house and barn hangar, waving at her and Ava.

Nova's eyes were widened with awe as she watched the aircraft soar, the feeling of pure excitement filling up her entire being. "He actually did it! I've never seen anything like that before, it's so cool..." A laugh spilled forth from her mouth as she waved back up at Cayde's tiny form in the sky, watching as he flew further away until he was nothing but a speck among the heavens. She stood there a few minutes longer, even as Cayde had disappeared among the horizon, her mind racing as she tried to understand the events of what just happened. Cayde, somebody she had written off as somewhat of a dunce, had not only created another way of travel, but had also figured out how to fly without magic. In all her short years of living, not once had she experienced anything like that aircraft before. 
She was so confident that Cayde was just pulling her leg, not believing that his flying contraption was actually gonna work, but he proved her wrong! This guy just keeps on surprising her and she doesn't think that the surprises will ever end. Not that she wants them to, this was the most excitement she's ever gotten in a long time!
And who knows, maybe he'll teach her how to do stuff like that!

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    Hours passed, and even Ava  knew that this was the longest he'd been gone. Which meant the flying machine could finally hold its own, or something had gone incredibly wrong and the goddess wasn't around to help him this time around. To be frank, the falcon was actually kind of anxious, and it showed in the way her feathers set upon her body. The way she shifted on her feet. Perhaps she should fly off and search for the hapless pilot? But that would leave Nova by herself, and Ava didn't know how that would sit with Cayde. 

    As the sun was about to set, all the worries would be alleviated as the familiar sound of an engine could be heard upon the horizon. The aircraft steadily came into view, sinking towards the ground as it slowed. Flaps down, nose up, the wheels touched the ground and the flying machine steadily came to a stop. Cayde unbuckled himself and climbed up and out, a wide grin on his face.

    It finally worked.

    He finally had a successful flight. No in air issues. No stalls. No malfunctions. He went out, he came back. The young man sat on the wing and gave a  hearty, contented sigh. A gloved hand wander the fuselage. My dream has finally come true. I finally did it. He stretched and slid off, positioning himself close as he began to push and roll the aircraft back into the barn-hanger. It always and still was a pain in the rear to do, but he didn't want to bother Nova  for her assistance now that it had gotten dark. 

    But, he managed. 

    After closing and locking it all away, the young man let out a hefty sigh and returned inside. It was time to get dinner prepared. Boots off at the door, the pilot removed his gloves and jacket and began to prepare some food, allowing the scents to waft through the home. With a sound of fluttering Fathers, Ava landed on Cayde's shoulder and pressed her side against his head. The boy laughed and scratched behind her head. "Hey Ava. I see you're glad I'm back. It all went wonderful." 

    Ava let out a soft chirp in reply. The boy hummed and began pealing vegetables and preparing meats, sometimes  giving a few bits to Ava in offering. The falcon, of course, happily appreciated the treats. If the smell of the food being finished wasn't enough to drag out the other new dweller in the home out, then he would call out to grab his apprentice's attention.

    "Nova! Dinner's ready, come on over." Cayde announced as he set the plates down for the two of them. It would be nice to have a meal with someone else again. It'd been a long time since Cayde had a family dinner, and as he sat down, he realized just how lonely it had all actually been out here by his lonesome. Perhaps this would be a good change of pace for the young courier turned pilot?

[Ari]

Nova

After about 30-40 minutes of waiting for Cayde to return from his flight, Nova realized that he wasn't returning anytime soon, so she made her way back inside the house, while Ava stayed outside to wait for Cayde's return. She didn't lock the door behind her, not seeing the point in doing so since her, Cayde and Ava were the only ones, that she knew of anyway, that lived out here. 
As she walked back into the living room, she made a beeline for the couch, deciding to return to reading her book and if she finished it or grew bored, then she'll find something else to do with her time. Plopping herself back onto the couch, she picked up her book and resumed back on the chapter she left off.

5 Hours Later

The sun began to set before Cayde returned from his flight. She looked up from the page she was stuck on as she heard a loud roar come down upon their home, then the area was quiet again as the front door opened, signaling Cayde's appearance. "Welcome back!" She called out as he entered through the threshold of the front door. The sunny blond walked in with Ava cooing at him on his shoulders, he looked exhausted yet elated at the same time. He had every right to be so happy though, his invention worked spectacularly!
She watched as he walked into the kitchen, the sound of food being prepped filled the air. Seems like dinner's being prepared, she wondered what they were gonna have. Whatever they decided to eat didn't matter, it'd still be delicious regardless!
She hummed as she continued her reading, the air being filled with the aroma of cooked food making her stomach growl. Guess she didn't realize how hungry she was while she waited for Cayde to come back.

She heard her name being called for dinner so she got up, placing the book back onto the couch as she rushed into the kitchen, taking a seat and scooting her chair closer to the table. "Thanks for the meal!" Thanking Cayde for the meal as she began to dig in. She was slowly beginning to respect him, if not for the cool vehicle inventions, then for the delicious meals he cooked.

[Sparky]

[Refs]

   "You're very welcome, Nova." The freshly minted pilot smiled and helped himself to the meal he made,  filled with renewed life. The sight of the sun setting up in the sky was one of the most beautiful sights he'd ever been graced by,  hands down. "Boy, it was spectacular up there. I had her up and running a little while ago of course, but that flight ended with a crash, so actually being able to successfully fly out and back was a great joy."

    With a hearty laugh, Cayde cheerfully reminisced about his time in the sky. It still didn't feel quite real. The dream the young man had chased for so long was now in his hands. He'd achieved it. He did it. It felt almost... cathartic. Proving his little sister wrong, doing it all without magic of his own, against all odds, against all the nay-sayers. 

    Cayde did it all with his own two hands. 

    "You know what all this excitement calls for? A celebration! A good ol' fashioned welcoming party for you and a way to celebrate my machine's success! I'll even invite Miss Windess, I'm sure she'll love to meet you too! Oh she's a darling woman, very pleasant to talk to and a nice conversationalist. She even helped me out last time I crashed! You'll love her." Cayde swallowed the last little bit of food and stood up, taking the dishes to the sink as he spoke. Already the man's head was swimming with a check list. "Oh, of course I'll have to take you out on a few delivery runs to help you get used to it. Gotta get your practice in somehow! Oh and of course the locals in the nearby town will have to get to know you too, otherwise how will they trust you with their mail? A good relationship with clients is always important in the biz." 

    "Oh, I think I was also considering getting you a bicycle too, we can do that tomorrow as well. Knock out a few birds with one stone-" Ava shot an annoyed glare "-Eheh, no offense Ava. Ehem, but given your upbringing, we'll probably have to slap on some training wheels at least until you get used to it. Shouldn't be too hard though."
    
    Cayde hummed as he put the now-clean dishes into a drying rack. "And hey, maybe when you're good enough at it, I'll see about lending you the keys to the scooter. Heh, that might be a bit too far in the future though. Still, can't hurt to prepare." 

    After drying his hands off, the young courier walked back past Nova, and stopped to ruffle her hair a bit. "Make sure to wash up your dishes when you're done eating, and don't stay up too late tonight. I'm, going up to my room to finish up some things." His footsteps carried for a few moments longer, as he stepped away and climbed the stairs. Once he was up though, all was silent in the home once again. 
    
    Peaceful and calm.

    Up in his attic room, Cayde pulled out thick sheets of parchment, filled with all sorts of designs and part lists. The boy sorted them out, and found the one for the current build. With a smile, he grabbed a stamp, and marked it "SUCCESS". I'm gonna have to frame this. The young pilot thought with  a smile. He'd come a long way, and every step felt like he was walking on air. The young man sat down at his work desk and with a contented sigh, he grabbed a pen and paper and began to write. 

[Ari]

Nova

She grabbed at one of the utensils-- she believes it was a fork -- and began digging into her meal with vigor. Munching on her food, she listened intently as Cayde explained how beautiful it was up in the sky and all the excitement he had soaring through the air. She swallowed the food in her mouth before exclaiming, "Huh, that sounds really awesome!" Watching someone fly from her perspective was really awe-inspiring, even made her want to try flying even more.

Shoveling more food into her mouth, she tilted her head as Cayde announced that they should have a celebration. A celebration? She's never had one of those before. From what she's seen, they're usually loud and full of cheerful folk, or just with close friends and family, they also include fun activities and all kinds of food. So now you could say that Cayde caught her attention
with the announcement of a celebration.

Cayde continued on about how he'd have to take her out on delivery runs to get introduced to some of the customers/townsfolk, including a 'Miss WIndess', whoever that was. She listened attentively as he talked about teaching her how to ride a bike and whatnot, rambling on about what to prepare her for in the future. It made her feel a small happy feeling when she realized he was thinking so much about her future.
She polished off the rest of her food as Cayde finished washing his dishes, pouting and smacking his hand away when he ruffled her hair again. "I will, and okay I won't stay up too late!" She responded to him as he went up to his room. 

Picking up her dirty plate, she carried it over to the sink as she turned the water on to begin washing it off. Holding the plate over the warm water, she poured a small amount of soap and began scrubbing the food particles off. As she washed her plate, her mind wandered a bit. If today was this exciting, then who knows what tomorrow will bring!
Finished with cleaning off her dish, she placed it into the drying rack and walked towards the living room. Grabbing the book that she was still reading, she carried it back upstairs into her room, wanting to continue her reading.
Thus ends the day for Cayde, Nova and Ava.