Fly [OPEN]

[spongescream]

Who: Failjet and [OPEN]
When: Friday evening.
Where: The Great Plains outside the North District.
What: Just introspection and some relaxing flying. A moment to spend some time with whoever drops in. Flighty creatures of Nautilus, or those who are grounded.
Warnings: Nothing but maybe some teal deer.
Notes: More than one person can pop in. Just tag

Comments

[citygrit]

Having been away from the city for so long, it almost felt revitalizing to get some fresh air again. On the other hand, Alexander was not used to air so clean, and that probably helped. Wait, no. No, it definitely helped. It may have helped with the whole Oh God I’m Also Dying part as well, because sometimes he almost forgot all about it. There weren’t many days that he missed being away from the city.

What he did miss, was life with his brother and niece.

I want you to stay to help take care of Nichole.

I need your help.

I can’t do this alone.Alexander was actually perched on the back of a bench, his legs resting on the seat; hunched over almost vulture-like. His hands rubbed down his face as the sound of his brother’s voice echoed in his memories, and he remembered again. That Nicky wasn’t the reason his brother had asked him to stay

[spongescream]

He'd been too occupied with trying to sing along to his music to notice the Muse sitting not terribly far away. Though when the Harrier finally slows in a long turn, he spots someone hunched over on a bench. Huh.

He makes another pass over head, adjusting his optical sensors and zooming in.

It's his Muse! He doesn't bother with a 'hello'.

No. He simply transforms and drops out of the sky like some vast predatory douche and scoops Alex up, bench and all. Though he quickly splinters the wooden bench and leaves it to fall, he curls his fingers around the small organic as he takes to the sky once more.

"I was wondering where you'd gone to after the loss of the house!"

[citygrit]

The blood had since been wiped and smeared over the knee of his jeans by the time Alexander realized that he was-

No longer on the ground.

He couldn’t feel the fingers (or much of anything at all, for that matter). But the giant machine now gleefully addressing him was something hard to miss.

fuck

“Knew I should’ve stayed inside today.”

As the bench fell, so did the guitar case Alexander had been carrying the entire time he’d been back in the city. He didn’t notice.

[spongescream]

"Nonsense. I've been looking for you. We must bend our home back at some point you know. Even if you are useless in that respect, I'm not letting you get away." Starscream informs him somewhat cheerfully. He transforms into vehicle mode and plops Alex in the cockpit. Hell, he even thinks to strap Alex in. No need to have broken human pieces all over his insides.

Twisting off a few tight barrel rolls, he continues to fly lazy patters through the air.

"Mind you, just keep your hands to yourself and you're fine."

[citygrit]

doesnt that just figure

Before Alexander could argue or state how much he resented that statement, he was thrown into the interior of the jet, and strapped to the pilot seat.

Now, herein laid an error on Starscream’s part. Alexander was a terrible driver. His track record for having destroyed almost every vehicle he’d ever been put behind the wheel of still held true to this day. Maybe it was the sudden inclination from having been subject to so many chases, and taught to drive in Ophelia with his (very fake) driver’s license.

In short, Alexander loved pushing buttons.

A grin crept across his face as he beheld the controls in front of him, his hands reaching out for a moment but his mind still trying to decide what to hit first despite Starscream’s suggestion. Like hell he was going to listen.

“Hey, what’s this switch do?”

Too late. He’d already flipped it. Guess he’ll find out then.

[spongescream]

Somewhere outside, something mechanical shifts, accompanied by an annoyed grunt cracking over the jet's radio.

A small video screen on the console flickers to life, displaying Starscream's annoyed face.

"Hey." He barks, "Knock that off. Those controls aren't meant to be fiddled with." As punishment, he performs a high-g turn and then straightens out.

"Touch anything else and I'm kicking you out."

[citygrit]

Was that a threat?

Ooh, yes, it certainly did sound like a threat!

Giving the annoyed face on the screen a little wave, Alexander leaned over towards one of the other control panels. He rubbed his chin contemplatively, a scarred brow arched.

“Hey, if they ain’t to be fiddled with, then why’re they there?”

He blinked. There was a red button that was practically calling out to him.

“What’s this red button?”

[spongescream]

"They're there because I scanned a human jet and this is terribly invasive! I'm never giving you a ride again! Also you smell!" He screeches, wobbling from side to side in some vague attempt to discourage the curious human.

"The red one?"

There's a pregnant pause.

"Don't touch the red one." It's said with a heavily ominous overtone, that any smart person would take to heart.

[citygrit]

Sure, it really was terribly invasive to a degree, but that was Alexander in his very nature. To be invasive, to be a prick, to be an annoying little brother. And this was just the thing he was going to do.

“Ooh, them’s fightin’ words.

“So then, ‘kay, I got’cha. Don’t touch the red button. Red button, bad.” Stop laughing. Now is not the time to laugh. This is a serious matter, you know. A very serious matter. His finger was dancing over the edge of fate and certain death and Alexander was an unfortunate gambler for pushing Starscream’s buttons. Quite literally. “Wait, d’you mean, this red button?”

Push.

“Wups! I’m just so clumsy!”

[spongescream]

"DON'T THINK I DON'T SEE WHAT YOU'RE DOING THERE!" Starscream's face fills up the small screen display as he screeches in dismay.

"DON'T TOUCH THAT! I SAD DON'T TOUCH IT AND I MEAN DON'T-" Click. Too late.

There's a distinctive sound- something like a...

Poik!

Suddenly, for some reason, Alex is bestowed with a cowboy hat resting upon his crown. The Harrier sighs, as he tries to fly awkwardly with the robot-sized sombrero looped around his nosecone.

He doesn't even bother with the display screen, the whole jet simply rocks, defeated, and his voice crackles static-laced all around the cockpit.

"I told you not to press the red button."

[citygrit]

“If you don’t like what I’m doin’, then fuckin’ stop me. I’m waitin’ on you, guy. Eject me! Throw me out or-!”

In the midst of his own rambling, he stopped. Subsequent to the strange sound that suddenly went pop and... he was wearing a hat. A damned cowboy hat. Right on his head

[spongescream]

"I don't pick the hats, genius." The Harrier snorts, his annoyance reaching a new heights, "And don't ask me. The city gave it to me for some sick, ridiculous reason no doubt. Sometimes I suspect my entire life is some kind of... stupid cosmic joke." Starscream hisses, though his attention is immediately pulled as Alex regards his side-stick.

"HEY! What did I just tell you not to do?! Don't touch the flight arra-AUGH!" It does work to override his systems somewhat. Because he still contains the general makeup of a real Harrier jet, and thus- even the controls are connected in the right areas. He goes into a momentary nosedive before righting himself.

"That's it. You. Are. Out of here." The canopy begins to slide open- he intends to eject Alex.

[citygrit]

“Yeah well, I’m askin’ anyways.” That’s what Alexander did. Ask. Be a pest. Annoy the fuck out of people. Keep pushing more buttons.

Or, in this case, flick another switch.

“I can’t help it, I’m a born leaver puller. I feel the need!” A laugh as he maneuvered the side-stick while simultaneously mashing some other controls. He had no idea what they were, and if they crashed then who cared? Not Alexander.

What was meant to be a threat from Starscream turned into more of a challenge for the sickly man who was going to wind up dead either way. What’s life worth if it isn’t worth living? The opening canopy only served to further exhaust the thrill to a dare.

“You open that any farther, guy...” (Shifting the side-stick farther down, perhaps overriding the controls and sending the jet into a full on route towards one of the city buildings.) “...I’m takin’ you out with me. And I got a mighty twitchy finger.”

But the way Alexander was putting it, it was more like a playful taunt than a threat.

[spongescream]

He can't even transform properly with all of that irritating keymashing. Primus, he's like Kyd Wykkyd but worse.

"STOP! SLAGGIT I SAID-" The Harrier grows more and more frantic, wrestling against the overrides. (He's going to fix that as soon as he gets a moment, too.) Garbled, static-distorted screeches of anger mix with an almost maniacal half-laughter.

"KNOCK IT OFF YOU DOLT, I- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" They're heading right for that building. Now. Crashing wouldn't harm him terribly, but there is the fact that he just. Really hates being in pain of any kind. He panics and wobbles, finally rolling back out and over the city itself.

"ALEX, I SWEAR TO PRIMUS. STOP IT." Oh-ho. He called him by his name. Means trouble.

[citygrit]

Oh, and he was going to keysmash. He was going to continue keysmashing until he got what he wanted. (Although in truth, Alexander didn’t want anything; even if he did he had no idea what it was. He never was one for thinking ahead.)

“What’d I get outta it if I do?” Alexander hummed as he carelessly set course for the structure. Unlike Starscream, it wasn’t like he could feel pain. Damned if he was going to let that one on. “Kamikaze, anyone? Oh, yes please!” Christ, and he was laughing right now. He was laughing with a cowboy hat on his head and riding inside a sentient jet

[spongescream]

"Neat?! YOU COULD HAVE SLAGGED US BOTH YOU FOOL!" The Harrier screeched, and if Alex paid attention, there's probably the distinct feeling of the whole cockpit shifting and squirming in discomfort.

"Now let go of my side stick you insolent fleshpile!" He's still barely in control of himself, flying crooked, barely able to correct the arc of his flightpath as buildings pass too close.

"You are in so much trouble when I get my servos on you."