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Post by Morgan on Oct 12, 2021 22:25:22 GMT -6
After the first hour, they took a quick break after landing down. They began to work on his intimidation technique; trying on a few different ways of holding his shoulders and his facial expression until they both found one that worked out for the two of them. After a bit of more lazy practice (on the ground, that is) with finding an intimidating stance for the draconic, Morgan asked him to go up yet again. "Flying is the only way we are going to get this d-d-d... Finished, you know?" Morgan coaxes, with a languid grin plastered across their face. Endymion has a few more hours of work left in him, he feels. He has been exercising using flight quite a bit lately.
Again and again they worked on the dive; as soon as Endymion began circling the mesa far above it, with Morgan on his back. Morgan would give him the double-tap cue, and he'd dive. Already he had improved much more than Morgan would have expected.
[15] - [Level counted with the last of the Garden posts thusfar.]
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Post by Morgan on Oct 18, 2021 15:55:37 GMT -6
They continued to work together until there was no hesitation on Endymion's part whenever the double tap was given, and until the dive could be controlled to be as steep as Endymion could physically get his wings to work, or as shallow as he could manage it as well. They return to the ground for another rest; Endymion certainly quite tired by the end of it. He was still managing to upkeep the improved posture that they'd been working on for the intimidation technique; and Morgan does not let that go un-praised (much to the surprise and delight of the tired Draconic).
It was decided that they should best head to the house for the rest of the evening (where Morgan's familiar was waiting) and come back the next morning to work on some of the other aerial skills that Morgan wanted Endymion to be able to use on a moment's notice should 'something happen'.
[16] - [End 'Dive' - Still working on Intimidation]
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Post by Morgan on Oct 18, 2021 16:25:08 GMT -6
The next morning, the pair were both much better rested and a little less prickly to one another upon making it to the Mesa. They practiced the dive maneuver on the way down and Morgan was pleased enough with it to be in a fairly decent mood whenever they touched down. Endymion was doing his best to keep up with the changes they'd decided on between the two of them the night before to help with the intimidation technique, as well as the general air of confidence required of him the day previously.
Morgan looks him over, taking special note of the way he held his wings (higher, to make him appear bigger) and the way he purposefully moved in a 'large' way, his tail swinging with a bit more seriousness, and his front limbs flexed ever so slightly.
"G-good, good job, you're doing p-pretty well. Alrighty then- t-time to work on doing aerial flips." Morgan says, nearly flippantly. Endymion blinks his large blue eyes, a tad surprised that Morgan's mood was much better today. [17] - [Start 'Flip'] - [Still Working on Intimidation]
[New Day, using a refreshed Sever Bond]
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Post by Morgan on Oct 18, 2021 17:00:19 GMT -6
It is only then that it occurs to Endymion that he really has no idea what a flip would even entail. He tries to angle his wings while on the ground, trying to think about what sort of movements a 'flip' would require. He knew what Morgan was talking about, but not entirely what the mechanics of such would be. "Have you ever 'trained' any of your flying creatures to do this?" He asks Morgan, his head tilted to where he could just see Morgan sitting on his back. The human shakes their head without losing their smile, but the denial through their bond was enough even without Endymion seeing it directly. He groans inwardly. He wasn't too keen on being a lab rat.
They take to the sky anyway, and Morgan tries to explain to him, through the bond that is- the sequences that they had seen of creatures performing the maneuver; in this case the city guards' drake sarane partners.
[18]
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Post by Morgan on Oct 18, 2021 17:16:02 GMT -6
Endymion's wings were not really the exact same specifications as that of a Drake Sarane's wings; but it was either that or, according to Morgan- the next closest thing that Morgan had seen was more a bird than anything with leather-y wings and four legs. Still, Endymion had a slightly better idea of it with the discussion across the bond provided to him. Now the pair wheel around the Mesa, up and over the many bridges that were in the area. Morgan spurs him higher, knowing that he was simply dragging it out due to his anxiety over trying. <Chill out, we won't fall.> Morgan pushed through the link, and their own confidence in Endymion's abilities was infectious.
<Now, let's see... The signal for this will be a slight kick, really a tap- with the heel of my boot.> Morgan gently nudged his side, to show him. Whenever the affirmative floated through the bond, Morgan gave the tap, to see what he'd do first off.
[19]
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Post by Morgan on Oct 18, 2021 18:13:11 GMT -6
Endymion's heart was hammering like nobody's business whenever Morgan gave the tell-tale tap with their boot heel to the space just above his shoulder and below the wing joint. He hadn't been entirely sure he could make the movement that he thought might be required. However, he knows by this point that hesitation was not going to help anyone; so he tilted his wings forward at the leading edge and slightly down, and thankfully Morgan had been holding on using their hands and their legs because he stepped down into a dive that was so speedy and sharp that it scared him incredibly badly.
They fell down between the large space between two Mesa thankfully, and Endymion pulls back up due to being fearful of the plummet.
Morgan's heart was hammering at that point, too, as they wheeled around above the Mesas again. <Well that was... Something.> Morgan sends across the link to him.
[20]
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Post by Morgan on Oct 20, 2021 12:56:36 GMT -6
Soon enough, they where wheeling above the mesa again; but neither one of them quite knew exactly what had went wrong. They worked in double-time and without realizing it through the link, going over and over the sensations that Endymion had, as well as his exact movements. Finally, Endymion pushes something completely coherent through the link- <That was terrifying.> A shiver runs down Morgan's spine. <I trust your flight ability.> They answered him, and it wasn't really much of a comfort to the draconic.
Morgan smoothed a hand over Endymion's orange shoulder in a somewhat abnormal show of comfort and affection before tightening their hands back into his mane. <We need to try again.> Morgan sends across the link. Endymion's heart is practically in his throat and somehow Morgan can feel it too. <Come on, Endymion, we'll get it this time.>
The human taps Endymion's shoulder with the heel of their boot; and THEN they remember that their glasses are still on their face.
[21]
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Post by Morgan on Oct 20, 2021 13:10:26 GMT -6
Endymion doesn't give himself much time to think. Perhaps, if he had tried this particular endeavor himself, Endymion would have landed and never tried the maneuver again. However, there was something about that intrinsic link between himself and his soul bond (and if one were to believe it; he had been produced as a twin of the being of this human- and though they were perhaps one of the most screwed up humans possible; they were his) he is inclined to learn this maneuver and any others that might be required. He wasn't worried about keeping himself safe; but Morgan... Morgan was tiny. Very breakable for a human. The only way that they could hold on to his back properly was to wrap a rope about the broad part of his neck and shoulders to wrap around their own hands. He had no doubt that someday he might have to fight for Morgan's life, at the very least. Morgan only has enough time to put their glasses in one of their hands and re-wrap them haphazardly in the rope and in his mane as Endymion tried to do a flip again.
[22]
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Post by Morgan on Oct 20, 2021 13:34:58 GMT -6
Endymion's slight changes in his wings made the steep rotation quicker; and his body naturally arched with it- back up and legs down, with the tail curved downward. This time, instead of diving far too steeply and nearly losing control of the flight arc, Endymion dips into a full front-flip. It was a terrifying experience for both of them, and by the time that the great draconic had found that he had righted himself in aerial space once more, he was very afraid that he had dropped his human. As soon as his own heady anxiety abated, he could feel Morgan's legs squeezing at his back muscles, and the rope a tad tight around a slightly higher up space on the great column of his neck.
Morgan relaxed, and the rope lowers again, aided by the slick scales over his throat. The human let out an excited 'WOOOP!' of a noise, excitement spiking through the anxiety.
[23]
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Post by Morgan on Oct 20, 2021 13:38:37 GMT -6
They landed after that, nerves frayed, and Morgan stepped down from astride him, nearly falling on their wobbly legs from the stress of it. They hadn't even noticed the rope burn on their hands until they looked down at them, following Endymion's gaze. "W-well, I guess we uh, I guess we messed up, huh?" Morgan says. "I'm going to probably h-have to get a makeshift s-s-saddle for you." They managed to squeeze out. "I uh- I know somebody t-t-that might be able to help." They murmured, thinking back on it.
Endymion nudges Morgan's shoulder with his muzzle. "We aren't going up again today." He says, voice serious. "Not until your hands are healed."
Morgan sighed, a loud noise- but they didn't argue. Perhaps at any other time, they would have. "I g-guess we still need to work on your Confidence-" They started. Then they noticed that despite the stressful situation, Endymion had maintained his intimidating posture. "N-never mind; looks like you've gotten it."
Endymion turns back over himself, blinking. He really had landed looking quite scary, hadn't he?
[24] - [Taking a Break from 'Flip' for now.]
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Post by Morgan on Oct 20, 2021 13:46:42 GMT -6
"T-this is perfect." Morgan said, and Endymion could practically feel the human taking notes in their head over the entirety of the situation. "I-I think I can work on your flip form, w-while I heal, and come back with ideas. A-a-and it looks like you're getting used to keeping yourself intimidating just fine." Morgan backs up and shakily sits down on the same flat rock from the day before. "W-well, I want to see you continue that practice while I heal too, and we might as well keep practicing on the way home, too. I... I need to get some disinfectant on this." They were periodically glancing down that their hands, and then back up at the large orange draconic.
Endymion nudges Morgan to get them up, and then get them walking again. The human places their glasses back on their nose and situates it. On the way home, Endymion managed to uphold the intimidating body carriage that they'd been working on the entire time without difficulty.
[25] - [End of 'Intimidation', the pair goes home for now.]
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Post by Morgan on Nov 9, 2021 21:50:02 GMT -6
It took a couple of weeks before Morgan could get back to the Canyon to start working with Endymion on his flying skills again. They had asked him to work on the flip a few more times while they were out, but they hadn't expected for it to take so long for them to get back. Alas, they had a lot of work to do again already. Still, they carved out a single day that they could have to work on Endymion's flips and hopefully with any luck also with trying to get a barrel roll out of him if they had any luck with the flips.
The pair moved out to the spot in The Mesa they had been using up to this point, reveling in the good strong air currents on the way there. Morgan decided that they should get back into it as soon as possible, so they gave him the signal to flip before they even landed.
[1] - [Starting up 'Flip' Again, progress at 8 posts] [Morgan is using Sever Bond at the Cost of 4 MP]
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Post by Morgan on Nov 10, 2021 16:07:44 GMT -6
Endymion had been practicing. They'd gotten a few good flips in whenever they'd taken the break from working on it before, so Morgan had no worries that he would be able to execute the flip much better than they had on that near-miss of a first time that was very dangerous. Luckily for Morgan, they were correct in the assumption, and were even surprised by by the prowess in which the slightly caught-off guard Endymion took another good couple of flaps to make sure that they would gain the correct altitude for it, and then Endymion began the flip quite easily with his difficultly earned prowess. Once they completed the loop, Morgan gave him the signal to land, and they landed.
Morgan dismounts his back and beams at the draconic. "You've been p-p-puh-practicing!" Morgan finally got out, arms crossed. "I t-think you'll take to the barrel roll fairly easy, but I n-need to add this to your saddle so that I don't fall off."
[2]
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Post by Morgan on Nov 10, 2021 21:49:30 GMT -6
Endymion drops his wing as Morgan comes near, watching as carefully as Morgan was to make sure that Morgan made the modifications that looked like they'd work well. Specifically, the idea was to practically tie Morgan's boot tops to the saddle. At this, the human clambers up Endymion's side and over his wings to the great draconic's back, and then they carefully buttoned the straps over their boots, testing them by trying to pull the boots out of the straps. "Looks like this is going to work..." Morgan mumbled under their breath. They hadn't been entirely sure; once they'd had them made for the pair of them. Morgan then wraps their hands around a leather strap that was made for that purpose.
"Are you ready?" Endymion asks, voice a deep rumbling- like a crackle of thunder.
"Yeah-" Morgan nods out of habit as they spoke.
At that, Endymion rises into the air with a few great flaps of his wings, and then flaps a few more times to gain altitude.
[3]
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Post by Morgan on Nov 10, 2021 22:01:48 GMT -6
They practice the flip a few more times, with Morgan giving him the cue tap to let him know to start, and Endymion practicing each and every flip with fairly good amounts of success. In fact, he improved a little by the last one they worked on. The bespectacled human was very much impressed, however- they needed to work on the last of the aerial maneuvers that Morgan had planned for the both of them- the barrel roll.
<You're doing good.> Morgan pushed through to him, still a little bit rusty with it. Their stomach was still flipping from the flips that Endymion had executed, but they found that it was best to not stop whenever they started gathering steam. <The signal for the barrel roll will be... A single hard tap with the heel like this.> Morgan decides and then demonstrates. The especially good part about the choice was that it would get Morgan into position to hold on during such a difficult maneuver as well.
[4] - [Start 'Barrel Roll', Finish 'Flip']
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