aliferous ( adj. ) - having wings

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ now playing ; geronimo by sheppard

𝘊𝘜𝘌 𝘞𝘈𝘚 𝘎𝘖𝘐𝘕𝘎 𝘛𝘖 𝘋𝘐𝘌 ,  𝘈𝘕𝘋 𝘐𝘛
𝘞𝘈𝘚 𝘗𝘙𝘖𝘉𝘈𝘉𝘓𝘠 𝘌𝘊𝘏𝘖'𝘚 𝘍𝘈𝘜𝘓𝘛

At least, that's what she thought anyway.

"This is quite easily, the worst idea you've ever had!"

"Well at least I had an idea," gripping the base of the passenger seat, Echo could feel the nails of her hands dig into leather, firing back an angry retort at the driver, "what exactly have you been bringing to the table, idea wise, Cue?" She was perfectly aware her tone had turned accusing, but to be fair, it had been the only idea they had.

And where had that led them, you might ask? Only in an anxiety-inducing car chase down wooded forest roads, with an unconscious body in the backseat, and sirens bleeding through the air. Loud enough to make her head ring in response. But, in her defense, this had been her only idea. Admittedly not the best idea she'd ever had, but it had worked in movies! So, why not real life? Cue's mouth turned into a scowl, one that was a common sight for Echo. Good news, at the least. He was frustrated, but not angry.

She watched as his gaze flicked to the rearview mirror, muttering some kind of curse under his breath as a calloused hand hovered over the gear shift. "You've been flying right?"

"What?" No, she'd heard him just fine, but what exactly was Cue planning here?? Certainly not something that involved them flying off into the air. With an unconscious body, nevertheless.

"You've been flying right??" His words came out gritted, but she saw the concentration on his face, the pressure to get this just right. Because if he didn't, well, then they'd likely end up all splattered somewhere, and Cue would have to orchestrate yet another explanation as to what they were doing, and how they somehow survived a devastating car crash. Off a cliff. Going over 80 miles an hour.

Echo's own voice came out half-hearted, a strained answer of affirmation, paired with a quick nod. Of course she had. Cue always made sure she went on at least one flight a week. The immortal didn't even spare her a glance, looking once again towards the mirror, dust flying up behind them so thick, it was nearly impossible to make out the piercing lights of the sirens that followed. Her chest grew tight with anxiety, fingers dug into the worn leather of the car they were driving. It was a wonder this car hadn't flown off the side of the spiraling roads by now. Pressing the thoughts away, she looked again towards Cupid, whose knuckles were white with the grip he had on the wheel, obsessively glancing back.

"Good," Then promptly, rolled down the window, wind lashing out into Echo's face, whipping strings of hair back behind her, "Climb out the window."

Her stomach rolled, "Climb out what?!"

"The window!" His gaze did flick to her then as he barked the response against the wind; gusts that deafened nearly everything. "Climb out the damn window! Get on top of the car, and get ready to fly!"

And oh, she realized, there was probably no other outcome was there? This is how it all ends then? With me on top of a car going nearly 90 miles an hour now, and waiting to shoot off the side of the mountain.

Seeing she had no other option, Echo reached for the seat belt strapping her in, her hands trembling, "What about the body?"

"I'll get it." Cue's voice was sure and steady, as it always was. Somehow, it was reassuring. If he thought it would all work out, it probably would. He was much older than her after all, and he probably knew better than she did too. Of course, that didn't mean he probably had experience running a car off a cliff, but if he was sure , then she could be sure too.

Sucking a breath in, she gripped the side of the window, fingers brushing against the sharp winds that ferociously pressed back against her. 

I can do this. 

Everything would be fine, wouldn't it? 

I can do this. 

Heaving herself up onto her legs, in nearly a squatting position, she felt the car slow just slightly. Something she instantly became grateful for, but spared no words between them. 

I can do this. 

So delicately, she began climbing out the window, arms first to grip the roof rack and precariously began to lift herself up. A chant in her head, reminding her to breathe slowly. In through the nose, out through the mouth.

Or was it in through the mouth, out through the nose?

No matter. That really wasn't Echo's biggest concern anyway. Fading sunlight gleamed off of the silver of the car, dust kicking up behind them. Wind and dirt pressed her against the side, her footing nearly slipping as she lifted herself up, determined to hold on for her life. At last, she settled atop the car, gripping the roof rack bars, discolored from age, tightly enough that her own knuckles were going white. Wind gushed past them, pressing the girl further into the roof of the car. Echo snapped her eyes shut. 

I can do this. 

Again, she snapped them back open, feeling the thrum of the car below her; speeding up. Hesitantly, she glanced up, only to see the cliff-side of the coast quickly approaching them.

Her heart dropped, but she took another breath in, sucking the air through her teeth. 

I can do this. 

The sirens had become distant now, but it wouldn't last long. Echo knew that they'd catch up quickly enough, and likely just in time to see the car, with the three of them in it, fly off the side, plunging into the ocean.

The ocean.

Oh god. Why did she have to think about it - desperately, almost frantically, Echo tried to push the thoughts from her mind. The deep, dramatic waters. The tides and waves that crashed against the shore, refusing to relent against the cliffsides. The creatures that lurked their down below, awaiting their next lovely victim. Whirlpools of blue and black pulling her down under, as above her, the sea thrashed. Darkness, death, and suffocation. She would die alone, down there.

It was only mere moments before they hit the edge of the cliffside when she returned to her senses. Her hands were damn near trembling, but she still held onto the rack, frozen in absolute fear. Anxiety pulsed through her bloodstream, gripping her sides. Panic, not fear, was holding her in place.

I cannot do this.

Her grip tightened further, and she snapped her eyes shut once more as they plummeted off, the sirens becoming a distant, absent sound registered in the back of her head. The wind changed directions in an instant. Echo could feel it all happening. Her eyes opened after a moment, feeling it all happen in slow-motion. Hair raising as they fell, she saw Cue shatter the front glass with raw strength, leaping from the car. The body clutched in his arms, wrapped like something precious. Her dark hair hung in it's braid, but at the very least her head remained supported. Wings appeared momentarily, but she still saw the flesh rip from his back, from his spine like it always did when they shifted. He didn't seem phased.

He never seemed phased by these things anymore.

Pressing through her own panic, she took a long breath. Closing her eyes once more as she heard the vague call of her own name, but no one other than her winged companion. It hardly registered.

Echo supposed it was her fault that she ended up here anyway. She'd just wanted to have a plan that worked. Practically had begged Cue to let her try it out. In her defense, it had worked. Or- at least it had worked in theory. They'd gotten the person out, just not exactly as smoothly as one would have liked.

Echo was still falling, unable to release the roof rack of the car that dragged her down to her own fateful demise.

Please.

A silent prayer to whatever god existed up there, that she would shift in time. Dragging her mentality back up, and re-steadying herself, Echo's eyes snapped open, looking at the distant horizon of the ocean beyond her as she fell.

Please.

Taking one last breath, Echo called to her power, diving into herself, and called to her wings. Begging, pleading, with herself to allow it. Mouthfuls of magic discarded around her, and it sent ripples into the ocean, sending the thrashing waves that she so despised, into the jagged side of the cliffs. Raw, undirected, arcana erupting from her. Echo wasn't proud. Hundreds of years, and even she didn't know exactly what she was capable of. Hundreds of years, and still, she had so much to learn about what she could do.

Please.

Still, she supposed, humans weren't born to do this. So Echo let it happen, forcing herself to untense, to release the car that she had so desperately been clutching onto like a life-line, and summoned her wings.

Please.

And then she was falling. But she could feel it. How her blood felt faster now, and a vibration ran through her towards her spine, sending chills up and down it. A metallic scent hung over her, blood coating her tongue as she called to her wings.

Please.

And then they broke the skin, and Echo barely haltered herself from yelping at the pain. She'd screamed the first few times, writhing and thrashing in her own bed. It still hurts. After hundreds of years, you figure it might hurt less, but not when you do it in an instant.

Not like this.

After all, you're practically growing two new limbs in a matter of seconds, rearranging your spine through some sort of bullshit shifter magic. Even now, Echo still isn't quite sure how it works. Cue seems to. And she trusts him.

But it was too late. She had shifted too close to the ocean, and now, with the dizzying pain she needed a few more seconds to recover from, she was doomed. Utterly doomed to drown in absolute agony and -

An arm reached for her. She felt a familiar, calloused hand on her arm, and then an arm curling around her. And for a moment, everything went silent.

The air fizzed around them, blurring and seething, and in some part of her mind Echo knew they were in the water. Cue's hand, strong and steady, remained on her arm for a single moment, and once again she was lifted from the water, into the air. Bare, wet wings, now exposed to the dropping temperatures of the night, a shiver ran down her spine. Echo shook her head to clear it, blinking rapidly as slow, soft droplets of water littered down from the skies.

It took her one moment to register that she was lying on a beach, blinking up at a clouding sky, Cue standing above her, reaching a hand down to help her up.

She accepted it, rising to her feet, and only raised her head to peer through the storm. It had begun to grow thicker now, but she only shook her head, flapping her wings uselessly to shake the gathering puddles of rainwater off of them.

Cue stopped her before she could speak, "Are you alright?"

"I...yes, I, I think so." Echo shook her head once again, if only to clear her running thoughts over what in the hell had just happened. Cue just bit back a sigh, that much was obvious, and reached towards Echo's wing.

The confusion hit before the pain did. Because the moment he began to outstretch it, sharp, angry, agony shot down the wing, towards her spine, bursting in bubbles at the base of it. Instinctually she jerked it away from him, near stumbling back before Cue reached to steady her. He sighed again that time, running a hand through already soaked hair, as he spoke. "You broke it."

"I- what?" Echo didn't even realize you could break wings.

Well - she did, but she didn't think that immortals had things like that to worry about! They were busy with other things! Like soulmates, and drama, and other things that were probably way too important to be doing with a broken wing.

Incredulously, she shook her head once more. This time in denial. "I did?? How?! I did everything right! I shifted correctly, I'm sure of it, and-"

"Echo." Steady as always, Cue placed a hand at her back. "I'll explain later. Come on."

To where?

It seemed she didn't even need to speak it, he'd already begun walking to the main house of Elysian, the island that they had so carefully made their home. Crafted, and honed it to match their needs. Perfect. Cue had let her name it, so many years ago.

"The others are waiting."

꘎♡━━━━━♡꘎

ophelia !!

hi !! welcome to the first
chapter of the story !!

i hope you all enjoyed it first of all !

 i couldn't just not post it , i'd already finished it so what's the harm y'know?

anyway, glad to have you all here. 

please don't forget to finish the opinions and love interests of your characters !!

and as for the question for today that [yes] you must answer !

[ has your character broken any bones ? what from + how did they react ? ]

answers ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥