Vanya's Days Off
I'd been flying for the past 3 days straight. Not that I was on the run...yet. As the only courier in the New Houston Rookery with the wings of sea bird I was the only one with the right equipment to make long haul deliveries. My wings are large... way larger than any other winger I've met. The last time my wingspan was measured was at my yearly physical a few months ago, I think they said it was 19 or 20 feet across. Perfectly designed for dynamic flight or soaring flight, pretty simple really angle the wings up fly up across a wind shear to gain altitude, angle the wings down fly down across a wind shear to gain momentum. My flight patterns end up looking like sine waves but I don't have to flap my wings at all for hundreds of thousands of miles. Ugh yes you heard that right, hundreds of thousands of miles of nothing to see but sea. If I'm lucky I might be going over land but thats more effort because of less predictable winds.
In either case i have to fly at extreme altitudes that would kill another winger to get the benefit of the wind like the actual sea birds my wings take after do. Its cold. Theres very little air pressure so by extension very little oxygen. Mountain climbers might understand the feeling; body aching, heart racing, mind losing focus, gulping for breaths of air. Lucky for me I get to have clothing designed to repel the weather and keep my temperature regulated, and an emergency oxygen tank if I have to go higher than even I can manage. Yeah thats right. Like some species of high altitude birds my hemoglobin can hold more oxygen than typical. This means my muscles get more fule than a normal human or even winger. There go my dreams of being in the olympics.
In case you didn't get it that was sarcasm.
When I'm on longhaul flights which is literally my job. I sleep in about 10 second bursts mostly after night has fallen. So I'm only getting about 45 minutes of sleep each night I'm on delivery and only with half my brain too if the scientists are to be believed. I don't consider it sleep since I'm really just kind of zoned out
The only thing that keeps me from going insane for this amount of time are podcasts. I can listen to them hands free while keeping my eyes on the "road" as it were. Sometimes I mix it up and throw in learning another language, or an educational lecture like a TED talk. I wear special goggles that have a gps in them to help me steer in the right direction and can send a signal of my location if I ever crash land somewhere. They also let me change podcasts and the like without fumbling with a device. Learned that the hard way after I dropped my phone into the Indian ocean when I was 19. Still had 5 days of flight left and nothing to do with my time but be with myself. SO yeah I forgot meditation thats another thing, if i was on bad terms with myself I cringe to think what might happen when I'm my only company for thousands of miles.
I wonder if truckers get this kind of running on auto pilot kind of dazed out experience. I don't have to worry about crashing into wingers until I'm near a city, planes usually fly higher than I do and parasailing and hang-gliding happens at much lower altitudes. I was really dragging at this point cause I had flown out 6 days ago, had an all too brief drop off and an urgent return parcel that required I return immediately. So this was practically my 6th day flying. Don't get me wrong here.. I'm capable of going for years on my wings. Thats what they're designed for. Unfortunately my human brain was not designed for that kind of life. I need real rest and I need human company. It had been a week since I had last seen my home and I was sooooooo ready to make that drop off and then drop off.
When my goggles started picking up the New Houston radio stations I was ready to dance a jig. Too bad I didn't have the energy for it. That meant I was only a hundred or so miles away thats only a couple of hours as the bird flys, 50 miles plus due to ocean wind currents. Some time later I saw a faint fuzzing of the horizon, LAND HO, and knew I was less than an hour from my destination.
Having to switch from coasting mode to general traffic mode is haaaaaard. Have you ever tried driving after getting only 45 mintues of sleep a day for six days. Not that I'm not designed to handle that little sleep in the air but it still SUCKS. I shook my head to focus my thoughts and drifted into the air traffic which started a little way out from the new houston coast. I took up way more space than an average winger but the lanes were wide and very few wingers or flyers were out at 4 in the morning. I had the presence of mind to radio in so that someone would be around to accept my package so I could go to sleep faster.
Somehow I managed to make my way to the Rookery, I had to really grasp hold of my brain to focus enough on landing. I was so ready to sleep. I hooked the rail with my boots and my wings swooped down, because they had been swooping up and down perpetually for the last week, and I used the momentum to hop to the balcony and really settle my weight onto my legs again. Flying for long periods of time requires you to hold your legs out straight which explains my killer abs, and also why my legs weren't dead weight after having been off them for six days. I also do in air calisthenics each day to keep my body in working form.
I was really glad that I was coming in so early in the morning because the Rookery was always crowded but it was a less so this early. When I'm at the Rookery there are always so many people around that I have to make myself smaller to get around. If its early there might be enough space to move around without having to pull in my tired wings. I trugged into the package drop off office and reached around to the package on my back as made my way to the on duty acceptance officer. Usually the only things that go by long distance courier rather than plane or boat are delicate, sensitive or high value documents so the paper work he extended across the desk on a clipboard was no surprise. I leaned against the high counter I had rested the package on rather than sit down because once I was down I wouldn't be back up for another twelve hours at least. I listed my name and my class IV status, then the package indentification number, which the officer was currently scanning via barcode into the system. Then I signed my name and dated, then passed it to the officer who did the same.
That was the other good thing about getting in in the early morning. No one wanted to talk. This was totally fine by me If not preferable when Im getting in. Since I had dropped off my package I tiredly waved to the officer and then with a force of will dragged myself to the balcony again for one last flight to my apartment balcony. This was the worst part. Once my feet touched the ground again they didn't really want to leave it again. SO I may have been loitering at the take off gate on the balcony trying to convince my feet to unglue themselves from the ground, when Tomas Nat and his parter touched down. Curse Couriers are always required to go out with at least one other, no exceptions. Collecting a cursed object alone is enough to get you demoted to level one regular courier. The Rookery would never kick a winger out, but they would make sure you never make the same mistake again.
I made the effort to raise my head and nod to Tomas, we were neighbors on the top floor of the Rookeries apartments. We had also gone through The Academy at The Rookery together since we were both wingers with incredible wingspans. So we went waaaaaay back. He helped his partner set down the grandfather clock they were holding down before turning and smiling in my direction.
"Hey! I'm glad ... ahhhh...Its good...Um..." He rubbed the nape of neck "See you around this week!"
I smiled and nodded in agreement. Then while my feet were distracted, I leapt from the edge to give my wings some space and swooped up and around to my left toward the apartments.
I don't super remember getting to my apartment balcony so I must have done some sleep bursts. I almost plowed a Vanya shaped furlough into the concrete but came back to myself enough to disengage my boot hooks and planted my feet on the concrete instead. Maybe I was hungry. Too bad, I was asleep on my feet. Food would have to come later. I reached into the pouch attached to my waist which held my valuables and found my keys. Fumbling one into the lock I pulled open the door and inhaled the smell of home. Slightly dusty from a week of disuse, a spicy smell from my cinnamon kitchen candle, the faint smell of my laundry detergent and the warm smell that was intangible but my brain identified as home. I stepped into my place and closed the door behind me slipping the lock into place.
I sat on a tall stool, easier to get back up again, and unlaced my over the knee boots. Their tops are tied to special loops on the pants to keep them from sagging. I grunted as I yanked one off, and let it fall to the floor haphazardly with a thunk. The other followed with another grunt of effort, the thing about boots with hooks is you cant take them off the easy way by holding the heel down with the toe of the other foot. If my feet could talk they'd be sighing with relief being out of those boots. I made my way on stockinged feet to my bedroom sanctuary. I made the effort to take off the crinkly weatherproof pants and coat. Down to my top underwear and socks I pulled the curtains on the windows, I try to leave them open to help burn off dust when I'm out. I shucked my top which left tank top and bra. I wiggled out of the bra but left the tank top on. I dropped onto my bed settled my wings around me and lost myself to sleep
I woke sometime later to a buzz at my door. I looked over at the clock on my nightstand, seven o'clock. I keep in military time for ease which meant that I slept one whole day and night. Ah well, I felt refreshed so I got up and shrugged into an oversized flannel jacket with snaps I call my house coat, which mostly covered me up and went to see who was at the door. Wait a second which door had buzzed... The back door was totally glass so I couldn't hind my legs behind it when I opened it so I was hoping for the front door when it buzzed again.
Score.
Front door, I made my way over to look through the port and saw Tomas, I unlocked the door pulled it open a fraction and poked my head around it to better see into the hallway.
"Hey, Tomas, whats up?" I said covering a lingering yawn with my hand.
He had started to walk away down the hall before I opened my door so he turned and walked back. "I'm sorry, did I wake you up?" There it was again hand to the back of his neck, like he was magnetized or something.
"Yeah a little, but you don't need to apologize about it, in fact I appreciate it. I wouldn't want to sleep though my week off. Did you need something?"
He smiled and his hand dropped off his neck "I was wondering if you wanted to join us for breakfast at Sunrise House."
My stomach took that moment to remind me that hungry was second to sleep in its opinion. A flush rose in my cheeks as he grinned and said "I'll take that as a yes."
As he turned he threw over his shoulder "I'll go ahead and let them know you'll be down in 30"
I stripped down on my way to my bathroom, tripping over a sock as I pulled it off. I grabbed a towel from the closet and turned on the water. Slipping under the steaming waves was a revelation. Washing away the grime of sea air and sweat was always one of the best things about coming home. I relished the shower, maybe longer than I should have with people waiting on me but I'm sure they'd understand.
I stepped out and wrapped myself in a fluffy towel as best I could around my wings. I found clean underwear, happy tears commence, jeans and a long sleeve shirt and started pulling them on. I let my hair hang free in kinky curls around my face and set out for the door, back door this time, grabbing a coat as I went.
Restaurants are always colder than they ought to be so it bringing a coat was totally necessary. I didn't need a purse or money since this restaurant was owned by Rook, Inc. I could just punch in my employee number and have the charge sent to my Rookery bills.
I leapt off my balcony and made my way through entirely too crowed airspace to the main Rookery building a few blocks over. The Sunrise House is managed by Chef Igneia and just knowing that, you also know you're in for a real treat. As the chef says "The experience is part of the meal" and Stepping foot into Sunrise House is an experience all its own. Its like stepping into the dawn, even if you're eating at 2pm. The walls are painted in vivid oranges magentas and yellows which fade into pale pinks toward the bottom. The light in the room comes from floor lights along the east walls. The sound of crickets and birdsong make for a soothing ambience and a light fog inches along the floor smelling faintly of oranges.
Finding the booth with my friends was easy enough since it was our regular table. It was polished brass with the shape of a sun embedded into it. The booth seating around it looked like dark brown wicker with plush magenta cushions, when in reality wicker would be much too hard to clean for a restaurant that needed to flip tables. The solution... magic. Don't worry about it too much thats the answer for a lot of questions these days.
Tomas and his partner were waiting along with a worn out looking Trish Barley and a few others. Trish looked worn out because it was the end of her shift, but she swore having breakfast was the best dinner and insisted upon eating it when we ate. When everyone saw me, we became the subject of quite a few glares as they all jumped up and shouted things like YOURE BACK, breaking the tranquility the restaurant cultivated.
As I finally got to sit at the table I saw that my favorites had already been ordered for me in triplicate, and I'm not lying when I say a tear fell from my eye. I thanked them profusely for the food, FOOOOOOD, and dug right in.
When I was halfway through the third plate of delicious delicious not bar/jerky shaped food, long haul flights require easily held food items, a waiter brought something new to the table. I was a little disappointed it wasn't more food but still happy to see Edwin Marsh walk up to our group.
"I've gotta make this quick, class starts in an half an hour, but I was wondering if any big wings" he clasped his hands together under his chin and batted his eyelashes "Maybe big water wings with alot of time on their hands wanted to help the next generation out with some in person demonstrations?" Edwin wheedled "The offer of course is also good for you Tomas since you're a big winger but I know you've got duty soon."
I had finished my plate while he was talking and started to scoot toward the end of the booth. "Do I have to wear my uniform?" I had already decided to go. I have a lot of siblings most of them younger, growing up watching them come into their own really gave me an appreciation for the strength and determination of kids. If I could help them reach their goals who was I to say no. I waved down a waiter and asked for some OJ to go, and proving they knew me here, when they got back they had OJ with a lid and a straw and a paper bag with a chocolate croissant tucked inside. I will not lie I hugged this waiter I didn't know. And no it wasn't awkward what are you talking about.
Edwin was still trying to negotiate with Tomas but he spared me a glance over his shoulder "No, uniform not necessary but the kids may want to see your special gear."
I nodded in acknowledgement and he turned back to Tomas.
I debated for a minute but then decided to head back to my room. If I was going to be doing multiple takeoffs I was going to want work out gear and then I could grab my equipment to show off to the kids who hadn't already met me. And yeah I'd helped out before, in fact it was something I did alot during my week off. After one day of sitting around with nothing to do I go a little stir crazy and want something to do. Edwin was a little early this week, well wait, I did sleep though one day already. Ah well, we did have some new wingers come to the rookery pretty recently that had wings that would one day classify on the big side. I could help them with take off techniques, big wings take more energy to get sky born.
I swapped my pants pretty quick and then wrestled out of my current shirt and into a new shirt with more effort. That wasn't because of big wings thats just because of wings in general. If you got your clothes from a Rookery boutique then all you had to deal with was slipping your arms in the sleeves and either tying ties or snapping snaps or buttoning buttons. Buttons are more rare. If you didn't buy from a Rookery boutique then you often had to try to pull a shirt on over the tops of your wings through the wing holes, mine ten feet from the ground, then over your head and try to pop the bottoms of your wings out through the bottoms of the holes. Again twenty foot wingspan made that an impossibility for me from the start.
The shirt I chose had ties, a little more difficult than snaps but much less likely to come apart than a snap. Then I wrapped my hair into a bun on top of my head. Hmmm, I still get random intrusive thoughts sometimes that tell me to put the bun at some weird place on my head to get my siblings to laugh. I slipped into some tennis shoe equivalents that had the easy landing hooks on the bottom, then packed my work equipment into a duffle to bring with me.
I couldn't just sling it over my shoulder cause it would slip right off but I couldn't wear it cross body style cause the wings would get in the way. The typical way for wingers to carry things vary, some do try something similar to crossbody trying to get the strap between their wings and have some success. When I'm flying long distance I have a belt with straps to go over my shoulders to keep it from slipping, that bags can be attached to all the way around. Don't have to worry about walking when you're flying after all. More often then not though its just two bags on either side like saddlebags. If its something really big I usually get to use fancy magic to hold it and I just supervise. Thats why I had to get level IV courier classification, magic like that requires special training and extra responsibilities.
I decided on the other typical way wingers carry stuff, in both hands in front of me. I didn't feel like getting the gear out of the bag again and then putting on, plus Edwin had said half an hour.
I was still a little late. It always took me a while to adjust to flying in confined spaces, I also had called my brother on the way over, the goggles were worth pulling out the bag, and let him know I was on my week off which meant I wouldn't be calling him all the time for awhile again. What I get bored when I'm flying over the ocean with nothing to do.
I signed off my call and signed in at the Rookery Academy. I was issued my guest badge and then I walked to the flight arena. No they don't battle in the arena, though take away one L and they might. I set my bag on on one of the seats and walked to the table by the entrance where a note listed the radio channel they were on for todays class. I went ahead and picked up the head set too and traded my goggles for it. I've found that kids think I'm less intimidating when they can see my eyes. The radio was for when they were flying so that everyone could hear the instructor no matter how far apart they got. I heard Edwin Marsh going over some basic safety information over the radio so I put my beloved goggles in my bag and then scanned the arena for Edwins group since the radio didn't give any location clues.
Edwin teaches the beginners so they get the whole arena to themselves, while more advanced classes can share since they've got more control. I found them gathered by what is lovingly and sometimes terrifyingly called the high dive. There are different levels of platforms from which to jump, the highest of which being a good thousand feet off the ground for advanced classes. These kids were probably only going on the baby ones, three feet, five feet, and ten feet off the ground. Kids with smaller wings could usually get off the ground for the first time without help, but the bigger the wings the harder it is to get into the air. There is a foam pit at the bottom of the high dive thats uncovered for beginners, so they're not risking their necks. Water could have also worked but only for wings like mine that are designed to get wet, if you get a songbird wet they won't be able to fly again until their wings are dry and heaven forbid wet wings pull a beginner down to the bottom of the pool, so they compromised with foam even if its a little rough on the feathers.
Edwin was flitting above the group so that everyone could see him, and when he saw me he waved me over. I decided to give the kids a demonstration right away. momentum is hugely important for getting into the air and most beginners and even average level wingers have to get a run up to get into the air from off the ground. I had ample motivation to surpass that though when I was trying to outdo my siblings, and since I helped out the beginners so often I had mastered flight within one jump. I stretched my wings out all the way to the sides and took whats almost a runners ready stance. I leaned forward at a 45 degree angle, raised my wings angled down to best scoop the air, put one foot a little in front of the other and bent down to jump. I heard Edwin telling the kids they were in for a treat and then with a smile touching my cheeks I pushed up and forward with my legs and down and back with my wings (cant go straight down or I'd hit the ground, I don't have a vertical jump of ten feet figure that) After a few moments of rapid wing pumping I was soaring around the top of the arena. I can't stay in place in the air for an extended period of time like Edwin and his humming bird wings so I circled down slowly into the area where the class was waiting and then landed, careful not to clip anyone with my wings as I brought them in. The Rookery classes were always small, no more than 15, and I only saw a few faces I knew so I decided to give them my whole speil when Edwin gave me the floor. The average age of the group was around 8 not unexpected given average manifestation age.
Edwin flitted down so he was hovering a little above and to my right. "Alright! Everyone this is our special guest for today some of you may already know her, The one the only Vanya Rail!" He paused briefly as some of the kids cheered a little. "I asked her to come by today to show you beginner big-wings some of her techniques to get airborne from the ground. As a big-wings herself she'll be able to demonstrate how these techniques look instead of just describing them. Alright Vanya take it away!," Edwin gestured for me to start my bit, we'd done this before so I wasn't floundering for something to say.
"Hi everyone as Mr.Edwin said my name's Vanya, I work for the rookery as a long distance flyer with class IV clearance, currently I'm the only one qualified for most long distance jobs that need doing here. Maybe a few years from now I'll have some help," I said with a wink smiling at the group "Big wings are much more likely to be long distance and extended time flyers, the size of our wings helps us to catch updrafts in the air that support us without needing more effort than a few wing flexes to direct ourselves.
Vulture wings like my friend Tomas's are designed for long periods of soaring and circling. I as some of you already know, have albatros wings." I paused for dramatic effect
"I could literally live in the air.
My wings are designed to stay airborne for years at a time, which makes them perfect for long periods of time spent off the ground. It also helps that they're seabird wings, that means I can get wet without having to land, I can go right through a storm instead of having to navigate around it. Though just because I'm able to doesn't always mean what I'll be delivering can.
I've found that knowing your wings is essential to finding not just the best job to suit their abilities but also finding out the best ways to use them. And I know 1st years have a class dedicated to knowing your wings and what they can do"
"Mr. Edwin has humming bird wings and he can hover in the air like no other so he can just jump into the air and stay there. Big wings like us tend to need momentum to stay airborne. If we're not moving forward we'll just fall out of the air. That can make take off from the ground hard since we can't borrow momentum from gravity. Can someone raise their hand and tell me one way to get momentum on the ground?"
Simultaneously raising their hand and answering, a kid with bronze feathers growing along with their hair (head, arms, etc) shouted out loud and over the radio "RUNNING" with the accompanying feedback screech and group grumbling.
I nodded and said "That is definitely the most common way, though I would like to get to know everybody too so would you mind sharing your name?"
The kid who had just answered ducked their head a little and more reservedly said "Tosha"
"Ok do you know any other ways to get momentum on the ground? That goes for everybody," a few of them looked ready to speak right after I finished talking so I made sure i got in
"Everybody BUT Mr. Edwin," cue giggles "and remember raise your hands"
I got the expected jumping, I had SO helpfully demonstrated that one, but I also got dancing from one girl with large white wings which was very creative, and some joke answers like doing the worm or riding a moving object like a bicycle or wheelchair once the group got more comfortable.
"ALRIGHT, alright" I threw my hands up as the conversation devolved "Lets try some of your suggestions out, lets start with the worm"
To show them I'm not above being silly and to show off my incredible abs I got down on the floor. The floor is like a gymnastics floor, its solid but with enough give to protect joints, so its not like I was about to try the worm on bare concrete. I backed up a bit and gestured with my arm to get some more space then I spread my wings and dropped into the worm. As I suspected I couldn't get my wings down far enough to get any real lift. When I got one with particularly good lift I shouted for the kids to try it too.
After five minutes of smiles and laughter I got up and got their attention on the radios again.
"OK doesn't look like anyone was able to manage it, but I have an idea," I raised my eyebrows with a smirk "~Mr.ED-WIN~"
They all smiled and cheered as he approached the area where I had been doing the worm. then the old geezer got down and showed everyone hes still in flying shape as he executed a fabulous worm and on the 5th push off he went airborne.
There were some gasps and a-lot of open mouths when I asked the class "Why do you think Mr. Edwin was able to get into the air? Heres a hint.. we already talked about it a little"
Toby Vinzenni who had suggested vehicles raised their hand
"Yes Toby, what do you think?"
"He has small wings, so he was able to get his wings all the way down for maximum lift," she stated rather baldly.
"Thats exactly right! If you aren't able to get your wings all the down for lift while on the ground like us big wingers you've got to supplement the lift you ARE able to get with momentum. The worm doesn't give us enough momentum because it puts us lower to the ground then we already are at standing. SO one of the easiest ways to get more lift is to lean forward. If your body is angled," I demonstrated by angling my torso ~45 degrees "then you can extend your wings all the way back and still get some downward motion for lift." I finished by giving a big flap with my wings, blowing the hair of the kids closest to me back.
"If you watch videos of birds with large wingspans taking off you'll see all they need is to lean forward and do a little bounce. Its not super graceful but it works. Thats what you saw me do when I came over to the group." "All of you are totally capable of getting airborne that way, it takes alot of practice so if you want to start practicing that today I can help you with that. It will help you in places where theres not alot of runway.
BUT there are plenty of ways to takeoff that are tried and true, like running to get momentum and then jumping. If I'm right we're about to get to some practice time to try out some techniques." I glanced at Edwin and he nodded.
"Allright then, lets get some practice. If you want runup there are some practice lanes that start at the edge of the foam pit. They're wide enough for multiple wingers to go at the same time so have at it, or if you want to try jumping straight into the air we'll practice to the right of the pit out of the way of the runners."
I walked over to the right edge of the pit where a few wingers gathered around me including Beatrice Bennet , Toby and Tosha. "One note before you start it helps to have a goal for where you're going once you get into the air or you can get lost in the air and crash back down so for now aim to get to the 10ft high dive. Lets all try it on our own now and then I can give pointers."
As they were practicing I noticed toby mostly sitting out, only shouting encouragement to Beatrice and her other friends. I sat next to her and asked her why she wasn't participating if she was in the class. "I think its pretty clear that i'm a gargoyle. I'm made of stone. I don't get lift. I'm here because the rest of the class was scheduled for ground takeoff and I'm in the bigwings group so I have to accompany them"
It seems thoughtless of them to have her spend an hour on ground takeoff when they don't give her the tools to actually do so. "Well then how do you think you, a gargoyle, could get ground takeoff?I know of a few ways"
She tilted her head at me as if to say i wasn't very bright "I mentioned it earlier. I would need some kind of vehicle to provide thrust." a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth when she said "ground takeoff for me would be like an airplane or jet-pack I need the constant thrust to stay up." "SO.. wheres your engine?"
"I don't have one"
I leaned back onto my hands "There must not be a large group of gargoyles in the area, on my travels I've seen plenty of gargoyles getting around the airways. Do you know any adult gargoyles you could ask about getting the right equipment?"
She answered right away "My dad, but he always just glides off our high balcony to get to work and rides the aircurrent back up at gargoyle speed."
She leaned forward a bit "What do they use?"
"There are a few different kinds that I've seen which is why I asked if you had anyone you could ask about it. But I've seen some that are like an air plane with jets that attach to the wings somehow. I've also seen some that use magic to direct air currents around their wings to genereate the right lift."
The gleam in Toby's eyes told me she was very VERY interested, so I concluded with "But still I'd ask your dad to see if he knows about them, if not I'd ask Mr. Edwin or even Sals"
Toby sat back with a grin on her face and a gleam in her eye obvious visions of flight going through her head.
I inwardly asked Tony Vinzenni for forgiveness, then joined Toby in cheering on the class.
We had spent alot of time already on introductions and the worm so after another 15 minutes of practice time, the class had to clear out so the next group could use the arena. Alot of the kids told me I helped them improve their technique even if they weren't all able to get off the ground so I felt pretty satisfied with how I had spent my time. Edwin thanked me before I left and asked if i'd like to help out again tomorrow same time. i had absolutely no problems with that so his puppy dog eyes were wasted on me, but they were still cute. I agreed to come by again, glad I'd be able to help them out for their whole time alotment instead of just a few minutes at the end. Then plotted a course back to my place so I could drop off my equipment again.
It was only about 10 o'clock by the time class was over and I was back to my apartment within fifteen minutes. I decided to take another shower since i had gotten sweaty again and if I was within flying distance of a shower I was going to use it, same thing goes for toilets. Ah sweet luxury
I save alot on bills when I'm gone for weeks at a time so its not like I couldn't afford it.
Ok another 20 minutes down once drying off was included. Now what should I do. I looked at the friend calendar that Trish had shared with everyone.
Trish was obviously sleeping, she worked the nightshift and had stayed up to welcome me back this morning. Tomas was on call for cursed item reports and relocations. Courier was on duty. Kee was on dragon time whatever that meant.
What it meant for me was that it was a weekday and all my friends had jobs. Ok what else could I do... Its not like I had laundry stacked to the ceiling or bills piled up. BUT It had gotten a little dusty since I left....sOOOoooo I grabbed some rubber gloved and got to cleaning.
Thirty minutes later and my one bedroom apartment was totally spotless AND i had put my longhaul equipment out for special cleaning.
This was the only problem with being back on land. SO many possibilities but if you don't have a goal in mind already your days drag by and then by the time you have to leave again you've accomplished nothing interesting.
GRAHHHH I grabbed my head in frustration. That kind of thinking will get me nowhere
Ok. Time for the meditation cushion.
As I centered myself I calmed down and reminded myself that its MY vacation. I can do anything at all that I want to, but that doesn't mean I have to. I always get carried away a little on the first day I'm back trying to accomplish everything at once while dying under the weight of free time.
In either case i have to fly at extreme altitudes that would kill another winger to get the benefit of the wind like the actual sea birds my wings take after do. Its cold. Theres very little air pressure so by extension very little oxygen. Mountain climbers might understand the feeling; body aching, heart racing, mind losing focus, gulping for breaths of air. Lucky for me I get to have clothing designed to repel the weather and keep my temperature regulated, and an emergency oxygen tank if I have to go higher than even I can manage. Yeah thats right. Like some species of high altitude birds my hemoglobin can hold more oxygen than typical. This means my muscles get more fule than a normal human or even winger. There go my dreams of being in the olympics.
In case you didn't get it that was sarcasm.
When I'm on longhaul flights which is literally my job. I sleep in about 10 second bursts mostly after night has fallen. So I'm only getting about 45 minutes of sleep each night I'm on delivery and only with half my brain too if the scientists are to be believed. I don't consider it sleep since I'm really just kind of zoned out
The only thing that keeps me from going insane for this amount of time are podcasts. I can listen to them hands free while keeping my eyes on the "road" as it were. Sometimes I mix it up and throw in learning another language, or an educational lecture like a TED talk. I wear special goggles that have a gps in them to help me steer in the right direction and can send a signal of my location if I ever crash land somewhere. They also let me change podcasts and the like without fumbling with a device. Learned that the hard way after I dropped my phone into the Indian ocean when I was 19. Still had 5 days of flight left and nothing to do with my time but be with myself. SO yeah I forgot meditation thats another thing, if i was on bad terms with myself I cringe to think what might happen when I'm my only company for thousands of miles.
I wonder if truckers get this kind of running on auto pilot kind of dazed out experience. I don't have to worry about crashing into wingers until I'm near a city, planes usually fly higher than I do and parasailing and hang-gliding happens at much lower altitudes. I was really dragging at this point cause I had flown out 6 days ago, had an all too brief drop off and an urgent return parcel that required I return immediately. So this was practically my 6th day flying. Don't get me wrong here.. I'm capable of going for years on my wings. Thats what they're designed for. Unfortunately my human brain was not designed for that kind of life. I need real rest and I need human company. It had been a week since I had last seen my home and I was sooooooo ready to make that drop off and then drop off.
When my goggles started picking up the New Houston radio stations I was ready to dance a jig. Too bad I didn't have the energy for it. That meant I was only a hundred or so miles away thats only a couple of hours as the bird flys, 50 miles plus due to ocean wind currents. Some time later I saw a faint fuzzing of the horizon, LAND HO, and knew I was less than an hour from my destination.
Having to switch from coasting mode to general traffic mode is haaaaaard. Have you ever tried driving after getting only 45 mintues of sleep a day for six days. Not that I'm not designed to handle that little sleep in the air but it still SUCKS. I shook my head to focus my thoughts and drifted into the air traffic which started a little way out from the new houston coast. I took up way more space than an average winger but the lanes were wide and very few wingers or flyers were out at 4 in the morning. I had the presence of mind to radio in so that someone would be around to accept my package so I could go to sleep faster.
Somehow I managed to make my way to the Rookery, I had to really grasp hold of my brain to focus enough on landing. I was so ready to sleep. I hooked the rail with my boots and my wings swooped down, because they had been swooping up and down perpetually for the last week, and I used the momentum to hop to the balcony and really settle my weight onto my legs again. Flying for long periods of time requires you to hold your legs out straight which explains my killer abs, and also why my legs weren't dead weight after having been off them for six days. I also do in air calisthenics each day to keep my body in working form.
I was really glad that I was coming in so early in the morning because the Rookery was always crowded but it was a less so this early. When I'm at the Rookery there are always so many people around that I have to make myself smaller to get around. If its early there might be enough space to move around without having to pull in my tired wings. I trugged into the package drop off office and reached around to the package on my back as made my way to the on duty acceptance officer. Usually the only things that go by long distance courier rather than plane or boat are delicate, sensitive or high value documents so the paper work he extended across the desk on a clipboard was no surprise. I leaned against the high counter I had rested the package on rather than sit down because once I was down I wouldn't be back up for another twelve hours at least. I listed my name and my class IV status, then the package indentification number, which the officer was currently scanning via barcode into the system. Then I signed my name and dated, then passed it to the officer who did the same.
That was the other good thing about getting in in the early morning. No one wanted to talk. This was totally fine by me If not preferable when Im getting in. Since I had dropped off my package I tiredly waved to the officer and then with a force of will dragged myself to the balcony again for one last flight to my apartment balcony. This was the worst part. Once my feet touched the ground again they didn't really want to leave it again. SO I may have been loitering at the take off gate on the balcony trying to convince my feet to unglue themselves from the ground, when Tomas Nat and his parter touched down. Curse Couriers are always required to go out with at least one other, no exceptions. Collecting a cursed object alone is enough to get you demoted to level one regular courier. The Rookery would never kick a winger out, but they would make sure you never make the same mistake again.
I made the effort to raise my head and nod to Tomas, we were neighbors on the top floor of the Rookeries apartments. We had also gone through The Academy at The Rookery together since we were both wingers with incredible wingspans. So we went waaaaaay back. He helped his partner set down the grandfather clock they were holding down before turning and smiling in my direction.
"Hey! I'm glad ... ahhhh...Its good...Um..." He rubbed the nape of neck "See you around this week!"
I smiled and nodded in agreement. Then while my feet were distracted, I leapt from the edge to give my wings some space and swooped up and around to my left toward the apartments.
I don't super remember getting to my apartment balcony so I must have done some sleep bursts. I almost plowed a Vanya shaped furlough into the concrete but came back to myself enough to disengage my boot hooks and planted my feet on the concrete instead. Maybe I was hungry. Too bad, I was asleep on my feet. Food would have to come later. I reached into the pouch attached to my waist which held my valuables and found my keys. Fumbling one into the lock I pulled open the door and inhaled the smell of home. Slightly dusty from a week of disuse, a spicy smell from my cinnamon kitchen candle, the faint smell of my laundry detergent and the warm smell that was intangible but my brain identified as home. I stepped into my place and closed the door behind me slipping the lock into place.
I sat on a tall stool, easier to get back up again, and unlaced my over the knee boots. Their tops are tied to special loops on the pants to keep them from sagging. I grunted as I yanked one off, and let it fall to the floor haphazardly with a thunk. The other followed with another grunt of effort, the thing about boots with hooks is you cant take them off the easy way by holding the heel down with the toe of the other foot. If my feet could talk they'd be sighing with relief being out of those boots. I made my way on stockinged feet to my bedroom sanctuary. I made the effort to take off the crinkly weatherproof pants and coat. Down to my top underwear and socks I pulled the curtains on the windows, I try to leave them open to help burn off dust when I'm out. I shucked my top which left tank top and bra. I wiggled out of the bra but left the tank top on. I dropped onto my bed settled my wings around me and lost myself to sleep
I woke sometime later to a buzz at my door. I looked over at the clock on my nightstand, seven o'clock. I keep in military time for ease which meant that I slept one whole day and night. Ah well, I felt refreshed so I got up and shrugged into an oversized flannel jacket with snaps I call my house coat, which mostly covered me up and went to see who was at the door. Wait a second which door had buzzed... The back door was totally glass so I couldn't hind my legs behind it when I opened it so I was hoping for the front door when it buzzed again.
Score.
Front door, I made my way over to look through the port and saw Tomas, I unlocked the door pulled it open a fraction and poked my head around it to better see into the hallway.
"Hey, Tomas, whats up?" I said covering a lingering yawn with my hand.
He had started to walk away down the hall before I opened my door so he turned and walked back. "I'm sorry, did I wake you up?" There it was again hand to the back of his neck, like he was magnetized or something.
"Yeah a little, but you don't need to apologize about it, in fact I appreciate it. I wouldn't want to sleep though my week off. Did you need something?"
He smiled and his hand dropped off his neck "I was wondering if you wanted to join us for breakfast at Sunrise House."
My stomach took that moment to remind me that hungry was second to sleep in its opinion. A flush rose in my cheeks as he grinned and said "I'll take that as a yes."
As he turned he threw over his shoulder "I'll go ahead and let them know you'll be down in 30"
I stripped down on my way to my bathroom, tripping over a sock as I pulled it off. I grabbed a towel from the closet and turned on the water. Slipping under the steaming waves was a revelation. Washing away the grime of sea air and sweat was always one of the best things about coming home. I relished the shower, maybe longer than I should have with people waiting on me but I'm sure they'd understand.
I stepped out and wrapped myself in a fluffy towel as best I could around my wings. I found clean underwear, happy tears commence, jeans and a long sleeve shirt and started pulling them on. I let my hair hang free in kinky curls around my face and set out for the door, back door this time, grabbing a coat as I went.
Restaurants are always colder than they ought to be so it bringing a coat was totally necessary. I didn't need a purse or money since this restaurant was owned by Rook, Inc. I could just punch in my employee number and have the charge sent to my Rookery bills.
I leapt off my balcony and made my way through entirely too crowed airspace to the main Rookery building a few blocks over. The Sunrise House is managed by Chef Igneia and just knowing that, you also know you're in for a real treat. As the chef says "The experience is part of the meal" and Stepping foot into Sunrise House is an experience all its own. Its like stepping into the dawn, even if you're eating at 2pm. The walls are painted in vivid oranges magentas and yellows which fade into pale pinks toward the bottom. The light in the room comes from floor lights along the east walls. The sound of crickets and birdsong make for a soothing ambience and a light fog inches along the floor smelling faintly of oranges.
Finding the booth with my friends was easy enough since it was our regular table. It was polished brass with the shape of a sun embedded into it. The booth seating around it looked like dark brown wicker with plush magenta cushions, when in reality wicker would be much too hard to clean for a restaurant that needed to flip tables. The solution... magic. Don't worry about it too much thats the answer for a lot of questions these days.
Tomas and his partner were waiting along with a worn out looking Trish Barley and a few others. Trish looked worn out because it was the end of her shift, but she swore having breakfast was the best dinner and insisted upon eating it when we ate. When everyone saw me, we became the subject of quite a few glares as they all jumped up and shouted things like YOURE BACK, breaking the tranquility the restaurant cultivated.
As I finally got to sit at the table I saw that my favorites had already been ordered for me in triplicate, and I'm not lying when I say a tear fell from my eye. I thanked them profusely for the food, FOOOOOOD, and dug right in.
When I was halfway through the third plate of delicious delicious not bar/jerky shaped food, long haul flights require easily held food items, a waiter brought something new to the table. I was a little disappointed it wasn't more food but still happy to see Edwin Marsh walk up to our group.
"I've gotta make this quick, class starts in an half an hour, but I was wondering if any big wings" he clasped his hands together under his chin and batted his eyelashes "Maybe big water wings with alot of time on their hands wanted to help the next generation out with some in person demonstrations?" Edwin wheedled "The offer of course is also good for you Tomas since you're a big winger but I know you've got duty soon."
I had finished my plate while he was talking and started to scoot toward the end of the booth. "Do I have to wear my uniform?" I had already decided to go. I have a lot of siblings most of them younger, growing up watching them come into their own really gave me an appreciation for the strength and determination of kids. If I could help them reach their goals who was I to say no. I waved down a waiter and asked for some OJ to go, and proving they knew me here, when they got back they had OJ with a lid and a straw and a paper bag with a chocolate croissant tucked inside. I will not lie I hugged this waiter I didn't know. And no it wasn't awkward what are you talking about.
Edwin was still trying to negotiate with Tomas but he spared me a glance over his shoulder "No, uniform not necessary but the kids may want to see your special gear."
I nodded in acknowledgement and he turned back to Tomas.
I debated for a minute but then decided to head back to my room. If I was going to be doing multiple takeoffs I was going to want work out gear and then I could grab my equipment to show off to the kids who hadn't already met me. And yeah I'd helped out before, in fact it was something I did alot during my week off. After one day of sitting around with nothing to do I go a little stir crazy and want something to do. Edwin was a little early this week, well wait, I did sleep though one day already. Ah well, we did have some new wingers come to the rookery pretty recently that had wings that would one day classify on the big side. I could help them with take off techniques, big wings take more energy to get sky born.
I swapped my pants pretty quick and then wrestled out of my current shirt and into a new shirt with more effort. That wasn't because of big wings thats just because of wings in general. If you got your clothes from a Rookery boutique then all you had to deal with was slipping your arms in the sleeves and either tying ties or snapping snaps or buttoning buttons. Buttons are more rare. If you didn't buy from a Rookery boutique then you often had to try to pull a shirt on over the tops of your wings through the wing holes, mine ten feet from the ground, then over your head and try to pop the bottoms of your wings out through the bottoms of the holes. Again twenty foot wingspan made that an impossibility for me from the start.
The shirt I chose had ties, a little more difficult than snaps but much less likely to come apart than a snap. Then I wrapped my hair into a bun on top of my head. Hmmm, I still get random intrusive thoughts sometimes that tell me to put the bun at some weird place on my head to get my siblings to laugh. I slipped into some tennis shoe equivalents that had the easy landing hooks on the bottom, then packed my work equipment into a duffle to bring with me.
I couldn't just sling it over my shoulder cause it would slip right off but I couldn't wear it cross body style cause the wings would get in the way. The typical way for wingers to carry things vary, some do try something similar to crossbody trying to get the strap between their wings and have some success. When I'm flying long distance I have a belt with straps to go over my shoulders to keep it from slipping, that bags can be attached to all the way around. Don't have to worry about walking when you're flying after all. More often then not though its just two bags on either side like saddlebags. If its something really big I usually get to use fancy magic to hold it and I just supervise. Thats why I had to get level IV courier classification, magic like that requires special training and extra responsibilities.
I decided on the other typical way wingers carry stuff, in both hands in front of me. I didn't feel like getting the gear out of the bag again and then putting on, plus Edwin had said half an hour.
I was still a little late. It always took me a while to adjust to flying in confined spaces, I also had called my brother on the way over, the goggles were worth pulling out the bag, and let him know I was on my week off which meant I wouldn't be calling him all the time for awhile again. What I get bored when I'm flying over the ocean with nothing to do.
I signed off my call and signed in at the Rookery Academy. I was issued my guest badge and then I walked to the flight arena. No they don't battle in the arena, though take away one L and they might. I set my bag on on one of the seats and walked to the table by the entrance where a note listed the radio channel they were on for todays class. I went ahead and picked up the head set too and traded my goggles for it. I've found that kids think I'm less intimidating when they can see my eyes. The radio was for when they were flying so that everyone could hear the instructor no matter how far apart they got. I heard Edwin Marsh going over some basic safety information over the radio so I put my beloved goggles in my bag and then scanned the arena for Edwins group since the radio didn't give any location clues.
Edwin teaches the beginners so they get the whole arena to themselves, while more advanced classes can share since they've got more control. I found them gathered by what is lovingly and sometimes terrifyingly called the high dive. There are different levels of platforms from which to jump, the highest of which being a good thousand feet off the ground for advanced classes. These kids were probably only going on the baby ones, three feet, five feet, and ten feet off the ground. Kids with smaller wings could usually get off the ground for the first time without help, but the bigger the wings the harder it is to get into the air. There is a foam pit at the bottom of the high dive thats uncovered for beginners, so they're not risking their necks. Water could have also worked but only for wings like mine that are designed to get wet, if you get a songbird wet they won't be able to fly again until their wings are dry and heaven forbid wet wings pull a beginner down to the bottom of the pool, so they compromised with foam even if its a little rough on the feathers.
Edwin was flitting above the group so that everyone could see him, and when he saw me he waved me over. I decided to give the kids a demonstration right away. momentum is hugely important for getting into the air and most beginners and even average level wingers have to get a run up to get into the air from off the ground. I had ample motivation to surpass that though when I was trying to outdo my siblings, and since I helped out the beginners so often I had mastered flight within one jump. I stretched my wings out all the way to the sides and took whats almost a runners ready stance. I leaned forward at a 45 degree angle, raised my wings angled down to best scoop the air, put one foot a little in front of the other and bent down to jump. I heard Edwin telling the kids they were in for a treat and then with a smile touching my cheeks I pushed up and forward with my legs and down and back with my wings (cant go straight down or I'd hit the ground, I don't have a vertical jump of ten feet figure that) After a few moments of rapid wing pumping I was soaring around the top of the arena. I can't stay in place in the air for an extended period of time like Edwin and his humming bird wings so I circled down slowly into the area where the class was waiting and then landed, careful not to clip anyone with my wings as I brought them in. The Rookery classes were always small, no more than 15, and I only saw a few faces I knew so I decided to give them my whole speil when Edwin gave me the floor. The average age of the group was around 8 not unexpected given average manifestation age.
Edwin flitted down so he was hovering a little above and to my right. "Alright! Everyone this is our special guest for today some of you may already know her, The one the only Vanya Rail!" He paused briefly as some of the kids cheered a little. "I asked her to come by today to show you beginner big-wings some of her techniques to get airborne from the ground. As a big-wings herself she'll be able to demonstrate how these techniques look instead of just describing them. Alright Vanya take it away!," Edwin gestured for me to start my bit, we'd done this before so I wasn't floundering for something to say.
"Hi everyone as Mr.Edwin said my name's Vanya, I work for the rookery as a long distance flyer with class IV clearance, currently I'm the only one qualified for most long distance jobs that need doing here. Maybe a few years from now I'll have some help," I said with a wink smiling at the group "Big wings are much more likely to be long distance and extended time flyers, the size of our wings helps us to catch updrafts in the air that support us without needing more effort than a few wing flexes to direct ourselves.
Vulture wings like my friend Tomas's are designed for long periods of soaring and circling. I as some of you already know, have albatros wings." I paused for dramatic effect
"I could literally live in the air.
My wings are designed to stay airborne for years at a time, which makes them perfect for long periods of time spent off the ground. It also helps that they're seabird wings, that means I can get wet without having to land, I can go right through a storm instead of having to navigate around it. Though just because I'm able to doesn't always mean what I'll be delivering can.
I've found that knowing your wings is essential to finding not just the best job to suit their abilities but also finding out the best ways to use them. And I know 1st years have a class dedicated to knowing your wings and what they can do"
"Mr. Edwin has humming bird wings and he can hover in the air like no other so he can just jump into the air and stay there. Big wings like us tend to need momentum to stay airborne. If we're not moving forward we'll just fall out of the air. That can make take off from the ground hard since we can't borrow momentum from gravity. Can someone raise their hand and tell me one way to get momentum on the ground?"
Simultaneously raising their hand and answering, a kid with bronze feathers growing along with their hair (head, arms, etc) shouted out loud and over the radio "RUNNING" with the accompanying feedback screech and group grumbling.
I nodded and said "That is definitely the most common way, though I would like to get to know everybody too so would you mind sharing your name?"
The kid who had just answered ducked their head a little and more reservedly said "Tosha"
"Ok do you know any other ways to get momentum on the ground? That goes for everybody," a few of them looked ready to speak right after I finished talking so I made sure i got in
"Everybody BUT Mr. Edwin," cue giggles "and remember raise your hands"
I got the expected jumping, I had SO helpfully demonstrated that one, but I also got dancing from one girl with large white wings which was very creative, and some joke answers like doing the worm or riding a moving object like a bicycle or wheelchair once the group got more comfortable.
"ALRIGHT, alright" I threw my hands up as the conversation devolved "Lets try some of your suggestions out, lets start with the worm"
To show them I'm not above being silly and to show off my incredible abs I got down on the floor. The floor is like a gymnastics floor, its solid but with enough give to protect joints, so its not like I was about to try the worm on bare concrete. I backed up a bit and gestured with my arm to get some more space then I spread my wings and dropped into the worm. As I suspected I couldn't get my wings down far enough to get any real lift. When I got one with particularly good lift I shouted for the kids to try it too.
After five minutes of smiles and laughter I got up and got their attention on the radios again.
"OK doesn't look like anyone was able to manage it, but I have an idea," I raised my eyebrows with a smirk "~Mr.ED-WIN~"
They all smiled and cheered as he approached the area where I had been doing the worm. then the old geezer got down and showed everyone hes still in flying shape as he executed a fabulous worm and on the 5th push off he went airborne.
There were some gasps and a-lot of open mouths when I asked the class "Why do you think Mr. Edwin was able to get into the air? Heres a hint.. we already talked about it a little"
Toby Vinzenni who had suggested vehicles raised their hand
"Yes Toby, what do you think?"
"He has small wings, so he was able to get his wings all the way down for maximum lift," she stated rather baldly.
"Thats exactly right! If you aren't able to get your wings all the down for lift while on the ground like us big wingers you've got to supplement the lift you ARE able to get with momentum. The worm doesn't give us enough momentum because it puts us lower to the ground then we already are at standing. SO one of the easiest ways to get more lift is to lean forward. If your body is angled," I demonstrated by angling my torso ~45 degrees "then you can extend your wings all the way back and still get some downward motion for lift." I finished by giving a big flap with my wings, blowing the hair of the kids closest to me back.
"If you watch videos of birds with large wingspans taking off you'll see all they need is to lean forward and do a little bounce. Its not super graceful but it works. Thats what you saw me do when I came over to the group." "All of you are totally capable of getting airborne that way, it takes alot of practice so if you want to start practicing that today I can help you with that. It will help you in places where theres not alot of runway.
BUT there are plenty of ways to takeoff that are tried and true, like running to get momentum and then jumping. If I'm right we're about to get to some practice time to try out some techniques." I glanced at Edwin and he nodded.
"Allright then, lets get some practice. If you want runup there are some practice lanes that start at the edge of the foam pit. They're wide enough for multiple wingers to go at the same time so have at it, or if you want to try jumping straight into the air we'll practice to the right of the pit out of the way of the runners."
I walked over to the right edge of the pit where a few wingers gathered around me including Beatrice Bennet , Toby and Tosha. "One note before you start it helps to have a goal for where you're going once you get into the air or you can get lost in the air and crash back down so for now aim to get to the 10ft high dive. Lets all try it on our own now and then I can give pointers."
As they were practicing I noticed toby mostly sitting out, only shouting encouragement to Beatrice and her other friends. I sat next to her and asked her why she wasn't participating if she was in the class. "I think its pretty clear that i'm a gargoyle. I'm made of stone. I don't get lift. I'm here because the rest of the class was scheduled for ground takeoff and I'm in the bigwings group so I have to accompany them"
It seems thoughtless of them to have her spend an hour on ground takeoff when they don't give her the tools to actually do so. "Well then how do you think you, a gargoyle, could get ground takeoff?I know of a few ways"
She tilted her head at me as if to say i wasn't very bright "I mentioned it earlier. I would need some kind of vehicle to provide thrust." a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth when she said "ground takeoff for me would be like an airplane or jet-pack I need the constant thrust to stay up." "SO.. wheres your engine?"
"I don't have one"
I leaned back onto my hands "There must not be a large group of gargoyles in the area, on my travels I've seen plenty of gargoyles getting around the airways. Do you know any adult gargoyles you could ask about getting the right equipment?"
She answered right away "My dad, but he always just glides off our high balcony to get to work and rides the aircurrent back up at gargoyle speed."
She leaned forward a bit "What do they use?"
"There are a few different kinds that I've seen which is why I asked if you had anyone you could ask about it. But I've seen some that are like an air plane with jets that attach to the wings somehow. I've also seen some that use magic to direct air currents around their wings to genereate the right lift."
The gleam in Toby's eyes told me she was very VERY interested, so I concluded with "But still I'd ask your dad to see if he knows about them, if not I'd ask Mr. Edwin or even Sals"
Toby sat back with a grin on her face and a gleam in her eye obvious visions of flight going through her head.
I inwardly asked Tony Vinzenni for forgiveness, then joined Toby in cheering on the class.
We had spent alot of time already on introductions and the worm so after another 15 minutes of practice time, the class had to clear out so the next group could use the arena. Alot of the kids told me I helped them improve their technique even if they weren't all able to get off the ground so I felt pretty satisfied with how I had spent my time. Edwin thanked me before I left and asked if i'd like to help out again tomorrow same time. i had absolutely no problems with that so his puppy dog eyes were wasted on me, but they were still cute. I agreed to come by again, glad I'd be able to help them out for their whole time alotment instead of just a few minutes at the end. Then plotted a course back to my place so I could drop off my equipment again.
It was only about 10 o'clock by the time class was over and I was back to my apartment within fifteen minutes. I decided to take another shower since i had gotten sweaty again and if I was within flying distance of a shower I was going to use it, same thing goes for toilets. Ah sweet luxury
I save alot on bills when I'm gone for weeks at a time so its not like I couldn't afford it.
Ok another 20 minutes down once drying off was included. Now what should I do. I looked at the friend calendar that Trish had shared with everyone.
Trish was obviously sleeping, she worked the nightshift and had stayed up to welcome me back this morning. Tomas was on call for cursed item reports and relocations. Courier was on duty. Kee was on dragon time whatever that meant.
What it meant for me was that it was a weekday and all my friends had jobs. Ok what else could I do... Its not like I had laundry stacked to the ceiling or bills piled up. BUT It had gotten a little dusty since I left....sOOOoooo I grabbed some rubber gloved and got to cleaning.
Thirty minutes later and my one bedroom apartment was totally spotless AND i had put my longhaul equipment out for special cleaning.
This was the only problem with being back on land. SO many possibilities but if you don't have a goal in mind already your days drag by and then by the time you have to leave again you've accomplished nothing interesting.
GRAHHHH I grabbed my head in frustration. That kind of thinking will get me nowhere
Ok. Time for the meditation cushion.
As I centered myself I calmed down and reminded myself that its MY vacation. I can do anything at all that I want to, but that doesn't mean I have to. I always get carried away a little on the first day I'm back trying to accomplish everything at once while dying under the weight of free time.
Comments