Among a Sea of Clouds (Box-cat) - Story, too!
I can show you the world~
Wait, no. There's no magic carpet here. But there is a beautiful picture done by incredible box-cat, who you should totally go check out and commission! I can't get over how great this looks! I've had this idea in my head for several months, and I can't believe how true to that image it is. Seriously, go check out the artist. >.>!
I also wrote a short little thing for it, because I really need to write more, and I adore writing about these two characters. <3
Edit: I totally goddamn forgot to include this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYtGZ_FsB9c
This entire thing was so heavily inspired by this beautiful piece of music, it's not even funny. <3
Pic done by box-cat
Ildac and story © anubuskiren
Nuri © majorra
There weren't many hills in the city of Elms. Eons of erosion, tectonic shift, and other natural forces had flattened the land, and humanity had seen fit to pound the rest of it down with concrete. The tallest structures around consisted of highrise apartments and commercial skyscrapers; not exactly the prettiest things to look at, though Ildac would admit they had their charm. Every window in the city flickered with a faint light, and points atop each sky-reaching structure blinked and pulsed with beacons to warn low-flying aircraft away.
Charming, yes. From afar. Ildac sat perched on a cliff face overlooking the city from Alder Mountain, the first taste of natural height people got once they managed to work their way out of the twists and turns of the city. He shut his eyes while a soft breeze wisped past him, enjoying the cool evening air. The angel had gone bareback as usual, but kept his wings hidden. No sense risking being spotted by a passing jogger and ruining his break. It had been a long week, this respite hard-earned.
A slight shift in the air caught his attention; motion. A disturbance in airflow. Faint footsteps. Inhuman senses reached out to bridge the distance between him and whatever had wandered near, fingers tugging invisible cords in the air, stranding them together until his end linked with another's.
His heart fluttered, and he relaxed as Nuri's unmistakable essence sent a pleasant feedback through the connecting strand. "Found your way back without any problem, I see." he smiled, glancing back at her.
The lupine woman gave only a short pause; she seemed less and less surprised at his supernatural perceptions every day. "Saved it to my phone." she replied with a smirk. Producing her phone from a back pocket, she spoke into the receiver, "Ok Google; find Ildac's Brooding Spot."
Ildac scowled playfully as the electronic voice calculated all ten steps she'd have to take to reach her destination. "I don't just brood up here."
She snickered, falling in beside him and wrapping one arm around his waist. He responded in kind by looping one over her shoulders. "It's nice up here. Calm, quiet. No car alarms."
"You told me not to punch through the hood and rip the battery out." the fox angel quipped matter-of-factly. "Beggars cannot be choosers."
"Yes, that'd have gone over well with the neighbors."
"Would you confront the guy who can twist your car into a big metal and fiberglass pretzel?"
"I'm so renaming this spot to Ildac's Flex Mountain."
They shared a laugh and silently appreciated the city lights for a long while. His time with Nuri had been... interesting. He'd never revealed himself to another mortal, but he could scarcely believe that another would speak so plainly and openly to a being thought only to exist in religious myths. Her charm and sass had grown on him, and she didn't even have to work her magic over his mind for him to believe that. He adored this little wolf lady.
"Funny that you come out here, though." Nuri continued, breathing in deep as she let her weight rest on him. "You could go anywhere in the world--or out of it, yeah? But you come right here."
"This place is familiar now." the angel shrugged. "My mind isn't so different that I can't appreciate such simple comforts."
Nuri scoffed. "Yeah, but you can go literally anywhere! Any time you want. I mean, this is definitely the tallest place around, but if you wanna be up high, there are way better spots."
Ildac studied her for a moment. It wasn't frustration in her tone, like he'd initially figured. It was curiosity. Curiosity laced with a sort of longing. A taste for the unknown, perhaps spurred on by her sudden association with the supernatural. "Well," he cautiously started, rolling his shoulders. His wings, hidden in the realm betwixt, shifted in an ethereal void, midly uncomfortable in their hidden state. "If you want to see where I can go, we can just... go there."
"What, right now?" Nuri's bright blue eyes peered up at him. Their excited twinkle gave way to a nervous shrinking of her pupils. "Oh god, you mean fly?"
"Yes, I mean fly." Ildac laughed. "What else?"
"Oh man." her ears flattened against her head, and she shifted against him. "I dunno. An airplane is one thing, but..."
"We don't have to."
"I'm not--I mean--" It was so strange to see her stammering for a change! "It'd just be a new thing to me!"
Ildac smiled at her. He slid back from her embrace and summoned his wings with a bright golden flash. Their feathers fluffed and curled, quickly shaking off the discomfort as he flexed and extended them to their full span. "You trust me, right?"
"Of course I do." the wolf ogled those wings and huffed quietly. She shuffled close and took his hand when he offered it. "Just don't make fun of me if I scream, or you'll get punished."
"That a promise?" he grinned, and his heart fluttered when she smiled back at him. Ildac shut his eyes. Once again, he reached out and channeled the divine energies in the air. He focused on his wings, from where his connection to his Goddess flowed the strongest, and let that wellspring of power pour out over the rest of his body in a faint golden glow. His attention shifted to the hand held gently in his; the delicate digits of his friend and lover. Slowly that glow crossed the bridge between their souls and began to envelop Nuri as well. He hushed her when she let out a nervous little squeak. "It's alright."
"Easy for you to say." her voice was hushed, like she'd just discovered he was an angel all over again. She cooed and giggled as that golden light passed up over her shoulder and wrapped itself gently around her, then flashed brightly as their link was established. "Well that was cool and all, but what was it?"
Ildac only smiled. Better to show than to tell! He beat his wings once and let the downward gust carry him upward; the divine energy around their bodies reacted in kind and followed his wings' direction, propelling their bodies upward as easily as a breeze might ensnare a paper bag. Nuri yelped and immediately drew herself closer, and he put an arm around her waist to secure her. "Hey, hey. You're fine. We're just gonna float here for a second."
The wolf looked down to discover they were only a good five feet up, but her eyes went wide all the same. "Holy shit, I'm flying."
"No, you're floating." Ildac quipped. "We'll start flying when I'm sure you won't faint."
"I don't faint, you smug bastard!" Nuri scowled, delivering a firm punch to his chest. "You're so getting punished later."
He had to stifle his laughter. As fun as the hazing was, this was supposed to be a happy experience. Another quick downward flap carried them skyward, the couple now hovering just above the trees. Anyone looking up would certainly be perplexed by what they saw, but the risk was negligible this time of night. Ildac kept a firm hold on Nuri as they ascended, slowly climbing, until he felt her grip loosen slightly. "You ok?"
"Now that I'm up here, I think so." the wolf exhaled sharply, squeezed her eyes shut, then raised her gaze from the ground and looked back to him. "Let's fly."
"Then why don't you hold onto my back?" Ildac suggested. He carefully maneuvered her behind him. Nuri's arms slipped around his shoulders, and her legs circled his waist. "You're not gonna slip off."
"Yeah, well right now I'm just picturing riding a horse so I don't freak out." she huffed into his ear. "A sexy flying horse."
Ildac rolled his eyes and chuckled. Whatever helped, he supposed. He willed the divine aura surrounding them into motion, their bodies leaving a faint glowing trail in their wake as he made a slow circuit around the cliffs. Black feathered wings flapped to keep them on course, but mostly just helped him glide along, held aloft by the will of a Goddess and her angel.
"Just like that." Nuri breathed, staring across the horizon. "You make it look so easy."
"I've had a long time to practice." the angel smirked. He still hadn't told her just how old he was, and figured he'd put that little fact off as long as possible. "Higher?"
"Yeah..!"
The raw excitement bubbling up under her wispy voice drove Ildac skyward. Another burst of golden light propelled them up, up, up, and out over the city proper. Before he'd even thought to warn her, they were truly aloft. Truly flying. Five-thousand feet, then ten-thousand. Easily surpassing the tallest skyscrapers in Elms and rising beyond, the cool evening air now a pleasant wind against their cheeks.
"You ok back there?" he called, peering back to see a look of pure elation mixed into Nuri's trepidation; the expression one adopts when climbing the first leg of a roller coaster.
"I'm lots of things right now!" Nuri laughed nervously. At first she held tightly to his neck scruff, clinging to his body for dear life. But as they rose and the world beneath opened into a dazzling display of twinkling white and orange lights, she loosened her grip and hoisted herself forward to peer over Ildac's shoulder, eyes wide with wonder. "I've been on airplanes before, but it's nothing like this!"
The fear had shrunk away from her tone; it still lingered on the edge of each word, refusing to fully surrender, but Ildac accepted this victory and pushed onward. They maintained their height for a while as they soared over the city, Ildac's wings spread wide to catch the air currents. All the people of Elms and their problems, their worries, and their damnable car alarms were meaningless up here. Up in the sky, there was only Ildac, Nuri, and the wind.
At Nuri's urging, Ildac climbed higher. He crested the cloud layer, passed thirty-thousand feet and quickly scanned the horizon. No airliners! That was a plus. The aura around their bodies suppressed much of the wind, and they had yet to cross the threshold where the air pressure dropped significantly. Through the clouds they glided, aimless and free under a bright moon and star-filled sky.
"You could go anywhere from up here." Nuri sighed, hugging herself to Ildac's back. "So high up. I guess it's an angel thing, huh? To want to be up high."
"I guess so." the fox shrugged. There was certainly something comforting about standing above it all. Something liberating.
Nuri tugged Ildac's neck scruff, coaxing him to spin around and face the moon hanging up above. She reached up, shut one eye, and held up her thumb, as if to cover the big white rocky satellite. "I feel like I can just reach out and touch it... This is amazing."
The fox felt an idea lace together in his head, and he grinned. Sure, he couldn't take her to the moon, but... "Hold on tight."
"What?" A nervous timbre found its way into her tone again.
"Just hold on, trust me!" Ildac took hold of Nuri's hands, waited for her to brace herself against his back, and beat his wings hard. The aura that gave them flight shifted around behind their bodies and propelled them forward, sending them soaring across the night sky! Nuri wailed in a mix of fear and exhilaration as they just kept going faster, faster, faster, drawing a thin, glowing band across the cloudless expanse.
Ildac pressed on, following the curve of the planet and rapidly ascending, heavenly forces propelling him and Nuri through the air, which gradually became thinner, less resistant. Their aura kept the air breathable, and he made sure to remind Nuri of that as they came to a stop. The frazzled wolf sucked down a breath, her eyes squeezed shut as she composed herself.
"Not... cool." she groaned into his ear.
"Yeah, but you know what is?"
Nuri opened one eye, and the other slowly followed suit. The pair floated over a deep blue world shrouded in the cloak of nightfall, a glowing golden pearl just beginning to vanish over its edge. "We're... in space...!"
"Not quite." Ildac chuckled. The look on her face could not be adequately described. "We're still way below that point."
"Ok, but--space!" Nuri held tightly to Ildac's back, but eagerly hung her head over his shoulder. The Earth below had all but completely darkened, city lights brilliantly painting the landscape below. "Why don't you just do this every time you want to relax?"
"Well," the angel smiled and took her hand. "Point out where you live."
"I couldn't even begin."
"Right." Ildac laced his fingers with hers. "Sure, it's relaxing and quiet and I sure as hell won't get interrupted up here. But it isn't familiar like things are down there. Not since I met you, Nuri."
The colorful wolf scoffed good-naturedly and bumped her cheek against his. "You big sap." She breathed a happy sigh and watched the sun dip behind the planet, blanketing the world in darkness.
"Of all the places I can go, none give me more comfort than those within arms' reach of you."
"Don't think you can butter me up to get out of your punishment, mister."
Ildac's cheeks flushed, and he cleared his throat heavily. "Wouldn't dream of it."
They floated there in silence for some time. Sure, it wasn't as comfortable or familiar as Nuri's place or his unfortunately named Brooding Spot (or was it Ildac's Flex Mountain now?) But anywhere on Earth and beyond was simply perfect if she was by his side.
"Oh Christ." Nuri suddenly blurted out, "Is--is this ok? This whole thing? I didn't get you in trouble, or..?"
"I might get scowled at." Ildac shrugged off her concern. "Totally worth it."
Again, they laughed. Nothing else mattered in this moment; not Heaven nor Earth nor the forces betwixt. A mere footnote in his long, long life, but one he'd never forget.
Wait, no. There's no magic carpet here. But there is a beautiful picture done by incredible box-cat, who you should totally go check out and commission! I can't get over how great this looks! I've had this idea in my head for several months, and I can't believe how true to that image it is. Seriously, go check out the artist. >.>!
I also wrote a short little thing for it, because I really need to write more, and I adore writing about these two characters. <3
Edit: I totally goddamn forgot to include this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYtGZ_FsB9c
This entire thing was so heavily inspired by this beautiful piece of music, it's not even funny. <3
Pic done by box-cat
Ildac and story © anubuskiren
Nuri © majorra
There weren't many hills in the city of Elms. Eons of erosion, tectonic shift, and other natural forces had flattened the land, and humanity had seen fit to pound the rest of it down with concrete. The tallest structures around consisted of highrise apartments and commercial skyscrapers; not exactly the prettiest things to look at, though Ildac would admit they had their charm. Every window in the city flickered with a faint light, and points atop each sky-reaching structure blinked and pulsed with beacons to warn low-flying aircraft away.
Charming, yes. From afar. Ildac sat perched on a cliff face overlooking the city from Alder Mountain, the first taste of natural height people got once they managed to work their way out of the twists and turns of the city. He shut his eyes while a soft breeze wisped past him, enjoying the cool evening air. The angel had gone bareback as usual, but kept his wings hidden. No sense risking being spotted by a passing jogger and ruining his break. It had been a long week, this respite hard-earned.
A slight shift in the air caught his attention; motion. A disturbance in airflow. Faint footsteps. Inhuman senses reached out to bridge the distance between him and whatever had wandered near, fingers tugging invisible cords in the air, stranding them together until his end linked with another's.
His heart fluttered, and he relaxed as Nuri's unmistakable essence sent a pleasant feedback through the connecting strand. "Found your way back without any problem, I see." he smiled, glancing back at her.
The lupine woman gave only a short pause; she seemed less and less surprised at his supernatural perceptions every day. "Saved it to my phone." she replied with a smirk. Producing her phone from a back pocket, she spoke into the receiver, "Ok Google; find Ildac's Brooding Spot."
Ildac scowled playfully as the electronic voice calculated all ten steps she'd have to take to reach her destination. "I don't just brood up here."
She snickered, falling in beside him and wrapping one arm around his waist. He responded in kind by looping one over her shoulders. "It's nice up here. Calm, quiet. No car alarms."
"You told me not to punch through the hood and rip the battery out." the fox angel quipped matter-of-factly. "Beggars cannot be choosers."
"Yes, that'd have gone over well with the neighbors."
"Would you confront the guy who can twist your car into a big metal and fiberglass pretzel?"
"I'm so renaming this spot to Ildac's Flex Mountain."
They shared a laugh and silently appreciated the city lights for a long while. His time with Nuri had been... interesting. He'd never revealed himself to another mortal, but he could scarcely believe that another would speak so plainly and openly to a being thought only to exist in religious myths. Her charm and sass had grown on him, and she didn't even have to work her magic over his mind for him to believe that. He adored this little wolf lady.
"Funny that you come out here, though." Nuri continued, breathing in deep as she let her weight rest on him. "You could go anywhere in the world--or out of it, yeah? But you come right here."
"This place is familiar now." the angel shrugged. "My mind isn't so different that I can't appreciate such simple comforts."
Nuri scoffed. "Yeah, but you can go literally anywhere! Any time you want. I mean, this is definitely the tallest place around, but if you wanna be up high, there are way better spots."
Ildac studied her for a moment. It wasn't frustration in her tone, like he'd initially figured. It was curiosity. Curiosity laced with a sort of longing. A taste for the unknown, perhaps spurred on by her sudden association with the supernatural. "Well," he cautiously started, rolling his shoulders. His wings, hidden in the realm betwixt, shifted in an ethereal void, midly uncomfortable in their hidden state. "If you want to see where I can go, we can just... go there."
"What, right now?" Nuri's bright blue eyes peered up at him. Their excited twinkle gave way to a nervous shrinking of her pupils. "Oh god, you mean fly?"
"Yes, I mean fly." Ildac laughed. "What else?"
"Oh man." her ears flattened against her head, and she shifted against him. "I dunno. An airplane is one thing, but..."
"We don't have to."
"I'm not--I mean--" It was so strange to see her stammering for a change! "It'd just be a new thing to me!"
Ildac smiled at her. He slid back from her embrace and summoned his wings with a bright golden flash. Their feathers fluffed and curled, quickly shaking off the discomfort as he flexed and extended them to their full span. "You trust me, right?"
"Of course I do." the wolf ogled those wings and huffed quietly. She shuffled close and took his hand when he offered it. "Just don't make fun of me if I scream, or you'll get punished."
"That a promise?" he grinned, and his heart fluttered when she smiled back at him. Ildac shut his eyes. Once again, he reached out and channeled the divine energies in the air. He focused on his wings, from where his connection to his Goddess flowed the strongest, and let that wellspring of power pour out over the rest of his body in a faint golden glow. His attention shifted to the hand held gently in his; the delicate digits of his friend and lover. Slowly that glow crossed the bridge between their souls and began to envelop Nuri as well. He hushed her when she let out a nervous little squeak. "It's alright."
"Easy for you to say." her voice was hushed, like she'd just discovered he was an angel all over again. She cooed and giggled as that golden light passed up over her shoulder and wrapped itself gently around her, then flashed brightly as their link was established. "Well that was cool and all, but what was it?"
Ildac only smiled. Better to show than to tell! He beat his wings once and let the downward gust carry him upward; the divine energy around their bodies reacted in kind and followed his wings' direction, propelling their bodies upward as easily as a breeze might ensnare a paper bag. Nuri yelped and immediately drew herself closer, and he put an arm around her waist to secure her. "Hey, hey. You're fine. We're just gonna float here for a second."
The wolf looked down to discover they were only a good five feet up, but her eyes went wide all the same. "Holy shit, I'm flying."
"No, you're floating." Ildac quipped. "We'll start flying when I'm sure you won't faint."
"I don't faint, you smug bastard!" Nuri scowled, delivering a firm punch to his chest. "You're so getting punished later."
He had to stifle his laughter. As fun as the hazing was, this was supposed to be a happy experience. Another quick downward flap carried them skyward, the couple now hovering just above the trees. Anyone looking up would certainly be perplexed by what they saw, but the risk was negligible this time of night. Ildac kept a firm hold on Nuri as they ascended, slowly climbing, until he felt her grip loosen slightly. "You ok?"
"Now that I'm up here, I think so." the wolf exhaled sharply, squeezed her eyes shut, then raised her gaze from the ground and looked back to him. "Let's fly."
"Then why don't you hold onto my back?" Ildac suggested. He carefully maneuvered her behind him. Nuri's arms slipped around his shoulders, and her legs circled his waist. "You're not gonna slip off."
"Yeah, well right now I'm just picturing riding a horse so I don't freak out." she huffed into his ear. "A sexy flying horse."
Ildac rolled his eyes and chuckled. Whatever helped, he supposed. He willed the divine aura surrounding them into motion, their bodies leaving a faint glowing trail in their wake as he made a slow circuit around the cliffs. Black feathered wings flapped to keep them on course, but mostly just helped him glide along, held aloft by the will of a Goddess and her angel.
"Just like that." Nuri breathed, staring across the horizon. "You make it look so easy."
"I've had a long time to practice." the angel smirked. He still hadn't told her just how old he was, and figured he'd put that little fact off as long as possible. "Higher?"
"Yeah..!"
The raw excitement bubbling up under her wispy voice drove Ildac skyward. Another burst of golden light propelled them up, up, up, and out over the city proper. Before he'd even thought to warn her, they were truly aloft. Truly flying. Five-thousand feet, then ten-thousand. Easily surpassing the tallest skyscrapers in Elms and rising beyond, the cool evening air now a pleasant wind against their cheeks.
"You ok back there?" he called, peering back to see a look of pure elation mixed into Nuri's trepidation; the expression one adopts when climbing the first leg of a roller coaster.
"I'm lots of things right now!" Nuri laughed nervously. At first she held tightly to his neck scruff, clinging to his body for dear life. But as they rose and the world beneath opened into a dazzling display of twinkling white and orange lights, she loosened her grip and hoisted herself forward to peer over Ildac's shoulder, eyes wide with wonder. "I've been on airplanes before, but it's nothing like this!"
The fear had shrunk away from her tone; it still lingered on the edge of each word, refusing to fully surrender, but Ildac accepted this victory and pushed onward. They maintained their height for a while as they soared over the city, Ildac's wings spread wide to catch the air currents. All the people of Elms and their problems, their worries, and their damnable car alarms were meaningless up here. Up in the sky, there was only Ildac, Nuri, and the wind.
At Nuri's urging, Ildac climbed higher. He crested the cloud layer, passed thirty-thousand feet and quickly scanned the horizon. No airliners! That was a plus. The aura around their bodies suppressed much of the wind, and they had yet to cross the threshold where the air pressure dropped significantly. Through the clouds they glided, aimless and free under a bright moon and star-filled sky.
"You could go anywhere from up here." Nuri sighed, hugging herself to Ildac's back. "So high up. I guess it's an angel thing, huh? To want to be up high."
"I guess so." the fox shrugged. There was certainly something comforting about standing above it all. Something liberating.
Nuri tugged Ildac's neck scruff, coaxing him to spin around and face the moon hanging up above. She reached up, shut one eye, and held up her thumb, as if to cover the big white rocky satellite. "I feel like I can just reach out and touch it... This is amazing."
The fox felt an idea lace together in his head, and he grinned. Sure, he couldn't take her to the moon, but... "Hold on tight."
"What?" A nervous timbre found its way into her tone again.
"Just hold on, trust me!" Ildac took hold of Nuri's hands, waited for her to brace herself against his back, and beat his wings hard. The aura that gave them flight shifted around behind their bodies and propelled them forward, sending them soaring across the night sky! Nuri wailed in a mix of fear and exhilaration as they just kept going faster, faster, faster, drawing a thin, glowing band across the cloudless expanse.
Ildac pressed on, following the curve of the planet and rapidly ascending, heavenly forces propelling him and Nuri through the air, which gradually became thinner, less resistant. Their aura kept the air breathable, and he made sure to remind Nuri of that as they came to a stop. The frazzled wolf sucked down a breath, her eyes squeezed shut as she composed herself.
"Not... cool." she groaned into his ear.
"Yeah, but you know what is?"
Nuri opened one eye, and the other slowly followed suit. The pair floated over a deep blue world shrouded in the cloak of nightfall, a glowing golden pearl just beginning to vanish over its edge. "We're... in space...!"
"Not quite." Ildac chuckled. The look on her face could not be adequately described. "We're still way below that point."
"Ok, but--space!" Nuri held tightly to Ildac's back, but eagerly hung her head over his shoulder. The Earth below had all but completely darkened, city lights brilliantly painting the landscape below. "Why don't you just do this every time you want to relax?"
"Well," the angel smiled and took her hand. "Point out where you live."
"I couldn't even begin."
"Right." Ildac laced his fingers with hers. "Sure, it's relaxing and quiet and I sure as hell won't get interrupted up here. But it isn't familiar like things are down there. Not since I met you, Nuri."
The colorful wolf scoffed good-naturedly and bumped her cheek against his. "You big sap." She breathed a happy sigh and watched the sun dip behind the planet, blanketing the world in darkness.
"Of all the places I can go, none give me more comfort than those within arms' reach of you."
"Don't think you can butter me up to get out of your punishment, mister."
Ildac's cheeks flushed, and he cleared his throat heavily. "Wouldn't dream of it."
They floated there in silence for some time. Sure, it wasn't as comfortable or familiar as Nuri's place or his unfortunately named Brooding Spot (or was it Ildac's Flex Mountain now?) But anywhere on Earth and beyond was simply perfect if she was by his side.
"Oh Christ." Nuri suddenly blurted out, "Is--is this ok? This whole thing? I didn't get you in trouble, or..?"
"I might get scowled at." Ildac shrugged off her concern. "Totally worth it."
Again, they laughed. Nothing else mattered in this moment; not Heaven nor Earth nor the forces betwixt. A mere footnote in his long, long life, but one he'd never forget.
Category All / All
Species Unspecified / Any
Gender Any
Size 1193 x 1280px
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