(Referring to my ongoing Makoyuma fanfic)

Yakou chuckles and shrugs. "I probably should've known, though." He smiles solemnly. "She always had the best ideas." "Who did?" an increasingly familiar voice calls from just below. Yakou turns toward the sound just in time to see Vivia's head peek up into the crow's nest, his green wings still glamoured to invisibility. His tail twitches from side to side as he climbs over the top of the railing. It's strange, the way Yakou can't help but smile at the sight of him. He's used to being by himself in moments like this, when everyone else is celebrating a job well done and eagerly talking about what they're going to do with their share of the take. Not that he doesn't think they'd welcome him into the conversation. They would. But a lot of the time… he ends up feeling out of place. They don't mean to, he's sure of it. It's just easier to talk to the people they're closest to. Simple as that. But it doesn't change the fact that it's nice not to be on his own right now. As Vivia finishes his ascent, Yakou pulls his legs into a lazy butterfly to make room for both of them in the small, circular space. "My wife," Yakou finally responds. "This ship started as a tiny little submarine, and it was her idea to find what we needed to turn it into an airship. Then it was her idea to keep building onto it. I don't think she was ever really interested in being a pirate, but I know she always wanted to do good. To help people who needed it. So I imagine she'd have loved that part, too."

read my kurumi and desuhiko friendship propaganda boy. ... but no seriously this is 7k words. which for a lot of people probably isnt crazy impressive but it is for me.

The ship's usual quiet groans and churns as it ascends into the clouds don't bother him. He adjusts his position now and again when it tips one way or another, adjusting its balance against the choppy, free, high sky winds. He realizes that he should probably be up on deck with the new crew members, but he has to hope that the others will handle it. When the ship finally settles and starts its seamless flight toward Fujin City, Yakou finally settles on what to make for dinner. What better way to greet three new members of the family than with a home-cooked chicken pot pie?

"That worked so fast! I must be getting better at harnessing my healing!" Kurumi declares as she snuffs out the light healing aura in her hand. "I thought with the dark magic it'd take much longer to heal all that." The half-fae woman—Melami, Yakou recalls—seems to exhale finally. "Vivia has always had an unfairly strong immune system," she muses. "Though I find myself surprised that immunity applies to hellion magic. And Hellion's Bite." "It still hurt," Vivia reasons, his eyes falling to his patched-up wing. "So I don't think I'm immune to it." Yakou huffs. "Yeah. Every time I get zapped with light magic it always sorta stings for a few days," he regales, shoving his hands into his pockets and leaning against the wall. "It's pretty surprising that you seem to have a full range of motion already."

"I do so enjoy flying," Makoto sighs. "It's the little things that bring great joy!" He zigzags around for emphasis, then flips onto his back and curls his hands behind his head, his eyes taking in the rest of the open sky. "But let's not forget to keep our guards up! We're out in the open here." With a bright smile, Vivia spins in place and kicks up a small, breezy whirlwind to gently push both of his siblings out of place. He nods as he settles back into place. "I will. I promise." Melami flutters closer to them and zips between them quickly. "Maybe we can race to the tower, as long as we don't land in the area. There should be a clearing about half a mile to the east, and it's usually free of Peacekeepers. It's where I stop to walk into Ebisu Village," she tells them enthusiastically. "So if we make that our goal, we can have a good-natured race!" "Absolutely!" Vivia's smile grows, and his eyes shoot open eagerly as he turns toward Makoto, awaiting his approval. "Count us down, Melami," Makoto says. "On go. Five…" Melami buzzes her wings steadily and looks between them. "Four-three-two-one—go!" The last five words were spoken in such a rush that he knows she planned on cheating all along, and Vivia is proven right when she takes off before shouting the word go. She zips through the air, body straight as a pin as her wings flutter violently into the air, leading her in the direction she told them to go. Vivia laughs, casting Makoto an amused glance. "You knew she'd do that." "She never plays fair," Makoto pouts. Despite his words, he's already hot on Melami's heels. "Bye-bye Bibia!"