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"This sounds like a terrible idea.”
Aion snickered, shifting his camera from one hand to the other as Chrono gave him a frown. “What are you talking about? This will be perfect.”
"That laugh doesn’t boost my confidence at all."
"Come on, you said it yourself—Cybele loves this sort of thing.”
"Yeah, but—"
"Can’t you just see it now? Her silver hair flowing behind her in the breeze, watching your unparalleled skills on her tablet as the loop plays over and over, each time her eyes catching a new detail—the way your muscles flex on your arm, the subtle twitch of your wings as you gracefully avoid danger…"
Chrono’s cheeks reddened just imagining the attention, and that was when Aion knew he’d convinced him. “She’s not going to be that impressed.”
"Are you kidding? Everyone will be!" Aion grinned at his brother, spreading his arms wide. "Do it for the Vine! And Cybele. Her, too."
And that was how Chrono found himself perched in one of the tallest trees in the common area, staring across from a glider Genai was climbing into on the other end. “Okay, now remember,” Aion instructed, “you’re going to want to swoop low so it looks like the glider might hit you. Keep flying toward it as long as you possibly can. And then at the last second—SWOOSH!—twirl in the air to the left, and to safety!”
"And…you’re sure Genai won’t go too fast?"
"He’s the best pilot we know! I wouldn’t ask him to do this if I thought he’d kill you. Injure you, maybe, but not kill you."
Chrono’s pressed his lips into a thin line, and for a minute he looked like he was about to jump out of the tree and call the whole thing off before Aion quickly added “That’s a joke! Calm down. Deep breaths. This will look amazing.”
"Aion, I’m really not sure—"
"Trust me!" he insisted, before he leaped out of the tree and glided down to a far enough distance to record the action. "Okay Chrono, ready? And Genai? GREAT! On the count of three—ONE…TWO…"
————
Cybele covered her mouth to muffle shocked laughter at the looping action on the screen. In the video, Chrono’s long hair tangled in the branches of a tree as he transformed his arm into a blade and reached into the branches in an attempt to hack his way to safety.
"Whoa! Are—are you OK?" Aion asked behind the screen, his voice a mixture of concern and barely-hidden amusement.
"NO!" Chrono shouted, glaring straight at the camera the moment before the video looped again, sending the crowd that was gathering into another round of laughter.
Chrono sunk down further in his seat as they did, before sending an identical glare in Aion’s direction.
"Hey, I said you wouldn’t be hurt, and you weren’t! Nothing you couldn’t heal, at least," Aion said in his defense.
"You also said Cybele would be impressed, not convinced I’m some sort of gullible fool. You’re a horrible friend, you know that?"
"If she doesn’t love you for the real you, I’d be an even worse friend to let you keep fawning over her." The look Chrono gave in response was enough for Aion to tell that he was considering grabbing his chair and beating him over the head with it—which only made him more amused. "Come on, Chrono, learn to laugh at yourself."
"I’m never listening to another one of your crazy ideas ever again. You got that?"
"Never say never."