orientation ♔ the machine of a dream

[wynn]

WHO || Wynn, Arthur, open if anyone wants to bang into them
WHAT || Arthur's orientation / CARS
WHERE || Knight's HQ, The Garage
WHEN || Monday, Feb. 20th, morning
HOW || Actionspam

[It's more difficult for Wynn to have large chunks of time to spend with his squire than other pairs, but as promised, he finds time soon enough. And rather than giving Arthur the grand tour, which Wynn has a feeling he's gotten five times over now in the interim, he instead leads the King outside, down the path that leads to the great outbuilding housing the pool and garage. He looks sidelong at Arthur as they walk along.]


How have you been faring?

Comments

[wynn]

I fail to see the harm. [He gestures back at the car] There's always time for a learning opportunity. I'll join you.

[socialgraces]

[Oh. Wynn's coming too. No, this isn't weird at all 8|

She merely nods in acceptance and keeps in step with him as they head to the car.] Is there any place in particular you'd like us to drive to, Sir?

[king]

[ Arthur is attempting to keep a nearly puppyish excitement on the down-low, but it seeps through in the sparkle of his eyes, the eager pace of his step back towards the flashy silver vehicle Francesca had arrived in. ]

Does the destination particularly matter?

[ He just wants to be in the car, feeling it move. He touches the metal lightly, taking the time to appreciate the vehicle from the outside in the way he didn't get to on his first journey. It's wholly alien to him. A horseless metal wagon. With leather interiors. ]

[wynn]

[Wynn watches Arthur with an obvious sense of amusement, but turns back to Francesca to respond.] The airstrip, if you would be so kind.

[socialgraces]

[Francesca's watching Arthur as well and she can't suppress the wide smile spreading across her face. It's not his unfamiliarity that's intriguing to her, but rather his eagerness to throw himself head-on into something new and exciting. Honestly, it makes her feel so young. Not that she's old, but being cooped up in a stodgy castle for weeks on end can really suck the life out of you.

She turns back to Wynn, still smiling broadly.] I definitely think he'll like that.

[She pops open her door and climbs inside, taking her phone out and busying herself with it as she waits for the other two.]

[king]

[ Arthur takes a front seat, remembers after a moment to struggle with the seatbelt, but eventually manages to click it into place. He's not sure what an airstrip is, but as he'd said: anywhere that involved driving would be fine by him. ]

[ He peers at the dashboard, trying to work out the symbols for the AC and sound system, but not quite stupid enough to just fiddle with them. ]

[wynn]

[Wynn's fine with being relegated to the backseat, since he's... accustomed to people chauffeuring him around. He sits in the very center, which gives him a clear view of everything going on up front.]

If you're interested in knowing how to drive, it would seem the most important first step is to get the opportunity to watch someone do so firsthand. [Which, considering Arthur had been equally backseat-chauffeured last time, he'd hardly gotten a serious chance to do so far]

[socialgraces]

[As soon as Arthur shuffles into the car, she holds up her phone, with a Sleight of Hand check of 27 snaps his picture. The phone makes no sound to indicate anything has happened, so he might not even notice what she does. She presses a couple more buttons on the small device and there's suddenly a low mumble of music playing throughout the car. She keeps it quiet though, so they can easily talk over it. Music Cue: The Silence | Avalanche City]

Driving requires music. But feel free to keep talking, of course.

[She starts up the car, her gestures over-emphasized so he can easily observe the procedure.]

Cars require a key, carved and electronically encrypted to match each specific vehicle, and only said vehicle, in order to start their engine. I'm not a mechanic, so I can't explain all the workings under the hood, but that information is unnecessary to just drive a car.

[She'll continue to show him how she switches the car into gear, how to turn on the headlights and windshield wipers, how to adjust the mirrors, and remind him to put his seat-belt on before she backs out of the parking spot.]

[king]

[ When the music plays, Arthur startles. ]

Right. Of course.

[ Where is it even coming from? ]

[ The car thrumming to life negates that question entirely. Who cares? Arthur stops listening to the song and gives Francesca his complete attention. ]

[ Arthur watches each of these demonstrations with intense fascination. He has more questions about the key, but the how and why of it seem irrelevant to the lesson at hand, so he keeps them for later. And finally, after moving the stick to "R" for "reverse", the car moves backwards. ]

[socialgraces]

[She continues explaining what certain buttons and symbols mean on the dash as she shifts the car into drive and they cruise out of the garage. NAT 20 Drive check.

She seems completely comfortable talking while driving, and she even points to several important controls and meters, while expertly steering them towards the airfield. It's difficult to tell exactly where her eyes are focused anyway through her darkly tinted glasses.]

It's really not as hard as it looks, once you get used to it. It becomes second-nature.

[wynn]

[Wynn watches out the window as the all-too-familiar scenery rolls by. He may be trying to suppress a smile back there.

He knew he picked the right classy lady driver for the job. /s-so progressive]

[king]

[ There seems to be a lot more to know about a car than a horse. Arthur pays as much attention as his can when his first instinct is to stick his head out the window like a puppy. The scenery, the sheer speed and control of the car, are stealing all of his attention away from explanations about speedometers. ]

So how many miles an hour does a horse gallop?

[ It's an absent question; maybe with something to compare to he'll understand better what she's trying to say. ]

[socialgraces]

[She doesn't seem to find the question all that odd and responds after only a couple seconds of contemplation.]

I'd say 10 to 15 miles per hour, on average. This model of car [And she pushes her foot harder on the gas] can go nearly ten times that speed.

[She figures she'll give him a joy ride since they're on private property, going faster than any legal speed limit. And she's driving so well ;)]

[wynn]

[Yep, TEN TIMES FASTER THAN A HORSE, ARTHUR.

Isn't the future awesome.]

[king]

[ YES THE FUTURE IS AMAZING. ]

[ Arthur gives a low whoop as they speed up, his attention out the front now, grin getting wider as the trees whiz past. He's still trying to track the scenery as they pass it, particularly fascinated by any street signs or symbols— ]

[ And then he goes a little green, and looks down at his hands, taking a deep breath as he suppresses a sudden nausea. Someone has motion sickness! ]

[socialgraces]

[Francesca notices something is suddenly different about Arthur's demeanor, but can't quite place what it is (Wisdom check 10). She can't take her eyes off the road enough to thoroughly examine him, so instead she asks:] Are you alright?

[wynn]

[S'all good, Wynn notices immediately, and very calmly suggests:] Perhaps it might be a good idea to pull aside, momentarily.

[king]

Yes. I don't feel — at my best.

[ His mental process is a loop of don't be sick in the car. ]

[socialgraces]

[She immediately pulls the car over (but not too abruptly, given her awesome drive check) and looks a little concerned.]

Open the door and get some air. [And yes, don't be sick in the car.]

[wynn]

[Without a word more, Wynn simply opens his own door on Arthur's side, sliding out and pulling the front open in one smooth movement. Like a boss. Don't puke on his shoes, bro.]

[king]

[ This is maybe not the smoothest first driving lesson, but whatever. Arthur gets out of the car, closes his eyes and breathes, deep lungfuls of clear air. ]

[ For a moment, his gorge rises, and he thinks — but no, he manages to keep it down, refrains from vomiting on anyone's shoes and it doesn't take much time standing still on solid ground for the nausea to fade. His stomach settled, he turns back to the car, shoulders a little tight with the humiliation of it, and climbs back into his seat. ]

I thank you. And — sorry about that, it just came over me. Didn't happen last time.

[socialgraces]

[It's so cute that he's apologizing for his uncontrollable motion sickness.]

It's a common experience, especially at high speeds. If anything, I should apologize.

[She's so charmed by his politeness that she's actually going to do something she never thought she'd have the guts to do.] Although it's almost unheard of for the driver to get motion sick. [She gives him a conspiratorial smirk.] Perhaps you'd like to give this a try now? [As she lightly taps the steering wheel.]

If that's alright with you, Sir? [She asks over her shoulder.]

[wynn]

[See, Francesca, no one can tell him no. He's like the most adorable puppy. Wynn shuts the door behind him and moves back into his own position behind, turning to acknowledge the question]

If he's feeling up to the challenge.

[king]

[ A puppy that both are willing to put in charge of a large vehicle, let it be noted. If Arthur had any hesitation, Wynn's phrasing banishes it. He is always up to every challenge. ]

Love to.

[ He switches seats with Francesca, and buckles his seat-belt again, placing his hands on the steering wheel the way he'd seen her do it, though there's something about the way he holds himself that looks a bit like he has the reins of a horse. ]

What first?

[socialgraces]

[She adjusts herself in her seat so she's facing his direction.] You need to shift the car into drive, down here. [She puts her hand on the gear shift.]

But make sure your foot is on the brake, the left pedal down there. [And she leans over him slightly to make sure his foot is in the right place.] The other pedal is the accelerator, so when you take your foot off the brake, the car will start to move forward and in order to go faster, you need to step on the right pedal.

Give it a try. [She suggests with a smile as she relaxes back into her spot.]