Half-Pipe

Subject: Half-Pipe Sat Dec 19, 2009 12:09 am

Cutting across the Plaza, set deep into the concrete pavement,
a winding half-pipe sits, waiting for riders and skaters.

Spoiler:

A sign hangs from a chain at the side;

Used purely for communal trick training.
Strictly no competing allowed.

************************

*Aihara rolls to a stop, eyeing the sign placidly. Being one of the Plaza's only visitors, and the main fundraiser for it's upkeep, he knew that nobody would ever have dreamed of trying to claim this area. That was why he liked it so much here; there were no idiots here, no foolish young riders with a grudge or something to prove.*

"...just me and the pipe dream..."

*Checking over the Bloody Fang, he switched his bladed wheels off, knowing that if he tore up the ground here it would cost him a lot of money to put right. A lot of money that he would have to work very hard for, and he had plenty of training areas for his temper.*

"...and anyone who wants to join in can do so..."

*He leapt forwards, down into the pipe, speeding through the twisty course.*

Subject: Re: Half-Pipe Sat Dec 19, 2009 1:39 am

520 backflip to wallride...reverse riding...drop into skating bowl...

The path of the black-suited figure seemed rather erratic to the average onlooker, especially given the time of night. The only light in this part of town at this time of night, was from streetlamps. So he would vanish and reappear seemingly under each light. The plexi visor of his helmet-like mask shining dimly in the flickering light. Black AT with Black wheels. Black Pants, Shirt, and trenchcoat. Even the mask was black.

But back to the current location. A curved bowl cut into the concrete to serve as a proving ground for Stormriders like himself. Dim Fluorescent lighting illuminated the area and its only other inhabitant. Hm, so he's here...interesting...

The he was off like a shot carving the edges of the bowl at breakneck speed, he quickly came to a point parallel to the man. Hopping slightly he quickly descended into the bowl, rocketed across the flat and up the other side, arcing up and over a jutting piece he landed a smooth seven-twenty on the other side. Making a quick turn he flew off the aforementioned jutting piece into a double backflip. When his feet touched the ground they made a small whooshing sound, as if wind was being drawn under him to slow him. Even though he had come down hard enough to crack the concrete he hadn't marred the surface at all. Without turning to face the man he spoke, easily heard through the mask's ventilation.

"Well met Fang King. Your reputation precedes you."

Subject: Re: Half-Pipe Sat Dec 19, 2009 2:01 am

*The sound of rolling wheels met with Aihara's grateful ears as the newcomer rode the darkness, swooping through the night and stopping in his tracks. Aihara studied the young boy's mask, hoping to whatever faith in humankind there was left inside him that this wasn't one of those troublesome idiots that spoiled for fights wherever they went. His eyes trailed down the boy's figure, taking in the trenchcoat, shirt, and jet-black ATs. He felt the boy's own probing eyes and glanced down at his own smartly clothed body.*

"Nice air control, kid. I like the theme, but what's with all the black? You been out on the rob?"

*Still looking the boy up and down, Aihara shifted his feet so he could easily kick the boy in the head if things got ugly.*

"And where might you have heard of Aihara Kanezane, Fang King? And who, for that matter, are you?"

Subject: Re: Half-Pipe Sat Dec 19, 2009 2:50 am

Keh, this guy thinks I'm a burglar. Oh well, comes with the get-up I guess... He watched the man's body language. Dark hair, solemn expression tinged with pain of some sort, sharp attire and a stance that said "do something...I dare you." But right now, Karasu was placid. His other side though, the thought made him shiver mentally.

Karasu jumped backwards and up onto the jutting piece where he sat on his haunches, hit Gear sitting perfectly still on the concrete. "What decent Stormrider doesn't know who the Fang King is? The man who carves his "Road" in flesh not pavement." He slumped slightly as Aihara Kanezane asked him his name. Only fair... The man had given his name, now it was customary to return the favor.

Tapping a button on the back of his helmet-mask a small whoosh was heard as pneumatic pistons released their grip, the helmet split from back to front like a backwards clam cut in half on the bottom. Separating the bit that surrounded his neck he pulled the mask away from his face. Hanging it from one hand he looked directly at the man. "My name is Karasu Akatsuki, former Tool Toul Too, and just as you carve the Bloody Road, I see the Wind Road if ever so faintly." In a split instant he had shattered his identity as the Night Rider for this man's amusement. He quickly replaced the mask to his face, the locks automatically re-engaging.

"Though, if you should see me as you see me now, I am just Night Rider. That's it. Otherwise it's Karasu. Don't violate my trust."

Subject: Re: Half-Pipe Sat Dec 19, 2009 3:06 am

"How would one violate the trust of a man whose trust I have yet to earn? Truly, if your trust is given so easily, then you aught think twice before revealing your identity. Not that it would take me long to find you, mind; I have many medical records at the grasp of my fingertips."

*Shaking his head gently, Aihara turned his back on Karasu and rode in the opposite direction. He felt the smooth concrete through his wheels, the wind caressing his cheeks and blowing the hair from his eyes. Feeling the gaze of Karasu burning into his back, he continued away, calling as he went.*

"Now that I know your identity, and you know mine, how will we settle the dispute of trust?"

Subject: Re: Half-Pipe Sun Dec 20, 2009 5:24 am

Karasu guffawed slightly as he began to follow the Fang King around the outside of the bowl, mask still in place he assured himself.

"They say trust is earned, but how can one now place his trust in their leaders. The Kings are the Leaders of the Stormrider world. We all place our trust in you as well as our admiration, envy, and sometimes contempt. Besides, I have no medical record. I took care of that long ago. I burned my bridges long ago." Honestly, he had no idea why he was talking so much with this man, maybe it was the dominating aura that caused his jaw to come unlocked.

"Dispute of Trust? I placed my trust in you the moment you first spoke. You have yet to violate that trust." He said this as he dropped back into the bowl, stopping silently and abruptly directly in front of Kanezane, his white scarf fluttering in his own breeze. "Unless you know some other way to earn someone's trust."

Subject: Re: Half-Pipe Sun Dec 20, 2009 12:31 pm

"Would you trust a King if his actions harmed those around you?"

*Seeing Karasu drop back into the pipe, the wind fluttering his coat open for a moment, and he could have sworn he saw a pair of beaten-up wheels hanging from a cord at Karasu's waist. Aihara spun on his heels, grinding a layer of dust from the pavement as the wheels spun opposing to his directional force. He stood close to the man who had shattered his peace, staring once again at the helmet.*

"Just because somebody is a King, doesn't make them worthy of trust. I'm not saying that I'm not trustworthy, all I'm saying is that you shouldn't place your trust so easily. There are many Kings-level Riders, even in the Twin Cities of Sansai and Seijitsu, who would harm you just to keep you out of their way."

Subject: Re: Half-Pipe Mon Dec 21, 2009 12:07 am

"If there was anyone close enough to me, and any King or Queen hurt them. I would kill them." He said this with severity and strength so that the Fang King would understand... "Hunt them down, and kill them, in front of their family. Wife, children, brothers, sisters, mother and father. I wouldn't discriminate. AGH! SHUT UP!" He yelled as he smacked himself upside the head, the last bit spoken with enough venom to kill a wild bull elephant.

Shut up shut up shut up!

No YOU! You know how much I enjoy killing people!

And THAT is why I control myself, and you!

I would kill you but we share a body so that would be fruitless...FUCK!

He looked back at the Fang King, "Um...my...other side is...less than appeasing."

Subject: Re: Half-Pipe Mon Dec 21, 2009 1:09 pm

*Aihara frowned, suddenly conscious to the internal struggle going on before him.*

"...and you say that you 'took care' of your medical records? That was probably a mistake, Karasu. You seem to me as if you need some help keeping the darker side of you in check. If it speaks to a Fang King in such a way without thinking of consequences..."

*He reached into the inner pockets of his waistcoat and took out his long keychain, with a collection of thirty keys on each end. Holding a bundle of keys in each hand, he proffered the chain to the masked rider.*

"These sixty-odd keys and the four-foot chain between them represents my abilities of restriction and constriction. If you should ever need me, you can find me at Sansai and Seijitsu General. Ask for Aihara. Not that I expect you to, you're more likely to avoid me in the future, but all I can say is that if your control issues persist, then I will be forced, by my duty to the AT world, to take you into protection from yourself and others."

Subject: Re: Half-Pipe Tue Dec 22, 2009 10:22 pm

Karasu grimaced, hidden by the mask. "I'll probably never need your...services, shall we say. I've been able to keep him under control, he hasn't killed anybody YET!" Karasu said as his demonic side finished. He pulled the leather cord from his hip and began twirling it around on his index finger. The white wheels with their black message "Welcome to Nightmare..."

"His normal offenses include rape, which rapidly evolves into a sexual relationship. The girls like a guy who will give 'em what they want...hard. I can't believe I let him do it sometimes, I just relax in my little mental area and read mental books. No harm no foul." He shrugged as he quickly reattached the wheels to the jet-black carabiner on his hip.

"We don't need help from anyone! Sometimes I wonder Usarak, maybe they oughta lock us both up." The two personalities traded off the use of their shared mouth. Their conversation muffled by thhe helmet's now closed ventilation. "And where's the fun in that? All white, no black, no ATs, no pus ...and I'm cutting in... YOU DON'T WANNA GET LOCKED UP EITHER! Can we talk about this later Usarak? Fine Asshole."

Subject: Re: Half-Pipe Wed Dec 23, 2009 11:08 am

*Aihara waited until Karasu's inner monologue had finished before he spoke. Politeness was essential when dealing with the mentally unstable, and never should you interrupt an internal conversation. So, as he listened with growing unease, he waited until one had brought the other under some kind of persuasive control before he made his request.*

"Okay, you've refused my professional help. That's fine with me, I hate working with loons anyway. Give me a car-crash victim over a nutter any day. But the thing that bothers me most about your differing perspectives, let's say, is that you don't seem to want to find an equilibrium. I mean, rape is a crime. Not just against the law, but against humanity."

*He could feel himself warming up now, the bile rising in his throat and his temper bubbling between his ears. He knew that he could control the anger, even though he wasn't sure if he wanted to. It would cost a lot of money to put right the collateral damage if he fought this psycho on the Yamahiroba, but would it be worth it in the long run? Probably.*

"Maybe I'm being a little hasty. Maybe it's none of my business. But remember; by refusing professional help, you are now held responsible for your actions. You can't blame it on the voices."

*Too far, a voice told him. Never mention voices.*

Subject: Re: Half-Pipe Thu Dec 24, 2009 5:00 am

Usarak was getting a bit pissed with this guy. Fortunately Karasu was in control, and he made it known to Usarak. I'll take care of this Usarak. Just chill out.

Karasu touched the back of his helmet, the locks disengaging. He slipped the mask off, showing his solemn face. "I would advise against angering my other side with talk of being a loon or otherwise. And he is just as much a voice as you are. I am like your predecessor, Akito/Agito. More of a we. No therapist or scientist can help me...us. And I guess you couldn't call it rape considering every girl he does it to ends up addicted. The mask is partially so that they can't find me."

Kicking off he began to roll around the lip of the bowl again, alternating between forwards and backwards. "Besides, its only when he starts to get annoying that I let him take the reins for a while. His body too. Being that we are both intellectuals and AT prodigies in our own right, hes like me with a bad disposition. He likes to swear profusely at times."

Subject: Re: Half-Pipe Thu Dec 24, 2009 11:02 am

"Whether or not it is rape is irrelevant. The point is that it's not making my trust for you grow very much. I trust that you can keep your dark half under control, because trust is all that I can do right now, but I'd really like to talk about something else now."

*Racking his brain for an alternate conversation, Aihara watched the boy pirouetting across the concrete. He started forwards himself, following but keeping his distance, his ATs rolling gently as he pushed. He realized that he still had his keys in his hand, and was glad of it.*

"Are you in a Team at the moment?"

Subject: Re: Half-Pipe Fri Dec 25, 2009 7:31 pm

Nice aversion...

He stopped rolling, long enough to face Aihara. The look on his face was res"No. Not anymore. I was once a T3, no doubt you know what that means. These ATs on my feet were built and tuned by none other than yours truly. Fortunately...or unfortunately since I am male I was not eligible for the Pledge Regalia. My tuning abilities though, far exceed the average tuner as well as Rune's. For example, if I may?"

He motioned towards the Fang King's Regalia, "I can do a quick tuning on your Bloody Regalia."

Subject: Re: Half-Pipe Sat Dec 26, 2009 1:35 pm

*Aihara flinched away from Karasu's inquisitive gestures, a look of horror upon his face.*

"That won't be necessary. Thanks for the offer, but I've already got a more-than-capable tuner with me. Also ex-T3, like yourself. You may remember him, his name is Franken Verde."

*Smiling, he rolled around Karasu in a tight circle, slowly at first.*

"It's a shame that you're not in a team. The competition might give you something to spend your time on, and there are quite a few new teams around here, and they're probably looking for members."

*Aihara paused as he changed direction around the boy*

"And as for the Pledge Regalia, you can't have studied that hard - any Regalia is subject to tuning when a new Queen or King takes over, including the Pledge Regalia, Axis. The current Pledge King might not have the flair for SC suits like you and Franken, but by god he knows how to tune. I believe he may be building a new Regalia at the moment, but don't hold me to that..."

Subject: Re: Half-Pipe Sun Dec 27, 2009 10:46 pm

Karasu scoffed. "Yeah, Green Frank is a name I am familiar with. Not the person though, we stayed far enough apart working in different sectors of T3."

He watched the man skate around him, then stop after saying a bit about joining a team for the Tournament. He almost burst out laughing, his face simple screwed itself into one that could be considered for "Most Demonic Smiles of the Century". "Join a team for the tournament? HA! There's only one tournament worth joining, I think you know what I'm talking about. And only B-Rank and A-Rank teams can enter that one. If I ever join a team, I'll be the one heading it. Usarak as well as myself have a little problem with authority figures, you yourself qualify Aihara-san."

He faced the Fang King as the man came to a stop. Considering the man's statement about Axis. "That may be the case, but the Gear Road was never my road. I'm just a very mechanically inclined individual." He bowed his head slightly, "The only Regalia I'm interested in finding is the Legendary Wind Regalia, Bagram which was for the Storm King combined with the Ramjet Regalia. After it was stolen by Sora Takeuichi, it's location was lost."

He sat down on the ground and pulled one AT off, his right. Cracking it open he began tinkering around inside it, fixing gaps and calibrating various drives. "Of course, even though the various Regalias boost an AT's power. They are nothing more than status symbols. There will always be someone better than the one using the Regalia."

Subject: Re: Half-Pipe Mon Dec 28, 2009 2:25 am

"So you think me an authority figure, yet you disregard the respect that a Regalia demands? Do you also disapprove of Sleeping Forest's influence upon the Kings of the AT world?

*Aihara slowly rolled to a standstill behind the boy, shifting his keychain into his good hand and watching his movements more closely than ever.*

"...and I believe you must be referring to the Ring Road, the only non-offensive road known to the AT world ... which may be the reason you never quite fitted in there. Not that I could fit in there either, my patience is shorter than your own, I fear. But the objective of joining a smaller Team is not to lower oneself to a position unsuitable to your self-image, but to learn the ways of teamwork and trust in others which, from observing your style and listening to you speak, are skills you lack. Without these simple things, no AT-Team could ever exist, even your own eventual team."

Spoiler:

Subject: Re: Half-Pipe Mon Dec 28, 2009 5:04 am

[ooc] Well, maybe you oughta work on that. A reference point is always wonderful.

[bic]

Karasu continued to tinker around with his ATs. Whoops...slight gear delay there...fix... He made no changes to his expression, staying placid would turn out to be the better course of action. "No doubt Aihara-san, that the Regalia are symbols. The...raw power contained within, demands some form of respect. And by connection as does the wearer."

Even as his fingers whizzed over parts and various tools flew up and down his sleeves, he continued to pay close attention to the Fang King. "As for Sleeping Forest, they should have died with the Gravity Children that first bore it's name. Today's SF, simply personifies the originals, a mockery if you ask me. But whatever, I respect their power. Their grip on the various Kings and their Regalia can't last forever."

As he came to a stopping point he looked up at Aihara. "But you already know everything there is to know about Sleeping Forest wouldn't you Aihara-san? After all, rumor has it that you're one of them. One of the ranking officials if I might add. Or is that all it is? A rumor?"

He finished his work on the right AT and replaced it on his foot, swapping it for the left. "As for the team issue, I place my trust in someone the moment I meet them. If they violate that trust in any way, it's very hard to earn it back. And, it's really just Usarak that has a problem with the whole team thing really. I've actually been scouting around for the past few years, looking for recruits." He shook his head, "But there just aren't enough people, my saying is that "The Night is our Playground" because even as we prove now, we ride at night mostly to avoid detection. Whoever is out there, is hiding pretty well. Either that, or theres just nobody like us."

Subject: Re: Half-Pipe Sat Jan 23, 2010 10:50 am

"The ideology of Sleeping Forest is still alive, even though the Gravity Children no longer bear the mantle of its responsibility. It is this ideology that controls the AT World and its many teams and roads, that still holds its grip on the hearts of Storm Riders. It unites them together, whether they believe that Sleeping Forest is essential to them or not."

*He watched the boy working on his ATs, carefully observing the switching of tools at a moments notice and the pace at which he worked. Knowing that Franky was by far the superior tuner, he also understood that this tuner could be dangerous; while technically a tuner, he had changed hands and now fought for his independence with a new-found wind.*

"Oh, there are people. You just have to know where to look, and by the sounds of it you have no idea where those places are. 'The Night is our Playground' sounds too much like an excuse for not being a team-player to me. But that's your decision, and I'm not going to try and tell you to be any different. It's all down to personal preference."

Subject: Re: Half-Pipe Sat Jan 23, 2010 8:12 pm

Karasu finished the other AT and replaced it on his foot. "No, Sleeping Forest is not what binds all Stormriders together. It's Trophaeum Tower. If nobody had something to shoot for by doing this, then what's the point? Sleeping Forest is just the Tower's Guardians."

Standing he looked Aihara dead in the eye, his black eyes locked into a death stare with the man before him. "The last team I made, slowly broke apart. A subsidiary of Tool Toul Tou, we fixed overflow work for them. But the members left as life caught up. The reason I say 'The Night is our Playground' is not as an excuse."

He stepped off to one side and stared blankly at the moon high overhead. The white reflective ball originally thought to be made of cheese. lol, cheese. Yeah, lol. "I say it because it is the truth. Stormriders tend to ride at night because of daytime oppression. It's also more fun to ride at night." He shrugged, "It's not rocket science. But human rebellion is boundless no?"

Subject: Re: Half-Pipe Wed Feb 03, 2010 11:14 am

*Aihara ignored the death-stare that his companion gave him, and instead looked around the Yamahiroba, watching the night gradually lightening as the morning began it's approach. He watched the eastern skyline begin to glow, and he knew full well that he had a full day's work ahead of him at the hospital.*

"It appears that we've chatted all night, Karasu; and while it may be true that the night is your playground, the day has its own needs and requests from a busy man such as myself. Is there anything else you wish to discuss?"

Subject: Re: Half-Pipe Wed Feb 03, 2010 1:53 pm

Karasu closed his eyes as one corner of his mouth tugged upwards. "No Aihara-san, you just go and tend to your patients. Day also brings me to another day of work, though it be of learning, not teaching." Replacing the mask on his face as the morning sun glinted off one of it's facets. The pneumatic locks engaging, he looked at Aihara one last time. "May your days be full of joy and your nights peaceful. Though, riding your road I may have to change that. So, May your path remain littered by the bodies of your enemies. Knock em DEAD!"

Karasu just shrugged as Usarak had to get his two yen worth in. With a flick of his heel he kicked off and was gone, leaving only a settling trail of dust.

-------------------------------------[back at home]-------------------------------------

Quickly changing his clothes to those of his daytime runs, he hung the mask on it's stand and the ATs he placed in the corner. Grabbing his bag he placed all his school-books into it. Another day of learning...I'M HOT FOR TEACHER!...OI! Shut it!

Subject: Re: Half-Pipe Thu Oct 21, 2010 2:19 am

*Watching Karasu's dusty farewell, Aihara hung his head despondently. His legs ached from the hours of training he'd been doing recently, and the night's activities had let him drained. He turned around to look at the scorched and cracked pavement, remembering the last couple of punks that had tried to duel up here. The Flame had fought the Frost, both had been evenly matched, so neither had won. Since the mess they had made of the Plaza, a lesson had been taught, and they had occupied the same communal room in S&S General, he had made sure of it. He disengaged the motors and allowed himself to roll to the Yamahiroba's exit.*

<THREE MONTHS PASS WITH NO VISITORS TO THE YAMAHIROBA>

"And now there's a few new teams on the rise..."

*Chuckling to himself as he skated back onto the Yamahiroba, Aihara swerved over to the half-pipe and dove in, hoping for one more round of training before his pager went off to signify the start of his shift.*

"...both secretly growing, numbers building..."

*He clung to the air for as long as he could before plummeting back into the pipe, swerving to avoid a rabbit, tearing a chunk out of the pavement with his stopping power.*

"...GODDAMMIT!"

Subject: Re: Half-Pipe Fri Nov 05, 2010 8:12 pm

Taizen rides through to the half pipe his scarf blowing in the wind behind him

"nice spot to get some training in."

He jumps high in the air flipping upside down looking down seeing some one land destroying the ground

"shit thats powerful...wonder who that could be?"

Lands on his feet looking at the stranger with his hands in his pockets and head tilted to the side curious

Subject: Re: Half-Pipe Fri Nov 05, 2010 8:29 pm

*Hearing someone land and roll to a halt to his right, Aihara looks up from the wounded ground into the face of one of his former patients.*

"Good morning, Taizen-san. You're looking better since last time I saw you. I see you've dusted the old ATs off again."

*Aihara motioned to the curving half-pipe with one hand.*

"Shall we?"