The Headless Rider Rides Once More [OPEN]

[lookingforhead]

Who: Celty and OPEN
When: July 30th
Where: Around the Near Shore, the Far Shore, and the Temple of Aditi depending on the time of day.
What: Check out Celty's sweet new ride....wait..where did she get it from?



1) Taking home the new toy - Adati Temple Grounds - Afternoon

Celty kneels in front of a motorcycle that she's just wheeled into the Temple of Aditi from the Near Shore side. She rubs over it with a rag, cleaning it up a bit while she inspects it. Her touch is gentle and caring, but she's thorough as she looks it over for any signs of problems or wear. Once satisfied she mounts up on it and revs the engine.

All of this is visible and audible from just outside the temple if anyone is passing by. However as she sits there her helmet tilts a bit. This bike will do, but it doesn't feel like the right fit.


2) It's in her nature - Near Shore and Far Shore roads - Evening

Not quite the right fit, but close enough. A thrill runs through her body as she rides along the trails in the Far Shore and the city streets of the Near. On the Near Shore she ducks and weaves through traffic, obeying the traffic lights but going as fast as she possibly can at each moment. She's not sure why, but the cops seeming to ignore her makes her extra happy, though she still checks back now and then.

She rides with the headlight off, and the shiny black of the bike does little to help its visibility, the yellow of her helmet standing out all the more, but she seems to be in near perfect control of the motorcycle as she rides around, even going so far as to throw her hands out in joy as the wind whips past her.

But if someone were to flag her down she would of course come to a stop.


They had it coming - Near Shore - Afternoon

'Hey there pretty lady. Why don't you come with us?'

'Yeah, check it out. Don't you wanna ride with us?'

The woman did her best to keep walking away from the trio of biker punks, but their catcalls and engine revving persisted. She tried to walk faster, but if they decided to follow her...

'Hey come on! Come back and join-huh?' A tap on the shoulder was the only warning. The punk looked back to see who was interrupting his fun and was introduced to the heel of Celty's boot as she brought it around in a spinning kick. He fell to the ground in a heap as the other two scrambled to react to Celty's sudden arrival. Even if she wasn't supposed to interfere with the living, this was the sort of thing she couldn't just let slide.

Comments

A

[bussounoshima]

[Sharak is stood outside the temple, having just ducked out through one of the cloth walls to head out but now distracted. She's watching Celty wheel the motorcycle in with honest befuddlement on her face.

What the fuck. Where did she get that.]

... You know, I don't think we have a garage here.

Re: A

[lookingforhead]

[Celty looks up from the motorcycle, Sharak's face reflected in the visor. She waves her hand gently, 'it's alright', before finishing up what she was doing and then steps around to lean against the bike.]

Don't worry. I'll take care of it. I just need a place with cover.
Or a tarp.

[bussounoshima]

[Sharak nods and walks over to get a better look at the bike. This is actually pretty cool...]

If you don't mind having it in your room, I guess it can go in your room... Otherwise just take one of the spare rugs to cover it with, until you can get what you need.

2

[toremainbehind]

[Izumo often takes walks throughout the Far Shore. It helps clear his mind and whatnot.

However, he does hear the sound of an engine roaring, causing him to jerk a bit and quickly back up just as Celty zooms past him.]

Re: 2

[lookingforhead]

[As Celty zooms past at first she seems to not notice him, but then a few meters later she slows down and pulls to a stop.

The rider glances over her shoulder at the unfamiliar face and offers him a wave. Maybe a hello? Maybe checking to see if he's okay?]

[toremainbehind]

[He gives her a wave back, signaling he's okay.

Or saying hello.

Either way, he seems relieved he hasn't been run over.]

A

[mithrarin]

The sound drew him at first; before he saw the device, he had brief visions of some sort of monster letting out a roar. That didn't last, not when the engine settled to a clearly mechanical sound, but he couldn't help but wonder.

When he came around the corner, though, he still didn't know what the heck he was looking at. One of the vehicles he'd occasionally seen whizzing by in the Near Shore, but that didn't mean he understood them any better than before. A motorized bicycle, that's what he knew.

Before he could ask, though, the woman on it tilted her head, and Dust had a more pressing question to ask first. "Is everything okay?" Luckily, though he was on the quiet side, his voice cut through the rumbling of the engine easily enough to be heard.

Re: A

[lookingforhead]

[Celty looks up from the bike, pausing a moment as she stops to consider whether or not she heard him correctly. After a brief hesitation she offers him a thumbs up, and then cuts the engine, letting the motorcycle return to a state of rest.

It's noisy. She knows this. She's happy to have a mount once more but there's something not quite right about the fit, and the noise is a part of that. She sits back on the bike, crossing her arms as she thinks things over.]

[mithrarin]

That's a -- motorbicycle?

[He's trying to remember the term and coming pretty close, as he comes a little closer. Having not seen one of them up close, he's curious about it. It's far larger than he would expect from a simple motorized bicycle, though that just tells him he doesn't understand the principles of it.]

3

[revolutionfalcon]

[While Shun generally patrols to keep an eye on the more supernatural happenings on the Near Shore, that doesn't mean he won't stop to have a look in on mundane trouble if he passes it. The sound of bikers who can't take a hint isn't exactly a new one to him, but it is somewhat satisfying to hear the sound of one of them getting slammed before he even gets there.

That doesn't mean he doesn't hasten right up getting there, though. Charging around the corner and observing the scene, he delivers a backflip-kick right into the jaw of one of the other two bikers, throwing his head back and dropping him as well as Shun lands neatly and eyes up the other one before glancing over to Celty.]

You can take that one if you like. I doubt he'll last any longer than the other two.

Re: 3

[lookingforhead]

[Celty is happy to see the not!Dragon showing up to lend a hand. His moves are rather impressive, if a bit lethal looking. She still doesn't care much about the man but she's at least a little relieved to see he's still breathing.

So, giving him a nod, she turns to face the last one and opts to show off a bit. Raising her hands, smokelike shadow billows from her sleeves and forms into the shape of a large scythe. The appearance of the weapon is frightening enough for the thug, and he's screaming as she swings it at him.

The scythe passes through him, becoming immaterial as it does so, passing through or around him rather than cutting. Of course, the fright of the moment is enough to make him pass out.

With all three dealt with she dissipates the scythe and turns back to Shun, offering him another nod of thanks.]

[revolutionfalcon]

[If nothing else, there's no question Shun was aiming to finish the fight in one hit. Since Celty agrees to take out the last one, Shun takes the opportunity to watch how she works, eyes narrowing slightly in possible interest as he sees the shadow billow out and shape itself into a weapon. Shadow powers aren't quite new to him here, but they're rarer than things like fire seem to be, so he watches intently as she swings the blade and it passes straight through the man.

As he passes out from the fear, Shun gives a dismissive snort.]

What a coward. [After inclining his head back at Celty in what might be a mark of some kind of respect for her ability, he glances in the direction of the girl who'd been accosted by them, then looks around them sharply before turning his attention back to Celty.] Just the three?

[He can't hear any other bikes, but it wouldn't be much of a win if the girl got around another corner only to run into another lot of thugs.]

3

[redmare]

[Oh, looks like Chinatsu wasn't the only one pissed off by what she saw. The other woman got the first hit, but Chinatsu didn't mind. It was a beautiful kick. Walking up behind one of the other men, she swings a leg back, then brings it forward with all her strength, right between the legs. The man doubles over, falling on to his knees, and curling up on the floor. His mouth was open, but his voice wouldn't come out. Not as graceful as the other woman's move, but it does the trick.]

Learn to take a hint, asshole.

Re: 3

[lookingforhead]

[Celty turns in surprise at the sudden assist, but then offers Chinatsu a thumbsup. Good shot!

But it seems the third one didn't learn to take the hint. Instead he decides to double down and at least take out one of these two girls to try to salvage some of his meager masculinity.

He swings his pipe as hard as it can and it catches Celty's helmet clean in the side. The yellow headpiece goes flying off, bouncing off a nearby wall with a hollow thunk before landing and rolling off down the alleyway. This leaves the man gaping in horror at the black smoking neck stump in front of him.

Somehow, even going for a killing blow (helmet notwithstanding) he wasn't prepared for this. Or the punch to the jaw that Celty throws in retaliation.]

Re: 3

[redmare]

[Chinatsu returns the thumbs up--when suddenly she sees dick number three swinging a pipe at the woman]

LOOK OU---

[O M G HE CHOPPED HER HEAD OFF-- or....not...? There wasn't any blood, and she was still standing, black smoke coming from her neck. Chinatsu was as unprepared as the other guy, not giving him any attention as he hits the ground.]

Your--your--you head---

[Her mouth gapes, pointing at the spot where said head should be.]

H-how--how is that---

[What are words right now?]

3

[returnedfromtheline]

Although he’d been caught up in his own thoughts enough to not pay attention to the revving engine noises, Yukine jerked in reaction to the sudden violent movements at the edge of his vision. Turing around he was in time to see one sketchy-looking guy eat pavement while sketchy-looking guys two and three looked like they wanted to retaliate against the woman in the black leather suit and yellow helmet.

Recognizing said helmet, he made a surprised sound in his throat as he started jogging towards the scene.

“Man, what’s going on? …This had better not take so long my ice cream melts.” He gave the plastic bag in his hand a concerned glance.

As he was approaching, Two and Three each wound up to take a swing at Celty while shouting something, and Yukine winced. That looked like it was going to be a couple powerful punches--

Re: 3

[lookingforhead]

Celty was ready for the two of them. Lunging like that was a foolish move and while could have taken them in a straight fight she decided to be a bit more creative about it.

With a bit more of a flourish than necessary she threw up a bunch of shadows, spreading like a web in the alleyway mouth, tangling up one and clinging to the legs of the other. Both began to go through the motions of moving from bravado to fear, and when the latter's punch connected with her helmet the deal was sealed.

She let the helmet go, letting it fall to the ground, and the two punks began to shriek at the sight of the 'ghost lady'. One of them was probably going to need a change of pants after this.

2

[sonofson]

[It's not often, if ever, Goten has ever seen someone drive around the Far Shore. A skateboard was one thing but he didn't expect a motor cycle of all things. It also doesn't help that Goten isn't accustomed to looking where he's going, street or no street. Even standing in the street to look at a cool bug doesn't seem like a bad idea.

The hum of the motor makes him blink as he lifts his head to look up from whatever got his attention in the middle of the road- just in time to stare wide eyed as Celty speeds straight for him like a deer in the headlights]

!!

Re: 2

[lookingforhead]

[Maybe taking the motorcycle to the Far Shore was a mistake. Likely. Possibly even against the rules? But she wasn't sure what the motoring laws were there precisely anyway. Still, she was definitely aware of the disturbance it was causing as she rode, but she was also too thrilled with the motion to make it a priority just yet.

While Goten froze, Celty's reaction time was much better, pulling to the side of the road long before she reached him and slowed down to a halt nearby. Her intent wasn't to spook him, and she didn't want to risk hurting him if she tried blowing past.]

3

[noli_oblivisci]

Celty wasn't the only one who couldn't. Though, for Psyche, the difference between 'living' or not didn't even cross her mind: all that registered was a woman in obvious discomfort because three pieces of scum couldn't take a hint - a sight that sparked an unconscious blaze of anger inside her, hitting her on an instinctive level she couldn't place or care about. The fact the black clothed rider made the first hit only set the tone for how to deal with them.

As the first man hit the ground, the one in the tacky necklace, was the first of the remaining two to respond. He called, "HEY, who the FUCK are you-GhCK-"

Blood erupted from his nose, as a shimmering, anger-fueled blast smashed into his face. Psyche had another shimmering around her fingers, eyes narrowed, but the man collapsed into confused whimpers, along with the first man.

The third man, however, though he didn't know where the two had come from, had recovered enough of his wits to realize he was in deep shit. His eyes were saucers and his throat bobbed...and then he noticed the woman he and his friends had been harassing, trying to take the moment to get away. A spark of humiliation and desperation appeared in his eyes and he reached to grab her - possibly, out of sheer anger or to use as ill-thought deterrent from hurting him next.

Re: 3

[lookingforhead]

Celty and Psyche were of one mind when it came to helping those in need, especially in this sort of situation. Even taking the time to think about whether or not to help would be a failure of character. As for talking it out first, Celty just wasn't the right sort of person for that method.

Beating the punks down was a simple way to resolve this, but as soon as Celty saw him making a move to use their potential victim now as a shield she had to take things up to the next level. Just as he reached out for her, just about to flee herself, Celty raised her own hand and her shadow surged from beneath her feet. The blackness shot across the ground and then up from the pavement to snare his ankles, sending him falling to the ground on his face. He was still conscious but his nose was now a bloody mess.

Dragging him back seemed to take no physical effort for Celty at all, despite being slighter in form than the man was, and soon she had him propped up against his friends, tying them together with her shadows.

2

[bartenderizing]

[ Earlier, while on a walk through the Near Shore, Shizuo could've sworn that he'd seen someone familiar riding by. Except it was pretty quick- maybe he was just imagining things and making assumptions based off of someone in a yellow helmet that was speeding by.

So when hearing the motorcycle on the Far Shore, the blond stops and raises a hand in greeting as the other is holding a cigarette. ]

Re: 2

[lookingforhead]

[Celty finds herself rolling to a stop before she even thinks about it. The wave from Shizuo is met with an almost automatic nod and a few seconds later she comes to a well timed halt right in front of him.

She holds up her phone in greeting.]

Hey there. Hope I didn't disturb you?

A

[erogappa]

He's given himself the day to tour the grounds of his new home, but it turns out that he only needed about fifteen minutes. There's the temple -- the strange, round, open temple with only about half as many walls as he thinks it should have -- and then there's the holy water pump, and the hill, and the chickens.

He's already named the rooster Soup, and the rooster's returned the favor by taking a chunk out of his shin. There's definitely not enough walls in the temple with a creature like that wandering around, he's decided. He's outside his own room, verifying that the walls are sturdy enough to keep a bloodthirsty ball of fluff and feathers out (verdict: uncertain) when the report of a motorcycle being revved echoes right through the cloth walls.

How did he miss a motorcycle?

"Oi, Sharak!" He heads for the main room of the temple, shaking his head as he approaches. "Don't run that thing inside, you're gonna kill yourself!"

But it's not Sharak, on the other side of that tapestry. It's a familiar cat-eared helmet. Gojyo stops short.

"Oh. Uh. ...Hi?"

Re: A

[lookingforhead]

Celty had mostly been giving the chickens their space, taking care of them when she had to but mostly keeping to herself. Still, even with Sharak being so accommodating she can't deny that the motorcycle stands out in a place like this. The noise and the smoke are a bit much, and she plans not to overdo it here, but this here is a test run.

She looked up as Gyojo called out, and assuming his concern was indeed for her she waved back, trying to signal that she had it under control. A second later she killed the engine and dismounted, walking over to him as she typed on her phone.

'Hi...we met during Tanabata, didn't we?' It was all a bit of a muddled jumble but the thought she had the right of it.