Sylvan

Word association Game!

Fruit

DELTΔ HYPER (An F1 Drive to Survive inspired Anti-Gravity, Slice of Life, Cyberpunkish/Solarpunkish RP)

Hakone Izakaya Bar
2100 Hours

”Oh, and regarding that: You’re on.” She jabbed a finger in his direction, referring to the drifting challenge he proposed. ”Manager at the Brooklands Mercedes World in London owes me a favor, I could get us a few hours on the attached test track.”

Paul: “Bea why would we go to England? You do know that Japan is the birthplace of drifting, right? Drifting tracks are still very popular here in Japan. I am sure we could rent a track for an hour or two to have some fun while we are here in Tokyo. If you have the time? I will be here after the race for a few days taking care of some sponsorship commitments.”

Paul threw the challenge out to the rest of the group.

Paul: “Would anyone else be interested in some time racing at a drifting track? Nora would you be interested? I know you are skilled if you were a street racer.”

“Reckon I could make that work. Just don’t whinge too hard when you lose, eh?” Nora’s smile split her face ear to ear, belying the cool tone she had replied in. In truth, drifting was only part of what she did, it wasn’t her specialty like road control and raw speed were, but like hell was she going to reveal that. Or lose, if she had anything to say about it.

“Bea why would we go to England? You do know that Japan is the birthplace of drifting, right? Drifting tracks are still very popular here in Japan. I am sure we could rent a track for an hour or two to have some fun while we are here in Tokyo. If you have the time? I will be here after the race for a few days taking care of some sponsorship commitments.”

”Because just because it’s from here doesn’t mean it’s special. Hamburgers are from Germany, yet it’s the Yanks you think of when you hear the word.” She shrugged, ”And if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right, with enough time, proper car for the occasion and everything.” She was also working a bit of an angle with it, because living with an older sister taught her it wasn’t a friendly competition if you weren’t tilting the field a little.

Paul laughed and tsked at her, shaking his finger. “Now Bea, there is something to be said for tradition. I know for a fact the track I have in mind has cars specifically set up for drifting. It is also a neutral track where neither one of us could call foul play or find unfavorable advantage. There is something to be said for neutral territory.” Paul sighed and smiled at Bea. “My calendar is pretty full for a bit. I don’t know when I can get to England. Maybe we can arrange that when I am in England for the English Grand Prix in June?”

“Much as I’d love to do it while we’re here in Japan I think we’ve all got commitments, but keep me in mind for this in England, right? We can hit it one arvo, or make a day of it.” Nora put in as she listened to the negotiations between the two rookies.

---

Qualifiers

“Just run it like a sim run, Nora.” The voice of Southern Cross's team principal came in over her headset as she was settling into the crafts systems. “Keep an eye on your energy levels and it’ll be a piece of piss.”

“Yes, Owen…” Nora said, internally rolling her eyes. She wasn’t as ready for the ELS-heavy track as she wanted to be, but she was as ready as she was going to be at this point. The rest of the track didn’t look to cause additional problems, and she was experienced flying by instruments from the sand-covered wastes the Interior made their homes on and the hash the sandstorms made of both visual sightlines and radar signals.

That said, her strategy going in was simple, take the corners as best she could and eke out as much speed as possible where she could, and it showed in her results. P6, her worst qualifying position so far and a difficult spot to come back from if she wanted a shot at the podium. It was the stability going into turns, she told herself, but she knew just as well it was her inexperience with the ELS system that was holding her back, and it stuck in her craw. It might not help in tomorrow's race, but she was going to put as much time into familiarizing herself with the systems intricacies as she could before they came back with a vengeance in the Lunar AGP.

---

Post Qualifying Interviews

After the qualifying session, the pilots were back again at the Delta Hyper booth within the paddock after various interviews and catch-ups with their teams, Rory back in presence, full body rather than just a head in the distance. The British commentator kept his mic set, catching each of the pilots as they came in.

"Nora, a shame about not making podium today, but it seems you're still getting to grips with the Formula AG energy system after making the switch from the Interior Circuit. How does Tokyo stack up as a street circuit for a former underground racer?"

Nora was still in her racing suit, excitement evident in her stance and expression. She may have only qualified P6, but this was Tokyo. “It’s… I don’t want to call it a religious experience, but Tokyo is a historic part of the sport, and one of the most publicized at that. I know I wasn’t the only one riding the Interior who dreamed of racing on the streets of Tokyo. It’s a shame I won’t be starting in a podium position, but I knew going into this one that my inexperience with the ELS system would cause problems. I’ve been practicing since South Africa, but two weeks will only go so far against some of the other racers on the grid. That said, Southern Cross makes the fastest ship on the course and it's a long race tomorrow, so we’ll see what happens on the track.”

---

Nora Kelly @NitroNora:
”Qualed P6, not my best showing yet but that just means I’ve gotta put in some hard yakka on race day. Watch your back @ASZenix!”
#SCRacing #DeltaHyper #TokyoAGP

---

An Underground Racers Day Out

It was race day once again, and once again rain had chosen to fill the skies. On one hand at least the AGs wouldn’t slide in the rain, but it also meant visibility was shit and she’d have to rely on her instruments. Not that it was a problem, but she’d hoped to have as few issues as possible with what she was already working with. She’d just have to make the best of it in the high-speed knife fight to come, and hope she’d come out on top. As the countdown began, she patted the Pounamu stone, held in a special pocket in her suit, and dove deep into her sled.

Into the race, and immediately Nora poured on the speed, trying to put early pressure on Layla and take the position before the other driver was ready to counter her. Just as she was pulling ahead she felt something grab her ship, and the ELS system started screaming about a lock. Layla snagged the lead again, and Nora just had to smile. This wouldn’t be her first win, not with her ELS experience holding her back, but it was on. The knife fight had begun in earnest.

Throughout the race Nora and Layla traded P5 and P6 back and forth, but Nora had Layla beat on pace, and each lap saw her grabbing just a little more space each time, until the final overtake, during the turning coming into the last straight and the final meters of the race. Here, Nora's speed and aggression won the day, and she pulled ahead one final time, crossing the finish line mere moments before Layla and grabbing a P5 finish for herself. It might not be a podium finish, but with the setup going into the race, and the fierce competition from Layla, she was proud of how she had raced that day.

---

Nora found Kais during the podium ceremony, after they had all gotten off the podium. After Beatrix had left, she walked up to Kais. “That was damn good racing, Kais, and congratulations on your win. I hope you can keep it up in Italy though, or winning against you won’t be nearly so satisfying.” Nora smiled as she said this, but there was a hard edge to it. He had taken something she had, perhaps wrongly, already thought of as her own. Both the first rookie this season to beat Amy, and the first rookie to finish in pole position. While she was genuinely happy for him, her pride also wouldn’t let a challenge like that go unanswered.

---

Nora Kelly @NitroNora:
”A P5 finish after a well fought battle throughout the race with @ASYalla. And a spectacular P1 finish by @ASZenix? Guess I’ll just have to reintroduce you to my dust in Italy!”
#SCRacing #DeltaHyper #TokyoAGP

---

Delta Hyper Post Race Interviews: Sponsored by the Anti-Social Social Club

"Nelly, you and Layla were fighting the entire way, it looks like you certainly have your way with ! Even though you didn't have your ELS down, how did you feel about keeping Layla behind you and taking the P5?

Nora was smiling as she sat down for her interview, and leaned forwards before she answered the question. “It was a hard fought battle the whole way, Aurora. Layla kept me on my toes the whole time, can’t knock her racing or her skill. What I’m getting at is, it felt good. Very good, to beat someone of her caliber where she should have an advantage. And speaking of advantages… Kais Zenix, I’m coming for you in Italy.”

[Insert follow-up here]

---

The Promised Party
A Nightclub in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan

Nora arrived a bit later than intended to the promised party and started at the bar. After, beer in hand, she spent most of the party watching others and thinking, occasionally chatting with anyone who drifted over.

---

The Ecstasy of Gold

Christchurch, New Zealand,
Southern Cross HQ

Pulling out of it, Harrison grabbed his reusable cup, filling it with water from a nearby tap, looking across to Nora, also sharing a break.
"You feeling good for this? It's a difficult circuit to learn, no amount of neural training will truly prepare you, but, trust me. I adore it. Genuinely the most amount of fun you're ever gonna have in an AG ship." Harrison seemed pensive, but well, he had to be. There was a lot on the line. P1. And they were going to have to take it. He knew Nora was perhaps not as used to long, long tracks like these with this much undulation, but, if she could fly fast and handle well, she'd hold her own.

"I gotta admit though, I hope we break the duck here. Silver Apex feels so close in reach. And we should dominate this. But, I gotta say. We have a lot to prove."

“Bloody hell it’s a pretty course, and I’m feeling good about it.” After losing out on a spot on the podium in Tokyo, Nora had been training like a woman possessed. While she had been careful to get enough food and sleep, she had been spending most of her waking hours strategizing or in the simulators, trying to study past the trap of preparing for the last race, not the next one. “You’re right, we should dominate here. We have the speed and the handling, and even with my inexperience our energy systems are aces. We’ve shown them we can hang with the big dogs, so let’s see how they like it when they’re nipping at our heels for a change.” Nora's regular aggression had an extra edge to it, but it wasn’t directed at Harrison today. She knew the stakes, if they won here they’d take the lead in the Constructors, and they’d both make big strides toward dethroning Amy in the Pilots ranking.

None of that changed the cause of her excess aggression, though. Not that she had told anyone just yet. When they had gotten back from Tokyo, Nora had entered her apartment to find an envelope on her desk, made of fine paper and unmarked except for an old-fashioned wax seal made of swirled blue and green wax with gold flakes suspended within, and impressed with the symbol of a steering wheel. She’d opened the envelope, unable to deny what it meant even though she had grown to hate what it represented. As she cracked the seal and opened the envelope, the scent of very expensive cigars mixed with petrol hit her nose, shoving her violently back in time for a moment as she vividly remembered her first time smelling that exact combination. The head of Australia's largest mining syndicate and one of the owners of Australia's underground racing scene, and her former sponsor, Harold Keene.

Hello Nora,

I am glad to see you well after leaving our humble family. We were worried when you left unannounced, and without even leaving a forwarding address… But, it seems you have found a place of your own, racing among the stars. We are cheering for you from the sidelines.

But I do hope that you haven’t forgotten what you owe the family, yes? I expect you already know, especially with the money you cost the family by disappearing just before an important race.

We hope to see you again soon, Nora Kelly.

Until Then,

H. Keene

Nora wasn’t sure why he was reaching out now of all times, but the way he had reached out left no room for interpretation. I can reach you anywhere, it said. And it scared her.

---

Amongst the panic and the training regimes, one thing remained at pace throughout the chaos, suffering a remarkably small amount of overruns and delays. That is, the construction and finalization of Southern Crosses facility upgrades, which looked to be mere weeks from completion. The newly upgraded facilities were slated to bring in the best the team had been able to get their hands on, with up-to-date workspaces and equipment for each department and more, all within a carbon neutral footprint and designed and decorated by a team of local artists and architects to blend in with the natural beauty of the area. And who knows, perhaps with even more funding, especially with new sponsors pulled in by taking the lead from Silver Apex, it could be improved even further!

---

Round 4 of Formula Anti-Gravity Racing
Friday 14th April, 2094
Post-Practice
Italian AGP

Nora had been looking forward to this race ever since Principle Keating had gone over the schedule pre-season during her initial onboarding with the team. Part of it was for the utterly amazing natural beauty on display, true, but the biggest excitement? This was the kind of track that was practically made for her! It had been race footage from the Marmolada AG Race Circuit in Italy and the Tokyo Expressway Circuit that had originally sparked her interest in racing as a young girl after all. And with her performance in Tokyo, she desperately wanted to win here of all places.

---

A Couch in the Sky

"Nelly, a pleasure for you to join us! Whilst a little different to Tokyo, do you think the pundits have got it right that Southern Apex are the hot favorites for Italy?"

“It’s a pleasure to be here Aurora, Rory!” Nora replied, her entire body practically radiating excitement. Her usual punk attire was, this time, covered by a large, fluffy coat in the Southern Cross colors, the young woman clearly being unused to the penetrating, bone-chilling cold of a glacial mountain range, even with the off-screen heater. “This is one of the circuits that inspired me to become a racer in the first place, and it feels like it was designed for our sleds! The speeds we can get up to with the straights, it's just… it’s bloody ace is what it is! I think the pundits are right, we’re the team to beat here!” As she finished waxing enthusiastically, she caught sight of Paul, and his shenanigan with the signs, and almost managed to control her snort. Almost.

---

Round 4 of Formula Anti-Gravity Racing
Saturday 15th April, 2094
Qualifying
Italian AGP

Strada Alpina
Marmolada, Dolomiti, Italia
1400 CET

La Forza

It was almost time to put her mettle to the test. One lap, one push to see where she would start. Once again Nora sank into her sleds systems and settled into the vibrating heartbeat of her waka, the electrical impulses of its circuitry like the blood pumping through her veins, barely contained and ready to fly.

And fly she did, running one of the best laps of her life, not just her career so far with Formula AG. Sector one flashed by as Nora threw herself into the series of hairpins and curves that made up the early portion of the sector before absolutely sending it down the slope and then up and off the ramp that was the track along Rifugio Forcella Pordoi.

As she landed and entered sector two, her landing jarring even through the special dampening that had been put into place. Leaning into the Southern Cross wakas superior handling, she worked to keep as much speed as she could during the hairpins and switchbacks that made up much of the sector, but only so much speed could be kept through those sections.

Sector three then, starting with a perfect alpine road. Passo Fedaia let her take her beast of a rocketship up to full throttle, and the roaring this created was nothing short of spectacular, driving her to even greater heights of speed and daring as she came around the left hander and out onto the Terazza Marmolada itself. The single best part of this race, the feeling of racing along the roof, the very peak of the Dolomites themselves! And a perfect place to overtake any who dared take this from her.

---

“Bring ‘er in for cooldown Nelly, damn good run!”

“Got it Long, thanks for the tips on the energy collection systems during practice, felt like they paid dividends!”

“Bloody oath they did, Nelly. Your time puts you at Provisional Pole with that, and only Al-Saqr and Apex are left to run.”

“Fuckin’ ace!”

---

“I told you there wouldn’t be issues, even with her… inconsiderate departure.” a gravelly voice said, almost purring with how pleased its owner was.

“Mm. You were right, Keene. Like always.” A younger voice, this one cold and emotionless, spoke in reply. The two men returned to silence, watching the coverage as a historic rookie took pole position in the qualifiers and the three time running champion didn’t even start on the podium. A faint clink came from the glasses as the two toasted, the details known to them alone.

---

Sylvans Characters

DELTΔ HYPER (An F1 Drive to Survive inspired Anti-Gravity, Slice of Life, Cyberpunkish/Solarpunkish RP)

DELTΔ HYPER

Episode Three: The Neon Bath

---

A Dream of Neon

It was one thing to hear about Tokyo, with its lights and sounds, its 3D ads and holographic attractions. The magnetic roadways, both fully replaced and enhanced asphalt. It was like nothing Nora had ever seen, and her eyes were glued to the window of the Southern Cross transport as it began its final approach, landing at Haneda Airport in Tokyo.

“Glad the schedule’s set to let us take a peek around the city after race day this time, barely got a chance to see any of Cape Town with everything that happened.” Nora said, sounding for all the world like an excited tourist, and excited she was. She had grown up on stories of street racing and Formula AG, and Tokyo had always featured heavily in the history of the sport. The team also had responsibilities to sponsors that would also be in town, but Nora was never one to allow work to get her down, especially not work like this.

---

A Querious Questionnaire

Nora walked into the studio where Aurora was holding the interview with the confidence of a woman expecting to win. This time she was wearing a black crop top and ripped black jeans with a leather jacket, a throwback to punk styles from the beginning of the millenia. Her one concession to team branding was a prominent SC patch on the breast of the leather jacket. She was also wearing the Pounamu stone pendant, the same one that Harrison had given her.

As she picked up the tablet and looked at the first question, she raised an eyebrow. “Trying a new format? Can’t hurt to give it a burl. Interesting questions, though.” As she thought about the first question, she cracked a smile.

“Most likely to eat noodles with a fork? That sounds like something Henry would do, a silver fork to go with his silver spoon.” There was a clear teasing note in her voice as she poked fun at the Fitzroy racer.

As the next question showed up on the tablet she took a second look before she answered. “Think I’d have to guess that Paul is the worst at keeping secrets. He just… He seems too open to keep a secret well, even if he meant well by it.”

“Best Christmas gift giver… Hmm… Well, I know Harrison is a good gift giver, think I have to give it to my teammate here.” Nora smiled as she touched the pendant around her neck, then looked at the tablet, ready for the next question.

“Fussy eater? Amy or Bea probably. The Brits conquered the world for spices, then used none of them!” Nora repeated an ancient meme with a wicked grin, her eyes flashing a friendly challenge to prove her wrong.

As the next question came up, who would be most likely to scale Mt Fuji, Nora answered almost before finishing the question. “Harrison. The man loves nature and mountains, not that I blame him. Bet the view from the top of Mt Fuji is ####### spectacular!” After a moments thought, Nora continued. “Might join him, honestly.”

As the next question came up, Nora snorted. “Gotta be a toss up between me and Bea. Limits just a suggestion, eh? Then again, they couldn’t ticket what they couldn’t catch so maybe Bea has more…” Nora feigned an innocent smile with her final comment before reading the next question.

“Speaking of, we’ve all seen Bea on the track, I think it’s obvious she’s the best drifter among us.” Nora answered that question straightforwardly.

“Don’t get Paul started on classic cars if you want to talk about something actually important, so I hear. Gotta be him, haven’t heard anything close to that of anyone else.”

Nora raised both eyebrows as she read the next question. “Running low on material, Aurora? First to die in a horror movie?” Nora shook her head, then considered it for a moment as she appeared to take it seriously. “That said… Might be me. I could see me saying something stupid like Oh look, it’s nothing! See? just in time for the killer to rock up.” Nora replied with a self-effacing laugh.

“Realize it might be a sleeper pick, but I could see Harrison being a full-on romantic and I respect it. The man has a way about him.”

“A deserted island? Uhm… If I just wanted to enjoy the ride, definitely Bea or Kofi. If I wanted to survive, I’m thinking… Kais or Ava. They seem the most likely to know what to do there.”

After finishing the list of questions, Nora was silent for a moment, before cracking an eager smile. “That was a grouse idea, Aurora. Gotta admit I’m excited to see what the other pilots said!” Nora commented, in lieu of any final questions or thoughts.

---

The Liquid Lounge

Nora was in the same outfit she had worn to the interview, the dark clothing contrasting her alabaster skin and white hair. She was a bit nervous, even with the training she’d received from Owen she didn’t have much experience hobnobbing with VIPs, or partying in a place with quite that many cameras, and her media strategy thus far had been, simply put, “try not to say anything too incriminating or stupid.”

That said, she wore her confidence like a cloak. No reason anyone needed to see her nervous, not in public anyways. As the two talked, drinks in hand, Cassie arrived and made herself part of the group.

"So, you finally got a match?" Cassie teased, Harrison at first having it go over his head.

"Oh, you mean like for dating, racing?" Harrison replied, Cassie spitting the remainder of her drink.

"I meant you're actually up against someone!" She giggled, as Harrison sighed, knowing to be better and make introductions.

Nora snorted at her teammates first response, spraying the rest of her own drink out her nose and coughing mightily as she was thoroughly caught off guard by the comment.

"You two haven't spoken. Cassie, this is Nora, Nora, Cass. She's a friend of mine."

"Friend? We're on different teams. I'm just here to kick his wee arse sometimes. But yeah, we're good." Cassie added, putting a hand out to Nora.

"What do you drink by the way? I know they're free, but I'm gonna make a run to the bar!"

After recovering from her minor coughing fit, Nora shook Cassie's hand, her grip firm and friendly. “The best friends make for the fiercest competition, I’ve always found.” Nora smiled at Cassie, the smile friendly, but with a note of challenge. “And yes, another drink would be a rip snorter. I’m drinking rum and coke, hold the rum.” She handed Cassie her glass, then continued. “I don’t like to drink before a qualifier or race, old habit.” Nora added, sounding like she had said it a million times and just expected the question. As Cassie left, and Nora also turned to see Bea, Ava, and Paul, she nodded to the two other rookies.

"I don't think we've met yet. You did well in Cape Town. Till uhh...yeah." Harrison remarked, with a small chuckle, but shaking his head, indicating he knew just how big that hit was.

Nora winced at the remembered crash. She’d been well ahead of it, but the replay had looked nasty. “And with where you were before the crash, can’t wait to see what you can make happen through the rest of the season too.” Nora said, adding onto what Harrison said.

As the conversation, and the party, continued, Nora followed the conversation, adding her two cents here and there but otherwise going with the flow of it. Half of her time was spent taking in the view if she was being honest with herself, the bar had an amazing view of the cityscape, and Nora found it as awe-inspiring as the mountain vista that Harrison had shown her, though perhaps in a different way.

DELTΔ HYPER (An F1 Drive to Survive inspired Anti-Gravity, Slice of Life, Cyberpunkish/Solarpunkish RP)

DELTΔ HYPER

Southern Cross Headquarters

The return to SCs home base in Christchurch, New Zealand, had an air of celebration as the team took home a two-podium finish with second and third place, keeping them competitive in both the constructors and their own personal standings. That burning passion was soon turned to other pursuits, however, as the team principal called a strategy meeting shortly after the team got settled back into the factory and its surrounding facilities. As the pilots, principal, analysts, and team leads gathered and grabbed coffee, Owen Keating opened the meeting.

Owen turned to the head engineer, an American expat who went by Gregory Long. “I’ve seen the emails, but how’re we looking at the improvements we talked about after Auckland?” Gregory “Long term we’re still looking to improve the stability of the sleds, but we’re running into trouble in the sims as we work on ways to up the stability while also keeping current speed and handling characteristics. We’ve made some progress, but nothing ready to deploy.” Gregorys voice came across as frustrated but genuine as he pointed out problem areas on a holographic model of the Southern Cross ship. After some time, the conversation moved on to other parts of the team, and eventually to the next race.

“Tokyo AGP. Our ELS systems are up to the task, but I want both of you running the sims with an emphasis on ELS duels, and I want you practicing with and against each other too. Nora’s still new to the entire system, and more practice never hurt anyone. Past that, you’ll be racing in tight confines so it’ll probably be a knife fight the whole way. Keating nodded to each of the pilots in turn, then looked at Nora, who’d stepped forward.

“I know the commission ruled it an accident, but… Well, call me full but I’d rather not have that behind me without a plan. I raced against a lot of reckless blokes before signing here and most’v’em woulda balked at that move Jamie pulled. As a way to damage the competition though? That it could work as.” Nora paused, then looked at Harrison. “If he’s near you, keep an eye, and I’ll do the same. We watch each others backs and he won’t have a shot.” Nora did care about winning, both for herself and the team, but she also wanted to extend an olive branch to Harrison. A clear message, one she maybe hadn’t sent yet.

---

(Collab with @FourtyTwo)

Immersed on a neutrally linked pushbike was a weird thing to be, but suddenly being surrounded by a lush jungle landscape, noise and all, made it easy to push, on tarmac that felt real, even if absolutely none of it was, and you could just tell, just about beyond it. Like something from Ray Bradbury's "The Veldt", AR and neural tech had come so far now that you could step in, but look for the tiniest of markers, and you could remind yourself this wasn't real. People HAD gotten stuck inside, and that had very, very quickly gotten some fixes. In a world where tech moved so fast, regulating and policing it came just as quickly, making sure that you always had a marker in the sky to quickly check your perspective meant you had a little control. And of course, a way out if you thought it.

The cycling however, was all real, the bike under him reacting exactly like a real bike should. Cardio, and it hurt, as part of a usual test post-race, after getting home to New Zealand. Nora of course, had joined in on hers and was in Harrison's network, and the session was nearly done, as Harrison exhaled hard, bodysuit doing well to kill the sweat, but he was feeling bonked right there. Pulling the port, the AR course and illusion disappeared and the grey exterior that surrounded the gym setting came back in, Nora finishing up. Techs came over, seeing they were done, and the usual diagnostics, VO2 max, heart rate, augment impacts, and so on, were all there to see. No wires were normally required, but for the amount of data that Harrison and Nora were logging, it was nice to have a better track than not.

With the completion of that, Harrison looked across to Nora, the curly-haired, tanned Aussie contrasting against Nora's paler complexion as they walked out of the Southern Cross gym.

"Hey, mind if I grab you a sec?" Harrison asked, as they headed out of the room, knowing it had been on his mind for a while, and he had found his gym bag, containing some inhalers for the augments and implants in this particular setting, and something else he wanted to show Nora.
"Got something I thought I'd show you." Harrison added, digging his hand inside of the drawstring, pulling it out.

With it, Harrison opened his hand, revealing a small pendant. A Pounamu stone, a piece of solid green jade, a jewel prized by the Maori, and normally, beyond a value that most Maori would ever consider. But this one had a particular sentimental value, one Harrison wasn't sure if to show her at all, if it wasn't for the fact he trusted her. After the interviews, conversations, everything, he seemed to get a feel that she wasn't here to stake him out. A rebel in her own way, one he distrusted given her Interior Circuit connections, but for a moment, he wanted to make it clear this was something he promised his last team-mate, now retired and enjoying life in the Chatham Islands.

"I thought I'd give this to you. Tane Lo'fana, the pilot who retired last year left it with me. Said it meant the world to him, but it was more tied to his Waka, his raft, than anything at all. And you're piloting it, so given you look like you're here to stay, I thought I'd pass it on. As a charm. The team don't know that of course, given he retired. But, between us, I thought it would be the right thing to do. Your craft's got a lot of Koru on it, the swirly design. So it pairs to it. I know we're not Kiwis, but....I wonder if we need something else to keep us going faster." Harrison sincerely commented, presenting it in his weathered palm, knowing this might be a bit strange to her. He awaited her response, before brushing his face with his hands, wiping off the sweat, knowing Nora was probably a bit the same, and maybe a little confused why now.

"Look. For what it's worth, I know they look at us and compare us on everything, even if they do tell us to be a team. But, we're going to need everything if we want to beat Amy, and....much as I hate to say it, we may need to work out how, together. And, being honest...Amy hasn't been like this in a while. In that interview, she looked riled up because of you. Like you got under her skin, so many people are talking about you, which means we're two on one with her. She expected you to be good for one race. I want to win that title as much as you do. But, we need to stop her winning it too, whether that's you or me, we need to make sure we knock her off her perch. You with me on that one?" Harrison asked, knowing this was going to be hard.

She was competing with him. But, in that moment, Harrison almost felt like there was something to be done here. Even if perhaps he hadn't known just how far her underworld connection linked into her, doing something more than just pretending everything was fine would need to get them through this.

Christchurch, New Zealand
Southern Cross HQ

“They’ll compare us no matter what, ‘specially with how high we flew the last two races. When I signed on with the team I didn’t expect things to go quite like this, definitely not this fast.” Noras usually hard-edged expression softened into a friendly smile as she took the Pounamu stone pendant that Harrison held out. “I came into this team wanting to do just that, work as a team. The Interior… You don’t have teammates, you have people you use and people who use you. There’s more to it, but that’s what started me on the path out. So yes, I want to work together. Let’s support each other, Harrison, against Apex if nothing else. We can sort out which one of us wins the title after, eh?”

Harrison smiled, with a nod back, knowing Nora was hard to open up, the usually clammed in, stubborn and hyperfocussed pilot was not one that would have normally been receptive. Of course, he was of a similar disposition, and up until now, wasn’t too sure what to make of her. Despite her past, he was willing to give her a chance, and right now, they needed a partnership, not a fight amongst each other to let Amy get any further up the track.
“It’s not easy to trust, especially coming from a place like that. I heard the stories, never touched that scene, but friends tell me the risks are out there. I understand that. Glad we’re on the same page.” Harrison calmly replied, as they headed out of the gym room, the factory visible on the left as they headed through, the sealed off clean-room like aesthetic containing both ships, undergoing maintenance, checks and micro-upgrades between rounds. The artwork on the wall revealed a tapestry that felt more classical than hypermodern, but still, it felt like a chronicle to all things speed. Techs milled around, and various staff members were in and out of rooms, up to their daily work.

Harrison took a moment to look to the mountains, and with it, looking back at the sight of it, then back to Nora. The white-haired rebel that was now in all of the media, all of it, staff sometimes stopping to wave to her, she wasn’t like any rookie Harrison had seen, she seemed to have this instant magnetism, like in spite of her not wanting to conform, it was like the world wanted to simply react to her. He’d never seen anything quite like it. A rebel that fit a team like Southern Cross’s merry band of rebels perfectly. And yet, Harrison knew there was something perhaps to show that he knew she hadn’t quite taken in. All that talk, and yet he had something in mind.

Soundtrack: Etherwood- Illuminate

“You ever been out in the mountains out there?” Harrison asked, looking to the right, and out beyond the large hydroponic towers, the Southern Alps, just starting to get a gentle glaze of snow on them.

“Lucky us, we have a method to get there really, really fast.” He smirked, pointing over at a near-surface anti-gravity ship, like someone had taken a supercar and just attached a core anti-gravity point to it, and an electrically-driven pulse unit driving it. Southern Cross were in the business of making supercraft these days too, perhaps a legacy of McLaren’s automotive that Southern Cross had quasi-swallowed up in time.

“What do you reckon? That one up there, is Ben More. Probably a half hour or so if we stick it on the gravel tracks. Might need a coat though!” Harrison quipped, awaiting Nora’s response. No doubt after living in the desert for a long time, and away from civilization, it might have been a bit out of her comfort zone.

“I reckon I’ll take your advice and grab a coat.” Nora said, making quick work of the jog to her apartment on campus and returning with a warm coat that looked like it had seen little use. She returned in the same casual hurry, waving back when someone waved to her but not stopping to talk. She had an air of excitement about her as she pulled it on over the long sleeve shirt, pants, and boots that she’d also thrown on to replace her usual garb, which most would consider unsuitable for a mountain. “I’ve never been up that high on something natural, so no way am I gonna let a chance like this slip past me.” Nora had always been something of an adrenaline junkie, perhaps unsurprising in their line of work, and outside of established lines was generally eager for new experiences.

Harrison had followed the same, and it was not long after they’d gone away that he was back, changed himself. Nora’s reply was one of enthusiasm, and given he wasn’t sure how she would take it, well, he was just happy she was along for the ride.
“Well, there’s always Marmolada. Air’s a lot thinner. And the Moon? Don’t get me started!” Harrison chuckled, leading her towards it, knowing their way up wasn’t too far when you could go 400kph on a dirt road, leaving no trail behind.

Nora looked nervous at the mention of the Moon, clearly nervous about leaving the atmosphere behind in a race, but shook it off and followed Harrison to the supercar.

---

The Perspective Looking Back
Ben More, New Zealand

Stopping at the top of the mountain at a small ledge below the top, the craft landed gently, the difficulty of navigating a tiny track at least negated by Harrison’s ability to pick a line, and the fact that anti-gravity generators didn’t really worry about slope too much, given friction wasn’t really a problem. Of course, this was a little bit illegal, but putting a supercar-styled craft at the top of a mountain, well, that had to just do.

Clambering out, Harrison wore a sustainably sourced puffy jacket, and instead of shorts had switched to some more suitable trousers and footwear, his mane-like hair blowing in the breeze, as he looked to Nora, walking up the snow, and over the small granite ledge to the top.

And what a view it was. Mile after mile of tussock, bracken, snow topped mountains, lakes, soil, everything. It was hard to not stop and stare, just to take it in, the clouds gently inverting on the landscape of the late morning, leaving an eerie glow on it. A sense of splendor, and perhaps for Harrison, a chance to take it in. Remind himself why it was important. Escaping and running was always fun, but this felt like calm. And worth looking after, in his view. It was a reminder of perhaps that while progress felt rewarding, this had to be worth something in an age of untapped and unstopping change. Layla had her choices to be transhuman, but Harrison almost wanted to sink back into this reality, and keep it alive for others to enjoy too. It was quiet. It wasn’t relentless, it wasn’t solace in finding a machine. It was solace in feeling a gentle breeze of cold, and utter, total silence. That hadn’t changed for millenia.

Silent for a moment, Harrison looked to Nora, before taking a seat in the snow, exhaling, the mist visible on his breathing out.
“What do you reckon?” Harrison asked, looking across to her, knowing she must have been a bit chilly up here, what from going from the desert to the top of an alpine mountain, in little more than months now.

“I’ll be honest, it’s not my first time here. I keep coming back. Not sure what it is. But it’s special.” He added, wondering what her thoughts were, yet knowing Nora seemed weighted from the moment they’d split up and come back here.

As Nora got out, clad in a similar getup, and stepped up to the top, she was silent for long minutes just staring, drinking in the grandiose majesty of the natural wonders stretching out in front of her. As she took it in, she was wearing an odd smile, almost a mixture of regret, and hope. After a while she closed her eyes, and when she opened them she had a different look, one of resolve. Nora sat in the snow near Harrison, and took a moment to sort her words.

“Guess I never did tell anyone here why I wanted out. Not even Uncle Flynn, not that he knew it was me before we met in Alice Springs.” She was silent for another period, almost long enough to sound like she’d stopped, before she continued speaking. “I left because it was hard to trust, sure, but that wasn’t all. I… Well, I had a change of heart. I finally saw what went on in there, and up here? This just reinforces it. Here the natural beauty is… It’s damn endless, and not a mine or sewage stream in sight.” There was anger and regret in her voice, held in check by the iron will that cut through everything Nora was. “I made my own choices there, not gonna try ducking that. Don’t know if the Crew’ll try anything either, my leaving was more ultimatum than negotiation, and even then I needed the help of a… friend, a friendly spider on the inside. They’re the one who called Flynn.”

Harrison listened, a moment of everything leaking out, the fiery, fierce Nora turning to something else, a moment almost of honesty, opening herself up right here and now. The world like this had an effect, as he said nothing, letting the words sink in, reflecting on it. He wasn’t quite sure what to say, what to think, but knew this was some serious business. And that right here, Nora was opening up, something that he knew perhaps nobody would know about, not in the team, not beyond perhaps even family outside of her Uncle.

“Sounds like you made your own call. And the right one. They aren’t people to get tangled up with, and it happened. And at the end of the day, it got you here. Top tier Formula AG team, Nora, and you’re quite literally on top of that world too. If they pester you, there’s a lot of people that can help, and would stop them getting through. So look forwards to that future, and try not to let it get to you.” Harrison gently replied, knowing it may not be much, but it was something.

“I hope you’re right. You’ve heard of them, clearly, but I’ve known them. They’re insidious, and more resourceful that y’might expect. But, yeah. I’m not alone now. Still… still getting used to that. Just hope these wings don’t turn out t’be wax, you know?”

Harrison shrugged, knowing that no doubt Nora had her worries, yet, in some way, he tried to focus on positives. As loose as they were, perhaps he wasn’t entirely wrapping his head into how screwed this was, but he was able to get some grasp.
“Well, these wings bring attention. And it means you’re hard to keep quiet, or do anything to easily. So if they try something, it won’t be so simple. I know it’ll be hard, but don’t forget you have a team behind you. We look after our own here. It may not feel like it sometimes, but I appreciate you confiding in me.” The male Aussie’s reply was a slow start, but he felt he was getting the words out now.

“Just keep doing what you do best, Nora. You’re clearly bloody good at it. And like you said. We’ll sort it out when we get there. They’ll need to go pretty fast to keep up with you.” Harrison added a little levity at the end, chuckling, sighing as he looked out to the horizon, and the cloud gently peeling on the mountains, the lake a crystalline blue, and framing the more distant, and even larger mountains in the Southern Alps behind.

“Someone, maybe related to them, maybe not, wanted to mine that valley down there. There’s a massive store of lithium and gold that you could dig up, you could strip it and set up an operation with thousands and thousands of tonnes for export. There’s good environmental protection here in New Zealand, maybe a bit better than home. But, it was the right thing to do, stopping them. Keeping it this way is important. More than I can put into words. And that’s why I can’t trust people like that at all. They’d ruin it all. Tear it apart, maybe in a way, they’ll just move onto people when they run out of nature to tear apart. People like you, Nora. So I can forgive you for walking away. But I’ll see them as the bastards who want to turn this to another ruin. Enough of that happened. And sometimes from people that are even on the grid now, they’ll not acknowledge what they did in their bit. Not enough people thinking about fixing what’s broken, too many wanting a new shiny toy, or something, or someone, to exploit. People have that too much in common.” Harrison mused, perhaps his own views melting out a little, given he’d been rather opinionated on it. And not just their operations, but many, many others. Harrison was therefore not someone covered in sponsors for that reason, but one of the few on the grid, like Astrid, perhaps a little like Cassie, that had some reflection on what they were looking at.

“You’re right, I don’t exactly do quiet well.” Nora laughed through the words as she regained some of her usual demeanor. “Too right, though, we’re not exactly a back alley operation or anything, and we’re some of the fastest out there.” Nora took another long look at the natural landscape. She knew why some people would want to ruin it. They didn’t care for the beauty, or for the future past growing their balance. But she was glad that there were people like Harrison fighting to preserve it, and to fix what was rotten. “Evils common as dirt, Harrison. But so is good, and you’re an example of that. An example that I’d do well to keep in mind. Thank you for listening.”

“Nah, but neither do I. Being quiet, that is. But it makes it more fun that way, doesn’t it!” Harrison chuckled in response, nodding in response to Nora, shrugging in response to her comments on the team, then on himself.
“Well, I’d say I have a long way to go. But, could be worse. Could be a girl who thinks she’s untouchable, and has a silver coloured craft, right? Or has test tube blood? I mean, I like this imperfection a little!” His usual wry wit came back, as he looked out, smiling almost as if he had cracked something through, like this was a bit better than some team bonding. It had been hard for him to go past his ego, past his confidence, to do something like this. But it felt right, it felt worth it. Better than just siloing away, in a rare moment of all the noise and work they had, having a bit of time felt like it was paying dividends. And well, perhaps whilst the want to beat Amy was deep on his mind, at the least he could look inward rather than try the same insanity again and again. And well, Nora had her own demons, that much worried Harrison, but he guessed anyone from that background had to have something. But he’d pissed off plenty and gotten away with it, right?

“Right then. They’re probably wondering why we’re not going in the sim. Ready to go?” Harrison asked, the Aussie’s tone back to work, drawing his glass-framed phone and grabbing a 360 still, cutting out the craft behind, and sending it to his socials, with no tags, or anything at all attached. A bit cryptic, but then again, Harrison preferred it that way. A quiet bit of contemplation, and well, it was on brand.

“Hah! Yeah, let’s show that silver bullet why nobody is untouchable.” Nora smiled as Harrison kept talking. She had needed to tell him this, and to get it off her own chest, and that’d never been something she was particularly good at. As Harrison got up, Nora did as well, brushing off the snow as she nodded her agreement. The boys at base might have words for them about ducking out, but she felt this had been the right choice. She didn’t notice him taking a picture until later, having turned back for one last look at the grand display of nature. As the two of them returned to the Southern Cross facilities, Nora's thoughts wandered to a connection she had let atrophy for some years. Maybe… Maybe something could be done about that yet.

---

Reaching Out

Nora had found some time that evening, the evening of the same day that she’d gone to the mountain with Harrison. She sat at her desk in her apartments within the SC facility, staring at the “Start Call” button as she worked up the courage to reach out to the woman she’d cut off five years ago. As she pressed call, her mind was running in circles. Would she even pick up? She’d said some pretty hateful things back then, if- well, she’d understand if her mother didn’t pick up.

click

“This is Mrs. Kelly, who’s calling?” The slightly brusk voice belonged to a woman in her forties, and was a clear example of what Nora would sound like in twenty years.

“H-” Nora coughed, her mouth suddenly bone dry. “Hi, mom. Long time.” There was a long pause on the other end of the line, one that made Noras hands sweat the longer it stretched.

“NORA!? Of all the-!” The woman on the other end started, her voice a mixture of pain, anger, and surprise, before Nora cut her off. “Yes, and before you start, I’m- I’m sorry. You were right, you and dad both. They fed my anger, it- I turned and bit people that just wanted to help. The Crew fed my worst instincts, and by the time I saw through it I was in too deep. I got out, but I hurt you, and dad, and everyone else. I just- I want to fix it, or try. I know it’ll be some hard yakka.”

Silence ruled the call once again as Ellen Kelly, who was as stubborn as her daughter and both knew, watched as her daughter reached out over something she’d thought neither would back down on. When Ellen spoke again it was a more reasonable volume, though her voice was still heavy with emotion. “You are my daughter. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of you, but you’re damn right it’ll be a hard yakka. I expect you’ll be coming home then?”

“About that… I’m going to Tokyo next weekend for a race-” Nora started to explain before she was cut off in turn. “You’re still racing? But you said you got out of those bastards paws!” Ellen said, some of the fire returning to the older womans voice.

“Don’t spit the dummy mom! I’m racing with Southern Cross now. You know, the team in New Zealand that Uncle Flynn was always bangin’ on about. I can come home for a visit after the race in Tokyo, and I’ll even bring you a souvenir.” Nora rushed to get ahead of her mothers temper and explain herself, as she wondered if Flynn had told his sister anything.

“Flynn? Oh that rat bastard, I knew he looked smug last Friday! Tell you what, he’ll join us when you come home after Tokyo. That Wednesday, and we’ll make it a barbecue.” Ellens voice promised mischief for Flynn and Nora both, and Nora had a lot of work to do, but Ellen would burn in hell before she turned a child of hers away, especially her oldest daughter.

“I- That- Um, yes mom.” Nora was still reeling from her mothers reaction. She’d been sure her mother hated her for what she said, or for what she did that Ellen might’ve heard about on the news or social media. But no, there was her mother, inviting her to a barbeque. “Love you mom. I, uh, I need to get some sleep, but… talk to you soon?”

“I’ll see you when you come to visit if we don’t talk earlier. You know my number. Use it more, reckon?”

After hanging up, Nora stared at the video phone again, processing what had just happened. She wasn’t forgiven, but she hadn’t expected that. Not immediately, anyways. But there was a chance. She still had a home, and a family.

---

Nora Kelly @NitroNora:
”Back home in Christchurch with another Silver, and a double podium for @SouthernCrossAG!
#SouthernCrossAG #DeltaHyper #FormulaAG #PodiumFinish”

---

Somewhere in Alice Springs, Australia

Back in a familiar, smoke-filled, well appointed office, two men in expensive suits shared drinks as they watched the results from the Lions Head Circuit roll past on screen, and what they’d made off of bets. One of the men, a bald, muscle bound man in a well-tailored suit, spoke, breaking the silence that had held sway while the replays had run. His voice was rough and gravelly, and held a threatening note at all times.

“Well well, looks like our little dust devil is doing well for herself among the stars.”

Regalia

@Mirandae Really sorry for the sudden 180, but some IRL stuff has come up, and as such I need to back out of this RP. I told rabidbacon they are welcome to use the WIP stuff I provided them as background or NPC material as they see fit, as well

Regalia

For the record, if it becomes a problem I'm in favor of dropping the NPC addon in favor of the PC connection

Regalia

<Snipped quote by Sylvan>

Would you like to collaborate? It might be interesting if a nation has 2 Regalias in its clutches.

Also, I like how your Regalia is into disaster cleanup - would you like a relation/connection? One angle I ca
see here is that my character is forced to work alongside yours as a form of community service, and Leviathan being all about water, it sounds like it works well hand in hand.

@rabidbacon

So it's funny you should mention that, and I'd be happy to work with you as well, but I have also already been writing Votara as having the Regalias of Ramuh (Lighting) and Garuda (Wind) working together, with the Regalia of Garuda an NPC unless they get nabbed by a player later. I'll send you a DM and we can put our heads together on this one!

Regalia

Is anyone considering Votara or Dalmasca? Am considering changing my character's home to a place with more rivers.

@rabidbacon

I'm currently writing up Votara for my character

Regalia

I really like this nation and character concept a lot. What was your thoughts process around wanting to make Ramuh female? Was there a conceptual or thematic choice for that change?

@Aeolian

Honestly? I'm just more comfortable writing female characters as my primary character(s) for an RP (not counting NPCs etc), and I want to be careful about managing burnout so I don't crash out. Not much of a subversion, sorry

Regalia

<Snipped quote by Aeolian>

We're thinking that it's a totalitarian theocracy, and wouldn't approve of any nation who didn't recognise Ultima as a figure of high reverence. Think of it, a little bit, like crusaders of old, wherein Ultima-worshipping templars maintain her balance through any means necessary, keeping her light burning by extinguishing what they percieve as darkness.... Not sure they'd wage holy war for no good reason, but if anyone had a nation that they think might have a testy history, could be interesting?

@Tlaloc

...We're going to make for interesting neighbors lmao.

I've been writing up Votara as a progressive, technological nation that has stayed fairly neutral in recent conflicts, and whos resident Regalia of Ramuh has been involved in disaster cleanup and rescue operations worldwide, to keep the description short.