Resort Island - Gearing Up

[The Huggernaut]

Resort Island had a lot of stores for tourists, music stores, souvenir stands, restaurants of all shapes and sizes, and some ice cream shops here and there. But there was one store that was a bit new. The building wasn't new at all, having been a deli, a (small) clothing store, and a pawn shop.

But for about a year now, it had been Turbulent Venture, a store selling Extreme Gear, the now newest fad in transportation. The store didn't have the same kind of selection as larger shops, but in the last six months, it'd gotten something that helped even the playing field.

A fossa who had a SERIOUS thing for modding Extreme Gear. He was good at it, and had started offering the service to customers. As a result, he'd helped bring the store back from the brink of bankruptcy. Which was probably the only reason he still had a job.

Considering at the moment he was behind the counter, earbuds in her ears, and his head on his arms. And snoring.

Asleep on the job.

Again. At least he usually woke up when customers came in.

[@ Dizzy @]

The sound of various Spanish curses preceded Carmen long before the otter got to the door. There was nearly smoke pouring from her ears, and her hands were curled tight into fists, white-knuckle and pressed to her sides. People on the sidewalk took one look and got out of her way.

She swung the door to Turbulent Venture open, huffing out through her nostrils. Her head was still pounding, and she just wanted to do something to get her mind clear. She needed a race, and there was one person she knew to go to for it.

"Skater! Skaaaater! Wake up!"

[The Huggernaut]

At the yelling, Skater's head jerked up, and he made an indistinct, startled noise, mixed with something sounding like "I wasn't asleep!" before he tumbles off his chair behind the counter with a loud thud.

For a long moment, there's only silence from his direction, before he peeks over the counter. "Oh. It's you, chica. 'Sup?" The fossa stood, and blinked as he got a better look at the angry otter.

"Whoa... you finally throw down with your boss?"

[@ Dizzy @]

Good ol' Skater. Right to the point. "Yes. Some guy robbed the store, I tried to help and I got beat up, insulted and accused of stealing. So I quit." The ground tilted suddenly, and she blinked, her balance shifting to match what she thought was the ground. "Er... So yeah. I'm out one job and mad as hell. Race with me after your shift, huh?"

[The Huggernaut]

Skater was never one to turn down a race, but that wobble didn't look good. And she said she got beat up.

"You sure ya shouldn't be seein' a doctor?"

[@ Dizzy @]

"Nah, nah, I'm fine." She waved her hand nonchalantly. "I just need to burn off some ad-ad... you know, the stuff, you get it when you're mad or... racin' or..." She drifted off, blinking a few times. "You know the word. Anyway..." She grinned at him, leaning on the counter with her chin resting against her palms. "How much time do you have left?"

[The Huggernaut]

"Not long." The fossa glanced at the clock. "Boss said I could close up if it was slow. And it's been TOTALLY slow, chica." He groaned, letting his head rest on the counter.

[@ Dizzy @]

"You too? Maybe the island to island transport is broken down or something." She rebalanced herself on the moving ground. "So, let's close up shop and hit the tracks. I just need to do something with all this energy." Standing still at a register for 8 hours was never her idea of fun; not to mention the forced performances. She'd wanted to bring her skates to work and be a 'waitress on wheels' so to speak, but that had never happened. Ah well.

"Also, see if your manager doesn't need an adorable gear and surfing enthusiast to man the register."

[The Huggernaut]

Blinking at Carmen attempting to keep her balance, the fossa raised an eyebrow. "Yer lookin a bit wobbly, chica. It wouldn't be fair ta race ya like that."

Of course, he was closing up the register, and putting the money inside in a safe as he spoke, glancing up at her again.

"I'll see what I can do, though."

[@ Dizzy @]

"Tch. I'm not wobbly, I'm fine. All I needs' a good race and a cold drink. But no ice cream. Not for a year." She grinned, and slowly hovered away from the counter, backwards. "I'll be outside stretching. Don't forget to bring your game." She slid out the door, before dropping into a squat and stretching her long legs in preparation for the race.

[The Huggernaut]

Adjusting his hat, Skater waited until Carmen was outside, before lifting what looked like a brand new Extreme Gear, a board, from behind the counter. "I'm bringin more than my game. I'm bringin my baby, chica."

With a small smirk. the fossa then headed outside, leaning the board against the wall by the door as he started locking the door, back to the stretching girl behind him.

[@ Dizzy @]

Carmen stood and stretched her arms high over her head, leaning to one side, then the other. "Hey. That's new..." Her eyes had fallen on his new board. Something about it looked oddly familiar to her. She crouched to take a better look, head half tilted. Then she grinned, eyes lighting up.

"Skater, did you- did you mod a surfboard, you mad genius?"

[The Huggernaut]

Ah. There was the reaction he wanted. With a laugh, he turned, picking up the board.

"No way, chica. A surfboard wouldn't stand up to the stresses Gear can. But..." He grinned, holding the board up so she could get a better look. "I DID borrow the shape. I call 'er Hang Ten."

[@ Dizzy @]

"Hang Ten, huh?" She grinned, eyeing the streamlined shape that she was more familiar with in the water. "I didn't even consider using a different shape for an airboard... Maybe if you made me one like this, I'd board better!" She'd loved to ice skate as a child; the air skates reminded her of that. While she could, and did airboard on occasion, it merely reminded her of how much she'd rather be surfing. Even though the boards looked similar, an airboard track and a good wave were two different beasts.

"So, I get to be her test runner. I'll put her through her paces, trust me." She leaned down and dusted off her skates, wincing slightly at the way the ground wobbled. She'd gotten her "Kiss the Sky" pair about a month after Skater had started to work at the store. They were lighter than the usual fare, enabling her to get some wonderful hangtime, and really show her stuff.

[The Huggernaut]

Taking a practiced runner's stance, the fossa grinned at her. "Oh, I know you will. I'm countin' on it. Where's the finish line gonna be?" He adjusted his grip on the board, ready to toss it ahead of him once he got a good running start.

Although... the idea of a board was tickling at the back of his mind. Maybe he WOULD make a board for her. She seemed more comfortable on the waves anyway...

But he'd worry about that AFTER the race.

[@ Dizzy @]

Carmen crouched down, fingertips poised on the ground. One leg was bent under her, the other extended behind. A classic runner's crouch.

"How about our usual spot on the beach? First one there buys lunch, how's that sound?"

[The Huggernaut]

Skater just shrugged. All their races involved the loser buying the food. "Sounds good to me." The fosa grinned, holding up three fingers.

Two.

One.

And then her took off, tossing the board forward, and leaping onto it as the sensors in its underside activated, before he took off down the street in a rush of air.

[@ Dizzy @]

As Skater's fingers went down, Carmen's body tensed. As soon as the one fell, she thrust herself off the sidewalk, starting off with a burst before starting the steady, rhythmic skating to boost her speed. Her head started to pound in unison with her weaving, but she ignored it.

The race was on.

[The Huggernaut]

When it came to the start of the race, the advantage of a board was obvious. They took less effort to get going, which gave the fossa the lead...

But Carmen's skates, and their owner, were lighter than Hang Ten and Skater, so the small gap between them had a very good chance of getting a LOT smaller. Of course, Hang ten had been built for speed, too, so... there were a lot of variables.

Including the ones added by a certain hyena earlier.

[@ Dizzy @]

The thing Carmen liked most about her skates is the amount of freedom they offered her. Skater had the starting advantage, but she could go places with her skates that his board would be too big to follow. Striding along just behind Skater, she crouched low to pick up speed, then launched herself off the ground- right at a wall.

Her skates hit sideways, and she took one, two, three long strides on the wall, before kicking off and floating in a graceful arc right above Skater's head. Her body twisted gracefully in the air, like some kind of upside down ballerina. For a few brief, wonderful seconds, she flew. It never got old. This is why she'd dubbed her skates "Kiss the Sky". She landed in front of Skater backwards, long enough to flash him a wink, then turn mid-stride and keep on going.

[The Huggernaut]

Skater did hear the rush of air as Carmen leaped from the street, sparing a glance upward to catch a glimpse of Carmen sailing over his head. The sight couldn't help but make him grin. After all, Extreme Gear were meant to let you ride on air.

Carmen was just better at it than a lot of people he knew. He answered her landing smirk with one of his own, a knowing one, as she turned back around. The fossa was up to something. Something that became clear as Carmen's Gear, like an other, started forming a wake behind it, that Skater was riding on, his board beginning to ride a little higher off the ground. That wake became a "half-pipe" of turbulence, kicking up debris around the two racers, that would never touch them, forced aside by the winds surrounding both of them.

It was HIS turn to fly. His board, picking up speed as the strain was taken off its hovering thrusters, began quickly gaining on Carmen, and for a moment, it looked like the fossa was going to add to her injuries by slamming into the middle of her back. Except at the last moment, he jinked Hang Ten to the side, and "grinded" the edge of the turbulence for a moment, before he was launched into the air, performing an inverted helicopter spin, and a rather cocky wave, before flipping his board forward, and hitting the ground, sticking the landing moments before dashing ahead to gain some distance.

"Seeya at the beach, chica!"

[@ Dizzy @]

Carmen gasped lightly as Skater's shadow passed over her head, and he hit the ground ahead of her. "You suck, man!" It was an insult with love, though, Skater raced clean. No pushing or shoving, or any other nasty tricks that could get a racer seriously hurt. No, he was all about the real joy of the thing, speed against speed.

Her ears rang as she crouched low, trying to catch his turbulence and repeat his trick. She could probably double his spins with her own, but first she had to get up there. She started to stride, arms tucked behind her, legs coasting the ground.

What was that ringing noise, anyway?

[The Huggernaut]

Of course, not being inside Carmen's head, Skater was unaware of any ringing in the otter's ears, his own folded back as he heard Carmen closing in on him. So she was gonna ride his turbulence this time, huh?

With a grin, he glanced back, then started weaving back and forth, his turbulence carrying the otter with it as he moved.

[@ Dizzy @]

Oh, wonderful, he was trying to throw her off. She lowered her body, letting herself be moved by his turbulence until the right moment came. Her light weight could be a hindrance, but she was determined to make it work for her. She bit her lip, and on Skater's next weave, she pushed herself off to the side, using the slingshot effect to break out of his wake and nearly even herself with him.
The ringing was loud. Her fingers were all tingly too, along with her ears. She shook her head side to side, trying to shake it off. That made the ringing increase, a constant "Eeeee" in her ears like microphone feedback.

[The Huggernaut]

Sparing a glance as Carmen drew up next to him, the fossa felt another rush of concern. It didn't really seem like this was helping clear her head. If anything, it looked like she was getting worse.

"You sure you're ok, Carmen?" Another sign he was really worried. He used her name, rather than his usual "chica".

[@ Dizzy @]

"I'm fine!" Is what she meant to say.

What actually came out of her mouth was a mumble. "Umfaa..." She had to... do something. Brake. Stop... But her legs felt so weak, and her face was tingling, and the ringing was starting to drown everything out. She held her arms out in front of her, as the ground beneath her shoes started to careen and twist. Her vision started to darken, and she had no fuel left to stop it.

"Skater..." Even her mouth didn't want to work. "I think I need.. help." Her eyes shut, and everything went black.

[The Huggernaut]

Say what? That doesn't sound good. This was the thought that went through Skater's mind as her turned to look at Carmen, as he saw her start to topple forward.

That's REALLY not good! To his credit, while his earlier judgment had left something to be desired, his reflexes now were nothing short of impressive. In a sequence that would probably baffle more Gearists trying to mimic it, the Foss had hit the brakes on his Gear, while twisting it to the side, so that it would be across the otter's path.

He felt, rather than saw the skates catch the edge of his board, sending Carmen forward, onto Skater's waiting forearms, which, as he brought his arms up, rolled her over so that he was carrying her in what was usually referred to as 'bridal' style. It's not like she would notice the sudden movements right now. His next act, after sparing a glance down to make sure she was breathing, was to take off for the hospital.