The type of design taken from the original Mach V , was referred to as a straight line. On straight line, shiny scale was in a streamline strip that pushed
all trapar back in a single straight line. These boards, considerably less stable than the V scale, were built for speed and maneuverability. They were the preferred boards for professional lifters. The Trixter 400, Tri-star Infinity, and Airbrush were all straight line boards. Wide-butt's were made with the whole back end of the board covered in shiny scale. This allowing trapar to be reflected in bulk and made for a very smooth ride, with a huge trapar trail. Jiko drifter was the only widebutt available at the moment. But Ao's company was working on its sequal, the Jolly drifter.
Super's were Nirvash lifting's newest release to the world. They were superior to the other boards in every way. Firstly the boards shiny scale was top quality, reflecting the greatest amount of trapar as possible. Secondly they had a trapar charging battery installed in the back end of the board. This battery, the precursor to the "Pulser" they were working on now, sent a low frequency charge into the shiny scale of the board charging all particles reflected and giving the board unrivaled speed and grace. Supers, once widely distributed would be easily identified by their bight tails, and their obvious ease in the air. The store that Ao was at right now was one of only three stores that sold the Star Master Z3, the first and only super. They were rare. Rare and expensive.
Makato had been asking for a straight line type board because of its popularity with his favorite lifters, but Ao new the boy might find the board a little more challenging than what he imagined.
Ao picked up the just released Star Master Z3. Its shiny scale was brilliantly colored with polarized reflected light. Normally the board would be to much for the novice lifter, but set onto its lowest lift setting, Ao was sure that it would glide perfectly under the boys feet. He went up to to the front desk and ordered one black and gold Star Master Z3, set on beginners mode. The clerk at the front smiled at Ao and rubbed his hands with excitement.
"Getting the Super for somebody you know Grandfather AO?"
Ao got out his wallet and look apathetically at the young man. "Yes I am. And im in a hurry, so could you make this quick?"
The clerk winked at Ao, and took his platinum credit card, sliding it through the side of his register before returning it to AO.
"Anything for you, , i'll have it ready for you in just a moment".
The peppy cashier rushed through the double doors behind the register to where all the inventory was kept, and was back within a couple of minutes.
"here you go sir" he said handing a packaged Star Master Z3 over to Ao, a wide grin still on his face. "I gotta tell you, one of my brothers friends got one of those when they first came out a couple of weeks ago, and he said riding on that was like riding on a rocket with stars for fuel"
Ao ignored him a took the board out of its package, checking it over, making sure the board was in good condition and the charging system wasn't defective.
Everything seemed ok.
"You know, with you being the creator of the board and all, its a wonder you couldn't have gotten the board for free."
"They don't give handouts to anyone where i work" Ao said, as he lifted the Star Master and began to walk away. "and I'm not really all that into handouts anyways".
Ao quickly made his way out of the store, with the entire crew bidding him farewell and telling him to come again. It wouldn't be anytime soon. He had lied to the young peppy clerk. They actually did give Ao basically anything he asked for at work, so him coming to a store personally like this was rare. But both the office and the workshop were closed today, so he really didn't have any choice but to come here. Nevertheless he had to protect his image with the lifting community. He was creator of the reflection board. Dubbed "Grandfather Ao" because of it. He couldn't allow himself to be seen any other light but a positive one.
Once he got back to his Fp, he checked the time. It was 5:47! Aya would be leaving for her grandparents house within 13 minutes! Ao threw the Star Master into the back seat of his Transluca, and took off out of the mall parking lot, nearly hitting another car turning the corner onto the main street. Luckily, Aya's house was only a couple of blocks away from the mall. Ao had no idea what he was going say at first to Aya, but he tried hard not to think about it as he sped down the streets to her house.
There was a bakery in the strip center right before her house, he pulled up outside of it and dashed inside to grab a box of cookies. He was back out in a flash, and still had five minutes left. Her town home complex was in site.
The next moment Ao fukai pulled up into the front of her home blowing a sigh of relief. Her car was in the driveway. She was home. She was probably getting her little brother ready, nagging him to stop playing his game station and get dressed. Ao smiled fondly at the front door of Aya's house. One month wasn't a long time at all in Ao's book, but somehow, looking at the familiar oak door of Aya's tiny town home he felt as if he hadn't been here in a lifetime. He shook himself out of the spell and got out of his Transluca, fixing his shirt up a best he could. He was sweating a tiny bit and his deodorant was spilling its scent all over him. He grabbed the Packaged Z3 out of the back, and the cookies out of the front, and carried both up to the doorstep. Aya, had a miniature "Santa-San" and "Rudolph the red nosed reindeer" placed on either side of her door. Below Ao's feet, was a doormat with the words "Meri Kurisumasu" written out in kanji. She didn't have as much out as they usually had. In previous years, the two would cover the entire front of the house with twinkling multicolored lights, wreaths, and other decorations. This year the door mat and the two miniatures were all she had up. Ao silently blamed himself for this as he knocked on the door.
*pap pap pap pap pap*
His heart hung on the end of the knock like an ornament, delicately clinging to the branch of a beautiful tree by a thin string. There was a long moment silence, which went on to be unbroken. His heart fell. But he picked up his hand and knocked again.
*pap pap pap*
-silence-
He rung the door bell, a couple of times. Her doorbell was uncommonly loud, and could be heard outside the door like it had rang inside. Makato porbably had his game up too loud and she couldn't hear him knock. A full minute passed and still nothing. Ao pressed his ear against the door, and tryed listening for anything. But the house was dead quiet. He pounded the door and called out aya's name, his voice ringing out in the eve's cold air. There was no response. Ao ran his hand through his hair and looked back at the night behind him. It looked lonely and uninviting. Depression started to seep in somewhere from the back recesses of Ao's mind. He wouldn't be able to see Aya tonight, and it was likely that she would stay at her grandparents for the entire next two weeks. She would be indoors by now, sipping her grandmothers famous hot sweet milk and trading stories with her grandmother. Stories that most likely include how Ao Fukai was a complete jerk.
By the time she got back, he would be waist deep in work again, and most likely wouldn't be able to give her the time she wanted and deserved. Ao's head swam with dispair, and his legs turned to jelly. He collapsed in a heap onto the doorstep. He had on the brink of asking this girl to spend the rest of his life with him, and now all he could think of was how he was going to lose her. Just like Naru, his grandfather and everyone else. A decision he had made, was going to cost him his world. Emotion swept through him from his chest, to his throat, and then finally on through to his eyes. Hot tears welled up onto his face in the freezing night. Ao would have counted around a dozen of them before he fell asleep right there, with his back against Aya's door. Heart defeated.
Blackness. All ao could see was blackness. All he could feel was emptiness. Emptiness, and the cold. He felt very cold. And something very light. It touched him, on where he imagined to be his nose. And then again on his ear. What was that? He couldn't see, but he could feel the feather weight perpetrator continue to barrage him with its light winks. He could of sworn he heard a car door shut somewhere out of the darkness followed by the sound of a car driving away. And then out of the darkness he heard Aya's Voice call to him.
"AO! What are you doing here?"
It was Aya. Ao realized he must have fallen asleep on the her doorstep, and he was now dreaming of her returning to him. Ao smiled to himself in the cold darkness. She sounded like an angel. He didn't care that it was cold now. He didn't care that this was just a dream. He was happy.
"what's Ao doing here Aya?" said a voice that Ao pinned as that of Makato's.
"I don't know Makato"
A pair of footsteps sounded up the stairs stopping in front of Ao.
"wake him up Makato"
"What? why? He's your boyfriend you do it"
"Makato!" Aya gave the demanding tone. Ao had always loved when she'd get that tone. What had been touching him earlier was now raining down on him in full force.
"Fine" "Ao, Hey Ao!"
Ao felt a little finger poke his cheek. Slowly he recognized that he had to open his eyes, and did so slowly. Makato was crouched down eye to eye with him, staring at Ao with intensely excited eyes.
"Hey" Ao said, still feeling half-awake.
"Is that mine?" Makato said, pointing to the box leaning on Ao's shoulder.
"Makato don't be rude." His sister barked. "Ao, would you please move?"
"What ? Oh... ah yeh"
Ao suddenly became aware of his surroundings as he moved to get up and out of the way. Slowly he stood, and looked around. The ground was covered in snow that poured endlessly from the sky. The phantom featherweight he had been feeling was snow. Aya had opened the door to let Makato inside shouting after him that he needs to get ready for bed. "and make sure to brush your teeth!"
She turned back to Ao, arms crossed with a worried look on her face. "Ao why are you here?"
Ao was still shocked from seeing his lover seemingly magically appear in front of him.
"I..I came for you." He stammered. "I thought you left to your grandparents so i sat down for a second.. i guess i fell asleep. Why are you here?" Ao still wasn't sure if he was in a dream or not.
"My grandparents came into town this time, we all met up at my sister's house for dinner. You know, the one you don't like? She didn't have enough room for all of us so we came back." She gave him a reluctant look.
"Ao you said it was over between us. You broke it off. You did!"
"I know" Ao said hoarsely, emotion starting to creep up into his throat. "But I've just been under so much pressure at work recently. I didn't mean what i said back then. I didn't mean any of it!"
"Ao i hadn't seen you in so long, and when you finally came around, you.." Her voice trailed off and she looked like she was about to cry. Ao's heart dived.
"I know, I know. But.." He looked at Aya and he felt as if he really did know. Not about how bad she had felt in his absence, but about how he felt about her right then standing in the the doorway to a home he had shared so many memories in.
"Aya." Ao said, heart coloring his words with meaning. "I love you."
He stared at her as he said this, and she returned his stare. As she broke into tears, Ao stepped forward, and she fell into his arms sobbing out her heartbreak. Ao felt as if his life's meaning had been returned to him. The young woman that was now buried in his chest now, was the woman that he had fell in love with. And Ao was pretty sure, that not to long from this moment, he would ask Aya Kuragawa to give him this meaning he felt for the rest of his life.
Aya looked up into Ao's eyes, tears reflecting the smile of joy she wore on her face. And raising up onto her tippie toes, she gave Ao a simple kiss. The first one he had got in a months time.
"Merry Christmas Ao Fukai" She said softly.
It was without a doubt the best Christmas present he had ever received.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOOXOXOXOXXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Merry Christmas PPL! :D
Epilogue on the way :}