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When the characters of the movie Top Gun
spoke those famous words… “I feel the need… the need for speed!”… they
had no idea that they would, one day, be the inspiring words for one
Xavier Norman.
Xavier was born February 7th, 1978.
All in all, he was a fairly average baby; however, by the time he was
twelve months, he was already nearly two feet tall, and by the age of
2 years he was just topping off 36 inches even. And besides being so
tall for his age, he was also quite intelligent… speaking whole words
by thirteen months, and complete, intelligible sentences by the time
he was 2 and a half. Perhaps his parents should’ve known what career
he would one day pursue, considering his first word was “go.” And not
just as in “go forward,” either… this is what he called cars. “Go’s.”
And he dearly loved his go’s; playing with them every chance he got,
crashing them together, racing them, either alone or with his father.
By the time he was three, he began to get interested in trains as
well, and later that year he was caught trying to figure out how his
father’s car worked… so he could take it for a spin around the block,
he said. For his fourth birthday, he announced that he wanted a
motorcycle. He settled for a bicycle instead, but had it taken away
when, two weeks later, he broke his arm after tying the bike to the
back of a car stopped at a red light, hoping it would pull him.
Stories like this could fill an entire room of bookshelves, and
probably run out of room by the time he was sixteen, and could
actually, legally, drive.
Never was there a more bald father in this world…
nor were there more bald policemen in any one city… than when Xavier
Norman got his driver’s license.
Now, Xavier’s hometown already had a bit of a
drag scene in it, and the young man wanted desperately to get involved
in it. However, even with the good grades he got in school, he knew
his parents would never buy him the kind of car he wanted. A .426
Dodge Charger. And so, he got himself a job, working every day after
school, and every day in the summer, in order to get the money to buy
himself a Charger. Were it not for their fears, his parents would’ve
actually BOUGHT him one, so that he didn’t have to work himself so
hard… but had they known, they’d still not have done it, fearing that
Xavier would get himself killed racing it. And finally, just before
his eighteenth birthday, he had the money, and bought a used, but
good-condition, Charger from a local man, who had a family and didn’t
need such a fast car. Midnight blue, it was, with a hardtop
convertible and an air regulator on the front. It was everything
Xavier had ever dreamed of, and that very night, he went to the strip
to test what he had against the best drivers in the county.
Little did he know what was about to happen to
him.
There were four of them on the line… unusual,
perhaps, but that’s how they preferred to do it here. And when Xavier
pulled up, his car looking almost brand new from the wax job he had
given it, the crowd actually stopped talking as one unit, and just
watched him. With a smirk and a nod, he pulled up to the line,
challenging the three cars already there, without even saying a word.
In some situations, in some places, this would’ve been very
dangerous. But not here. These were men of honor, and rather than
get mad, they took his challenge, and prepared to show this new little
punk who the kings of the road really were. The scantily clad woman
in front… yes, there’s always a scantily clad woman in front with a
handkerchief, or something similar, in her hand… smiled to him, and
dropped her handkerchief, signifying the beginning of the race.
Without hesitation, Xavier slammed his car into second gear, and
peeled out, actually shattering the windshield and busting the
radiator of the car next to him with the rocks he threw up. (Later,
he volunteered to help pay for the damage, as he NEVER meant to do
anything like that.) This left only two other cars to contend with.
Within a few moments, he was already in sixth, and was moving almost
neck-to-neck with the other cars, slowly starting to creep ahead. And
then… an accidental move caused by a raccoon in the road, though no
one but the other driver could’ve known that at the time… one of the
other cars swerved, heading straight for the deep blue Charger at
about 100 MPH. Seeing this, and knowing that the only thing he could
do… swerve… would probably flip his car, Xavier just held on tight to
his steering wheel, and prayed. He could feel his own heartbeat,
almost feel the adrenaline-filled blood pumping through every vein in
his body…
And, at that moment, time seemed to almost stand
still.
For a second, Xavier thought this was just his
life flashing through his eyes, or the slow-motion feeling people talk
about just before they get into a serious accident. But in the few
seconds he had, it was as if he could sense the exact moment of
destiny… the exact time when the two cars were to collide. More than
that, he could feel the exact timing he would need to get OUT of the
situation, and exactly where this opening was. Using this enigmatic
knowledge, he was able to slowly maneuver his Charger out of the way
of the offending vehicle, and, somehow, manage to win the race. Of
course, once it was over, he did not believe in what had happened, and
just assumed it had been his instincts kicking in to save his life.
So did everyone else, and he was hailed as the King of the Strip, a
title he held for three years against any comers.
But it was six months later when he realized what
had happened was no mere instinctive response, when another incident
just like this one occurred. He had recently purchased a motorcycle…
a racing bike… with some of the money he’d won on the strip. And,
while on a nearby track, some idiot was hot-rodding around without
CLUE what they were doing, and cut across the lanes, nearly slamming
right into Xavier. From across the track, he could see it coming, and
again he felt his adrenaline pumping… and, with that same desire for
more time, he found that, again, the moment of destiny was revealed to
him. And this time, there was an added bonus… for as he grabbed the
rabbit’s foot that hung from his wrist, and squeezed it for good luck,
he found that something else was happening. He found he could see the
world around him with greater visual acuity, and was able to spot
exactly where to go for a clear path… well, that, mixed with his
intuitive skills, anyway. When Xavier stopped, he realized that
something was happening to him, and that he had to figure it out.
For the next two and a half years, he did this…
tried to figure it all out. Slowly, but surely, he began to put
certain things together. He figure out that, somehow, he could
manipulate the forces of time, as well as space, in ways that
shouldn’t be possible, but, as time had proved, most definitely WERE.
However, it wasn’t until the end of this two and a half years that he
actually figured out what was going on. He’d just sat down on his
bed, and started breathing deeply, trying to relax his mind… to center
himself… so that he could FINALLY unravel this mystery of his. After
several long minutes, he found himself actually in a meditative state,
though he didn’t know it… and then he sank deeper into it, as his
Avatar grabbed him, and manifested itself for the first time. Though
only for a second, he saw it as a beautiful woman, wrapped in gossamer
silk that barely kept everything from being revealed… and then she was
gone. Physically, at least. She was still there, though… he could
feel it… and she lead him through a long series of events that
included what he discovered to be a race with himself. His car,
versus his car… only red and black, rather than the deep blue of
Xavier’s car. His mind, versus his mind… only twisted, dark, and
evil, almost demonically so. Perhaps this was the Avatar’s way of
warning him against the Nephandi. But he won the race using sheer
will, desire, and the knowledge that he would never let THAT part of
himself win out… and when he awoke, he discovered that two full days
had passed.
And now, when
he tried to focus on the power over Time he seemed to have when his
adrenaline started pumping, he found that he could do all he could
before… but now, he could actually speed up his own reflexes. It was
as if he could move at twice the normal speed of a human… though, to
him, it seemed that the world itself slowed down. Now, somehow, he
seemed to have a better grasp over what was going on around him. His
adrenaline was responsible for his power over Time. The lucky
rabbit’s foot he wore around his wrist gave him the ability to affect
distance (Correspondence). And, probably the oddest of all, it was
his racing glasses that gave him the power to see destiny, and, at
times, to even tell what was about to break down on his car or bike
minutes before it actually happened. With this knowledge, and his
newfound powers, the young man decided to finally try to complete his
life-long dream… a secret desire that he’d only told his parents,
who’d been quite supportive, though fearful of his life in this
endeavor.
He signed up for tryouts for NASCAR.
Naturally, his Dodge Charge had been nicely
modified over the years, and though all of them were NASCAR legal, it
was still not a NASCAR car. But he was allowed to try out with it,
and, thanks to a bit of luck, and a bit of his magic, he was able to
qualify somewhere in the lower-middle of the pack. But someone was
watching him, and was impressed that this new guy, with a semi-normal
car, was able to even COMPETE in a NASCAR qualifying run. He was a
representative for King Beer, a subsidiary of Pentex… and he
recruited Xavier to drive the #54 car… the King Beer car.
The next race gave him his first chance to shine,
and, with his own personal modifications to #54, as well as a good pit
crew he just lucked into, Xavier did shine, placing fourth in his very
first race. True, this wasn’t a winning position, but to get so close
his first time, with a car he’d had for only two weeks, really showed
something in him. The press was all over him, and, within the NASCAR
scene, he was seen as the new contender, a Dark Horse racer, come out
of nowhere, to shine with the best of them. True, this made more than
a few people upset, but it also got him the respect… and in some
cases, friendship… of more than one racer. It also earned him the
respect of his sponsor company, who showered him with commercial gigs
for King Beer (though, to be honest, he couldn’t stand the
stuff), as well as promotional tours for NASCAR and King Beer
all over the country. For four years, he continued to shine, placing
in several major races, and winning a few of the minor ones. His
latest was getting third place in the Indianapolis 500… he’d have
gotten second, but for a blown gasket he couldn’t sense in time, which
slowed him down immensely.
Now, he’s finally gotten everything he wants. A
lot of money. A career in the fast lane. And, most importantly, a
life doing what he loves. Some of this money is spent on the things
Xavier really enjoys… fast cars and even faster women. And with the
rest of it, he’s purchased a little house in Roshmere, North Carolina.
His hometown.
Notes:
Specialties:
(Driving Specialty) Anything on Wheels – Over the
years, Xavier has ridden, driven, or fired off anything with four,
two, or in some cases, only one wheel. Sure, he likes jet-skiing,
boating, snowmobiling, flying, gliding, para-sailing, parachuting, and
the like, but it’s only things with wheels that he’s TRULY good at.
(Athletics Specialty) Daredevil Stunts – When
someone does something athletic, it can often be called a stunt. But
when someone stands up on the back of a motorcycle and jumps off,
jumps from inside one car to a tree branch, then flipping from it to
land on the ground… it’s being a dumbass… or a daredevil. And this is
the kinds of stupid, adrenaline-rushing things Xavier does a bit too
often for his own health.
Foci:
·
Correspondence – His lucky rabbit’s foot.
·
Entropy – His safety glasses.
·
Time – Adrenaline Rush
Avatar:
Xavier’s Avatar is a Level 3-rated Avatar, which
appears to him, on the rare times it manifests itself, as a beautiful
woman, dressed in gossamer silk as if she were from ancient Greece or
Rome. The rest of the time, any guidance from her feels as a whisper
in his mind, usually accompanied with a slight giggle if she is
pleased or happy, a bit of a pout if she is sad or upset, or a gentle
whimper if she is worried or afraid. This stems from the part of his
mind that will honestly LISTEN to a beautiful woman who wants to tell
him something… even when he might not listen to anyone else.
Merits:
Catlike Balance – Xavier, through both birth and
practice, has an incredibly graceful and athletic body.
Daredevil – One thing that Xavier loves more than
anything is the rush of adrenaline that only pushing things to the
limit can bring (see Flaws). And, throughout the years, he has proven
very adept at this. Risking his life for the thrill of the ride, the
thrill of the sensation of it (see Flaws), and just the thrill of the
thrill itself has become second nature to it, and he is very, very
good at it. Perhaps this comes from practice… perhaps from a LOT of
luck, karma, or whatnot… or, perhaps, a mixture of both.
Concentration – Even while sitting in what is,
for all intents and purposes, a giant engine settled in a small frame,
there are a thousand distractions. It is worse on a motorcycle, or a
snowboard, skis, a powerboat, or whatever he’s managed to settle
himself in this time. However, despite all the noises, sounds,
worries, events, and surrounding ambiance, Xavier has learned to
concentrate on only what he is doing, and ignore the rest… mostly by
natural ability, but a great deal is also by practice and force of
will.
Flaws:
Sensation Junkie / Addiction to Adrenaline – These two flaws are part
and parcel with each other, working together rather than being two
separate entities. In truth, Xavier is addicted to speed… not the
drug, the motion. Part of it is the speed itself; the movement, the
feeling of the car shaking around him while going at nearly 200 MPH,
or the wind through his hair as he pushes his bike past 120 MPH… this,
and simply the rush of moving that fast. And then there’s that rush…
the rush caused by his love of the sensation. The rush that became an
addiction in and of itself. Now not only does he crave speed, he
craves anything that will get his heart pounding, his adrenal gland
working, and pushes him to the point of possible death and disaster. |
