Rider (spirit)

Rider is a cold, professional, and efficient spirit contracted to serve and protect Noodle by Aoko Aozaki. She kills quickly and ruthlessly, and has no mercy for anyone who would dare to act upon the thought of bringing her master any harm. She is able to summon a variety of mounts to her aid, and possesses a chain weapon which she wields with cruel mastery.

Appearance
Rider is a particularly tall and fit woman, with long, flowing hair of lavender purple, pale skin, and eyes covered by some kind of scaly purple blindfold. Painted on her brow in red ink is some odd character, and she wears a purple choker or collar around her neck.

Her outfit consists entirely of black and magenta, with a sleeveless, miniskirt dress at the center of the ensemble. In addition, she wears detached sleeves with armored bands, and leggings which strongly resemble pantlegs, and possess armor at the front of the lower-ends. Lastly, her feet are clad in sturdy leather boots, perfectly suited both for quick movement through treacherous terrain, and for guiding mounts without harming them. However, in her casual outfit, Rider wears a black sweater, dark jeans, and a pair of glasses. These glasses allow one to see her gray eyes.

Dark and foreboding, Rider quells any nonsense upon entering any scene. Her striking appearance and her distinct aura of preparation to retaliate against any attack are tend to dissuade any rash attempts at a fight in her presence. She is quiet and stern, and does not speak if it is unnecessary. Thus, for her to speak out is a significant marker of an important occasion, and when she utters any sentence longer than two or three words in that quiet, soft voice, it near always means that a situation demands serious action.

Personality
As prefaced, Rider is quiet, stern, and does not tolerate foolishness. She is a picture of a serious warrior, disciplined and unrelenting. Taking her role as Noodle's Familiar extremely seriously, she will spare no effort, overlook no incongruity, to ensure that her master is safe and happy. Even when Noodle is capable of taking care of herself, Rider is always at hand to watch out for her wellbeing. However, this goes beyond contractual duty - as when the Bogeyman seriously wounded and traumatized Noodle, Rider prioritized escaping with her, but not before personally declaring that she would have vengeance on the agent of death.

Overall, Rider's hobbies include reading (which is something both she and Noodle have been able to find common ground on), and speed. She loves anything that can go fast, and supposedly, her instincts as "a Rider" (see short story Drive) even call to her when driving cars. She can't resist the urge to try and coax every last bit of power out of a car, and has a fanatical habit of wiping down her car's hood even if there's not a bit of dirt or damage. She also likes alcohol, reading, and snakes, but hates cold weather. She seems to be fairly self-conscious, as she hates looking at mirrors and discussing or measuring height.

History
Rider's involvement with Noodle began when a woman known as Aoko Aozaki gave the latter girl a stone containing Rider's Contract. Later, upon her initial summoning, she utilized her chain weapon to kill a pair of creatures assailing Noodle. Summoning a gaunt, shadowy pegasus mount, she took flight with Noodle in tow to protect her. However, they had stopped on the space station of the Mad Scientist Convention, where the Bogeyman opened attack. He identified Noodle as a target, and bombed out her ship.

Narrowly managing to escape, Rider oversaw Noodle's recovery. Later, when Duke Hydraxis was sent to redirect a leyline on Datrio - thereby becoming complicit in the plot of a young sorceress - Rider and Noodle intervened, and attacked him. When Tyrigosa joined the battle, Rider lost one of her mounts, but managed to meet her in an even match.

Weapons
Rider uses an unnamed chain weapon, with a pair of heavy, nail-like spikes on either end of the chain. She is cruel and masterful in wielding it, with a tendency for dropping foes onto their backs so that she can pierce a spike through their face. It is quite efficient, and built for flexible, agile combat.

Abilities & Powers

 * Expert Combatant


 * Mount Summoner: Rider is able to summon a variety of mounts, mastering their abilities and bringing out their full potential. It seems, however, that one mount - Becceren - is especially close to her.
 * Becceren: Resembling a glowing white wyvern, Becceren has no legs, three tails, and an eyeless, beaked head. It is able to fire powerful energy bolts, and by use of its summoning circle, Rider can launch its signature attack without summoning it proper. It is also impervious to mortal weapons, easily absorbing sniper fire, and can send projectiles back - enchanted to be stronger than when originally fired. Becceren's strongest attack is called Severing Arrow - which is charged up by inhaling streams of light energy, and exhaled as a devastating, arrow-shaped blast.
 * Phantom Chariot: The Silent Havoc in the Skies: A kind of hovering chariot with no beasts pulling it, Rider propels it under her own power and guides it by her will - the reins which connect to its ghostly, fiery wheels are little more than a formality. It is able to launch a volley of explosive, devastating blasts at incredible speed, and can form blades on itself for ramming the foe. In an unnamed attack, Rider can charge the blades with energy - causing them to lengthen and sharpen even further - before making a calamitous drive forward that leaves only flattened, scorched earth in its wake.


 * Mount Synchronization: As seen in the short story Drive, Rider is able to synchronize with any mount - even cars - and can learn how to bring out their full potential with a few minutes of interaction.


 * Portals: Though the range is unknown, Rider is able to use portals to better maneuvre around her opponent, and to get a better angle of attack with her weapon.

Cybele
Rider's Jewel-Class Mystic Eyes of Petrification, according to Kokonoe and Hakumen's brief conversation, the only beings ever recorded possessing eyes that could petrify existed during the Age of the Gods, and only Gods or holy spirits could develop Jewel-Class eyes such as Rider's. None of the small number of individuals with the "Eyes of Cybele" were believed to survive to the modern era, meaning that Rider must have died ages in the past.

The eyes possess dull gray irises, and square pupils that do not reflect or let in light. Due to them being crystallized, Rider is unable to close or blink her eyes. In effect, her Mystic Eyes can petrify beings with all but the strongest of resistance to magic. Even those who are not petrified are put under immense pressure, and are at least temporarily paralyzed.

By using her blindfold - a magical, projected construct in itself - Rider can seal her vision, and thereby prevent Cybele from petrifying droves of innocent bystanders in everyday life. Her glasses in casual wear seem to serve a similar purpose, sans blocking all visual input.

Trivia

 * The short story at the following address, Drive, detailed many miscellaneous facts about Rider: http://bzpb.forumotion.co.uk/t500-drive#11181