Nightracer
Legacy Name: Nightracer

In the outskirts of Centropolis are luscious, rolling hills that are groomed with all the loving attention of a Subeatique model manicuring her perfectly rounded nails. Here too are houses that defy gravity and tax the imagination with their sheer originality.

One such house belongs to the renowned artist, Nightracer. He carries such austere titles as "Digital Artist of the Decade" and "Graphic Guru". His digital displays have been featured in the Atebus International Competition for three years running. Offices across the globe feature the huge wall murals that are his specialty, boasting bold neon streaks that encourage clients to up the spending limit or soothing pastel swirls that help patients to relax.

The majestic house of Nightracer features all the conveniences of modernity with Subetan Smart House technology in every room and a state-of-the-art security system that the Rotten Rogue herself tested and failed to break. In the yard are trees that were planted a generation ago, great sweeping willows and impressive oaks that offer shade and beauty. Racer's real point of pride is the koi pond he personally designed that extends under the main entrance walkway. Paired with the gorgeous lit pool behind the house, it is a statement of the endless patience and calm of water.

His studio and office are at the highest point of the house, built into the side of a hill with three walls of glass. The views are amazing from every window and deck, but no neighbors are visible. While he delights in entertaining his many friends, he does highly value his privacy and finds the lack of disruptive modern forces to be a great motivator.

On this particularly fine morning, if you were to take a bird's eye view of the afore-mentioned designer, you would find him nestled cozily into the plush executive chair that is parked before an enormous computer station. A full three monitors are on and ready for his attentions. At this particular moment, his paw hovers over the center screen, putting the finishing touches on the petals of an electric blue flower. This particular screen allows for touch-control, giving the artist the convenience of a large screen size and a sensitive display that picks up even the slightest pressure of a fingertip.

His beloved Celestia watches him through a narrow-eyed gaze from the thick velvet cushion on which she perches. She is not only his darling minion, she is his dearest companion and one of his oldest friends. She was given to him as a gift many years ago, back in the days when his talents were not known to the world and he was low on hope. A friend brought her in a cream-colored basket full of all the supplies needed for a new minion. Celestia was a bit standoffish at first. It s common knowledge that Bejewelled minions are quite finicky about their living quarters. Her beauty and grace won his heart and he soon won hers with his first big sale. Now there is a cushion of a different color in every room of Racer's house. No matter what he is working on, he wants her there by his side.

Mari comes bustling in with a duster in paw. The lilac chai has been his housekeeper and confidant for many years. She can bake an apple pie that will make you sing and she knows how to clean even the most impossible mess at an improbable speed rate. She knows how to get her work done without disturbing her employer. The two of them have a rhythm that is almost as graceful as a dance.

His assistant Triva is a power worker, capable of producing high-quality base material at the speed of light. The sun aeanoid has been known to create a backdrop that compliments Racer's more subtle detailing so well that it is impossible for a graphic design expert to decide where one digital stroke ended and the next began. He watches fondly as she twitches the tip of a tentacle just out of Celestia's reach. The minion goes wild trying to capture that tip. She never quite manages but at the end of a play session, Triva always has a few pinches of minion nip to dish out as a peace offering.

Time away from work can be as vital to the well-being of an artist as the spans of time spent on a project. Racer is glad for the distraction of the doorbell. Only trusted friends have the keypad sequence for the front gate. Today it is Aubrey and Harwin, bearing the gift of Dragarths and Doomsday, the popular board game sensation currently sweeping Subeta.

Two fun-filled hours fly by as this trio of friends cast power cards and try to keep their dragarths alive through many perils. They laugh and tease and compliment Mari on her homemade deep-dish pepperoni pizza. Aubrey emerges victorious on this day but the guys don't mind in the least. Racer's friends have learned not to challenge him at pool, for in this game, there can be no other winner.

Racer has no lack of friends. Girls want to be with him and guys want to be him. He is courteous, generous, and an all-around nice guy. It can be hard some days to strike a balance between his need to satisfy his muse and his desire for companionship. Somehow he always succeeds.

On their way out the door, Aubrey hands Racer a sheet of leaping feli stickers, joking that they are the newest release and Racer surely doesn't have these in his collection. He plays it cool until he is alone, then runs for the massive leather-bound album that is full of pages and pages of stickers. He has everything from famous Subetans to dinosaurs to abstract shapes. Stickers have been his secret obsession since he was barely old enough to walk and his friends make it a point to surprise him with new ones whenever they get the chance.

The scrapbook was a gift from his grandmother who once came home to find young Racer "decorating" the surface of her antique oak dining table. It is one of his dearest possessions, above all the fancy gadgets and super-computers at his disposal. Racer loves stickers so much that he sends a special holiday gift basket to Rumi every year around Luminaire, to show his appreciation for all the work she puts into coming up with new sticker designs.

He puts in a little more work on a mural, eats a dinner of prime beef and roasted red russets, then settles in for an hour of more traditional painting. Perhaps his canvas prints will never make it into one of Subeta's premier galleries but they are lovely in their own right. He gives them as gifts to friends and has a few hanging in his own home.

As evening wears down to night, he resists the temptation of a night of online gaming in favor of a sci-fi movie marathon. The featured films are the Sludge series and all five movies will play well into the morning hours. Mari and Triva are gone for the day and nothing will prevent Celestia from getting her beauty sleep. Racer sips a glass of red and cheers on the heroes as they battle a series of disgusting, oozing monsters that threaten the world.

Life couldn't be better for the artist who rose from Muddy Lane to Alabaster Avenue.

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