Lone Star

Kid Cthulhu laughed aloud. "I was joking about the ten bucks thing. The boost to my ego is payment enough. And about my powers-" He sighed and looked down. "Remember that big event involving pseudonatural stuff in the city? I think Doktor Archeville may have been involved...just a thought. But anyway, I'm going into town to hopefully clear up some of the mess, and I get this killer headache. The Unspeakable One tries to use me as some sort of weapon, and I manage to resist the influence, and here I am, tentacles and all. I don't know how I managed to retain my charming personality after all of that, but I'm grateful just to be alive."

Blake pshawed them, his tentacles flapping. Please, guys. If I was worried, why do you think I called you down here? I'm actually having a bit of trouble believing I got my cthonian powers back, myself." His face became more grim. "Yeah, I actually don't know if my powers are under control or not. That's why I wanted you guys' advice on this. I'm kinda freaking out here." He put his hands over the side of his head, and sat back down. "This dude nearly killed me last time I was Kid Cthulhu...what if he comes back and finishes the job? And what do I tell Jessica?!"

Blake raised his head, and saw what appeared to be an alien princess ordering him around. "Excuse me, ma'am, but I believe you're mistaken. I don't get refreshments for anyone, unless that's my girlfriend. Now you apologize to us immediately." he said, pointing a finger at the princess. It wasn't that Blake was foolhardy, but no one ordered him around, much less his girlfriend. "We're not looking for any trouble, we're just trying to enjoy our damn vacation, and I swear to God if we have to fight I'm not going to be able to hit the beach!" he said with a groan.

One of the men in the suits, however, managed to dodge out of the way of the King's bolas. He grabbed one of the boxes and wrenched it open, revealing huge packages of Zoom. "Dude, what the hell are you doing?" his friend said, on the floor and unable to move. "I'm going to take this asshole down!" he said, and grabbed a handful of the potent drug. "DUDE! YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO SNORT IT!" his friend shouted, struggling against his bonds. It was too late, though, and the man snorted the drug, and almost immediately collapsed to the floor. He twitched for a few moments, blood leaking from his eyes and nose, and then slowly got to his feet. "Well, that wasn't so bad." he said with a devilish grin, and ran right at the King of Suits! Outside, Mad Dog was still not on his A-game, so to speak. He threw a punch at the strongman, but he easily dodged the hit with a contemptuous laugh. "I'm still not down. Now you're gonna pay!" he said, throwing his massive fist towards Mad Dog. The leather-clad avenger dodged weakly to one side, trying to keep his concentration up. Where's the King of Suits? he wondered to himself.

Since they're just guys, I'll say they don't have any Reflex. One of them makes the save! Lucky us! He grabs for some Zoom, and becomes a Zoom Survivor! His initiative roll is a 24. Hehehe. Mad Dog is shaken on this round, and suffers a -2 to any attack rolls or saves. He'll try to +5/-5 Power Attack, at least. He totally whiffed it with an 11. The Strongman will attempt to All-Out Attack him (-4/+4). Not quite enough to hit him, thankfully!

Blake blushed at her kiss, and warmly returned it. "Mmm. I'll be right out, babe." He quickly made his way to the bedroom, and stripped off his shirt. Blake took a moment, and looked at his reflection in the mirror. For just a moment, he reflected on how much he had changed in the past year. It was a whirlwind of events, but it ultimately led down a good path. He was in love, in Europe, and he finally looked as good as he felt. Blake smiled and quickly slipped his swim suit on, joining his girlfriend outside. He saw her on the hammock, and thought better against trying to join her on it. "Nice day, huh?"

Blake was in awe of how lovely the beach looked, and was even more impressed when he got to the house they were staying at. "It's marvelous, babe!" While Jessica went to the bedroom, Blake sat on the couch in the living room and watched the waves hit the beach. It was a beautiful sight, and he smiled a little to himself. He turned around, and his mouth hit the floor. The first thing that popped into his head wasn't the most romantic thing that he has ever said. Damn, girl!"

He looked up from taking autographs for a brief moment, and a flash like a camera filled his vision. "Hey, no flash photography, please! You can have your picture with me for ten bucks apiece. That's fair-" A familiar friend was closeby- it was Equinox! "S'cuse me, folks. I have some very important business to take care of." After the crowd died down, and the two were able to speak clearly, Kid Cthulhu sat down on a bench and talked with her. "It's good to see you, Equinox. You know, I can totally justify why I was showing off." he said with a grin on his be-tentacled face.

Two of the boomerangs hit their marks, taking out two of the gunmen. Their submachine guns rattle into empty air, a few of the bullets richoteting off the metal walls of the warehouse as they clattered to the ground. The last gunman took a look around him, and nearly leapt down the stairs. His friend, who had been disarmed early in the fight, ran alongside him. "Sorry boss!" they practically said in unison as they dashed down the stairs and out of the warehouse. The two men in the booth stepped out, realizing they had met their match. "I told you this wasn't a good place for the plant!" one of them said, holding his hands above his head. "Shut up, dude." the other one said, stomping on his toe. Meanwhile, Mad Dog was still locked in combat with the hired muscle just outside the warehouse. The first strongman staggered limply around, and weakly threw a punch at Mad Dog. He dodged the hit easily, and threw a mighty fist at his muscular foe. It missed, but he followed it up with a Judo kick right to his chest. The man fell down, groaning weakly. His friend walked over to Mad Dog, and smiled like a lunatic. "I'm gonna have fun beating you up, leather freak. I'll start by snapping your neck." To demonstrate, he cracked his neck. "It won't be pretty." Mad Dog was disturbed by this thought, and especially the smile of the big man. He still kept his stance, although a slight shudder went through his body. Come on, Gregory. Keep your cool.

Alright! Two of them hit the floor. The last guy is going to try to high-tail it out of there. Mad Dog is going to spend a Hero Point to gain two attacks. The guy who goes before him is now Staggered and Bruised, but he'll try to attack Mad Dog. Not quite enough to hit... Mad Dog will use his first attack roll and +5/-5 Power Attack the first strongman. Uhh...that didn't exactly work. He'll Power Attack the same guy again! Hell yeah, natural 20! So the first Strongman will make his Toughness save, with a -1 due to his Bruise. He missed by 11, so he's out of it with two Staggered conditions. Alright! So the second Strongman (who has yet to be harmed) will attempt to Intimidate Mad Dog. It'll be hard to top with a roll of a 30. Mad Dog rolls...And misses by 1! Darn! Mad Dog: shaken, but not stirred Strongman: unharmed

Blake put an arm around Jessica, and kissed the top of her head. "I'm sure it'll be wonderful, babe. I'm really looking forward to it." He cuddled close to her for a little bit, comfortable with her close to him. After a bit, he ordered lunch for them, and the two watched the landscape pass them by. "Oh, did we get a hotel down here? I wouldn't mind camping out on the beach...that might be fun if they allow it."

September 1st, the Millennium Mall. Weather warm, with overcast clouds. Blake Salazar was walking around the Millennium Mall with a smile on his face. One thing he hadn't had a chance to do since he transformed back into Kid Cthulhu was show off. He was wearing his usual fare- a black band T-shirt, Converse High-tops, and low-cut jeans, and his hands were in his pockets. It was one in the afternoon, and the mall was at it's busiest. On Labor Day, the mall-goers were crowded into stores, taking advantage of yearly sales. He made his way to the middle of the crowd, and shouted at the top of his lungs "CTHULHU F'THAGN!" With that, Blake was transformed into Kid Cthulhu once more, his billowing grey cloak flowing behind him as he extended his wings to fly above the crowd. A few onlookers pointed and smiled in recognition- it's hard to forget such a face. Kid Cthulhu smiled as he made a few laps around the central area, then flew back down to take autographs. Boy, it's nice to be able to showboat again.

He turned to the two, and smiled brightly. Blake stood up, and cleared his throat. "Guess what, guys? CTHULHU F'THAGN!" he shouted, and immediately his body began to transform. Mystic lights blinded the two of them, and the symbol of the Unspeakable One appeared at Blake's feet. His skin turned the color of seaweed, and facial tentacles sprouted from Blake's chin. His clothing changed as well, the fabric of his T-shirt morphing into a grey cloak. Blake, or Kid Cthulhu, spun around, his cloak billowing dramatically. "Ta-daaaaa!"

Kid Cthulhu teleported into the foyer of the old hotel, a glowing mystic sigil heralding his entrance. He threw the hood of his cloak over his head, and walked into the kitchen quickly. His tentacles were in constant motion, undulating and squicking as he walked. "Hey guys, sorry I'm late." The young eldritch sorcerer had a rather haggard expression on his face, or rather, he had one behind his facial tentacles. He took a seat at the table, removing the brooch of his robe and setting it down over the seat. "I have a few thoughts on this problem myself." he said, not wasting any time. "I don't think this creature is anything related to the Unspeakable One. It doesn't seem like his 'style', whatever that may be. I've kept watch on the pseudonatural activity over Freedom, and I haven't gotten any red flags recently."

Blake grinned, chuckling a little, his gaze not moving from hers as he shuffled and arranged the deck with expert precision. "Of course not, babe. Now put your card back into the deck." He shuffled the deck once more, and quick as lightning, snapped five cards down on the table. "Let's see, we have the Ten of Hearts, the Jack, the...oh? What do we have here?" He held her card, the Queen of Hearts, and shook it once. The picture transformed into Jessica's, and Blake laid it down on the table. "Now every queen needs a proper king..." he said, pulling the King of Hearts out of the deck, and transforming it into his picture. "Now aren't they a cute couple?"

I'm going to be going back home this weekend, so my availability will be limited until Monday.

Blake looked back at her, and put a hand over hers. "Don't be, baby! I'm having a nice time just being with you. Besides, France is a beautiful country, and I can't imagine spending my time in Europe with anyone but you." He smiled, and gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek. "Plus, it's nice to have hotel rooms." His mind flashed back to the past few nights, and Blake paused for a moment. "I'm really enjoying myself here, babe, so don't worry one bit about it." A lightbulb lit in his head, and he pulled a deck of cards out of his jacket pocket. He shuffled them with the expertise of a Las Vegas dealer, and arranged them in a stack. "Pick a card off the top of the deck. You're going to love this trick."

Warlock/Kid Cthulhu Continental Vacation The Good, The Bad, and The Eldritch Mad Dog The Jade Arenas of Heaven: Poison Desires A Touch of Class Sting Operation Zap Electric Metal

September 1st. 12:01 AM. Weather, cool and windy. Blake sat in the Riverside Park, his arms behind his head. His eyes were closed, and the wind gently pushed his hair to one side. Blake swept it with his palm, and as if on cue, the wind pushed it back again. He looked up, and a million stars overhead caught his attention for a moment. It wasn't his first time in Riverside Park past visiting hours- he often came during the night to get his mind off things. However, tonight he was expecting some friends. Blake pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, and sent a text message to Corbin and Nick. "Hey guys, it's Blake. Can you guys meet me in Riverside Park?" After he sent the text, he slipped the cell phone back into his pocket and waited. It had been a few weeks since he had changed back into his cthonian state, and it was about time he started telling his friends.

Mad Dog rose to his feet and swept her into his arms, oblivious to the others doubtless looking at them. "Hey, babe!" he said, with a smile on his face. "Umm, does this look okay on me?" He glanced at his tuxedo, and swept imaginary dust off of his jacket. "I mean, I like how the tux fits. We picked a good size, and everything, but does the mask offset it too much? Oh well." A careless shrug of his shoulders, and Mad Dog turned back to the other guests. "It's a nice party though, I'll give you that."

The two boomerangs spun back around, and the two thugs looked behind them a moment too late. The speedy projectiles hit the back of their heads, and they were immediately out cold, falling on the steel catwalks. Frantically running around, the gunman whom the King disarmed was searching for his weapon. The last three, still determined to kill the King of Suits, opened fire, although they knew there wouldn't be much of a chance against an opponent like him. Mad Dog leapt at the injured strongman, his gloved fist speeding towards him. He managed to dodge out of the way at the last moment, leaving Mad Dog open to an attack by his friend. "Stop moving around, asshole!" he said as he whiffed his punch. Mad Dog saw the punch coming a mile away and threw up an imaginary red cape. "Ole, toro!"

Blake coughed, and nearly choked on his quiche. "Man-thong?" he said, louder than he intended. After taking a brief look around the cafe to make sure no one else heard that, he looked back to Jessica. "Regardless, I'm sure the Rivera will be a lot of fun, babe." he said, his face red as a fire engine. He ate the rest of his quiche quietly, watching the rain. A short while later, Blake was back at the hotel, and his girlfriend's arms around him. He kissed her back, a surprised expression on his face. "It's wonderful, babe." His arms wrapped around her waist, and he pulled her to the bed. "The food is excellent, the art museums are beautiful, and the people are surprisingly cool. Yeah, I'd say I like Paris so far."

Pseudonatural doesn't come up on Spellcheck! But yes, that is alright. Once he hits Silver, I can start working on Ryleh II!

Alright, so here's the Toughness saves against the two returning boomerangs. The second gunman fails his save, so he's out. And the Toughness save for the third gunman. And he fails his save too, so he's out! Gunman #1, unharmed King of Suits Gunman #4, unharmed, disarmed Gunman #5. unharmed Gunman #6, unharmed The three remaining gunmen fire...while the fourth one tries to run downstairs for his gun. They rolled a 20, a 7, and a 12. Now for Mad Dog. The first dude is Stunned, so Mad Dog gets to whomp him. Whiff. He rolled a 12. The other guy is going to punch him now...And that's a miss.

The two played for a few hours, Warren being superior to Janis. The room was filled with the sounds of rock 'n' roll and frantic clicking, and for a while, they didn't speak to each other, just rocked out. Janis paused the game, and cracked her knuckles. "Crap. That was some intense rocking, man. You're a lot better than I am at this." She looked outside, and it was already dark out. "It was nice hanging with you, man. But if the RAs come by, they might suspect we're up to something other than playing video games. We'll hang out sometime soon though, okay?"