Continental Vacation (IC)

[Lone Star]

Warlock took a huge breath, and it let go. Although he was glad the fight was over, he would have liked to knock out the art vandal himself. It was good that Europe had at least one other superhero to help, at the very least. He would never admit it to him, but the droogie may have even taken him out if the fight had dragged on any longer.

"Thank you, Fisher King. I'm glad you came when you did. This vandal was destroying priceless artifacts. Here- lemme get him for you."

Warlock drew his lightning wand, and aimed an eldritch bolt of lightning at the helpless thug.

[Raveled]

GM

The lightning crawled over Ludwig, traveling through his body, in the ground, and back again several times. The thug's body arched and convulsed with the energy blast, then hung limp. The Fisher King gestured and the tiles flowed up Ludwig's body, encasing him except for his head. The strange man turned to Warlock and inclined its head respectfully. "The land thanks you, strange warrior from beyond our shores. This one is a perennial thorn in our side, and your aid in his capture shall not be forgotten."

[Lone Star]

"Uh, thanks. I guess. I did appreciate the help, Fisher King." There were many things Blake knew about, but Arthurian legend wasn't one of them. He didn't exactly know what kind of theme he was going for, but he figured that Europe was a different place with a different culture. "Who is this punk anyway? I was just checking out the museum when him and his thug friends wrecked up the place. I couldn't stand for him destroying the art." Blake remembered Jessica in the hotel room, and he hoped he hadn't awoken her. He would have to tell her about his grand adventure when he got back to the room, and although he regretted having to go hero on his vacation, it was something he enjoyed doing.

[Raveled]

GM

The Fisher King gave Ludwig a dirty look as the criminal was towed out of the museum by the impromptu prison, the tiles resettling and smoothing out in his wake. "That thug is Ludwig. He feels the world would be better served by destroying the laws of our society and letting the strong prey upon the weak. His cronies aren't usually much more than a headache for the police, but Ludwig has enough power to be a true threat to the order. If he simply focused that in a positive direction, he could be a true force for good." The King shook his head sadly, then slapped Warlock on the back. "Once again, the land extends its thanks to you, wizard, in helping to apprehend that villain." With that the Fisher King melted back into the floor, and suddenly Blake was alone again.

[Lone Star]

"Thanks, Fisher-"

With that the Fisher King melted back into the floor, and suddenly Blake was alone again.

"Oh. That's okay, I suppose." Blake walked to the nearest lavatory, and changed back into his civilian clothes. As he folded his robes back into his backpack, he realized the villain still had his sleeping powder in his posession. "Dammit!" Blake shouted. He then hit his head against his palm. He brought more than just that pouch. It was uncharacteristic of him to leave anything to chance.

He strolled from the museum, hands in his pockets, and walked back to the hotel. He waited in the elevator, the canned music wafting gently from the speakers calming him. It was one hell of a vacation so far- he already met a British superhero and villain! Although the timing couldn't have been worse for poor Blake, who just wanted to view the art, he was glad to have helped fight against the vagrants. The elevator doors opened, and Blake strode to the room, where he quietly tip-toed to the bed.

[Raveled]

The bed was empty, though the rumpled sheets showed that it had been used. For the first time Blake realized that he could hear the water running in the bathroom. The door opened as Blake turned and he saw Jessica step out wrapped in a towel, wet hair hanging down to her shoulders. She saw him and gave a small gasp, stepping back behind the bathroom door. She blushed hotly, the color spreading from behind her ears until her entire face was red. "Um. Hey, honey. I... I thought you'd still be at the museum. Um, obviously." She took a deep breath, trying for some kind of composure. For some reason the idea of being semi-nude in front of the man she'd slept with before was causing her mind to get derailed. "Did... did you have a good time?"

[Lone Star]

Blake, his face blushing deeply at the sight of his girlfriend and lover being nearly naked, decided it was wise to shield his eyes with his hand. "It could have gone better, honey."

He sat down on the bed, facing towards the window, to allow Jessica a chance to put some clothes on. "So I ran into this supervillain who was about to thrash the museum. I couldn't sit by and let him destroy the artifacts, so I had to fight him as Warlock. The fight...could have been going better, when this guy called the Fisher King showed up and assisted me. So, in short, my bad. I know this vacation was supposed to be for us, but I can't just sit by and watch a crime take place. You understand, right?"

[Raveled]

Once Blake seated himself facing the window and it was obvious that he wasn't going to turn around, Jessica felt safe enough to pad back out and start pulling on her clothes. As she dressed, she listened to his story, sighing quietly. Already their quiet vacation was turning into something more complicated. Still, she knew it wasn't his fault. "Honey," she said, her voice slightly muffled as she pulled on a tee-shirt, "if I had a problem with you fighting bad guys, I don't think we would have ever hooked up." She walked into his line of view dressed in dark slacks and a short shirt with the periodic table printed on it, below the phrase "FOR SCIENCE!" She sat in Blake's lap and draped her arms around his shoulders. "Remember? Saving my life from Frankenstien's monster?" She leaned in and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Besides, I think I'd be a lot more angry with you if you ran away from a fight and let folks get hurt."

[Lone Star]

Blake placed his arms around her waist and held her close. "Thanks, Jessica. You know I wish this didn't have to be about supervillains, for once in our lives. I guess even on vacation we're never really on break." He kissed her gently on the lips, and sighed. "Hey, well, at least we're in Europe. It'd be a terrible waste not to see the sights between fights with the finest supervillains this country has to offer."

His mouth curled into a smirk. "I think this vacation still has plenty of room for badassery. What do you think, cutie?" Blake's eyes fell to her T-shirt, and he vaguely contemplated having a "FOR MAGIC!" shirt made.

[Raveled]

Blake placed his arms around her waist and held her close. "Thanks, Jessica. You know I wish this didn't have to be about supervillains, for once in our lives. I guess even on vacation we're never really on break." He kissed her gently on the lips, and sighed. "Hey, well, at least we're in Europe. It'd be a terrible waste not to see the sights between fights with the finest supervillains this country has to offer."

Jessica rested her head on his shoulder, staring into his eyes from very close. "It's the life we chose," she said softly. "We could stay at home and watch TV and worry about our stocks, but we don't. We chose to get involved, and that's part of what I love about you."

His mouth curled into a smirk. "I think this vacation still has plenty of room for badassery. What do you think, cutie?" Blake's eyes fell to her T-shirt, and he vaguely contemplated having a "FOR MAGIC!" shirt made.

She smiled and swatted his chest. "Badass sightseeing, sure. C'mon, I've had my nap and now I want some food. I bet you that we can find some really disgusting European food to try."

Several minutes later they were outside the hotel, Jessica looking over a map of London in her head. She stopped short when she noticed the police vans parked across the street and Ludwig's underwear-clad droogs being loaded up into them. Ludwig himself was nowhere to be seen, though, and neither was the Fisher King. "Wow," she breathed. "Did you take out all of them?"

[Lone Star]

Blake shrugged a little. "Meh. I've fought worse minions. They were just a bunch of punks, really." He watched the droogs being loaded in the police van, and shook his head. "One thing I like about magic is that you can improvise. I had a fear talisman on hand, and they all freaked out and ran."

He put an arm gently about her waist, and planted a loving kiss on her cheek. "So you said this was the life we live, right babe? I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world." His hand gently stroked her waist as they walked. "But all of that wizardry did work up an appetite. Let's find something terrible/awesome to eat.

[Raveled]

There were plenty of restaurants to try and the young couple hit most of them, sampling a little bit at each place before moving on. Jessica made a point of ordering the most ridiculous sounding thing on the menu each time and foisting most of it off on Blake. Once their hunger was sated they moved to more touristy activities: they stood in the shadow of Big Ben and covered their ears as it rang the hour; they craned their necks to see the changing of the guard at Buckingham palace (Blake tried to whip up a viewing portal closer to the action, but wards around the palace caused it to fizzle and got them some black looks from the Queen's Guard); they admired and were creeped out by the figures at Madame Tussauds.

That evening found them high in the sky, riding the London Eye. The lights of the city reflected in the waters of the Thames, and spread out before them like a glittering blanket. Jessica sat closer to Blake then was strictly necessary in the warm night, arms wrapped around him and head resting on his shoulder. "This is really nice," she said softly, eyes unfocused and staring at nothing. "Heh. Do you remember the last time we tried to go up in a Ferris wheel?"

[Lone Star]

Blake kissed Jessica on the cheek- how could he forget! "Oh Christ, that was terrifying! I'm glad we took out whatever ghost in the machine that was haunting the park. That was quite an uneventful date, as I recall." He absently ran his fingers through her hair as he admired the lovely view of London. "We really have had some wild times. I'm really surprised I've only run into one super-criminal so far. God, it's lovely up here, though. Makes you really cherish the brief moments of rest we do get though, right?"

He suddenly moved in, and gave her a slow, loving kiss on the lips. "Thank you for taking me on this vacation, babe. You know it means the world to me being here with you."

[Raveled]

Jessica leaned into the kiss, returning the affection eagerly. When they separated she wrapped her arms around him and sighed happily. "I think this vacation is just what I need. Just a chance to get away from all the craziness of our lives." She smiled at Blake. "Of course, some of us manage to find craziness anyway," she teased.

The Eye went around several times, giving the young lovers plenty of time to snuggle and tease each other. When it finally stilled and they were let off, they grabbed a quick dinner at a street vendor and headed back to the hotel. Jessica moved over to the window and put her forehead against it, staring out at the traffic on the street. After a minute she turned back to Blake, watching him move around their room with half-lidded eyes. "I'm really happy we came on this vacation together," she said quietly.

[Lone Star]

Blake rolled over onto his back to look up at her. "Most definitely. This is going to be great. So what's on the agenda for tomorrow? I could really use a good night's sleep- today was incredibly frickin' eventful." He rolled over again, and flopped onto his back! "Ow." Blake said, stumbling towards her. He wrapped his arms lovingly around her waist and gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek. "We could check out more art museums, if you're up for me dorking out. Or we could visit some of London's parks, or any number of things. I imagine you know a little more about London than I do, and you've always got some sort of plan." He smooched her again. "While I on the other hand like to..." he waved his hand vaguely. "Improvise."

[Raveled]

"I like it when you improvise," Jessica said, giving him a brief kiss on the lips. "I don't mind going to a museum with you -- I'm always going on about the Lab and science stuff, you should have a chance to geek out over things now and again." She ran one hand down his arm, grabbing his hand. "Tomorrow's the last day in London," she said, "then it's on the Chunnel and Paris." She pulled Blake over to the bed and down, running a hand through his hair and leaning forward for a kiss. "But until then... we only have one bed. And I'm alone with the most handsome man in London." She smiled and kissed him warmly, not letting up for a good few hours.

---

Neither teen had thought to set an alarm or a wake-up call the night before, so it was the daylight that awoke them. Jessica grinned, seeing Blake's face not twelve inches away from hers. "Morning, lover," she whispered and leaned forward to give him a brief kiss. Turning over, she sat up and stretched, then pulled the comforter off the bed to cover herself and padded around the bed. The young woman moved through the room with an extra spring in her step, seemingly unable to keep a smile off her face. "I'm just going to take my shower, alright?"

[Lone Star]

Blake awoke at her kiss, and smiled warmly. He had slept well the night before, and was refreshed and ready for a day of exploring London. He peeked over at Jessica, the comforter wrapped snugly around her. Blake smiled and put his hands behind his head. This vacation was already starting out in a great way, and he had no doubt today would be any different. Pulling back the blanket, Blake hopped off the bed, and attempted to put on boxers and a pair of jeans. The boxers were easy, but his lack of manual dexterity in the morning had him doing a strange pant-leg dance for a moment. He was glad Jessica was in the shower, and missed that part of his morning routine.

Blake stood up, and slapped his forehead. Magic, duh. He channeled a bit of magic force into his fingertips, and cotton and lace sprung from them, forming themselves into a comfortable T-shirt around his bare chest. He examined himself in the mirror, and grinned like a lunatic. The shirt he made was blue and had "FOR MAGIC!" written in white cursive lettering. Blake hoped Jessica shared his sense of humor.

[Raveled]

Jessica took her time in the shower, luxuriating under the hot water. Despite a rocky start, this vacation really was shaping up to be something special, a way for her to bleed off all the tension in her life -- and to do it with the man she loved, at that. When she finally finished with her toilette, she walked out of the bathroom in a fluffy, white cotton robe with the hotel's logo over her breast. She made a face one she saw that Blake was already dressed. "Okay," she said, making shooing motions with her hands, "at least brush your teeth or something. Let me get dressed!"

Once Blake was out of the room, she pulled on a pair of flared jeans and a tee-shirt that featured Darkwing Duck prominently. She pulled on a pair of sneakers -- and only then did she glance at the clock, quickly doing a double take. It was almost eleven o'clock, and they were scheduled on the noon Chunnel train! She knocked on the bathroom door and started throwing clothes into their bags. "Blake, we gotta move! Oh man, it's even later than I thought!"

[Lone Star]

Blake heard Jessica knock at the door, and he quickly brushed his teeth, making sure to swish around a bit of Listerine so he'd at least have good breath. "Coming, love!" he mumbled, his words obscured by the toothbrush. He wiped his mouth, and opened the door. Pausing for a moment, Blake took a look at his reflection and pointed at the good-looking man in the mirror.

He opened the door and wrapped his arms around Jessica's waist, pulling her into a quick smooch. "Let's roll, baby!"

[Raveled]

Jessica gave Blake a half-serious, half-joking punch on the arm. "C'mon, we're gonna miss our train!" She called down to the front desk, and within minutes there was someone in the room, helping them load their luggage on a carousel. Out on the street there was already a taxi waiting (not a black checkered taxi, but a van with much more leg room) and before long they were speeding towards the coast and the city of Folkestone. The streets were clear and they made good time, but Jessica still fretted until they were through customs and sitting on the Eurostar train.

The young woman finally relaxed, sitting in her padded chair, Blake seated across from her, a plastic folding table between them. She leaned her head back against the rest and closed her eyes for a long moment, then opened her eyes and smiled at her boyfriend. "I'm sorry for that, honey," she said. "I thought we'd have more time this morning. Guess we just slept in too late, hm? And then I started stressing out over getting to the train on time and..." She reached over and grabbed his hand, holding it in the middle of the table. "Forgive me?"

[Lone Star]

Blake ran along with Jessica, hopping into the car as their bags were being loaded. It was an exciting day, but he still moved with the zombie-walk of one who is still tired.

------

On the train, Blake ordered a cup of coffee. As the caffeine hit his bloodstream, he was immediately awake and alert. He looked out the window and vaguely contemplated a sea monster just outside of the Chunnel, waiting to strike. He smiled, and looked over to his girlfriend, who had his hand in hers.

"I'm sorry for that, honey," she said. "I thought we'd have more time this morning. Guess we just slept in too late, hm? And then I started stressing out over getting to the train on time and..." She reached over and grabbed his hand, holding it in the middle of the table. "Forgive me?"

Blake squeezed her hand gently, giving her a warm smile. "Of course, babe. It's not a big deal. I was half tempted to fall asleep myself." Blake said as he loaded his coffee with sugar. "I mean, we did kind of have to move quite a bit before we got on the train. I'm glad we were able to get room service to help. My telekinesis ring would look fairly suspicious, I think. Coffee?"

[Raveled]

Jessica shrugged. "You're the one who had all the, ah, 'action' yesterday," she said, rebuke coloring her tone. "Though I'm going to need some caffeine if we're hitting the art museums today." She reached across and snagged his cup, smiling triumphantly before she took a swallow -- and promptly gagged on it. "Oh, man. That... that is very British coffee, I guess." She put the cup back on the table and slid it over to Blake. "When we get on the other side, cappuccino is a priority."

She fell silent, staring out the window at the tunnel wall a few meters away. After a long minute she spoke up again, still staring out the window. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't... didn't really mean what I said. I was just hoping that this vacation would be super-powers free, you know? I shouldn't be getting mad at you," she admitted, "I was just hoping we could be a little more anonymous on this trip."

[Lone Star]

Blake furrowed his brow, then quickly unfurled it. It wouldn't do well for him to look annoyed. "What else could I have done, babe? I couldn't just sit by and watch priceless artifacts be destroyed. No one but the Fisher King saw me, anyway. If it's at all possible, I'll try to stay in my regular identity." He sighed, and smiled sadly at her. "You know I'm trying the best I can, Jessica. I just can't stand to sit by and watch a crime unfold. It's like a cop off duty, you know? It's my job."

He took a sip of the coffee, and felt his mind become at ease. Blake knew he wasn't himself without proper sleep or caffeine. "Still, you do have a point, though. We both have enemies that wouldn't hesitate to track us down if they knew we were here. I really hope I don't make any more than I already have."

[Raveled]

Jessica shook her head. "I wouldn't want you to do anything else," she said. "I'm just... being irrational, I guess. Was hoping for a quiet vacation and then that, and... anyway." She smiled across at Blake and squeezed his hand.

---

The rest of the train ride passed uneventfully. Jessica caught some sleep and deigned to sample some of the tea available, but after a sip or two she set it pointedly aside and went back to staring out the window. In time they arrived at Calais and transferred to a taxi, to take them into Paris. They dropped off their bags at the La Reserve Paris and started exploring the city. The Eiffel Tower was just across across the river, so they visited that; Jessica found the height unimpressive, and spent more time examining the welds and rivets than the cityscape. There was something that caught her eye near the base of the tower, though. It looked like a political rally going down the Champ de Mars, crowds of people with bunting in the streets, listening to a man on a platform. They were too high up to hear much of the speech, but words like 'sécurité,' 'règle par la crainte,' and 'esprit de la France' did waft up on occasion. The young woman leaned against the railing and stared down, more interested in the sight of so many bodies swirling down there than anything else.

[Lone Star]

Blake's eye for artistic structure had him dazzled by the sights and sounds of Paris- he was practically a kid in a candy store with a twenty dollar bill. He held Jessica's hand as they walked onto the elevator of the Eiffel Tower, and Blake was as close to the glass as is physically possible, his eyes aglow with the sheer height. "This is the coolest, baby." Blake planted a kiss on her cheek as they walked towards the railing. "My God, it's even more beautiful than I imagined. This is fantastic." They leaned on the railing, and Blake saw the political rally as well. "Hmm...maybe they've got a politician making a speech?" He turned around once more, distracted by the beauty of the Eiffel Tower.