The Park Date (IC)

[Lone Star]

As Blake waited outside of the Boardwalk theme park entrance, he felt a twinge of nostalgia. He had came here with his parents once when he was eight. The smells of cooking hot dogs, frying funnel cakes and hot popcorn brought back happy memories vividly. He looked around, and tapped his foot. She wasn't late, but he was just being impatient. He was looking forward to seeing her again. Jessica was a wonderful girl and Blake thought of her often. Although their last date couldn't have been more of a disaster (in Blake's opinion) he was more than happy that she had fun. The feel of her lips against his as their bodies touched...Blake's mind began to wander. He pinched his arm and returned to reality.

[Raveled]

The Boardwalk was a popular tourist destination, and the crowds were thick when Jessica arrived and started threading through the place. She was careful to move past people only when there was plenty of room -- the pack on her back was carrying her power armor, and the last thing she wanted was to turn suddenly and brain an innocent civilian with the best part of a hundred pounds of para-military hardware. So it took her longer than expected to reach the rendezvous spot, and she winced internally when she saw that Blake had beat her there. Still, just the thought of spending the afternoon with her boyfriend was enough to make her want to skip as she closed the last dozen feet.

"Hey there," she greeted him, mouth curving into a wide smile. "Hope you haven't been waiting long. Do you like?" Jessica posed, showing off her new haircut. It had finally come time to get her locks chopped off again, and she had settled on something of a pixie bob: short on the sides and just enough in the back to gather into a bunch, and long bangs that curved over her forehead. She knew that, traditionally, she was supposed to wait for her boyfriend to notice and remark on it, but it wasn't like their relationship had been traditional up to this point, anyway.

[Lone Star]

"Oh wow! I love it, Jessica!" Blake had to admit, she pulled off the pixie cut very well. He stood up and gave her a big warm hug. "How have you been? Hope this date isn't as awkward as the last one...sorry about that. RAs can be mean bastards sometimes, especially when it comes to innocent teens like us." Blake said with a wink. "So where would you like to go first, Jessica? There's a lot of ground to cover today." He was glad he had the time today to spend with her. "You look beautiful, by the way." Blake said as he stroked the back of her hair.

[Raveled]

Jessica felt her heart beat faster through the hug, and she was reluctant to let him go, but as they walked along she draped her arm behind Blake's back and kept him close. It took a moment for the thought of ride to penetrate the warm, happy fog she was in, but when it did she rolled her shoulders, thinking of the weight back there. "I don't know how many rides I can go on with the pack," she said, her voice slow as she thought it through. "Why don't we just get some lunch first?" The smells of fresh popcorn, roasting hot dogs, and various sticky candies was inescapable in the park, and as usual the inventor was a few meals behind.

[Lone Star]

Blake felt her arm on his back, and he put an arm around her shoulder as the two walked into the park. The vendors were just ahead. On either side of them, rides and rollercoasters stood tall, their steel frames standing tall. "Now you're speaking my language, Jessica." He kissed her on the cheek gently. "I could down a few dozen hot dogs myself." Blake chuckled. "Oh man...you should have seen the look on Nick's face. I came here with him in costume. You know Nick Cimitiere, right? So we're eating lunch, and I down a hot dog in my Cthulhu form. The dude bugged out...it was so awesome."

[Raveled]

Jessica felt a blush start spreading at Blake's innocent peck, but she hugged him tighter with her arm anyway. She quickened her pace as they came nearer the vendors, regretfully steering away from the eat-as-you-walk foods to the ones selling some more substantial fare. "Can't say I ever met anyone called Nick... Simatear? But yeah, I can just imagine what watching, uh, Kid Cthulhu scarf down a hot dog looks like." She stopped abruptly, half-turning to face her boyfriend and putting a hand o his chest. "Oh, God. Tell me you use your hands? And didn't just, like, slurp it all up with the, uh, face tentacles?"

[Lone Star]

Blake grinned like a Cheshire Cat. "Well, I brought it to my face...and then the tentacles did the rest. Oh boy, I bet I'm being absolutely seductive right now, aren't I?" Blake said with a laugh. There was a pizza stand ahead of them, with a few tables and chairs set up. He turned to Jessica. "Pizza sound good? I could go for some right now. Cafeteria food is far too healthy for me. I needs me some greasy food!"

[Raveled]

Jessica stuck out her tongue at Blake, keeping pace with him easily. "New rule," she said. "I don't have to watch your... other you, eat. I'm not sure I'd be able to take that, Blake." Any questions he might've had over that remark would have to be held, though, as they came up to the ordering window. Jessica looked over the menu carefully, keeping her eyes on it as she ordered. "Uh, two New Yorker slices of peperoni, sausage, and mushrooms. With an order of cheese bread. And a large Coke." She slid her hand off her boyfriend's back and into the back pocket of her jeans, pulling out her wallet. She rifled through it, inadvertently showing Blake and the pimply-faced attendant several high-denomination bills. "What'll you have -- honey?"

[Lone Star]

"Six New Yorker slices of ham and pepperoni, please. And a medium Sprite." Blake said as he wrapped an arm around her waist. Blake walked her to a square table, and the two sat. He scooted his chair closer to hers. "Now not that this is any of my business but...uhh most teenagers don't have that kind of cash. You arent..." Blake said, lowering his voice to a whisper. "A supervillain on the side, are you?" Blake moved in closer to her with a wink.

[Raveled]

Jessica raised an eyebrow at Blake's order. "I'll confess if you will," she said, rubbing her knee against his. "What kind of furnace is in your stomach? You don't have to keep up with me, I'm usually a meal or so behind." She leaned over and planted a firm kiss on his lips, then before he could react she folded one of her slices in half and took a big bite. She smiled with just her lips, taking her time in chewing the pizza. If Blake wanted smoochies, he'd have to wait until after lunch."

[Lone Star]

Blake's eyes opened wide at her kiss, and he moved in to put a little more passion in. As she took a bite of her pizza, he grinned at her and took a bite of his. Oh, would she get a smooching after lunch. "I will be honest. When I use my wings, it burns a crapton of calories. No clue why. Also, I love eating. Eating things tastes good." He took another chomp out of his pizza, and washed it down with a sip of his Sprite.

[Raveled]

Jessica rolled her eyes and swallowed her bite of pizza. "Eating tastes good. Those philosophy classes are really sinking in, aren't they?" She ate a few more bites and washed it down with a long pull on her Coke. "It's interesting, though," she said. "When you think of magic, you typically think of getting something for nothing. That your transformation, your powers, burn your body's resources at such a fast rate seems off." she went back to her pizza, chewing slowly, her eyes fixed in the middle distance. After a moment she started, swallowing fast and half-turning to look at Blake. "Wait. So, did you fly all the way out here from Claremont?"

[Lone Star]

"Pssh. Naw. Had my roommate drop me off. He flies a lot faster than I do." Blake said as he scratched the back of his head. "I mean, I was thinking about investing in a vehicle of some sort. Like a Cthulhu Cycle or something. Wouldn't that be badass?" Blake suddenly got up and sat next to her. He put an arm around her shoulder and smiled slyly. "A romantic motorcycle ride?"

[Raveled]

Jessica swallowed quickly, giggling to herself even as she leaned into Blake. "A motorcycle needs to go forward at a certain rate to remain upright," she said. "Makes snuggling kind of hard." She twisted to face him and kissed him briefly on the lips. "Besides, if I was sitting behind you, how would I do that?" She put her arms around Blake's shoulders, interlacing her fingers on his other side so he wouldn't be able to pull away. "You don't want to lose out on that, do you?"

[Lone Star]

"Mmm, no. Of course I wouldn't. Well you know...I was thinking about getting a headquarters. Just a small place uptown I was going to renovate. We wouldn't have to worry about RA's up there." Blake said with a wink. He put his arms around her waist and kissed her, his lips intertwining with hers. As he kissed her with an open mouth, he slid his tongue into her mouth.

[Raveled]

Jessica made small noises of pleasure as her lips and tongue moved against Blake's, her hunger and the lunch in front of them forgotten for the moment in the bliss of physical contact. After a time they drew apart and she sat there, trembling in the aftershock of the kiss. Before long her brain started to work again and she spoke. "Apartments cost money," she pointed out. "You'd have to get a job, Blake. And I don't think there's much call for Great Old One impersonators as kiddy parties. At least, not nearly as much as clowns and the like." She shuffled a bit closer on the seat, pressing her body against his until there was no open space between them. "Of course, I could just be your sugar momma," she deadpanned. After a moment she frowned, her forehead creasing. "Or is the other person, the one who doesn't have the money, the 'sugar' in the relationship?"

[Lone Star]

Blake paused for a moment. "You know...I'm not exactly sure. But there was a small sum of money my parents left me that I was recently informed about. Seems they had a small nest egg. I'm really hoping it'll be enough. And if nothing else...it'll be a start." Blake noticed how close she had moved to him. He hesitated for a moment, and he slowly moved his hands, which were about her waist, a little lower. "Is it too soon for that?"

[Raveled]

Jessica's heart hammered in her chest, and it was readily apparent what her body wanted to do. But she gripped his wrist gently and moved his hand back to her waist. "I... I want to, Blake. And I want to with you. But just... not now. I'm not quite ready to, yet." She smiled at him, but it was a little shaky around the edges. She glanced at the food remaining, but all of a sudden she wasn't very hungry. "Um. Do you want to hit some of the rides?"

[Lone Star]

"Yeah, that'd be good. I'm sorry Jessica. Just got a little carried away." Blake finished off his slice of pizza and the two threw their garbage away. As they walked towards the rides, Blake pointed out one in particular. "Oh my God! The tilt-a-whirl! Jessica, we so have to go on that one!" Blake said with the enthusiasm of a hyperactive ten-year old.

[Raveled]

Jessica laughed, moving a few paces away so that Blake's excited flailing didn't connect with her, keeping pace with him as they walked up to the gigantic machine. "Okay, okay," she said, her voice deliberately slow. She grabbed Blake's arm and forced him to choose between remaining on the ground or losing the limb. "Tilt-a-whirl sounds like a great idea," she agreed. "On top of a big slice of pizza and a Coke. Why not?" She smiled to take the edge off her statement and held her boyfriend close as they walked up to the entrance gate. The man there carefully checked their passes for the day, but when they tried to go through he grabbed Jessica's backpack. "Can't let you take that on," he said. "No bags or purses." Jessica stopped just inside the gate, looking between the carnie and Blake. It was obvious that she didn't want to leave the suit behind, but at the same time she didn't want to disappoint Blake. She was torn, and just didn't know what to do.

[Lone Star]

Blake stepped up to the man. "Oh, believe me sir. I understand why you wouldn't want my girlfriend to bring her backpack on. It could be a safety hazard. But look into my eyes and tell me you don't want to let her bring it on the ride." Blake smiled as the man looked into his eyes, and he brought in the man's mind nightmarish visions of worlds yet to be seen by human eyes. The man blinked, and began to sweat. "I think...I could make an exception." "Thank you sir!"

As the two sat in the ride's small car, Blake put an arm around Jessica's shoulder and gave her a peck on her cheek. "So you ready for some fun, babe?"

[Raveled]

Jessica blinked and stepped away from the ride attendant, her quick mind working over the implications of what just happened. She sat with Blake in the small car, slipping the bag onto the seat opposite her and snapping a few specially added carbiner-clips into her belt loops. She snuggled closer to him and returned the peck, but after a second she gave Blake a serious look. "Did... You just didn't do anything bad to that guy, did you?" The car lurched suddenly as the ride started up and Jessica was forced to throw out her arms to brace herself, but she kept her gaze on her boyfriend as well as she could.

[Lone Star]

Blake, having been on this ride several times before, was able to talk without too much difficulty. "I think the important thing here is that you have your suit with you at all times. I just gave him a little shock. He'll be over it in an hour or so. If a supervillain were to attack, wouldn't it suck to not have your suit? And what if he was a supervillain? Can never be too careful, Jessica. Sorry if that seemed like a jerk move."

[Raveled]

Jessica started to answer, then the ride tilted and her seat fell out from under her. She screamed, half in amusement and half in terror, and clung to Blake's arm, her nails digging into his bicep. Before long it was apparent that she wouldn't be able to hold a conversation on the wildly dipping and whirling contraption, so she just hung on for dear life and shrieked out her excitement, leaning into the curves and feeling the wind whip her short hair around. Once the ride ended and the seats all settled to the ground, she stumbled out and giggled a bit, holding onto Blake so she didn't fall. "Okay," she admitted. "That was fun." She straightened up and looked across the fair, pointing at one ride that towered above the others. "Oooh, a Ferris wheel! That'd be fun, wouldn't it?"

[Lone Star]

Blake grinned at her, and he grabbed her hand. He was slightly dizzy. "Woah, yeah. That sounds like a lot of fun." He moved to kiss her on the cheek, but swayed and nearly fell over. "Hehe. Are you having fun so far, Jessica?" He stabilized himself and put an arm around her waist. "I always have fun on dates with you."