A Moving Day Christmas (IC)

[Quinn]

Date: December 25, 2010

Weather: Cloudy skies, with mild flurries.

Time: 5:00 PM

The skyline flew beneath Push, as he soared through the falling snow with a grin. His first Christmas as a free man...the kinetic controller resisted the urge to do a loop-the-loop. Ever since that Kent guy had told him he was essentially off the hook, and was being permitted to continue his chase of Scratch with AEGIS help...heh, he'd gone to a downtown bar and proceeded to have way too much spiked eggnog.

He checked the large parcel he was keeping afloat with his other hand, the Christmas tree speeding along beside him thanks to a minor bit of telekinesis. That new modification he'd gave his bike was quite helpful as well, the old Kawasaki speeding driverless through the streets down below holding a whole slew of parcels and packages he'd had Mike send (a postcard through the proper channels could do wonders).

Slowly, he descended, aiming for a building he'd seen not that long ago; an old, abandoned auto repair. Landing lightly for once, he slowly lowered the tree so that it leaned on the building, watched at the bike stopped, and kicked the kickstand down for it. Yep...this place'd make a fine hideout. Turn the basement into a headquarters, hook up the dynamo, get the tree up, and...yeah, a big pot of chili. Just like he and Mike used to make back in the day. Except...for one slight problem.

"Really should've thought of how to get the tree inside before I grabbed it...bugger."

[Flare Knight]

Powerhouse had been enjoying a day of doing nothing- after all, today was nothing special to him-, jumping across Rooftops and generally being a good citizen, when he saw a tree flying through the air. This was enough to cause him to stop for a second, then gradually adjust his course to follow the flying fir, curious on exactly what strange tradition it was to send trees into the air in the middle of the day. "Ms. Fleur must be over there." He decided upon seeing the tree, deciding that was the only explanation, he changed his course even faster and jumped after the tree, landing near where it had dropped out of the sky, and crashing into it.

His surprise upon seeing Mr. Push instead of Mr. Fleur was enough that he looked blatantly confused, until he realized that Mr. Push DID have telekinesis, after all. "Hello Mr. Push." He said, covering his confusion with a waved hand. "Why are you preforming strafing runs with a Fir Tree?" He asked, pointing at the large tree.

[Raveled]

Jessica Parker navigated the city streets carefully, her four-wheel drive SUV finding traction despite the snow and cold but the vehicle's size still engendering a sense of caution in her. She was very aware of what that much mass could do, even traveling at a relatively sedate pace. Still, there weren't many people driving on Christmas Day, so despite her caution she and Blake Salazar arrived at their destination in plenty of time. Jessica eyed the confrontation between the man apparently carrying an entire tree, and another man who looked big enough to do so, pulling the car over to the sidewalk well clear of the confrontation, eying the apparently abandoned building the pair were gathered in front of. "Blake? Hon? Are you sure you got the right address?"

[Lone Star]

Blake smiled at her, and pecked her cheek. "Mmm, no. We're close." Blake saw the two men. "And there they are. Push and Powerhouse. I'll let you guess which one's which." he said with a wink. Blake was wearing his new costume. It was a lot more subtle than his last one- a black suit with a black trenchcoat and fedora. Since he no longer bothered with a secret identity, he wore no mask to conceal his face. "Just pull up next to the place. Mmm." He gave her another little smooch. "Merry Christmas, babe."

[Quinn]

"Hello Mr. Push." He said, covering his confusion with a waved hand. "Why are you preforming strafing runs with a Fir Tree?" He asked, pointing at the large tree.

It was a testament to how used to Freedom City Push had become that he didn't bat an eye at Powerhouse appearing from the ether right when he needed help. Of course, this help was more mundane than most, but hey, no complaints here. Less work for him. He turned and gave Powerhouse a rare grin, even lifting his chin briefly over the scarf.

"Heh, 's my Christmas tree, mate. Celebrating today and my new lease on life, even invited a few folks over to help me move in, have a pot of chili and all that."

Quinn motioned behind himself at the half-wrecked old garage, visibly glowing with glee as he spoke.

"Isn't it beautiful? This here's going to be the new Lazarus Auto Repair...just as soon as I get it fixed up. Want to hang around, I bought enough ingredients to feed a small army?"

[Raveled]

Jessica's cheek tingled from the pair of quick kisses, a sensation that spread to the rest of her body. It wasn't unpleasant, but she had to push it aside as she pulled the large vehicle up until she was practically butted up next to the racing bike with the packages piled atop it. She grabbed a long, narrow package from the center console and stepped out of the truck, smoothing her dark green slacks. She was wearing a sapphire-blue top to complement it, but at the moment her blouse was hidden under a bright red parka.

The young woman walked around the truck and eyed the two men standing next to the fir. She took Blake's arm in one hand and pressed up next to him. "Could've told me it was going going to be casual dress," she whispered to him. She slipped the package into his inside suit pocket and patted the bulge it made. "Unwrap it later. Introduce me now."

[Flare Knight]

Powerhouse took a look at the garage, then the tree, then Push, then to the car that pulled up, then shrugged. He had nothing better to do. "I suppose Mr Push." he said, looking at the tree and the garage again, wondering how that was supposed to fit in there. "You need help, right Mr. Push?...but how are you going to fix up the garage, it seems like it would take a long time..." He asked, before turning to the van people. "Ah...Hello. I'm Powerhouse." he said, lifting his hand to them. "Nice to meet you."

[Lone Star]

"Hey there Powerhouse! It's me, Kid Cthulhu. We fought against Captain Kraken recently. Umm..." Blake didn't feel like going into details, but he had already discussed his loss of Cthulhu powers with Jessica. He imagined he'd have to tell them eventually, but not at the moment. "How's your Christmas been? We've just been hanging out together." He smiled at Jessica and squeezed her hand.

[Quinn]

Quinn shrugged at Powerhouse with a wink, and, grinning, he thumbed at the large pile of tools and materials attached to the pack on the bike.

"Heh, didn't say the chili'd be free, mate. We're going to fix the roof, at least, and get power back into the basement for now. The food's a thank-you for anyone who wanted to help out. I was actually going to invite you...but I kinda didn't know how to reach ya. You showin' up, well...heh, it's good to see you, any road."

Push looked a bit embarrassed as he rubbed the back of his head, a lopsided smile creasing his features. Hearing KC speak, he turned, pulled his scarf down and smiled, walking over and shaking both KC and Miss Parker's hands.

"Hey KC! Glad you could make it! And a pleasure to meet you, Miss Parker. So you got my invitation, Kid?"

[Flare Knight]

"Alright..." Powerhouse said, not sure how he was supposed to help with anything but lifting, but willing enough to try. The statement from the man who called himself Kid Cthullu surprised him though. "Oh! I did not recognize you Mr. Cthullu, without tentacles sprouting from your face. I am glad you are not forced to be the tentacle creature all the time, it seems like it would be a tremendous pain to live a normal life." He said, smiling, then shrugged at the Christmas thing, unsure of what Christmas was but attempting to pass it off on something else."Good, I suppose. I'm not entirely sure what you mean, but my day has been good." He finished, turning to the girl, and greeting her next. "Hello mam, It's nice to meet you."

[Lone Star]

Blake smiled at both of the gentlemen. "Well, I have an announcement. I am Kid Cthulhu no more. There's a short story involved, but the good news is!" he said, cutting himself off in the middle of his sentence. He held up both of his hands, and colored lights flickered from them. They lit up the air in front of him, spelling out "MERRY CHRISTMAS" in sparkling reds and greens. "I can still do magic. I'll explain later!" Blake said as he changed his outfit. His formerly dapper attire changed into a construction outfit, complete with hard-hat. "So where do we start?"

[Raveled]

Jessica stepped forward and shook Powerhouse's hand warmly. "Hello, Mister Powerhouse. I'm Jessica." She shook Push's hand more slowly, giving the mana long, searching look before stepping back to Blake's side. She slipped an arm around her boyfriend's waist, still watching the kinetic controller. "I think I've met you before," she said, "but I can't place your face, Mister..." She left the name hanging for Push to fill in; it wasn't often that she got a feeling of deja vu like this over a person, and she'd be lying if she claimed it didn't make her a little suspicious.

[Quinn]

Quinn shrugged, looking at her face with curiosity. That voice sounded oddly familiar to him as well, though he couldn't quite place it...then it struck him. Parker, very familiar voice...came through a voice box, power suit, Parker, Jessica? Ironclad!

"Your name rings a bell too...Parker...Parker...wait a sec, Jessica Parker? Ironclad?"

He looked at the female hero with new respect, then blinked and looked between Warlock and her, making a connection in his head.

"Hold up. You mean you..and her..and you...somehow, I shouldn't be surprised."

Push shook his head, pulling the scarf down briefly and winking with an amused look on his face.

"Not surprised you don't remember me, though. We met a month back at that cultist warehouse, tackled them with the zombie, the big blue tin can and Dragonfly. Does Push ring any bells?"

[Raveled]

Jessica's expression cleared as recognition dawned. "Oh, yes! You gave Dragonfly a good spill!" She chuckled at the memory. "Well, it's good to see you getting settled in, in the city!" She pressed against Blake and grabbed the construction hat, setting it on her head at a jaunty angle. "So, apparently we have to work for dinner? Then let's get to it!"

[Flare Knight]

"Right." Powerhouse said, lifting his eyes- he had been distracted with the light show put on by Blake- "its nice to meet you Ms. Jessica, and I'm sorry Mr. Blake, about your powers." Powerhouse wanted to feel worse for Blake, but he did still have powers, so he turned to Mr Push. "Ah, right. Should I take your Fir Tree inside, Mr. Push?" He asked, moving towards it.

[Dr Archeville]

A lone figure -- unidentifiable due to being wrapped head-to-toe in many layers of clothing -- walked along the road. When it saw the gathering of people at the abandoned auto shop, it turned and headed towards them.

Nice of Push ta leave me that invite at the cemetery. Even if his carelessness did knock over three headstones... wonder who the rest'a these guys are.

As it approached, the group could see the clothing was well-worn, and stained in places. Was this a homeless person of some sort, seeking a handout?

"Hey!," the figure greeted, "how y'all doin'?"

The voice, though muffled through the two scarves he wore, was instantly identifiable by those who'd heard it before: it was Dead Head!

[Lone Star]

He smiled. Blake remembered the Revoltin' Revenant from an earlier party involving mystics in the local area. He hasn't changed a bit since last time. "Don't tell me you don't recognize me, Dead Head! It's me, Kid Cthulhu. Or, it was Kid Cthulhu, up until a few weeks ago. I do legit magic now. How have you been, man? Keeping the crypts okay?" He was glad Push invited the zombie necromancer, he always seemed to bring life wherever he went, metaphorically speaking.

[Quinn]

Push made a face at Dead Head as he walked up, switching it as he spoke to an amiable smile.

"Dangit, scarves are my shtick. Heh, I'd ask if you're baking under the layers, but I think the question might be moot; glad to see you got my invite!"

The ersatz hero looked at the assembled guests, including the one drop-in guest, and his smile widened into a grin. Hail hail, the gang's all here.

"Alright, thanks for answering the invite, y'all. As you can see, I've got...well, let's just say some things have finally gone right in my life for once. But it also looks like I'm going to be settlin' down here in Freedom City for the near future, and, well, I need a place to crash. This place here's looking like my best option. Yeah, it's a bit of a fixer-upper, but if you lot can give me a hand getting the place in working order, I've got enough chili and soft drinks to feed an army on that bike."

He hefted a fairly sizeable cooking pot off of the back of the bike, placing it down with a clang, and motioned to a box of groceries and supplies bungee-corded in a rather odd position on the seat. The kinetic controller smiled cheerily, patting it and the pot at the same time.

"Bribery and corruption, ladies and gents. Gotta love it. So, you all in?"

[Raveled]

Jessica look at the pile of packages on the bike, judging mass and weight distribution. "Alright, then." She put the hard hat back on Blake's head and walked over to the bike. She pressed a button on her wristwatch and armored up in a blaze of light. Sporting her green and gold, she gripped the motorcycle and lifted it into the air, along with the presents and packages webbed atop. She turned to face Push as her mask folded away and disappeared. "Where do you want these?"

[Flare Knight]

As the new person wandered up and Ms. Jessica grabbed the packages, Powerhouse, standing next to the tree and waiting for information on what he should do with it, looked at the new person, Dead Head. "Hello Mr. Dead Head, I'm Powerhouse. It's nice to meet you. I'm Good, how are you?" He asked rapidly, then grabbed the tree with his hands- remembering he needed to pick it up, and lifting it over his head. "I'd shake your hand, but we can do it inside, can't we?" He asked, looking back to Mr. Push. "So...just bring it inside?" he asked.

[Dr Archeville]

Dead Head did a double-take at Warlock, "Kay Cee? Izzat really you?" He laughed, "git outta town! I'd heard ya got attacked -- sorry I didn't swing by, been busy on my end, though not as busy as it was a few couple'a months back! Good ta see ya up an' about, though!"

He looked over Push's bike, and the food on it, then back to Push. "Ya do know I don't eat, right? Not just don't, but cain't. Don't you worry none, though, I'll find some other way ya kin repay me for mah services..." Under the scarves, he grinned.

The grin faded when he saw Ironclad and Powerhouse effortlessly haul their packages. "Uh, ya know I ain't that strong, neither, right? I'm mostly good fer endurance stuff, y'know?"

A dog's bark echoed through the chill air. "Ah, Mutt's comin'! I bet he'd be int'rested in whatever yer makin' in that there pot!"

[Quinn]

Quinn shook his head as he looked about for the source of the bark, then shrugged, making a patting motion in the air where he had an inkling the dog's head might be. He didn't feel anything solid, so he felt rather dense for doing so.

"Well...heh, why don't we put him on guard duty then, for any ne'er-do-wells that might want to interrupt us? That'll earn him his chili."

Push walked over, looking critically at the building, then back at the packages, then back at the tree, then back at the building.

"Hmm...ok, off the top of my head...the interior of the garage needs a cleanup, and there's a pile of materials I managed to scrape together inside to fix the hole in the roof. The basement mechanics' pit also needs to be cleaned up, and the front garage door repaired, the big one. I've got a small generator Mi....someone sent me in that pile of packages there, so once I get that hooked up we should have power. I was going to put a sign up top saying Lazarus Auto and Industrial Repair, but I couldn't get the materials for it...meh. The tree needs to go into the basement, though short of punching a hole in the wall, I'm not sure how to get it in. Same with the supplies there. And...yeah, I think that's about it. Okay, anyone have any preferences for what they want to do?"

[Raveled]

Ironclad looked between the half-open garage door and the pile of packages and machine in her hand. "Not gonna fit," she commented flatly. "I guess that's the first thing to do." She placed the motorcycle down carefully and ducked under the rolling door. She located the motor for he door without any trouble and started examining it closely. Her helmet reappeared as she accessed the suit's sensors, probing the abused and aged machine. The young woman started humming under her machine and pulled a set of tools from her belt, probing the device physically before she started more serious work.

[Flare Knight]

Looking at the door with a frown, Powerhouse then looked up at the roof, the tree in his hands. "I got an idea." He said, then, crouching, leaped upward, and forward, on top of the roof, to him, the Tree was a feather, something he could carry in a single finger. With a grin, he aimed the tree at the hole in the roof and pushed it through it, then jumped down after it, grabbing it before it hit the ground so it didn't fall. "I got it!" He yelled from inside the building, dusting his hands on his pants one after the other to keep a hold on the tree.

[Lone Star]

Blake whistled as he watched Powerhouse get the tree inside the building. "Nice work there, buddy. I'll get started on clearing out some of this trash." Blake held his arm out, and focused his magical energy. The ring on his left hand glowed faintly, and he started sweeping garbage and junk metal to one corner. "I can't animate brooms yet, but I'm working on it."