10001/Ice and Sun

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Ice and Sun
Date of Scene: 11 November 2019
Location: The Rockaways, Queens
Synopsis: First we fight, and then we tan
Cast of Characters: Flash, Psylocke




Flash has posed:
The winds howled with an icy chill to them, sending the sand cascading towards the beachfront stores of the Rockaways. Many were specifically designed to face away from the beach, so as not to have to look directly at the sun or deal with the naturally occurring winds, but there was nothing natural about this.

In summer, this area was prime real estate for surfing, sun, and socialising. But in this weather, well, there were some that would surf, but only the bravest would do it in this weather. There was a wodden boardwalk, with brightly coloured shops, and even a guy playing news reporter, live streaming it all from behind a wooden support for one of the trees that had been wrapped up in a blanket.

The blocky figure that stood on the beach, who had identified himself as Ikthalon, spoke with an odd accent, almost Shakespearean accent, "Cometh f'rward and p'rish puny m'rtal. Thee cannot stand ho me. Nothing may standeth in the way of the stagnant bitter cold i bringeth."

The Flash hated the cold. He hated everything about it. Cold represented slowness, stillness, while he was all about motion, about things being bright, warm, and most of all, fun. In movement, there was joy. In silence, only sorrow.

"Dude, this is 2027. You've got to update your image. All this Nanook of the North stuff, nah, that's not doing it for me. Have you considered trying I don't know, a Hawaiian shirt, some sunglasses, maybe a trip down south. Get some sun. It'll do wonders for your disposition." All the while he was trying to think of how to deal with this one. It seemed, well, alien. It was like it was made out of ice. And he didn't want to kill the guy by melting him.


Psylocke has posed:
Betsy was in the area. She was actually in one of the beach front homes with a realtor, considering buying it and moving to something more substantial than a condo or apartment. There was the weighing of having no neighbors right above or below versus having the upkeep of property. Pros and cons both ways.

When they had entered the building, all had been well. It was November so it was nippy outside but not really col. Thus when they opened the sliding glass door to look at the wooden deck and the view of the ocean, neither expected the blast of arctic air that hit.

"What in the world." Betsy took that step out and walked to the railing, looking out at the beach to the right to see the goings-on. She frowned a bit, shaking her head. "Excuse me, Mr. Green. I will be a moment." She headed for the stairs, walking down to the sand and beginning to walk toward the dramatic scene playing out.

Flash has posed:
Ikthalon wove his hands around, and the air took on a blue shimmer, similar to how Elsa's powers looked in Frozen. The sparkling and shimmering light began to take form, creating a spear, which was hurled in the Flash's direction. But being the Fastest Man Alive, he sidestepped it fairly easily. What he didn't count on was the spear, upon hitting the sand, to grow into a cage of ice around him.

"Hey, what'd I do to you? Wow, some people just can't take constructive criticism." He began by placing his gloved hands to the ice, and vibrated until it melted and he stepped out. Then brushing his gloves hands together, "now, as I was saying, what's your boggle? You seem like a nice otherworldly iceman, so, are you looking for an icewoman, another iceman, an icecream, an icebox, an iceberg, something to do with ice?"

The man filming it continued, though his hands were shaking from the cold. Must have been making his footage shaky though.

"Enow! Cease thy incessant babbling m'rtal. Wherefore has't thee did summon me?" the being called out, growing annoyed, and he was short tempered to begin with.


Psylocke has posed:
The sand is deep and thick on the upper part of the beach. Betsy has on tall boots at least so she won't be having to get sand out of her shoes after all of this. She pulls her light jacket more tightly around her as she approaches from the opposite side.

There are some people gathered up on the dunes watching the happenings. She walks to join them , finding a spot near the front bot a little to the side.

When the being says he was summoned, she frowns a little and begins to scan the area mentally even while trying to read Ikthalon. If he truly thinks he was summoned, if he was summoned and more importantly, if she can find someone in the area who did summon him.

Flash has posed:
Sometimes having a telepath around was like having a cheat code. Most of the people are lookie loos, and their thoughts betray that. But one of them did in fact summon the demon. He was the one closest to the fray, trying to film it all on his Starkphone. The Flash knew none of this, he had just been out here, hoping to catch some winter waves, when Ikthalon showed up.

"Summon you, hey now, I like you and all, but it's not like that. I didn't summon you," and looking to the crowd of people, "and I don't think, well, maybe, I don't know, let's just say for the sake of argument, that somebody had accidentally summoned you. You don't sound too pleased at being summoned. So, I'm going to need your help on this one, big guy. Help me, help you. How can I help get you back to wherever it was you came from?"

In a deep booming voice, it said, "I cometh from a landeth of ice and snoweth, a landeth of petrifi'd beauty hath called b'reas. Cometh, r'd one, and knoweth t bett'r." It began to wave its arms about again, the Flash saying, "I don't like the look of that." A blue sphere, an opening was visible, seeing a frozen wasteland. "You call that beautiful?" Flash asked, before more glittering magic was sent his way.

A massive claw forming and wrapping around the Flash. It was fast, even by his standards, and caught him off guard. He struggled, fighting with it as it drew him nearer. Even as he tried to rub and vibrate it, it just seemed to get colder and colder. The Flash was shivering as much was struggling.


Psylocke has posed:
"Oh for pity's sake, put him down!"

The posh British accent was heard as the Japanese woman moved out of the crowd and walked toward the goings on. "I'm sure your homeland is lovely however, you do not need to be all grabby hands without invitation. I am certain that is uninvited touching." She points a the Flash in the claw.

"Now, if you wish to find out what is going on, I suggest speaking to that gentleman." She looks over at the man who did the summoning very pointedly. "Sir, if you could please explain why you summoned him and what you wish of him so we can get on with this and I can finish looking at my potential new home, that would be ever so wonderful."

Flash has posed:
The Flash was still caught in the magical palm of Ikthalon, drawing ever closer to the portal. Ikthalon slowly took three footsteps towards Betsy, regarding her for a moment. The hand wrapped around Flash did not stop moving towards the portal. Ikthalon looked right at the gentleman, who caught it on his phone? and then ran.

He was in his mid thirties, looked to be in pretty decent shape, wearing a black toque, dark green jacket, and blue jeans. He just ran, as fast as he could, in a straight line, trying to get away. He was really pumping his legs. Might have been a runner back in High School. As the man ran and Flash continued to draw closer to the portal, he looked to Betsy, a woman he recognised by look and by sound, "look, uh, lady, I know we, yeah, but, I'm kind of stuck here. Where's the Human Torch when you need him?"


Psylocke has posed:
"Why do they always run?"

Betsy is suddenly in motion. She was no Flash but she was in better shape than the man taking off running. It was a simple matter for her to catch up with the man, reaching for a shoulder and bring a leg forward to try and trip him up.

Flash has posed:
The man fall, and in the cold conditions, the wood planks of the boardwalk felt like concrete. He has smears on his face as it brushed awkwardly against the grains. Groaning, the man tried to stagger back to his feet, but he was dealing with a trained ninja. "Hey, lady, get offa me!" He said in a thick Brooklyn accent. With a bit more force applied, he'd relent, "okay, okay, I found this book, I didn't know what it could do." Pulling it out from his jacket, slowly and carefully, he offered it up to her, "here, take it, it's yours. Just don't let that monster have me!"

Meanwhile, the Flash was precariously close to the portal. Ikthalon began walking back towards the portal himself. Vibrating hadn't seemed to do much to melt the hand, as it just seemed to get colder the warmer he got. But there was another way. If he could just get himself vibrating enough, he could phase through the hand. He began to concentrate, but it was hard. He was so cold right now.


Psylocke has posed:
Taking the book, Betsy frowns at the man but releases her hold on his arm. "Do not play with things you do not understand. This," she waves her hand to the beach. "Is what happens."

She walks away, quickly flipping through the book and finding the page that seems to be talking about the being on the beach. There is an incantation for summoning but is there something about how to control it? If there is, she can't seem to find it. But that doesn't mean she has no power here.

She runs back over toward the being and holds up the book. "Ikthalon! If you do not release that man, I will bind you to this place. You will not be able to return to your home of cold and ice. I have another spell handy right here..." She flips pages and puts her hand on a page that seems to show a lot of fire. "Which can make this place feel like we are in a tropical jungle. Which I will do once you are bound. So Let. Flash. Go. Now."

Flash has posed:
Ikthalon had been walking towards the portal. He moved so slowly, almost as slowly as the Turtle moved. For Flash, it was agonising. He hated when things slowed to a crawl like this. The ice demon turned in his walk, making a slow turn to regard Betsy Braddock. "Thee doth not und'rstand the pow'r in thy handeth. Thee cannot harmeth me. But thee may has't this wretch'd dram thing yond thee calleth Flash backeth. That gent is yours. Anon, I wend."

The hand around the Flash, that he had struggled so mightily against, let go, and hovered as it followed alongside Ikthalon. Soon, well, actually it took a long time, but eventually he and his conjuration would step through the portal, and disappear. The book remained the property of Betsy. Interestingly enough, a wave of yellow light washed over it, almost as if a light ran across it, but it wasn't from any normal light source. In actuality, it had bound itself to her, its new master.

The Flash straightened his costume, still shivering, vibrating a bit, he was cold and could use some heat. "Hey, want to go some place warmer?"


Psylocke has posed:
"Very much so," Betsy answered as she eyed the book in her hand. She was not pleased with its behavior. Or that it had a behavior at all. It should not have done anything.

"Unfortunately, I have a realtor I must finish speaking to about a potential purchase. I think after this, it may not be the neighborhood for me. Not a fan of the boardwalk this close." She looked at the book then back at Flash. "You know any magical types who might be able to keep this safe from novices?"

Flash has posed:
With Betsy having said very much so, she was swept up into the Flashes arms, who warmed himself up with a bit of a light jog, by his standards, only to set her down on another beach, but one decidedly warmer. There was a large overhead arch with a sign that said 'New Smyrna Beach'.

Nearby, there was a smaller posted one saying 'Be Safe, Have Fun! No Pets, Glass, or Alcoholic Beverages. Stay out of Emergency Drive Lanes. Swim in front of a lifeguard. Enjoy and Protect! Take home what you bring. Do not feed or disturb wilflife. Staff off the dunes - help them grow. Turtle Season: 1 May through 31 October.'

Just in time for her to talk about the realtor, and then, as quickly as they had come to New Smyrna Beach, they were back at the Rockaways, for her to look at the book and ask about if he knew anyone. "Uh, Dr. Fate, Dr. Strange, Captain Britain, Moonstar, Zatanna, Constantine, none of them well or anything, but yeah, there are people out there in the know for that sort of thing."


Psylocke has posed:
Betsy was frowning a bit when she realized they had actually gone to another location and come back, in the span of a few sentences. "You really should slow down sometimes and be certain before acting," she admonished with a hint of a smile. "Though it was very nice. I may need to visit there sometime when I am not dealing with a realtor. As I was saying though, do you think you could give the book to one of them for me? I have no knowledge of such things. I have one source I could give it to but honestly, might be better elsewhere." Limbo was not a good place to hide books of power. Nor was Xavier's. Thus why Magik was out.

Flash has posed:
"Uh, sorry about that. I sometimes get ahead of myself when I want something, like with us," he sheepishly smiled, trying to cover things. Before he cleared his thought, and he could see his breath. "I can see my breath. Which is fine, if you like that sort of thing, certainly get enough of it back home, but that's why I went to university in Florida. Man, sometimes I wish we could take all the supervillains in the world and introduce them to the subtropical climate zone. It's nice, they'd like it. It might even make them less interested in fighting. Like right now, I could be on a beach, working on my tan, maybe some surfing, volleyball, but magic, right, sure," and he tried to take the offered book, except that when he tried to take it, he initiated a shockwave that sent him flying backwards into the still frozen sand. "Ugh," he said, scratching his head through the mask.


Psylocke has posed:
"Are you alright?" Betsy asked Flash immediately, moving to offer him a hand up. The hand without the book. Only when he was up and she was sure he wasn't injured would she look at the book.

"No. No, no, no. Bad. Do not hurt friends." She frowned and looked back to Flash. "Give them my number. You have it. I'll hide this in the shadow realm for now where it should be safe."

Flash has posed:
The Flash is helped up, and as he watches Betsy admonish the book, he can't help but smile at how adorable she looked. 'Damnit Barry, stop thinking about her like that,' he thought to himself, "uh, sure, I'll see if I can contact them. Probably going to end up being a game of Kevin Bacon, but sure." Shaking his head, still a little groggy, he then asked, "wait, realtor, you're moving out here?" Thankfully the lookie loos were giving them a wide berth, letting them just talk on the beach as the show was over. Part of Flash was kind of sad that none had come over for an autograph. He must be losing his touch, on many fronts.


Psylocke has posed:
"I was considering. The boardwalk is a bit too close to the home I was considering," Betsy says as she tucks the book under her arm for now, motioning to the house about a hundred yards up the beach. "And apparently this neighborhood has a crazy man who thinks he should play with magic books. Not for me. I should go let Mr. Green know I'll pass."

Flash has posed:
The Flash nodded his head in agreement, "yeah, you're right. Besides, there's huge maintenance costs involved..." and then he remembered who he was talking to, "not that it's much of an issue. So," looking around, they were still alone for now, "want to go some place warmer after talking to Mr. Green? I promise not to run you anywhere in the near future unless you ask?"


Psylocke has posed:
"Give me a few minutes." Betsy then turned to walk a back through the sand toward the house a distance away. There she climbed the stairs to the deck and entered the sliding glass doors. Mr. Green was waiting inside, where it was warm. A brief conversation and she walked back out to where Flash was waiting. "I told him I would get a cab home. So where are we going."

Flash has posed:
The Flash remained outside, giving Betsy all the time she needed. In the meantime, since he was so cold, he ran off to grab a stylish scarf. If he were thinking things through, he would have grabbed a jacket, but a scarf seemed enough. He also got a mug of hot cocoa. So when she returned, she found the Justice Leaguer standing on the frigid beach, sipping his hot chocolate, and wearing his scarf. At the suggestion that she'd get a cab, the Flash ran off, gone for a few seconds as he looked for the nearest costume shop. It was an unusual thing to look for, so after a little while, he reappeared wearing a old fashioned cab driver hat. "Florida's nice this time of year. Some great surfing there. Australia's nice too. South Africa. How about Fiji?"


Psylocke has posed:
"Nothing fancy. Where you had taken us a moment ago is fine." She never did get to read the sign. They weren't there long enough for her to even focus her eyes. It was just cold and dreary--sunny and warm--cold and dreary in a, pardon the pun, flash.

She considered the cocoa and scarf with the cab driver hat. "Very stylish. We will avoid anywhere that fashion is a thing to avoid pitchforks and torches."

Flash has posed:
The Flash drank the rest of his cocoa, doing it at speed. He actually enjoyed it at a very leisurely pace, from his perspective, he just slowed his perceptions down to the point where he was all alone. That was one of the saddest things to being a speedster. And his greater fear. What would happen if he ever got trapped like that? Being fast was great, so long as you could appreciate it.

After finishing it, and putting the paper cup in the recycling bin near the boardwalk, he would speed up his perceptions, so that he could pick up Betsy, cradling her in his arms. One hand went under her legs, the other behind her back, keeping her close to his chest for maximum support. He even oscilated his perceptions so that he could slip her arm around his shoulder, and then he slowed back down to normal. He gave her a moment to get used to it, and then ran, but not nearly as fast as he could run.

He was putting on a bit of a show, letting her see him run down the Rockaways peninsula, across the Marine Parkway Bridge, from Queens to Brooklyn, across the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge to Staten Island, through the Goethals Tunnel to Empire City, New Jersey, and now that they were on the mainland, he ran across New Jersey, through Philadelphia, up the Rocky Steps in front of the Philadelphia Museum, at which point he called out, "Yo, Adrian!" like Rocky, before continuing on to Washington, D.C., where he ran past the White House, "you know, your ancestors burnt that down. We whitewashed it to cover the fire damage."

And yet more running, next major city was Richmond, Virginia; then Savannah, Georgia; then Jacksonville, Florida, and then on down to New Smyrna Beach in central Florida, on the eastern coast. Once there, he set her down, and he tipped his cabbie hat, "on the house, miss."


Psylocke has posed:
The trip is amazing and a tad bit frightening. Traveling at that speed without the safety of a vehicle around her. One trip away from disaster. It was exciting at the same time but that sense of danger was there.

Once they reached their destination, she glanced around at the surroundings and quickly took off her jacket. It was definitely not needed here. "It's beautiful." She spotted the signs now, reading the name of where they were. "I've never been here before." SHe moved out onto the sand, walking toward the waters edge.

Flash has posed:
The Flash ran off while she was moving towards the water. A moment later, he reappeared, walking at a normal speed as Barry Allen, since she wasn't in costume. He now wore turquoise swim shorts, with little pink sharks on them, a white linen shirt, and was carrying a beach bag. Running, like a normal person, over towards her, since she knew his identity, he aid, "it really is. Some great surfing here. I used to come all the time back when I was attending Sun City University."


Psylocke has posed:
Seeing his quick change, Betsy had to smile even as she shook her head. "That part is not fair. Now, I could pop up to the mansion, get myself something to wear. But that seems it would take too long, as it would be multiple jumps. Would you be a dear and go get me some shorts and a tank top or a bathing suit I can change into?" The knee high boots and warm clothes were not going to do it here. Not that the water was going to be warm enough to actually swim probably for her but at least the sky was clear and the sun warm.

Flash has posed:
At her suggestion of popping back up to the mansion, Barry held out the hand that had the beach bag. He had already planned for it. There was a purple one piece swimsuit, a white tank top, with purple accents, and black shorts, also with purple accents. There was also sun tan lotion, a couple of towels, and even some magazines. He'd pretty much grabbed everything someone might want to take to the beach. "I hope they're in your size. I took my best guess." And in case she was wondering, he didn't move a muscle except to offer the bag. "There's a changing tent over there," and he gestured with his free hand to public changing areas."


Psylocke has posed:
She has to laugh. There's nothing else to do. She takes the bag and heads over for the changing area. When she emerges, she's in the bathing suit which seems to be almost right on the sizing. Perhaps one size too small but in a bathing suit, that is honestly not even noticeable. She carried the bag with her and motioned him down onto the sand above the tide line, so they wouldn't get wet. Then she laid out the towels and settled down on one of them, leaning back and putting on a pair of sunglasses. "Now this is the kind of beach we need in New York. Ours are still much cooler than this."

Flash has posed:
Barry gave her a knowing wink when she laughed at how well prepared he was. He played with the sand between his toes while he waited for her to change, and when she emerged, one though permeated his brain. 'You'd make a good dog break his leash'. He had heard it on a television show, when a woman entered the room is a stunning little black dress. Betsy was in a bathing suit, a relatively conservative one at that, but she looked just as good in it.

Walking along with her, her towel was a purple and pink Rapunzel one, while his was black with some white writing that said 'hold on, let me overthink this'. Both were towels he personally owned. They were clean. While he had bought the tank top, shorts, and swimsuit for her brand new. They even had the tags on them, though there was a pair of scissors in the beach bag.

He settling onto his, taking the other pair of sunglasses from the bag, "you know, I never get to share this side of me, with people. But I kind of do this all the time. Distance kind of loses all meaning. You should see the deals I get on furniture buying factory direct." And he did mean factory. He bought stuff from China or wherever it was manufactured.


Psylocke has posed:
The tags had been removed from all the pieces though they were still in the bag in case she didn't wear the shirt and shorts. She figured they would end up as a cover for what she was wearing though.

"Because of the secret identity? That would keep you from being open about it. It's helpful though to have that mystery."

Flash has posed:
"Yeah, never dated anyone in the business before..." not that he had an extensive dating record either, for that matter. He was good looking. But he had a lot more confidence in costume than out. And he had a habit of saying the wrong thing, or several wrong things.

As he relaxed against the towel, he stretched out, then folded his arms behind his back, using it as a makeshift pillow... and then he decided to sit up, so he could undo the white linen shirt, taking it off and folding it neatly. Then he laid back down. Damn, he was pale. He needed to do this more often. He was like a signal flare.


Psylocke has posed:
"I would suggest you use the sunscreen," Betsy points out. It's a nice way of saying that he is glowing. He might be able to glow in the dark but no testing that theory. "And no, I'm not putting it on for you. Except maybe your back where you can't reach."

She never budges, just laying there soaking up the rays that are shining down on the beach. The sand is warm beneath the towel, a very comfortable feeling. It would be easy to fall asleep here in comfort, especially after being in artic temps.

Flash has posed:
Barry reaches in to the bag at her suggestion, and tries to apply it. He doesn't do the best jobs, as during, he kind of keeps wanting to rub his hands together. He's showing all the signs of a person who doesn't like to get their hands dirty. But he does get a fair bit on. Then, he'll offer the lotion to her, "can you get my back?" And if he's really lucky, the areas he missed as well. But that's out of his control. With her wearing a one piece, there wasn't a lot of skin she wouldn't be able to reach, alas.


Psylocke has posed:
She forces herself to sit up, a little annoyed to do so as she was soooo comfortable. But she had offered. Betsy took the container and quickly put some in her hands, rubbing the hands together so that the goo wasn't so cold. Then she quickly and expertly applied it to his back. No lingering, no playing. A very practiced application. "Turn around." She touched up the handful of areas he missed on his torso. Then she flipped the container shut and dropped it back in the bag before rubbing what remained on her hands on her arms. She didn't really need it because she wasn't going to be here that long, she figured.

Flash has posed:
Barry was a little disappointed when she was so practical about it. He was still trying to figure her out. But he was appreciative of her help. As she finished up with applying the lotion to the areas of his front that he had missed, he sat back down, only for a beach patron to walk by. He was pushing a beach vendor cart. "Can I interest you in some fresh hot dogs, pretzels, water, soft drinks, or not so soft drinks?" He didn't have the licence to sell beer, so he just referred to them as not so soft drinks.

Barry reluctantly got up, reaching for his wallet in the shorts, and said, "we'll take three hot dogs, a pretzel, two bottles of water, two cokes... you know what, make it three of everything." And he paid in cash. After the guy had moved on, Barry said, "what, I have a high metabolism." Of course, he was sharing it all with her.


Psylocke has posed:
As he ordered all that food, she had to arch a brow curiously at what this is all about. She waits patiently though, folding her legs up along her side. "Do I get one of the waters and a hot dog? Or going to keep them all for yourself?"

Flash has posed:
His reply was easy, effortlessly, and immediate, "Betsy, you get whatever you want," with a sappy thought being added in his head, 'all that is mine to give, is yours, including my heart'. The food was wrapped, so as not to get sand on it, and the bottles were sealed, so there wasn't much problem laying them on the towels. He offered her a hot dog with one hand, and a bottle of water with the other, holding them out to her as that's what she had asked for. "I'm not greedy, I just can... make competitive eaters look bad."


Psylocke has posed:
"With your speed, to you have a higher metabolism? Or you just happen to like food and happen to excercise it off if you eat it?" Betsy asks as she accepts the food and water. She carefully balances the hotdog on her leg to break the seal on the water, taking a sip and capping it closed. Then she picks the hotdog back up to eat.

Flash has posed:
"You know that's actually a fare more intriguing question that you'd think. It's kind of both, and at the same time, neither. When it first happened to me, the accident, I thought that I needed to consume tremendous quantities of calories to account for my actions. So I did, and never gained a pound. But as I did the math," yes, he's an American, and says math, instead of maths. They seem to think there is only one. "I realised that my calorie intake had nothing to do with my expenditures. I seem to be able to burn off whatever I take in, but I'm not actually sure where the excess goes. I think it's in my head, just, you know, I feel hungry, even if my body isn't telling me it is." He goes for a hot dog first, using a little packet provided of mustard, mayo, and ketchup on his.