PirateSeaHawk

OK, this hasn't been said for a long, Long, LONG time! (and I pray he'll forgive me)


But...

I blame Polaron.

“You must hold the present in your hand firmly,” continued Santa, “then you must think of those two wishes at the same time. And you must be firm when you decide what type of superhero you want to be. Do you understand?”

Billy gingerly took the box from Santa’s hand and though about what he wanted to be…

He looked out the window and didn’t see the snow and fog that blocked the vision of what was outside. In his mind, he saw super-powered beings flying through the sky, zipping through the streets and generally stopping bad guys from doing crime.

His mind changed and he saw his favorite heroes from movies, Captain Jack Sparrow and Jackie Chan. But then he also had to also think about his look as well. Should he be square-jawed and firm like Statesman or lean and speedy like Synapse? He sort of decided on something in between; powerful as Statesman, but nearly as quick as Synapse. Above all this was the desire to be rid of his cancer.

This sort of thing would overwhelm an adult, let alone a 12-year-old boy. So much was going through his head that when he finally verbalized his wish – which included an image of his pet cat, Tiger – that things were rather jumbled and the end result was, well, not quite what he expected.

As the glow of the wish faded, the first thing he felt was that his entire body felt clean. For months, since the cancer had invaded, he’d felt, dirty somehow. But he felt clean completely down to his DNA.

He also felt, well, powerful. And yet, he also felt, changed in other ways. He looked at Santa, whose eyebrows were threatening to climb into his forehead.

“Well, not quite what I expected,” rumbled the huge elf as he regarded Billy, “but then, I supposed I should have been more specific.”

“What’cha mean,” retorted Billy in a voice that was deeper, smoother, than his normal warbling tenor, “what the heck happened to my voice?”

“A moment,” said Santa. With a gesture not unlike the ‘wax-on/wax-off’ from ‘Karate Kid’ a glittering sheet of ice appeared and expanded to full length, “take a look in the mirror.”

Billy looked and was surprised with the reflection. Same height and size, all right, but the first thing he noticed was the orange, black-striped fur. Looking directly into his face, he saw bright green jewel bright eyes, elegant whiskers and a cheerful countenance. He stood heroically, his arms akimbo. This is cooler than Peter Pan! he thought.

The outfit he wore was in red and green, as betokens an outfit for Christmas, but it was weird. On his head and on his feet was pirate gear; a bright red tricorn hat and bucket boots. But his jacket and pants looked like something out of a ninja flick, in bright green, trimmed in red. At his waist was a cloth belt not unlike what was worn by martial artists. Stepping back, the overall effect was…

“Cool!” he exclaimed, “I like it!”

Santa chuckled, “Well now, I’ll have to say that’s different. And if you’ll forgive an old man’s bias, I do like the colors. Now you just need to decide on a name for your new persona”

“Um, Christmas Pirate Ninja Catboy?”

“A bit long, don’t you think? Why not take out the middle two words?”

“Christmas Catboy?”

“Yes, that will do nicely; not only does it have the hard consonants, it’s an alliteration”

“Huh?”

“Don’t worry; you’ll see soon enough,” responded Santa.

“Um, one question, though,” said Billy, “how do I change myself back? It’s gonna be kinda hard for my parents not to notice.”

“Hmm, that does seem problematic. Well, there’s enough of the Christmas magic left, I think. Now…close your eyes. That’s right. Now, think about what you looked like before you transformed…”

“Like Optimus Prime?”

“Um, no. You don’t want to be folding and unfolding yourself. While it’s not painful, it’s uncomfortable and you’ll be squeezing things you’d rather not have squeezed. Trust me on this.”

“Oh…OK.”

“Now again, think about what you looked like before you transformed. Get that picture firmly in your mind. One thing; always remember what clothing you were wearing before you changed, all right?”

“OK!”

“Now that you’ve got that in your mind, concentrate on whom you want to change to; yourself or Christmas Catboy. In this case, your ‘old’ self and make the change. If you want you can say a couple of words to help with the transformation, go ahead.”

“Presto Chango!” came the cry from Billy as he dramatically raised his hands above his head. A *poof* sound, a cloud of smoke, and Billy was once again Billy.

Santa regarded wryly Billy over his glasses, “You, young man, read far too many comic books.” Billy simply smiled.

“Now, it’s too late in the season, really, to embark on your new career, so I recommend that you simply practice changing back and forth, and discover your abilities. After the season ends, I suggest you exercise as much as you can, to build up your endurance and strength.”

“Do I gotta eat my vegetables?”

“Hrm, not exactly, I think with your new form, you’ll be requiring more protein. Don’t be surprised if you prefer your meat rare from now on. However, try not to change your habits too much; you don’t want to alarm your parents. I would check on the Internet to find a reputable trainer and see what they recommend for your age.”

“OK, Santa.”

“Oh, one final thing; since I had a hand in this, I think I should keep an eye on you and keep in touch.” With that, he reached into a pocket a pulled out a snowglobe that had a miniature of Santa about to climb down a chimney.

“If you need to speak to me, shake the globe and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. You can leave a message if you want. And if I want to talk to you, the tune ‘Jingle Bells’ will play, all right?”

Billy nodded, realizing that Santa was about to leave. He was so happy about what had happened to him that he didn’t know what else to say, yet he knew he couldn’t keep Santa to himself. There are other kids out there who need him, was his thought. So he padded over to his bed and pulled out a candy cane, then handed it to Santa.

“Merry Christmas Santa,” he said simply

“Why thank you, Billy,” was the surprised response, “you didn’t have to do that.”

“I know, but…you deliver presents to all those kids. Even milk and cookies must get boring and, you know, it’s only right that you get a present, too. And…Santa?”

“Yes, Billy?”

“Thank you,” was Billy’s response as he threw his arms around Santa’s middle and gave him a hug, with the realization of what this Christmas wish had done, “I’ll show you that I was worth the wish.”

“You’re welcome, Billy.” said the red-clad elf and he returned the hug, his eyes sparkling with unshed tears, “And I know you will. Now, hop into bed and get some sleep. Tomorrow’s a big day you have a lot of work ahead of you.”

This time, when he laid his finger aside his nose, he gave a nod and a chimney appeared against the wall. Santa Claus then went up the chimney and the chimney disappeared.

Just like in the movie, thought Billy, cool!

He settled down, thoughts of running through the streets of Paragon City, fighting crime as Christmas Catboy and as he fell asleep, he thought he heard:

“Merry Christmas to All! And to all a good night!”

[Stay tuned; there’s more to come!]

Billy regarded the fantastic figure for a moment, his eyes wide.

The figure said in a deep voice that showed no sign of his age, "Are you Billy Jackson?"

Billy nodded dumbly and the big man chuckled, “Time is short, young man, and I have a special gift for you. You see, I’m…”

“Santa Claus!” exclaimed Billy, his heart beating rapidly.

The man known by so many names around the world nodded smilingly and said, “Very good, Billy. You’re as smart as I thought you were.”

Billy looked around; all the other kids were still asleep, oblivious to their legendary visitor.

“You are the only one who can see and hear me, Billy. That…is the magic of Christmas, I can be anywhere and talk to anyone, but only at this time of year. Tonight, you are one of the lucky few who get to experience that magic in full.” With a fluorish, he produced a small wrapped box, about 2 inches all around, with a small bow. The coloring and texture of the package kept changing as did the bow. Not rapid fire like a machine gun, but more like water, flowing from one to the next.

Billy looked at the box, then looked at Santa with genuine concern, “How do I know you are who you say you are?”

Santa smiled, then nodded and laid a finger alongside one side of his nose and a glow lit from within and expanded outwards to reveal the well-recognized red suit, cap and boots.

“You didn’t nod?”

“Did you wish me to disappear up a chimney like Tim Allen did in ‘The Santa Clause’?”

Billy shook his head, smiled, then said, “What’s in the package?”

“Ah,” said Santa, “that is the question. You see Billy, every year, I pick a sick child who is on my ‘good’ list and give them a Christmas Wish.”

“A wish?” was Billy’s natural response.

“Yes, it can be…anything you want it to be.”

“Anything, huh?”

"Yes, with limits."

“I can make myself better?”

“If that is what you want,” Santa nodded,.

“Or I could make mom and dad feel better about my,” he gulped, “going away.”

“Hmm,” responded the elderly elf, “I daresay the wish would try its best, but nothing can truly heal a broken heart except time.”

“I could…” started Billy, his eyes alight with an idea.

“No Billy, you cannot tamper with Time. The more scientific-minded would tell you that you could create a paradox in which we might cease to exist. Even,” concluded Santa with a shiver, “me.”

Billy pondered, “Well we don’t want that, do we? I think I'd rather keep you around."

Santa smiled at Billy's ingenuosness.

The boy thought a moment longer, then his eyes lit up again, but with wonder, "Could I use the wish for two things? Make myself better and something else?”

Before Santa could say anything, Billy interrupted, “I wanna be a superhero! I wanna help people the way that nurses helped me an’ Dave an’ ‘melia an’…”

Santa was so overcome with the boy’s selflessness that he laughed his familiar laugh.

“Please Santa?” asked Billy in earnest,”please? I wanna get better an’ help people, too! Can I do that?” Billy looked so earnest, so eager that it was hard not to say ‘no’

“All right, but there’s something you must agree on. Before you agree, let me tell you what the limits will be. First, you can only be a hero from the day after Thanksgiving until January 1st. For each time that you use your powers when it’s not that time, you will lose one year of your life due to that disease that is currently killing you.”

“So I can only be a hero during Christmastime?” Billy asked

“You can only be a superhero during that time. How you make a better person of yourself during the rest of the year is up to you.”

“OK,” responded the boy, “And next?”

“You must never ever tell your parents who you are. It must be a secret between you and me. Do not worry, as there are many heroes out there who have keep their identities secret to protect their loved ones.”

Santa paused and said with a twinkle, quoting one of Billy’s favorite movies, “Do we have an accord?”

Billy laughed, then thought about it, “It’s worth it. My parents will be happy and I’ll be able to help people! Yes, we have an accord!” He stuck out his hand, which Santa shook solemnly.

“Very well,” said Santa, and handed the box, “now here’s what you have to do...”

Agreed; though you're not here as much, Happy Birthday bro!

You guys are weird. :-P

[Author's Note: Time once again for a Christmas story. Get out the feeted pajamas and popcorn, sit down and I'll spin a yarn for you. Enjoy! And when critiquing...please be kind]

The cancer ward wasn't the most boring place to be, but it was the most depressing. Kids came here to occasionally get better, but usually they were here to die. The smell was the worst, though; that clean antiseptic smell that inundates all hospitals. Billy really hated that smell. He’d rather smell oatmeal cookies fresh from the oven. Or home baked bread. Bacon and eggs. The smell of trees in the spring. Any of that. Just not that hospital smell.

He gave the staff credit, though; they did make an effort to make the kids happy for Christmas. Most of them took it in stride. Others were sad because no one had visited them. And some were beyond caring, comatose from the disease that ravaged their young bodies.

Billy and his opponent Mr. Zane, an elderly patient, sat off in a corner playing chess. A past-time that kept his mind sharp and kept him from worrying too much about his own condition.

I suppose, Billy thought, there could be worse ways to die. Getting shot, dying from an overdose of drugs, heck, being caught in the crossfire of one of the gang wars in Kings Row is always fun. The last thought came out somewhat snarky as he pondered the next moving on the chess board and carefully moved a knight.

"Not bad, kid," rumbled Mr. Zane with admiration, "not bad at all." Mr. Zane was an odd guy. Like the kids, he had cancer. His was in the lungs, but he refused to stay in bed. "'Druther die bein' busy than dyin' in bed," he'd always say. He always made time for the kids, no matter how far along they were and talked to them or taught them to play chess. Tonight it was Billy's turn.

"Thanks, Mr. Zane, " said Billy, "I had a good teacher," he returned with a smile.

"Cut it out kid," rumbled the elderly fat man, "you'll ruin my reputation."

"Aw, everyone knows you're a big softy, Mr. Zane."

The old man grunted ran his hand over his sparsely covered head as he pondered his next move. He was about to move a bishop when he was overcome by a paroxysm of coughing. He quickly retrieved a handkerchief and covered the cough and to catch any blood. Billy politely waited until he was done and he'd wiped his mouth.

"Are you all right, Mr. Zane?"

"I'm fine, kid," came the response, "dang cough." He wiped his mouth and put away the handkerchief, then went back to pondering the chess board.

Billy looked over to his bed where his Christmas presents lay; a few books, some candy and a a portable DVD player with some of his favorite movies. A stocking hung on the bedpost, his name glittering brightly on the top. All remnants of his parents’ most recent visit. He sighed.

"What's the matter, kid?"

"Just wish my parents were here, it's Christmas Eve."

"They gonna be here tomorrow?"

"Yeah, but it's not the same. We used to spend Christmas Eve singing carols an' tell stories an' stuff."

"So why'd they leave?"

"Mom, I think; she was crying 'cause she knows I'm not going to get better an’ she thinks this may be my last Christmas. An' Dad doesn't really like hospitals much since his mom died." He sighed again, wishing there was something he could do.

Mr. Zane nodded, "You OK? You need to talk about it?." He moved the bishop he was considering and said, "Check."

The words rolled out of their own volition, nearly tripping over each other, "Sometimes I don't mind; I mean, death would be an awfully big adventure, just like in Peter Pan, you know? But then sometimes I get so scared that I shake and cry a lot. I don't tell my parents, though. I can tell they're already having a tough time; they don't need me freaking out." Billy considered the board, saw an open spot for his other knight, moved it and said, "Checkmate."

The old man blinked in surprise, then looked at Billy, who merely smiled a bit impishly.

"Good move, kid!" he said with a laugh, "keep the board. We'll play again tomorrow. And kid...Billy, don't worry too much your parents. They're good folks and they're trying to deal with the pain in their own way."

Mrs. Chumalsky, the Head Nurse announced, "Lights out, kids. Time for bed." A few quiet groans and moans came from the various children.

"Time for me to go," said Mr. Zane. He stood up groaning, his bones creaking.

"Hey!” exclaimed Billy, “Before you go, let me get you something." He leapt out of the chair and headed to his bed. He grabbed a candy cane and ran over to Mr. Zane and handed it to him with a flourish.

"Here ya go, Mr. Zane. Merry Christmas!"

The old man looked at the candy cane in surprise, then at Billy's earnest face. "Why, thank you Billy," he said, blinking furiously, "You didn't have to do that."

"No, but it's Christmas. Everyone deserves a present." Zane gave Billy an awkward pat on the shoulder and shuffled off in the direction of his room.

"Good night, Billy," came the gruff voice.

"Good night, Mr. Zane." he responded as the lights went out.

All the other kids had gone to sleep or were settling down for the night. Billy padded over to his bed and carefully laid his presents under it.

He crawled under the antiseptic-smelling sheets and blanket then laid back on the bed, his hands tucked under his head. He looked out the window and into the moonlit night, wishing he could be home with his parents.

There was a single star glowing through the window. Impulsively, he made a wish on it; I wish I could be there for them, he thought, not so much for me as for them so that they woudn't worry so much. I'd like my Christmas present to them to be me, healthy and whole. Those were his last thoughts as he drifted off to sleep.

A church clock striking 12 midnight woke him. He lifted his head and blinkd sleep out of his eyes.

Wait a minute, he thought, there aren't any churches near this hospital, what...

He looked outside...or tried to. His eyes widened as he saw fog-covered windows and and...was that snow?...on the panes. He climbed out of bed and padded across the linoleum floor, not feeling the coldness of the floor. He rubbed off the wet fog on the windows with a pajama sleeves and looked outside. There was snow, honest to goodness snow, blanketing Paragon City!

He heard a slight noise and turned. Approaching him was a tall figure. Well, tall to him. And round, but in a way that showed solidness rather than flabbiness. The figure moved catlike towards Billy and in the light of the full moon revealed a white-haired man with a flowing white beard wearing a doctor's jacket. The full moon face was smiling benignly and his spectacles were rectangles perched on his nose. A pipe, curls of smoke rising its bowl, had been placed in the breast pocket haphazardly. In his hand, he held a clipboard. The nametag showed but a single legend: "Kringle."

A belated Happy Birthday to you, Mogster!

Wishing you lots of run and scantily clad young men with washboard abs and tight buns!

Running on all fours would be one of the better travel powers and in light of Ninja Run, I'd like to see it made slottable. Not sayin' it's gonna happen, but one can hope.

Steampunkers need love; let's get some more brass and copper widgets out there!

And remember that Issue 17 will be coming our way before the next booster pack, so I imagine we'll get some quality of life stuff, too.

Folks, please pay attention to what Shecky is sayin'...don't make him get out the ferrets!

This thread is giving me a headache. Oy! This is a game, nothing more, nothing less. My rule is; if you're not sure you want to give up a name, keep it until you are sure.

Nadya, don't worry about the 'unspoken/unwritten/un-whatever rules'; I've given up a lot of names since I started this game and wish whoever got those names well and hope they use said name to the best of their ability.

Give the cat a cheeseburger, give the dog a hotdog and remember; Ceiling Cat is watching you!

So go out and do some missions or beat on some mobs. You'll have that 50 influence in no time.

Really, the idea behind the Holiday Cheer is to give it away to someone. If you don't want to, that's fine. I think it'll disappear next time holiday stuff comes around.

/signed

Seriously, it's time to make some changes. We have *lots* of choices and that's a great thing. But as a 5 year vet (c'monnnnn GR!), I'd like to see some of the other hazard zones become more populated and have different groups vying for power elsewhere.

Yo Devs! Check that idea out! Also, how 'bout a TF in DA, hmmm? With a means to not only clear the 'Fog of War' but the actual fog, hmmm?

It's been suggested already, but allow a 5 year vet to offer his 2 inf.

An acquaintance of mine did something similar, but it was before paper missions so he did a lot of farming and lost interest in the game after his one toon hit 50.

Start from level 1 for whatever side, red or blue. Play Outbreak or the redside equivalent and go through the content, one contact at a time. CoH & CoV both have rich stories embedded into them that make you more heroic or more villainous. (I especially recommend Peter Themari (sp?) and Westin Phipps for a more villainside feel)

If you play blueside, head for Faultline at about 15 or 16 when you get Jim Temblor for your first contact there and play it completely through all the arcs at the appropriate levels. In my humble opinion, that is by far the very best set of storyarcs concocted. I still get all choked up when I rescue Penny's dad.

Take the time out for the original TFs (with the members of the Freedom Phalanx as the starting contacts); at most they take maybe four hours each.

Someone mentioned social interaction; by far, that is one of CoH's best draws to the game. It's so easy to meet people and get to know them. I'd avoid Atlas Park and Pocket D, however. But that's my opinion. :-)

Above all, take your time. If you don't feel like playing 'x' character, switch to a different one or start a new one. :-) Become afflicted with altitis! Get into a Supergroup.

And we have some cool stuff coming with Halloween and Winter Holidays coming. Trick or Treating! Skiing! Candy Canes!

Good luck out there!

Yarrr, me hearties, that holiday of holidays is upon us, Talk Like A Pirate Day!

Wear yer pirate-y best and practice yer pirate-y talk, ye scabrous dogs!

Most of all...have fun!

Arrrrr, ye be havin' a good cake day there, Xanatos!

*does the pirate thing and kidnaps Sorah*

My my my...what DID I start? *looks innocent, which on a pirate looks kinda ridiculous*

Actually, it's not so much funny as it is ironic. Those that work at Marvel are giving the merger a positive spin (they have to or they get nuked). And yeah, if you think there were copyright issues with Marvel, wait 'til Disney gets snarky.

Heroid...love the pic. I downloaded it to my 'pooter.

Check this out!

Wolverine with Mickey ears!

Spidey dumps Mary Jean and is secretly dating Minnie!

Super Donald!

The Queen of Fluffy Posts has returned.

*puts on a party hat*

"Yaay!" he says deadpan, a la Monty Python and the Holy Grail style.

Enjoy your stay! *grins*

I'll wait until it comes out on DVD and either borrow it from a friend or rent it. Sorry guys, but Megan Fox is much hotter than the girls from GI Joe.

Woot! It works! Thanks!

Rumors abound that such a bind/macro exists...

So if anyone out there knows said bind, could you share it please?

Thanks in advance!

P.S. The various guides are missing. Or rather, there's a link, but you get the daunting 404 error code.

And a belated Happy Birthday to ya!

I like them, even though I know the city maps reasonably well. It's the hazard zones (DA, CF, Boomtown) that I don't know quite as well. I only go there when sent or if I'm doing the badge thing. Being able to remove the Fog for the hazard zone maps is well worth it.

For those that haven't been with us as long, hang in there. You'll get those rewards as long as you play with us, no matter what server.