[center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/fy2kNTj8/kebab.png[/img][/center]
Issue # 1.01: Meat and Greet
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The weather was perfect for driving around serene San Diego. The sun was shining, the cool Pacific breeze was blowing in from the ocean to the city, and the out-of-state tourists weren’t back in full swing yet because of that big pandemic everyone just went through. This would have been the perfect day to bust out Buddy’s old 2006 Daytona Charger from his parents’ garage and it was all he could think about. Just a carefree day spent cruising around. In fact, he wondered how many of these perfect days that he missed out on while he was still stu-

[color=#FAFD0F]“Baker, light post!” [/color]telepathically shouted his feline familiar. 

Crash, bang, boom. Socks and Buddy were both lunged from their seats towards the nearby hard cement of the sidewalk. Luckily, the cat construct’s chassis cushioned the crash. No such fortune could be found for the fellow who fell flat and face first. Perhaps it was a good thing they weren’t in his dream car, or any car for that matter.  

[color=#FAFD0F]“Baker, it seems the bicycle has not suffered any significant damage though my basket carrier seems to be dented now. I request you buy a new one after our business at the haruspex.”[/color] reported Socks after a quick rundown of the frame, handle and wheels. 

[color=3865A9]“Glad to hear it, dude.”[/color] Buddy would state with a muffled voice while give a thumbs up, still lying on the ground. He soon picked himself up and noticed his nose had become bloodied and his lip had been cut. While both of these were superficial wounds at worst, they were certainly damping the mood of what should have been a perfect day out.

[color=3865A9]“Explain to me again why we’re not taking my car to the whatever-pex. I wouldn’t have been daydreaming about it and we’d be there by now for sure!”[/color] inquired Buddy as he started wiping the blood off his face with his shirt’s sleeves. Instead of a straightforward answer, Socks had decided a visual would help the new champion of The Red understand his plea as he seemed to like dreams even when he’s not asleep. The blood he was wiping off started to pool together towards Buddy’s eyes, obscuring them before completely blinding him in crimson. He tried to scream but a loud roar from a distance had drowned his voice out. Over the horizon of pure red, a large shadowy figure in contrasting black had emerged and started rushing towards him. It projected a strong sense of tyranny on to Buddy which left him feeling paralyzed.  The closer it got, the more of its full form and majesty were being revealed. There was no denying it: This was a T-Rex charging towards him! However, before the nightmare could reach him, the vision had stopped and Buddy had suddenly found himself in front of an unfamiliar butcher shop with Socks curiously staring at him by his feet.

[color=#FAFD0F]“Baker, your automobile runs on the desecration of our mighty champions of old.”[/color] the cat would state before entering the establishment. 

[color=3865A9]"Hey, no more voodoo blood dinosaur zombie magic!"[/color] Buddy would protest before following Socks in.
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As they entered, a sense of calm that should not come from a butcher shop enveloped Buddy. It felt alive and nurturing though the slabs of cured meats on display were anything but. Behind the shop’s counter was an odd-looking fellow whose arms were covered in patterned scars as if they had become the newest trend in tattoo alternatives. His face was partially obscured by a hygiene mask but his eyes shone a bright yellow. Buddy’s initial thought was that he probably sucked at being a butcher if kept cutting himself. This thought was immediately backed up by the fact that he not once took the time to acknowledge him, even as he and Socks were the only customers in the establishment. 

[color=3865A9]“Hey guy, we’re looking for some goats guts or something. Preferably ones in judge robes that speak in English.”[/color] said Buddy, immediately looking at Socks with a wry smile. His companion merely meowed in response. 

The butcher did not respond, choosing to instead ring up an order on his register: a mystery meat wrap. Hungry and confused, Buddy nonchalantly accepted the snack though he really wanted a drink to go along with this. As he removed the foil covering the wrap, a voice entered his head.

[color=#8B0000]“Champion, consume me and enter our domain.”[/color] it spoke with great authority. 

[color=3865A9]“Um, I don’t really like the idea of knowing that my food is sentient but if you say so.”[/color] A big chomp into the wrap was followed by a big thud unto the floor as Buddy’s physical form collapsed. Before he knew it though, Buddy was back in The Red with Socks and magic meat wrap in hand. Something felt different this time but before he could deduce what it was, the wrap had floated away from his grasp and materialized into the goat-being from his dreams. 

[color=#8B0000]“You finally come to visit when you’re awake, boy.” [/color]