ng_independent:

After she had seen them on television, she'd gone into her bedroom for a long heart to heart with Daddy. He was so happy, so proud. They'd laid down the ground rules -- lots and lots of rules, or it wouldn't be any good, after all.

Now for the opening move. She had a meeting with some of the Foundation for a Finer Life's best and brigh--- well, they were good boys, anyway. Nice boys. They tried hard; and that's all Phoebe was asking for.

Starting that night and continuing throughout the week, there was a surge in break-ins, burglaries, and vandalism in the area of town surrounding X-Factor's new home/studio.
Three churches -- all coincidentally connected by their contributions to such things as 'sexuality rehabilitation' centers -- ransacked with 'Glass Houses!' spray-painted in bright yellow on the inner walls. Numerous stores robbed only of their entire supply of cigarettes, with 'Nasty Habit!' painted across the empty storage display cases in the same bright shade.
Scores of cars stolen from a parking lot that had been made just a few months before by paving over greenspace, with 'Ride a Bike!' in yellow.

Every single security camera anywhere near any scene of the crime had been taken as well.

By the end of the week, letter with no fingerprints or return address will be delivered to the plaza which reads simply,
'Welcome to the neighborhood. And nobody hurt yet. Ain't we sweet?'

dream_catcher:

The school has been quiet over the declared spring break, most of the students are in Tahiti, on Stark money.
He'd have liked to have gone with them, he really would have. He's been working himself to exhaustion most days. He's up to prepare ritual to greet the sun every day, like clockwork, and has been skipping his usual self-imposed time to sleep in order to spend a little more time with those in the medbay, or to help deal with some of the nightmares and aftermath. He's also taken up part of greeting committee, and helping with the administrative duties here and there where he could.
And then he did have his own few days away. Following the notes he'd written home for the slain students, he went to help their families some. Elf went with him for her roommate's funeral and all, and doing what they could for the mother. It was never enough.

Still, he'd begged off on Tahiti. Too much to do. But the real reason was today. After the Christians had finished their Easter weekend and the easter egg hunts and other little holiday things were passed, he'd spent all night cleaning up and making sure nothing was left from those celebrations. Sure, the Professor and others were fine with it taking a few days, but he wasn't. Today is too important.

As he sits down, just before dawn, feeling the cold of Father Sky in the pre-light day, and Mother Earth under him, all of the pain of sympathetic healing rituals melts away for a bit. All the shadows of nightmares that weren't his own filter out of his mind, swept away on the breeze. His mother fortifies him, pushing away the tired muscles and fatigue, revitalizing him. His service isn't without cost to him, but, with a smile on his face, he's reminded that sometimes there are some amazing benefits to being a shaman and servant to the Father and Mother and the spirits.

There's new voices this morning, as the sun rises. Spirits of renewal and rebirth and fertility arise off the lake and from the woods. Spirits that have been sleeping since the last days of summer, others, more resilient, arising from their slumber since Autumn, or the first snows. He greets each by name, taking the time to recognize the awakening spirit of each flower, of the trees finding new leaves, of the creatures soon to bring new life into the world with the spring and summer months to grow strong before another winter comes.

He doesn't need Tahiti, doesn't need a vacation. This is where he belongs, greeting the coming of Spring.

next_avenger:

Time was running out and James knew he had to do it. He hadn't given either thing much thought until Mom had mentioned them. James was initially going to just ignore them and hope they go away, but when Mom mentioned them he knew he didn't have a chance of that happening.

He drove over to the Baxter Building and asked Roberta if Valeria was available. He was going to call, but the look he received from his mother quickly changed his mind.

ng_xavier_staff:

John Allerdyce.

Melinda Dyars.

Christina Frost.

Chris Grant-Pym.

Rose Logan.

Anastasia Summers.


To me!

The mental summons went out, calling the six to Professor Xavier's office.  Urgency, unusual in the usually composed founder and headmaster of the Institute, colored the psychic call.  This was not a summons to be refused.