nextgen_asgard:

Loki could not keep the smug look off his face. "You hath lost, Grandmaster. Mine champions didst roust thine in the end. A slim victory, yes... but the simple majority was all thou didst require."

He pointed a finger. "Thou art bound by the terms of our agreement. Thou art to leave now and not to quest for the Norn Stones again, nor to use pawns to acquire them."


The Elder of the Universe frowned deeply. "I always honor my word, Asgardian. Unlike some I have known. My champions shall be returned from wence they gathered, and yours shall be brought to thee. As we agreed."

With that, the Grandmaster was gone, and the Defenders appeared before Loki, no worse for wear for their adventures.

Loki moved quickly, faster than any would have expected. He had kept himself schooled during the fighting, not letting his surprise or even his worry show, but now, here, he was able to release these emotions. An intensity, even a a worry, showed clearly on his face. When he was closer, his arm shot out, grasping Dawn about the next and holding her off the ground.

"Speak ye, mortal, now! What has thou done to mine GRANDDAUGHTER?!"

marlow:

Downtime after the Defenders/Offenders war gave Marlow plenty of time to think about the spells she'd used and their effects. She'd knowingly overreached several times for magic she didn't think she should be able to wield and had done so easily. It was something she had to figure out before their next battle. She tried to contact Clea but those particular spells weren't working so well. Perhaps it was something she could talk to Matt about since he was the only other magic user she knew that might not get agitated when she said power surge.

Sure, there was Dawn...or was it Aslief? Who knew anymore. One was nice but untrained, the other expert and dismissive. While the others merely overlooked her, Aslief literally did not see her until there was a need for another sorceress.

Barefoot, wearing a boy's black tee shirt and faded to nearly white jeans, she made her way from the bungalow to the main house for a late breakfast. A ball of pulsing light hovered a few inches above her open palm.

godlierthanthou:

Dawn was still trying to get her head wrapped around everything when the Grandmaster had teleported them to their battle sites.  The first thing she was aware of was the thin air, as though they were on a mountain somewhere.  The second thing she noticed was the cold, the intense, almost life-sucking cold.

She collapsed to her knees instantly, fingers fumbling for the umbrella she always kept with her now.

C'mon... don't die... don't die...


Fingers that were already freezing gripped it, stamped it upon the ground, transforming her body into that of Asleif in a flash and boom.

A body that was from the line of Frost Giants, a body far more at home in this land.

What the hell am I doing here?  I'm no god.  I'm no super-hero.  I'm just some luckless librarian in way over her head...

Who else had come with her?  She hoped to God she wasn't alone.  She knew she would surely die here if she was.

ng_offenders:

The New Man known as the Killer Kobra flicked his tongue out, tasting the damp, underground air of the caverns of the Trolls.  As good a spot to battle as any.  Though the High Evolutionary had considered the gods of Asgard something to be worshiped or admired, he did not.  The only true god to him was the Man-Beast, he who embraced the predatory instincts the New Men were meant to.

He was accompanied by Ms. Hyde, the one Offender he could stand, the only one with the same terribly cruelty and predatory instincts he too possessed.  He did not know he was embracing, in some small way, a tradition, nor did he particularly care.

He would taste flesh today.

ng_offenders:

Hrothgar Hoganson had spent a considerable amount of time preparing for this moment, looking for just the right people to join his cause.  Ever since he had learned the cursed son and daughters of Thor were being sent to Midgard.  The honors that had come to them, the gifts they enjoyed, were all denied to him.  And if he could not have them, then they would not either.  He had made dark pacts, followed them to Midgard, recruited people with as much cause to hate Thor's children as he did.

And when the Grandmaster had approached them about the opportunity to battle and slay them... well, who was he to say no?

The Radioactive Man and the Element Man were with him.  He gripped his axe tightly.

He was going to enjoy this.

Hel.  A fitting place for those he hated most to meet their end.

nextgen_asgard:

Once the players had all been gathered, Loki transported himself, along with Ardis and Halbjorn, the spider-god Ohu, the mortals Grace, Griffen, and Dawn, and the mysterious woman called Marlow, to Asgard. It was a desolate, abandoned region, where few would ever traverse. He himself had only been here to make certain that the Norn Stones had still been in place, should he require them for a future plot. He had discovered the Grandmaster only by chance.

The Grandmaster, the being who stood before them now.

"Greetings again to thee, Elder," Loki said, feigning humility and feeling disgust at doing so. The Elders were older even than the Asgardians themselves, possibly the one set of beings in the universe who might yet give them pause. He it galled him to know there were beings truly his superior. "And again, mine thanks for thine leave to gather mine champions. T'will make for a most entertaining game, I doth assure thee."

shessomarvelous:

Bendy-timed to before a couple of days before Loki showed up

Grace fidgeted with the sleeves of her black robe. The gold tassel from her cap dangled in front of her face.

She was graduating from high-school. Sure, it wasn't the school that she had started out at, but she did it. She'd put in the hard work, and she'd soon have the diploma to prove it.

The speeches having been over and done with, Grace stood in line with the kids from her row to get her diploma. As long as she didn't trip, everything would be perfect. Dad and the Defenders were somewhere in the crowd. She'd even told Zoey to invite Avery along. Her Mom had flown in from Boston to see her daughter graduate.

Grace could feel her heartbeat start to speed up, as she got closer to the platform.

"Grace Elizabeth Danvers!" Her name was called out by the vice-principal and she walked across the stage, taking her diploma from the principal, a wide grin on her face.

When all the names had been called and all of the seniors had officially graduated, Grace tossed her cap into the air along with the rest of the students. Then, picking it up, she rushed off to find the Defenders and her Mom. Mom had booked a room at a local restaurant for them to have all of them to have a nice dinner.

nextgen_asgard:

He appeared before the Defenders compound without fanfare or signal, without any of the usual lavish displays he attempted when wishing to make a point. Instead, it was simply as though he was not there one moment and there the next. His features--he would never be called handsome, though some might have called them regal--contorted slightly. Why was so much of Midgard so insufferably warm? A proper place was cold enough to freeze the marrow from unworthy bones.

Well, you know what they say. You can take the giant out of Jötunheimr, but you can't take Jötunheimr out of the giant. He resisted the urge to change the climate to something more to his liking.

He was not, technically, supposed to travel to Midgard these days. But when had he ever cared for the rules? Besides, who would deny him the opportunity to see his niece and grandchildren?

Loki, Lord of Lies, God of Mischief, adopted son of Odin, had come to Earth.

ohu_amane:

Ohu Amane does more with his time than just eating, reading, playing video games, watching movies, and sleeping. Today, he's gone out to help live up to the name of his team. He will Defend people!

So it is that he's sitting in the back seat of a car, smiling quietly, while the two carjackers in the front seat swear and fire back at the police chasing after them.

"I don't think you're going to get away," Ohu says pleasantly.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" the one riding shotgun declares, leaning out the window, firing at the police behind them.

"Noisiest damn hostage we've ever fuckin' taken," the driver declares, spinning the wheel to take a corner at top speeds, hoping to lose the cops.

"I think you're supposed to use your turn signal," Ohu comments.

"Shut UP!!" the gunman declares.

Ohu smiles quietly. He hasn't seen yet any potential danger to any civilians or policemen yet, or to himself of course. But eventually, he'll put an end to the whole thing, when it's gone on long enough to make a good story.

team_mascot:

Zoey loved spring! It was her favorite season after summer. Though winter was good because winter had Christmas in it. Christmas was the best and this year she had met Santa Claus! She even drove his sleigh! But now it was spring. Spring meant a lot of good things and one of those things were the Asgardians birthday.

Zoey was a little confused about how they didn't know the actual day they were born and Mom couldn't really explain it either, but they were okay with just spring as their birthday. Birthdays meant parties and Zoey had decided that there HAD to be a party.

A party was her favorite thing right after Christmas. She LOVED parties and this would be the bestest birthday party ever!

She knew she couldn't do it alone so she went seeking help. Mom. Grace. Ohu. Any of them, or all would help her. They HAD to.

this_fire_burns:

Matt's most recent case was, on the surface, a simple one. A middle-age father of four skips out on his family to join some kind of New-Age Spiritual Club (read: cult) that offered to eternal peace and tranquility. The wife was understandably distraught, as her husband left in the company of a beautiful, young twenty-something who was saying all the things Victor Pabst wasn't hearing elsewhere.

Matt almost considered it an open-and-shut case until Mrs. Pabst showed him pictures of the symbols that her husband started drawing on the basement walls four months ago. Pentagrams, mostly in animal blood,  adorned the walls of their Queens home. Matt had already decided to take the case on that alone, as the symbols were the kind used to summon demons and other baddies from the Otherside.

But when the wife indicated that Pabst had been using their children's blood to make the symbols, something inside Matt snapped a little bit, and he'd offered her a reduced rate. He hoped that Pabst was really just a guy who was being manipulated by some rogue sorcerer and that he hadn't actually become one; otherwise, this would get ugly in a hurry. He should have gone to Lynch with this, but knowing her, she'd bring the cops into it and if he was dealing with a summoner, this would get a lot of unprepared cops killed.

So he made his way to Los Angeles himself, leaving Whisper in the company of Mrs. Emberstein.

Two days after his arrival, Matt finds himself inside a warehouse not far from the Staples Center, looking at the same symbols from the pictures on these walls. If these people are summoning a demon, he doesn't have a lot of time to find them and stop it.

Just about every summoning ritual he's ever heard of requires a sacrifice, and someone will die if he can't connect the dots.

ohu_amane:

Ohu Amane wakes early on April First. He comes out to the kitchen, brews the coffee, makes pancakes -- plenty for everyone -- and then moves to the living room with a stack of pancakes, a large cup of coffee, and a massive smile perched on his face.

He sits... and he waits. Smiling broadly.

word_of_law:

Avery followed the directions from his GPS to the mansion, not sure what he was expecting. The place was huge, he knew, but what he could see from the gate was....epic. There really wasn't another world for it.

He'd called ahead to let Sydney and Zoey know he'd be coming, but he still wasn't sure what to expect when he pulled up to the front gate. He didn't see any dragons or, heavens forbid, any Mongolian Death Worms, but one never knew with these types, did they?

He just hoped Zoey was still interested in being around him even after all the awesome she was currently surrounded with.

shessomarvelous:

Grace was sitting cross-legged on the living room floor of the Defender's compound, facing the greatest foe that a high-school senior could ever go up against.

Trigonometry homework.

Grace scratched the back of her with her pencil. She should've taken stats for her senior math course. But nope, she let Mom and the guidance counselor at her old high school convince her that trig was the better choice.

There we go....five problems down...and twenty-five more to go.

"I'm never going to get this done...." Grace glanced down at her book, looking down at the problems in front of her.

godlierthanthou:

Dawn Roberts, librarian, had not been having a good week.  There had been the abduction, and then there had been the nightmares and freakout at work, along with a very perplexing change in her eye color.   And now, after a night of even stranger dreams, she'd discovered she'd sleep-walked all night and found herself in front of the Defenders' Compound, just as the sun was coming up.

She looked around nervously, feeling pain in her feet and calves from having walked so much without even knowing it.

Should she?  Something had brought her here.  But what on Earth would involve a nobody like her with a team of super-heroes and gods?  She was probably well beneath their notice.

She hesitated, then reached out and touched the buzzer on the gate.

sydney_ashcroft:

Sydney answered the buzzer to the front gate when it rang and was mildly surprised to find it was the UPS guy. There weren't many packages delivered to the compound. She opened the gate and then went to the front door to sign for and receive the package.

Once the UPS guy (cute one too) was gone, Syd looked at the label. It was for Grace. Time to play delivery girl.

Sydney knocked on the door to Grace's room.

quitethecharmer:

He'd been gone a very very long time. Not so long by the standards of Asgardians, or even by the standards of many of Midgard, but for Vincent Amorason Richardsson, having half his blood of mortal stock and only eighteen years to walk the worlds, a very long time indeed.

The Golden Realm was largely unchanging, even in the aftermath of such battle. It's architecture, the palpable hum of magic and divinity, the ever-present sensation of metal and beasts of war. It was almost suffocating, for one used to the ever-changing city of New York. It was a comfort to him to have Asleif accompanying him as he ventured out into it again, finally released from custody by the healers. The experience was humbling. For those who noticed him at all, he seemed to be regarded with a mixture of confusion and wariness. His form was frail by comparison to others, even if others could not 'sense' his mixed heritage. Frailty was not something that was allowed to thrive in Asgard, even among the ranks of mages rather than warriors.

He kept his head high as he walked alongside her. If anyone had anything to say to him, they held it for now. He seemed to be able to go about his business unmolested. All the better, for there were a precious few individuals he wished to visit while he was here, for however long he was here.

nextgen_baddie:

The spell took longer than he had planned, but Eric Williams had finally been able to complete it. The spell took days to prepare and hours to perform, but in the end it had worked. The graves in the cemetery were disrupted and the ground was disturbed from underneath.

Zombies crawled out of the graves, including the rotting corpses of Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Elvis Presley, and Jennifer Aniston (though she wasn't supposed to be dead yet).

The zombies started moving out from the cemetery and into LA. They bit and tried to eat anyone they came across.

Eric Williams laughed as he watched the chaos.

shessomarvelous:

Takes place shortly after this post

Grace had been staying with the Defenders for a couple of weeks now. She'd called her mom shortly after Simon said that he'd do any tests that she'd like. Needless to say, Carol wasn't happy with her daughter when she first called. Not all. Granted, Grace still wasn't too happy with her mother for keeping her father a secret all these years. The anger vanished a little, though, as spending time with Zoey and the rest of the Defenders almost made her forget how mad she was at her mom. Almost.

Earlier that morning, Grace got the phone call from the lab saying that the results of the paternity test were in. Butterflies in her stomach, Grace took a cab there, and got the envelope with the results before heading back to the Defenders Compound.

Her heart was beating a million miles a minute as she looked for Simon. She didn't want to open the envelope until she found him.

He had to be her father. He just had to.

Stopping at his bedroom door, Grace inhaled and knocked. "Simon? It's Grace. Are you there?" Her voice shook a little.

sydney_ashcroft:

Sydney was obsessing about making sure things were, well not perfect, but at least in order. She made sure the main building got a good cleaning and the animals were kept outside. She had even spoken to the Defenders about Michael visiting and wanting them on their best behavior. Hopefully there wouldn't be any world threatening events or you know demons showing up on the front lawn again.

Syd liked Michael and didn't want the natives scaring him away.

She double checked everything again. Then she triple checked everything.

eagleofthebow:

Aridis was thinking over all that had happened. There was much to think about. Fate had much in store for them and theirs and much of it was unexpected. She had always thought that it would be Svalin or Aslief that would end up in the position that the All-Father had said was to be hers if everything went the way Aridis expected it would.

She did not want it for a moment. She could not change fate though. To do so would to risk ruin.

Thinking all of this over she began to fix herself a mug of tea. She had grown fond of the way the mortals brewed it and found some of the more fragrant blends were most enjoyable.

team_mascot:

Valentine's Day was one of Zoey's favorite holidays (after Christmas of course) and she had sent the week making Valentines for the Defenders, the Avengers and for the Fantastic Four. Red and pink construction paper along with lace were turned into fancy hearts.

She made a special one for Scotty and had mailed it to him along with a box of her favorite candy. Reeses Pieces of course. Though in pink and red of course. The others were mailed to the respective recipient along with Scotty's. Mom was taking her out today and they would have lunch and do a little shopping. Mom even promised to take her to the Disney Store.

marlow:

Marlow had never celebrated Valentine's Day. She knew about it and why, but it didn't really register. There was extra chocolate around in brightly wrapped foils, and heart shaped cookies available in the kitchen, but given how much the compound residents ate every day the extra goodies didn't last long enough to give her a clue they were for a reason other than the usual one.

She thought the valentine Zoey gave her was lovely and told the little girl so. It was on the mirror in her bedroom along with the Christmas card Zoey had given her. In return, she drew on Zoey's cheek with her fingertip and bit of magic to give her a sparkly red heart that would fade within a few hours.

brit_sorcerer:

The first thing that registered in Quinn's mind was that he was falling. The second was that the ground was coming up REALLY fast. Third was that it was going to be very painful. He tried slowing his descent, but there hadn't been that much air space left. He hit the ground with a loud thud and a groan.

By the Vishanti that hurt.

Moving was not an option at the moment. His whole body hurt. He was going to stay there on the nice comfy grass. Yup, nice comfy grass. Nice and soft and cool. The air was nice and warm and the sun was bright.

He did raise his head and look around a bit. Where was he? He saw a very large mansion and could smell the salt in the air. He had to be near an ocean, but which one? More importantly how did he get here?

And why the hell was he naked?

sydney_ashcroft:

Sydney sat across from Zoey and waited for Zoey to finish her slice of pizza. Syd had picked Zoey up and had taken her to the mall. Some quality mother and daughter time was needed and the mall was the perfect place. Of course they hit the food court first. The first words out of Zoey's mouth every day when Syd picked her up from school wasn't "Hi Mom" it was "I'm hungry!".

The Defenders, Scion and school kept Syd plenty busy and the two of them needed some time together just the two of them every week. Syd made a promise to herself that no matter what happened, they would get that day. Getting Zoey away from the Defenders for a little bit was always a good thing. Thees and thous were starting to slip into Zoey's speech on regular basis.

She went over the todo list in her head. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day.

She looked over at Zoey and smiled when her daughter looked at her. "Love you, monkey."

sydney_ashcroft:

Syd was definitely in a good mood. She hummed quietly as she poured herself a glass of red wine.

The day couldn't have been any more perfect.

Morning had included a five mile jog followed by a light breakfast and a hot cup of masala chai. She took Zoey to her ballet class and watched the girls dance around in their tutus. They were so cute and adorable and Syd always loved watching them dance.

A quick lunch and then came the afternoon with taking Zoey to see The Tooth Fairy. A movie with The Rock, Dwayne Johnson, always made her day and put her in a good mood. Good enough that she didn't think of Simon once during the whole afternoon.

She treated her and Zoey to dinner at their favorite Indian restaurant. Syd didn't like eating out often, but it seemed like the kind of day to eat dinner out. Then they came home and curled up on the couch together to watch The Game Plan. Two movies with The Rock in them in one day was always a good thing in her book.

She spoke to Michael on the phone and they had set a day and time to go to the museum. Things couldn't go more right. Not even any chaos to manage. Definitely a really good day.

Zoey was now tucked in bed and sleeping and Syd was winding down with a glass of wine and a book or two.

Not a bad ending to a perfect day. Not at all.

ng_independent:

The Empress was most pleased. Very pleased indeed. Things were going according to her plan. The recent fights had been entertaining and she had her champion. Now she could win the games here on her home world. Her champion would win no matter what and she now had more soldiers in her army. She was quite pleased indeed.

She was stretched out on her litter as four of her soldiers carried her to the area. It was the start of the games and by the end her champion would be victorious.

Everything was going according to plan.

anyastark:

Anya had made a promise to Halbjorn and she was finally going to keep it. Keeping her word was very important to her and she wasn't going to start breaking it now. She left a message on Steve's phone telling him she'd be back late tomorrow night and was going to California to go sky diving with Halbjorn and checking on the Defenders' computer systems.

Commercial flights sucked, but she did at least go in first class on a direct flight to LA. From there she grabbed a cab to take her out to the compound.

Without her Avengers access, she had to do this the complicated way.

She rang the buzzer at the gate.

shessomarvelous:

It had taken her awhile, but Grace had managed to locate Defenders HQ. Granted, she got lost a couple of times on the way there....but she was there now.

Her heart was beating loudly and felt like it would fall out of her stomach. Her palms were sweaty and her feet felt like blocks of cement.

She could do this. She wanted to do this for seventeen years. Well...granted, she didn't know who her father was until recently, but she'd still wanted to meet him just the same.

Inhaling and gathering her courage, Grace walked up to the door and pressed down on the buzzer.

nextgen_misc:

Friends, family and loved ones are bound to notice the disappearance of some females.

ng_independent:

"I have made my selections!" Empress declared to her assembled "court". "ColLECT thEM!" she ordered.

"Of course your majesty," a guard said with a deep bow.

"I want them dressed and ready to FIGHT as soon as poSSible!" She wanted to find her champion as soon as possible. There were fights to win. Respect to be gained. Blood to be spilled! All of it was for her personal gain. She relished in the power her fighters gave her. "Now GO!"

The guard bowed again and hurried off to obey her Empress' wishes.

An hour later all of the selected girls were teleported up to the ship and the brainwashing process began.

As soon as possible they would be put into the arena and would fight for their Empress' pleasure.

shield_maiden:

Svalin was always a bit disorientated after one of Asleif's teleportation spells. She shook off the nauseous feeling and looked around. This was the realm of the Celtic gods, but more importantly the lair of Manawydan. Somewhere inside one of the buildings up ahead, her sister was being held prisoner.

Svalin hoped they had arrived before the wedding.

She drew her sword and readied her shield.

"For Asgard!" she yelled and held her sword aloft. Talking was not an option at this point.

sydney_ashcroft:

It was a perfect winter day to be out and about in Los Angeles. The sun was bright and the air was a very mild seventy two degrees and more importantly, Zoey was in school for the day. It was perfect for shopping and Syd wasn't going to pass the opportunity up.

With her substantial increase in salary she could afford to treat herself to some new clothes. She asked if anyone wanted to go along and Aridis had taken her up on the offer. Syd also called her sister Bryn because if anyone loved to go clothes shopping it was Bryn. The woman lived for clothes.

Right now they were taking a break and grabbing a bite to eat. It wasn't anywhere fancy, far from it, but Pink's did have the best hot dogs in the entire city. Possibly the United States. Syd worked on a chili cheese dog as they sat outside at one of the tables.

pop_trash_hero:

He has Zoey up and dressed, the rest of this should be easy. Nice smile, lots of non-acting. He can do this. So when he barges into Syd's room with a huge kid grin on his face all of it is for real.

"Come on, Sydney! Up and Adam!"

nextgen_misc:

There's a piece of paper and a pen attached to a bulletin board. Across the top is written:

New Year's Resolutions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Anonymous entries accepted.

nextgen_deviant:

The brides were clad in white and lined up in front of the altar. A semi-circle of priests stood behind the brides and were chanting. The magic in the air became more powerful as the priests chanted. A small circle appeared in the air before the brides and started to get bigger.

Standing behind the priests was a large group of deviants. They were witnessing the rebirth of their god into the mortal realm. It was an honor and privilege to be witness to this historic moment.

nextgen_holiday:

The beginning of a New Year, a time for new hopes, new experiences to come. A time to reflect on times past, remembering fond memories happily and trying to put less pleasant thoughts and experiences in the past.

It is a time of renewal, a time of rebirth. And for much of the world, it is a time of celebration. This is no less true for the super hero set as anyone else. If anything, they just have that much bigger of things to look forward to.

ohu_amane:

It's early Christmas morning.

Sleeping on the living room floor are Ohu and Zoey. Several cookies remain on a platter on the coffee table nearby. One half-eaten cookie lies on the floor. A glass lies on the floor, with a puddle of now-warm milk around it.

A hand-made doll that looks like nothing so much as Aslief is tucked under Zoey's arm, while another that looks like Yoda is tucked under Ohu's.

They sleep a deep, exhausted sleep.

old_saint_nick:

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy.

Christmas Day is a Christian holiday, it's true, but it also has become increasingly secular. It is an opportunity for love, charity, and goodwill, even in Los Angeles, arguably the most superficial city in the country.

There is some debate within mystical circles if there is indeed such a creature as the embodiment of Christmas Giving known as Santa Claus. But whether or not there is such a being, the spirit of giving itself is very real, be it incarnated in a fat man in a red suit or not.

Throughout this small blue planet of Earth, people have brought trees into their homes, decorated them with lights and ornaments, and placed them in locations of honor. Stockings have been placed on the chimneys. And gifts have been placed under the tree.

Some are looking forward more to the receiving than the giving. But for many, it is the act of giving which warms them, which fills them with the holiday spirit.

Each person, in their own way, becomes a part of this spirit of giving. Each person, in their own way, becomes Santa Claus.

The Defenders Manor has been decked out with lights, as has most of the grounds. Ohu has made hanging lighting a top priority, and every tree on the grounds -- including the palm trees -- is well lit with multi-colored lights. Despite the warm location, Ohu has made sure that there's plenty of snow on the grounds, too, with a bit of magic. As for the gods themselves, and their mortal keepers...

nextgen_deviant:

It was time to bring Set back into the world and bring about a new age for the Earth. Mammals would no longer be the dominant species and humans, those foul evolved apes, will be slaves once more. Slaves like they used to be before the accursed Celestials wiped out most of the deviants and lizard men.

The priests knew what needed to be done. One of the special deviants, those modified to better fight for Set, would accompany them and take the brides into custody. Teleporting was much easier now that Set’s influence in the world was getting stronger. The priests did it now with very little effort.

The priests teleported in near the brides, they were marked and easy to find now, and once they were alone, a small spell was cast and the bride went unconscious. The priest’s escort picked her up and the trio teleported back to Lemuria.
It had only taken a matter of moments to retrieve all seven brides.

Once they were back in Lemuria, the brides had been dressed in white dresses and cloaks and prepared for the coming of their lord Set. They were then arranged around the serpent crown and the ritual began.

sydney_ashcroft:

Syd took a step back and admired the results of the day's work so far. The main building was looking a bit more festive after Sarah, Griffen, and Syd, started decorating for Yule and Christmas. Boughs of real ivy, fir, holly and evergreens were put up all through the house. Mistletoe was also put in strategic places and candles were scattered throughout the house. Syd didn't ask where it all came from, but she suspected that Asleif had been talked into transportation duties to gather the greens.

The tree they had managed to find was huge, standing at least ten feet tall, but had easily been carried in by Svalin. The tree was bare at the moment. Syd had decided to leave that to last to allow everyone a chance to help decorate it. Thankfully there had been a ton of decorations in the attic and they would have more than enough to decorate the tree.

The place smelled of evergreen and fresh greens, giving one the sense of being out in a forest. The candles were scented of cinnamon and vanilla, but currently unlit at the moment.

Zoey was going to have the best Christmas this year and Syd was so thankful she could provide it with the help of the Defenders. Syd's shopping was almost done and it had been difficult as hell. What exactly did one get gods, a geek, a magic user and an actor for Christmas? Getting Zoey gifts had been easy by comparison. Though Zoey would not be getting a daddy for Christmas.

Syd sipped the mulled wine that they had made earlier. Once the decorating was done, Sarah and Syd would start the baking. She predicted that over the next few days the two of them would make obscene amounts of baked goods. The problem would be keeping the others from eating it all at once.

Syd looked at the clock. Zoey would be out of school soon then they could start decorating the tree.

ohu_amane:

Halloween was incredible, of course, but Ohu is having a hard time thinking of a better holiday than Thanksgiving. There is food! And there's more food! And then dessert... and all kinds of more food.

Ohu has been very careful not to eat all the food as he helped cook dinner and dessert for the Defenders, and worked hard to make certain everything was ready. This would be a feast fit for gods and their favored friends. After everything that Sydney did for the main course, it was the least he could do to make certain dessert was taken care of.

"Dessert is served!" he declares to the base as he places the last pie on the table.

nextgen_holiday:

“We need to be more grateful. I think there is no true character without gratitude. It is one of the marks of a real strong character to have a feeling of thanksgiving and gratitude for blessings. We need more of that spirit in our homes, in our daily associations, in the church, everywhere. It doesn't cost anything, and it is so easy to cultivate.” - Ezra Taft Benson

In America today is a day for being thankful for the things in people's lives. Today was a day to celebrate family, friends, prosperity and health with food, family and friends. It is a time to reflect on what is important us and to recognize the gratitude we hold for having those things in our lives.

ohu_amane:

It's taken much of the day to prepare. Thankfully, Griffen's been in his lab for the entire time. And now it's time to get him.

The spell keeping too much sound from reaching the lab has held. The webbing on the door to the lab remains sturdy -- he hasn't tried to leave the room yet.

He adjusts his beret, pulls the two tiny triangles of his temporary mustache out to fine points, and tucks the old-style megaphone under his arm.

He dispells the webbing, then opens the door to the lab, ducking his head in with a big smile.

"Friend Griffen!" he calls. "Are you in here?"

team_mascot:

Zoey was sitting on a stool at a counter in the kitchen and was doing the most important thing she could do this year. Christmas was coming and she had to write a letter to Santa. Otherwise she wouldn't get any Christmas presents this year. That would be bad. Very bad.

Mom gave her a pencil, some paper, a glass of milk and some cookies. She was all set.

Taking a deep breath and started her very important task.

nextgen_misc:

In Los Angeles, the stretch of Wilshire Bvld between Fairfax and La Brea Avenues is known as the "Miracle Mile".

In the early 1920s, Wilshire Boulevard west of Western Avenue was an unpaved farm road, extending through dairy farms and bean fields. Developer A.W. Ross saw potential for the area, and developed Wilshire as a commercial district to rival downtown Los Angeles. Ross's insight was that the form and scale of his Wilshire strip should attract and serve automobile traffic rather than pedestrian shoppers.

Wilshire saw a few firsts in American automotive traffic flow; dedicated left-turn lanes, the first timed traffic lights in the United States; he also required merchants to provide automobile parking lots, all to aid traffic flow. Major retailers such as Desmonds, Silverwood's, May Co., Coulter's, Mullen & Bluett, and Seibu eventually spread across Wilshire Boulevard from Fairfax to La Brea.

As wealth and newcomers poured into the fast-growing city, Ross' parcel became one of Los Angeles's most desirable areas. Acclaimed as "America's Champs-Élysées," this stretch of Wilshire near the La Brea Tar Pits was named "Miracle Mile" for its improbable rise to prominence.

Although the preponderance of shopping malls and the development in the 1960s of financial and business districts in downtown and Century City lessened the Miracle Mile's importance as a retail and business center, the area has retained its vitality thanks to the addition of several museums and commercial high-rises. The Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, (LACMA) A+D Museum: Los Angeles, and La Brea Tar Pits museums, among others, positioned "Museum Row" on the Miracle Mile.

A sculptural bust of Ross stands at 5800 Wilshire, with the inscription, "A. W. Ross, founder and developer of the Miracle Mile. Vision to see, wisdom to know, courage to do."

Today the Miracle Mile saw a different sight. Two very large individuals faced off against each other amidst the stopped LA traffic. It was one of the busiest streets in America and today the traffic was at a standstill. People fled their cars as they sought shelter and safety in the various surrounding buildings.

marlow:

Marlow was a solitary person by nature. While at the Defenders compound, she practiced her magic and observed her new companions. They were quite a bit different than the demons of the Dark Dimension. They were tight-knit group, which she admired a lot. Little by little, she was learning their quirks while she waited to find out why this group of people would be important in a future event.

Svalin had been a good choice as a roommate for her. The Asgardian was quiet and didn't complain when Marlow's head was in another space and she neglected to pick up some item she left lying around their small cottage. Capitalizing on the newly acquired information that Svalin loved chocolate as much as she did, Marlow began making hot chocolate each evening in the tiny kitchen before bed and offering it to the other woman when she came in to go to bed.

Tonight was no different. Tiny pinpoints of light darted around the cottage kitchen and Marlow hummed a tune and poured milk into pan on the unlit stove. She didn't bother with turning on the heat, magic did a much better job of warming the milk as she poured in the chocolate syrup.

nextgen_misc:

All Hallow's Eve, or Halloween as it has been come to be called, is a popular holiday with children and adults alike. It is a holiday that had its roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain or Summer's End. Samhain celebrated the end of the "lighter half" of the year and the beginning of the "darker half".

On this evening the barriers between this world and the Otherworld were believed to be thin and the spirits, good and bad, of the dead could pass through. The spirits of the family's ancestors were welcomed in while evil and bad spirits were warded off by the wearing of masks and costumes. The costumes and masks disguised one as a harmful spirit and avoided harm from others.

It was also a harvest celebration and time to take stock of food stores for the winter. Livestock were slaughtered and the meat prepared for storage. It was the final harvest of the year and the crops were then stored for the winter. Celebrations included bonfires and tales of the family's ancestors.

It was a celebration of the dead and of the harvest.

Today we dress up in scary and not so scary costumes and masks and go door to door for candy or attend costume parties. It is a night for revelry, pranks and fun.

In Los Angeles and Hollywood it could be said that every day was like Halloween. People were always dressed up and most were costumes. On Halloween just about everyone dressed up, not just the normal ones.

son_of_hercules:

So! This was the City of Angels, here in the realm of the mortals! Truly a place of wonder!  It was easy to see why the daughters and son of Thor had chosen such a location for their home in the mortal world.  True, great-Uncle Pluto was said to have his fingers in this city, but the same was supposedly said of many of the gods of the Underworld.  In truth, it mattered little.  Whatever demons might arise, they were surely no match for the son of Hercules!

He had the address of the compound where he was supposed to go.  And his father had said he would speak to Tony Stark of his coming, as soon as he could.  Granted, battle, women, drink, and song did tend to distract his father, but small matter.

So lost in thought was Argo, the Almighty Son of Hercules, that he did not notice the mortal conveyance coming at him as he crossed the street. It skidded to a stop--not that it could have harmed his godly form--and the driver climbed out, well muscled, for a mortal, fist shaking in anger. "Hey! What do you think you're doing? Why don't you watch where you're going? I oughta clock you one good!"

Argo regarded him with a boisterous laugh. "Thou art welcome to try, friend! I wouldst love to share the Gift of Battle with thee!"

"What're you? Some kind of nut?"

"Nay! I art Argo, the Almighty! Son of Hercules! Here to drink thine mortal beer, seduce thine mortal women, and battle thine mortal super-villains!"

He considered something. "Though not, perhaps, in that order."

"Great," the man said, rolling his eyes.  "A nut job.  Inna skirt."

Argo lost his jovial mood.  "Thou wouldst insult the scion of Hercules, Lion of Olympus?  The raiment of Argo the Almighty art forged from the finest Olympian-steel!"

The man backed away slowly.  "Oookaaay, I'm just gonna step away now before you start going on about gladiator movies..."

He got back in his car, and pulled around Argo.

"Most strange, " Argo mused to himself, as he continued to cross the street.  

The second crash, however, was not his fault.  A larger mortal vehicle, a semi-truck screeched through an intersection further up the road as its breaks began to fail.

One leap carried Argo in front of it.  He braced himself and put his hands forward, bending his knees ever so slightly.  The truck slowed... then stopped completely, all without harm to the driver or spilling the contents of its trailer, marked with strange symbols he did not immediately recognize, but still seemed to convey some form of danger.

The crowd was still for a moment, and then the clapping began.  Argo grinned mightily, his hands up in the air, drinking in the praise.  There were several comely women in the crowd, all looking quite impressed.

Perhaps meeting the Asgardians could wait a time.

sydney_ashcroft:

Movies and curled up on the couch with her daughter was a great way to spend a Saturday night in Syd's book. Dinner for Syd and Zoey consisted of pizza (cheese of course) and soda (it was a treat since they hadn't had movie night in awhile) and a huge bowl of popcorn with lots of extra butter on it.

Movie night started with Beauty and the Beast, which was Zoey's all time favorite movie, and moved on to Monsters vs. Aliens. Syd hadn't the chance to take Zoey to see it in the theater, so as soon as it came out on DVD she purchased it and they planned a movie night. It was a cute movie and Syd had the feeling they would be watching it many times in the near future since Zoey enjoyed it so much.

It was just a little past nine pm and Zoey was asleep next to Syd. Syd looked down at her daughter and smiled. Cuddling with her daughter was always a good thing. Syd was dozing as Independence Day just started.