bornlucky:

Even though he had been busy taking care of Sean and helping run the Pub Casey still remembered his friend’s birthdays. He thought it was kind of funny that Jenny and Joe’s birthdays happened to be the same day who would have thought.

For Joe he had gotten a keg of good beer and a hot blind date whenever Joe had the time.

Jenny had gotten a rather nice bottle of French wine. He had called his mom’s friend Alain for help there. He also left a note promising a great night out for her and her boyfriend next time he was in the city.

There was also a card from him with Sean’s name signed by him for both of them.

nextgen_misc:

Night had settled over the city of Los Angeles. A waning gibbous mood had risen and the light of the stars was blocked out by the thick smog that usually blanketed the city. The hours moved on and the city slowed down. Citizens were asleep in their beds and off to dreamland.

The same held true for the residents at 1800 Palos Verdes Drive.

They wouldn't stay asleep for long. Something stirred in the darkness outside.

brit_sorcerer:

There had been an invitation for Excalibur to attend a cookout with the Defenders for Independence Day. Quinn was a Brit by birth, but he had spent half of his life in New York. He considered himself a Yankee as well as a Brit.

When it was time he teleported all from Excalibur who wanted to go to the Defenders compound. Quinn was looking forward to a day in the sun, on the beach and watching girls in bikinis with a lot of good food on hand. Not to mention Asgardian mead. It would truly be a wonderful day.

They arrived in a flash right outside the gates to the compound. It was rude to arrive inside the gates and Quinn didn't feel like fighting. He was a lover, not a fighter.

nextgen_holiday:

"A father is a guy who has snapshots in his wallet where his money used to be." -- Unknown

team_mascot:

Zoey didn't think about how Andy and Titan were two separate personalities or why they looked different from each other, all she did know was that it was their birthday. She made them each a card complete with lots of hearts, rainbows and glitter and had Mom take her shopping for a gift. She got Titan a deluxe set of Uno cards and a set of regular cards. He promised her he would teach her how to play poker. For Andy she got him a new leather belt Svalin had helped her make.

She left the items on the table in the main building where he would see them.

shield_maiden:

Svalin was stretched out on one of the large couches in the rec room of the main building and was trying hard to enjoy sitting still. Her feet and ankles had started to swell and her wife wasn't going to let her do much besides sit and put her feet up as much as she could. Svalin had tried to argue but it didn't get her anywhere except sitting on the couch with her feet up.

She sighed and looked at the television. To Kill a Mockingbird was on and Svalin was still waiting for the killing to start. Why was kill in the title if there was no killing in it? It didn't make much sense to her, but it was one of her wife's favorite movies and Svalin would watch it.

Svalin focused on the television and was surprised by the sudden kick. She gasped and reflexively put her hand on her stomach.

gammagodling:

Andy worked diligently at Scion for the last month in preparation for today. When Sydney got hurt, he thought his idea was dead in the water, but it turned out that he had to cut his time-frame short, but he was going to save a ton on air fare. Knowing a teleporting mystic made a lot things better.

When lunch time came around, he showed up ready at Marlow's bungalow.

"Hey, Marlow. I'm ready when you are." he says, knocking on the door.
 

nextgen_holiday:

Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible. ~Marion C. Garretty, quoted in A Little Spoonful of Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul

team_mascot:

Zoey was always happy when there was going to be a party. The Asgardians didn't have an exact birthday, but it was sometime in the spring. So today they were going to celebrate the Asgardians' birthday. Zoey of course wanted a party with balloons, streamers, ice cream and cake, but Mom had said that they would be having dinner of their favorite foods and then cake. Not a regular birthday party.

Zoey did help Sarah and Malinda make and decorate the cake.

Dinner came and the Defenders gathered around the large dining room table.

"Happy birthday!" Zoey said and handed each one of them a card she had made herself. She went shopping with Mom and the two of them had gotten the Asgardians some clothes.

gammagodling:

Titan limps his way toward Marlow's bungalow, still sore and in an immense amount of pain after his recent troubles. It'll be a few days, maybe even a week before he's whole again, but he's not going to wait that long to see her. He would have crawled all the way to her bungalow if he had to, but he's not going to let anyone know just how beat up he is, especially Marlow. She wouldn't be happy to see the bandages as it is.

He knocks on her door and hopes she's not out on the beach.

butterflybullet:

She'd never really pictured this happening. Of course, she'd married off her dolls as a girl, but the idea of her wedding had always brought with it the idea of really settling down with one guy, which had never been much on her agenda. This, of course, was different. This was Svalin. And she loved Svalin, and honestly wanted to be there for her and be a family with her. And while there would be sacrifices involved, it wasn't the same as Really Settling Down. A platonic marriage that still came with a fancy party. Nothing wrong with that!

Her parents had been brought up to Asgard, along with the Avengers and the Defenders.

The first royal wedding in a generation was the Event of the Season, with quite a bit of bustle about it.

...And the dress was going to be perfect.

But first, Spa day with Mom and the Mothers-in-law --two of them. Oh gosh.

She hoped Svalin was okay.

nextgen_adult:

After Jennifer Kale had confirmed that Vincent's experiment was not the cause of the unusual situation, they'd moved on to the Sorcerer Supreme. After a cursory examination of Vincent and the magical imprint left upon him, Strange seemed oddly amused by the turn of events, considering it's rather benign tone overall.

"This cannot be allowed to stand indefinitely, however. I should be able to perform a spell of soul-mending, which should rectify the problem. We'll need the true cause of this, however..." He steps away from his fellow mages, and Kristoff, and conjures a portal.

"Quinn. Come here now. I have some questions for you." When an individual could raise as much trouble as that one could, it behooved Strange to keep a feeler out as to his location.

sydney_ashcroft:

Grace's birthday was on Thursday and Syd had made sure she they acknowledged the day, but they were saving the big party for Saturday. The Defenders as a team had gone out to dinner at a Brazilian steakhouse. When they returned home anyone who wanted to watch movies camped out in the living room.

Syd had the two chefs, Hugh and Malinda, make Grace's favorite food for dinner and her favorite cake for dinner on Saturday. When dinner was over, Syd and Zoey brought the cake out with the candles lit.

"Happy birthday to you...." they sang as they brought the cake to the table.

Syd ignored her own birthday.

nextgen_misc:

The Seven Heaves Casino and Resort was the newest casino in Vegas and business was booming. Tourists and locals alike came to the new casino to check it out and to see if they could hit a jackpot. Some came out winners while others came out losers. Some came out completely changed and had a new outlook on life after finding religion. It was an unusual place to find religion, but then again the owners were very unusual themselves.

nextgen_misc:

It started as a large blast of magical energy in London, but it quickly spread outward. It started slowly, but it quickly gained speed and eventually it would travel over the whole planet.

nextgen_media:

Rome, Italy – The Vatican is addressing the recent rash of robberies at a few churches and monasteries throughout the world. Two churches and two monasteries were broken into during the night and ransacked. Many valuable religious artifacts were destroyed and some are reported missing. The Vatican is not saying what artifacts were stolen, but it will only confirm that some objects are missing. Authorities are investigating, but so far there are no leads. CONT PAGE 2A


Almeda, TX – Miracles continue to happen in the small town of Almeda, Texas. People are being miraculously healed by Maria Sefanos. No matter the injury or sickness, it seems like Ms.Stefanos is able to heal or cure them. She has decline every interview request, but there is word that she is able to do this miraculously healing by the power of the goddess. People will not say which goddess it is, but people have started to convert to the worship of this unnamed goddess. A small cult is forming and local officials have not taken any actions. CONT PAGE 3A


New York, NY – Hell's Kitchen is seeing a surge in it's goth population. Goths have flocked to this area of New York and appear to be forming some sort of cult. They gather each night in one of the small community parks and hold some sort of rites for the 'Dark Goddess' as they call her. They will not name this Dark Goddess, but the air has a cult like feel to it. Authorities have yet to take action. CONT PAGE 4A


Los Angeles, CA – It seems like people have found the Fountain of Youth in Los Angeles outside of plastic surgery. A new treatment at a new clinic has rejuvenated the stars. This new treatment is provided by New Beginnings Clinic. A trip to the clinic has the customers coming out with ten to twenty years off of their appearances. Details on the procedure are unknown and so far the owner, Ms. Abigail Pederson, has been unavailable for comment.



San Fran, CA – The new drug Nirvana is becoming more and more popular in the streets of San Francisco. The people using the drug have claimed to have seen “the Goddess” and have started worshiping her. The name of this goddess is unknown and these so called worshipers will not release the name. Police are trying to stop the spread of this drug, but so far their efforts have been unsuccessful.

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.

nextgen_holiday:

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

New Year's Resolutions
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4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
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Anonymous entries accepted.

nextgen_holiday:

Christmas. Yule. Saturnalia. Dies Natalis Solis Invicti. Many cultures have celebrated and still celebrate a winter festival. There have been many names for it over the millennia. No matter the name it is a time to come together and celebrate with feasts and gifts with friends and loved ones.

Each culture has a legendary figure who would deliver gifts to children during this time. In Russia and some Slavic cultures he is known as Ded Moroz, Grandfather Frost, and comes not on Christmas but on New Year’s along with his granddaughter Snegurochka, or ‘”Snow Maiden”. In the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe he is known as Father Christmas. In the Netherlands and Belgium he is known as Saint Nicholas or “Sinterklaas” and in France he is known as Père Noël. In the United States we know him as Santa Claus.

No matter the name or who is delivering gifts, it is the season of peace, joy and togetherness. It is the season for thinking about loved ones, friends and those less fortunate. It is a time to witness the goodness and generosity the human race is capable of. It is a time for peace on Earth and goodwill toward man.

nextgen_holiday:

“We’re here outside the Four Seasons Hotel in New York where the who’s who is gathered tonight. Celebrities, royals and superheroes have all turned out for the annual Maria Stark Foundation Winter Charity event benefiting Toys for Tots.

It’s truly an all-star gala here tonight.

New York’s own princess, Anya Stark, was seen being escorted by what appears to be her new flame, actor Austin Cain. Her brother and currently second in line to the Russian throne, Mikhail Romanov, was seen entering the party with Lyta Worthington, heiress to Worthington Industries. Tony and Natasha Stark, parents of a new baby, are making their first public appearance since the birth of their son.

Mackenzie Rider, a prince of the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, is escorting Ms. Andrea Denker of the Fantastic Four tonight. Kristoff Vernard, leader of the Fantastic Four, was seen in attendance with his wife Cassandra and their son Scotty. Vincent Amorason, heir to Latveria, arrived alongside his brother and was seen escorting a member of the Defenders, Asleif Thorsdottir. The rest of the Fantastic Four are here too with their dates, though Miss Valeria Richards is not in attendance. Franklin Richards is in attendance and is escorting one Miss Gill.

Los Angeles’ own superhero team, the Defenders are in attendance as well. Arriving with her team is Grace Danvers, daughter of Hollywood hunk Simon Williams and she is being escorted by teammate, Eiltin. The two Asgardian princesses and daughters of Thor, Asleif and Aridis, are also attending the festivities with their team.
Akilah Munore, the crown princess of Wakanda, is here tonight with her steady flame, Daniel Sherwood a member of the Young Avengers. The other Young Avengers are in attendance tonight with their dates, alongside the adult Avengers.

Donald Trump arrived with his wife and is one of many other famous faces to arrive. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Hugh Jackman, Jack Nicholson, Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift are just a few celebrities who have made an appearance here tonight.

It’s truly a party of the who’s who and it’s all for a great cause.”

sandcastlegod:

While Argo had a few private moments with Harmony, Corey stood in the kitchen, stirring the stew and talking to Andy.
"Mind if I ask how old you are?"

next_avenger:

With Charlie gone and as a male member of the Avengers, in addition to being the leader, it was up to James to uphold a few traditions that didn't have to deal with battling bad guys. Though he had to admit that he would rather be fighting bad guys than doing this. It just wasn't his thing.

He wasn't as industrious as Anya, but James had managed to collect the necessary photos. It hadn't been easy and a part of him felt like he was cheating on Val.

Invitations were sent to the Avengers, Thunderbolts, Fantastic Four, Champions, Excalibur the X-Men and the Defenders guys.

With the help of Jarvis food and drink was laid in. James made sure they had a wide variety of pizza, chips, pretzels and drinks.

He loaded the photos in and took care of the security systems. The girls were not allowed to watch. Now all that was left was people showing up.

son_of_hercules:

It took Argo, Andy, and Corey no time at all to make their way to the cemetery where he had met with Pluto.  The Lord of Hades had been true to his word as well, for as soon as they crossed through the gates, a great hole opened up in the ground, flames spewing out of it for a moment, before those subsided.  When the flames had cleared, they could see stairs leading deep into the "earth."

Ancient runes were carved into those steps, in some language none of the three would be able to read.  Roughly translated, however, they said things such as "I meant to do it this week," "I was only trying to help," and "I'm going to make a New Years resolution..."

Argo looked down those steps and thought of the woman he loved.  Harmony came easily to mind and he felt his blood boil.  Mephisto would learn that the Son of Hercules was not to be trifled with.  He would free her even if he had to bring all of Hell down upon their heads.

"Shall we?" he asked his companions.

son_of_hercules:

Argo returned to the Champion's headquarters not long after his conversation with Pluto.  The consequences of his decision today would probably haunt him for some time, he knew, but he did not see how he could make any other decision.  The woman he loved was in hell, suffering torments that no one as pure and innocent as she should have to endure. 

He would rescue her.  Because he was the hero.  And the hero always rescued their beloved, no matter where they were or what the hero had to go through to get there.  Because that was how the universe worked.

He would worry about paying the price when the time came.

He had his brother, Andy, and his worshiper, Corey.  There were no better he could ask to fight beside him this day, no better he could ask to accompany him into the bowels of the underworld itself.

"I thank you both," he said simply, "for what you do for me today.  I know not how I shall ever repay you."

sandcastlegod:

Corey hurried back into the old club and looked up the number for the Defenders.

"Hello, this is Corey Drake, Antaeus for the Champions of New Orleans. May I speak to Andy, please?"

nextgen_misc:

You are cordially invited to attend the 27th annual Maria Stark Foundation's Winter Charity event.

Four Seasons Hotel
57 East 57th Street
New York, NY 10022

Saturday December 18th
Seven O'clock pm - Midnight

Formal dress required.

Please bring a donation for Toys for Tots.

ng_divine_ones5:

A chasm opened in the front yard of the Defenders compound on Halloween. From which Eoghan walked out of with the baying of unseen hounds coming from around him.

Eoghan then walked slowly but purposely towards the front doors of the compound and rang the door bell. He was fairly certain that this is how things were done in the mortal realm to let people know they wanted to talk.

He hoped he could do this quickly Eoghan had a lot to do today Samhain was always busy for him.

nextgen_misc:

It started out as a normal day in Southern California, but it didn't stay normal. A convoy of tanks and military transports rolled down Palos Verdes Drive and stopped outside of 1800. They spread out along the road in front of the main building of the compound.

General Stihl climbed out of the transport and four heavily armed soldiers flanked him. He walked up to the gate and pressed the buzzer.

nextgen_holiday:

It was a perfect Southern California day. The sun was warm and bright and the water was nice and cool. Traditionally the large bbq pit would be fired up and food slow cooked over it all day, but today the Defenders went for something different. Two very large grills were carried down to the beach along with tables and all of the food. The Defenders' Labor Day celebration would be a beach party.

The volleyball net was strung up and the surf board were carried down. Two brand new jetskis were also purchased and taken down to the beach.

Massive amounts of food were prepared to satisfy godly appetites. A whole pig was set up over a pit and put on a spit, burgers, hot dogs, sausage, barbecued ribs, corn on the cob, pasta salad, salad and fruit salad were just some of the food available to eat. Soda, water, fruit juice and other beverages were on ice.

It was a day of rest and relaxations for those who put their lives on the line for others.

team_mascot:

Zoey was bouncing from the second she got up. Today was HER BIRTHDAY! She was turning seven today and seven was a big birthday. Or so she thought. She had been looking forward to this day ALL SUMMER! Birthdays were special and Mom said she could have a big party, minus the zombies and undead soldiers of course.

She zipped around all day, with the dogs following of course, and helped wherever she could. She helped Sarah make the cake, helped put up decorations and she helped arrange things on the table. She bounced the whole time. When Sarah told her to go get ready, Zoey raced up the stairs to get changed.

She raced down the stairs when she was ready.

It was FINALLY time for her party.

team_mascot:

Zoey was bored. Mom was on a conference call (she seemed to have a lot of those) and Zoey had to wait to go get ice cream with her like she promised. Zelbar and Spencer were in the kitchen because Sarah was cooking and they waited for her to drop some food. Eyhvatr was sleeping in a patch of sun not far from the pool. Her usual playmates were busy.

Zoey went to see who was around.

marlow:

Marlow sat on a blanket on the private beach one morning not that long after the battle with Dormammu, staring out over the waves with her knees drawn up to her chest. She wore a button down shirt Sarah found for her, probably one of Griffin’s, over swimsuit bottoms. The wound she’d sustained from the Mindless Ones laser blasts was healing slowly. It made lifting her arms over her head hurt and pull on the healing flesh, so wearing her own tee shirts was out of the question for awhile.

She really wished she could heal herself. It was by far the worst thing that had happened to her up to now. Even with the odd magic boost, she couldn’t manage the most simple healing spell on herself.

nextgen_baddie:

It had taken time, but Dormammu was a patient being. He had carefully planned all of this out and all of those plans were about to come to fruition. Various items had to be gathered and once he had them all, they had to be forged into one item. It would be the ultimate weapon and his agent would enter the realm of Earth with it and lay waste to all before him.

Dormammu would make his entrance into the mortal realm and finally defeat the cursed Sorcerer Supreme and his rule over the mortal realm would begin. Umar had been defeated, Dormammu released from his prison and the Octet was tipped in favor of Krakken and Cyttorak. Dormammu had the Kestrel Key and the Crystal Ruby of Cyttorak and could call upon the powers of Krakken and Cyttorak.

Balor, armed with a weapon forged from the Soul Sword, the Twilight Sword and the Kestrel Key and forged in the Flames of the Faltine, went forth into the mortal realm. The tear in reality he created sent ripples of magic throughout the world. those sensitive to magic would sense the disturbance. Balor stepped into the mortal realm in a location known as Los Angeles. Fitting that demonic beings would begin their conquest of the world in a place called The City of Angels.

The portal was now opened and Dormammu made his entrance into the mortal realm.

tabula_rasa:

Jenny was happy to conveniently forgot her scheduled appointment with Dr. Samson, but leave it to Rob to have it on his calendar. The day before, she was notified that she would be collected at 6am and delivered to the S.H.I.E.L.D. transport for the New York run.

She tossed a few items into her shoulder bag along with a new book. She didn't need anymore than that as Rob had kept their leased apartment in New York. Between his monthly trips back to New York and her infrequent traveling, he said it was worth hanging onto it. Everything she might need was already there.

A note was posted on the refrigerator so the team would know she would be in the States for a couple of days. She also included a post script asking Leech to make sure Yankee Clipper was fed. She really hoped Quinn would continue to be tolerant and not turn YC into a fluffy orange and white throw pillow.

In New York, she had time to shower and change clothes before presenting herself at Dr. Samson's office promptly at 3pm. Each time she had one of these appointments she hoped it would be the last. Each time he said he would see her again in three months. At least this time she would have something different to contribute to the conversation.

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.

princess_mutt:

"I think that's the last of them," Danielle said quietly as her sister pulled another science textbook off a high shelf at the ESU bookstore. Danielle looked over the list of recommendations that Granny and Doctor McCoy had suggested she read, and confirmed that she was right about their thoroughness.

"All right," Moira said, the large stack balanced on one hand as they head towards the lady with the little machine at the counter. "You've got the card?"

"Aye."
Shopping was still so odd.