team_mascot:

It was going to be the best day EVER! Ellie, Daniel, Scotty and she were going to spend the day with Starry Twilight! Zoey had barely been able to sleep last night and had been practically bouncing this morning. The time until they needed to be in the club seemed to drag, but eventually it was time!

She was practically bouncing in her seat as she waited for them to start.

nextgen_misc:

The auditorium of the high school was crowded with various groups of teens, mostly girls, all there to win a day with Starry Twilight. The room was filled with a lot of giggling and squealing.

The band sat at a table in front of the stage and were the judges for the event. Their manager sat at the end of the table and looked bored out of their mind. Four bodyguards stood behind the band members and tried to keep enthusiastic fans from reaching the band.

A large screen was set up on the stage so the competitors could easily see it.

"Next up," the manager said as one group just finished. "Band number twenty." The manager sighed and put his chin in his hand. It was going to be a long day.

nextgen_misc:

It was the right thing to do. And Scotty could just stick with Daniel and let the girls do their thing.
Besides, he was a very good Rock Band keyboardist.
Scotty sighed and picked up the phone.
"May I speak to Zoey, please?"

nextgen_misc:

There's posters and fliers up all over the city.


"This weekend is your chance to win a day with the hit sensation Starry Twilight and a new guitar!

Brush up on your Rock Band skills and join:


BATTLE OF THE BANDS!

Sign ups are from 5/8/2011 to 5/13/2011 at Club Nightfall!

The competition is on Sunday 5/15/2011 at Club Nightfall!


DO NOT MISS THIS CHANCE TO MEET STARRY TWILIGHT!"


There's even a few commercials being played on the television in the New York area.

nextgen_asgard:

Eir and Astrid led Ellie through the halls of Odin's Hall. The royal treasury lay beyond the Great Hall and always guarded. However, Eir and Astrid grew up in this building and thanks to their resourceful brother Skari, they knew how to get into the Royal Treasury. There were double doors guarded by two guards, but it wasn't the only way into the room. Not when one had a teleporter on hand.

Eir and Astrid led Ellie through the building without being seen and as close to the treasury room as they could get. They described the inside of the room to Ellie as they went so when they arrived they could teleport in and out in almost no time.

"Art we ready?" Eir asked Ellie and Astrid.

nextgen_misc:

Daniel, Zoey, Scotty, Ellie and Rufus had told Thor and Sif about what happened in Hel while Einmyria made sure they ate and rested. The Thunder God's face wore a scowl as the children told the tale and Sif's expression mirrored his. They left the kids with Eimyria and returned to Odin's great hall. A dark cloud loomed on the horizon and Asgard would prepare to face it.

The host of Asgard started preparations for a battle and the sons and daughters of Asgard on Migard would be called back.

nextgen_asgard:

Hela ruled Hel and there was nothing that she didn't know about. Her latest amusement was leading a bunch of kids around. She wasn't sure exactly what her father's plan was, but dealing with the kids was entertaining her. It had been some time since she had entertainment such as this. She let them wander around her realm, tricking them with illusions and occasionally sending a minion after them. The kids were proving to be quite resourceful. The two little ones weren't scared and it intrigued her. The other three weren't either, but they were older. She eventually led them to the ice where the Destroyer was encased and put up an illusion to make it look like the two little ones were in the ice.

team_mascot:

Zoey /loved/ visiting New York because it meant seeing Scotty. It was Valentine's Day and Mom and Dad had some auction thing to go to and that meant Mr. and Mrs. Vernard would be babysitting the two of them. Zoey had a card that she made for Scotty and the Super Buddies DVDs for him.

Mr. Vernard had given both of them a very specific set of rules about what they were allowed and not allowed to do. They didn't mean to cause trouble the last few times, but it just seemed like trouble found them. They didn't plan on all those things happening.

As it was they were in the living room playing with Scotty's Super Buddies DVDs and playing with his Super Buddies toys.

nextgen_holiday:


I arise from dreams of thee
In the first sweet sleep of night,
When the winds are breathing low,
And the stars are shining bright.
I arise from dreams of thee,
And a spirit in my feet
Hath led me -- who knows how?
To thy chamber window, Sweet!

The wandering airs they faint
On the dark, the silent stream--
And the Champak's odours
Like sweet thoughts in a dream;
The nightingale's complaint,
It dies upon her heart,
As I must on thine,
O belovèd as thou art!

O lift me from the grass!
I die! I faint! I fail!
Let thy love in kisses rain
On my lips and eyelids pale.
My cheek is cold and white, alas!
My heart beats loud and fast:
O press it to thine own again,
Where it will break at last!

Percy Bysshe Shelley

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
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
+

Anonymous entries accepted.

nextgen_misc:

"George"'s time on Earth exposed him to a lot of different things of Earth culture. One of these things was Santa Claus. The idea of some man giving out presents to all the kids on one night a year was an interesting concept. There was no such thing on George's planet.

When George returned to his planet he told them all about Earth culture and Santa Claus. The fascination with Santa and getting presents prompted a small group of aliens to leave their planet and head to Earth. They arrived at the North Pole and promptly brought Santa aboard their ship.

Things were going well as they headed home with Santa, but trouble found them half way home. A ship of Symbiotes attacked and took their precious cargo. George managed to turn the ship around and headed back to Earth. There were people that could help.

Those people were Team Awesome.

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:

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.

rocky_2:

He's been saving up for this for a while. All the babysitting has to be worth something, after all. He's sure the X-Men are going to have their own event for Ellie's birthday, the Rasputins are an Xavier's institution and all, but thankfully, his present/intentions for her birthday have to wait for the weekend anyway.

He shows up in full Anaheim Ducks gear - her gifts include her own Ducks sweatshirt and hat. He felt like a little bit of a traitor to the New York teams, but its for a good cause. The rest of her present, after all, includes tickets to the Anaheim Ducks vs. the New York Islanders in the 16th, which comes right after a dinner for two, which comes right after a day of ice skating at Rockefeller Center.

Ok, so sure, the date is half present for him too, but he hopes she'll like it.

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.

team_mascot:

Zoey finally got to visit Scotty at /his/ house. Before Scotty had visited Zoey in California, but Zoey hadn't had the chance to visit Scotty's house until now. Mom had business in New York and Zoey had begged to go along. She liked New York (despite the broken arm she got the last time she was here) and wanted to see more of the city and more importantly see Scotty. Scotty even had a new little sister and Zoey wanted to meet her. Though it was a little disappointing that Miranda couldn't really play with them. Miranda was still cute and Zoey giggled every time she made little spit bubbles and cooed.

Zoey and Scotty had just finished watching Super Buddies again. Scotty loved the recent Fantastic Four episode and they had watched it twice. Scotty even had the super limited edition M.O.D.O.K. toy. Zoey would admit that the M.O.D.O.K. toy was cool. He talked and said silly things when you pushed the button on the back.

Zoey and Scotty were currently playing with the M.O.D.O.K. toy when the members of the Fantastic Four said they had to go out on a mission. Cassie was still here with Miranda and Daniel would be coming over to watch the two of them.

"That's a cool toy," Zoey said with giggles. "I'm going to ask my mom for one when I get home."

nextgen_holiday:

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.

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.

nextgen_cosmic:

Galactus was a cosmic being who needed to feed on the life forces of planets. Currently he was about to feast on a planet which was also the home of George, a small alien who had been residing on Earth. A small ship docked with Galactus' world ship, the crew intent on stopping Galactus from feeding on the planet.

nextgen_parent:

Lady Sif placed the two new swords for Aridis and Svalin on the table with the other items that were bound for Migard. Four new daggers, one for each, were also placed on the table. A new war hammer for Halbjorn was added along with a pouch containing common spell items. Added to the weapons were new clothes made by Einmyria and also various baked goods.

It was mid-summer and the kids, though they weren't really kids anymore, would receive gifts from their parents. Sif wasn't exactly the most maternal of women, but she did love her children and worried about them as any mother would. Even if she didn't bear some of them.

Now it was time to deliver the gifts.

"Skari!" she called.

nextgen_holiday:

What Makes a Dad

God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle's flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so,

He called it ... Dad

poof:

Ellie could barely contain her excitement. She'd called Daniel earlier in the week and asked him if he wanted to come to the Institute to hang out for the afternoon. And he said yes!

She already knew what they were going to do that afternoon. It just so happened that Ellie was able to copy the codes to get into the Danger Room unsupervised...instead of having to hunt down Misha or Cait or one of the older students to let them in and set a training session for them. A baby level training session. That? Something that a baby could beat? That, just would not do. No, no, no, they needed something challenging! Something fun!

Ellie grinned. This was going to be AWESOME!

rocky_2:

Its Daniel's first date - and his parents, his dad in particular, weren't going to let it go over in a small way. They aren't the Richards family, but through the F4 and all, Ben isn't exactly short on money, and its his only son.

As such, Daniel arrives at Xavier's School for Gifted Youths in a chauffered limousine. He's dressed for hockey watching, but nicely for it, with a brand new jersey and nice jeans. He also has a boquet of flowers in hand and a box of chocolates in hand - his mother's insistence. The name gets him through most of the security, and he is expected, after all.

He comes up, and knocks on the door, speaking into the intercom when it clicks on.
"Its Daniel Grimm, is Ellie Rasputin ready?"

rocky_2:

Daniel doesn't really have a Valentine, but he's not above the mushy stuff entirely. He got over that age a couple years ago, and has started noticing girls. Problem being, while there are some cute girls in his school, and he eats lunch with some of them sometimes, he'd like to connect more with the hero crowd - and most of the kids aren't his age.
First and foremost, he makes sure Zoey and Scotty get some extra candy (including carefully packed candy cigarettes and root beer hidden under the card and more 'acceptable' candy) and silly Valentines.

Then he gets something for that cute X-girl. Ok, sure, he doesn't know her well, but they've met a time or three in passing. His dad is connected everywhere, and he's done his share of traveling. Can't hurt to at least make sure she gets something for Valentine's. He finds a card with a suitably adorable puppy and the standard silly poetry without being too sappy or suggestive. Cute puppy and 'Happy Valentine's Day' seems fitting.

He sends it off to Ellie to make sure it'll be there the Friday before the holiday.

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_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.