i_feel_you:

(Takes place after this post.)

Luna was getting antsy. She had been in the med-bay at WCA headquarters for a couple of days now, and while she was still weak from having a large portion of her blood drained, she was worried about Eli. She hadn't seen him since they had been attacked by the vampires. Her father hovering over her, telling her how she was never to see Eli again did not help things. Eventually, with some help from Aine along with telling him off herself, she was able to get rid of him.

Currently, Luna was watching reruns of General Hospital. She was still getting blood transfusions, and the rest of her team had been making sure that she had been getting lots of protein in her system.

There was something about daytime soap operas that were horrible but addicting at the same time.

nextgen_holiday:

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

blinkandmissme:

(This scene takes place after the vampire attack in Los Angeles)

Eli reaches out with his mind, as even a cell phone is too slow for his needs.

Bram....

Jessica....

Gregory...

Amanda....

I am in need of your aid.

Eli's tone is earnest and solemn, and he does his level best to keep it from being pleading for their assistance.

He waits to to see if they'll answer back, hoping that they are all not otherwise busy.

blinkandmissme:

Eli thought he was going to miss Luna's birthday party, but it turned out that he finished his errands early, with a judicious application of his duplicates helping with general paperwork, cleaning and other matters. When he found out that he would have time to see her after all, Eli dialed Luna's number, hoping that she might have some free time after the festivities to go on the date he promised her.

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

i_feel_you:

The royal wedding had been a lovely affair. Luna had enjoyed herself, and thought it was absolutely beautiful.

Though the company might have had something to do with why she had enjoyed herself so much.

After the wedding and reception, Luna and Eli had gone back to the Strand Palace Hotel to their respective rooms.

After taking a brief nap and changing clothes, Luna went to Eli's room and knocked on the door. They had decided to stay the weekend to go sight-seeing.

butterflybullet:

Vernique showed up for lunch in a fantastic dress with a large shoulder bag containing the following:
The Collected Poetry of Lord Byron
The Collected Works of William Shakespeare
Her mother's Spring and Summer catalogs


"Hey there," she said smiling.

notinplainsight:

Kalypso's favorite place to soak up some rays and cosmic energies was the outer edge of the atmosphere. She had spent the last few hours just floating and recharging her batteries. It was so quiet and so peaceful that one couldn't help to appreciate it and appreciate the view. The Earth looked breathtakingly beautiful from space.

Now that her energy stores were replenished, she needed something else. She formed a telekinetic bubble around herself to keep her clothes from burning up on re-entry and headed back toward New York.

Not too much later she was sitting outside her favorite coffee shop and enjoying a cup of cafe mocha.

nextgen_misc:

The building that the Healthy Blood Coalition was based out of seemed to be locked up for the night now at this late of hour. There currently were not may people out walking the streets of Washington DC either which would make things all the easier for anyone trying to sneak into the building.

Inside was a pretty normal looking office building. The Healthy Blood Coalition was based on the 3rd and 4th floors of the building and seems to be quite the well established group for being such a new group.

i_feel_you:

After asking her if she would spend his birthday with him, Luna had started to make plans for what to do for Eli for his birthday.

After some thought, she came up with what she thought was a pretty good present. Luna had made some calls and invited over the Avengers that Eli had traveled with when they fought Kang. She also invited over Kalypso, as Eli had mentioned that they were cousins.

Luna had made chicken parmesan for dinner. She'd also gone out to the store bought salad, garlic bread, and red wine. When she had called Vernique, she had told that for dessert, they would go to Florence for hot chocolate.

She had also gotten Eli a couple of books she thought that he would enjoy.

After she finished making dinner, Luna changed into a light dress. She checked on the chicken quickly before going to set the table while she waited for people.

nextgen_misc:

The invitations to THE wedding of the year went out today. Heads of state, diplomats and dignitaries from all over the world would be receiving invitations. The fervor over the wedding was building and would reach a peak when Kate Middleton walked down the isle.

nextgen_misc:

It had taken them some time to reestablish themselves back in Washington DC to influence the politics of the country but for a Vampire it hadn’t taken to long at all. They were start off slow gaining control over up and coming politicians that might someday make it big and be very nice to have in their pockets.

They had set up a cover as lobbyists, which worked as a great cover to get close to and talk to the politicians that they had in mind. They already had being building influence in several very promising politicians thru varies means and had even managed to get some of their human followers in on the staff of some of the ones that they thought had the most promise.

So far they had managed to staff of the radar of anyone who might be about to interfere with their plans here and had already dealt with some people who had caused some problems for them in a very permanent way.

blinkandmissme:

Eli Paravich knows little of the Valentine's Day holiday; if one asked him, his idea sprung from a conversation he'd had with Luna over the phone the other day. He sat in Iason's Penthouse (as Eli couldn't yet think to call it his own) sketching a design for a dress that he thought Vernique would look good in when his thoughts turned to Luna and her trip with Aine through Europe.

Luna mentioned that she hadn't finished that trip and Eli had been curious about their destinations. Then it came to him.

"I will ask Luna to take me through her trip." Eli says, standing and going to the shower to get read. Forty-five minutes later, Eli readies himself to call Luna...and realizes that it is 2 a.m. Pacific. He couldn't very well call Luna whilst she slept, so he found other things to do.

Seven hours later, Eli hoped Luna would be awake as he called her number.
 

i_feel_you:

After some food and more socializing, Luna made due on her promise to show Eli the library. She led him through the halls of Avengers Mansion, until they reached the library.

"This," said Luna, "This is were I spend a large majority of my time. I can often be found here. ...I have considered moving my bed here, sometimes. But I don't know if that would go over well with the rest of the team." She blushed. "Sorry...you wanted me to help you find books on vampires?"

borntolead:

Charlie was glad to be home. In the end of it, he enjoyed his time hoping around through the timestream, and had gotten to become really good friends with his teammates.

But goddamn, it felt good to be back.

After stopping off at his parent's apartment for a quick change of clothes and a shower (his Mom wasn't home yet, but his Dad said that he'd tell her that they had come back later), Charlie made his way over to Avengers Mansion.

"Anybody home?"

nextgen_misc:

The New Year was a time for sending out the old year and ringing in the new. It was always a time of partying and celebrating. This year it was time for a battle. The time and dimensionally displaced Avengers along with their possible future kids got ready for a battle with Kang and his forces.

The sun was just coming up over the city and on the new year.

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_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

The Avengers' Mansion was decorated and festive. Inside the Avengers celebrated Christmas Day. Outside there was a flash of light and six time and dimensionally displaced Avengers showed up.

nextgen_misc:

Morning came to New York and with it a brisk wind making it seem colder than it was. The weak winter sun did little to warm things up and a layer of frost covered cars and other objects left out in the cold winter air over night. The city that never slept was becoming more alive with activity as her residents started their daily routines.

High above the city the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier flew, keeping an eye on the city below.

It seemed like any other winter's morning in New York, but today would prove to be far from ordinary.

nextgen_misc:

The timely save by the Anti-Registration forces brought the Exiles to the group's secret headquarters. The rescued heroes were brought back and offered medical aid, food and a chance to rest away from the pro-registration forces. The Exiles explained who they were and what their mission was and were invited to stay for as long as they wanted.

A few hours later more rescued heroes were brought back and this time it was the six Avengers. They entered the secret underground base and escorted to the area where they could get cleaned up and get medical treatment for their wounds. They would get the chance to meet everyone when they were done and came out to the main area with everyone else.

nextgen_misc:

Not too far from where the battle between the Avengers and the Exiles took place, another group of travelers arrived. They received instructions on what they needed to do, much like the Exiles in that regard. The instructions were simple. Find and defeat a group of dimensional travelers before they could complete their mission.

The small team took cover and waited.

It wasn't long before a flash of white light appeared and a small group of six Avengers appeared.

shield_maiden:

Asgardians didn't bother with birthdays and birthday celebrations, but since spending some time on Migard Svalin had come to understand that celebrating the day of one's birth was important. Svalin had made a note of her teammate's birthdays when she had read their files not long after joining the Avengers. Today, at least she thought it was today, was Charlie's birthday. It was a little difficult to keep track of exactly what day it was when one was hopping through time.

She mentioned Charlie's birthday to Vernique and Plans were made. The rest of the Avengers were let in on the plans.

One tradition of celebrating one's day of birth was to give them a gift. Svalin hadn't time to make him a dagger, but she had managed to purchase one from a pilot who seemed to be following her around along with a jacket that was called a bombadier jacket. Svalin had removed the name patch and had stayed awake all night removing the embroidery of the pilot's name and stitching Charlie's in it.

throughouttime:

There was a flash of light amidst the explosions and the loud sound of gunfire. The Avengers arrived in what was literally a war zone.

Tanks rolled across the land and fired with resounding booms and soldiers exchanged gunfire from trenches on both sides. There was a loud shout and a man in red, white and blue led a small group of brightly costumed people across the battlefield.

On the other side a man with a purple hood watched the battle and next to him was a man with a monocle.

throughouttime:

The Avengers had a few days to go over the intel that Tony Stark and Captain America provided. It had been a time to rest and recuperate from any injuries sustained on their last mission.

The quiet was about to be shattered.

Alarms went off all over the flying airship. They were under attack by the forces of the Red Skull and the Skeleton Crew. Each member was on a flying platform with ten other troops, all armed with laser weapons and swords.

cosmic_son:

There's an abrupt shift in reality, and the Exiles find themselves... well, not in Kansas anymore.

In all times previous to this, the air has been fresher than that of the world they know. This one... well, it may be fresher, but there's a very distinct tang of faint coal dust in the air. The colors are muted, mostly tans and browns... except the ones that aren't. the women walking by in the distance are examplary of the era when more complex dyes and dye mixing was being discovered, the women in extremely opulent finery in many cases, the wealthy among them in a wash of bright, vivid greens and reds and blues and patterns, and even their maids in complex dress compared to the ages of simplicity and necessity they've left behind. The men are all in hats, shirts and jackets.

Everywhere, there's signs of the city being powered by a mix of old style gaslights, steam power, clockwork and electricity, sometimes with little rhyme or reason.

Over it all, a single craft, the size of a city block and being supported by numerous dirigible balloons hovers, casting a shadow over all of what could be recognized by long term residents as some ancient and steam powered version of New York City.


Iason is the first to speak.  "I... do not recognize this as similar to anything from Earth's history."

nextgen_misc:

A bright sun in a dull blue sky baked the earth below despite it being late October. The air didn't hold any moisture and dust was stirred up by the wind. The terrain was mostly flat and sparse of vegetation and about a mile west lay a silver-mining boomtown called Tombstone.

There was a bright flash of light about a mile outside of the town. Six very strangely dressed individuals and one white horse with wings suddenly appeared.

nextgen_adult:

The battle was won and Camelot was victorious. King Arthur had mostly recovered from his injuries though was still hurting a bit. He had been busy awarding his Knights for their brave deeds and valor over the course of the battle. There had been a lot of knights who deserved this.

Arthur had also invited the six strangers who had been so instrumental in saving his kingdom. He planned on knighting them for their efforts calling them up one by one.

nextgen_misc:

The day to retake Camelot had finally come. Arthur's knights, lead by the Black Knight, rode out from their encampment. They were a force of three thousand strong. Armor gleamed in the light of the setting sun and off the sharp edges of swords and spears.

They rode for two hours before they came to a halt a few miles from Camelot.

Here a small group would split from the main body and carry out their mission while the rest would ride to besiege the castle.

shield_maiden:

The concept of celebrating birthdays was still a strange one to Svalin. In Asgard they knew what season they had been born and used it only to mark another year passing. Svalin had never celebrated a birthday or thought about doing it until her stay on Migard. Zoey had been the one to teach all the Asgardians about birthdays and had done a fine job at that. Though Svalin was still trying to figure out what clowns had to do with birthdays and how people could call themselves magicians when they couldn't perform any magic.

Regardless of her understanding or lack thereof, Svalin had been keeping track of the time they had spent on this adventures. By her calculations it was Vernique's birthday, give or take a day or two. While they had been waiting for Arthur, the Black Knight and others to assemble the troops, Svalin had enough time to do some work at the forges.

Once she had convinced one of the smiths, and by convinced she meant glower down at one until he moved, to let her use it for a few hours she started working on Vernique's gift. Now she knew Vernique liked dresses and other things women preferred, and while Svalin could patch holes in clothing, she could in no way make a dress so she opted for a dagger.

She fell into an easy rhythm at the forge and in short time she had an eight inch dagger completed. The edges were as sharp as Svalin could make them. The pommel, grip and guard were simple in design. Had she more time Svalin would have been able to do something fancier, but she didn't know when they would be riding to retake Camelot. Maybe when they were in a different time period and had a little time, Svalin would find something more appropriate to Vernique for a gift.

With new dagger in hand she went looking for her teammate friend.

nextgen_misc:

There was a great flash of Light and the group appeared in the middle of a great forest under a dark cloudy sky. Not far from them was a road that leads to Camelot that was not far from them and could be seen in the distance above the tree line. A great battle had recently been fought there though from here it was impossible to tell much.

nextgen_citizen:

Tomorrow the warriors of the fleet will return to mourning, begin preparations to return home without a lot of their original number and set out longer range patrols to make sure they've dealt with all of the threat. For tonight, however, there's a celebration. There's limited supplies, certainly, but they've done their best. Typical for their traveling fleets, there's boiled meat and fish. There's also plenty of mead.
Entertainment is a combination of a couple of skalds recounting stories from the history of the tribe, and then bragging and stories exchanged around a long table. The heroes are given esteemed places around the table, with Svalin at the head.

nextgen_misc:

The ships moved effortlessly through the rough seas as they made their way toward land. They kept formation and large metal robots stood like silent sentinels on the decks. They were waiting to reach shore and then would sweep across the land destroying everything in their path. It had been the same tactics they had used in other areas of the North.

Sol in her chariot drawn by the horses Alsvid and Arvak came up over the horizon and snapping at Sol's heels was the wolf Skoll. One day the wolf would catch and devour Sol, but for now he continued to chase her day after day. On the sea in front of the metal ships of Kang floated the small fleet of ships of the Norsemen.

shield_maiden:

After a few hours of waiting for the effects of the mead and wine from previous night's drinking to wear off, Svalin led the others down to the village. Tryggvi had a blanket over him to hide his wings and the other horse walked next to him. A part of Svalin wished her brother were here to deal with the chieftain. A male who understood the customs would make things a lot easier, but seeing how Halbjorn was not here she was going to have to do it.

Svalin was quiet and pensive as they entered the village. Her sword and shield were ready in the event she needed to use them. Which was very likely.

They were immediately surrounded by warriors, all with drawn swords and shields at the ready. Svalin put up a hand for the Avengers to not draw weapons or move. It was a delicate situation and one she didn't need to get quickly out of hand.

"We hath come to speak to thine chieftain," she said as she sized up the warriors all around them.

nextgen_misc:

There was a flash of bright light and the group appeared on a small hilltop overlooking what would be the modern day spot of the town of Hamre, Norway. Humans had been living in this area since the Stone Age, eking out a living in the harsh climate.

The walled settlement was set at the mouth of a river that emptied into the bay. The buildings and wall were made of timber harvested from the nearby forest and a little land had been cleared for farming. Though in the cold North, most sustenance was derived from the sea and the raiding parties that went out in boats each summer.

The inhabitants of the town were gathered in a field some distance away from the settlement. A large ship sat on top a pyre and the townsfolk gathered around. Men, warriors, carried the body of their chieftan to the ship and placed him inside the tent. A young woman, a thrall, flanked by two warriors and an old woman walked to the ship. She paused long enough to give her jewelry to the old woman and then boarded the ship. She stood on the deck and was handed intoxicating drinks. Afterward, she entered the tent with six men and an old woman. The warriors outside began to beat on their shields.

The men and the old woman left the boat and grabbed torches. They set the torches to the wood and the pyre began to burn.

shield_maiden:

Apparently fighting off vampires and cultists earned a person a stay at the city's palace. The local king was most appreciative of having his city emptied of the vampires and cultists and had invited the Avengers along with Red Sonja and Conan to stay for the night in his palace.

Svalin cared not where she stayed, only that she had a place for Tryggvi and someplace to sleep. Hard or soft, it didn't matter. She was used to sleeping on the ground as much as she was used to sleeping in a bed. The girls were shown to one suite and the guys to another. In the middle of the room that connected to the two bedrooms was a large bathtub put into the floor. Servants filled it with steaming water. The same was in the guys' room. They were all expected at dinner in two hours.

Svalin carefully checked her weapons and equipment and laid the out one by one on a table in the room. Getting clean was not the highest priority for her.

shield_maiden:

Svalin was up with the rising of the sun. She watched the sunrise from the abandoned house they had stayed in for the night. Battle was coming and she could never sleep the night before a battle. It wasn't nerves. It was anticipation for the coming fight. Today they would hunt down this Thulsa Doom and if they were lucky, Varnae as well.

The day would be clear and sunny and perfect for battle.

Svalin, needless to say, was looking forward to it. She wasn't sure about the other Avengers, but she sensed the anticipation from the redheaded woman warrior and the male warrior. He reminded her of her brother and it made her miss her siblings.

She should go check her equipment and weapons. There was a battle coming.

butterflybullet:

Particularly with the extra help, Vernique didn't take long to whip up some properly local fashion. Once everyone was outfitted who needed to be, she preened a bit -- that was just unavoidable. "Well, now that everyone looks acceptably fantastic: off to town to look for signs of Kang Was Here?"

nextgen_misc:

A dry hot wind carried dust with it as it swept across the plain. The sun scorched the earth and the summer heat was relentless. Vultures circled in the air against the backdrop of a dull blue sky. Off in the distance the brown walls and buildings of a city blended into the landscape.

There was a flash of bright light and six people and one horse stood on the dry plain.

shield_maiden:

Svalin and Tryggvi just landed on the small lawn in the back of the Avengers Mansion. Svalin had been getting antsy and decided to take Tryggvi out for a flight around New York. They were both feeling too confined. At least at the Defenders compound there was room to move around and a nice ocean breeze. There were too many tall buildings in New York and they were all too close.

Svalin dismounted and immediately removed the saddle. She let it fall on the ground and then removed the bridle. She smiled and lightly rubbed Tryggvi's nose before placing a kiss on his forehead. "Thank you, my friend. 'Twas a most enjoyable flight."

notinplainsight:

Kalypso fell on her bed and had never been so happy to do so. The past weeks had been taxing even to an Eternal. She helped drive the deviants out of Olympia and then had stayed around for a bit to help start rebuilding the city. The effort had taken every bit of strength and energy she had and then some. There had been a few breaks to recharge, but even they were short and rebuilding had taken so much energy.

Now she was back in New York in her mother's place and she was planning on sleeping for a few days.

nextgen_eternal:

Zuras and Mentor led the group of Eternals, Titanian and Earth, who would be fighting to retake Polaria. They had gathered a hundred miles south of the city after teleporting from Titan. There they waited while they recuperated from the strain and exertion of teleporting.

When they were ready, they started flying toward Polaria.

notinplainsight:

Titan was a haven of peace and knowledge and Kal loved being there, but lately even the ravages of war have disrupted the peace and tranquility. The Olympian Eternals were still comatose, the cities of Polaria and Olympia were lost and there had been bitter and heated debate about what to do next. Druig and his faction had been doing nothing but opposing Mentor and the ideas put forth. Kal thought it rude for guests to act so toward their hosts, but this was cousin Druig. Kal didn't expect things to be any different than normal.

Her family was plain crazy.

Kal was in the gardens enjoying some of the peace Titan had to offer when the warning sirens began to sound.

blinkandmissme:

Eli and his cousins appear in the home of his father, Druig of Nightmares, moments after their gathering on Titan. They quartet find Druig in a roundtable meeting with other luminaries of the Eternals, engaged in some manner of heated debate.

"Father, I have returned. I have brought aid with me, as you asked." Eli says, gesturing to his cousins.

"You finally grace us with your presence, Eliosha." Druig says, his tone less than warm and inviting. "But I do not understand what you mean by 'as I asked'. I have not asked you to bring anything, or anyone, to me. I have left you to your aimless wandering among the human rabble. Tell me, have you learned anything worth reporting?"

Eli seemed stricken for a moment, before speaking. "Father, you asked me to return home with aid for--"

Druig raised a hand to silence him. "I asked for no such thing, boy. If I wanted help from outside Polaria, I have <i>capable</i> messengers to send. Why have you interrupted us now?" Druig said, his tone annoyed.

"Father, I've...we have come to tell you that Olympia has fallen to the Deviants. Polaria could be next." Eli finishes, suddenly looking as though he wishes to be anywhere but here.

nextgen_misc:

Smoke rose up into the air from various parts of Olympia, the Eternals' city. The once pristine and beautiful city was almost in ruins. The Eternals themselves were lying on the ground in comatose states. Their ancient enemy, the deviants, move about the city destroying as much as they could. They had beaten their hated enemies and were celebrating.

One Eternal fought inside the city, while four had just gathered outside.

notinplainsight:

Enough time had passed and Kal had decided that it was time for lunch with her two cousins. Eli needed to meet Iason and vice versa. They were family after all and they would be dealing with each other for a VERY long time. It was best to get to know each other now.

Kalypso picked a small delicatessen in the Village. It was small enough that it wouldn't be crowded with people and yet have a wide variety of foods. The three of them were curious about humans and new experiences so Kal picked a place that would give them a variety of things to try.

She was early for a change. Mom always advised being fashionably late, but Kal thought that it was only okay for parties. For meeting friends and family it was just rude. Kal grabbed a cup of coffee, a table and waited.

notinplainsight:

Kalypso sat outside a small cafe in Rome and sipped her cappuccino. Normally she would go to a cold place, like the upper atmosphere, when she wanted to think, but today she wanted to be among mortals. She didn't want to feel so separated from them as she normally felt. Like she had been feeling since finding out she was an Eternal and not a mutant.

She watched the people pass by as they went about their daily lives. They were completely oblivious to the danger the world they knew was in. An ancient enemy stirred and none of them had any idea of what was happening. These days she wanted to be as ignorant as they were. She didn't want to know that the deviants were stronger and more powerful than they had ever been. It wouldn't be long until all out war started. She didn't want to know that the deviants wanted to enslave humanity.

She sipped her cappuccino and watched the sea of humanity around her.