nextgen_holiday:

The grand ballroom of the Four Seasons Hotel on 57 East 57th street was festively decorated for the holidays. A series of lit candles on every table gave off warm light and the dulcet tones of a jazz ensemble filled the room.

People, the upper elite of New York society, Hollywood celebrities, musicians, politicians and New York’s own superheroes moved around the room. People sat at tables and talked, while some moved gracefully around the large dance floor.

Tables loaded with unwrapped and unopened toys lined one wall and at one end stood a very large decorated Christmas tree. Wrapped presents sat under the tree, but they were just empty boxes wrapped for decoration. Mistletoe hung from the ceiling near the tree and people stopped to kiss.

The air was light and the mood happy and festive.

anyastark:

The Avenger and the Fantastic Four girls (and one non-Avenger girl) were camped out in the rec room of the mansion. Normally it'd be the Hydrobase but there was no Jarvis out there and Anya wasn't allowed out there, so they took over the mansion rec room instead. Shopping, Anya's favorite past time, was out due to it being Black Friday. Not even she was brave enough to face the crowds, even in armor. So it was an all-day movie marathon.

The Princess Bride was just finishing and Anya looked to the other girls. "What do we want next?"

toni_rhodes:

It was, all things considered, a pretty good day.  No super-villain attacks, no mad Mandarins, no nothing.  Which was why Toni and some of the other Young Avengers had gone into the city for shopping

It was probably too good to last.

"Okay gang," Toni said.  "Lunch time is upon us.  Suggestions?"

emmysmash:

Since arriving in this dimension Emily had found herself pulled all over the place. First into the conflict at SHIELD, then Nightingale's revelation and Anya's suspension, and Halloween....

For the first time today she felt that she had some time to sit down, breathe, and move ahead with two things she really needed to do.

Finding some work so she could feel productive and earn some money, and researching a little about what her family in this world was like.

The work part was rather difficult, really. Emily was used to having a reputation in translation circles - being fluent in as many languages as you were years old would do that - but here she was all but unknown and she had spent the morning sprawled in the living room on a borrowed mansion laptop firing off sample translation pages to about two dozen potential jobs.

The research - which she was now in the middle of - was easier and rather more interesting.

"Gamma radiation?" she muttered, sipping on her mug of tea. "Radiation shouldn't work like that..."

 

ooc: open thread for people to chitchat with Emily about her world and theirs and the differences and samenesses - a sort of 'get to know' you thread. feel free to ping in with anybody and to join existing 'conversations' with a character. :)

nextgen_adult:

Captain America called a meeting of the Young Avengers. As chairman of the Avengers it was his duty and responsibility to tell them what had happened with one of their own and the consequences. He waited in the conference room.

nightingalesong:

It's been a couple days since the assault on SHIELD. Nightingale hasn't been seen by the Avengers since then.

But eventually, things need to be sorted out. So against his own better judgment, Qamar uses Nightingale's Avengers pass to get into the Hydrobase, then finds himself approaching Sammy's room. He takes several seconds to calm his heart, then knocks on the door.

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 New York every Halloween a charity masquerade ball was held. The proceeds benefited local charities that helped those who were more unfortunate than others.

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.

The Avengers' mansion was decorated appropriately to celebrate the holiday. Spiderwebs (fake of course), jack-o-lanterns, ghoulish dummies of witches, mummies, vampires and other images right out of horror movies were strategically placed. Artificial smoke floated inches above the floor and swirled around objects and legs. The front stoop was well lit inviting trick-or-treaters.

nextgen_misc:

Night was settling over the city and in S.H.I.E.L.D. Central the night shift was just coming on duty and settling in for the night. It looked like it was going to be a rather quiet night. Just like last night, the one before that, the one before that and so on.

nightingalesong:

It's been a long day.

It's clear that something's wrong with SHIELD. And clear that something needs to be done.

Nightingale needs some help. That much is clear. And Qamar is particularly disturbed about Sammy's behavior.

To think he had almost opened up to her... to tell her the real secret about Nightingale. But now... he's sure he'll never be able to. It wouldn't be safe... for either of them.

Assuming she wouldn't have been weirded out anyway.

It's probably better if he keeps the secret anyway, now that he thinks about it. She probably wouldn't understand.

He needs to think. Nightingale will need him later, but for now, he needs to think.

He steps into his apartment's tiny bathtub, filling the water with warm water. He puts on music and strips, sinking down to his nose in the warm water.

Some quiet time will help him focus and think.

_____

This scene takes place before Rallying the Troops.