little_gabriel:

It had been some time since Gabriel had seen Cait and Aaron, so he was getting somewhat worried.  They were more responsible than that, to just not come back.  First thing he did was call the resort they said they were going to, but the attendant on the phone told him nobody by those names were there.  He went to go find Xavier to express his concern.

nextgen_holiday:

There were certain traditions that were kept around the holidays and then there were traditions. The annual New Year's Day snowball fight was a long standing tradition at Xavier's Institude For Higher Learning. For the past six years the girls have won the fight, but this year the boys have a new player on their side and he's one that may tip the scales in their favor.

Dawn broke over the grounds and the sun climbed into the sky. It would be a warm bright day and perfect for a snowball fight.

At high noon the players on each side gathered on opposite ends of the grounds.

perenawska:

Irina had gotten to know Lyta pretty well in the past eleven months the Champions had been together, including finding out when her birthday was. The day had finally rolled around. Irina had gone with a pair of Prada Motorcycle Boots for if and when her boyfriend took her for a ride. She also gave her a card that promised transportation to anywhere in the world, a trip to the spa and a night of drinking.

She coordinated with Corey for the food for the celebration. Corey was cooking dinner and Irina had taken the responsibility of getting the cake. Finding Lyta's favorite kind of cake had been a little difficult to find out, but she had managed to do it. She and Corey got everything ready, assembled the Champions and called Lyta downstairs.

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.

pym_kitten:

Chris sat cross-legged in the middle of the Institute's backyard. It was a a little cool for just the workout outfit she was in, but it was tolerable. Whatever the x-gene treatment had done to her, it had done more than just make her a mutant. It was mixing with the magical effects passed down from her mother.

She took a deep breath as she tried to focus again. So far the changes had been sporadic. Partial shifts instead of the full transformation. Claws and eyes were easy, but she needed to get more control over it. Just stay calm, breathe, and let the changes come.

She starts at her toes. She feels her skin ripple as the fur grows and nails turn to claws. Like tensing a muscle, she embraces the sensation, then slowly lets it go as she wills the change up along her calves, over her knees, into her thighs. She can feel her legs strengthening. She fidgets as the tail comes out, adjusting her seating as her legs return to normal.

Her breathing gets heavier as the tail vanishes again, and she opens her eyes, realizing how much of a sweat she'd broken into.

"This... is gonna take some work."

nextgen_holiday:

The air was warm and the sun was bright making it a perfect day for a cookout to celebrate Labor Day. Classes would start on the 7th (for those going to college they started a week ago) and it was the last chance to kick back and cut loose before hitting the books.

At Xavier's Institute For Higher Learning tables had been placed out around the pool and the large grill fired up. Burgers, hot dogs, sausage, 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.

soothsayer:

He was in his office grading tests. Ezekiel had gotten used to working here. He no longer woke up at all hours to go solve crimes. He no longer had nightmares about dead people whose lives he hadn't saved or whose killers he just couldn't find. He was starting to find peace.

That peace was going to be interrupted. He answers the phone and his ex-wife is sobbing over the phone. "Mary. Jesus. Mary. Calm down sweetheart. What's wrong?"

She fell out of love with him. It wasn't the other way around. Though sometimes he wishes he fell out of love with her years before. It would have saved her so much trouble.

"It's our son. I don't know what happened. He hasn't come home from school Zeke," she confesses.

He freezes and almost drops the phone. "Mary. It's five o'clock on a Saturday afternoon. Why didn't you call me sooner? Why didn't you call one of the guys at the station? I know I left on a sour note but geezs my ex-partner loved James, Mary."

She sniffles and he wants to comfort her but this isn't about her or him. It's about their son. "I'm calling them. I'll come into the city and start lookin' myself."

He wants something else too. "I want to start seeing him again after this Mary. I... I missed him. I'll call you on my way in."

He hangs up his phone then sighs. He should bring someone with him. With his leg he isn't as spry as he used to be,. He also has a bad feeling about this so he gets up and starts looking around to find one of the older students or maybe Gabe to see if they'd be willing to go look with him. He normally wouldn't ask for help but it's his kid so all pride goes out the window.

nextgen_misc:

The citizens of Nova Roma were responsible residents of the Amazon Rainforest. They didn't waste resources, they used every part of everything, they worked with the land instead of clearing it and they recycled everything they could. They had learned these methods thousands of years ago from the local tribes not long after establishing their settlement.

Citizens from the colony would venture out into the jungle on a daily basis to gather the herbs, plants, fruit and other items they needed. Wood was gathered from the forest floor instead of chopping down trees whenever it was possible.

Today the citizens that ventured out did not return.

lytaworthington:

Lyta sat on the window seat in her old room at Xavier's. Her wings were folded in and she was holding a knee to her chest.

It had taken several tries and several bottles of the best hair dye that she could get her hands on, but she'd gotten her hair back to its original color. Her feathers remained a shade of gray, a sort of sick reminder of what she'd done when her mind was under the control of Apocalypse.

No one blamed her, they said. It wasn't her own doing. Her mind wasn't under control.

Didn't mean that she still couldn't kick herself in the ass about it, though.

She'd called the Champions earlier to tell them that she was taking a break from the team. That she needed to clear her head.

Her door was shut, but not locked. She hadn't thought to lock it. Right now she just wanted stare out the window at the setting sun and forget about everything that had happened for a little while.

little_gabriel:


Gabriel left the mansion promptly when he had heard the news from Francesca.  There was a note left for the X-Men, and then one sent to Warren and Lyta respectively.


</div>

ng_weaponx:

Ezra Kane had been most pleased with the tech provided by Senator Sloane. So far the results were encouraging, but he needed his team to do a real field test. He knew the perfect test to do with the two mutants that Crosshairs and Bloodlust had brought in.

He looked at Phobia and Crosshairs. "You know what to do. Get in, take a look around, get any information you can and then get out. Spectre will be waiting for you call for extraction."

dream_catcher:

The Marauders are gone. At least for now. They still haven't determined what that was all about, and right now, Lucas doesn't care. He's been hard at work ever since the attack, despite his own psychological scars, healing who he can. When the medical labs, Hank McCoy, and the other healer assured him they had things under control, he went to talk to Scott, and got permission to do the hardest task yet.
He sighs, setting down the pencil and reviewing the letter.

ng_marauders:

Penny stepped out of the cab and didn't look back to see if Winterkill and Breakneck were getting out. They would follow, of that she had no doubt. They had a mission to do. Penny smiled. They'd have fun doing it too.

Penny smiled more as she practically bounced up to the gate. Makeup covered the bruise she had because of that bastard breaking her nose. Anger bubbled up, but she pushed it back. She couldn't afford to let real emotions get the best of her. She had to play a part right now.

Smiling into the security camera, Penny pressed the buzzer.

little_gabriel:

 

( It started with a smile... )

aaronwyatt:

Aaron drove his car, a 6 year old blue Jeep Wrangler, up the driveway to the Xavier’s, after 3 days of driving he was finally back. He was tired and was glad to be back. Aaron parked the car in the garage and got out of the car. Opening the door to go inside Aaron prepared to deal with the welcome crew the manor always had whenever someone came to the manor.

little_gabriel:

The magic of the holidays was finally dying down, and Gabriel had started a solid relationship with Warren.  In fact, he had proposed to bring Warren and Lyta to Scotland to see Connor.  Something unexpected happened, though, after he informed Professor Xavier about the trip.  Gabriel got outside of the building to find that word had gotten out about the Scotland trip.  'Oh Jeez,' he thought. 

"At least I should have a nice flight today."

little_gabriel:

Gabriel stood otuside of the mansion, actually somewhat nervous.  He had been back for only a few hours after having left again to visit his son.  It was still cold, but he  enjoyed spreading his wings.  Even at that moment, he was in the middle of stretching them out.  And he was also pleased to have a shirt on that had zippers in the back to let his wings get through them.  Although, he needed help getting the shirt on so he still preferred being shirtless.

nextgen_holiday:

There were traditions around the holidays and then there were traditions. One such tradition on New Year's Day was a snowball fight at Xavier's Institute For Higher Learning. Each New Year's Day the students and faculty gathered on the front lawn and participated in a snowball fight. Snow was never a problem with the resident weather goddess and in later years hydrokinetics.

A fresh blanket of snow covered the ground thanks to Mother Nature.

High noon struck and the snowball fight was officially under way.

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.

lytaworthington:

Lyta's calmed down since her previous encounter with Gabriel. A brother. She had an older brother. After twenty-one-years of being an only child, she had a brother that neither she or her father had ever known about. Her father still didn't know. Lyta sighed, making her way to the room where she'd been told Gabriel was staying with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate. Sure, she'd been told that he understood the way that she'd reacted, but she still couldn't help but feel like dirt when she'd snapped at him. It wasn't his fault what had happened between his mother and her-their father.

Reaching his door, Lyta inhaled and gave a knock.

"Gabriel? Are you there? It's Lyta."

little_gabriel:

The warmth of the sun beat down on Gabriel's back as he flew high into the sky.  He'd had a few days to process the information Leech had given him about his mother.  She had... captured his father and brainwashed him into having relations with her.  To his very core, Gabriel was displeased with the actions his mother had taken int he past.  And to make matters worse, Gabriel's vision of starting a relationship with his long lost father had shattered.  Additionally, he had a sister.  "Should I tell her?" he asked himself as he reached somewhere around ten thousand feet above sea level.

little_gabriel:

Gabriel shrugged and then scratched at his back.  It had been a long time since he had worn a harness, and it felt absolutely terrible.  He turned a corner in the mansion, attempting to find the guy Xavier had told him about.  "Leech..." he muttered, "I wonder where I can find this guy..."
 

little_gabriel:

Gabriel's wings flapped hard as he descended slowly from the sky.  He touched down rather gracefully, as one might not expect, and pulled his wings in from their sixteen foot span.  The mansion looked amazing from the ground level, much to his surprise.  He looked at the building, and then at a piece of paper clutched in his hand.  He had written down the location of the mansion after his brief conversation with Moira the Elder.  "This place should lead me to her..." he mumbled under his breathe as he stepped closer to the front door.  And then he stopped.

"Uh..." he began to fumble with his words and thoughts, even itching his bare foot on his leg while scratching his head (which was quite the odd pose), "Do I knock or just go inside?"