perenawska:

Irina opened a portal inside the Champions' Headquarters and she and the Salem's Seven went through it.

brit_sorcerer:

The annual tradition of Rate the Babe was usually held at the Avengers mansion, but this year it would be held at Excalibur's headquarters in London. Quinn was more than happy to play host and set up refreshments. There was of course plenty of beer and it was accompanied by pub food.

Quinn was already on his fourth beer when the guys started arriving.

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.

nextgen_misc:

It was a quiet autumn day in the city of New Orleans. Tourists wandered the streets and moved about their business. The local superhero team, The Champions, were enjoying the quiet and going about their daily routines.

Of course that was about to change.

It had taken many small jumps to get here, but the Winter Guard, some small subset, did suddenly arrive on the Champions' doorstep.

quitethecharmer:

From: charmschoolwizard@ff.net
To: jwoolverton@champions.com

Subject: Friday night?

Jenny, I've been thinking a lot about the night with the blackout. The stuff before the wraith, I mean. You really made me feel comfortable with myself; and frankly, that's not something that's been familiar to me in a while. I've got a dinner reservation at Slices of Heaven for 8 this Friday. I'd like to see you there, if you're interested.

- Vincent

quitethecharmer:

"Ahhh..." Vincent let out a sigh normally reserved for after a good workout, or completion of a particularly challenging bit of spellwork.

The Rare Book Division of the New York Public Library. A little island of ancient history, in a city that already pulsed with the energy of the past. He makes a lap of the room, gazing at the stacks, before he ascends the stairs to the second level. He'd make some token mention of the 'research' he was up to, to maintain protocol with the administrator, but it was a polite understanding for one of the Future Foundation's original class to come as they pleased.

Key in his possession, he opens a case, gloved hand settling on a portfolio bearing the name "John James Audubon".

son_of_hercules:

There were various things that could capture Argo's attention.  Beautiful women were one.  A good fight was another.  Good food was also on the list.  And good drinks always were.  So when a possible event occurred that promised to contain at least three things which promised to entertain him in some fashion, he knew he had to go. 

Argo was also not one to let an entertaining trip go without good company, and his "cousin" did need to get out more.  A teammate of Dolemeck's had insisted on coming along as well, and Argo was fine with that.  Argo had also decided that Vincent was far too uptight and also needed to come along to loosen up.

It had not been difficult to convince Irina to take them to Munich.

"Behold!" Argo declared to his companions.  "Oktoberfest!  Beer!  Bratwurst!  Beautiful tavern wenches!  And other fine things, possibly not starting with the letter B!"

quitethecharmer:

"You're quite certain this is necessary? I don't question your eye for the fairer sex, Argo, only your judgement of... other qualities." Vincent sighs lightly as he knots his tie, having been told to 'dress nice' for the occasion.

"To say nothing of the chaos that seems to follow you..." He mutters under his breath.

tabula_rasa:

Continued from here.

"Oh, I'm sure he's met you and you haven't realized it yet. Yankee Clipper makes himself at home in everyone's room. I think even Nick's if only to rub on his boots a little. He wants to make sure he'll still have somebody to feed him if I don't make it home on time."

quitethecharmer:

"Oh... oh goodness that must have been a bad idea.." Vincent Vernard wakes up on the floor of probably the best suite of an upscale hotel... somewhere. He can see the sky outside-- oh looking towards the light is a mistake. He winces and groans, facing away from the windows and trying to get the lay of where he is. He's next to a king-size bed, and can see out into a living room.

He's not alone.

He sits up and looks back onto the bed. Oh... very not alone.

dolemecknight:

After all that has happened, and his first session with Doctor Samson, Dolemeck decided to do something he never thought he would do. He snuck out of the apartment he shared with Derek, and decided to go out and find somewhere happy to be. This world was so different, more different now than before his memories returned. But he had to try and make the best of it in some way. Find something that would not make him feel as though his new life was worth living. Having shadow ported about the city for a few hours, Dolemeck finally found some place to go that might bring him joy. After-all, everyone at this place appeared happy!

"A night club..." he spoke softly as he stood outside of the building and looked at it. People were smiling and walking in to the large building, and they appeared to be smiling as they left. The music was loud enough he could hear it from the sidewalk. It was the sort of music Derek sometimes played in their apartment.

Dressed in a white dress shirt that hid most of the bandages about his arms, black slacks, some dress shoes, and a black vest. His long black hair now was slightly past his shoulders, after some of it was cut off in Spain. Dolemeck made his way up to the line to get into the nightclub, and eventually given entry into it.

"Let the merriment begin."

nextgen_citizen:

Hans Keller was a good man. His family said so. The Young Master -- the old Young Master -- had said so. His teachers had said so. Representing Latveria in New York wasn't the easiest job in the world, but he wasn't being punished for anything. So Hans did his best.
Some international relationships were more palatable than others. The Symkarians one can at least ask to dinner. So he had. And the younger Young Master as well. Hans really didn't know what to think of the boy. At least he didn't have to worry about him that much; he was apparently ...moving to New Orleans for some reason? But he was coming tonight.

quitethecharmer:

He'd changed his address on file with ESU and arranged for his place on the team to be covered in his absence. Accomodations were all set at his destination. There was no sense delaying this anymore. Vincent looked over his room. He'd put everything into sub-dimensional storage for retrieval later, save for a few personal effects he was keeping in his satchel. He hit the intercom. "Could everyone meet me in the main living room, please? It's rather important."

quitethecharmer:

Vincent strolled down the streets of New Orleans. It had been years since he'd been in the city. Sure, all the super teams had done their part in helping with recovery efforts, but he'd never seen the city as unspoiled as now. Hm. City. It didn't seem like the right word. It was more like a town that just stretched on and on. It was charming, that way. Food, alcohol, and people. Even without demigod senses anymore the air was rich with smells; it didn't smell badly, just enormously. And there was music. Music just about everywhere. It was a nice place to take it easy.

Of course, he wasn't there to take it easy. He'd picked up the trail of something during one of his meditations, headed from New York towards this city. Nothing so heavy on the mystical scale of things that he felt like he needed to alert Strange or Mistress Jennifer, or sound an alert, but just... something there. He'd grabbed his general gear and followed in pursuit of it. He hadn't been out in the field on his own enough lately, so a tracking expedition was certainly something he could use. Honestly, he was glad for the diversion. He'd been feeling stagnant as of late. Sure, school was progressing nicely, and he was even starting to make peace with his duties as the heir to Latveria, but he'd still been unable to shake the feeling that he was still just following a course someone else had set out for him.

Maybe... maybe it was time for something else.

His introspection is halted by a string of shrill squeals from a nearby bar with a 'Ladies Night' banner over the door. A bit off the pitch he'd expect for just drunken partying. Harmless but ridiculously bright bolts of green and blue light start hurtling out the windows and swinging front doors. He set his jaw and ran for the door, only to get bowled over by a sudden tide of humanity pouring out from it. He was completely blindsided, and ended up knocked on his rear. He caught site of the people fleeing. Each of them had something changed in their eyes. One green, one blue, devoid of any features. The partiers started going mad up and down the street. Senseless damage, tearing of clothes, and all manner of singing and screaming. Not malicious, but overwhelmingly vast, and spreading.

"...Oh Hel..." He knew what it was now, and he was going to need backup to contain them all.

quitethecharmer:

Vincent's thoughts wandered as he went over some of the paperwork for one of his college courses. Valeria and Bentley may have gotten there ahead of him, but he was confident he'd have his first doctorate in a perfectly respectable amount of time as well. Still, he'd been thinking of the holiday party, and Lyta Worthington. She'd played hard to get. Not something he was accustomed to encountering in his lifetime, and he was intrigued. His paper didn't make much more headway before he put it aside to put his mind to work on contacting her. As soon as he has it, and has his thoughts collected, he calls her cell.

nextgen_misc:

The trail eventually led the Avengers, Future Foundation and the Defenders to the other dimensional realm that served as the home of the Greek gods. They traveled to a few realms that were home to other gods only to find them destroyed and in ruins. Olympus wasn't in ruins, but it was under attack. Battle raged all around and the skies thundered and were lit up by lightning bolts.

nextgen_misc:

Once the Champions returned to their headquarters and destroyed the Quantum Mirror returning all the heroes to normal. Once that was done they called a meeting of the superhero teams. Irina transported the Champions to the Avengers Mansion and volunteered to provide transportation for the other teams.

nextgen_holiday:


You are cordially invited to attend the 28th annual Maria Stark Foundation's Winter Charity event.

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

Friday 21st of September
Seven O'clock pm - Midnight

Formal dress required.

Please bring a donation for Toys for Tots.


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 even 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.

treadlightly:

So, Anya talked him into hosting this year... so Avengers Mansion is all set up for a proper party in the main lounge. Extra couches set around the giant screen, plenty of food - ranging from the chips and soda to the pretzels and beer.

The front doors are left watched, but open, and invitations have been sent out to the guys on all the teams the Avengers are in contact with... so... potentially a lot of people.

magic_hands:

Martin adjusts his hat and grins. They were going to visit Dr. Strange! He didn't get to go to Earth's dimension often, and there was so much fun to do with magic. Even better? Clea would be escorting them there which meant for the first few days? Lots of long errands (which they generally ignored) and no supervision!
What should we start with? I hope we stay long enough to finish our fun stuff to-do list.

nextgen_misc:

Night settled over New York and the Baxter Building at Four Freedoms Plaza was quiet.


Or so it seemed.


In the lab of Reed Richards all was not quiet and something BIG was about to happen.

invisible_girl:

Like almost always, Valeria was in her lab at the Baxter Building. She had just started her doctorate classes in engineering, and in addition to that, she had a couple of other projects that she was working on, like always.

Valeria had some classical music on (Mozart was a favorite when she was working on homework assignments), and her nose was buried in a book, as she glanced over occasionally to take notes. She had a cot in the side set up, and a whole weekends worth of meals in a mini-fridge, as well as a microwave to heat food.

...If Franklin or someone didn't force her out from time to time, Valeria would probably end up living in the lab. Not that she minded that possibility at all.

nextgen_misc:


You are cordially invited to attend

Terra Nova Charity Fundraiser

Twenty-Fourth of September Two Thousand Twelve

New York Botanical Gardens' Enid A. Haupt Conservatory

Seven pm until one am.

Formal dress required

godlierthanthou:

(set between this and this)

Her situation with her siblings reestablished, Asleif had other aspects of her life when she needed to touch upon.  In this particular case, this drew her to New York City, Manhattan specifically.  A strange city, so unlike Los Angeles, but similar in its own way.  Both had a great rabble of people living there, all flawed and damaged in their own ways.

And also, the so-called "World Famous Baxter Building," though it held not one candle to the glories of the Golden Realm.  But Asleif was in a patient mood today, and had allowed the clockwork receptionist to take her name and inform Vincent that she was here.   She had been told that popping in unannounced was quite rude, and while she cared little for social conventions...  Well, if she was mercurial, so much the better to confound those who sought to define her.

quitethecharmer:

The appointment had been made remarkably quickly, as politics go. Vincent, accompanied by Kristoff and carrying several folders in a briefcase, arrived at the Genoshan Consulate.

"Vincent Vernard, Junior Ambassador for Latveria, to see Andrew Summers."

quitethecharmer:

Vincent was considerably annoyed. Not only had the Daily Bugle apparently been compromised into running an unauthorized personal ad about him, which they couldn't account for the origin of, but he'd only gotten one response! He wasn't sure which aspect irritated him more. That was when the building alarms began going off. A security panel flashed the message "Code Steel Green".

A Doombot was in the lobby.

Vincent gathered his nearest scientific and magical gear and hurried down.

quitethecharmer:

"'Listen to the voice of innocence!' exclaimed his father; and what the child had said was whispered from one to another.

And this should also be a lesson in how easily gossip can spread, when people are either impolite or honest enough to say exactly what's going on." Vincent added another comment to the fairy tale he had been reading to children at the library. His annotations earned him a chiding cough from a nearby librarian. He was a fair storyteller after all, using some simple illusions and enchantments to give proper voices to the characters, and render a few grander projections of the illustrations.

"'But he has nothing at all on!' at last cried out all the people. The Emperor was vexed, for he knew that the people were right; but he thought the procession must go on now! And the lords of the bedchamber took greater pains than ever, to appear holding up a train, although, in reality, there was no train to hold. The End.

See what happens if you're not brave enough to call someone's bluff, children?" Vincent grins at them.

flieswithfire:

She'd been there a couple days now, tucked away in 'her room'. Food had been brought for her and Andrea-robot and touchy-Vincent had both tried to engage her in conversation, but she had nothing to talk about. All she wanted to know was when she'd be able to leave and why they kept saying she was related to someone she wasn't. They'd also told her she was free to 'move about the building' as she wanted, something she wasn't so sure about.

But, after the second day in the room, she'd gotten curious. Opening the door, she waited for alarms to sound, or feet to come rushing to put her back in. Nothing. Peeking her head around the frame, she saw no one, heard no one. Which made her a little braver; pushing the door flat open and standing there expectantly. Nope. Nothing. Well. We'd see about that. Taking a decisive step out of the room, she stuck her chin out, picking a direction to at random and marching down it.

She came to a room, one with couches and wide glass windows. Going over to one of the windows, she stood with her hands pressed against it, looking out at the city below her. So busy, like little ants. With the insulation of the building she couldn't hear the cacophony below, but she remembered it from her brief flight over. Busy, loud and chaotic. There didn't seem to be any order or regulations to anything they did. It was somewhat frightening, but also something that piqued her curiosity; nudging at memories long buried and locked away.

flieswithfire:

The incursion into the Weapon X facility had resulted in the liberation of its inhabitants - one of them being Evie. During the chaos, she'd managed to slip through the building to a door... a door to the outside. The collar inhibiting her abilities was removed, broken into tiny shards, and Evie was free to use her powers as she wanted. Finally. Fear, panic and the need to flee had her lifting off the ground and flying as fast as she could away from the building. She didn't have any direction in mind, hell, she didn't even know where she was, but she wanted to be away. Far, far away.

( Fly away, Firefly )

quitethecharmer:

Vincent sat on the edge of the roof of the Baxter Building, looking out and down on the city. He rubbed his arms, the simple tunic and belt with pouches he was wearing offering only minimal protection against the cold. He let out a sigh, able to remember not only when the cold would not have registered, but when he could have thrown himself off without a second thought. Granted, even before the Demogorge incident, he would have had to do something before hitting the pavement, but he would have done so with his power. He had been a scion of both mortal and divine blood. Since then... he'd been something else.

He was still human, for all intents and purposes. What Odin had done to him, regarding his longevity, was more a matter of a job with really good benefits, rather than being a supernatural or divine being. Vincent's lifespan had a condition for its end, but he supposed he would still age and grow. (Not that he'd put on any height or muscle mass in the year-plus it had been since then...) He certainly got tired and hungry and cold and sick and all those insipid little things baseline humans had to deal with. Even Doctor Strange and his father had to grapple with the limitations of the sack of meat and bones they were born with.

The difference for him now was in his power. Certainly, he still had the mental aptitude for sorcery and inborn strength for it that his father and grandmother and who knows how many generations before them; but he could no longer give them the same 'kick' he had been accustomed to. Before the 'repairs' that Odin had performed with the ordeal on the World Tree, it had been like using someone else's hands. Afterwards, with the benefit of his new patrons, it had merely been like learning to write left-handed. He was, he supposed, as formidable as he ever was in terms of magical prowess; perhaps moreso, with how the ordeal had forced him to grow.

He furrowed his brow as one patron in particular stuck out in his mind. Loki. That was the second, perhaps third time in his life, that the God of Mischief had personally had some hand in his affairs. The escape from Doomstadt had come into focus, and he felt there was something else, but it refused to achieve the same clarity. Why? What was Vincent to Loki? Just a way to needle at his biological parents, random boredom, or something else on the part of the Liesmith?

That was enough navel-gazing for the time being. He had work to do. His patrons had yet to fail them, and he owed them a nod every so often, via not letting any of his skills in their respective domains grow tarnished. He got up from the edge and walked to the middle of the roof, drawing out the ritual dagger he used in his spellwork. It was a simple blade, but the edge was real enough.

"Tyr of Battles, you guide my hands." He speaks, almost sure that if his day were illustrated, his voice would need a different font. He then spends a few minutes doing basic combat exercises. Thinking of his blade slicing flesh, deflecting strikes, and so on. When he stops, he lays the knife to the back of one arm.

"Idunn of the golden apples, you mend my wounds." He makes a light cut across his arm, and with another gesture, closes the wound. He smiles, as his favorite ritual of tribute is next on his list. He forms a fireball in each hand, and tosses them high above him, and they arc slowly, before coming back towards him.

"Balder of light, you shield me from harm. Sigyn of victories, you remove my obstacles." One fireball splaches against a shield, while the other simply dissipates into the air. He smiles. No matter how old he gets, or how much better he is with illusions, fire is always cool. He cleans of the dagger, then bends his arm back.

"Bragi of wonders, warp that which is and should be." He hurls the knife hard into the rooftop, but by some wonder, it neither breaks nor even chips. Preservation enchantments, always so wonderfully practical, if not glamorous. Vincent smiles to himself as he retrieves the knife, then lets out a heavy sigh.

"Loki Liesmith, you deceive my foes." Vincent reaches for something not there, and pulls a conjured cloak about himself, making him invisible. While he's got another layer between him and the elements, he looks skyward.

"Thor, God of Thunder, you let me commune with the sky above..." He holds out a palm, and feels the winds swirl about him, bringing a gentle shower of rain with them, which quickly passes. He dispels the cloak, shakes off the excess water, then hurls the knife high over his head.

"Odin All-Father... you give me insight." He closes his eyes, and waits. When he feels a twinge of instict, his arm lashes out, and he catches the dagger neatly by the handle, before it would have pierced him. He smiles and puts it away, heading towards the elevator. He stops and lays his palms against the door-frame.

"Frigg of Hearth and Home... you shield my family from prying eyes and harm." He smiles, as he gives a tiny refreshment, the best he can manage without a proper ritual, to the various magical protections on the Building, before going inside and then headed to the common area to relax with a movie and as much food as his mortal stomach will bear.

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.

The stars and celebrities are out tonight to help a good cause.

Donald Trump arrived with his wife and is one of many other famous faces to arrive. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, Ryan Reynolds, Julia Roberts, Chris Evans, Patrick Stewart, Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift are just a few celebrities who have made an appearance here tonight.

Miss Anya Stark, the organizer of this event arrived with Mr. James Rogers and both had arms full of gifts. Other public heroes are out in attendance and supporting a good cause. Members of the Avengers, Defenders, Thunderbolts, Fantastic Four and other teams are in attendance.

This party also has royal guests. His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Mikhail Loganovich is in attendance with a lovely lady on each arm. Princess Nimue of Atlantis is here tonight and is being escorted by Mason Jeffries of Alpha Flight. Prince Mackenzie of Atlantis is also in attendance and is escorting Miss Andrea Denker of the Fantastic Four. Vincent Vernard, heir to Latveria, is also in attendance tonight. We even have otherworld royalty in attendance as the children of Thor are here tonight as well.

It is a night to have fun and help a wonderful charity."

artofcreation:

Rita had been keeping busy. Winter was really starting to hit them and she was enjoying the fact it was getting chillier out. She loved the cold!

What she didn't love was hearing about trouble. The kind of trouble she wanted to nip in the bud.

She was sure it was the kind of thing that would leave her terrified but she wasn't going to let a little fear stop her. So she hoped on her bike and went to track it down.

It took some work trying to pin it down because she was rubbish with directions.

Then by the time she found the area she was going to check out it was dark so she shivered just a little and hid her sword under her coat and slung her bag over one shoulder and started walking. She had to play up the poor innocent girl act a bit.

Too bad her hair and boots don't help capture that image very well.

quitethecharmer:

Vincent still felt alien in his own, now much more fragile, skin. He had the chance to be a demi-god again right in front of him, and he had sacrificed it to go back to his friends and family to aid them. The greater surprise was that he did not regret it. Granted, the risks of colds, scraped knees, getting tired within a 24 hour period, and other such inconveniences didn't exactly please him, they were nothing in the greater scheme of things.

Now it was time to hold the All-Father to his word.

He spoke with Kristoff, making it clear he would be returning, and expanding on the nature of the compact he had made with Odin before returning to help them before. Then, he went to the roof, a sheaf of papers in hand. It was a story he had written, but never gotten around to typing or sharing with anyone yet. It was a good story, one he had worked hard on, and had no certainty about his ability to recreate.

He spoke a few words, and set the manuscript aflame, letting the ashes scatter to the heavens.

"A crafted tale, unborn and never to be read, is my sacrifice, given freely, for new passage to the realm of my birth."

He had been promised passage back anyway, but there was no sense risking a breach of manners with one of the more potent gods about the universe.

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.

nextgen_asgard:

(Originally: http://www.scribbld.com/community/marvel_nextgen/117338.html?thread=6443354#t6443354)

A year and a half ago...


Odin has passed down his prophecies for the fates of his grandchildren. But there is another who has arrived to aid Asgard in its hour of need...

Odin takes Vincent into the same back chamber as the others.

"Ver' soon, Bifrost shalt be shattered by the Demogorge, and none mayst return to Earth, possibly for some time, possibly fore'er. So thou hast now a decision to make."

He holds up a scrying sphere, showing Vincent a scene from Earth - a scene of Franklin before the open gates to hell, scenes of the rest of the F4 battling all manner of mutant threats, and a great citadel rising, horribly, from the middle of New York City.

"Thou'rt a child of two worlds, two bloods. But tis not blood that makest an Asgardian, tis their eternal duty. So now thou /must/ decide where thy heart lies.
If thou'rt to be a child of Asgard, then thy Earthen brother and adopted family shalt battle and suffer alone in this time of trouble. If today ist the end, then ne'er wilt they know what became of thee. And e'en if today is not the end, one day, thou wilt need to abandon them fore'er, leaving them and all that is of Midgard behind. When Ragnarok comes, they wilt ne'er see thee again, and thou wilt abandon them to whate'er trials and struggles art their due to fight alone. And if so, when Ragnarok comes... thou wilt die alone and unheralded. There shalt be no triumph, there shalt be no glory. Merely leaving behind thy Midgard family to die... as all Asgardians must.
If this is thy choice, then thy heart is Asgardian, and I shalt restore Amora's blood to thee, at some cost to mine own power.

Or, thou mayst choose that thy heart be human, and belonging to..." a picture of Andrea emerges in the scrying crystal. "This one, always. If so, I shalt return the immortal blood to thy veins, that thou mayst live as long as she wilt, to die upon the same day, and not a moment before, no matter how many days that mayst be. And I shalt teach thee the secrets of mortal magic, that thou mayst become a more powerful sorceror to make up for the loss of strength, durability and other gifts of being born Amora's son. I wilt show this to thee o'er three days, after which thou wilt be sent back to Earth, more gifted in sorcery, but Asgardian no more. But thou mayst be in time to join them in their battles for Midgard, and mayhap warn them of some of what ist to come, mayhap to save many lives.

So, what wilt it be, Vincent of two bloods? Where liest thy heart?"

nextgen_asgard:

The lie-smith had drawn lots with the lady of strife, and they'd each chosen a handful of targets. Loki had, of course, cheated. His hobby and his grandson were too amusing to leave to chance. His favored granddaughter might feel some of the sting of this game, but all that he did served the greater Loki, which was what mattered in the end.

These days would be most amusing.

quitethecharmer:

Vincent supposed he had nothing to lose except maybe a few hours of his time, and it was for a good cause in any event. So, he had bought a number of tickets to an Unlimited Wrestling Federation charity event that Grimm was emceeing, and sent out invitations to his only notable male friends, Halbjorn and MacKenzie. He encouraged them to invite anyone else they liked, and he would most likely accommodate them.

third_reich:

It was a normal summer day in New York City. The thermometer was at 80, the sun was out and there was relatively no humidity. It was a perfect summer day.

A bright light appeared in the middle of Central Park and started to grow. It expanded rapidly and grew to the size of a two story house. The tear in space in time was still for a moment and then things began to emerge from it. A giant robot walked through with guns ready. A moment later a second robot emerged, this one looked like a giant flying manta ray. It was followed by another that looked like a giant flying head.

The three robots were followed by a division of soldiers, each armed with automatic rifles and wearing uniforms with swastikas. They marched out of the portal and split in half. One group went east and the rest went west. Following the soldiers came a few other individuals. The Red Skull, Masterman, Warrior Woman, Iron Cross, and U-Man came out of the portal.

"Attack!" the Red Skull shouted. "Destroy the city!"

quitethecharmer:

It pained him to admit it, but Vincent had been somewhat remiss lately. In spite of their decision to date one another exclusively, he'd hardly been able to make any time for Asleif. It wasn't as if she'd been hounding him for it, as she seemed thoroughly absorbed in her world travels, but it bothered him, and rightfully so.

A painstakingly thorough clearing of his schedule for a day had been arranged, along with putting together an itinerary of things to do together. He'd even gone the extra mile and asked MacKenzie the favor of being on standby for any F4 related emergencies in his stead (with a caveat that if magic was involved, he should be contacted immediately).

And so, crafting the most precise veil he knew how to, he will slip up behind the object of his affections as she thinks she is off and alone.

"My lady." Comes a whisper over her shoulder, as he manages to keep the tone soft in spite of his grin.

notinplainsight:

Kal had been around the Avengers long enough to learn certain things about them, including their birthdays. Today's was Mac's. Kal didn't know what to get him, she was horrible about shopping and gifts, so she went with the tried and true gift, a gift card. This one was for a 100 to Amazon. There was also a promise to show him Titan and the Eternals' community there.

nextgen_holiday:

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

quitethecharmer:

Vincent exhaled as he put down his pen. He had any number of other ways to organize his schedule, but every so often the simplicity of paper and ink was reassuring. School, work with Kristoff (including ongoing research into Kassia's friend's affliction), self-study in magic until Mistress Jennifer chose to interpose herself into his education again (he was still her apprentice, after all), tutoring to pick up some spare cash that was truly his own, and then finally, free time.

Free time that was already the subject of an algorithim to determine 'fair' distribution between his 'family' in the building, Shanna's continued acclimation to Earthen culture, his budding friendship with Mackenzie (along with further patching of the wound to it he'd managed to inflict), a few other friends, and, most notably now, Asleif.

All of which was subject to interruption at any time for Fantastic or Asgardian business, or whatever other sort of peril crossed his path. Oof. Still, it was a different life than he used to lead, even if that makes it sound like a much more dramatic change than it really was. He put the papers aside for the night and went to bed.



( What dreams may come... )

He sits up, catching his breath, and running a hand over his face.

"It... it was a dream." Vincent reassured himself, before getting out of bed and wandering to the bathroom. He washed his face, and looked into the mirror. There were some flecks in his scar. He brushed at them, but they persisted. He brushed harder, and his skin began to flake off. Unable to stop himself, he continued tearing away the brittle flesh, battered and tempered iron framing a still jaw and bloodshot eye coming into view.

"It is time for you to be who you were born to be..." The mirror shattered as a gauntlet came through it, reaching for him.

There is a thud against reinforced flooring as Vincent, gasping, falls out of bed. He looks around, and his hand comes to rest on a notepad on the floor. On it, the words of the first dream are already transcribed.

He fumbles for the phone on his nightstand and calls Doctor Samson to schedule an appointment as soon as possible, then, after as much internal deliberation as he can sit still for, he leaves his room to go see if Kristoff is awake.

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.

quitethecharmer:

After some of the jubilation over Svalin's wedding had died down, Vincent and Asleif went to meet with her mother. Vincent gave his prospective girlfriend's hand a squeeze. "I know you'd never say I need to speak with your parents before dating you, but it just seems like the right thing to do. What with me being 'reinstated' Asgardian and whatnot." He shrugs, but smiles at her.

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.

nextgen_asgard:

Asgard was no stranger to attacks. Attacks on the Golden Realm came frequently and the host of Asgard would rise to meet the challenge before them. It was a never ending cycle of death and violence. One day it would end with a final battle, but that would not be today.

Legions of the deal led by Hela followed after the Destroyer. Multitudes of the dishonored dead and the common dead followed their mistress to the walls of Asgard. The dead weren't the only ones approaching the city. Trolls and Frost Giants were also in the ranks of the enemy. Their numbers were far greater than the number of those defending the city.

At the head stood a giant figure in shining armor. The Destroyer, once created to challenge the mighty Celestials, led the advance on Asgard.

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.

quitethecharmer:

Vincent returned to the Baxter Building, having spent the morning at, to even his own surprise, the Latverian Embassy. It was nothing. He'd received notification, after he'd RSVP'd to the royal wedding, that he would be fitted for a formal suit to wear while in attendance. The scared child got shoved back in the box and Vincent had indeed shown up at the appointed time.

There had, however, been a complication.

Which is why he will return to the Baxter Building in a rather foul mood, and needing to speak with Kristoff.

fleetfootmac:

He'd headed to work as soon as he got up in the morning, barely stopped for lunch, and worked some more. Valentine's Day at a plant shop was kinda busy; go figure. Then there was the charity thing and a beautiful evening with Andrea. Mac had had an exhausting but excellent day.

And then he got home, and knocked on Kassi's door to check on her.