nextgen_holiday:

Mothers are the place that we call home.
On them we rest our heads and close our eyes.
There's no one else who grants the same soft peace,
Happiness, contentment, sweet release,
Erasing nighttime tears with lullabies,
Restoring the bright sun that makes us bloom. - Anonymous

notinplainsight:

Kalypso had told Jack she would set something up for him to meet her brother Dae and she had done just that. She went with dinner at a casual place, nothing fancy, and a place that served nothing too exotic. She knew of Jack's sensitivity to strong tastes and smells and she wasn't sure of Dae's preferences. The two siblings were still getting to know each other and it would take some time. So simple fare at a small bistro it was.

Kal and Jack were a few minutes early and were shown to a table.

notinplainsight:

Life had been pretty hectic for Kalypso and the Eternals. Hectic enough to keep her out of New York for quite some time and that meant time away from Jack. She had meant to see him as soon as she got back, but Eli had come to town and there was the whole mess with the Avengers.

Now that she was back in New York and there were no emergencies, she had to go see him. She landed on the fire escape outside of his apartment and knocked on the window.

jackmurdock:

A hard looking kid dressed in a new fancy-name jacket held up a corner of the building opposite from the one Jack crouched on. Five stories up, Jack could see his silhouette pretty well from the lone street light halfway down the block. The kid, and the four menacing figures ranged around him in doorways of rundown brick buildings, were ‘taking care of business‘. Even the cold couldn’t put a damper on the need to score that last hit. Cars made a slow but steady cash flow trickle as Jack watched them ease to a stop at the corner. A few seconds to exchange tiny baggies for folded paper, and then back to lean against something and wait for the next.

( He scanned the gloomy black of the neighborhood )

bornlucky:

About a week ago Casey had made a passing mention of how in Ireland on the day before Ash Wednesday they would celebrate Pancake Tuesday. Well apparently one of the higher up though it was neat and would be a good event to have at Finnegans.  The bar had done some mild advertising for it and they were hoping for some increase in business which is why Casey found himself working a longer shift than usual he barely had time to get to work after teaching his recitation but at least he was certain to make a lot of money today.

When he got there the place was already hopping and the waitresses looked busy. Apparently they were giving out free pancakes and were hoping to use that to make people buy more drinks. By the time Casey got behind the bar he could tell their plan was working with the amount of drinks he had to get. He was definitely making a lot of money today which made him very happy with how crazy it was going to be this afternoon.

notinplainsight:

Valentine's Day had arrived and Kal had made plans. She had spent a lot of time away from New York recently and knew she had to do something special for Valentine's Day with Jack. Family demands were high, but she wasn't going to ignore Jack because of her crazy family. Crazy was an appropriate term for them.

She packed a picnic lunch and included all of Jack's favorites. Including a few bottles of wine. Once she was ready, she flew over to Jack's and landed on the fire escape. Kal knocked on the window.

jackmurdock:

Breathing hard, Jack managed to land lightly on a rooftop and fall down in the shadow of a brick chimney. He’d pushed it with that last dive, but the exhilaration pushed him to take it. It was a high he was quickly becoming addicted to despite the danger of being out in the city at night dressed in gray-black and a mask over his face. Who did he think he was, Daredevil?

He waited to catch his breath before coming out of the shadows to look at the city from his vantage point.

bornlucky:

So far it had been a slow night the bar of the authentic Irish pub that Casey worked at. If any of his family and friends saw this place they would laugh their arses off but they were paying him extra to work here just because he had a real Irish accent.

He was hoping that the action would pick up here so he could get more tips and there was not much more cleaning and restocking he could do. Still the night was young and business could definitely still pick up.

notinplainsight:

Kalypso was tired enough that she had to sleep. Normally she could just choose not to waste time sleeping, but today she needed to sleep. She had spent the better part of the past two weeks traveling and for her traveling meant between Olympia and Titan. The Eternals of both Earth and Titan needed to be warned of the threat the deviants posed and her cousin’s dream of Thanos.

Interplanetary travel was quite taxing and her stores of cosmic energy were depleted.

She landed on Jack’s fire escape and barely managed to use telekinesis to open the latch and open the window. Jack would be in class right now and wouldn’t be home for a few hours. Kal would use that time to sleep and recharge.

She crawled inside and fell facedown on the bed.

nextgen_deviant:

The brides were clad in white and lined up in front of the altar. A semi-circle of priests stood behind the brides and were chanting. The magic in the air became more powerful as the priests chanted. A small circle appeared in the air before the brides and started to get bigger.

Standing behind the priests was a large group of deviants. They were witnessing the rebirth of their god into the mortal realm. It was an honor and privilege to be witness to this historic moment.

nextgen_holiday:

The beginning of a New Year, a time for new hopes, new experiences to come. A time to reflect on times past, remembering fond memories happily and trying to put less pleasant thoughts and experiences in the past.

It is a time of renewal, a time of rebirth. And for much of the world, it is a time of celebration. This is no less true for the super hero set as anyone else. If anything, they just have that much bigger of things to look forward to.

old_saint_nick:

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy.

Christmas Day is a Christian holiday, it's true, but it also has become increasingly secular. It is an opportunity for love, charity, and goodwill.

There is some debate within mystical circles if there is indeed such a creature as the embodiment of Christmas Giving known as Santa Claus. But whether or not there is such a being, the spirit of giving itself is very real, be it incarnated in a fat man in a red suit or not.

Throughout this small blue planet of Earth, people have brought trees into their homes, decorated them with lights and ornaments, and placed them in locations of honor. Stockings have been placed on the chimneys. And gifts have been placed under the tree.

Some are looking forward more to the receiving than the giving. But for many, it is the act of giving which warms them, which fills them with the holiday spirit.

Each person, in their own way, becomes a part of this spirit of giving. Each person, in their own way, becomes Santa Claus.

nextgen_deviant:

It was time to bring Set back into the world and bring about a new age for the Earth. Mammals would no longer be the dominant species and humans, those foul evolved apes, will be slaves once more. Slaves like they used to be before the accursed Celestials wiped out most of the deviants and lizard men.

The priests knew what needed to be done. One of the special deviants, those modified to better fight for Set, would accompany them and take the brides into custody. Teleporting was much easier now that Set’s influence in the world was getting stronger. The priests did it now with very little effort.

The priests teleported in near the brides, they were marked and easy to find now, and once they were alone, a small spell was cast and the bride went unconscious. The priest’s escort picked her up and the trio teleported back to Lemuria.
It had only taken a matter of moments to retrieve all seven brides.

Once they were back in Lemuria, the brides had been dressed in white dresses and cloaks and prepared for the coming of their lord Set. They were then arranged around the serpent crown and the ritual began.

nextgen_holiday:

“We need to be more grateful. I think there is no true character without gratitude. It is one of the marks of a real strong character to have a feeling of thanksgiving and gratitude for blessings. We need more of that spirit in our homes, in our daily associations, in the church, everywhere. It doesn't cost anything, and it is so easy to cultivate.” - Ezra Taft Benson

In America today is a day for being thankful for the things in people's lives. Today was a day to celebrate family, friends, prosperity and health with food, family and friends. It is a time to reflect on what is important us and to recognize the gratitude we hold for having those things in our lives.

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 streets of New York saw children and adults dressed up in costumes and moving about.

anyastark:

It was a perfect fall afternoon. The thermometer was in the low 60s, the sky was a bright blue and the sun was bright. The trees were vibrant oranges, yellows and reds as they showed off their colors of the season. It was also the time of the year for Dad's birthday and Anya was at a loss of what to get him this year.

It was a great excuse to shop.

Classes finished up early on Fridays and Anya was back in New York by two. Plenty of time to shop, grab dinner and then find something to do for the evening. The first thing she did was grab Toni to drag her along. Anya's free time had been in short supply lately as she got caught up with school and it had been awhile since she had some time with her bestest friend.

The streets and sidewalks were crowded as they made their way down Fifth Avenue.

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.

swashbuckler:

Steve had, quite perplexingly, been unable to get a hold of Anya all day.  Following that, he'd tried to see if Toni had heard from her, and discovered that neither one of them had.  Further calls up and down the Young Avengers phone tree had left him unable to raise several other members as well.  Hardly any of the comm. cards were working, and with the few that he did, there was something funny about the line.  He knew just enough from his mom to know when a line was being tapped, and he suspected the YA cards were.

He'd gone out to check Hyrdobase, and found it deserted.  Plus, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched.

All of which had led him back to Avengers' Mansion, for lack of anything better to try.  Maybe one of the adults would know what was going on.

nextgen_deviant:

Their mission was simple. Find and mark potential brides for Set. New York City was one of the largest cities on the planet and home to the highest concentration of super-powered beings. Set had to have extraordinary women for his brides and there was no better place to look.

Yoggurl and Skarprius were in different part of the city from Dosschok looking for a potential bride for their god. Yoggurl was keeping them mostly hidden with her limited telepathic abilities. So far they hadn't found any potential brides.

When it didn't appear they were going to find any of the superpowered set, they decided to take matters into their own hands and bring the heroes to them. The best way to do that was to cause a disturbance. A rather big disturbance and something the local law enforcement wouldn't be able to handle.

Yoggurl and Skarprius each grabbed a park car and tossed it into the middle of the busy New York street. Then they each grabbed another one and tossed those into the street. Tires screeched on the pavement as moving cars skidded to stops. Some didn't quite manage to stop and slammed into the ones that did manage to stop.

Traffic was now at a standstill and the two “women” walked out into the street. Now they started picking up cars containing passengers.

notinplainsight:

Kalypso took a deep breath in and slowly let it out. Cold air was always good for clearing the head and the polluted air from lungs. Kalypso hovered far above New York, high enough that the city was just a speck of light in the dark. Mom had said the cold thing was a racial trait of theirs. Apparently Eternals liked high cold places and Kalypso appeared to be no exception.

She took another deep breath and closed her eyes. Everything was so peaceful up here. The troubles and cares withered away in the cold.

The summer had been a busy one. Mom's business was really taking off and Kal had been pressed into slave labor for much of the summer. Not that she minded much. She'd do anything for her mother. It had always been the two of them versus everyone else. Though now it was Mom, Kal and Jack against everyone else.

She smiled at the thought of Jack. The man had become such a huge part of Kal's life and she loved him beyond words. It was even worth the few bouts of interference from her mother. Mom hadn't even tried to move Kal back in with Jack again. Which Kal was very thankful for.

Kalypso looked up at dark sky above and at the stars. She smiled and started going up.

jackmurdock:

The morning of Jack's 21st birthday found him deeply asleep with his head under the pillow. He'd completely forgotten his birthday was coming. So much was happening that it was just another day on the calendar.

nextgen_misc:

"When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

Across the great nation of the United States of America people everywhere celebrate the freedoms that they enjoy, the history, government, and traditions of the United States with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, political speeches and ceremonies, and various other public and private events.

ng_rgoodfellow:

How dare they? How dare they not see her talent and cast her as the leading role!? It was the performance of her life and they said "a mime could do better". Marylynne was infuriated. How dare they not see how wonderful she was? Were they blind?

She'd show them. Mimes were...nightmare inducing and so...argh! A mime! She'd give them mimes if they wanted mimes!

Times Square was considered the crossroads of the world and the perfect place to pull this off. She strolled through the crowd, smiling and briefly touching each person she passed. One touch and they were hers. They stopped talking in mid-sentence and started pantomiming.

Marylynne smiled as she continued to walk around Times Square turning the lovely citizens and tourists into mimes.

jackmurdock:

Jack didn't do fancy restaurants on his own. He asked Kalypso for recommendations and she suggested The Capital Grille for their first dinner. A little more fancy than he was accustomed to, but there would be time later for ordering in Chinese and watching ninja movies. They should have at least one nice dinner on the Murdock side. It would make Dad happy to know they were getting along, and he'd smooth it over with Mom later.

Kalypso would meet them at the restaurant with her cousin if he was coming. Jack took a taxi to the Avengers mansion to pick up Eliza and then to the restaurant. It promised to be a good evening for all of them.

jackmurdock:

Hi Eliza, it's Jack. Would you like to have dinner with me and Kalypso this weekend? Let me know.

nextgen_parent:

Sersi returned home from an extended trip abroad. Humans were so entertaining and so full of passion. Eternals were a different story. Frustrating was the word that came to mind. Specifically one Eternal who happened to be her daughter.

Sersi didn't get it. The girl was crazy about the mortal and Jack was such a dear boy. He'd do any mother proud and was just the type of guy any mother would want dating her daughter. So why hadn't the girl moved in with him already? What was she waiting for?

Mortals had such short lives and there was no point wasting time waiting around for things. The kid should have just moved in with him already. School was finished and there was nothing keeping Kalypso home. It was time for Sersi to take matters into her own hands and resolve the situation.

Movers were easy to hire and in no time her daughter's things were moved over to Jack's place. This was done while they weren't around of course. Sersi didn't want to have to deal with the arguments that would have happened. It was much easier this way.

At the moment Sersi was feeling quite pleased and satisfied with herself.

mishaloganovich:

Text message sent Anya, James and David.

   Meet at my place tomorrow around three, bring your fave movie. I'll order food & have drinks. Prepare to stay late.
Follow up text to David.

  Let me know if you want to come. It's just us kids. I'll get you tonight & take you home the next morning.

Follow up text to Anya.

   Don't have Eliza's #. Ask her. If she has Jack's # I'll give him a call if she doesn't want to call him. Let me know.

Text message to Mom.

   I'm stealing them tomorrow for food & movies, & maybe plotting against our parents. Don't worry if you feel something weird in the air. It's just your loving offspring.

jackmurdock:

Still bothered five days after the lunch that introduced both a sister and a view of his father Jack didn't realize existed, Jack was spending a lot of time on the roof looking at the New York skyline.

He hadn't picked up a pencil or piece of charcoal in the whole five days.

He'd spent some of them with Dad, in between Matt dealing with Eliza and Mrs. Stark, assuring Dad that everything was okay. In a sense it was. He liked Eliza enough for someone he didn't know much. He wished it didn't feel like Mom was getting the raw end of something.

He hadn't spoken to Kal directly in the last five days. He'd left some messages for her, letting her know Dad was in town and they were handling family business. He even offered to go back to San Francisco with Dad and talk to Mom, but Matt felt this was one discussion that didn't need to include the whole family.

With the sun going down, Jack sent a text Kal's way.

Hey Gorgeous. Lunch or dinner soon?

redheadspy:

Natasha went with neutral ground for this meeting. Matt in her home was probably not a good idea no matter how she looked at it. Neutral ground meant some place out and some place that would offer some amount of privacy. That left her clearing out Big Nick's for lunch. Thankfully the place was more than willing to cater to Mrs. Stark.

Natasha arrived with Eliza and Misha, sending a text to Tony letting him know where they'll be if he wanted to meet them. They grabbed a table with four extra chairs. One for Tony if he showed and three for Matt, Jack and Elektra. Natasha silently prayed that the Greek Ninja would not be coming. It would just add more tension to a situation that was already guaranteed to be very tense.

She sat quietly at the table and sipped her diet soda. She was steering clear of vodka until after this, but she could really use a few shots before seeing Matt.

jackmurdock:

Jack was lazing away the morning at home, alone because Kal had a cousin in town she was shepherding around until he learned his way. The morning was a little lonely. He'd gotten used to having Kal around when they both were free. His design project was turned in and all he needed was his grade to know if he was wasting his time and should give law school a shot.

He didn't get any visitors, so the doorbell ringing was something of a shock. He closed the sketchpad, put his coffee cup on the kitchen counter and went to answer the door.