shield_maiden:

Svalin's mind was far from at ease and she didn't know how to quell such turbulent thoughts. She did know one way of dealing with them and she locked herself in the training room. Robots, frost giants, trolls, orcs, and other enemies were smashed to bits. She didn't come close to finding any answers or solutions to the thoughts that raced through her mind or how she felt torn between Asgard and her family, but she did get some enjoyment from smashing her enemies to bits.

She failed to keep her son safe. Solver had been abducted by Malekith and held by Solver and Svalin let it happen. Even worse, she didn't immediately go after her son as her duties as ruler of Asgard kept her from running off and doing what she needed to do. Not what she needed to do, but she was required to do as Solver's mother and Vernique's spouse.

A blind man could see that her spouse was still upset and furious about what happened and Svalin's failure to act. Svalin would not blame her. Had their positions been reversed Svalin would probably feel the same. It didn't make any of this easier. Vernique was upset and Svalin wouldn't be able to make her understand Svalin's duties to Asgard and her people.

They barely spoke to each other and the air between them was thick with tension, but Svalin was always near Vernique and Solver keeping an eye on them. She wasn't going to fail again. Only when they were in the main building did Svalin take time and go smash things to little bits.

nextgen_asgard2:

The Hulk and Algrim were taking care of each other and were gone from Asgard. The threat that loomed over the city and her inhabitants was almost gone. The city was still on guard against Frost Giants and other enemies of Asgard, but for now they had a short respite.

It was time to see to the wounded and repair what they could before the next attack came. It was also time to celebrate a marriage. Alfveror had petition Lady Frigga for her permission to have the wedding and the Goddess of Marriage had agreed.

Despite the hard times they had just face and most of Asgard's warriors sporting injuries and quite a few dead, the city had a festive air about it.

Svalin had left to find her wife and son as soon as she got Hal back to the city and had gotten him medical attention. Her sister would see to Asgard as a queen's duty.

The wedding was about to start.

shield_maiden:

The approach of Algrim was known well in advance. Svalin wasn't going to take chances and be surprised again. She had sentries posted outside the city and they would provide early warning to a new threat. A new threat was approaching the city and word had reached Svalin. Thankfully there was a little time before Algrim reached the city.

Svalin knew she couldn't defeat Algrim. Her father had told her tales of his fights with the being and knew how powerful Algrim was. Thor could face him, but he was still unconscious and her brother was off fighting the Hulk somewhere. If only Hal were here Svalin would have some hope. Some Goddess of Hope she was. Who had ever heard of a Goddess of Hope having none herself?

Thinking about Hal led her mind down a path to a possible solution.

She handed the throne of Asgard to Aridis despite many objections of her mothers and Balder. Svalin had to leave to save the realm. She jumped on Tryggvi and flew off to find her brother.

shield_maiden:

Birthdays were always a challenge. Asgardians really didn't celebrate them and so finding appropriate gifts could be a challenge. Svalin knew what kind of gifts to give for Yule, but birthdays, according to Syndey, one could give anything.

Svalin struggled with what to get her wife until Sydney made a suggestion. One that seemed very fitting. With Sydney's help Svalin was able to arrange everything and was quite pleased with the gift. With Solver walking along side of her, he was ten months old and now walking when he wasn't flying, they went to find Vernique.

shield_maiden:

The last attack on Asgard had been stopped, but Svalin didn't know how much longer they could hold out. A lot of Asgard's warriors had fallen and a lot were injured. Battle worthy warriors were in short supply. Even Svalin was sporting a few injuries and bandages.

Aridis had returned with Sif and the Warriors Three. Kael had returned with Thor, but Thor was still unconscious. Iona had returned with Balder. It brought hope to Asgard, but not to Svalin. Halbjorn was still missing and so was Solver.

They met in the council chambers to discuss the next plan of action.

shield_maiden:

The Queen of Asgard stood near the window in the small chambers and looked out upon the city of Asgard. The moon bathed the city in silvery light and made the dark shadows seem even darker. Even in the dim light the damage to the city was quite evident. Asgard stood for now, but she would show the scars from this for some time.

Svalin had tried to sleep, but sleep would not come. She had been going non-stop for the better part of a few days without sleep and Lady Frigga had insisted she rest. Svalin couldn't disobey her grandmother and had retired to the small room. She hadn't even bothered to try to sleep or make an effort to remove any of her armor.

It felt like she carried the weight of the Nine Worlds on her shoulders and it felt like she was being pulled in a hundred different directions. Her father, mother, and son were missing and she wanted nothing more than to go after them. Her brother was off somewhere fighting the Hulk and Svalin wanted to go help him. She had just sent her wife, her sister and others off on dangerous quests and Svalin had to remain here.

Duty was heavier than a mountain.

Svalin sighed heavily.

She should probably get back to the throne room. Staying in here was not helping anyone and it gave her too much time to think. Lost in her reverie she didn't hear the shout of the alarm at first. When it finally registered she rushed out of the room.

nextgen_asgard2:

Alfveror made his way from the council room through the great hall and out into the city proper. Despite all of the destruction and the threats that still loomed, he walked like a man with confidence through the rubble. The frost giants, trolls and other beings that had caused the damage had retreated for now, but Alfveror knew they would be back. It was guaranteed that they would be back.

He smiled as he slipped through a hole in the wall that surrounded the city. His contact should be arriving soon.

shield_maiden:

Svalin just looked around. One second they were in the lab at the Defenders' Compound and the next they were standing in the middle of the desert. Griffen had come back to the compound to visit his mother and the Defenders and to grab a few things from his lab. Svalin had agreed to watch a demostration of a new device that would transport them short distances. Instead it transported them into the middle of the desert.

There was a road that ran from east to west. There wasn't a car in sight.

"Well friend Griffen, what shouldst we do now?"

nextgen_asgard2:

Alfveror arrived on Migard just outside the main building of the Defenders' Compound. He was inside the fence and the unexpected arrival tripped the alarms. A loud warning signal filled the air and was deafening to heightened senses.

He stood still and waited.

godlierthanthou:

When the need for the Defenders to remain on Earth by obligation had been lifted, Aslief had quietly slipped away from Midgard.  Oh, certainly, she had left the small mortal a way in which to contact her if there was true need (and occasionally less so, to which she proved quite capable of fielding small child small talk), and she also returned from time to time to court with Vincent.  Though that relationship was on a brief hiatus, as she had uncovered volumes of history and spellwork which required her undivided attention.  She would see him again soon enough, in the grand scheme of things.

Her own spellwork had improved, in the intervening time.  Such as layering her rooms in Asgard over the room kept for her in Midgard.  She could cross the space between worlds simply by crossing the threshold.  And she had done this, of course, without telling anyone.

And frankly... she could use the change of scenery.  The Golden Realm was quite grand, in its way, and Midgard was noisy, dirty, smelly, and fool of unimaginative, brief, fools.  But she was also quite tired of the contempt mixed with fear mixed with suspicion.  Time and time again, she had given of herself to defend the realm, and time and time again, she received not half the praise or thanks her siblings did.  T'was assumed she acted simply because she lived there as well.

The blood of giants flowed through her veins.  The blood of Thor, and the blood of Loki.  She denied no aspect of who she was, and walked that thin path between light and dark, good and evil.  On the edge, where only the bravest ventured if they did not wish to crack.  And all she received was scorn.  Even the fates pondered just whose side she would be on, when backs were pressed against the wall.  Even her patient had limits.

So Midgard it was.

And in this case, Midgard was the breakfast table.  Breakfast was a grapefruit.  She was but who she was.

shield_maiden:

*BAM*

*BAM*

*BAM*

The pounding on the door was strong enough to make it sound like the door was being pounded in. Svalin ran to the door but she didn't open it. She knew it was her brother. "Thou'rt not going to take this hall!" she yelled out to her brother.

It was actually their house, but to Svalin at the moment it was a great hall to be defended at all costs. The princess of the realm, really a hunting dog, had to be protected and the hall had to be defended against the Dark Elves and Frost Giants. Said "princess" was sound asleep on a rug in front of the large hearth and enjoying the warmth of the fire.

Svalin was holding her wooden sword Father had made for her and upon her head she wore a great helm (one of their mother's cookpots they bent out of shape for dragon hunting). She wore her normal clothes, but did have a small dagger tucked in her belt.

She climbed up on a chair and then up on the table and moved to a nearby window. She pushed the window up and looked down at her brother.

nextgen_citizen:

Zoey loved birthdays and today there were three of them. Svalin, Halbjorn and Aridis all had their birthday on the same day and that day was today! They were three of her bestest friends and she made them each a present. She had her mom help with getting the frames for the picture of the Defenders that they had made and Zoey put the picture in each frame. Along with the photographs, she drew a picture of the Defenders for each of them.

She happily delivered her gifts.

shield_maiden:

Svalin had been very busy for the past two days. Vernique and she had traveled to New York to see Dr. Vernard and Mr. Stark to have Svalin's artificial arm attached. It had gone well, though it did take longer than expected due to some complications with the nanites working with her Asgardian physiology. In the end they got it to work and Svalin was able to use it almost as if it were her real hand. They had told her to ease into using it, but Svalin didn't have time. She had a wife and a son to protect.

It was awkward at first, but hours spent using it with her sword paid off and it was almost as if she hadn't lost most of her arm. It even looked exactly like a flesh and blood arm and Svalin couldn't see any difference between her natural arm and the replacement. She spent hours practicing and felt more comfortable with it.

All of her time was not spent practicing, however. There was the matter of her wife and their anniversary to attend to. In Asgard they didn't really keep track of anniversaries or birthdays for that matter, but Svalin knew on Migard these things were important. With that in mind she had made sure she had gifts for her wife to celebrate their marriage a year ago.


Svalin knew her wife loved butterflies and brooches so she had one specially made for Vernique. From Solver her wife would receive a pair of matching earrings.

With gifts in hands, Svalin went to find her wife.

shield_maiden:

Despite knowing she was getting an artificial arm at the end of the week, Svalin still wanted to improve her left-hand fighting skills. If anything, she was thorough in her fighting education. She also didn't know how well the artificial arm would work (she didn't trust technology all that much) and she wanted to be prepared just in case it didn't work as well as a natural arm.

She grabbed Vigfrior and went to find Kael.

butterflybullet:

Marlow sent the little family to New York City in the morning, so there was plenty of time to go by and see her parents before their appointment.

She hadn't realized, as she knocked at her Dad's New York office next to the Symkarian embassy, that he was with some of his crew.

butterflybullet:

If this was the way to do it, this was the way she was going to do it. Vernique put Solver to bed, made a few phone calls, and then knocked on Svalin's bedroom door.

shield_maiden:

*WHACK*

*WHACK*

*WHOOSH*

The sword missed the wooden pole on the third swing and Svalin paused for a moment as she went over the third strike in her head. She felt like a five year old who had just picked up a sword. In a way she was. Her right hand had been her primary sword hand and even though she had fought with two swords, she wasn't as skilled with her left hand.

In fact she was learning to fight with her left hand as if she were just learning to fight. Fighting with two swords was not the same as fighting with one so she had to start from the beginning of learning how to fight with her left hand with one sword. Not only the sword, but with an axe, a staff and a hammer. Each weapon was different just as fighting with one sword was much different than fighting with one.

All-Father help her and give her the strength to get through this. Svalin just wanted to be able to protect her wife and son. The thought of not being able to do it and the thought of having to have someone else do it twisted her stomach in a knot.

Twenty plus years of learning how to fight and she had to start all over.

"ARGH!" she yelled and took a swing at the pole with her sword. It wasn't about skill or finesse, it was about hitting something as hard as she could and venting some anger and frustration.

olympian_elf:

 The world of mortals was still alien to Kael. He wondered just how much longer he would have to stay here. Had his mother found any clue as to those who had created the shadow army that attacked Asgard? If not, then how long would it take? It wasn't as if it was all bad here. The Defenders were good people. Svalin was at least being more tolerant of him. Haljborn tended to be at least partially hostile most of the time. Vernique,, He turns slightly to the small woman holding her Asgardian son. He was fond of the woman. But still.. what was he doing here?

nextgen_holiday:

Drink to me, only with thine eyes,
And I will pledge with mine ;
Or leave a kiss but in the cup,
And I'll not look for wine.
The thirst, that from the soul doth rise,
Doth ask a drink divine :
But might I of Jove's nectar sup,
I would not change for thine.

I sent thee late a rosy wreath,
Not so much honoring thee,
As giving it a hope, that there
It could not wither'd be.
But thou thereon didst only breathe,
And sent'st it back to me :
Since when it grows, and smells, I swear,
Not of itself, but thee. Ben Johnson

shield_maiden:

Svalin stood off to one side and watched the actors and actresses move around the set. Her brother was filming a new movie...He-Man or something like that and Svalin was taking a break from her consulting work on fight choreography to watch. The studio had taken her on as a special consultant when it came to choreographing fight scenes. It wasn't real battle, but it kept her in practice and she liked teaching people how to properly use a sword.

This was the tenth time they were doing this scene and Svalin thought about wandering over to the table of food soon.

shield_maiden:

Svalin wasn't tired and she decided to use the training room to release some frustrations. After three hours in there she decided to cool off my taking a quick swim in the pool. She headed to the pool directly from the training room. Once outside, she stripped and dove into the pool. Not once did she think about finding a swimsuit.

shield_maiden:

Svalin walked along her wife and son on their way back to the Avenger's Mansion after the incident with the dragon. Svalin carried dragon parts while Vernique pushed the stroller with Solver in it.

"Kael fought well," she said as they walked.

marlow:

Everything had been checked and double-checked. Marlow had practiced the spell until she could see the runes in her mind in just the places she wanted them. It was going to be GREAT. She'd help the team by increasing her own size for limited periods so she wouldn't just be a puny human sorceress learning to fight. She'd be an /Asgardian/ sized sorceress and really show the bad guys who they had to watch out for in a fight.

Sitting on the grass in front of her bungalow, she closed her eyes and recited the words and waited.

She didn't feel anything. Not a thing. There should've been some sort of sensation when her body became bigger, but everything seemed fine. With a sigh, she mentally prepared herself to work on the spell some more and try again later.

When she opened her eyes, a sense of euphoria and wrongness filled her. She was looking down at a body that wasn't hers. The spell had worked, sort of, but... whose body was it?

nextgen_citizen:

Zoey loved New York City. When they came to New York it meant that Zoey could visit Scotty. No matter what business her mother had in the city with her job, she always made sure Zoey had the chance to visit Scotty. Zoey brought all her Super Buddies toys with her and her favorite movie.

After they played with the toys and watched the movie they moved onto playing Hide And Go Seek. Scotty was it and Zoey ran to hide. She ended up in a room with a lot of gadgets and machines. She hid under the desk. Giggles came from her. Scotty would never find her here.

Zoey waited for what seemed a long time. Maybe she had hid too well and Scotty got tired of looking for her and was doing something else. Maybe he gave up and she would be waiting here all day. Maybe she should go see what he was doing.

She crawled out from under the desk. It was time to go find...what was that glowing square thing? It looked NEAT.

Zoey moved the chair over to it and climbed up on the chair. Pretty!

shield_maiden:

The training room at the Defender's compound had been designed to withstand all that the inhabitants could dish out. Today Svalin was inside and pushing the room and the program to its limit. The enemies she faced were just holograms, but force fields gave them the ability to hit and be hit. It also allowed the creation of unlimited enemies at unlimited power levels.

Sweat ran down Svalin's face and soaked her clothes. Her arms felt heavy and Vigfrior seemed to weigh more as time passed. She didn't know how many enemies she had face or how long she had been in the room, but she didn't feel like she was ready to stop just yet.

A troll charged at her and she ducked beneath the swing of his club and jabbed at the back of his kneed with the end of staff-Vigfrior. The troll stumbled and Vigfrior shifted into a war hammer and Svalin brought it down on the back of the troll's head. The troll went down and Svalin spun on a heel and swung the hammer at the troll that had been coming up behind her. It connected with the thing's stomach and it doubled over. Svalin spun the hammer around and brought it up in an upswing connecting with the troll's chin. The thing was lifted off its feet and went sailing through the air.

With the brief pause Svalin glanced over at the control room. Solver's carrier sat on a shelf next to the control panel and he was fast asleep sitting inside of it. Svalin smiled and turned back to a new batch of enemies.

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.

At the Defenders compound the ground was covered with snow and the Defenders celebrated Christmas and Yule playing outside in the snow.

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."

anyastark:

For a lot of people the day after Thanksgiving meant hitting the stores and getting great deals on items that would most likely be Christmas presents. For the female Avengers and others the day after Thanksgiving meant a different tradition. They would gather and rate the hunkiness of the male members of the various teams.

Anya had sent out invitations to the females on the other teams well in advanced and made arrangements for food and refreshments.

Once the day arrived she and the Thunderbolts traveled down to New York and gathered at the Avengers Mansion. Anya readied the slide show and waited for everyone to assemble.

nextgen_holiday:

"A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues." - Cicero

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.

shield_maiden:

The new Asgardian God of the Sun was also a night-owl. Solver didn't like sleeping much, which didn't come as much of a surprise to Svalin. He was half Asgardian and as a race they didn't require much sleep and she believed Jon's people also didn't need much sleep. Svalin could go about a week of not sleeping before she had to have some. It seemed like her son was trying to match her at his young age. He napped a little during the day and slept just a little more at night. He kept his two mothers quite busy.

Vernique couldn't pull twenty-four hour days so while she slept at night, Svalin took over Solver duties. Most nights they walked around the compound enjoying the night air and the stars. Tonight was a little on the cool side, which meant a little more comfortable for the Asgardians, and the moon was almost full giving off plenty of light to see. A very large tiger silently followed them as they walked.

Solver rested against her chest sucking a thumb. Every so often Svalin would drop a kiss on soft, dark hair and smile.

It was a perfect night save for Jon not being there. Svalin wasn't moping or brooding, but she did think about him quite often. Mostly when she looked at their son. Even at this young age Svalin could see Jon's features in him. The child would never know his father and Jon would never know his son. Jon didn't even know he had a son. It had been a cruel twist of Fate.

Solver stirred a bit and Svalin patted his back a little.

shield_maiden:

It was strange that when Svalin first came to Migard she didn't want to be here or stay, but the place had grown on her and now she enjoyed it. She missed it and the people when she was in Asgard. It was good to be home and back into what was now considered normal life.

The sun was just coming up in the east and Svalin was already up and outside. She had seen to Tryggvi and Snowflake and decided to get a few hours of practice in before the other residents of the compound woke. Vigfrior wasn't in her hand, but instead it was at her waist. She had her Bat'leth in her hands and worked through her forms.

shield_maiden:

The sun was bright and the air was crisp with the hint of the cold that was to come with winter. It was the perfect day for hunting and it was exactly what Svalin had planned to do. She walked easily beside the others and was eager to find prey.

She had been awake with the dawn and had been anxious to go. Nine months of sitting around and doing little were past her and it was time to get back out there. The days since Solver's birth had been spent getting back in shape when she wasn't spending time with her family. Hours in the practice yard with anyone who would spar with her and miles of running. She was a bit determined to get back into top shape as quickly as possible.

A bow was in her hand and Vigfrior at her side. She would have loved to bring Tryggvi, but horses and her brother didn't get along well so they walked. Svalin didn't mind. It would only help her get back in top shape.

nextgen_parent:

The fight was a brutal one. The dead have been gathered, and they are many. But even more of their enemies have fallen, and will not have the strength to attack again for a long time.

Odin was plunged into the Odinsleep, battling some foe that none of the other have found sign of, aside from obvious verification that it was a massive and fearsome fight... and the Lord of Asgard was victorious... but how long he'll sleep is anyone's guess.

Thor has ascended to the throne, sign of the continuance of the kingdom. Sign that Asgard was bowed, but did not break. They continue to defy all foes, all endings. And when they fight, even when they fight and die... a celebration is still called for, including recognition of significant heroes and events.

And today, there were at least two.

Thor calls his eldest daughters before the throne, and Vernique with them.

nextgen_asgard2:

Asgard. The Golden Realm. The Realm Eternal. One of the nine worlds. Home of the Norse gods. Darkness covered the land and the realm's inhabitants had retired for the evening. Peace and quiet had fallen over a land frequently subjected to strife and violence.

A blinding light shattered the darkness and Kang and his followers materialized from the portal. Kang took a second to survey the scene. The reshaping of worlds started here. Tonight he would have the one who would be a thorn in his side decades from now. Tonight gods would fall and die and the babe would be his. The last weapon to be collected and one that would help him reshape worlds in Kang's image.


"Kill them all," Kang said to his gathered forces collected from various worlds from various points in time.

The ones that had given the so-called-heroes the most problems. The new Mandarin, son of the former, at the height of his power before he made the mistake of getting involved with the Stark girl. Apocalypse plucked from time just before his defeat at the hands of the X-Men, X-Factor and the Avengers. Hyperion the titan of myth plucked from time before his defeat at the hands of heroes. These joined the deviants he grabbed before their defeat and a being named Mongul.

"The babe being born this night is mine," Kang said. The child would serve Kang and be the implement of Kang's will.

butterflybullet:

"See? Now we're where you know your way around better," Vernique said cheerfully to Sigurdur as they walked in Asgard, headed for the Great Hall. She was small-talky, but also apprehensive. She really wanted to see Svalin again, know for sure that she and the baby were okay. She carried her magic shield on her back, and was totally rocking the Asgardian Married Lady outfit.

shield_maiden:

Svalin wasn't one for taking it easy. The only time she ever took it easy when she was gravely wounded and couldn't move around. This was a lot different. She could move around, albeit a bit awkwardly, but she wasn't allowed to do anything and she was confined inside the city. Walks along the upper battlements allowed her some fresh air, but it wasn't the same as being out beyond the city and going for a ride on Tryggvi.

Her days were spent reading, walking the battlements and watching the warriors practice. She was always handy with a pointer or two, but she was not allowed to touch a weapon. Einmyria had tried to get her interested in embroidery or doing some needlework citing that the baby would need clothes and blankets, but Svalin had not the patience for it. The last time her mother tried ended up with Svalin throwing everything in her hands in the fireplace.

She returned to her chambers after a walk along the battlements. Soon it would be time to go eat dinner in the great hall, but for now she would sit and put her feet up. Her ankles were swollen and aching along with an aching back. Five more weeks and then she would have a son and less physical issues. A smile came to her face at meeting her son and her eyes closed. A short nap before dinner would be nice.

shield_maiden:

Svalin would admit that she wasn't the best at gift selection and gift giving unless the gifts happen to be weapons or armor. Those she could make herself and give to people, but her pregnancy prevented her from working the forge. Thankfully Svalin had some jewels and gold from her wedding gifts and Lady Sydney had helped her find a jewelry maker in the city.

The necklace was beautiful when it was done and Svalin hoped Vernique liked sapphires. She had almost went with rubies, but she thought the blue jewels were pretty and would look good on her wife.

She wrapped the necklace in a black velvet cloth and went to find her wife.

nextgen_misc:

Night had settled over the city of Los Angeles. A waning gibbous mood had risen and the light of the stars was blocked out by the thick smog that usually blanketed the city. The hours moved on and the city slowed down. Citizens were asleep in their beds and off to dreamland.

The same held true for the residents at 1800 Palos Verdes Drive.

They wouldn't stay asleep for long. Something stirred in the darkness outside.

brit_sorcerer:

There had been an invitation for Excalibur to attend a cookout with the Defenders for Independence Day. Quinn was a Brit by birth, but he had spent half of his life in New York. He considered himself a Yankee as well as a Brit.

When it was time he teleported all from Excalibur who wanted to go to the Defenders compound. Quinn was looking forward to a day in the sun, on the beach and watching girls in bikinis with a lot of good food on hand. Not to mention Asgardian mead. It would truly be a wonderful day.

They arrived in a flash right outside the gates to the compound. It was rude to arrive inside the gates and Quinn didn't feel like fighting. He was a lover, not a fighter.

shield_maiden:

After the second broken chair of the morning their mother Einmyria had made all four kids go outside despite the rain. Four kids all the same age under the same roof for an extended length of time usually led to some furniture casualties. Svalin and Halbjorn had been rather active and had caused the furniture breakage, but all four were shuffled outside despite many protests of innocence from Asleif and Aridis.

Svalin crossed her arms over her chest and harrumphed. She and Hal were only practicing their dragon slaying. The chairs made excellent dragons until they splintered apart. MomOne was quite vexed and she was certain to tell MomTwo and Father. They were certain to be punished later.

"Mother wouldst not be so vexed if we wert to slay a real dragon," she grumbled.

team_mascot:

Zoey didn't think about how Andy and Titan were two separate personalities or why they looked different from each other, all she did know was that it was their birthday. She made them each a card complete with lots of hearts, rainbows and glitter and had Mom take her shopping for a gift. She got Titan a deluxe set of Uno cards and a set of regular cards. He promised her he would teach her how to play poker. For Andy she got him a new leather belt Svalin had helped her make.

She left the items on the table in the main building where he would see them.

shield_maiden:

Svalin had seen to Tryggvi and Snowflake as she always did in the mornings around sunrise. She put the two horses out to graze after feeding them. Once she was done she grabbed her Bat'let and went outside on the lawn to practice before the sun got too hot.

The blade felt as comfortable in her hands as Vigfrior did. Svalin could use it with as much proficiency and ease as she did the weapons she grew up with. The air whooshed as the blade moved through the air.

shield_maiden:

Svalin was stretched out on one of the large couches in the rec room of the main building and was trying hard to enjoy sitting still. Her feet and ankles had started to swell and her wife wasn't going to let her do much besides sit and put her feet up as much as she could. Svalin had tried to argue but it didn't get her anywhere except sitting on the couch with her feet up.

She sighed and looked at the television. To Kill a Mockingbird was on and Svalin was still waiting for the killing to start. Why was kill in the title if there was no killing in it? It didn't make much sense to her, but it was one of her wife's favorite movies and Svalin would watch it.

Svalin focused on the television and was surprised by the sudden kick. She gasped and reflexively put her hand on her stomach.

dark_of_winter:

Sigurdur Hogunson returned to the Golden City the moment the messenger found him. The All-Father demanded his presence immediately and Sigurdur's mind raced with the implications. He was not a wise man, and therefore did not know why the Lord of Asgard needed him. Questions arose in his mind during his ride to Odin's hall, but no answers presented themselves.

He hoped that he had not displeased his lord and master.

He arrived at the hall and was admitted without further word. No one spoke to him, but their glances asked the same question that stuck in Sigurdur's mind.

Why? 

When he reached Odin's throne, Sigurdur stopped at a respectable distance and slammed his fist to his heart, taking a knee and kneeling before his liege.

"I, Sigurdur Hogunson, present myself to thee, my King. How may I serve Asgard this day?" he asks in greeting.

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

shield_maiden:

To say Svalin didn't deal well with inactivity was a big understatement. She was not the type to sit still and do very little which made this pregnancy into a very taxing thing. The blood of warriors ran her her veins and it wasn't easily stilled. It made her irritable and restless.

Svalin was awake before the sun had risen. A nightmare, one of her son destroying Asgard and Migard and Jon accusing her of letting it happen, woke her and she found sleep elusive afterward. The words spoken to her by her grandfather on her wedding day weighed heavily on her mind. She could not easily ignore the possibility of her son being the cause of the destruction of two worlds.

Svalin made her way up to the main building and to the training room. Some exercise and practice would help calm her thoughts and help her center herself. She programmed the room to a low level setting and had it create some robot opponents. Svalin knew they were a creation of light and force fields, but they would serve her purpose well enough.

Vigfrior was a sword and she started hacking through the fabricated robots.

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.

butterflybullet:

It had been a freak accident. Some kind of short-circuit of energy signatures, Dr. Vernard had said when he examined them. The point was that Jon had been dragged here with them from his own facet of reality, and his energy signature was so disrupted that even that dimensional teleporter Mrs. Stark had called in couldn't send him back there. They'd really tried everything, but had finally given up.

And then, there was the other thing.

"So... do you want to tell him?" Vernique asked Svalin as she sat holding her hand on the bed. In Svalin's other hand was the test, clearly positive.

likethewind:

Eiltin was doing some target practice off to the side at the defenders compound. He was currently practicing with a sling though had been practicing with his spear earlier. He was whipping small stones with the sling at a target fifty yards away from him at or sometime above the speed of most bullets.

Ruarc wasn’t far from him relaxing in the warm sun seeming deceptively unaware.

shield_maiden:

Svalin tried to keep herself busy as to not think on her grandfather's words about her unborn son. It was almost ironic that the Goddess of Hope could be bearing the one who would destroy Asgard and Earth. She wanted to believe that he would be the hope and savior of Asgard and Earth.

Svalin busied herself with brushing Tryggvi and Snowflake in the stables.