nextgen_holiday:

There's a piece of paper and a pen attached to a bulletin board. Across the top is written:

New Year's Resolutions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Anonymous Entries Accepted

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.

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."

nextgen_misc:

The Guardians of the Galaxy had managed to make it back to Knowhere Station with their guests, the X-Men and one Shi'art citizen. The visitors were shown to temporary quarters and given a chance to rest a bit after their battle.

The next day they were asked to meet in a conference room.

echokinetic:

Weary. That was exactly how she was feeling as she pulled her bags out from the back of the cab, feeling a sense of relief that she'd gotten a typical New York driver; one who refused to get out of his car and help her. Ah, but isn't it great to be home. She'd barely closed the trunk when the car took off, prompting a smile to cross her face. Hefting her bags, she slogged up the stairs and wrestled open the front doors, taking in that first whiff of Xavier's; the scent of home. "Honey, I'm home," she said softly, a smile on her face. Shuffling her bags in, she listened for any sound of activity as she made her way up to her room.

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.

nextgen_misc:

Abel dropped them out of a space warp as close to Earth as possible. The ship shook as it entered the upper atmosphere and the hull started to heat up and started to glow red. Azura helped Alex pilot the ship through the turbulence. She hoped the rust bucket held together.

Once they were past the initial barrier and slowed down a bit, they set a course straight for Xavier's. They ignored hails from local enforcement agencies and continued on their way. Their passenger, the Shi'ar, had been antsy during the whole trip and seemed a little relieved once they arrived. It didn't last long and he fretted until they arrived over Xavier's.

Their timing was perfect. They arrived just in time to see the Imperial Guard standing off with the X-Men and Prince Starbridge. Azura shoved their Shi'ar guest into her seat and ordered him to take over. She grabbed her gun and Godslayer and raced for the hatch.

Alex gave the flying of the ship to their guest and raced after Azura. Once they were low enough the Guardians of the Galaxy exited the ship to help Prince Starbridge and the X-Men.

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_cosmic:

The ship exited the space-warp behind Earth's Moon. It carried the whole of a civilization long thought extinct. The civilization was one bent on the destruction of the Shi'ar race and its empire. Today would be the first salvo in their efforts to achieve their goals.

"We have arrived at Earth," Brother said to Eldest.

"Excellent. Prepare the assault team. I want the prince killed before the day is over," Eldest said and left the bridge. He had planned for this day for so long. They would finally eradicate the cursed Shi'ar from existence.

A few moments later three smaller ships exited from the larger ship and sped toward Earth. They entered the atmosphere and headed toward their destination in New York state. Eldest looked on with anticipation. It was exhilarating to finally take action against their ancient enemy.

Once they were close enough they opened fire. The blasts weren't to destroy the buildings on the ground, but more to cause confusion. Eldest wasn't about to kill the prince from a distance. He wanted the honor of killing the Shi'ar prince up close and personal.

_tsunami_:

Autumn had come to Westchester county in New York. The leaves were changing colors and the air had gotten considerably cooler. Cait loved autumn because it meant pumpkins and baking. Cait had been up before the sun and had started on her yearly batch of pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pies and pumpkin spice cookies. In addition to the pumpkin items, Cait also whipped up batches of apple spice muffins and apple crisp.

The kitchen was warm and filled with the smell of the baked goods. Cait had made enough for the residents of Xavier's and put together a care package for Corey and the Champions. Irina was going to stop by later to pick it up for them.

Cait worked on cleaning up the kitchen.

nextgen_baddie:

A bright light appeared over the Defenders compound and two figures emerged in the sky. A multitude of explosives rained down on the buildings below. A moment later numerous explosions broke the quiet of the day. The Earth trembled and fire and smoke filled the air. A crater now took the place of the Defenders Compound and the two figures in the sky disappeared.

Far below the Pacific Ocean 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.

All around the chamber deviants fought heroes while the portal grew so the god Set could make his entrance into the world. Another portal formed on the far side of the chamber and the two beings that had appeared over the Defenders Compound were now in Lemuria.

quadrimanial:

When they got home, Sylvie thanked Misha, but decided right out to introduce Fred to Dad. Dad wasn't exactly hard to find.

nextgen_misc:

The day was going like any normal summer day in Salem Center. The sun was out, it was hot and the residents of the small town in Westchester county went about their daily business. It was not to last.

A small pinpoint of light appeared in the middle of Main St and started to grow. It quickly expanded causing traffic to stop and the citizens to stop and stare. The light continued to grow until it was the size of a three story building.

A moment later things started coming out of the bright portal.

pym_kitten:

Chris had sent out an e-mail to all the other students that she was putting together a day-trip to the city for shopping, with the promise of dinner and deserts that were entirely bad for them. She'd called Pauline as well, in case she was free to meet them once they got in.

She waited in the foyer of the Institute for anyone who was going to join her.

your_talents:

To hell with both of those narrow-minded creeps, Lisa Graves thought to herself as she hopped off the back of the truck shed hitched a ride on. She was sixteen, she was a mutant, and as of yesterday, she was disowned.

There hadn't been any ranting. No being locked in the basement or shipped off to some camp. She had simply come home from school to find the locks changed, a packed bag on the porch, and a slip of paper with the address and access code for storage unit where the rest of her things could be found.

She choked down her rage and frustration as she made her way down the last mile of road towards the Xavier school, pressing the intercom at thr front gate.

"Hello? My name is Lisa. Someone told me you help mutants here."

_tsunami_:

Sylvie was the sister Cait never had. The two had known each other since they were in diapers and Cait wasn't about to let Sylvie's birthday pass without some fanfare. Cait had the gifts ready well in advance and had put her sewing skills to work to make Sylvie a new blouse and a matching long skirt. She had also got Corey's help in creating a necklace of polished colored stones.

Cait of course made a batch of Sylvie's favorite cookies along with cupcakes. She made sure the one for Sylvie had a candle on it and gave the rest out to the other X-ers.

nextgen_holiday:

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

aaronwyatt:

Aaron was in the kitchen going over some job applications and resumes. He had finished up college about a month ago and had been looking into a bunch of different prospects and had settled on a few different options that seemed like good fits to him.

He’d be lying if he didn’t say he wasn’t nervous about all of this. Job hunting could be such a pain in the ass and making sure that these applications and resumes looked good was equally difficult but he was going to get through this.

_tsunami_:

Cait had made two dozen of Rachel's favorite cookies and had put them in a small basket. She also made Rachel a new emerald green dress that would go well with her hair and eyes. The last thing Cait got one of her oldest and closest friends was a $25 gift card to iTunes. She put the items and a card in Rachel's room.

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

anyastark:

Brother Dork Number One's birthday was today. Anya wasn't sure exactly what the family plans were, but Anya was out at Xavier's in the morning to deliver his gifts to him. She had of course put some thought into his gifts. She couldn't get Misha just anything.

She got him a t-shirt that had "Professional Shopping Bag Carrier" on the front. There always had to be a joke gift. For his real present she got him a trip to Sydney, Australia for him and Lyta. First class all the way. She figured they were due for a real vacation.

She stopped by the garage to say hi to Darlene and promised upgrades soon. They chatted for awhile and then Anya said her goodbyes and headed up to the main building.

fallingup:

Adrian had managed to grab the TV in the rec room in the afternoon after he finished up his homework for the day. Just one more year of high school left after this one which was awesome then he could start up college not that he knew what he wanted to do yet.

He had brought down one of his Futurama movies to watch. That show was awesome and he couldn’t wait for the new episodes to start airing this summer. Any scene with Doctor Zoidberg in it was always an absolute riot.

perenawska:

Corey's birthday was easy to remember. Fittingly, it was on Earth Day and Irina and Lyta had been /planning/. Corey was like a little brother to them and they were going to make sure that his birthday was celebrated with a big fuss.

Irina left the catering and party supply part to Lyta. Organization was not one of Irina's strong points, it almost wasn't a point at all. Irina took care of the guests. She had delivered invitations to all of Corey's friends in Westchester and his family in Nova Roma last week with a promise to transport them if they wanted to go. She didn't mind playing taxi for events like this.

Corey wasn't hard to get a gift for, but the kid didn't think much about new clothes or shoes for himself, so in addition to an Ark Irina got him some clothes and shoes. She also got him some shade-grown chocolate bars.

When it was time, she went to fetch the invited guests.

_tsunami_:

Today was Aaron's birthday and Cait was going to make it a special day for Aaron. She started by making him breakfast with eggs, bacon, home fries and homemade muffins and serving it to him in bed. She had contacted his mom to see if she would be up for Aaron and Cait coming over for dinner. Cait was happy when she was agreeable to the idea and Cait had made arrangements to borrow one of the school's vans for the evening. Lunch would be a picnic lunch provided the weather stayed nice.

For a gift she had manage to save up to get him a Kindle and his favorite books on it. It was costly, but she had been planning this for awhile.

nextgen_misc:

The resort looked like any other Caribbean resort except for the people walking around. Some openly displayed use of their powers while others sported opening physical mutations. They laughed and talked, clearly having a good time, unaware that more sinister things were happening not far away.

When the X-Men arrive they will be greeted with smiles, but no one will have any information on their two missing members.

_tsunami_:

Cait made sure she left two small baskets full of baked goods and a gift card in each for Moira and Danielle before she left on vacation. She also asked Sylvie to deliver them for her.

aaronwyatt:

The flight hadn’t been to bad getting to Cozumel and the device he had gotten from the school help to make sure his powers wouldn't interfere with the plane's instruments and customs was pretty easy to get through too but Aaron was glad that Cait and him had finally arrived at the Resort that Cait had picked out. He was very happy to be in the warmer weather and couldn’t wait to change into some shorts but first they had to check in.

“Well we finally made it,” Aaron says as he went to grab both of their luggage from the bus that had taken them their.

quadrimanial:

Sylvie and Corey had called each other about this. He was there that afternoon with a cake and a stone bracelet. Sylvie had a book full of pictures of ice sculpture.

Cait wasn't getting away without some celebrating.

wild_rose:

Rose always had a good head for dates.  When you planned on living as long as she probably would, it was probably important to have one of those.

Besides, this one was easy.  Annie was practically a sister to her, though she'd also admit that Frosty was kind of supplanting her in the best friend department.  No slight to Annie, but while Annie was the friend who would bail her out of jail, Frosty was the one who'd be in the cell with her.

Never the less, there were few people she was closer to.  Rose had gotten her a new leather jacket and the promise to get her a fake id so they could go drinking.

_tsunami_:

It was a busy month for festivals and celebrations in Cait's religion, but she didn't forget about Valentine's Day. She had made some chocolate (shade grown of course) covered strawberries, some chocolate chocolate chip cookies, and some brigadieros and put them all in small packages to hand out to the folks at Xavier's.

For Aaron she made for him a small package of the goodies and also a few coupons worth one night out to dinner and a movie on her along with a coupon for a massage. She went looking for her boyfriend.

nextgen_holiday:

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

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

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

nextgen_holiday:

There's a piece of paper and a pen attached to a bulletin board. Across the top is written:

New Year's Resolutions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
+

Anonymous entries accepted.

_tsunami_:

Trips to see Grandpa William and Grandma Madeline were always taxing on the Drakes. They had to be on Grandpa William manners and behavior, which meant no teasing each other, no tormenting each other, no picking on each other, and no using powers. It was also the first time Grandpa William saw Cait's blue hair. She tried to explain that it wasn't a dye job and she couldn't dye it back to its normal color. It was just blue and it would be that way. Grandma Madeline loved it though and thought it was a very nice shade of blue.

Just when Cait thought things had calmed down, Dad had to mention that she had a boyfriend and Rufus had a girlfriend. The first reaction out of Grandpa William was him asking if they were normal. Of course they were normal if you counted being able to electrocute someone and being able to shapeshift as normals. Which the Drake kids did. Grandpa William didn't appreciate the fact that they were dating people who were like them.

Cait was relieved to be back at the mansion. Mom and Dad would be sticking around until April. It was the most hated time of the year for Dad. TAX SEASON. Which meant they all steered clear of Bobby Drake when he had a certain gleam in his eye.

She walked the grounds of the mansion. The cold air felt good and was quite refreshing. More importantly she was taking note of the snow and where would be the best positions for the upcoming snowball fight. It was Cait's favorite day of the year and she had started planning for this one last January 2nd.

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.

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.

It’s truly an all-star gala here tonight.

New York’s own princess, Anya Stark, was seen being escorted by what appears to be her new flame, actor Austin Cain. Her brother and currently second in line to the Russian throne, Mikhail Romanov, was seen entering the party with Lyta Worthington, heiress to Worthington Industries. Tony and Natasha Stark, parents of a new baby, are making their first public appearance since the birth of their son.

Mackenzie Rider, a prince of the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, is escorting Ms. Andrea Denker of the Fantastic Four tonight. Kristoff Vernard, leader of the Fantastic Four, was seen in attendance with his wife Cassandra and their son Scotty. Vincent Amorason, heir to Latveria, arrived alongside his brother and was seen escorting a member of the Defenders, Asleif Thorsdottir. The rest of the Fantastic Four are here too with their dates, though Miss Valeria Richards is not in attendance. Franklin Richards is in attendance and is escorting one Miss Gill.

Los Angeles’ own superhero team, the Defenders are in attendance as well. Arriving with her team is Grace Danvers, daughter of Hollywood hunk Simon Williams and she is being escorted by teammate, Eiltin. The two Asgardian princesses and daughters of Thor, Asleif and Aridis, are also attending the festivities with their team.
Akilah Munore, the crown princess of Wakanda, is here tonight with her steady flame, Daniel Sherwood a member of the Young Avengers. The other Young Avengers are in attendance tonight with their dates, alongside the adult Avengers.

Donald Trump arrived with his wife and is one of many other famous faces to arrive. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Hugh Jackman, Jack Nicholson, Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift are just a few celebrities who have made an appearance here tonight.

It’s truly a party of the who’s who and it’s all for a great cause.”

_tsunami_:

Mid to late December was a busy time of the year and not just for the Christians. Saturnalia for Cait, Corey and Rufus started on the 17th of December and unlike Christmas that lasted one day, Saturnalia lasted for seven days. Tradition was to make and give out small gifts. Each year Cait hit the kitchen and baked favorite treats of the residents of Xavier's.

This year she hit the kitchen in the middle of the night. It was the only time of the day where there wouldn't be people going in and out all of the time and she could concentrate on what she needed to do. The hours slipped by and Cait worked quickly and efficiently. She made enough to give to Rufus to hand out as well. She knew her brother and knew enough to cover his back.

Morning came and Cait finished up and then cleaned up after herself. She didn't want to leave a messy kitchen behind her.

She went to deliver the Saturnalia goodies.

aintseenalot:

The Stark Foundation event was one of the big gossip topics around the school. Who was going and who was coming up for it and that Rachel had three dates -- everything lovely happened to Rachel.

Lulu contemplated for a while, and then went and knocked on Cait's door.

_tsunami_:

Rufus was impossible to get gifts for. He had always been difficult to get things for, but now everything had to be fireproof, or as close to it. Cait had put some thought into this and with the help of Uncle Scott had managed to make him a new leather jacket. He set his other one on fire last week.

Cait left the wrapped jacket along with a card on Rufus' bed. She also made him his favorite cookies.

anyastark:

Anya didn't have many traditions in her family, unless you counted being a bastard as one of them. The Avengers however did have a few time honored traditions that must be kept going. Sure saving the world from alien invasions, beating up the world level threats and other heroic things were some of those traditions, but not everything could be about beating up the bad guys. One such non-heroic thing was Rate the Hunk.

Each year the female Avengers got together and rated their fellow male Avengers. The new generation had eagerly picked up and kept this tradition going. However, they had expanded it a bit.

The day after Thanksgiving was a perfect day to avoid shopping crowds, take over the rec room, banish the males and look at pictures of them. Anya had run it last year and she took it upon herself to do it again this year. Invitations went out to fellow female heroes. Avengers, X-Women, Defenders, Champions and Thunderbolts all got invitations to come to New York to Rate the Hunk.

Food, drink and snacks were laid in. Signs were put up on the doors and electronic surveillance was set up to see if males dared to interrupt.

Anya settled in on one of the couches and queued up the stash of photos she had collected in the past year.

nextgen_holiday:

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." JFK

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_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_citizen:

The warehouse down on the docks looked deserted and it was the perfect place to goof off and cause trouble, at least to Tommy Stackhouse and Johnny Crane. The two boys had been looking for a place to hang out for some time now and when they spotted the warehouse it looked like the perfect place.

The two boys approached the warehouse and stacked a few crates that had been nearby to get up to a window. Tommy slipped in first and then Johnny followed him. They were unaware that they had set off a silent alarm, but they were too busy staring at what was inside the warehouse.

It was Christmas, a birthday and winning the lottery all in one.

About twenty minutes later police and company security officials would arrive, but they were too late to stop twenty of the drones that had been inside from taking off and blasting through the roof.

Tommy and Johnny had ran as soon as they could and the authorities missed them by a mere minute.

_tsunami_:

Cait was determined to have a nice night out with Aaron without something happening. She made offerings in the morning to Fortuna, the goddess of luck and fortune, that tonight would go a lot better than the last few times she and Aaron had tried to go out. Tonight she was planning on a quick dinner and a movie. It would go smoothly or she was seriously going to hurt someone.

Cait threw on a pair of jeans, shirt, leather jacket and a pair of boots and went to find Aaron.

aaronwyatt:

Aaron had been back to school for almost a month now and hadn’t seen too much of Cait. Since he had gotten through all of his class work early he when to see if he could find Cait to find out if she wanted to do something tonight.

nextgen_media:

Spider-Man on a Rampage! - Just when you thought it was safe to walk the streets of New York again, the menace known as Spider-Man has reared his web-covered head. Recent months has seen an surge of gang violence gripping New York, beginning with the shooting death of a 15 year-old student from Midtown High. Since then, the so-called "Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man" has attacked any groups with gang-affiliations. Members of street gangs such as the Poison Memories, the Midtown Saints and the Grim Bastards Motorcycle Club have been admitted to hospitals with alarming frequency. ..(CONTINUED ON PAGE 2A)


Local Media Mogul Seeks Support For Relief Efforts- Julian Howard, known as the manager behind the mutant reality sensation, X-Factor, has met in recent weeks with a slew of politicians and attended Congressional hearings in Washington D.C. seeking ways to bring more federal aid to the embattled citizens of Fargo, Georgia.

"We are just a few months removed from this tragedy, but we cannot forget its impact or that there are real people still suffering." Howard says.

Mr. Howard has been outspoken in his desire to bridge the divide between humanity and mutantkind in the wake of the tragedy that took the lives of over 3,000 people. A three-day benefit concert is close to being announced and is rumored to have the names of several prominent mainstream and independent artists on the marquee. (CONTINUED ON PAGE 10A)


USA v. Mutants? - A robbery enacted by a group of mutant criminals two weeks ago was thwarted by a new task force created by the Department of Homeland Security. A unit of the Mutant Response Division, led by Command Master Chief Windham Carter, apprehended the crew of mutant thieves after an hour long stand-off. Eyewitness reports also state that another group of mutants came to the aid of the MRD, but this cannot be confirmed. Colonel Audra Wesker, head of the Division, expressed relief and gratitude that there were no serious injuries or deaths. (CONTINUED ON PAGE 3B)

nextgen_holiday:

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

At Xavier's Institute For Higher Learning tables had been placed out around the pool and the large grill fired up. Burgers, hot dogs, sausage, ribs, corn on the cob, pasta salad, salad and fruit salad were just some of the food available to eat. Soda, water, fruit juice and other beverages were on ice.

It was a day of rest and relaxations for those who put their lives on the line for others.

_tsunami_:

Things had been hectic with the fall semester starting and Cait was getting used to being in school again after almost a year off. All the fuss over school left little time with Aaron. Cait was rectifying that tonight. Not another day was going to go by without the two of them going out and doing something.

Izzy had taken a like to Cassidy, so Cait decided to invite the two of them along after checking to make sure it was okay with Aaron. The four of them would go into the city and have some fun. They all deserved it.

Cait checked herself in the mirror one more time and then went to find Aaron.

sound_and_fury:

After his meetings with Joey and (who he thinks might be) Justin, Cassidy is trying to focus on something else so that he doesn't freak out. Freaking out would be bad. Not only because he might have just ratted out Tina, but because he's about to take a pretty big risk. He puts on his new containment suit with the strange decorations and makes sure it fits. It does. The strange metallic designs glow faintly as he looks at himself in the mirror.

He slips on a new pair of jeans and a long-sleeve black shirt, followed by boots, and takes another deep breath. Then he goes downstairs to the front gate at the appointed time. Carlos, Joey's guy, hands over the small package to Cassidy and Cassidy thanks him. Carlos nods and walks away, leaving Cassidy to consider the last part of his plan.

Does he leave the gift, knock and run or does he actually hand it to her. To solve his dilemma, Cassidy asks himself an all-important question: 

What would Cyclops do?

Ten minutes (and much internal debate later) Cassidy knocks on Izzy's door. When she answers, he thrusts the package toward her and takes a deep breath.

"Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?"

sandcastlegod:

It was a big day. Corey had made some tiny sculpture offerings for Diana in accordance with the day. It was also the festival of Vertumnus, god of gardens and stupid but inexplicably effective ways of picking up women. Hercules Invictus was also honored around this time, which....dovetailed reasonably well with that last bit, when one thought about it.

In addition to offering his little sculptures on a makeshift altar out behind the club, Corey made sure to leave flowers for all the girl Champions before proceeding to start making burgers. Beef for Hercules, after all. And he'd managed to get a nice big amount of beef from certified reforestation-encouraging suppliers.

It was important to let the smell of cooked meat really get out. Tradition.

Damn. He'd need garlic for the moon offering tonight. There'd have to be a grocery run.