December 2021

Topaz returned to X-Force just in time for their relocation to offices in District X, a move which apparently had slipped the mind of an increasingly tired-looking and distracted Amanda Sefton, who bribed Artie Maddicks to help her pack her cubicle on the actual day. Namor wondered at what Solstice gift to get the nature spirit who has everything. And Clinton Barton began repairing relationships damaged by his abrupt departure two years earlier.

Everything else at the mansion was overshadowed, however, when Laurie Collins' secret work with Nathaniel Essex was revealed in a series of events - an attack on Darcy Lewis with her powers when the other woman finally realised she was being manipulated; Essex beginning his treatment to regrow her arm; a small X-Men team eventually tracking her down and Spectrum interrupting the process before it was finished, causing Laurie to have a series of small strokes and becoming further disabled; and finally Laurie leaving the mansion and being found by Essex in Florida, who gave her (another) offer she couldn't refuse. Darcy fled the medlab in a panic after discovering Laurie was there (briefly) and was sent to a safe house by Kevin Sydney, Clinton Barton threatened to track her down regardless until warned off by Natasha Romanoff and a definite pall was cast over Christmas.

2021 still had one last surprise left, even after all that, with April Parker dropping out of the wormhole the day before New Year's Eve. And Kevin and Felicia Hardy combined work and play by attending a Maggia New Year's party, where they spotted the mysterious Madame Masque.

Timeline

Dec 1 - Topaz returns to work after her void vacation.

Dec 2 - Clint texts Darcy, apologizing for being a jerk. Topaz lets everyone know her phone has mysteriously stopped working. Darcy brings Clint food and they catch up.

Dec 3 - Darcy proposes ice skating to Doug

Dec. 4 -

Dec 5 - Kurt monitors Betsy's Danger Room session. Arise, X-Man: Laurie and Nate take another step in their relationship

Dec 6 - Jubilee posts about choices and living with them

Dec 7 -

Dec 8 -

Dec 9 - Maya posts happily about snow. Terry announces warm drinks are in the kitchen

Dec 10 - Alani posts in confusion about hockey

Dec 11 - Gabriel texts Felicia about Amanda's poor state of health. Arise, X-Man: Laurie accidentally texts Darcy instead of Nate saying "I miss you", and Darcy acts on it, much to Laurie's annoyance.

Dec 12 - Jubilee suggests Secret Santa to X-Force. Darcy asks Doug about his Sunday night plans.

Dec 13

Dec 14 - Jubilee reminds X-Force that they’re moving offices soon.

Dec 15 - Clarice reminds herself that violence is not the answer, at least in respect to Salvation Army bell ringers. Terry emails Alison about vocal lessons. Sooraya texts Angelo and Alani to let them know she’ll be spending the holidays with Angel in Seattle. Hope texts Sue to let her know that her friends CJ and Ian are moving to New York. Namor asks the magic community for advice on a solstice gift for the Baltimore nature spirit; Topaz emails Doug about the many strangely named email groups on the server.

Dec 16 - Kurt and Meggan take each other out for birthday movies. Marie-Ange and Darcy explore a restaurant at the base of the new X-Force office and are pleased with the results.

Dec 17

Dec 18 - On the day of X-Force’s office relocation to District X, Artie texts Amanda to remind her she needs to pack up her cubicle; Jubilee helps Kevin pack his bar; Kevin and Felicia check out a potential new local ‘The Original Kirby’s’; Darcy helps Wanda organise the layout for the new “Weird Magic Shite” offices and storage; Jubilee lets X-Force know she and Clarice will be handing out wine candy in the new office’s reception area, in costume; Marie-Ange and Topaz work on unpacking Avalon-lite - one of the back offices in the new building.

Dec 19 - Maya posts some new Instagram pics with her actually smiling. Kevin runs into Amanda at Sol’s Deli, which is so much nearer since the office move. Darcy leaves Gabe’s Secret Santa gift on his desk.

Dec 20 - Gabe leaves a gift by Darcy’s door. Arise, X-Man: Darcy sleeps badly and when she wakes, tells Doug she needs to talk to Laurie; Darcy sends a text to Doug reiterating her plans since she wasn’t sure he was awake enough to understand them the first time; Darcy tries to talk to Laurie about her headaches but Laurie finally reveals she’s the cause and there’s a damaging powers feedback loop which leaves Darcy unconscious; Doug texts Darcy repeatedly and becomes concerned when he doesn’t get a reply; Doug raises the alarm and gets a teleport from the X-Force offices to the mansion so he can check on Darcy; Laurie goes to Essex’ lab for the treatment which will restore her arm; Blink asks for X-Men volunteers to find Laurie as she’s also incommunicado; Spectrum reports in that she, Wolverine and Wildchild haven’t found Laurie, but they have found her phone and are retracing her steps; finding Essex’s labs deserted, the X-Men enter and find Laurie in some kind of pod not unlike the Genoshan mutate pods Essex had created and Spectrum reacts badly and cuts the power to the pod, causing Laurie to have a series of strokes; Blink provides an update on the conditions of Darcy and Laurie, who are both in the medlab. Jubilee and Gabriel meet the owners of the bodega at the base of the new X-Force offices.

Dec 21 - Sue suggests inviting Hope’s friends CJ and Ian to her apartment for a “Welcome to New York” dinner.

Dec 22 - Arise, X-Man:Nica emails Clarice asking if she injured Laurie by turning off the machine and if she’ll recover; Darcy releases herself from the medlab and goes to Kevin in the middle of a panic attack about Laurie and he helps her find a safe place to go; as agreed Darcy texts Kevin to let him know she’s arrived safely; Kevin delivers the letters Darcy left with him, including one to Laurie, and he gives her a chance to confess what happened, which she refuses to take; Kevin lets X-Force know about Darcy’s leave of absence. Darcy also leaves Christmas gifts for Kevin, Maya and Topaz.

Dec 23 - Arise, X-Man: - Laurie posts a typically passive aggressive journal post before leaving the mansion; Maya emails Kevin to ask what’s going on after receiving Darcy’s gift; Clint asks Natasha to help him track down Laurie or Darcy and she lets him know that Darcy is not to be disturbed by order of Kevin; Terry asks Kyle what’s going on with Darcy and Laurie leaving; Jubilee lets X-Force know she’s got Darcy’s work in hand but asks for help with her international jobs.

Dec 24 - Arise, X-Man: In Florida, a disabled Laurie meets with Essex, who offers to fix her injuries if she’ll work with him and she jumps at the chance; Terry leaves Darcy a supportive voicemail message; Clint texts Doug to ask him what he meant in his reply to Laurie’s post; Natasha asks Kevin for information on keeping Clint from messing with things; Kyle informs the X-Men and X-Force that Essex was involved with Laurie’s ‘treatment’. Wanda lets everyone know her door is open. Terry asks if anyone wants to join her for midnight mass. Felicia shares an Instagram post from her Christmas Eve with her mother. Emma posts from Paris, where she’s working, but lets everyone know she’s available telepathically. Clarice provides Terry with a bag of knitwear for her priest’s charity. Terry asks Kyle if he’s okay to go to Matt and Clint’s parents’ place before mass for a Christmas Eve dinner; Terry, Kyle and Wanda join Clint and Matt at their fathers' house for Christmas Eve celebrations.

Dec 25 - Christmas Day. Arise, X-Man: Marie-Ange and Kevin meet to discuss the evidence that Laurie was apparently using her powers on Darcy for an extended period. Darcy texts Matt to wish him a Merry Christmas.

Dec 26 -

Dec 27 - Maya is bored and asks what people have planned for New Year’s Eve.

Dec 28 - Angelo helps Kyle up after getting his butt kicked by Gustaff, a lizardman boxer and they talk about some difficult topics that Kyle has been trying, or not trying to manage.

Dec 29 - Darcy texts Clint, apologizing for disappearing and letting him know she’s ok.

Dec 30 - April Parker drops out of the Wormhole that Avalon turned into, and meets a somewhat rough welcome. Jean posts to the journals about April, reassuring the mansion about their new visitor. Doug texts Clint teasing him about the fact he was in the shower when April came through. Maya posts to her journal wondering if she should start questioning her father and Wade’s decision making skills.

Dec 31 - New Year's Eve. April posts to her new Xavier’s journal introducing herself and apologizing if she set anyone off. Darcy texts Doug, wishing him a belated Happy New Year and asking him about the gift she left. Felicia crossposts from her Instagram the dress she’s wearing for New Year's Eve. Kevin and Felicia crash the Maggia New Year’s party at the St. Regis, and end up spotting Madame Masque. Maya runs into Jean at the District X New Year's Eve street party and introduces her to her friends.

Plots

Arise, X-Man

External Links

December 2021