The X-men run missions and work together with the NYPD, striving to maintain a peaceful balance between humans and mutants. When it comes to a fight, they won't back down from protecting those who need their help.
Haven presents itself as a humanitarian organization for activists, leaders, and high society, yet mutants are the secret leaders working to protect and serve their kind. Behind the scenes they bring their goals into reality.
From the time when mutants became known to the world, SUPER was founded as a black-ops division of the CIA in an attempt to classify, observe, and learn more about this new and rising threat.
The Syndicate works to help bring mutantkind to the forefront of the world. They work from the shadows, a beacon of hope for mutants, but a bane to mankind. With their guiding hand, humanity will finally find extinction.
Since the existence of mutants was first revealed in the nineties, the world has become a changed place. Whether they're genetic misfits or the next stage in humanity's evolution, there's no denying their growing numbers, especially in hubs like New York City. The NYPD has a division devoted to mutant related crimes. Super-powered vigilantes help to maintain the peace. Those who style themselves as Homo Superior work to tear society apart for rebuilding in their own image.
MRO is an intermediate to advanced writing level original character, original plot X-Men RPG. We've been open and active since October of 2005. You can play as a mutant, human, or Adapted— one of the rare humans who nullify mutant powers by their very existence. Goodies, baddies, and neutrals are all welcome.
Short Term Plots:Are They Coming for You?
There have been whispers on the streets lately of a boogeyman... mutant and humans, young and old, all have been targets of trafficking.
The Fountain of Youth
A chemical serum has been released that's shaving a few years off of the population. In some cases, found to be temporary, and in others...?
MRO MOVES WITH CURRENT TIME: What month and year it is now in real life, it's the same for MRO, too.
Fuegogrande: "Fuegogrande" player of The Ranger, Ion, Rhia, and Null
Neopolitan: "Aly" player of Rebecca Grey, Stephanie Graves, Marisol Cervantes, Vanessa Bookman, Chrysanthemum Van Hart, Sabine Sang, Eupraxia
Ongoing Plots
Magic and Mystics
After the events of the 2020 Harvest Moon and the following Winter Solstice, magic has started manifesting in the MROvere! With the efforts of the Welldrinker Cult, people are being converted into Mystics, a species of people genetically disposed to be great conduits for magical energy.
The Welldrinker Cult
A shadowy group is gaining power, drawing in people who are curious, vulnerable, or malicious, and turning them into Mystics. They are recruiting people into their ranks to spread the influence of magic in the world, but for what end goal?
Are They Coming for You?
There have been whispers on the streets lately of a boogeyman... mutant and humans, young and old, all have been targets of trafficking.
Adapteds
What if the human race began to adapt to the mutant threat? What if the human race changed ever so subtly... without the x-gene.
Atlanteans
The lost city of Atlantis has been found! Refugees from this undersea mutant dystopia have started to filter in to New York as citizens and businessfolk. You may make one as a player character of run into one on the street.
Got a plot in mind?
MRO plots are player-created the Mods facilitate and organize the big ones, but we get the ideas from you. Do you have a plot in mind, and want to know whether it needs Mod approval? Check out our plot guidelines.
"Cutting edge. From the entrancing entrance down to the kitchen's simple, yet elegant sweep of counter. All the newest appliances have been installed. Brand-new oven. Range. Sink, microwave, solid steel refrigerator. Lighting." The woman snapped through each and every detail. Lenna glanced at the white kitchen as her tour guide spoke. 'Simple, yet elegant' was right. The kitchen held the bare amenities in the most efficient amount of space one could imagine. The oven sat, built into the cupboard area at the left-most end. Between it and the fridge, four under-sink cupboards sat for storage. Above the stove, a fan-and-light vent was set in steel. On its right, two glass lights hung. Below the lights, a metal shelf jutted out, and below that, to the left of the metallic silver microwave, a professional-looking sink. Then there was the fridge. Stainless steel, large. Lenna held her chin, thinking.
Yes. This would be good for cooking. Large counter area, earnest accouterments— the fridge itself would hold all the ingredients and leftovers Lenna could hope for. And the outlet behind the microwave had just enough space for a coffee maker... maybe a toaster. The only downside she noticed was a staggering lack of a dishwasher... yet, she was but the one Lenna, and dishwashers were for the far-lazier bunch. She would not let a little thing like lack of ease cause her to bemoan her apartment woes. The brunette mercenary was not beyond dirtying her hands to accomplish a deed. Dishes were easy.
Too easy. Her eyes snapped to the guide. Savvy dresser, her hostess was not. A classic power-suit with a skirt and jacket combination? Really? The woman regarded Lenna with a knowing nostril. Her nose had been so upturned when Lenna had appeared before her that morning, wearing her black turtleneck t-shirt, her black jeans, her black leather coat, black boots, and blue scarf, that Lenna had assumed she was auditioning for the part of the nose in Broadway's recent musical on 'The Glory Days of the Sphinx'.
"Can we check out the bedroom now?"
"Certainly," The Hostess smiled. "All two of them."
Two bedrooms. Really? Lenna frowned. The other apartments she'd been shown earlier that day had been a bit smaller, a bit more suited to her needs. Did Lenna really want to rent an apartment with things she'd never use?
Of course, the apartments prior to this one had been a bit more upscale. A bit more expensive. One had boasted two bathrooms, one bedroom, a kitchen, and... a hot tub. While she'd liked the peach wallpaper of the bedroom, and loved the pearl counter top and color scheme of the first bathroom, the second one and the hot tub had been unneeded. The color scheme of the kitchen there had also hit one of her red flags. Too Ebony and Ivory, had been Lenna's first thought. Black and white checkerboard tiles on the floor did not, a pleasing color scheme, make. The simple laminated wood and gray rug on the floor of the current apartment's creme-walled kitchen seemed far easier on the senses. As did the spiffy steel refrigerator and the black-glassed oven. Really, she vastly preferred this one over the last apartment.
Which was good. Lenna assented as the hostess led her towards the first bedroom. She really didn't want to search another home today.
The first room on the hostess's list was built as an offshoot of the entrance-way. The front hall started by the doorway, and bent an L-turn around the corner towards a lengthy hallway stretch. Gray carpet, a painting, and a wooden set of drawers with a mirror were the only things beside closet to distract one in the entrance hall. Beyond that, a shoe rack and a towel rack. A light fixture sat mounted on the wall to the left, above the towels. A segmented plate of glass divided bedroom from entrance way and shoes. The glass was frosted horizontally in the shape of a T-block, with the remaining two panes on either side of the T (up and down) clear as night or day.
"This bedroom's door is sliding glass," The guide demonstrated. Back and forth. "Frosted for all your privacy needs."
"Cool." Lenna shrugged. "And the wooden closet it pretty classy too. Sliding door as well?" She brushed past the guide into the room, and turned to face the flower-printed bedsheets with hand-on-hip. The red line of leaves and branches reminded Lenna of Asia, and miniature bonsai. Her eyes raked past the black and white-padded bench, over the black nightstands on either side of the bed's head, and to the closet. It was a rather nice closet, indeed.
"Er, yes..." High heels pitter-pattered like poodle-foot on kitchen floor. The hostess with the mostest followed brunette killer-for-hire into her future room. Lenna didn’t pay much attention to what poodle-shoes noted. Lamps on either side of the bed, good for reading, yadda yadda. And the padded, plaided, wall-hanging above the pillows was an exclusive something-or-other. Not-so-demure fingers pried undauntedly at the closet’s doors. Back and forth. Back and forth. Just like the guide with her sliding doors before.
The guide flushed at the near-perfect imitation. Lenna grinned back at her, sliding the closet shut. “I like it. Good color scheme. Black headboard’s very nice. And the next one?”
The guide eyed her, look-most-perturbed. “Er, yes. Walk this way.”
Clip, clop, clip, clop. They turned right at the end of the first hall. The hallway to the next room had shelf-space, and the room for a quartet of artsy paintings Lenna cared not for. At the end of that hall, the kitchen lay. Beyond the kitchen, the dining room and living room merged as one. The guide paused in the hallway to point out a closeted feature.
“Oh, I have to point out the washer and dryer real quickly. They’re built into the wall.”
Built into the wall. Blue-green eyes widened as the white door swung open, revealing… a washer and dryer built, indeed, into the wall. And stacked. Dryer above washer, with space for buckets up-top. “I’m actually impressed.”
The guide chuckled. “That’s what they all say. The second room’s up the stairs.” She gestured to a set of stairs Lenna had neglected to notice whilst looking at the amazing compact washer/dryer closet of amazement.
She was actually starting to warm up to the guide. What a fascinating fact.
The wall on the right of the stairs was a different color than the powder-blue of the rest of the apartment’s color scheme. It was navy blue, and dark. Lenna stepped up the wooden stairs after the guide, and was bombarded by orange and powder-blue.
The wall straight ahead cut a jigsaw path up from chest-level. Housed in the niche, a black set of drawers sat. A bed rested on the left side of the room, and a black recliner chilled next to it! Lenna paused to consider. The room would look good with something to offset the jarring fusion of powder-blue and orange that met her eyes upon entry. The fusion that seemed more like pink… “Maybe a poofy faux fur white throw-rug?”
The guide blinked at her. “Sure.”
Lenna turned to look at the spot for bookcases and odds and ends on the right wall. A second set of drawers waited for her. And the bed? It would all do.
“And the bathroom?” She noted the entertainment room was visible beyond the jigsaw partition of wall. The light from the windows cast the powder blue in a darker shade. They’d check that out next.
“Front hall.” The guide led Lenna back to the entrance area. She swung open two doors. Lenna blinked.
“I, uh… coulda sworn that was a closet.”
“I should hope you don’t go to the bathroom in the closet.”
Lenna ducked an icy glare, scratching the back of her neck sheepishly. “No. No. Ignore that comment. Anyways… bathroom.”
Lenna looked. It was a little smaller than she’d expected. On the left, there were shelves for bottles, toilet paper, and whatever else needed cramming. On the right, toilet and sink. Compact. White-tiled floor. Niche for things. She nodded at the details. Through the glass door of the shower, she could see… the shower. “Okay! I think I’ve gotten the gist of this room. Moving on.”
They skedaddled out of the toiletry like it was on-fire. Next stop, last room. Dining room. Everybody, off.
Lenna’s first exclamation of the day— “I. Love. It.” With unseen exclamation points. Obviously, she was too-floored for punctuation. The room had a shelf for books longer than the current post you are reading. And that was no stretch. Everything about the right side of the room was positive news from Lenna. The cupboard was there, and the shelves were bare. They wouldn’t be bare long, once she got a-hold of them. This was ‘must-see-filled-full’ territory. Lenna owned that world.
Her eyes swayed up and away from the lovely space for literature. “I’m a… big reader.” She smiled weakly as the guide gave her the eye.
This room, Lenna decided, was Book Heaven. Where all the good readers went to curl up in a comfortable chair and die.
And, oh, look. A comfortable chair in zebra-striped black and white. This chair wasn’t too ebony and ivory for her. It was suitable. Lenna plopped down in it, and glanced at the beige chair directly right of her.
“This, I like too. Can you ring this up for me? I wanna wear it home…” Ah. Chairs felt so good when they were the kind one could slump down in. And slump, she did.
~*~
Blue scarf wrapped tighter around neck as the brunette mercenary exited the lobby of her brand new residence. The cozy book-hole loft apartment by the southwest corner of central park was hers. The price, while not an issue, had been fair. For a seventh floor two bed room, one bath loft apartment near Central Park, rent to the tune of $3,800 a month was not too much to ask.
Not too much at all.
Wind swept past Lenna’s cheeks as she turned at the entrance, and walked down the street. Cars and pedestrians sandwiched her on every side. The next item on her agenda was simple; she’d have to contact him soon.
But first, she had to run into someone new.
Cue tumbling noise, sound of papers, Lenna derriere meets pavement there. “ Er… hello.” Blue-green eyes darted down to scattered papers. Lenna rushed to help gather what looked like… fashion build-ups for a design school portfolio? She tilted her head at them. Some were actually pretty good. “He—” She cut herself short as they met, eye-to-eye. Lenna sat on her haunches, paused, stack of papers gently held in-hand.
Posted by Kealey Shinbo on Oct 3, 2009 18:28:44 GMT -6
X-Men
Team Leader of the X-Men
[color=deeppink]
Straight
Married (Tetsuya Shinbo)
1,652
4
Dec 31, 2019 21:55:08 GMT -6
Jules
Rushing and hurrying, it seemed like those were the only things Kealey was good at anymore. The only things she ever did, at least. If the interview for her acceptance hadn’t been in just a few short days, the blond would have been seriously worried about the state of her mental health. As it were, she was just convinced she was suffering a week-long nervous breakdown. Everything in the portfolio was perfect, Kealey had made sure of it fifty times over the last three days, but she still felt the need to carry it along with her everywhere she went. If she left it at the apartment there was the chance that Jacen would look at it. Not that she thought he’d do anything wrong, but what if all of it was bad? Kealey couldn’t handle the thought of all the work she’d done going down the drain because she’d done a terrible job. Jacen would probably just be trying to save her the embarrassment of going to the meeting if that was the case and he told her…but still.
Down the street Kealey hurried, coming back from a lunch break that had stretched into far too much time wasting and people watching. She was going to be late for work. She’d called ahead though, let the people working know what had happened and they’d been understanding. It was hard to find someone in New York City that had her specialty, after all. One long lunch wasn’t going to be enough to put her job in jeopardy. She was thinking about that, moving through the crowd, and not really paying attention to where she was going when it happened.
The impact wasn’t very hard, definitely not hard enough to hurt her when she hit the ground. It was however hard enough to knock the portfolio from her hands and send the contents fluttering down onto the busy New York Street.
Shock, complete and utter shock was the only thing Kealey felt as she looked at the woman who had knocked her future right out of her hands. The woman was saying something, apologizing maybe and it seemed like with the words she said, everything rushed back at once.
”NO!” Kealey shouted, scrambling around on the ground and trying to pick everything up. There had been a definite method to the madness of her portfolio and now it was scattered everywhere. The blond yelped as if it caused her pain when a Prada heel trod atop a sketch she’d drawn at the aquarium. ”Apologize later! Help me get those papers!” she exclaimed, already working on the job at hand and hoping she’d have help. The woman was…Kealey stopped dead in her tracks for a moment and stared hard, for a moment she hadn’t been able to feel anything from the woman. But then, it was there, but it was like feeling through muddy water, Kealey’s eyes widened slightly, but then she continued picking up papers. They were going to need to have a talk.
Eyes widened in shock. Suddenly, the papers in Lenna's hands held a relative power to them. She'd caused a crazy woman to snap at her. And if a handful of pretty pictures kept in good condition did that much, then—she cringed as a woman's heel trod carelessly over a sketch. So much work, crunched underfoot in a New York minute. That speedwalking woman in a power suit… really did need to look whose dreams she was stepping on… Lenna subconsciously straightened the papers in her hands as she watched the crowd move by. Another comment from the blond ahead of her jerked her back to reality.
>> “Apologize later! Help me get those papers!”
Had… she been apologizing? No, not really. Although maybe she should have been? Things like collisions happened all the time in crowds. And this was New York. Pedestrians were more likely to flip the finger than offer condolences over sketches or apologies for ruined clothes. A scuff was a scuff, no matter the guff, and those with great gall blamed others for their lack of vision or foresight. If they’d really been paying attention, they’d have planned ahead to make sure they didn’t collide with another’s body whilst wearing those nice new loafers. Lenna’d had her share of rude walkers. Usually, she apologized. One couldn’t fault a trained killer for being friendly. It wasn’t every day one found a nice murderer.
In this scenario, she opened her mouth to apologize, and was told to hold it for later. So hold it for later, she did! “I’m already gathering them up. Hold on…” She shoved another person’s foot off a page, and grabbed it. Move aside.
A minute or so later, Lenna tapped the last of the pictures she'd found into the well-ordered pile. She held the stack out for the blond woman with a mild frown. "Now, can I say I'm sorry?" Her eyes bowed to look at the top picture on the stack. "...Also, some of these are really good. Design school major?"
A hint of compassion tugged at Lenna's heart strings, amid the faint urge to pack up and be done with it. The desire to go grab a bite from some burger joint. To hurry up and wait. She meant what she'd said. These sketches really had looked excellent. And if any of them were ruined due to her own inattentiveness... Lenna hoped it wasn't a design portfolio for some fashion school hopeful who'd have to present concrete-scuffed pictures. Really hoped the pictures were all salvageable, had backups, were alright. "More importantly... how are you?" Her eyes met the girl's politely. That was right. She'd been bumped out of her comfort zone too. "If I hurt you in any way, I'm sorry."
Posted by Kealey Shinbo on Oct 18, 2009 19:19:36 GMT -6
X-Men
Team Leader of the X-Men
[color=deeppink]
Straight
Married (Tetsuya Shinbo)
1,652
4
Dec 31, 2019 21:55:08 GMT -6
Jules
The woman was helping, and Kealey was trying not to panic. Trying really hard not to panic. All that work, all that time she’d spent putting together a portfolio that was sure to get her into design school…all flying around in the middle of a crowded New York street.
There were a few moments of frantic gathering as Kealey and the stranger went back and forth on the street, pulling the pictures from the ground and from underfoot. A few bystanders received slightly furious glares from Kealey for their lack of help and/or the damage they’d caused to her sketches by being careless. It really wasn’t fair, not after everything she’d done.
She and the other woman met up in the middle of the street, and Kealey felt her cheeks color as the woman asked if she could apologize. Kealey looked at the woman, and frowned slightly. It was still there, the slight fuzziness as she tried to read the emotions of the woman in front of her. They were there though, the emotions, and the lady meant it. She was sorry. ”You don’t need to say it. I didn’t mean to insist either…It’s just that…these are kind of my life right now.” the blond said, taking the sketches from the other woman’s grip.
The compliment was unexpected, and after a moment Kealey realized it was also true. The woman really thought some of her sketches were good. Cheeks flushing darkly, Kealey smiled slightly, ”Thank you…” she said softly, ”I’m not anything yet…I’m hoping to get into design school though…this is…was my portfolio.”
It was quiet for a slightly awkward moment, and Kealey looked down at the slightly crumpled and scuffed pictures. There were backups of some, and Kealey thought she could probably re-make the ones that weren’t salvageable…but all that work. She sighed, just as the woman asked if she was alright. Instantly, Kealey was contrite and she nodded her head, ”Oh, I’m just fine…I was walking with my head in the clouds and not paying attention to where I was going. I should really be the one apologizing for running into you…then snapping. You are alright, aren’t you?” Kealey hoped so, the last thing she needed on top of her portfolio being messed up was the woman being hurt as well.
>>"Oh, I’m just fine…I was walking with my head in the clouds and not paying attention to where I was going. I should really be the one apologizing for running into you…then snapping. You are alright, aren’t you?"
"I'm fine." Lenna replied silently.
She bit her lip. That was the woman's portfolio? Scattered all over the sidewalk, trounced on by strangers? She hoped the woman had backups of her sketches. That was her life Lenna had cast into disarray. A sinking feeling welled in Lenna's gut.
"I really hope you get in... did you have extra copies of any of these? In case something like this happened, or... oh man. You should check them over. Listen. I know a little place not far from here. A cafe. Street-side seating. They serve a fine cup of coffee. Would you mind coming with me? I feel like I have to do something to make this up to you. A cup of coffee and a place to sit down and go over your sketches is the least I could do."
Was she acting more nervous than usual? Huh. She supposed the girl's worries were rubbing off on her.
Posted by Kealey Shinbo on Oct 24, 2009 11:14:58 GMT -6
X-Men
Team Leader of the X-Men
[color=deeppink]
Straight
Married (Tetsuya Shinbo)
1,652
4
Dec 31, 2019 21:55:08 GMT -6
Jules
Kealey could feel the regret now, honest regret though the fuzzy haze that seemed to curtain this woman’s emotions. Kealey couldn’t help but stare a little bit and tilt her head as the woman affirmed that she was, indeed, alright. That was good to know, they were both in better condition than her portfolio. Her portfolio…Kealey bit her own lip as she looked down again at the papers. Now that the adrenaline of the fall and subsequent scramble was wearing off, the gravity of the situation was starting to set in. All of her sketches, everything she’d put together for the interview that was in less than a week. Kealey took a deep breath and swallowed hard, pushing at the emotions that were threatening to overwhelm her….her emotions.
Kealey frowned and looked around. There were people everywhere just like usual on a public street in Manhattan, that wasn’t strange at all. What was strange was the fact that her own feelings were far more prevalent than those of the people milling around…even the ones who were close. It was almost like…Kealey’s eyes widened slightly at the woman just as she started to speak. Whatever Kealey had been about to say died a quick death at the sincerity of the words from the other woman and offer of coffee and a chance to try and sort things out.
Kealey nodded her head, for more than one reason, at the offer from the woman. ”Coffee would be great, though really, my misfortune is no more your fault than anyone else’s.” she said, then followed as they made their way towards the aforementioned coffee shop. Even if the woman hadn’t been as nice as she was, Kealey would have accepted the offer. The effect of being close to her was too strange, too familiar, if in a different way.
”I’m Kealey, by the way. Kealey Quinn.” the blond said as they walked, the introduction was a little late, butt better late than never, right?
Lenna turned to Kealey as she gave her name. "Lenna Solderberg." She replied. After a minute of walking, they came to the shop.
It was a nice little coffee shop, with an enclosed area off to the right of the building surrounded by light bushes and friendly decor. Metal tables sat with their feet curled in the courtyard, not too-far off the street. Glass tabletops caught the sun. A few people mulled over their morning cups by their own rounded tables. The rustle of a newspaper and stray strands of polite conversation drifted to their table as Lenna sat down. She smiled as a barista stepped forwards, pen and paper pad held pointedly in her hands, ready to jot down notes.
"Small mocha." Lenna requested.
The waitress took their orders, then retreated to the quiet counter-top area of the coffee shop. She spoke to a woman in a red apron behind the counter. They exchanged curt nods. Behind the two ladies, shelves of bagged beans sat on display amid mugs and whatever else they sold.
Lenna turned to face Kealey with a small smile. "This place has good service." The barista returned with Lenna's mocha. Lenna popped the lid off, and cupped the mocha in her hands. She blew on the contents lightly. "Fast, too." The barista set down Kealey's order next.
Lenna took a sip, sucked in a quick breath of air, and set her cup down. It was still too hot. She'd let it cool. Hands still huddled around the cup for warmth, Lenna looked Kealey in the eye. "So, how long?" She started. Left space for confusion. After a moment, she made herself clearer. "How long have you wanted to be a design major?"
Posted by Kealey Shinbo on Dec 26, 2009 18:10:28 GMT -6
X-Men
Team Leader of the X-Men
[color=deeppink]
Straight
Married (Tetsuya Shinbo)
1,652
4
Dec 31, 2019 21:55:08 GMT -6
Jules
Kealey followed the other woman as they made their way towards the coffee shop, it wasn’t somewhere that Kealey had been before, but coffee was coffee. Besides, Kealey thought, looking down at her portfolio, she needed somewhere to sit down and sort everything out.
They were seated at a little table now, and Kealey watched the other woman closely as the barista arrived and she ordered. There were plenty of people in the shop, enough that she should have been uncomfortable at the least with the emotions hitting her. They just weren’t. Not like they should have been , at least. It wasn’t quite like being around Jacen, that was a complete silence that the blond was pretty sure couldn’t be duplicated. This was similar though. Lost in her thoughts, Kealey’s head jerked at what had to have been a repeated request for her order.
”I’ll have the same thanks.” the blond said, smiling at Lenna, then shrugged her shoulders as the barista wrote the order on her pad and walked away, ”You have good taste in coffee. Besides, I’ve always had a sweet tooth…I can’t turn a way a chance at chocolate, even if it’s mixed into coffee.”
Almost as the words were out of Lenna’s mouth, a steaming cup of mocha was placed in front of Kealey and she followed Lenna’s lead, taking the cup in her hands and taking a sip while nodding her head, ”That was really fast.”
It was easy to forget about what had happened in the street with the way Kealey’s powers felt muted around Lenna and as the other woman brought up Kealey’s major, she winced slightly and set her portfolio on the table, opening it and starting to sift through the drawings.
”I think deep down I’ve wanted to do this my whole life.” Kealey said, looking at the drawings as she spoke. They weren’t as rumpled or messed up as they could have been, not by a long shot. It looked like there were a few missing, but the situation definitely could have been worse.
”I couldn’t do it for a long time, though. I’ve got some…problems that kept me out of traditional schools for most of my adolescence, and then it looked like my life was going to go in a different direction. It was only after I moved here that I started thinking that maybe I’d give it a try. What about you? I‘ve still not met met anyone who was actually from New York, are you a native or another drifter like myself? ”
>>”You have good taste in coffee. Besides, I’ve always had a sweet tooth…I can’t turn a way a chance at chocolate, even if it’s mixed into coffee.”
Lenna smiled. She'd developed a taste for them while she had been in Paris. Those French coffee cafes were something else. She'd sat down with a hot cup more than once in her last trip. Lenna had found a minor bit of irony in the situation. Sipping Columbian beans in Paris, France. So far away from home, yet close to a product from it.
"Chocolate is God."
The coffee arrived, and Kealey answered Lenna's question.
Problems? Lenna's mind focused in on that single word. She wondered what sort of things could keep one out of school like that... it must have been a unique situation. Perhaps, even one the blond didn't want to discuss. "I had some unique situations for schooling myself... a bit of a drifter, also." She replied simply, then rolled back to that plaguing question. "Problems?"
Posted by Kealey Shinbo on Dec 27, 2009 14:51:12 GMT -6
X-Men
Team Leader of the X-Men
[color=deeppink]
Straight
Married (Tetsuya Shinbo)
1,652
4
Dec 31, 2019 21:55:08 GMT -6
Jules
Kealey just nodded slowly when the other woman commented that Chocolate was God. Kealey wasn’t naive enough to believe that the woman actually worshipped a bean, but the nun in her wanted to admonish. She smiled instead, and sipped the warm liquid with a chuckle. If there was one thing that Kealey was no longer…it was a nun.
Kealey smiled more as Lenna commented on the fact that she was something of a drifter as well. Another kindred spirit in New York City. Kealey hadn’t found many who weren’t outside of a man who hadn’t had a spirit to be kindred with. What other kind of person would kill someone in a subway? Kealey shook her head and went back to the sketch book, shuffling the papers and trying to sort them back into the order they’d been in before the collision.
As she’d thought before, the damage wasn’t nearly as bad as it had appeared. Surely some of the drawings would need to be redone, but the concept was already done, and that was the hard part. Kealey smiled and shut the folder, ”It’s not as bad as it first appeared.” she said, ”Thanks to your quick hands.”
Back to the conversation at hand though, Lenna was curious. Kealey tilted her head slightly and studied the other woman for a moment, wondering just how much to disclose, then she shrugged.
”Emotions.” Kealey said as introduction, then looked around the coffee shop, everything was there…but it was like it was behind a fuzzy veil. ”I can feel them. All of them. Anything that anyone within ohhhhh about 30 ft of me is feeling, I feel it too.” she left out the part about how she could change those emotions. People usually didn’t react to that as well.
”I was a teenager when it started happening. You know how teenagers are with emotions…it took me a long time to learn how to deal with it all. What about you? Why were you a drifter?”
"That's good," Lenna replied, as Kealey shuffled through her papers and took note. That was a relief for the blond woman. Lenna was glad.
Her hands fell to try her mocha again. She took a sip from her cup. Warmth and chocolate flowed into her. Lenna let herself steep in it for a moment, just listening. From the coffee bar nearby, she could hear a faint jazz melody start up. Piano notes met saxophone in a way that spelled 'r-e-l-a-x'.
>>”Emotions.” Kealey answered her question.The brown-haired mercenary took another long sip of her drink. ”I can feel them. All of them. Anything that anyone within ohhhhh about 30 ft of me is feeling, I feel it too.”
The cup rested against table again. Lenna could see how that would be a problem. Being surrounded by the feelings of others had to be difficult. Lenna had heard of some assassins with a similar gift, mind-reading, who'd gone mad with the power. They'd gotten so bad, they couldn't decipher others' thoughts from their own. If it was like that for Kealey with emotions, it was a wonder she was sitting so calmly amongst all these people. Lenna followed Kealey's eyes towards the coffee bar.
Curious.
>> "...What about you? Why were you a drifter?”
"Business," Lenna made the excuse in all its rehearsed glory. "I work for The Hermès Group, selling dishware. My job requires me to travel quite a bit. Drifting sort of comes naturally."
Posted by Kealey Shinbo on Dec 28, 2009 10:42:22 GMT -6
X-Men
Team Leader of the X-Men
[color=deeppink]
Straight
Married (Tetsuya Shinbo)
1,652
4
Dec 31, 2019 21:55:08 GMT -6
Jules
Lenna was pleased by the fact that Kealey had found positive news about the portfolio. The other woman’s emotions may have been a little muted, but they were still there. Kealey watched out of the corner of her eye as she fiddled with the leather folder that held the sheaf of papers and smiled as soft music started to waft through the coffee shop. This really was a nice place. Kealey took note of the name of the place. It would probably be a nice addition to the Full Circle when she needed a change.
After her explanation of her powers, Lenna was curious. Kealey definitely couldn’t blame the other woman. It was a strange concept for a person to wrap their mind around. It had been hard for Kealey to wrap her mind around for years. She smiled, ”If you’ve got questions, ask them, I learned a long time ago not to be surprised by people being curious about me. I don’t mind sharing at all.”
The other woman explained what she did for a living and why she was a drifter and Kealey’s eyebrows rose slightly. Somehow a life selling silverware didn’t seem to fit the woman sitting across from her, neither did the muted emotions that went along with the rote explanation. Surely the woman knew what she did to powers. Then again…maybe not. Kealey immediately put the lid on her own curiosities and decided to talk to Jacen before she said anything else as far as the muting of her powers were concerned.
”Dishware.” Kealey said, hoping her disbelief wasn’t too obvious and speaking quickly to cover anything that stuck out, That must be fascinating with all the travel. I’ve only been here besides Ireland. I guess drifter is a strong word for me.”
>> ”If you’ve got questions, ask them, I learned a long time ago not to be surprised by people being curious about me. I don’t mind sharing at all.”
Questions. Yes, there were many. The cup traveled up to Lenna's lips as she mulled over what to ask. "I imagine it'd be difficult going in public places," she suggested noncommittally. "All those conflicting emotions. I knew a man with exhaust ports on his body. He always had to take special precautions to prevent himself from getting too hot." Speaking of hot, the mocha was quickly cooling. Lenna took a second sip.
She shrugged when Kealey commented on all the traveling Lenna did selling dishware. "I've seen Paris a few times. Europe is nice. I've never been to Ireland, though." Her last trip to Paris had been less 'fascinating' than 'frustrating'. Lenna momentarily remembered the bird man, and the resulting meal. The fact he'd eaten chicken... was a little disconcerting. Lenna shared a faint smile at the thought. "One does meet the strangest people traveling around..."
Posted by Kealey Shinbo on Jan 24, 2010 12:40:18 GMT -6
X-Men
Team Leader of the X-Men
[color=deeppink]
Straight
Married (Tetsuya Shinbo)
1,652
4
Dec 31, 2019 21:55:08 GMT -6
Jules
Difficult going into public places, Kealey smiled and nodded her head, ”It used to be. In fact, I couldn’t do it at all until a few years ago. I lived somewhere very quiet, though, it was nice. Now, it is not so bad. You see, I‘m sitting here in a coffee house, and I‘m not rambling like a mad woman.”
Related stories of other mutants Lenna knew. Kealey assumed the woman wasn’t one herself. No, she was like Jacen, Kealey was more and more sure about it by the moment. She didn’t say anything though, was it possible the woman herself wasn’t aware? Kealey didn’t know, but opening her mouth had gotten her into bad situations more than once. She kept it shut, at least on the point of the woman’s abilities.
”That must be horrible.” she said, ”Having to vent yourself like that. What a burden.”
The woman had never seen Ireland, and Kealey was torn over what to tell her about it. There were beautiful places, things you’d never see anywhere else in the world…but there was a dark side to Ireland too. Kealey supposed that was true anywhere. People were poor in Ireland, most of them anyway, and stereotypes clung with tight fingers to some of those living in the more urban areas. The blond smiled though, ”It’s a beautiful place, especially the country.”
The last comment was almost missed in Kealey’s memories of home and she nodded her head a bit belatedly. ”You do.”
Kealey checked her watch and looked at the woman across from her, sipping the mocha that was quickly disappearing, ”I do hate to cut this short…but I’m already late getting back to work. I work at the library. Maybe we can do this again sometimes? I’d love to hear more about your travels, and I can always use more friends.”
>>”That must be horrible.” Kealey said, ”Having to vent yourself like that. What a burden.”
"And he had diabetes, the jerk..." Lenna shook her head. "Always used to live on the wild side." Chasing after her when she was on missions, taking unnecessary risks, coming to work without his gun. Cortez had loved that. He'd asked how Johnathon would kill someone, if he lacked the means to shoot. Johnathon had laughed sadistically, 'Do you really need to ask?'
That had been one of the bloodier missions. It was a good thing they didn't work together anymore...
----------
>>”I do hate to cut this short…but..."
Lenna looked up from her beverage.
"Sure. I understand." Library, huh? Well, she did love books. "I'll have to check out a book some time, and say 'hey'. Oh, and I'll handle the bill with the mochas. It's on me." She set down her coffee, and smiled at Kealey. "Take care. And good luck." She nodded towards the fashion drawings.
