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.
There was a long silence. Geo didn't have to see the woman to read the room. She was in over her head and wanted to make a mistake. He had tricks up his sleeve, time at the Order had made sure he was a trained killing machine. But he couldn't do it making sure no one hurt Daydream at the same time.
Heaving a sigh at the silence Geo crossed the room, arms held out in front to make sure he didn't collide with the invisible girl. Perching himself on the back of the chair to the side of the window as he pulled it slightly ajar. The elemental lit a cigarette and took a long drag cradling his own head in his hands. This was by far the worst trouble chasing a pretty smile had gotten him into yet. But he couldn't just roll over, show the man any fear. As long as he could hold strong and let this guy know he wasn't going to let him in his head he had a vague chance. That was all he needed. The rest was theatrics. Wouldn't be the first time he'd saved the game in the bottom of the fourth quarter.
Geo jumped to his feet, fists at the ready at Daydreams cry out. He was washed with relief to find it was just a glass that had been knocked over. At least he knew Daydream was still in the room. He replaced the glass, stopping for a moment to look at the sleeping beauty in question. After another brief pause she lobbed a question at him which was met with thunderous laughter from the mutant.
"You're kidding me right?" Geo spoke addressing the sleeping Daydream instead of the one he couldn't see. It just felt more natural. "For starters that's the oldest trick in the book. I was born at night but not last night." A popular phrase his father lobbed at him regularly. "Then there's the whole you being asleep thing but I don't entirely get your powers so who knows. But really though? I've been diving head first into way to much trouble since before your mutation first popped. You think I don't know the sound of a bad idea? Please. You're not getting off that easily Dreamboat." Though his tone started out as a mocking tone of feeling mildly insulted his voice took a surprising turn for a caring tone. Sitting on the table next to the bed Geo reached over gingerly brushing a bit of red hair the wind had blown astray back into place.
"You're not going to go through the kind of hell I had to growing into being a mutant. This worlds mean and you're still as sweet and innocent as they come." His hand ran down her cheek once before returning to his cigarette though he stayed where he sat. "That's something precious Daydream. Don't squander it. The world is yours, don't throw it all away to get yourself killed over some creep. I'll handle it, you just gotta go live your life best you can beautiful. Be better than me."
- But really though? I've been diving head first into way to much trouble since before your mutation first popped. You think I don't know the sound of a bad idea? Please. You're not getting off that easily Dreamboat."
"Exactly! You're constantly putting your head on the line for me! I don't want to get you killed Geo!" She shot back with surprising bite to her voice and a hint of pain. Her voice wavered a bit and though she was invisible. A silver stream of tears rolled down the cheek of her sleeping body on the bed.
Kendra didn't want this. She didn't want any of this. She hated that she felt so powerless to stop it. Kendra teleported around the room a few times. It was her version of pacing when she was highly agitated. She had her arms crossed against he chest in a defiant unseen gesture. BLINK. BLINK BLINK BLINK BLINK BLINK BLINK! If you listened closely the sound of her sobs could be heard coming from almost everywhere in the room. They were quiet, but she was upset. Finally she teleported right into his face.
His words came out as soft and caring, but she only heard patronizing and stubborn. He was trying to lock her away from danger and keep her away from Gavin, she got that, but it wasn't his fight. It wasn't his burden, she wasn't his problem! Daydream was angry now. She wasn't really mad at Geo, she was hurt and scared and just wanted to lash out. Now standing in Geo's face she hit him in the chest.
Daydream curled up her fists and hit him in the chest. She slammed frustrated fists into his chest again and again and again. All she managed to do was hurt her hands on his hard chisled chest. She was tired. So very tired. She couldn't even run if she wanted to. Geo would never allow it. He was probably one of the most stubborn men she had ever known, but he was a good guy. "You can't fight him.....He has to many mutants." She finally said. She didn't wait for a response. Honestly she was drained. She was more than emotionally exhausted and she moved over to the bed and crawled into it with her body. She just wished she could sleep and forget about the world for a few hours. To have that esapce that always eluded her.
She sat on the edge of the bed and stared out the window for a moment. He wouldn't trust her now, he'd be keeping an eye on her making sure she didn't try and run off. He'd no doubt just chase her. She just couldn't see any other way of keeping him safe. She may have been his main concern, but he was one of her main concerns.
"Fine....Ima not looking to make no bad ideas. Get'chu some sleep If 'n it makes you feel better gone cuddle up next'ta me and hold me tight, make sure I don't sneak off.... Just get'chu some sleep k?" She said still staring out the window. She would probably spend the rest of the night all the way through morning just .... Staring out the window. She was out of ideas, She was out of tears. She was just .... Out. Daydream turned to Geo to see if he was indeed lying down. We can figure the rest out in the morning. She thought quietly as she listened to the rain's pitter padder on the roof.
"If you we'rent involved I'd be putting me neck there anyways Dreamboat. There ain't a lot in this world I'm good at but if there's one thing I can do is use what I've got to keep other mutants safe." What else could a soldier with no orders do? Most of his youth was either him getting himself into trouble and going wherever the powers that be of the Order pointed. It was a simple existence but it was his own and Geo felt he was making real change. He already knew he was going after this guy. It was the how and when that was up in the air. She didn't seem to like his notion of going alone though. Stood and took the hits as she beat her fists against his chest in frustration.
"It's not about numbers. It's how you stack the deck." He had no intention of taking on the circus head on. He had learned to be craftier than that. It wasn't about who was more powerful but rather how they used their gifts. Awfully hard to his your target when they're below ground. She seemed to give up on the notion. Proposing instead that they just call it a night though a coy smile formed on his face as she suggested he cuddle up to her.
"Oh don't fret Dreamboat. I just don't want to see that pretty little face of yours cry anymore." As he stood up onto the bed and walked over her sleeping body he removed his shirt and hung it on the post of the bed. The wooden frame creaked loudly in response to his falsely advertised weight. Settling to stay mostly in the corner Geo hooked his arm onto Daydreams, lacing his fingers into hers and hooking his ankle into hers. He wouldn't cuddle up to the poor girl in a state like this. She had said herself that she had some sort of a fling thing at the mansion. But he wanted to make sure that she didn't run off on him. If he had her body he could always just wake her up even if she decided to run off in her dream form. Removing the bun from his hair and letting it fall over his shoulder Geo planted a kiss on Daydreams forehead.
"Don't forget to rest yourself there beautiful. Pretty sure 'sleep walking' doesn't count."
Daydream was sitting in the chair by the window. She was casually flipping through the pages of some dusty old book she had found in one of the drawers. It was a book on geneology and transmutation. A study in the science of mutation and it's affect on the human condition. She had no earthly idea what it was doing here, but she figured some previous lodger had forgotten it. Left it behind in their haste to rush off for god knows what reason. It was a pretty interesting read. It had managed to not only settle her nerves but it distracted her through the night.
Daydream had spent almost the entire night reading. She would occasionally glance over at the two on the bed and seem them resting peacefully. It as an odd sight to see. Geo and herself entwined like that. Her body was a bit restless when it came to sleep. She'd toss and turn and knock stuff over. Sleeping in a bed with her was like riding a bucking bronco. At any moment you could be thrown off and find yourself sitting on your ass wondering what just happened.
Daydream had noticed the way her body instinctively nuzzled into Geo. She had twisted through the night and come to be on her stomach. One leg dangling haphazardly off the edge of the bed. A single foot peeking out from beneath the covers. Daydream's face was buried deep within his chest. A light stream of drool dripping from her mouth a spilling over him. Her hair was a water fall of red that was anything but pretty after a night of tossing and turning. Daydream looked over at herself in bed and shook her head. She wasn't going to try and readjust herself. She had grown to be a pretty heavy sleeper, in regards to moving herself around, but she knew moments after she fixed her position she would just defiantly roll over in her sleep again causing another go at it.
Instead Daydream just red her book. The sun peaked out over the horizon and the bright morning sky crept in the windows. The gentle rays of the morning sky kissed her awake and Daydream's eyes opened. Across the room the book she was holding fell into the chair before falling to the floor with a thud. It was a heavy book that landed on an area of the floor that was uncarpeted. That was enough to shoot her awake completely. Daydream sat up in the bed and for a groggy moment she tried to acclaimed herself. She felt.... Rested for once. That didn't really happen for he when she slept. Her body had gotten a decent night's sleep.
Daydream looked over at Geo who was still asleep and she rolled her eyes. He had some goofy grin on his face. Wander what he's dreaming of. She thought quietly. Daydream never had dreams, only nightmares, the problems of her waking life followed her into her dreams, there was no off switch. Though last night she was able to distract herself at least. She didn't sit awake all night worrying about Gavin Sinclair.
Daydream slipped from the bed and slipped on her boots quickly and quietly. She left the book where it was on the floor and instead headed over to the door. Taking a final peak at Geo she decided to slip out for a morning walk around the place. She had watched him fall asleep. Rather, she had watched him toss and turn through the night from her spot by the window. He didn't appear to get a good night's sleep either if his sleeping moans were any indication. She'd let him rest. Besides there were enough mutants around to do something if Gavin showed up in any capacity.
Daydream slipped out the door and closed it behind her. She didn't get two steps down the hall before a twinge of guilt hit her. She couldn't slip away. She was thinking she would just go out for a walk, but she knew in the back of her mind she was really thinking about making a break for it all together. Geo had said it himself. He couldn't count the number of times he had met a mutant who stayed for a night and was gone forever the next morning. She was going to be one of those mutants. They had only known each other a day, was she really going to let him risk all that for her?
It didn't make sense. She knew he was a stubborn guy who enjoyed a good brawl, but that seemed like suicide. Daydream sighed and went back into the room. I'll just wait for him to wake up. She thought as she moved over to the chair by the window. Daydream sat down and picked up her book. She thought she could find the place where she was reading only moments before in her dream.
Just then a bird flew to the open window. Daydream had opened the window last night to smoke and forgot to close it. She enjoyed the sound of the rain she always had. It was another part of what had managed to relax her last night. The soothing sound of the rain reminded her that everything was moving along in the world just the way it was yesterday. The sun still set, the rain still fell. Everything was going to be ok.
Looking now at this black and yellow bird she laughed. It flew right up to her. Only inches away. It's tiny feathers seemed almost shiny as it's beedy black eyes seemed to watch her. It turned it's head and fluttered it's wings a bit. "Hello there." She said politely.
"What's up?" The bird replied. Daydream almost screamed in surprise. It was a mutant. One of the mutants from the sanctuary. She hadn't considered it to be a mutant, but appearantly there was mutant here who could turn into tiny birds that could fit in the palm of your hand. "Hey Geo awake yet? I gotta talk to him."
Daydream was stunned beyond believe for a moment. She just sat there staring at this tiny talking black and yellow bird. It's thin hollow lets seemed to dance a bit in anticipation on the window ledge. "Geo? You .... You got uh company." She called out hoping it was enough to wake the sleeping elemental. She didn't take her eyes off the bird though who's name was Mac. Mac sat there on the ledge and waited for Geo to come meet with him. He looked back at Daydream and chirped. "You're a babe did you know that doll?" The bird said making casual conversation as the minutes ticked away. This was just so bizarre.
Purple text = Dialouge White text = Awake Light pink text = Dream walking *Chat Alias* Melody (Daydream)
Geo never really slept well above ground, too much distance between himself and the earthy substances always made him feel uncomfortable. He tossed and turned against the hard wooden frame, true sleep seemed to find him when he felt the presence of another warm body.
The elemental dreamed of the desert. The scorching sun cooking the moisture from the world below. Sand danced through the air without need of his aid. And the world spoke to him. She had always spoken to him, but the world around him was too loud for him to hear. But the communication was beyond simple words, a loving embrace like that of a grandparent. Unconditional love and acceptance. The desert was a part of him and he a part of it. There were times Geo forgot where it ended and he began. He found peace. Something that had alluded him his entire life. He danced in the red sands, they churned around him in turn. They moved through the desert as one. A mighty sand storm unleashed on the vast empty plains. Though the grains turned soft, into long strands. Hair the color of fire surrounded the mutant as he lay suspended in the air.
Geo woke with a start. Not violent but rather surprised at the reality that had popped up before him. The mutant sat for a moment blinking at the redheaded wonder that stood before him for a moment before a small smile formed on his face. Oh yeah. Trouble causing hottie with head of hair that made his heart patter. It took him a moment to bring himself up to speed.
"You're a babe did you know that doll?"
The waking mutant shook his head in confusion before his eye came across the small bird sitting on the widow ledge. Mac, he was a good guy. Geo and him had made quick friends shortly after his arrival to the sanctuary.
"Ah ah ah. We have an agreement. I got automatic dibs on redheads and you get pick of blonds." Winking at Daydream he threw her a semi-apologetic shrug before letting out a loud groan and moving to the unoccupied edge of the bed. Scratching his bare chest Geo lit a cigarette and took a long drag before sighing heavily and opening his eyes to look at the two in front of him.
Mornings were rough for him. Always had been. Human interaction was a bit more complex without a few cups of coffee in the system. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Spreading his arms to their full span he leaned back and cracked his back. A few twists to assure he was feeling limber he fell back into a slouch and took another drag.
"What's up man? Couldn't wait til breakfast?" He flashed stern eyes and nodded towards the bombshell beauty who they shared the room with.
Daydream looked between Geo and the bird. Was there some part of her brain that wasn't clicking right now? Did she just hear him say that he had dibs on her? A small smile appeared on her pouty lips, but she did her best to restrain it as the two conversed. Daydream turned back to the bird who was hopping around the window ledge.
"You know I didn't even think about breakfast. Hold that thought." The bird flew off from the window and Daydream turned back to Geo. "Friend of yours?" She asked smiling again. He seemed nice, a bit of a flirt but she didn't mind. She was just startled by a talking bird was all. The bird flew back to the window ledge now with a big juicy worm in his mouth. He crushed it in his beak and chewed it down. Starting to talk with his mouth full. "Anyways man there was this guy here couple of days ago. Real creepy ass dude! He was talking about finding the guy who was one with the earth. Kinda spoke in riddles. Think the guy just liked to hear the sound of his own voice honestly. But anyways i figured he was talking about you. He said you'd be expecting him? That when we saw you.... I should deliver a message...."
Daydream's heart sank in her chest. How? How did Gavin know to come here? We didn't even know each other a couple days ago. Daydream watched as the birdboy got distracted by something shiny glinting on the desk. He hopped off the ledge and moved over to it quickly and began to peck at it. He picked it up and dropped it on the desk fluttering back with his wings back to the ledge. He apperenetly wasn't all that interested in the shiny thing thing after all. "Sorry, just a pen. It's kinda hard for me to see and when i see something shiny.... Well.... Wait. What was i talking about?"
Daydream was crawling out of her skin. Just get to the message! She wanted to scream. "Oh yeah. He said when you see the earth dude, tell him that that thing is taken care of don't worry about it." Daydream looked at Geo confused. What thing? It wasn't any of her business, but she was still curious. Her heart started to return to a normal speed. For a moment she thought it was Gavin. First she was worried about Swift around every corner now gavin. Hello paranoia my old friend. I thank I'm gone go crazy. Have'a nervous break down or somethang. I need to...."Hey baby. Don't listen to old rock-head. There was no agreement. You see something you like?" The bird asked as she spread out his wings and showed off his tiny yellow chest. Daydream stared at him in disbelief. The absolute absurdity of it was truly hilarious. It was enough to make her giggle.
The bird looked back at Geo and chirped like a bird before speaking again. "Hey man, can i borrow five dollars? Figured, you're always looking out for me and all." The bird pointed at Geo with one wing. "You're my favorite wingman! You know that right?" Daydream was outright laughing now. This little bird was funny as hell. He spoke with a slight thuggish kind of swagger, she couldn't help but wonder what he really looked like. "I'm Kendra. They call me Daydream." She said to the little bird taking his wing and gently shaking it. "Oh word? Geo! You bout to loose your girl! Hey little mama name's Mac you can call me Flutter. Hey Geo man where you find this one? She's out of your league man let me take her off your hands." The bird said looking at Geo before he turned back to Daydream. "Hey.... You want to see my nest?"
That got another burst of laughter from Daydream, even though Mac was being completely serious. "Maybe some other time Mac." She honestly loved this little guy he was so bold and had absolutely no shame. Daydream blushed and turned back to Geo who was still standing behind her chair. "Now that'chu mentioned breakfast I am kinda hungry."
Purple text = Dialouge White text = Awake Light pink text = Dream walking *Chat Alias* Melody (Daydream)
"What can I say, I attract the crazies." He shot Daydream a playful look. Though Flutter was back in a moments notice with a disgusting bit of breakfast in hand...beak. At first Geo had jumped to the same conclusion. Given the interesting encounter that they had the night before who in the world wouldn't think the same thing. Had Gavin known about him before the redhead had popped up in his life?
But alas it was nothing of the sort. Geo had a friend from the old days. Street rapper who claimed he had the mutant ability of an endless flow. He was a funny character and who was he to say otherwise. But he was a useful resource when it came to getting information. Street performers tended to see a lot more than they were seen. He had put the word out he needed work. With any luck her had come through with something shy of the occasional armored cars he'd told him about in the old days.
"Thanks there Tweety." Geo said teasing the bird on the windowsill. He took a theatrical offense to his statement of Daydream being out of his league. "Make your way back to the minors son. Men at work here." He joked as he produced his wallet and produced a ten dollar bill which the bird promptly took in his beak. "Now make like a bird and get the flock out of here." The elemental spoke with a wink as the mutant took flight. Pocketing his wallet again he took a long drag from his cigarette. Geo climbed to his feet and stood in the center of the room. Focusing for a moment he pulled apart the dirt that he had caked onto his wounds. The material that hadn't been absorbed into his anatomy gathered into a small stone which Geo promptly pocketed. Just in case. The spots where he had been cut by their encounter with Swift were now healed, a fresh layer of skin an odd shade of brown. Reaching back he gingerly touched where the large shard had been stabbed into his shoulder. Though the surface was healed the wound was deep. He could still feel the wound beneath the surface. Pressing down he made an audible wince before shaking it off and stretching once more.
"Now that'chu mentioned breakfast I am kinda hungry."
"Then breakfast is my treat Dreamboat. Found this great place the other day." Geo grabbed his shirt from the bedpost and promptly threw it on. Picking up his bag he reached in to pull out a pair of worn down dusty brown flip-flops which he tucked in his back pocket. Grabbing a beanie as well he placed the bag inside the wardrobe and held open the door for Daydream to walk through.
"Huevos Rancheros. Ever had it? Only way to start the day?" He had found a small family owned traditional Mexican restaurant just a block south from the golden doors. It had been his first stop every day since his return.
Plopping down into a booth she found herself already not loving the place. It was the very definition of hole in the wall. Not that she was stuck up or snobbish, she just preferred if her breakfast didn't come with a side order of boctchlism. Daydream looked around and saw wallpaper peeling off the walls covered in light stains. She saw the half empty ketchup bottles and the little trail of ants marching along the window seal beside her booth. Lovely place he picked out. Daydream smiled at the waitress as she came by and asked what they'd order. She waited for Geo to order and said she'd have the same.
Shifting uncomfortably a little in her seat she found it was hard to look Geo in the eye. They had been doing crazy for so long she forgot what normal felt like. She felt safe with Geo, though she was suddenly realizing she didn't really know that much about the guy. He certainly was full of mystery. He lived in a sanctuary, he had some interesting friends, he seemed to have a long history of run ins with the police by his own admission. And yet, she knew he was a good guy, a good person. At least she thought that she knew that. She couldn't say for absolute certainty. She only knew the guy a day and she had to keep reminding herself that it had only been a day. It felt like longer so much had already happened.
Smiling and pretending to look at a desert menu she did her best to avoid eye contact. This first truly mundane thing they've done so far was sit here and order breakfast. Even in the coffee shop she thought she was being followed. She didn't have that impending feeling of looming doom over her, she just had a tidal wave of social awkwardness to doggy paddle through.
"So....Guardian, criminal, befriender of birds..... What else do i need'ta know about you." She said from behind her desert menu without lowering it. There was a hint of sarcasm in her sweet southern voice that sounded like sugary sweet tarts. It sounded more inquisitive than judgmental. She wasn't aiming for judgmental. Daydream lowered the menu slowly and dared to make eye contact with the man across the table from her.
She felt the familiar feeling of blood rushing to her pale cheeks. Her pale porcelain skin burning bright red. I almost kissed this guy last night, we slept in the same bed. Suddenly a wave of guilt washed over her and she raised the menu again cutting off their brief eye contact. Emily. She thought. Nothang, happened you were up all night readin, ya woulda known if somethang happened. "Well?" She asked from behind her menu to embarrassed to put it back down again....
The restaurant was some humble digs, this was for sure. But it was the most authentic Mexican food on this side of New York. The city being the social hub that it was it was sure to suffer from the blunt end of capitalism. Run down buildings charging triple the rent they're worth. Slum lords neglecting their renters. This place was no different. But the people who ran it was the reason Geo kept coming here. They were a large family that had moved directly to the states from across the border some years back. The mother and father with their three teenage children ran the establishment themselves and Geo was a supporter of family businesses. The daughter, a fourteen year old girl with long silk black hair tied back in a braid approached the table with two cups of coffee already in hand. Placing them down the girl gestured to the cream and sugar already on the table to the girl she didn't recognize before turning to the sandy haired mutant who was fast becoming a regular.
"Buenos días, ¿qué será?"
Without looking at the menu Geo beamed a smile at the girl before taking a small sip of the blistering liquid.
" Hola. Dos huevos rancheros por favor, la salsa en el lado." The language rolled off of Geo's tongue almost as practiced as his English had. Recent years had seen him speaking it almost exclusively for years up until last month. He eyed Daydream, or at least the top of her head, from the top of her menu. She seemed to not know how to handle herself when not getting them into more trouble than they could handle. A soft chuckle escaped Geo's lips at the thought as he shifted uncomfortably in his flip-flops under the table. It was a broad question she had asked him, he didn't quite know where to start. Firstly he had to break down some barriers. Reaching out he pulled the menu from Daydreams hands, placed it with his own and tossed them into the booth behind them. He knew a social blockade when he saw one.
"There, that's better." Spreading out his arms over the back of his bench seat Geo watched the redhead from across the table. True, their entire friendship up to this point had been basically survival. But that didn't mean that they suddenly were sitting across from COMPLETE strangers. The elemental believed that the way a person carried themselves and reacted in the moment was the true judge of character. Daydream had showed that she wasn't just some wallflower that needed constant protection. She'd shown real concern for their fellow mutants upon realizing the circus's call to fame. That had really stuck out to the mutant.
"Well I'm from Ohio." Geo shrugged with a slight chuckle to his voice. "You gotta give me something to aim for Dreamboat. I have just as many memories and moments in my life as you do. That's a whole lotta time to account for." True it was. Though not all of it was interesting. He knew she was looking for the key points but talking about himself wasn't something he had an easy time doing out of context. What was the most important? What was sharing too much? He had done some dark things in his time he wasn't sure all of it was what the bombshell across from him wanted to hear.
"Moved up here when I was seventeen I think. Maybe sixteen. I don't pay attention well. Mansion wasn't my bag so I took off. I think i told you that but again..." Tapping the side of his head a few grains of sand shook loose from his hand and fell to his shoulder. "Don't pay attention." He took another long sip of his coffee, making sure to maintain his eye contact as he did so. She had no idea about the Sanctuary so he had to assume she was aware of his previous employers. Who knew what the X-men told their students about over in that mansion. Then something popped into his mind.
"Oh! I'm a mechanic by trade. Though admittedly I haven't found a job since I moved back but I'm working on it."
Daydream sat there in her side of the booth trying to willfully force the blush from her reddening cheeks. This is awkward. She thought and without warning Geo reached over and plucked the menu from her hand. Hey give it back! She started to say, but then quickly closed her mouth before uttering a word. Daydream slumped in her seat and averted her eyes out the window. The sun was out today. It was bright and beautiful outside. Her eyes slinked back over to the elemental across from her. She watched him stretch out in his booth and tell her a little about himself.
Mechanic? She couldn't see it. She would have guessed geologist, or maybe even someone who opened a flower shop or something more to do in line with his powers. But mechanic? Daydream found herself doing little things. Distractedly pushing the pepper shaker across the table or absentmindedly tidying up the table and making everything nice and neat. She felt like she had to be doing something with her hands. She wasn't exactly sure why she was suddenly so nervous. Maybe because this was the first truly personal encounter they've had. The first with any real substance and meaning. The getting to know you part of this very odd and spontaneous friendship.
Daydream offered him a smile, but didn't comment on anything he said. She took it all in and sat there in silence for a moment. Her eyes staring down at her fidgety hands like they were the most interesting things she had ever seen. Daydream looked up after a few moments of quiet thought. Her big brown eyes soft and tired. She was about to tell her story. Her whole story. Taking in a little breath she laid her hands flat on the table and stared out the window. It wasn't a happy story, she didn't want to see the pity in his eyes and she relived bad memories.
With a voice that was soft and haunted she began to speak. "Well, Ima photographer. Nature'n stuff mostly, but I photograph whatever needs'ta be photographed." Ok, so far so good. She hadn't really gotten into the sad part of her story yet. She stared chewing at her lower lip a little as she watched an old woman sitting on a bench across the street waiting for a bus. "Grew up in Georgia. The south. Mutants don't flaunt their powers in the south, everyone's afraid of bigotry. I was afraid for the longest time. Still tryna wrap my head' round the idea of mutant police officers and safe places for mutants to live." She was referring to the mansion and the sancturary.
Daydream's eyes locked on Geo's for a moment. She seemed to study his features, but she couldn't discern what he was thinking from the look on his face. "Ma'daddy didn't want noth'n to do with me. He blamed me for the death'of my mother....... She died in childbirth." She said looking back down at her hands and shifting uncomfortably in her seat. "When he found out I was a mutant it only feuled his hatred even more. I was engaged once. We was kids, stupid and young thanking the world was gone give us everythang we asked for. I really loved her, but even she was disgusted when she found out ma secret. I never did met a single person who really honestly to god cared about me til I moved here."
Daydream got quiet all of a sudden when the waitress came back with two plates and set them down. She didn't want to broadcast her story to everyone, only Geo. He deserved to know more about her after everything he's been through for her. Though, she found it hard to talk about all this. Ghosts from her past, she just wanted them to stay buried forever. She didn't like drudging them up, but it was part of her now. Every tragedy in her live had brought her to this point. Every heartbreak was another reason for her to be who she was now. When the waitress left Daydream continued.
"Never knew that I was gone find a place that not only accepted me, but appreciated me. The mansion may not've been a good fit for ya, but it saved my life." A warm thought of Emily spread through her mind like a ripple on a pond getting deeper and it caused her to smile a bit. Her eyes were watering, but she wasn't crying. She was holding it together, though the flood of emotion was enough to make her break down she did not. Instead, she continued.
Daydream pulled her coffee closer and took a small sip. As if it was some kind of secret mana that gave her the strength to be brave. She looked up at Geo again. She still could tell nothing of his emotion. "First time I ever dream walked I was a little girl, probably bout 11 or'so. I could go anywhere I wanted, but instead I crept inta ma'daddy's room. It was late and dark, and I heard crying. I pushed open the door and sat him sitting there just'a hold'n on to his pillow and softly weeping. On the nightstand next to the bed was a picture of his wife. My mother. Never did meet'my mother, but it made me feel like'a monster. I was a mutant, but I was also the monster that killed my mother."
A stream appeared on both of her cheeks. Cracks in the dam. The river flowed without regret as she began to choke up. Her shoulders lurched with heaving sobs as she tried to puller herself together and failed. When she thought Geo was trying to consul her she waved it off. She wasn't looking for pity, she didn't deserve pity. Daydream wiped her eyes quickly with her hands and looked deeply into his eyes. It was Ghost, it was Emily, it was Becca and Juliette, and Leon that made her not feel like a monster. It was Geo that made her not feel like a monster. "Am I a bad person Geo?" It was the one single dominerring thought storming through her mind. "I don't thank I'ma bad person, but....." Her voice trailed off. "Never knew what it was like to be cared about til I came here."
Then, silence. Daydream wiped her eyes again and looked out the window. She wasn't terribly hungry anymore. She was trying to think of a reason why she didn't deserve to be in Gavin's hell, she couldn't think of a single one. Looking back at Geo her eyes were big brown pools of regret. Though twinkling beyond them was a hint of hope.
Purple text = Dialouge White text = Awake Light pink text = Dream walking *Chat Alias* Melody (Daydream)
Geo had taken the question less seriously before his companion offered up an example of her own. The elemental silently sipped his coffee watching Daydream carefully as she recounted her origin before coming to the city. He had caught on to her southern roots early on, he was a sucker for a southern belle accent. She was far from the exception. No stranger to the bigotry of the south Geo had gotten to experience it first hand. He had several incidents where he was confronted along his travels. It never really turned out well for the people inciting him. He was flashy when it came to his abilities and being subtle was far from his strong suit.
Issues with ones father wasn't something he was a stranger to either though the pretty woman had her own personal version of the hell. He could feel moisture build around the corners of his eyes as she recounted her tale. A few extra blinks and his sandy skin absorbed it with relative ease. He was surprised to hear she was engaged. She was already so young, though flighty kids often found themselves caught up in the romance of it all. Geo had trouble sticking to a relationship long enough to hit that point so he avoided that experience.
As the waitress returned Geo gave her a silent nod though let the plate be. He was entranced in his companions tale. Nodding in agreement he could appreciate her view on the mansion. He couldn't speak ill of it's effectiveness to help those who walked through it's gates. But at the time Geo had despised the thought of a shared existence as the same kind of being that had continually. He had to stop a catch in his throat as she asked him she was a bad person.
"Bad people aren't torn apart wondering whether or not their bad Daydream." His gravelly voice spoke carefully as he reached out pushing the plates to the side and taking a hold on her hand in his large course grip. Looking deep into her sorrowful eyes his Hazel ones twinkles with hits of passion in his worlds. "You are you. You can't think of yourself as some sort of monster. It wasn't your fault your Momma passed and I'm sure she would rather pass herself than have risked anything to a precious angel like you." Looking to the side for a moment though holding his reassuring grip Geo considered. He didn't often like to talk about his past since he had renounced his human lineage. But she was different, though they had been through a bout of craziness he couldn't help but feel some sort of connection to the free soul. Beyond his general attraction which given recent information seemed highly unlikely was reciprocated.
"My parents didn't seem like they ever wanted kids. My sister was already ten by the time I was born, she had fended on her own for so many years. But when I came around she made me her priority. Ma was always off, traveling for business or working late at the office. Pops ran a business, and was a fiend with bottle. Asshole never gave me two licks of attention before..." Geo's voice trailed as he thought back to an image of his father. He hadn't given the old man the time of day in almost a decade, though his face still brought up old rage. Pulling back his hand Geo fiddled with the handle of his coffee mug as he spoke. "Thought I was a hot shot when I was in high school. I know. Surprise. But I've always had a way with people. My sister called in the gift of the gab when she was teasing me." A slight smile formed on his face as he recalled the memory. He had forgotten about that until he had started speaking about her.
"There was this quarterback who had this 'holier than thou' attitude to him. You went to school, you know the type." Picking up the mug Geo took a quick sip before continuing. "When he found out I was sweet talking his girlfriend he got the team together to give me a beat down. They did a lot of damage already when they threw me out in the courtyard beaten and bruised. As soon as my skin hit the ground the world went crazy." Holding out his hand he looked at the skin that covered it. He had forgotten the fear of his abilities at first, they had been a part of him so long now it was like he barely remembered a time without them. "Earthquake I caused leveled the school. I barely got out of there myself, dragged myself home as quickly as I could. But my old man was already waiting for me. Quick for the old bastard he was, course I was already half way to death before he started. Took me a minute to get the upper hand. Beat my stony fists bloody against him until he stopped coming after me. My sister said it was a full six months before they let him out of the hospital but I was gone before the ambulance came." Taking a deep breath he put his cup down and scratched the back of his head. Heaving a long sigh as he did so. It wasn't something he fondly thought back on. In fact actively worked not to. Yet here he was.
"I told you about my going to the mansion. Short lived. I had trouble seeing the point in reasoning with a species that has nothing but a history of suppression and bigotry. When I left there was right before they started registering mutants. Got caught up in a rescue movements some mutants were running while they were herding our people like sheep and slapping them with nullification collars. We hid out in the compound. That's when I found the Order. They were a group of activist, saw mutant people as the future of the world and fought like hell to give them every foothold they could so that mutant kind wouldn't be beaten down. We fought hard. Lived hard..." He gaze moved back up to the beautiful woman sitting across from him. There was a need to be honest with her here. She needed to know what a bad person really was if she'd ever know that she truly wasn't. "You want to know a bad person? You're looking at one. I've done things Dreamboat. Mean awful things that I honestly am not a hundred present sure now was the right move. Though it wasn't always my call. I killed men. Humans, mostly. To help free our people from the new concentration camps. I've robbed banks, knocked over stores. Shoot. Eight or so years back we were the ones who hit Fort Knox. Remember ten years ago? The Statue of Liberty got destroyed, replaced with a big stone statue of a mutant one?" Geo jabbed a thumb at himself before leaning back to let the information sink in. Both of the events had received a lot of media coverage. They were used to work up the human agenda. News was a tool the humans loved to use to incite blind anger from the masses.
"I renounced my human past. Threw out my old ties and started a new life. Even got rid of my old name. But times changed. Power switched to new management with the Order. Some blond I dragged back there one night turned Big Boss and I didn't quite see eye to eye with her business venture she called a plan. So I took off. Went south. Figured that the desert was about as free reign as you can get being like me so I went out to find my own way. Get in touch with who I am as a mutant and how I relate to my gifts that define me. Ended up south of the border. Mexico's nice, don't go as a tourist though. Have to dive into the culture. That's where the real treasures found. Not too long after I got settled in I came across some mutants trying to make it across and into the U.S. You wouldn't believe how some of the systems react to mutants down there. Actually made myself quite a career helping mutants get free and clear into the states. California has amazing mutant rights and relief. But this city is the heart of our kind this is where the future is and there's something stirring up out there. I want to be on the fronts when it happens." And that was all. The abridged version as he could best tell it. Of course there was more. There was always more. But he didn't need to bore her with every detail of his miserable existence. He took a long swig of his coffee and drained the rest of his mug before sliding it to the end of the table.
"Anything else you want to know just ask me Dreamboat. I'm an open book and I could never lie to a beautiful woman so you have a guaranteed pass." Picking up the small bowl of red sauce on his plate he doused it over his breakfast, the sauce leaving a spicy scent in the air as he mixed it together and took his first bite. Though he waited for her to bolt. Realize that she was sitting across a known killer and war dog of the Order who had single handedly acted as a war machine for the organization.
His words rang out in her mind. Everything inside her told her that she was wrong. That she was just a kid. It wasn't her fault, but she felt like it was. Her mother was the source of her pain. She was an bottomless well of 'what ifs' and 'why couldn't it be differents.' Parts of her story echoed in her head. Haunting her. Reliving the worst moments of her life like a feedback loop. Her mother.... She didn't even know her name. Her father would never tell her what it was.
Daydream nodded slightly at first, and then more excitedly through slip streams of tears; when Geo told her she wasn't a bad person. She truly believed that he believed that. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath to settle herself. The hurt didn't go away. It only buried itself back in to the cassum of her heart where she kept it. Keep it there. Lock it away. Save your pain for another day. She told herself.
How had it gotten this far? How had she even lasted this long in the world? She knew that she was a clumsy naïve fool, who trouble seemed to follow. She was never one to be brave. She had slipped and stumbled more than most through her life, but every time there was that undying optimist about her spirit that kept the darkness at bay. For the longest time she had trouble seeing that optimistic side when she had this universally bad cosmically tragic overall shit luck. It wasn't just her parents. It wasn't just Swift and Gavin and their mutant army. It was everything. The world liked to pile on her shoulders and she wasn't sure how she could manage.
It was the very nature of her ability. It was lonely. It was an invisible existence. She moved through life fading into the background and shrinking away from confrontation about mutant hating bigots. Though she could see the outrage. It outraged her, she just didn't have a voice to speak against it. She hadn't found her voice. It wasn't until she made it to New York that things got lighter. She formed friendships and relationships here. People didn't judge her for what she was. She didn't out right renounce her human side, she still felt human and believed herself to be overall part of the bigger picture. She found herself lost in thought for a few moments. Weighing everything in her mind and it seemed so unbalanced. She kept going back and forth with the good and the bad that had happened to her and it all came out jumbled and confused. She had a hard time gathering her thoughts.
When Geo started to speak again Daydream sat there listening to the horrific events of the past. The things Geo had done, the things he had been a part of. Her tears were gone, but her heart was tearing a part. Daydream's hands were clutching onto his throughout his story. Every so often she gave them a light squeeze. Just to let him know that she understood. That he wasn't alone. When he said that he had killed people before her hands pulled away. Her face contorted in expression of shock and disgust.
Daydream didn't make eye contact as he finished the last of his story. For the longest time she said nothing. That..... That was awful. She thought. She couldn't see Geo the same way anymore. She couldn't see him as the cocky, confident flirty elemental she had come to know as her guardian angel over the last 24 hours. Daydream's head snapped back in Geo's direction.
The worry lines in her forehead causing deep creases. The tears still stained her cheeks though she had none left to give. She was sick to her stomach with the emotion that was pulsing through her. She wanted to scream, she wanted to cry. Her skin was flush and hot. Her pulse was racing as her hands tugged anxiously at the hem of her shirt. Daydream was looking down at her lap. She couldn't bare to look at Geo. Not now. Not after everything he had just told her. How would she ever be able to look at him the same way again? In the few moments it took him to tell her his story he had changed in her eye. He wasn't the same Geo that she had grown quite fond of.
Daydream said nothing as Geo took the first bite of his breakfast. She didn't want to be here. In this stupid diner. The fact of the matter was. She was heartbroken again. The universe had found one more way to kick her while she was down and pile on one more heartache that she wasn't even sure she could handle at the moment. Slowly Daydream raised her head and looked across the table at Geo....... He had renounced his human name and his human existence for what the world had done to him. What it had made him become..... She saw sitting before her....... A good person. Nothing more. It broke her heart that he had gone through that and it reminded her of herself. Of all mutants in general.
Why? Why did the world hate us so much? She didn't have any real answers to such large looming questions. Daydream reached up and wiped away another tear that threatened to drip from one of her eyes. When she first met him he rolled her eyes when she told him her human name first. But she was human! Mutant or not she didn't want to loose that part of herself that felt connected to humanity. It was that undying optimist in her pushing against the tide that wanted to drown her in a river of hate. She was human as much as anyone else. She was just evolved. After what seemed like an eternity to her she finally spoke...... "What.....What's your name Geo? You're real name? Tell me please. I have'ta know!" Her words came out gentle and pleading. And most of all desperate. She was desperate to know that not every single part of this man she's come to know as friend had given up all hope.
Purple text = Dialouge White text = Awake Light pink text = Dream walking *Chat Alias* Melody (Daydream)
Posted by Geo on Apr 9, 2017 6:45:23 GMT -6
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The hold Daydream had had on his had was a comfort. It wasn't an easy subject for him to speak on. He had found it was easier to brush the past off if he didn't give it any attention. He held to her hand fondly. Happy to have a bit of support on a difficult subject. But when she withdrew it, the feeling was much more painful than Geo had thought it would but. It had been a bridge. A bit of hope connecting him to another person in a weak moment.
The look was one he had seen before. One of fear and disgust. Like someone had snuck something nasty under their nose and then the veil was suddenly pulled back to reveal they were had. Geo's body language changed instantly along with it. Rejection: the fun part of a past in mutant activism. He shifted away from the woman across from him, placing his nearly full plate to the side. Instead he tried to focus on the room around him. He didn't want to show that her natural reaction bothered him as much as it did. But it was more difficult than he thought to keep that kind of discomfort from the surface as some signs would certainly show. His eyes didn't carry the same emotion in his eyes as he had a moment before, a familiar dead look glazed over his eyes as the waitress came over and filled his coffee once more.
"Gracias..." He muttered in a cold tone that was soaked in regret. He watched her again through the steam of his cup. Waiting. She would bolt, realize that the she had made a mistake in trusting a former mutant terrorist. Staring at his coffee he watched Daydreams reflection. He regretted sharing the bit of his past but at the same time he would rather give someone an excuse to run in the beginning of their friendship than have someone run off later down the line. It weeded out the people who would actually be a part of his life and those were terrified of his former actions.
But she stayed. Though she seemed to be going through some inner turmoil she didn't run. A few tears were shed by her as the deafening silence continued.Then she asked the question. One Geo hadn't been asked in a very long time. One he often forgot the answer to in the happier moments in life. He didn't want to drag up that corpse. Yet he found himself answering to her all the same. It was more important to him to be honest with her in the moment.
"Tristen." The name stuck like molasses on his tongue, not wanting to quite leave his tongue. Geo heaved a great sigh, taking a sip of his coffee before replacing it on the table. He couldn't make eye contact with her though, the uncomfortable look of regret still heavy on his features. "My name was Tristen Ogle. Haven't said that name in almost ten years..." His voice lingered in a soft tone at the thought. He had been another person at that time. The decade had seemed like a lifetime from where he stood.
"Tristen." She let the name linger on her tongue a moment before she actually spoke it out loud. It fit him nicely. She looked across the table and felt a surge of warm feelings. She slid her hand a cross the table and seized his once more. His hands were sandy and a little rough in the softness of her own, but she didn't notice. She could feel his pulse beating lightly in the tips of his fingers. It was quick, but steady. She didn't reject him. Everything he had told her only made her sad that he had gone through similar experiences. Though, she had never killed anyone. She wouldn't even dream of it, but she didn't judge him for doing what he did. It was survival. She knew the amount of hatred some people held for mutants and she saw how it could be needed no matter how ugly it was, that didn't chane her opinion of him.
Daydream slid her plate in front of her and picked up a fork. She could feel her appetite returning to her. She was hungry again. She forced the thoughts out of her mind of her parents and mutant hating humans. She willfully tried to forget about the events of the last 24 hours and just try and appreciate that she wasn't alone right now. Scooping up a bite of the rancheros she slipped the forkful into her mouth and stopped. Her eyes went wide. "Oh my god! This is amazin!" She blurted out. The surprise that hit her tongue momentarily shot all other thoughts out of her head. She had never had authentic Mexican food before. She frequented taco bell, but that wasn't something worth bragging about.
Kendra smiled. It was the first honest smile she had made all day aside from when she was laughing at a certain little bird. She could feel the blush back in her cheeks, but it wasn't out of embarrassment. No, this intense show and tell had drove away all the self conscious social awkwardness that she brought with her to the breakfast table. Instead she was blushing because she had completely forgotten about her deadline. In the craziness of the last day she totally forgot that she was supposed to email some new mock ups to her boss. It was the reason she was even in the park yesterday. Trying to get some photos to send in before all the craziness happened.
"Ima be so in trouble with my boss. Forgot to send'in ma'photos." She admitted. Though admittedly they didn't seem like such a big deal now. She shrugged laughin a bit as she scooped another forkful of this amazing breakfast into her mouth. She was eating with gusto now and not really caring how she looked as she ravenishly went for a third bite. She could feel Tristen watching her.
Tristen's eyes seemed to linger on her a bit. Looking up from her plate she smiled confused a bit. "What?" She asked. She was just enjoying her breakfast at this point. She was done with the sad and the terrible. She swept it back under the rug like any rational person would. She was trying to be that hopelessly optimistic part of herself again, and that part of her loved Wavos...Ravos Rancherous? Whatever it was she loved this stuff now.
As she spoke his human name he winced visibly. It was a raw nerve. One that he didn't like poking. That part of his life was so far behind him now there was times he wasn't sure he remembered it all. When she reached out and took his hand again he was slightly shocked. He had expected her to hightail it back to the mansion. Tell everyone how she had encountered this mutant killer. Barely escaped with her life. He would have still made his way to the circus regardless. But she stayed, she was still here. That was new.
Her whole demeanor change. Geo watched her through studious eyes. Trying to figure out what exactly was going on in the head of the red head that sat across from him. Suddenly her appetite was back and she tore into the food in front of her. He watched for a moment before pulling his own plate in front of him. Systematically he cut into the plate in wide diagonals breaking apart the egg yokes on his plate.
"Huevos Rancheros." The 'r's rolled off his tongue naturally. "Fried eggs on a steamed tortilla. Here they have this home recipe that has potatoes and some sausage in it. Like a Mexican breakfast bowl." He explained as she declared that she enjoyed it. It was the closest comparison that he could think of anyways. As he took a few bites, watching the woman as he chewed. Her shyness was gone now, seemingly a thing of the past. At least she seemed to be more at ease as she started speaking about work.
"Who do you take photos for? Squirrel lovers weekly?" He threw out a week joke. Testing the waters. He was still visibly nervous at her reaction to his history. Waiting for the catch, something to set in and her to realize what she was doing. Maybe it was a ploy, figured running from the mutant terrorist would probably be suicide. He was the kind of monster the news loves to slather all over the media.
She caught his eyes watching her though he didn't make an attempt to cover his gaze or play it off. His eyebrows were twisted into an inquisitive look as he studied her pretty features. When prompted with a question he placed his elbows on the table, hands folding under his chin.
"I don't get you Daydream." Geo spoke simply, his thick voice speaking slowly and surely. "You're a fantastically whimsical piece of crazy. I'm trying figure out if it's scary or entrancing." A coy smile formed on his face as he shook his head and sat back taking a sip of his coffee. "To be honest, I don't even know if it quite matters. You work it." He threw her a wink over the rim of his mug before placing it back down and continuing on to his food.