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 Pharoah Dynasty
An ancient sorceress is on a quest to bring her long-lost warrior-king to the modern era in a bid for global domination. Can the heroes of the modern world stop her before all is lost?
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.
It wasn't polite, but she really needed her phone.
Apparently the whole duplicate ordering fiasco at the Full Circle could have been avoided if she'd checked her voicemail. If she had her phone she might not have even missed the call. Maybe. It was possible! But the bottom line was clear: she needed her phone back. And she was sort of making up for it by returning Zephyr's clothes at the same time.
That was Ghost's thinking at least as she seeped underneath Zephyr's front door. There was no way to tell if he was home since she didn't know what car he drove, or if he even drove since he could likely fly being an aeromancer and all that.
Ghost solidified and got her bearings. Most of the apartment lights were off. It was still impeccably hotel clean. Maybe Zephyr was a robot.
The first stop was unfortunately the bed room. The soft patter of water told her that, yes, someone was home. Well. She would just have to be quick then. And quiet. The washed, pressed, and folded clothes Ghost lay at the edge of the bed and then tried to think what direction they were facing when Katrina had called.
Up.
Palm to forehead. She'd been laying on the bed. Sooooo it was possibly across from it. She went to root around quietly by the dresser. It had to be there somewhere.
One of the many benefits of the mercenary lifestyle was that it normally followed a somewhat flexible schedule. There was no punch card, no logging of hours and thus no need to awake at the crack of dawn to battle with morning rush hour traffic. In the grand scheme of things Zephyr supposed it was only a minor convenience, but it was one he valued rather highly for it permitted him a measure of privacy from typically inquisitive neighbors whom seemed to have nothing better to do in their free time then pry into his affairs. The hessian largely believed this was because they possessed no true social lives of their own, which seemed rather odd as the majority of them seemed to be individuals around his own age attending the nearby university.
Whatever the case, the key point was that the elemental could easily avoid his fellow residents by simply electing not to wake until the later hours of the morning, and so, just over an hour before noon the hessian had risen and begun his daily ablution, his thoughts amounting to little more an honest desire to be clean and enjoy a warm meal. Imagine then his surprise, and subsequent annoyance when, a few brief moments after entering the shower the mercenary abruptly became aware of an alien presence wandering his abode. A sigh escaped the Kabal members lips as he stood under the hot streams; admittedly this was not the first time someone had intruded into his home, however it was the first time it had occurred in this particular residence; being on the 15th floor tended to discourage most miscreants.
In actuality now that he thought of it the odds of his apartment being selected out of all the other units in the building were rather slim. That did not however alter the fact that he had an unannounced and unwanted guest to deal with, the only question was how? Verily there were quite a few options available and though the more aggressive choices such as launching them bodily out of a window would deliver immediate results it would only serve to complicate things in the long run. No, a more subtle approach would be needed here and while, admittedly subtle was more a matter of comparison and perspective then a set definition, Zephyr was loathe to cause any undue damage to his apartment, thus he opted for a more controlled approach.
Air, as most people are aware, is comprised of three core elements, nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide, there are in truth a handful of other minor gases as well however they are insignificant in proportion to the previous three. Human's along with most other life, require oxygen in order to subsist, thus if one were to slowly withdraw all the oxygen around a given individual they would gradually tire, lose consciousness and eventually their life. In this particular instance Zephyr was seeking only the secondary stage, a corpse after all tended to draw attention and was rarely capable of answering questions.
It wasn't on the top of the wardrobe. Nor was it on the top of the bed stand. Ghost was groping on the floor when the air started trickling away. And she didn't even realize that it was happening until her arm was reaching for something dark that was wedged between the chest of drawers and the wall.
Man. He was good. Better than her really.
She had two options. She could say something and admit she was here or she could try to slip out... without her phone.
Ghost took a deep breath and though it wasn't a very satisfying breath, it was enough to raise her voice somewhat as she spoke louder than normal. "Zephyr, give it a rest." She wasn't going to fight against his control. She was almost sure she would lose that fight. It was best to come out and say something before he started to make her head swim.
A little jostle and the chest of drawers pulled away from the wall enough for that small slender something to fall out. At last. She snatched up the phone and put it in her pants pocket before standing, wobbling, drawing a bit of clean air specifically for her benefit and grabbing the clothes from the bed.
Ghost knocked on the bathroom door. "I'm returning your clothes." She set the pile just outside of the door and then headed for the kitchen.
She was setting the boundaries now. There would be no repeats of... whatever had happened before. Especially if they were going to keep the bargain they had struck that night.
There wasn't a whole lot in Zephyr's kitchen, but there was tea. She started on that.
The words were not uttered with any particular vociferation yet they managed to remain audible within the confines of the shower causing Zephyr a moment’s pause before he identified the voice and subsequently ceased his ethereal manipulations as an expression of incredulity, and then curiosity laced suspicion, crossed his features. It had been a considerable amount of time since he’d last seen the snow haired Sylph, a few months at the least, and so the hessian was briefly at a loss as to the purpose of the girls visit. Recollection of his last encounter with the waif surfaced swiftly though once the ingénue mentioned she was returning his apparel and among the memories dragged to the forefront of the mercenary’s mind was the exchange he’d agreed upon with the lithesome sylph.
Taxes… Zephyr sighed, he’d managed to file his own return a few weeks ago and while the process had only taken him an hour or so that was largely due to the fact that the majority of his earnings were “off the books” as it were and thus exempt from government scrutiny, thereby leaving the Kabal member with only a nominal taxable income originating from a self constructed trust and a moderate amount of interest generated from his accounts in the United States. The paperwork for such figures was always relatively easy to obtain as it was managed by professional financial institutions, independent small businesses however were typically another matter entirely and so Zephyr had been somewhat inimical in initiating his side of the bargain.
In any case they were still in the early stages of the new year and so there was ample time remaining for the hazel haired hessian to begin working. If Ghost had chosen to stop by for no other purpose than to upbraid him well, he could give her an impromptu lesson on selective hearing if nothing else. On the other hand it was entirely possible that girl intent was simply to begin upholding her side of the agreement, should such prove to be the case well… he hadn’t really had any plans for the day.
A short handful of minutes later Zephyr emerged barefoot into the kitchen with his hair still slightly damp and adorned in the raiment’s which had so recently been returned to him. A light click echoed through air as he fixed the clasp of the argent watch on his wrist before lowering his arms and turning his cerulean gaze upon his self invited visitor.
“I realize it may be a small thing to some but I was raised under the impression that one normally knocks before entering another’s home; it is considered polite.” The hessians tone was soft as he spoke and his face gave no hint of anger or annoyance, instead his eyes simply conveyed a marginal curiosity as he waited for his female counter part to explain her presence.
Cafas: "Zephyr is the king of bad decisions, but if Sebby being weak to ghost is anything to go by, not so amazing at follow through."
"I am not a polite person." She couldn't even say the entire sentence with a straight face. Ghost turned her face down toward to table to hide her amusement and slide a steaming cup toward Zephyr. He could sit or stand, but at least she had the courtesy to pour him a cuppa.
"I won't make a habit of it. I only came for my phone and to return your things." But now that she was here she may as well stay and chat. Ghost refrained from noting that she did not think he would be home. That might invite the impression that she had come to snoop, which she had not.
It was sort of nice, though, to be around someone at least a little like herself. "How have you been?" Ghost sipped her own cup of tea. It didn't matter that it was Zephyr's apartment, Zephyr's music note mugs or Zephyr's tea. She looked entirely at home as if she had every right to be here and have tea.
In spite of his best efforts to keep a straight face Zephyr found expression of wry amusement creeping across his countenance as he heard Ghost's glib repartee, indeed the sylph herself also seemed unable to maintain her stoic facade and despite her lowered head the British elemental could readily discern the upturned edges of her lips even as the girl offered him a hand warming mug of what he presumed was tea, and which he readily accepted, taking a slight sip in order to calm his features before replying. "Indeed, I can just picture you trawling the bars of downtown in hopes of corrupting innocent young men such as myself."
As he finished speaking the hessian silently congratulated himself for successfully remaining deadpan throughout the entirety of his delivery and evoking a small but audible laugh of amusement from the pale waif before then taking a seat and joining her at kitchen table as she explained the motivation behind her unorthodox visit. A low chuckle escaped from his throat at the mention of the ingénue's sterling phone as the azure eyed mercenary recalled a message left behind by a certain blonde adolescent, in response to the quizzical expression he received from Ghost though Simon's simply mentioned that the sylph may wish to check her voicemail at some point.
When the topic of discussion turned to more recent events however a measure of Zephyr's good humor dispersed and a fairly resigned and then thoughtful expression crossed his features. "Things been better." He admitted somewhat hesitantly as one of his hand descended into his pockets. "I've hit something of a road block in regards to my mutation..." He trailed off as thought about how to continue; ordinarily he never even would have suggested that his powers were causing him a degree of difficulty, after all what would be the point? It wasn't as though anyone could help him, or even understand what he was experiencing... except perhaps for Ghost.
Still though Zephyr was not truly comfortable with discussing what her perceived to be a weakness on his part, no one ever enjoyed discussing their flaws and so he kept his explanation brief. "In short I suppose it would be simpler just to say that I currently require medication in order to use my "gifts" for any prolonged period of time."
In order to demonstrate his point the taciturn mercenary withdrew a russet shaded medical capsule from his pocket and, after removing an ivory coloured pill, placed it carefully upon the polished wood of the kitchen table so that the sharp print of the containers label would be easily discernable to inquisitive waif. However unless her eyesight rivaled that of any eagle it was unlikely that the sylph would manage to make out more than the product name which simply read "Oxycontin".
A moment later, after having washed down the painkiller with a sip of the still steaming tea the hessain shifted his gaze back to his guest and resumed speaking. "Other than that though thing's have been largely uneventful, though I did travel to Europe briefly to take in the sights. What about yourself?"
Cafas: "Zephyr is the king of bad decisions, but if Sebby being weak to ghost is anything to go by, not so amazing at follow through."
Ghost's shoulders shrugged along with her laughter. Yes. She was definitely out on the prowl for helpless young men. It was how she ended up proposing. Maya the reverse-cougar. Rawr. It was definitely a laughable idea.
The laughter ended at the mention of recent events, though.
"I've hit something of a road block in regards to my mutation..." A roadblock that required pills? Maybe she wasn't that bad off after all. "What do those do, Zephyr?" She was a bit apprehensive to see it come to this. "And... is there anything I can do...?" She left it open ended. Sometimes guys just didn't want to talk about things.
In all fairness, Ghost had been avoiding the use of her ability also, though... she wasn't doing so well today. She had seeped in under Zephyr's door. She was just far too used to relying on her gifts.
She watched the pill as it was picked up from the table, deposited into Zephyr's mouth and then traveled down. A crease was forming between her eyebrows.
"Other than that though thing's have been largely uneventful, though I did travel to Europe briefly to take in the sights. What about yourself?"
That was enough of a distraction to put Ghost's thoughts in an entirely different and disturbing realm. She sipped her tea. "Sebastian and I were in England and France for our honeymoon," Among other pursuits, ",but our trip got cut a bit short." Not that short was a very good description for their time in Europe. "The Ka-- his friend Slate called us in to help with the Romania situation. And, well." She took a deep breath. "Outside of the senate bombing rescue, I don't feel that I was very helpful." Besides inspiring Sebastian on to maddening determination to free the Romanian prisoners.
Tea sip. She was getting better at not spilling every single bean.
Apprehension and concern, both emotions were clearly conveyed through a combination of Ghosts words, tone and expression. Truth be told it was possibly the most predictable response the waif could have given and for that Zephyr was grateful; women could be fickle creatures at the best of times and the hessian had no pressing desire to explain himself to an presumptions and irrational archetype females so often proved themselves to be.
Ghost however was... well, easy to understand; whether that was simply a result of their shared abilities or merely her polite yet submissive nature was a subject of some debate; one the one hand the Zephyr supposed that their mutual 'talents', gave the girl a measure of recognition in his subconscious if nothing else for the sylph was likely one of only a handful of people who could truly understand what he was experiencing in regards to the current limitations of his mutation. On the other hand her obsequious and innocuous personality made the pale ingénue an almost ideal confident, if not for her rather noticeable lack of politic skill.
In spite of this slight character failing though Zephyr had chosen to inform her of the recent... complication his mutation had developed. Such a decision had a matter of some internal debate but eventually the mercenary had simply decided that, given how his low pain threshold, and the fact that the waif would be at least an informal instructor for a short time, the odds that he'd managed to mask his difficulties were slim at best. As such it was simply more pragmatic to deal with the issue sooner, instead of later. After all it wasn't as though he expected the migraines to last for any significant length of time. Likely they were little more than growing pains as his mental faculties adjusted to the new level of awareness. It wasn't even as though the pain was utterly unbearable, the medication was merely a matter of convenience; after all why suffer when you don't need to?
Carefully placing the medicinal container back into his pocket Zephyr leaned back into his chair and idly crossed his arms as he gave his well meaning guest a measured look. "They're pain killers Ghost, nothing more, nothing less. Extended use of my abilities leaves me with migraines I'd rather avoid. As for assistance, I appreciate the concern, but I doubt there's anything that can be done. I believe my powers are simply evolving and that the migraines are little more than a temporary discomfort."
It was difficult to tell whether his words were enough to dissuade the sylphs initial apprehension, however as has already been stated the British elemental had no intention of explaining himself more than he already had and so he took advantage of his guests naivety by diverting the subject of the conversation to the waifs own activities since they'd last met. The girls answers were tame enough though subtle reminder of her recent marriage caused the hessian gave to briefly flicker down to the diamond ring which adorned her left hand even as his mind drifted back to the invitation he'd received months ago...
"The Ka-- his friend Slate called us in to help with the Romania situation. And, well."[/color]
The speed with which Zephyr's thoughts raced back to the present actually caused the mercenary a minor moments confusion as he endeavored to correctly comprehend what he'd heard and forced himself to curb his immediate assumption. It was entirely possible he'd misheard, Slate may have been a slightly rare sobriquet but it certainly could be unique, especially in America of all places. There was no reason to jump to conclusion based on nothing more than a name a slight slip of the tongue which suspiciously sounded like the beginning of the word "Kabal."
That particular line of thought lasted all of two seconds.
Upon a second consideration though the hazel haired hessian relaxed and shifted his expression from its initial narrow eyes eyed focus to a more casual facade as he resolved the possible implications of the sylph's involvement in the Kabal. From the way Ghost had phrased her words it seemed as though her connection to Slate was tenuous at best which actually surprised the hessian to a degree, after all he'd known Slate to employ emotionally unbalanced prepubescent children and so it truly would not have come as a shock if the self claimed telepath had decided to employ the mild mannered bookstore manager to act as a human paper shredder. The boy clearly didn't know how to make use of people, otherwise he'd possibly have registered that sending Ghost into another camps scenario was unlikely to be beneficial to her health, but no, like the puerile individual he was Slate failed to consider the consequences his actions would have on those around him.
No, Zephyr wasn't at all bitter towards his current employer.
Still his opinion of the Kabal's current owner had no real place in this discussion and so the mercenary did his best shift such thoughts from his mind as he spoke. "Romania was a dangerous place over the winter, and to be fair Ghost, you're not suited for confrontation. Your skills lie more towards nurturing others, I believe you'd make quite a good teacher. I'm actually surprised you were involved in the bombing, but if Slate were running things I suppose it makes sense."
Cafas: "Zephyr is the king of bad decisions, but if Sebby being weak to ghost is anything to go by, not so amazing at follow through."
Zephyr put the pills away and explained that they were painkillers. "It actually hurts to use your mutation?" That was an entirely strange thought. "I am exactly the opposite. The more incorporeal I go, the less I feel. At all."
It was certainly a thought. And there was another thought following closely on its heels. "Maybe we should start on your ghosting lessons sooner rather than later." Temporary discomfort or not, Zephyr was Ghost's friend. He may foo-foo her attempts to help, but she would always offer as long as she saw a way.
Zephyr's reaction to Slate's name was interesting. If Ghost had to make a guess, she would speculate that the other aeromancer knew Calley's twin at least a little. And by the narrowing of his eyes, he didn't much care for him.
"Romania was a dangerous place over the winter, and to be fair Ghost, you're not suited for confrontation."
This made Ghost wrinkle her nose at Zephyr. He sounded a bit like Sebastian. But he wasn't done. Not yet.
"Your skills lie more towards nurturing others, I believe you'd make quite a good teacher. I'm actually surprised you were involved in the bombing, but if Slate were running things I suppose it makes sense."
If ever there was a wibble, this was one. Ghost was touched.
"How do you know Slate? He seemed like a good guy to me. He once lent me some pants too." And that was precisely why he was noble and kind. "He gave me, a practical stranger, his pants in the middle of a battle, no questions asked."
She nodded once curtly to affirm this fact. It was true.
"And as much as I'd love to just stay in my bookstore and inventory, if I don't go out and make things better. The trouble will go there or to the Mansion. I don't want it, Zephyr, but I'd rather go get it then have it come looking for me."
Zephyr inclined his head slightly in response before taking another sip of his matutinal tea, his self proclaimed 'growing pains' were not a subject he wished to discuss in detail, at least not until his medication began to work its way through his system. The little stunt he'd pulled when Ghost had been searching his room had caused him more discomfort than the hessian would admit and though the sensation had faded somewhat after he'd ceased his vaporous manipulations the pain still lingered in his mind, hanging over his thoughts like poorly crafted cobweb. Ideally that would fade in the next few minutes but until then he would volunteer little on the matter.
Thankfully it seemed as though the sylph had not been expecting details for she quickly sojourned into a piece of self exposition by briefly detailing an element of her mutation before then moving on to extend an open invitation to begin his 'ghosting' lessons at a more immediate date causing Zephyr to raise his brow as he lowered his cup back to the table and steepled his fingers, before calmly venturing. "I had nothing vital planned for the day..." Although he was admittedly somewhat curious about the nature of the waif's ethereal transformation following her brief explanation he would not demand that they begin right away, Ghost would be acting in the role of teacher after all and would more than likely perform better should she willingly step into the part.
On the subject of teaching it appeared as though the hessians light praise had caught the ingénue off guard if the girl's shift in expression were any indication and this in itself gave the British elemental reason to pause. Clearly his words had had a positive effect on the snow haired sylph and while this was by no means a bad thing it did cause the azure eyed mercenary to question the waif's self confidence, really all he had done was voice the first thoughts which had come to mind. After all, most of his early teachers had been female and they had all possessed a demeanor similar to Ghost's own; outwardly amiable and amenable but with a hint of hidden backbone should they be sufficiently tried.
Such thoughts caused Zephyr to reminisce over his last encounter with the guileless girl before him and his lip's twitched upwards slightly as he recalled finally having breached the last vestiges of the sylph's patience and the resulting outburst of undignified animosity which had followed. In all honesty though the hessian felt that Ghost had only herself to blame since she had openly admitted to a bikini 'malfunction'. It was only natural therefore that an element of curiosity would be raised after such a confession and a question posed for the purpose of clarification. Really if she hadn't wanted such a question then she shouldn't have volunteered the information in the first placed.
Speaking of volunteered information it appeared as though the waif had managed to derive an accurate estimation of the hessian's opinion regarding Slate for she seemed rather willing to jump to the monotonous boys defense by stating her own first impression, and in the process of doing mentioned an event which proved rather effective in capturing Zephyr's attention and the mercenary couldn't prevent the incredulous look which crossed his features, nor the slight note of humour which entered his tone as he spoke, completely ignoring the question the girl had posed. "So I was right, you do have a taste for young men, though I will admit Slate seems an odd choice."
Eventually the conversation returned to a more somber subject as the sylph explained her motivation to be on the 'front lines of battle' as it were, and to give the girl credit she was least partially correct in her assumptions, trouble would find her eventually; it was an inevitable part of being a mutant. Where the woman's logic failed however was in how she chose to make things 'better'. Overall though it was really a rather noble, if naive, purpose.
"Is that so? Tell me, were you truly needed in Romania? I've doubt you're gifts were valuable but could they possibly have been put to better use elsewhere?"
It was Ghost's turn to foo-foo. Zephyr must not really feel all that well if the best he could come up with to tease her was 'you like young men.' Even if (and that was a big if) she had liked younger men, she had married the oldest person she had ever met in her entire life. Probably the oldest person she would ever meet.
Marriage counted for more.
"Tell me, were you truly needed in Romania? I've doubt you're gifts were valuable but could they possibly have been put to better use elsewhere?"
Ghost used this opportunity to stand and stretch. The chair was a hard one. Not really meant for comfortable conversation. "To be honest, Zephyr, I wasn't that valuable in Romania." She had been an absolute liability, in fact. "But Sebastian was that important. Was that needed. We're two halve of a whole now and I wouldn't have let him go without me even if he had offered." Though next time Sebastian might insist she stay home.
She wasn't sure how she felt about that so she tucked her chair in and went to wash out her empty cup.
"We should start your lessons today. That, at least, is something that makes me useful." Her cup done, she held out her hand for Zephyr's. "We should go somewhere with access to a healer. Mansion or Iris Clinic." Both of which were her home. He may even get to see where she lived which was only fair since Ghost was here in Zephyr's apartment.
Somewhat predictably Ghost failed to gain any level of amusement from the slight jab towards her preferences, betraying nothing but a look of annoyance apparently deciding that the comment did not dignify a response. Which was something of a shame really for Zephyr had noticed that the girl had a rather unfortunate penchant for 'sticking her foot in her mouth' as it were and so would have welcomed a chance to continue such persiflage and though the hessian could have the pursued the subject he chose to acquiesce to waif's will and allowed the subject to drop; it was rarely to over antagonize one you sought a favour from, besides he could always raise the topic later.
As the subjected shifted towards Ghost's actions in Romania Zephyr remained silent as the snow haired girl confessed, or at least alluded to, her short comings in an almost defiant tone as she rose from chair and glanced down at her host briefly before beginning to stretch before then heading towards the sink, leaving Zephyr to contemplate her words. In truth there were likely a multitude of information which could be drawn from the sylph's statement, and though the hessain was not particularly in the mood for psycho analysis he couldn't help but note the slight suggestion sown into the waif's words that she seemed more concerned with being useful or worthy, than actually ameliorating the "trouble" she had mentioned previously. It was an observation worth remembering, even if only for the purpose of testing it's accuracy at a later date.
"We should start your lessons today. That, at least, is something that makes me useful. We should go somewhere with access to a healer. Mansion or Iris Clinic."[/color]
Zephyr blinked and then his shoulder to shake in wry amusement as the ingénue all but confirmed his cursory assessment. The humour did not last long though and so the British elemental shifted his attention to the ingénue's query, posing a question of his own in response.
He seemed to have forgotten his tea. She eased it away from him and went to clean his cup.
"Either is fine. We'll have more space at the Mansion, possibly use of the Danger Room if the teens are ever out of there." She turned the water off and put the second cup in the drying rack. "The Iris Clinic is where I live most of the time. Sebastian I know the best and is the healer with which I am most comfortable. I don't know, however, how comfortable he would be with you."
It was the truth. Ghost turned to face Zephyr, but kept her hands on the sink behind her. She had the distinct urge to smooth her skirt. An urge she would not give in to.
"I will defer to your preference. You likely won't retain your clothes the first time... maybe not ever, but we're both adults." And it wasn't exactly anything new. Her chin would not drop. She was an adult and would prove it... though maybe Sebastian would want to chaperone?
Leaning back nonchalantly into his chair Zephyr raised his brow at Ghost once more as she idly slipped his cup away from him and over to the sink, acting for all the world as though she were in her own home and for a moment the mercenary was tempted to remark upon the ease with which the girl had dropped into such a domestic role. On the one hand she was saving him from having to an, admittedly, minor chore himself, and while he appreciated the gesture, finding and pushing the sylph's buttons was far more entertaining.
"Dutiful little housewife aren't you?" He remarked casually as she began to run the cup under the water, and for a split second the hessian thought he saw the waif's back stiffen in response, but the moment quickly passed as she went on to give a brief explanation of both the mansion and the clinic which seemingly acted as both her home and her husband's work space. When the ingénue mentioned the possible faux pas which could occur if Zephyr were to meet Sebastian though the hessian simply smirked before replying in an mockingly scolding cadence . "Tsk tsk Ghost, a woman isn't meant to kiss and tell, I thought you knew that."
"I will defer to your preference. You likely won't retain your clothes the first time... maybe not ever, but we're both adults."[/color]
The azure eyed mercenary simply, the same smug smirk still dancing across his features. "Indeed, it won't be anything you haven't seen before , and as you said we're both consenting adults."
The innuendo was admittedly far from subtle but the hessian was enjoying the sense of schardenfreude arising from the waif's discomfort. It was immature he knew, yet at the moment he didn't really care; he could afford to be puerile once in a while and besides there was something satisfying about shattering the ingénue's innocent demeanor.
"Can you drive?"[/color]
"I can yes, give me a minute or to finish changing and we can head for them mansion" Zephyr nodded as he spoke before rising from his chair and heading back to his room as he attempted to recall where he'd put his spare helmet . Ghost wouldn't really need it but hessian did not see the point in tempting fate or the local police force.
Cafas: "Zephyr is the king of bad decisions, but if Sebby being weak to ghost is anything to go by, not so amazing at follow through."
"...A woman isn't meant to kiss and tell, I thought you knew that."
That earned a wrinkled nose. "Are you implying that a man is?" Really. Zephyr had this weird man superiority complex. It didn't matter as long as he respected the sanctity of her marriage and let her lead as a teacher. She only sighed heavily at his 'consenting adults' comment. She would have to maintain proper distance.
In the future, she had been a good teacher. She had tried to pass on the ability of ghosting, but since she hadn't been able to consistently control her own levels of solidity, the lessons had been mostly a flop. Only those with initial aptitude and a precise focus on air had gained any part of the skill.
Ghost pulled herself up onto the counter behind her and dangled her legs while she waited for Zephyr. She was glad that he had not insisted they ghost together rather than drive. She was trying to minimize her ghosting over all and ghosting with people... just about every time she'd done it the ending was the most tricky part. It seemed to end in disaster more often than not.
He chose the Mansion. I'll go ahead and reserve a room then." They didn't particularly need the Danger Room. Just a room with space and with easy access to DocProf's office. One of the classrooms was probably a good idea. Ghost opened her freshly re-acquired phone and chatted with Johnny about which would be best while Zephyr was changing.
That took all of half a minute. For the rest of the time she inspected the kitchen for signs of change or life while she swung her legs across the cabinet fronts. He should really hang some pictures or something.
It didn't bother her particularly to be called domestic. There were worse fates in life.