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.
Natalie did not intend to “take a second”. She did not intend to take a breath, or a pause, or even a moment to think about what she was considering doing. Norah was missing her teddy bear, and that was a code red, as she liked to think about it. Her daughter hadn’t gone a night without her bear in far too long, and she wasn’t about to let her have a terrible night in a new place without her object of comfort. Absolutely not.
She glanced at Nate cooly as he placed hands on her shoulders, having decided to ignore any and all of his protests. He didn’t- he couldn’t understand what it was like. He’d missed too much. He hadn’t seen when Norah had first gotten that teddy, and he hadn’t heard the crying at three am when it had fallen out of her crib. There was history that came along with that bear; history he just couldn’t know.
Still, he was stealing her attention to a certain degree. Her face was stony and impassive, her eyes flickering between the bear in her hands and the man in front of her. She was set on what she had decided, but she was still listening to his reasoning. Even if she knew full well that there was nothing that he could say to sway her.
Except…
He was right; they’d been gone for over an hour, and they had not received one phone call. If Allison was living up to expectation and being a reasonable parent to both girls, then they would already be in bed, meaning that Norah would have gotten to sleep without her bear. She didn’t need her bear anymore. And she didn’t need to be at home, either. How much did she need anymore? Would it ever go back to the way that it was?
It was all too much. There was another second where Natalie let the realizations hit her, her face still as inexpressive as before, and then the crash. Her face fell, and tears streamed freely (slowly, in an oddly patterned manner, in a very Natalie fashion). She fell forward, uncaring that she was falling into the arms of the man that she had made a promise to herself not to let herself get to close to, and leaned into his shoulder. She needed him to anchor her in that moment, and she needed his shoulder to cry on. His specifically.
Posted by Natalie Ross on Sept 10, 2017 20:02:48 GMT -6
Noel likes this
Delta Mutant
thistle / gainsboro
Straight
Nate
150
135
Jul 15, 2018 16:05:42 GMT -6
Lix
Natalie was rarely sour or bitter. Sure, she was often frustrated or angry, but there were few people that could push her over into that side. Noel seemed to have a special ability to do so, but Noel was also… special. She didn’t count.
When Natalie had gotten pregnant, she’d pulled up her socks, no questions asked. When she’d gotten a job at the firm and been told that she’d never make partner because she was female, she did what she had to do to ensure that that wasn’t the case. She really believed that it was one’s own duty to ensure that life turned out the way that you wanted it. Everything could be turned to work in your favour if enough work was put into it.
Nate, however, had the innate ability to turn Natalie’s mood sour in minutes. Part of her was convinced that that was his true mutant ability rather than controlling shadows. He had a power over her that not one person, including Noel, had ever possessed over her. It was absurd, and she wanted it to stop, but there was nothing that she could do to stop herself from being affected by his pull. Was this what it was like for all women around him? If so, then she did understand why he seemed to have a string of them. Not that it excused it.
He’d tried to sway the conversation back, thus swaying Natalie away from the edge, but she was still unhappy. Yes, he’d worked hard to get where he was, and he was in great form to be meeting his daughter, but it was still all because of another woman. She might not have had any claim over him (then or now), but that didn’t stop Natalie from giving him an annoyed glance as she sipped her wine again. ”Yes, I’m sure she’ll remember how glad you were for that one woman when you introduce her to your parade of ‘important friends’.”
She’d always been careful about who she introduced Norah to herself, so imagining that she was now going to have to police the both of them, all while keeping her emotions in check, was exhausting.
Thankfully, Natalie was stopped mid-spiral when Nate pointed out the little bear that had been abandoned on the tile floor by the door. Obviously, Norah had forgotten it there when she was busy putting on her shoes. Natalie’s heart stopped momentarily, and she quickly forgot everything that she was angry about. Norah had forgotten her bear. Norah didn’t sleep without her bear. Norah was no doubt panicking without it.
”We have to go back,” she announced suddenly, her voice shaky and slightly too loud. Natalie stood up and strode over to the bear, picking it up and looking it over very slowly.
Posted by Natalie Ross on Sept 7, 2017 7:37:33 GMT -6
Delta Mutant
thistle / gainsboro
Straight
Nate
150
135
Jul 15, 2018 16:05:42 GMT -6
Lix
Natalie clearly remembered the first time that her parents had laid eyes on Norah. They’d declined the invitation to join her at the hospital when she was born, so Natalie had gone through the experience alone. When she’d brought the little girl home the next day, they’d been distant and wary of the little creature that was causing so much chaos in their lives. However, try as they might have to hate her, it wasn’t something that was possible. Norah had wiggled her way into their hearts and stolen a spot, just like she did with most everyone that she met. Before long, they were acting as grandparents when it was convenient for them.
Despite their growing love for the girl, they were still the same people that they’d always been; stubborn and stuck on their own images. Besides, it was Natalie who had truly disappointed them. It was the rift between the woman and her parents that had truly severed the connection. It came to the point where they were only providing financial support, since emotional support would be too much for them and might have caused their social standing to change.
So, when Natalie took the step to move away, she didn’t feel any sort of deep connection keeping her in Chicago. Sure, every once and a while she missed her childhood home or a friend there, but there was no draw strong enough to bring her back. She had built a life in New York for herself and her daughter, and they were happy there.
”They do care about her,” Natalie corrected Nate quietly. That much had always been clear from her parents. ”They’re just… difficult people. They send Christmas and birthday gifts, though.” They did for Norah, at least. Natalie took another sip of wine.
When she’d asked, Nate had started to describe the thought process behind his change of heart. Natalie listened careful, and as she did, her expression soured. It was always a woman with Nate, wasn’t it? An ex-girlfriend had ultimately been the catalyst behind his radical change. And to think Natalie had been naïve enough to imagine that he might have just wanted to change. The thing that had made her able to allow him into their daughter’s life had been because of another woman. Fitting.
By the time that he’d circled around to talking about how he turned himself in, Natalie was hardly listening. Her elbow was perched on the arm of the couch and she was thinking, her brow furrowed in clear irritability. Why was she reacting like that? She had no claim in his life, and they hadn’t even been in contact. There was… just some part of her that wanted that claim over him. The thought of that simply made her even angrier, so she simply took another sip of wine and tried to press the thought down.
She failed. ”So, yet another woman is the reason that you are the person you are now?” She confirmed, her voice cutting and sour. Emotions and anger from the night’s events were being redirected at Nate, and he was about to get the brunt of all of her unease.
Posted by Natalie Ross on Sept 2, 2017 22:16:16 GMT -6
Delta Mutant
thistle / gainsboro
Straight
Nate
150
135
Jul 15, 2018 16:05:42 GMT -6
Lix
The wine poured with such a satisfying noise. Every part of Nat that had wanted just one drink that night had disappeared as quickly as her first glass, and it didn’t even register that she was going against her own warnings as she poured them both another glass of the dangerous elixir. They were heading down that road again and neither of them seemed to care or suggest that they turn around.
Still, she wasn’t upset that it was Nate in her apartment that evening. She actually quite enjoyed spending time with him, especially when they could just talk as human beings without other distractions. No work, no Haven, and, as bad as it seemed, no worries about Norah. Things were just… okay in that moment. They weren’t okay in the grand scheme of things, but they were as she let herself relax on that couch and even laugh for the first time in a while.
>>”So there are law firms in Chicago, last I checked. Why New York, Nat?”
Natalie paused for a moment, her laughter subsiding. She took a sip of her fresh glass of wine as she considered his question, swirling it before bringing it up to her lips. Moving to New York had been a natural decision for her, but she supposed that to someone without all the details or experience, it could seem like a rash move to make.
”My parents never approved of the whole ‘single mother’ thing. They thought that it looked bad on them,” she admitted with a shrug. Her new glass of wine was already going as quickly as the other one had. Her cravings were insatiable. ”They helped out some, but mostly in cash. Being in the same city as them was never fun. So, when I passed the Bar, I decided that it was time for a fresh start. I got a job and Norah wasn’t even in school yet, so it just made sense.”
It had been a good move. Getting out from under her parents’ thumbs was one of the best things that had ever happened to her, and it had allowed her to grow and develop as both a person and a lawyer. She wouldn’t have become the person that she was without the situations that she had found herself in, even if they had seemed hopeless while she was in them.
A question could not go without a rebuttal, though. That was a fact of life. Her eyes moved slowly over to Nate and settled on him for a moment, studying his clothed form. It took a moment for her sharp words to form in her mouth. ”What made you turn yourself in? It wasn’t like you didn’t have a good thing going.”
Even as a lawyer, she could appreciate true skill. Nate was a skilled thief, but he’d given it up. She was glad that he had, though, since it made it much easier for her to want to introduce him to Norah. But it clearly hadn't been the little girl that made him want to do a 360 turn, so what had it been?
Posted by Natalie Ross on Sept 1, 2017 22:22:07 GMT -6
Delta Mutant
thistle / gainsboro
Straight
Nate
150
135
Jul 15, 2018 16:05:42 GMT -6
Lix
The two parents left the apartment with just a wave goodbye. It felt like Natalie hadn’t done enough, like she needed to go back inside and leave a list of items that Norah might need or need doing. Did she have everything she needed? What if they’d forgotten something! A million things ran through her head, and she hardly even noticed that they were standing in the elevator rather than the hallway. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her hand had migrated to her mouth in order to cover it. She hated this.
>>”She’s gonna have a safe, fun night, Nat. And you have the night to yourself; not exactly something you can say often.”
A comment from Nate had pulled her back from the edge and forced her to ground herself. She was really thankful that he was there, actually. She knew that if he hadn’t been, then she likely would have gone back inside, or, worse, never have left. It was easier to make herself seem together when there was someone expecting her to drive them home.
He was right, though. There wasn’t really anything to worry about. She knew that Allison’s house was safe and that the blonde would do a wonderful job watching the girls. The worst that could possibly happen was Norah getting homesick or being unable to sleep. Those were both things that they would be able to overcome.
Plus, a night off was definitely a rare commodity for Natalie. She couldn’t even remember the last time that she’d had a night off, actually. Whenever she wasn’t working late, she would make as much time as possible for Norah, and that meant that there wasn’t really any personal time left for her until Norah went to bed, at which point she would either clean or do some more work. Breaks were not something that she actively indulged in. The led to unproductive lives.
She nodded quickly. She could work the night away until she was so tired that she fell asleep on her case notes. It would be as simple as that, and she wouldn’t even need to worry about anything going wrong, since her mind would be occupied. Why hadn’t she thought of that before?
>>”She’ll be a phone call away all night. In the meantime, maybe you want to grab a drink and take your mind off things? I happen to know a certain someone recently came to possess a pretty good bottle of wine.”
The elevator dinged, both to let them know that they’d reached the parking garage and to punctuate Natalie’s brief pause while she recalculated. That was a very different plan. Without saying anything, she stepped out into the parking garage and walked forward, her heels clicking against the pavement.
It would be much harder to push her worries out of her mind with Nate around, especially if they were going to be drinking. In fact, she often found that she worried more around Nate, even if it was about different things.
However, she was finding that she actually quite enjoyed spending time with her co-parent, even if they didn’t always see eye to eye. Perhaps it was a better option to spend the night with a bit of platonic company than all alone, working away at her desk. One drink couldn’t hurt, at least.
”Yes. I’ll drive you back to my place and we can have a drink. One drink.” She made sure to add that last sentence. They didn’t exactly have the greatest track record with drinking alone together. With the decision made, she unlocked her car and slid into the driver’s seat.
With her hand free of a glass, Natalie nodded a thank-you and stood from her seat, flattening out any wrinkles in her skirt. It really was time to go; any longer in that apartment and Hannah and Norah wouldn’t be the only ones having a sleepover that night. It wasn’t exactly a good look to be sobbing on the floor at a friend’s house, so she much preferred to keep that private.
”See you tomorrow,” Natalie nodded with a quick, sealed-lipped smile. She didn’t add an pronouns, so whether one or both of them would be there was still up in the air. She could talk to Nate about that later. If he wanted to be there, then she wasn’t going to stop him, but she also wasn’t going to make him do it or schedule something that was going to conflict with his day. She understood how troublesome a complicated schedule could get, after all. She would have to work the next day after dropping settling Norah in with the nanny.
Always chivalrous and charming, Nate was the perfect gentleman when saying goodbye to Allison. When they’d first come back into contact with one another, the brunette had automatically assumed that she wouldn’t be able to take him anywhere public, but that didn’t turn out to be the case. In fact, he was so charming that she was sure that he would even make a good impression on her coworkers if she ever took him to a company function… not that she would ever have reason to take him to a company function… that was reserved for significant others and family members. He was neither, obviously.
Natalie hugged Allison tightly and wished her well while Nate called the girls into the livingroom. There was a brief moment when Natalie thought that Norah might be enjoying herself too much to say goodbye to her mother, but when she ran out a moment later, her heart started beating again. She watched as the girl hugged her father goodbye - an image that she never thought she’d get to see - and tried not to let the emotions of it all overtake her. She was usually very good at holding up a poker face and pushing everything down, but it was getting harder by the second.
She was so focused that when Norah ran over and wrapped her hands around her legs, Natalie was almost taken down. The woman let out a surprised ‘oof’ and then crouched so that she was at eye level with her daughter. ”I love you, Norah. Have a good time, okay?”
”I love you too, mommy,” she grinned.
”More.”
”Mostest.”
”More than that.” The final response came as a bit of a whisper as Natalie held her tight one last time. After a second, she stood up and let the little girl run back to where her friend was standing with an expensive looking doll. Quickly, Natalie wiped under her eyes and then turned back toward the door.
She turned the doorknob and then gave one final nod toward Allison. ”Thanks for this. Call me if anything goes wrong, okay?”
Like always, Allison was quick to catch onto things. She gestured for them to get moving and then crossed her arms as she leaned against the wall. “Get out of here, Nat,” she said lovingly.
Not many people got to see Natalie in full mom mode, where she was dressing Norah up like herself and taking her out on day trips with friends. That rare experience was for few people and few people only to see, so when Allison told Nate about the day, it made her a little uneasy. When he claimed that he would have paid to see it, it made her even more so. He seemed to be the one person that was in every area of her life, and it was beginning to feel like there was nothing left to hide from him. As strange as it was for someone, Natalie hid stuff from everyone. There was at least one area of her life that was hidden from each person she met. Including Norah.
Even on the odd occasion when she was dating someone, they rarely were privy to her whole life. It rarely got that serious, and she’d made the decision early on to not introduce Norah to anyone she met unless it did.
She wasn’t dating Nate, of course. Things were just… well, she wasn’t sure what was going on between them, but they were sure as hell doing a great job of ignoring it all. Maybe it would just always be that way with them; pretending not to have anything going on while they did their best for Norah.
Thankfully, the conversation steered in a different direction when the subject of she and Allison’s friendship came up. It felt like they’d been friends forever, but really, it had only been about two years since she’d met the gorgeous blonde. They’d built a strong connection during that period, and it was hard to imagine living life without having her as a friend. The strangest part of that realization was the thought that it was beginning to be like that with Nate. Her life would not be the same without him.
It was true, though. Neither her nor Norah would be able to survive without Nate. Though, it was clear from the giggles in the other room that Norah would be just fine that night. That thought made Natalie look down at her wine glass and take another sip.
She finished it in one go. She hadn’t meant to do that. ”We should likely go, huh? Busy day tomorrow and all.” She’d lied. She just didn’t want to sit on Allison’s nice couch and cry.
“Oh, yes! Of course! I understand completely.” Allison stood and nodded understandingly, collecting the glass from Natalie’s hand. “I suppose I’ll see… you tomorrow morning, then.” She’d looked between the two parents briefly, as if trying to decide whether or not she would see the both of them the next day.
Posted by Natalie Ross on Aug 16, 2017 22:14:46 GMT -6
Delta Mutant
thistle / gainsboro
Straight
Nate
150
135
Jul 15, 2018 16:05:42 GMT -6
Lix
Allison grinned widely and sunk back into the couch as she shot a look toward where the girls were playing. Squeals of laughter could be heard through the door, which was propped open just in case. “I do have a mini-me, don’t I?” she agreed with a grin as she sipped her wine again. “Nat and I actually took the girls to high tea once and we dressed up in matching outfits. It was rather adorable, if I do say so myself.”
Natalie smiled a little at the memory but wiped it off her face as soon as she realized that Nate was there. The lines between that version of herself and the one that she’d tried to keep him accustomed to were quickly blurring and disintegrating altogether. Hell, there was hardly any part of her life that was a secret to him anymore, and she couldn’t say that about anyone else. Even Allison only knew that side of her, since she’d never been allowed to see her at work, and she wasn’t about to tell her about Haven. Somehow, Nate had infiltrated all three of the largest areas of her life.
>>”So you two seem like you’ve been friends for a while. I’m guessing Norah and Hannah have known each other since they were in diapers?”
The brunette shook her head. ”No, I was still in school when Norah was born and Allison and Tom were living in Amsterdam back then,” she explained. A nod from the blonde across the room verified her explanation of the events. ”We actually met when they were both in kindergarten. PTA meetings.”
Allison laughed heartily in a way that only she could pull off without it being fake. “Natalie sure knows how to fight for something she wants, huh? We both wanted all day kindergarten, so that was what we got. We bonded over coffee meetings, mostly, and then it evolved. The forced friendship between the girls has really taken off by now, huh?”
Natalie nodded with a smile. ”It sure sounds like it.” In the very least, it sounded like Norah was going to be having a good time without her there. That would hopefully make it easier to step out that door and leave her behind for the night.
Posted by Natalie Ross on Aug 16, 2017 8:37:54 GMT -6
Delta Mutant
thistle / gainsboro
Straight
Nate
150
135
Jul 15, 2018 16:05:42 GMT -6
Lix
Norah was a girl with eyes bigger than her abilities. If she wanted something, she would fight for it, just like her mother had taught her to, but she didn’t always necessarily know why she wanted it. She had wanted to talk to Sam, but as soon as she got the opportunity to do so, she hadn’t really known what to do with it. She had wanted it, but she was a six year old with an average amount of social awareness, so conversations weren’t always the smoothest things for her. Questions were a good way to start, but once she had asked one, her mind was already wandering a bit.
>>"I did. It was my Dad and I for the most part, but he passed away quite a few years back."
”Sorry,” Norah said quietly. She at least had the social grace to remember to do that. Natalie held back a sigh and gave an apologetic look to the woman on the bench. ”Was your dad nice? My dad is nice.” They were going in circles there and all that Natalie could do was watch.
>>"So you're passing up ice cream to sit here and talk to me though? What's your favorite flavor? Mine is cotton candy or a banana split."
Norah’s eyes lit up. She really did love ice cream, as much as she was suppressing the desire. ”I like cotton candy. It’s all pink and pretty and it tastes really good,” she nodded, as if she was sharing some big, important secret. ”Mommy says it’s not good for me, though, so we only get it on special accusations.”
”Occasions.”
”O-ccasions,” the little girl repeated. That day was a special occasion, and she was passing up her opportunity for her favourite treat. The realization seemed to cross her face, and she frowned. Ice cream was something that she wanted to fight for. ”Can we go get ice cream now, mum?”
Natalie nodded, relieved to be finished with the situation. That was the great thing about six-year-olds; they only had a limited attention span. ”Yes, we’ll go now. Say goodbye to Sam-”
”No! I want Sam to come!” Norah cried.
Natalie sighed deeply and ran a hand through her combed hair. There was no winning there and she did not want to deal with a temper tantrum in the middle of Central Park. ”I guess it’s up to Sam whether she wants to come or not.”
Even barefoot, Allison was taller than Natalie in heels. She embraced the woman in a large hug before they continued on into the heart of the apartment behind Nate. She chuckled when he replied to her greeting, stepping in front of him to beat him into the main room. She was the epitome of all hostesses. “Oo, a southerner! How charming! It’s a pleasure to meet you, Nate,” she corrected easily. There was nothing malicious about how she said it, mostly because there wasn’t a malicious bone in Allison’s body. “Now, please. You can put Norah’s things down in the hallway there - we’ll deal with it later. For now, sit, sit!”
Natalie removed her shoes and made her way into the apartment that she’d been to many times, taking a seat in the living like Allison had told them to. She flattened her dress as she took a seat on the leather loveseat and crossed her legs. ”Thanks so much for the welcome, Allison, but we probably shouldn’t stay long,” Natalie said, trying to keep the nerves out of her voice. She was sure that if they stayed there too long, she would either end up taking Norah home with her or sleeping there too.
Allison had retreated to the kitchen while her guests were in the living room, but she was still listening in. There was a sudden sound of clinking plates being put away. She reappeared in the doorway with two glasses of red wine. “No, of course not. I understand. Busy, busy Nat as always. Just… have a glass of wine, at least?”
Natalie paused and glanced at Nate briefly. She knew for a fact that he had nowhere to be, and she felt bad for just leaving like that. ”Sure, but just one,” she agreed for the both of them. Allison nodded happily and set the two glasses down on the coffee table. Natalie reached for her own and took a sip while she waited for Allison to return with another glass. The sound of giggling girls could be heard in the other room.
When the blonde returned, she took a seat in an armchair across the room and took a large sip of her wine. “Tom should be home soon. Long day of meetings for him, sorry. But anyway, it’s lovely to meet you, Nate. You look a lot like your daughter. Or, rather, she looks a lot like you.”
Posted by Natalie Ross on Aug 12, 2017 21:59:00 GMT -6
Delta Mutant
thistle / gainsboro
Straight
Nate
150
135
Jul 15, 2018 16:05:42 GMT -6
Lix
Nate had beaten her to the trunk of the car, meaning that they had a fleeting moment of understanding between the two of them while Norah was distracted with something in the door of the car. It was clear that Natalie was a little upset about all that was going on, and Nate, like almost any other adult person, was able to pick up on it. He offered her a few reassuring words, and then a comment that made her grin, despite herself.
Moving dolls. To many people, they would seem like a terrible idea, but to six-year-old girls, one of whom’s mother could craft nightmares from thin air, were drawn to the idea. An inanimate friend that could move like a semi-real person. It was a dream come true. ”Yes, well, don’t say that too loud. I got her one as a back-to-school gift, and you know how she listens to everything you say.”
That last bit was actually a bit frustrating. The novelty of him being her dad gave him a little bit more pull when it came to things like bedtimes and saying no to things. It also made her extremely impressionable, too. Whatever her dad wanted, she wanted soon after.
With the little girl’s things gathered in Nate’s arms and the car locked safely behind them, the trio walked toward the elevator that would bring them up toward the apartments they were aiming for. Norah excitedly pushed the button for the three of them, and the luxurious elevator took off. It was clear as soon as they had left the parking garage that Natalie’s friend was well-off as well.
All too soon, they had reached the apartment that Hannah’s family lived in. Natalie could feel her heart racing, and she wanted to pick Norah up and take her back home where she could dote on her for the next forever. She knew she couldn’t do that, though, so she instead let Norah knock on the door and waited quietly for someone to answer.
The door creaked open to reveal a little blonde girl holding a doll with pink hair. Her face lit up when she saw who it was, and she rushed forward to give Norah a hug. The two girl grinned and chattered away, escaping quickly into the apartment. They had raced around a tall blonde woman, who essentially looked like an older version of her daughter.
“Natalie!” Allison greeted enthusiastically as she took long-legged strides toward them. “Come in, come in. You must be Nathaniel,” she said as she surveyed the woman’s companion. As they stepped inside, she gave Natalie a knowing look behind Nate’s back.
