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.
Allegra winced noticeably when her knew friend said that it was great she was a mutant. She couldn't understand why so many mutants were just overflowing with mutant pride. Most people Allegra knew (well, before coming to New York) were afraid of mutants and when you called someone a mutant it was not a compliment. Being a mutant seemed to define who someone was. Allegra just wanted to be Allegra. She didn't want to be, first and foremost, the Mutant Freak.
"I don't know what you can do, but you have to be careful," Allegra said. "I really admire your confidence in being able to take care of yourself but what if that creep had a gun or something? You don't know what people are capable of. "
"Ambrosia. That's such a pretty name," Allegra said. "And I'm buying the hat for you." She held up her hands to ward off any potential protests. "Nope, I don't want to hear anything. It's final. I'm doing the whole paying it forward thing. See this dress I'm wearing? About a week ago, I was at a music festival and all my money and credit cards were stolen. A total stranger bought this dress for me and covered me for food and drinks and everything. She really saved my life. I would totally suck if I didn't do the same thing. Plus, you seem to have a wicked fashion sense which I totally admire."
Allegra moved over to the dresses. "If you see something you love, it's yours," she offered. "So are you from New York? You know there's something kind of familiar about you but I just can't place it."
Allegra noticed that the bully didn't know how to respond to the girl's retort that he could only wish to be as enchanting and adorable her. That was a great comeback. Allegra would have to remember it.
When the two of them shot back at him, he was completely dumbfounded. "Bitches!" he shouted.
"That was creative," Allegra commented to Ambrosia, not even bothering to respond to the ignorant jerk. "I'm really let down by the quality of ignorant bullies these days. They used to be a little smarter."
Allegra led the girl into Attitude, one of her favorite stores. Ambrosia's bell announced their arrival.
Allegra looked back just to make sure the creep wasn't following them. "No, it's not fair," Allegra said. "But there's a lot of dangerous people out there who could really hurt you." She spoke in a whisper. "I'm a mutant too."
This wasn't something she normally admitted. It was something Allegra was ashamed of, but there was something about this girl that Allegra liked instantly despite her mutation. Sometimes you see someone and you know they're a friend you just haven't met yet.
"I'm Allegra, by the way," she said as she grabbed a black floppy hat and positioned it on Ambrosia's head. "That looks perfect, don't you think?"
Winter is coming. It wasn't just a line from some TV show that Allegra never cared to watch. It was a reality in New York and a frightening one for a girl from sunny California. Granted it was still a while away, but now was the best time to prepare. Preparation, of course, meant fall and winter fashion.
Allegra had felt more and more stressed. She didn't feel like she was really fitting in and nothing stressed her out more than that. So what do you do when you're all stressed and frazzled. Go get some therapy. And for Allegra that meant retail therapy.
She was now carrying three bags of awesome new outfits and she was just getting started. The world had gotten so crazy. Allegra just learned she was a mutant and now there were stories about some rift and another dimension where there were different versions of everyone. Allegra didn't really understand it all mainly because it seemed even more outlandish than the idea of mutants. There was a reason she rarely watched the news. Allegra knew reality TV was fake, but the news was just completely outlandish.
But fashion she understood completely. Allegra loved art and she considered clothing art for the body and herself the canvas. Buying clothes not only added to her wardrobe. It gave her ideas for her own designs.
It was also a nice respite from her crazy mutant life. She was a bit sad that she didn’t have a whole gaggle of friends to join her like back home, but she was still able to text them and pretend that things were just like normal.
Normalcy was quickly shattered. “Look at that freak!” someone shouted. Allegra went on the defensive immediately. She was always afraid that someone would figure out she was a mutant.
She spun around and saw the target of the mocking. It was a mutant with elvish ears and cat eyes. She was outing herself as an obvious mutant.
“Freaky furry!” the guy taunted. Okay, he hadn’t figured out this girl was a mutant. He was as stupid as he was rude.
“Leave her alone. She’s just having fun,” Allegra shouted at the guy. “What’s the excuse for your ugly costume? All that acne over your face looks a little too realistic. And how many pillows do you have under your shirt? No one is that fat in real life. You should tone it down a bit.”
Allegra ran over to Ambrosia completely ignoring anything the bully shouted back. Even without her little bit of self defense training at Xavier’s, Allegra was pretty sure he could take him down. Besides, he couldn't even tell the difference between cat ears and elf ears. How stupid was that?
She put her arm around Ambrosia and whispered in her ear. “You’re a mutant right? You really shouldn’t be walking around like this.” Allegra pulled a pair of sunglasses out of her bag. “Here, put these on and we’ll get you a hat somewhere. You really shouldn’t be walking around like that. You could get seriously hurt.”
“I…..I’m sorry,” Allegra said. She was stunned. She really hadn’t thought of it that way. She just assumed people that played D&D and that kind of thing were a bunch of losers with no lives. Allegra hated it when people stereotyped her. They just assumed she was some stuck up slutty dumb blonde. It really hurt. She hadn’t stopped to consider that she might be doing the same thing.
“I guess I just don’t understand why anyone would want to pretend to be someone else when they could get out and enjoy the sunshine and be themselves,” Allegra said. “Just like I don’t understand all the Star Wars fans that dress up like Klingons. That’s what they’re called. Klingons, right? Maybe you could help me understand why Vin Diesel or anyone else would want to play a game about dungeons. Then maybe I can understand them as well. I really didn’t want to seem mean. I’m not like that. I don’t want to hurt anyone and I’m not a bully.”
“There’s a teacher here who actually made fun of me for being a cheerleader when I asked him a question about something I didn’t understand in class,” Allegra said. “People don’t understand cheerleading the same way I don’t understand D&D, I guess. I love it because it’s a great workout and a chance to be with my friends. It’s something positive. I feel like I’m really encouraging our team and spreading school spirit. But people just assume I’m some slut or a stuck up bitch just because I do something I love. It’s not fair.”
“I was really popular back home but I feel like I’m the freak here,” she said. “There was a girl in class that tried to frighten me and she talked about eating people. There’s other stuff like that too. I don’t fit in here and every night I cry myself to sleep. I don’t want to be a mutant. And it’s not because I hate mutants or anything. I try to stick up for everyone and I hate bullying. I just want people to like me and it’s not happening like I’d like it to. It’s making me feel like something’s wrong with me.”
Allegra sat for a second thinking about where a lot of that attitude came from. It was hard to be confident when her mother kept telling her she wasn’t worth it and would never measure up to her older sister.
“So did I hear you right that you thought your mom would be better off apart from you?"Allegra finally asked. “That's so sad. Having kids is a huge responsibility and it sounds like your mom is really successful but I just can’t see anything more important than family. I really want to have kids and they’ll be more important to me than anything. I guess I want to show them the love I never got. I’m guessing your mom didn’t get much of that either with your grandmother being such a witch.”
“I think you’re right though. I’m better without my mom or my dad,” Allegra said. “It’s funny that I’ve always known it but I never really realized it until I heard you say it out loud. I really miss my friends and my old life but I feel free now being away from them. I think they both really screwed me up. Thanks for being my friend. I could really use some friends right now.”
“Okay maybe I should try the English accent then,” Allegra said in a horrible attempt. “Um, or maybe not.”
“Yeah, your shoes are pretty beat up but I still feel bad. You know you’re not supposed to do that, Sparkle.” The dog just looked up innocently at Allegra then rolled into Alice’s lap. “I’m just glad she didn’t get to your good shoes. Back home I had a closet just for my shoes that was bigger than the room I have here. I don’t know how I’m going to keep them safe. I’ve been trying really hard to make them give me a bigger room.”
“Okay, so I press this button here?” Allegra asked. She saw six choices. “Ok, asking him if he has a handsome brother is out. I don’t want to hurt the poor guy’s feelings. Let’s see what the other choices are. I have no idea what a Dothraki even is so I’m not about to insult him by accident. Oh, I can compliment him on his Serenity T-shirt even though I don’t get his shirt or even know what’s so serene about it. I’ll choose that one. If you make someone feel good about what they’re wearing then they feel good about themselves.”
Allegra smiled and turned to Alice. “Do you think I made the right choice?”
"Okay, well Rook then," Allegra said. "I don't know much about chess except that if you knock over the King and say 'Checkmate' then you win."
"Yeah, you should probably call him Dr. Kipperling but he's pretty laid back. You'll see. First time I met him, he asked me if I wanted to go on a trip bungee jumping. He's different but kind of cool."
Allegra rolled her eyes when Rook suggested that she should help taking care of the home. "Why can't we just hire people to do that?" Allegra asked even though she had a feeling that wouldn't be greeted too warmly. Most people here didn't grow up with servants like Allegra did and could not comprehend how cooking and housework were demeaning to her.
"I'm not protecting my human brothers," Allegra admitted. "Or sisters. I just go to school here. I found out I was a mutant and this was one of the few places that I felt could help me. But it sounds like you've got a good go-getter work ethic. They'll like that. I'd hire you."
"I'm kinda curious. If you work with law enforcement, why would you want to get a job as a janitor?" she asked. "Or I guess they're called Sanitation Engineers. Whatever. It still sounds like a big step down for you. Are you gonna be satisfied pushing a mop instead of chasing bad guys?"
"Oh, mommy is so totally proud of her babies," Allegra smiled as she watched Sparkle get to know Rook better. "She really likes you. Sam sounds adorable. Where are you from where you were herding sheep? You've certainly had an interesting life Mr. Chess Playing Secret Sheep Agent."
"Most of the rules are stupid and should be ignored as much as possible," Allegra laughed only half joking. "I can get you a flyer and the link to our website. You're not allowed in the basement area where we've got a jet and something called a Danger Room and a War Room, if you can believe it. But I bet you have that kind of crazy stuff in the MRC too." She pulled out some chips and salsa. "I can get you something to eat if you'd like or I can give you a tour of the place."
“Charlie! Charlie!” Allegra shouted. In the silence of the concert, her voice boomed but hardly anyone heard her. Everyone else was lost in their private fantasies.
She finally saw her friend crashing wildly through the zombie crowd. “Charlie!” Allegra shouted. She grabbed the (much) older woman’s arm and suddenly Allegra was somewhere else.
Allegra heard violins playing and the crowd was gone. Instead, everyone was dressed like they were in some Kiera Knightley period movie. Everyone seemed fascinated by some classical band that was already putting Allegra to sleep. All classical songs sounded exactly the same.
Suddenly one she knew filtered through her consciousness. It was 'Here Comes The Bride' and Allegra gasped for air. The wedding dress she was now wearing was gorgeous but the corset was practically cutting off her circulation. How did people wear these things? Allegra understood suffering for fashion, but this was extreme.
“I do I do I do I do” the words looped repeatedly while a wild electronic symphony played in the background. When Allegra turned to look at her ‘husband,’ she was now staring down the barrel of a gun.
“James no!” Allegra shouted in a voice that wasn’t her own. She felt her chest explode as her screams that weren’t her screams mixed in with a wild array of songs both famous and obscure. She tried pushing off an infinite swarm of hands while ‘Misty Mountain Hop’ thundered in her ears. Even though the song sounded familiar she didn’t know who sang it. It was just another one of those old bands with screaming guitar songs that went on way too long. Jimmy Page’s guitar solo ended abruptly as Allegra’s head exploded and she felt herself slammed against the same cold concrete floor.
The cold darkness only lasted for an eternal second and then bright lights flooded Allegra’s eyes. Some big band song assaulted her ears. ‘Mack the Knife’ she thought it was and then she felt something sharp and then the pain and the darkness returned.
Allegra woke up again to the sounds of chanting then a hundred more songs mixed together so quickly she couldn’t identify them. Faster and faster they played only to be silenced by pain, darkness and the same musty basement smell. Before Allegra could get her bearings, the cycle started again, looping faster and faster.
“STOP!” Allegra shouted and it did. Everything went silent. Allegra was now lying in a pool of blood in some dark basement. She wanted to scream but realized that was a bad idea. Whoever put her down here (is that was happened?) would hear her and shoot her again (wait, had she been shot??)
“Someone please help me,” Allegra cried. Her hands slid on the cold wet floor looking for….?. She wasn’t sure but she found it. A thin plastic tube. She grasped it and …….
…...unclasped the glow necklace around Charlie’s neck. Allegra was back to reality again, thank god! “Charlie! Are you okay?”
Allegra hugged her friend still not knowing what she had just experienced. Were those Charlie’s memories? No that couldn’t be. Just some bad mental mojo.
Gently Allegra pushed her friend away from the dancers. “It’s all gonna be okay,” Allegra said. “The freakshow is over. It’s over.”
Allegra looked around for someplace they could just sit down and get their bearings. That’s when she saw the body. She couldn’t see it when she looked at it straight on but when she glanced out of her peripheral vision, she saw the bloody remains of a pretty girl lying there.
“Oh my god!” Allegra shouted. “It’s Iris. She’s been shot!”
Allegra watched as the newcomer showed off his power. There were quite a few people here that enjoyed doing that so he should fit right in. Allegra, on the other hand, was ashamed of being a mutant and afraid of her power especially after she had killed one of her best friends using it. Sure, he came right back to life but that wasn't much consolation.
This guy’s antics did make her feel better, though. Unlike most mutant show-offs, he was actually funny.
“I guess if we have a really annoying helicopter buzzing around our heads, we just call you,” she said looking at the giant fly swatter.
“Nice to meet you, Alex. Or Rook is it?” There were some mutants here who insisted on going by ridiculous ‘mutant names.’ They claimed that rather than take the name given to them by their human parents, they would choose their own mutant name to symbolize the rejection of the oppressive human culture and the choice to take a name that reflected their mutant heritage and power. Allegra really hoped this guy wasn’t pompous like that.
“Well, Rook, if you’re looking for a job, I guess you’ll want to talk to Dr. Rudolph Kipperling. But everyone calls him Ruddy,” Allegra said. “He’s the headmaster. His mutant power is making clones of himself. So if one of them says no, just ask another one and eventually one of them should hire you. So exactly what kind of work are you looking for? They really need some help around here. They even make me do my own cooking, cleaning and dishes. It’s just awful.”
She looked at his MRC ID and had no idea what that even stood for. “Malicious Real Corrupt? Yeah, I guess that proves you’re not evil. You can come in. Nice picture, by the way.” Allegra typed in her passcode and swung the door open. Her dogs flew inside knowing they would be given a treat.
“Where’s my manners. I forgot to introduce you to my babies,” Allegra said pointed to the white Shih Tzu with light gray mask and ears who was already running around Rook sniffing him. The other dog, a black shaved Brussels Griffin, ran to hide behind Allegra wrapping the leash around her legs in the process. “This white one's Sparkle and my brave protector here is Chocolate. Don't worry. They don't bite.”
“I’m going to go to the kitchen to give them some treats so if you want something to eat or drink before your big job interview,” she offered. “I love playing welcome wagon so I’ll answer any questions if I can. ”
It was a beautiful day out. Choices choices. Go to history class or enjoy the weather.
Now, that was a no brainer. Allegra would probably get into some kind of trouble for ditching another class and of course her mother would be called. Thankfully the staff at Xavier's hadn't figured out that Allegra's mother could care less.
Allegra thought about hitting the pool but her dogs were giving her their sad puppy dog looks. Having actual puppy dog faces was a huge advantage in that department. So Allegra put on a pair of shorts over her bikini, threw on her shoes and grabbed the leash and went out to enjoy the day.
Running was an almost religious experience for her. There was the runner's high, of course, and her dogs loved running beside her but it was Allegra's quiet time as well. She was able to sort out all her thoughts and forget the rest of her crazy life.
After a three mile run around the mansion grounds, Allegra saw a cab pull up. Who could it be? Allegra was hoping for the chance to greet a new student who hadn't had a chance to ingratiate himself or herself into the many cliques yet.
The guy who stepped out seemed a little old to be a student. Too bad. That didn't mean he couldn't be a potential new friend, though. After all, Xavia turned out to be awesome despite the fact she was ancient. She was like 30 or something.
Allegra watched as a crystalline arm seemed to shoot out of the newcomer's jacket sleeve and catch the flying paper. As mutant powers went, that wasn't too freaky. At least he wasn't a dead dinosaur or a giant scary prawn.
Allegra ran over to him with her dogs following obediently behind. "Cool trick," she said. "Can you make a flyswatter too? That would come in handy."
She smiled waiting for his reaction. "I'm Allegra, by the way. Are you meeting a friend here or just visiting. Either way, I can let you in. Just promise me you're not evil, okay? I'd get in a lot of trouble for letting someone evil in."
Allegra stomped her feet as she followed Jack to the office. She was not happy at all.
"I know you have security cameras. I'm not stupid," Allegra said. "It's just that I was told that I could avoid them by climbing out of that window and going through the woods. If I knew you were going to catch me then I would have just walked out the front door. Do you see now why this isn't fair? I should at least get a warning because now that I know I can't sneak out, then I'm not going to try. So detention isn't really necessary, right?"
Just then Lilly, the girl who told Allegra how to sneak out without getting caught walked by. She enjoyed seeing people suffer and had been waiting for Jack to catch Allegra but hadn't counted on her suffering being so delicious.
"Good evening, Ms. Chief," Lilly said in as sweet a voice as she could muster. She then glanced at Allegra's torn dress and had to stick it to her a bit more. "Allegra, I just love your outfit. And what you've done with it. Not sure what kind of look you're going for but the twig in your hair just adds to the caveman vibe you're trying to pull off."
Allegra was floored. She thought Lilly was her friend. "Lilly was the one that told me about sneaking out," Allegra insisted.
"Sarcasm, dear," Lilly laughed. "When I suggested that you climb down three stories and then run through the woods, I didn't think you'd take me seriously. You really aren't very bright are you."
Lilly turned to Jack. "I'd never tell anyone to break the rules," she insisted.
Great. This was the perfect end to an awful evening . Allegra was now resigned to whatever punishment Jack had in store when Lilly's phone flashed in her face.
"Just had to get a picture of that dress," Lilly laughed. "I bet it costed a fortune. Night, all."
Okay, that was enough! Allegra balled up her fists and was ready to take Lilly down. Allegra wasn't the type of girl that got into fights but tonight might be a good time to start.
"I'm Doug," he said. "I thought you might be but my gaydar has malfunctioned before. I'm not into guys myself, but I had a couple reasons for asking. I've got a friend who is looking for a guy and I think you're his type. Also....." He stared over nervously at the pool.
"That girl you're with. She's pretty hot," he said. "I didn't want to make the moves if you were a couple but seeing as you're not.... Well, do you think I've got a chance with her?"
Chemistry? What was the point of that anyway? Allegra had no desire to play mad scientist holding beakers full of colorful and probably deadly liquid. And the Periodic Table? Had that ever come up in any discussion in her life before? Nope? This class was therefore a colossal waste of time.
But she still needed to pass. Somehow she needed to offset that F she was currently getting in Home Ec. She was dazzling everyone in art and doing great in P.E. but all these other classes were as boring as they were worthless. Allegra still had to find a way to pass them.
So Allegra headed down to the living room wearing her oversized sleep shirt with a picture of the Eiffel Tower that said I Heart Paris. She was hoping to run into Kendra as her invisible insomniac friend often made the rounds late at night and was an excellent study distraction. But tonight no such luck.
“Let’s get something to eat, huh girls?” she asked her two dogs. They recognized the word ‘eat’ and jumped up and down as if they had both won the doggie lottery.
Allegra walked into the kitchen and was surprised it was packed. “Full house tonight,” she greeted.
Most of the people she recognized. There was Andy, the steaming hot boy from Chem class and Claire who she said hi to once or twice. Claire was the brain and teacher’s pet of the class but she also seemed really down to earth too. They’d be choosing lab partners soon.Claire was smart plus she seemed like someone that Allegra could be friends with.
“Hey, Claire! Have you picked a lab partner yet?” Allegra asked. She sort of wanted to ask Andy who she regularly fantasized wearing his swimming speedos but it was better to go for the smart girl. Smart partner = less work for Allegra. Allegra was all about less work. Allegra saw what looked like an origami bird on Claire's shoulder. Allegra was really into crafting and tried some origami herself. She was about to comment when the 'bird' flapped its wings. Decidedly odd, so Allegra just tried to smile as if it were normal.
Claire could probably pass the test without opening a book but Andy looked worried. “So are you ready for this thing?” Allegra asked him. “Who would think there would be so much math in Chemistry. Isn’t that what we have math class for?”
Allegra smiled at the pale skinned girl but it was obvious she was nervous. She just didn’t seem normal. You’d think Allegra would be used to that by now in a school full of mutants but some people just icked her. Victoria had a bit of a goth vibe to her and the perky cheerleader didn’t get along so well with most of the goths. “Hi. I’m Allegra. I’ve seen you around,” Allegra said as cheerfully as she could. That was the truth. A couple times when Allegra couldn’t sleep she’d come down and saw Victoria roaming the halls. Allegra would always turn and bolt the other way so she wouldn’t have to talk to Victoria. Allegra felt bad about being so prejudiced but she couldn’t help it.
“Oh, Ms. Taylor, hi,” Allegra said. “I was wondering if you got my hardship request saying I need a bigger room. I haven’t heard anything about it so I figured I’d check on it.” Allegra had requested a bigger room and had been turned down so she figured she’d fill out the hardship form on the grounds that she needed more closet space. What did she have to lose?
At that moment, Allegra remembered something Abby said to her about Mama T who could take away mutant powers. Was this Mama T? Allegra didn’t really understand the concept of adapted humans. Someone tried explaining it once and it just sounded another form of mutant to her. But if Ms. Taylor could take away Allegra’s mutant powers and make her normal again, Allegra would be in heaven. At the very least, Derek suggested to Allegra that it would be good to talk to someone.
"Hey, could I also make an appointment?" Allegra asked her. "Um, to talk about the bigger room thing, of course." Allegra didn't want to seem like the kind of girl that needed counseling. Not in front of everyone else.
Allegra saw the others picking the last of the ice cream. She opened the freezer and grabbed some frozen strawberries and peaches. “I’m gonna make some smoothies. Anyone want some?” she offered.
