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.
Book emergencies. It really did sound like one of those impossible things that could never happen, but there have been a few instances. Nothing as dramatic as, say, a toppled bookcase or a book that needed to be repaired stat! However things did happen that required a librarian's attention. At her comment about “spinal injury”, he replied with a sarcastic grin.
”Very funny. But I’ll have you know that book spinal brokenitus is the leading cause of early discarding. Very tragic.” His smile became more genuine at this point, where he instead elaborated. ”And trust me, working in a library isn’t all dust and shushing. Can’t tell you how many fistfights and public humping I've had to break up.” Insert innocent smile.
Yeah. He totally wasn’t kidding.
He had to admit, he was pretty bummed to hear that Juliette was already taken. He wasn’t surprised by any stretch of the imagination, but it was unfortunate that they met after the fact. Still, there was really no crying about spilt milk that you never even had a chance with. It was time to tone down the flirting, as much as he could, and act like a regular, boring person.
He thought maybe, just maybe, he saw a fleck of disappointment in her gaze when she let slip that she had a boyfriend, but he was clearly overthinking all this, right? Why would she be disappointment when she was the one who brought it up? Again. Over thinking. It was such a shame, but he'd get over it.
>>”I’m afraid I only have bad news; you’re perfectly fine, which means that I sentence you to going back to the everyday grind…You can go home now if you’d like to. Just take a couple of aspirin if your head is bothering you. If you have any other symptoms, make an appointment to see a doctor.”
Again, it wasn’t even fair. The snark was just too perfect, but he responded in kind. When she said bad news, an excited, smiling look appeared on his features, but they quickly sank when Juliette assured him that he was fine. Another snap of his fingers in disappointment and Booker sighed, before giving her a smile. She gave him the practiced spiel about taking meds to handle pain and, if more symptoms arose, to contact an actual doctor.
It all sounded perfectly fair to him. Still disappointed that this could possibly be their last meeting, Booker readied to close the chapter on this subject. While nothing came from it as he would have hoped, at least he was walking away with only mild headache and not a concussion! Gotta look at the silver lining and all!
>>"Do you have any concerns or questions?"
Yes. Runaway with me so we can live a happy, sass filled life together. No, he had to stop. It wasn’t right for him to have such thoughts and he was more a gentleman than that. Time to say “Thank you” and go off to live his normal life…
”Actually…yeah…”
Face palm.
He turned and leaned, reaching into his back pocket where he pulled out his leather, comic book themed wallet. Opening it up, he pulled out a small card, his business card. It had his name, work address, and the name of his institution, the New York Public Library. He stood, smiled, and handed the card out to her.
”Just in case you ever want to see what a real library is like.” He beamed proudly, waiting for her to take the card or not. ”I do tours. And, you know…bring the boyfriend…IF you like.”
He wasn’t going to be RUDE you know. Ahem.
With that done, it was time for him to go. So, standing, a final stretch, and he gave her a small wave. Turning on his heel, he made his way toward the door way, stopped to turn back and share an slightly awkward smile with her, before his foot caught on a small children’s table, neon pink in color, and unceremoniously made him kick and stumble. Thankfully he didn’t fall this time as he caught himself on the side of the door. Stopping himself, he shyly turned back to face her, trying to subtly kick the table off, cause a few passing kids to giggle at his antics. Finally he stopped and plucked it off his foot, setting it aside.
”Um…when you think back on this…?” he said, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. ”Maybe leave that part out?” he sighed. Smooth, Booker. ”Well, later Nurse Dizzle!”
There. Better to leave now while he had some dignity left. Jeez. What a day.
It was going to be a long road to recovery but it certainly looked as it Nessa was beginning to feel a little better. She was talking to him, which was an important first step when trying to get her out of her funks. If she didn’t talk, if that window of communication wasn’t open, then they were going to get nowhere extremely fast. Seeing as he wanted to do everything in his power to help her, the librarian treaded carefully, but persistently, in trying to knock his sister out of her doom and gloom that encapsulated her life.
Rebecca was a low blow for her, that much was clear, but at least she was able to give him a smile – even if she needed to brush her f**king teeth. Woow! Still, knowing the fragile state she was in, Booker didn’t say anything about that and instead merely continued to be a comforting presence to his hurt sibling. It was a crappy thing that she was going through and he was going to be there for her as much as he possibly could.
However, that also meant that for every kind thing and encouraging word he released, he, of course, had to give her just a tiny bit of sass. When she questioned whether not she should just embrace abstinence, the librarian had to scoff a little bit and ask her the important questions about how she would feel being married to God the rest of her life and no one else. In typical fashion, Nessa had an exact reply for him…
>> ”Depends; does this open marriage thing go in all directions? I might be able to deal with one husband in exchange for a few dozen wives.”
”A few dozen wives you can’t touch?” he snorted. He then paused and shook his head. ”Okay, I think we’re getting into porn fantasy territory now, so a change in gears is in order.”
He sighed, reclaiming use of his own arm and using it to quietly continue to pluck the strings of his ukulele. It was a calm, quiet, and collective moment, just the kind that is shared between siblings having a hard time. He loved his sister and never did he want to see her hurt or suffering. It was a shame that she and Becca couldn’t make things work but, and this was something he wouldn’t voice out loud just yet, the heart wants what the heart wants.
>> ”So I’m curious; if Katy Perry failed you, what was plan B?”
Pulled out of his music making, Booker lifted his eyebrow as he turned back to his sister. She wanted to know what his plan was if his attempt at a Katy Perry rendition proved to fail. Tilting his head and giving her an incredulous look.
”Okay…A. Katy Perry is ma girl, and you don’t insult the songstress that she is. She can make a stormy day blue and a churning ocean into a pond,” he bopped Nessa softly on the nose. ”And don’t you forget that.” He sighed as he set his ukulele aside, one hand into his pocket. Experience would have warned Nessa what was to come next, especially with the impish look in his eyes. ”And on the very slim, very off chance that Ms. Perry couldn’t reach your steel-covered heart, there is always…” Suddenly he pulled from his pocket…a sock.
Now, this wasn’t just any ordinary sock. In dealing with the ups and downs of life, Booker found a variety of ways to both creep his sister out, and make her laugh at the same time. On one particular occasion, he discovered that pasting googly eyes, felt lips, and a cotton balls in the shame of a mustache and an extremely thin hairline in the shape of an overtly large bald spot, created the most inspiring creation yet…
”…Professor Sock-mund Freud!” he grinned as he opened the mouth of the homemade creation and slowly turned its googly eyed face towards her. Then, with a deadpan expression on his own face, Booker spoke with a heavy, Austrian accent. ”V’ell…Ms. BOOKman…” he rugged the sock-doctor’s lips together. ”Zid zomeone call ze doctah?”
Nessa didn’t fair well against sock-puppets…so they were the perfect last resort…
>> ”That must be a big library…I thought librarians were the ones trying to stop people from running around, though?”
Booker just grinned at her. It was clear that she didn’t realize which library he worked for. It was well known that the New York Public Library was actually pretty massive. In both width and height, it was an impressive building dedicated to knowledge and information; and that was only the public face of it. Like most libraries there were hidden halls and sections where storage, archiving, and record keeping were kept. It could be a veritable maze if wandered in without an experienced guide. Booker, as it was, was quite experienced.
He gave Juliette and winning smile as he shrugged his shoulders. ”Big would probably be an accurate descriptor for the New York Public Library,” he agreed. ”And we do try to stop people from running – unless there is a very serious book emergency that needs to be handled.”
Another wide grin and a smile.
Their conversation switched over to concerning her recent acquisition of a new pet. Booker loved pets when he was growing up but once he got to college, the luxury of being able to responsibly care for one was no longer there. Besides, Booker loved animals so much that if he had been granted the opportunity to care for pets, well, his house with never be empty. Thankfully he did have one pet, currently, one that was illegal, but luckily their landlord was really, really bad at his job.
Still he wouldn’t bring up the subject of Dog just yet. The last thing he needed was to freak Juliette out. Instead he merely listened as the young woman began to describe her experience as a new pet owner.
>> ”First time…We always moved around too much to justify taking an animal with us as a kid, so I never really thought of getting one. A few weeks ago, though, my friend was going through a bit of a rough time, so we went to a cat shelter, and, well… I think it was fate, honestly.”
He beamed the entire time she expressed her enthusiasm over her new pet. It was good to know that through tragedy from a friend that the nurse was able to find something of her own to bring home. Cats were notorious for being aloof to caring for humans (according to the internet) but it was clear that the feline had brought some light into Juliette’s life. That was an infectious feeling, one that filled the librarian up with a bit of his own warmth.
>> ”He’s still getting used to things, of course. My boyfriend’s dog is a little crazy, so I’ve been trying to keep them apart for the first little while, at least.”
…damn. It’s always the pretty, witty, DJ nurses with amazing smiles that are taken. Booker could feel the tiny part of him inside cringe and curl up a little. Thankfully none of that really shown on his features, but that took a lot of control. To be honest he should have expected it. There was no way a woman like this would go along unattached. Still, it was a fun while it lasted, wasn’t it?
He was sympathetic as spoke. ”Ah, well, that does sound tough. But give it time,” he said warmly. ”Animals can more easily adjust to change than us humans.”
That was really unfortunate to hear, that DJ Nurse Dizzle was off the market. Still, it wasn’t like he was going to pout and be sad about it the rest of their time together. He would still smile, he would still laugh, but he would probably try to tone down the flirting a little; the operative word being try.
>> ”you can fill this out while you answer the questions.”
He blinked back into thought as he suddenly was presented with a clipboard and some forms to fill out. He gave her an appreciative smile as he began to fill out the document, pulling out his wallet to get his medical card, and jotting down the information that was required of him. Once everything had been filled out, his attention turned back to Juliette as she prepared to continue her examination with more questions.
>> ”Alright, whenever you’re ready.”
He nodded, filled in the last of the forms he needed to fill in, and gave her his undivided attention. ”Carry on, mon capitaine,” he teased.
The questions were all fairly standard fair, nothing that a person with all his mental capacities couldn’t answer. Though with a case of possible head trauma, the simplistic questions made sense in order to verify whether or not the individual was, in fact, all there. So, taking a second, he answered each question in turn.
”Booker B. Bookman…March 20th, 1989…Who did Two two-time Five with?” A pause and a grin before he answered for real. “Ten. And for breakfast I had a homemade Belgian waffle, scrambled eggs, sausage, and half an apple. Oh, and coffee I got from a vendor on my way to work.“ He waited as she finished checking his answers, before he continued. ”Do I sound right in the head to you?”
The name of the bar was clever. Booker knew it. Most people did. It was too clever to not get so he had no indication that she didn’t “get” it. Maybe she just didn’t think it was that funny? Admittedly, his humor wasn’t for everyone so at most he could guess that it wasn’t her style of funny. That was fine. A tad bit disheartening since Booker LOVED a good pun, but he was willing to roll with it. Besides, what the bar lacked in wit, it more than made up for with service, food, and drink. This was going to be an experience.
A good one! Swear!
>> "No salsa. Got it."
He gave her a grin and a nod. Good. The last thing he wanted was for Svetlana to end up sampling the extremely tasty salsa and wake up the next morning with no recollection about what happened tonight. He really didn’t need to be accused of anything unsavory, especially since that was certainly not his intention. The salsa was just damn good and the alcohol in it made it extremely dangerous; so it was just best to warn her now before she got a sample of it.
With that being said and his warnings ushered, it seemed that now they had finally reached the moment for them enter. Being the gentleman that he was, Booker held the door open for Svetlana and even offered his arm for her to take so that they could step in side-by-side…
>> "Sure."
Arm offered…and arm totally denied. As she walked in ahead of him, Booker paused for a moment, staring off into space. Yeah. That definitely put a notch in the “not-a-date” category. Ah well.
Following in after her, Booker closed the door behind them and stepped into the bar.
Tequila Mockingbird was actually a pretty nice place. The name and the hole-in-the-wall exterior made it seem like it was going to be a shabby little tenement but the bar was actually quite nice. It was a bit dim in the bar, but they such establishments weren’t exactly known for their lighting. Despite that, it was a very well-kept bar. The floors gleamed with a fine finish and the music that wafted through the air from a neon-lit jukebox was well-known and clear to the ear.
Along the far side, there were a few tables and booth set up, most of which were occupied by people who were on dates or simply hanging out with friends. Laughter and good times sung through the air, adding to the already jovial environment. To the side of the room that Booker was leading Svetlana (once he caught up with her), was a long, smooth bar of dark wood. Tall chairs with a red leather cushions lined the front of it. Only a few of those seats were occupied and the bartender behind the counter, a sweet, older woman with dark hair and hoop earrings gave them a wide smile.
Booker smiled as he offered the woman a friendly wave before turned back to Svetlana. The scent of the food was clearly affecting the both of them. Originally he had only meant to come out for a couple of drinks but their Nachos con Carne specialty was screaming his name. Thankfully it seemed that his new friend had the same idea.
>> "Better not drink on an empty stomach, hm? We deserve some food after working out..."
He grinned, wide, and nodded. ”So reading my mind,” He stopped before her, gesturing to either the bar or the one of the nearby tables. ’Lady’s choice? Where would you like to sit?”
Booker continued to idly check his phone, not at all trying to look like some eager beaver awaiting his companion for the evening. Deep down, somewhere, he knew that he shouldn’t be nervous. It wasn’t as if this was a big date or anything like that. They were just two, new-found friends, enjoying a drink together. There was nothing wrong with that. Of course the woman was drop-dead gorgeous but he wasn’t going to let that tint his view of the evening. It was just drinks and some casual talking, nothing more.
Seconds felt like minutes as he would idly switch from whatever time-waster app he was using before switching back to his text message screen. It was almost as if he were waiting to get some cancellation from her, but that would have clearly been impossible – he never gave her his number. The man rolled his eyes at his own ridiculous behavior before switching back to his game, Sweets Swap, trying to conquer a particularly hard level.
He was totally keeping his cool.
And then he saw her. It was just a flick of gold, a wisp like a cloud in the air that pulled his attention upward. In the distance he spied the figure of the pretty blonde, dressed as casually as himself, in jeans and a blouse, and long, elegant gloves. He smiled as relief started to wash over his features once he caught the familiar look of her face. It was her after all.
>> "Hello…Sorry for the wait, I had to find de place..."
”Svetlana,” he said as he pushed himself off the lamppost and gave her a beaming smile. Awkwardly he fumbled with his phone for a second before finally managed to get a solid grip on it and slipping it into his back pocket. Settle down, man. Just settle down. ”Well I’m glad you found it.” he said with a grin. ”Sorry, it is a bit of a hole in the wall.”
Momentarily he curse himself for picking something that was obviously difficult to find but he quelled his nerves a bit, knowing that there was no sense worrying about that now. She was here and that was all that mattered now.
Approaching her, it was clear that the man was impressed with her appearance, but, given the uncertainty of their situation, he wasn’t going to comment. Instead the man bit his tongue and shyly looked away for a moment before raised his arm to gesture towards the bar that he had decided upon.
”Ugh, welcome to Tequila Mockingbird.” After his introduction, a question would pop up on her lips.
>> "Anything I need to know before we go in?"
As he approached the door to pull it open for her, the sounds of festive, Latin music could be heard wafting out from within. He tilted his head in thought, thinking closely about her inquiry. He had been here a few times so there really wasn’t anything dire that she needed to know about this place, but there were a few tips he could give her.
”Um, they’re known for their tequila shooters and their microbrew beer. Food wise, they have most of the stuff to be expected, but seriously, stay away from the salsa,” the man warned with a smile. ”They have a recipe that includes alcohol you won’t taste and you’ll be knocked off your butt before you know it.” After a pause, he just shrugged. ”Aaaand, that’s about it!” He offered her his arm. ”Shall we?”
Even sitting here on the medical table, Booker couldn’t help but think back to what the woman said earlier. It was just a comment, a simple sentence, but it was enough to carry some connotation with it. Booker wasn’t kidding when he said that he loved to talk about Austen. She was one of his favorite writers and if the woman really wanted to talk about it, of course he was going to make the time to do it. However he didn’t immediately think that her comment could have been taken almost as an invitation to being asked out. She didn’t want to know more now and, if he was all good to go, what were the chances that the two of them would cross paths again?
Still, she was beautiful. That much was obvious right off the bat. But add to that the fact that she was interested in some of his favorite reading material and she had a snark factor that could rival, well, his own, and a second meeting was certainly in the cards. Despite his relative uncertainty if he should ask her out of not, Booker tried to keep focused on the now. He was having a medical examination after all from a professional.
At the face he made for her, the man couldn’t help doing so. It was his way of breaking the ice and of bringing humor to the pretty nurse. She had such a brilliant, almost luminescent smile that the librarian couldn’t help but want to see over and over again. He only hoped that he wouldn’t come off as too childish or obnoxious for acting the way that he did. In the end he actually apologized for his behavior, but light-heartedly, in an almost self-deprecating manner.
Juliette seemed to take it in stride. After all, if she was a nurse here, she was probably used to this kind of thing, right?
>> ”Actually, this is only my second shift in the pediatric ward. Ever…I used to be in the E.D., but I’m splitting time between this and another job right now, so I’m just working odd shifts.”
Oh. Well that was new information. He eyed her for a second, almost wanting to jokingly ask if she were a real nurse and not someone escaped from the mental ward, but thankfully she clarified. She was a nurse but she seemed to be more of a floating nurse, going from station to station, spreading her workload around. He nodded his head in an understanding manner, having done the same when he was still in the beginning stages of his librarian career.
”Sounds tiring,” he said sympathetically. ”And yet still you can show off that great smile of yours.” He grinned a little. ”Impressive.”
As she pressed in close, the flashlight shining in his eyes. Booker blinked a couple times as she peered in close. Of course he had to comment, playfully trying to get her to talk a bit more about herself while she got so very, very close to him.
>> ”Uncomfortably close, huh? Is that your way of telling me that I smell, or something?”
”If that were the case, why would I let you stay this close,” he chuckled. ”But no….you don’t smell.” He said sweetly. ”At least not bad.” A sheepish grin.
When the light had died away, Booker tried to blink the spots out of his eyes, squeezing his eyes tight for a second before he rubbed them. When he was done, he had to let his eyes readjust for a second before he turned and craned his head to the side, waiting for her to come back. She resumed being very close to him, this time lifting her finger up in front of his eyes. He had noted that she had yet to fulfill his request for some more regular conversation, and instead just remained patient as she had a job to do.
>> ”I know we’ve already done this one, but follow my finger as it moves around. After that, we’ll do some question and answers.”
”Yes ma’am,” he said with a nod of his head. As she moved her fingers, Booker followed it with his eyes, feeling no discomfort. Even the throbbing on the back of his head was beginning to die down (thankfully) so he would probably be able to make it through the day with just an Asprin or two.
Silence descended. Booker stayed quiet, silently drumming his finger tips on his knees as he waited for the woman to either ask her questions or talk a little more about herself. He would have tried to go for some more humorous antics but the last thing he wanted was to come off as overly obnoxious. Instead he let to ball in her court to see where she would take it; it would seem his patience would be rewarded.
>> ”Well… I was born in the Caribbean, grew up with a single mom all around the US, I like to run, and… oh! I just got a new cat!”
Booker nodded, listening attentively as the young woman began unwrap a bit of the mystery that surrounded her. Booker smiled, genuinely, taking in every bit of information that she gave him as an attentive listener should. After her excited announcement about getting a new cat, Booker grinned.
”Hey and running is great! I myself jog almost every morning. Helps me to run throughout the library, checking all the book shelves for misplaced books,” he beamed innocently. ”A new cat sounds fun. Experienced cat owner or first time?” he said with chuckle.
It was painful to watch his sister sit stewing in her depression but that small bit of a laugh and a crack of a smile was all he needed to know that she was on her way to eventually becoming okay. The road to full recovery would be a tough one but she was stronger than she let on to be. While he protected her whenever he could, the truth was that she was powerful all her own. She went through hell to get where she is now and it was a testament to the strength that, even if she didn’t know dwelled inside her, he knew was there.
Casually the man continued to strum his ukulele, having broken through the initial iciness of her demeanor, Booker knew that he had his in. Of course it wouldn’t be a full on conversation about bringing her back out into the world, it was just him touching bases to make sure that she was okay. He was the big brother, after all, and while it didn’t need to be said, he wanted her to know that he was there for her.
Seeing the look in her eyes, he asked the question that was probably one of the most pressing right now – did she check up on her ex? Because of…certain instances in their past, the siblings had eventually laid out certain ground rules; one of which was that they would not check an ex’s social media account. The wound was still fresh so he didn’t begrudge her not unfriending her yet, but hiding all posts from the offending party was a necessity.
Again…for certain reasons.
CERTAIN reasons that Nessa, being the amazingly cruel sister she could be, even in the depths of sadness, had to bring back up…
>>”Yes. Because you got weepy about Derek’s new haircut.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. There was a slight pause in his ukulele playing. ”Touche. But, seriously, the fact that he waited to get that ****ing amazing haircut, the one that I had been trying to convince him to for the last six months of our relationship, that was just purely out of spite.” He paused. Clearly this was still a somewhat hot button issue for him but he took a breath, flashed a small smile, and returned to strumming his ukulele. ”I’m sorry. You may continue.”
Sitting in silence for a few moments, Booker sighed and simply continued to tickling the strings of his instrument, making a hodge-podge of familiar tunes and originals dance in the air around them. He could practically see the musical notes as they swirled about, bumping into one another, forming new sounds, all of which seemed to compliment one another into perfection.
A soft weight on his shoulder and Booker smirked without looking over to his sister. Setting his ukulele down, the librarian wrapped his arm around his sister’s shoulder and gave her arm a soft squeeze, an understanding one.
>> ”Why do I bother dating people? It’s starting to feel like a losing prospect.”
He scoffed. ”Come on. We both have had this conversation before,” He warned. ”I know it’s rough right now but it’ll be okay. You’re just still reeling from how completely sh***y you feel.” He gave her arm another squeeze. ”Besides…” he chuckled as he gave her a serious look. ”Do you really think you can live a life of chastity? Black and white clothing and an overly religious regiment don’t really sound like your style.” He smiled broadly at her. ”Not to mention that technically you’d be a bride to the Lord. Doubt you'd want to share with the rest of the nuns.”
Date grin though. Booker couldn’t help the smile that flashed across his lips as he watched the woman tell him in an oh-so-serious manner that girls simply didn’t sweat. He knew that, for a fact, was not true, but he wasn’t going to argue the point with the pretty blonde with the beautiful smile. Instead he merely held up his hands in an “Alright, I give up” gesture, and straightened up as he grinned at her.
”In an hour.” He nodded and turned to head off to gather his belongings.
As Booker picked up his duffle bag, he stopped just long enough to remember that maybe they should actually pick a place to meet up at so he quickly found the young woman before she left and thought of the only bar within a few miles of this place that he could think of. Once that was taken care of, he awkwardly excused himself again as he retreated back into the obscurity to collect his bag and head out to return home; he had a non-date to prepare for.
The trip home was quick as Booker didn’t live fair from this particular gym. As a matter of fact, the man often passed it when he was on his morning jog. Once he left the doors, the man turned and walked back towards the apartment that he shared with his sister. Luckily she wasn’t home when he arrived so he guessed that she must have decided to spend the day out. If he remembered correctly he thought that she had an overnight meeting with some of her co-workers on the channel she worked for. All the better for him since she would have commented on his current, sweaty scent if she had been home.
A quick shower and picking out clothing that was both casual and functioned for meeting up with a stranger for drinks, Booker laid his things out and finished prepping. He cleaned up his stubble a little, adjusted his usually messy looking hair, and the usual spiel that he engaged in to make himself presentable. Once all that was done, he found himself dressing in a dark jeans, a short sleeved button-up shirt of a light, baby blue, and a vest of the deepest, charcoal gray.
With everything done, and still no sign of his sister, Booker felt he was probably indeed free for the rest of the day and exited his apartment. An hour went by fast, but then again, maybe that was just the anticipation for the person that he would be meeting? A little hop in his step, Booker grabbed his keys and stepped out of the apartment, closing the door behind him. It was time to see where the night would lead.
Tequila Mockingbird. The name of the bar alone earned Booker’s business. The small bar was steadily growing in the community for having some of the best drinks in the city but it was still unknown enough that it wouldn’t be crowded for a last minute da—meeting between would-be friends. The feisty décor on the outside of the establishment lit it up like a beacon in the darkening sky and the scent of their nachos which wafted out from the inside was already making his mouth water. Honestly since he wasn’t sure of the status of this meeting, he figured that someplace that served equal parts food and alcohol would be fine.
Leaning against a lamppost, Booker sighed as he pulled out his phone from his pocket and casually swiped through his FaceSpace account, liking random posts, and totally not trying to look overly eager as he waited for his new, mysterious friend. This was just drinks. Just a chat. Nothing more.
When people were asking and talking or even just mentioning his favorite subject (books) the man couldn’t help himself. He had tons of opinions of books, good, bad, and the dusty. The man had a vast amount of knowledge concerning and though he wasn’t going out with the intention of trying to sound like a know-it-all, it was difficult when you knew the subject so absolutely well and it was something that interested you, to keep yourself under check. Thankfully having a minor head injury managed to quell his enthusiasm a tiny bit.
The woman was familiar with the class Shakespearean play, and clearly not with the fondest of memories. Booker could relate because he knew what it was like to bear the moniker of something that could be easily exploited for fun. For Juliette, her trauma was dealing with every Tom, Dick, and Harry who felt that it was necessary to point out the comparison to the tragic character of the Elizabethan play. But she dealt with his unassuming slip-up with a poise that could only come with time and practice.
He clarified, then, that his interest in Shakespeare was only for the tragic notes, not for the romance that everyone managed to find in it. however, his comment drew a grin from the woman as she pointed out a rather embarrassing admission.
>> ”Wait, have people really asked you to do that? You must be a popular guy,”
He snorted. ”Well, between you and me, it probably doesn’t help that I normally dressed in fluffy sleeved shirts and pantaloons.” For a second it probably seemed like the man was telling her the truth but his impish grin and the look in his eyes proved that he was, of course, just joking.
Because, seriously, it’s not like he wears that outfit EVERY day.
As a more appropriate example of romance, Booker brought up one of his favorites – Jane Austen. Oh how he loved Jane Austen. She had a flair for romance that his scarcely beat. Those brave enough to engage in her prose were prone to fine a difficult time but it was so very much worth it if you survived to the end of that literary journey.
>> ”Jane Austen. One of my favourites,”
His smile only widened when the woman spoke. Oh how his heart soared when he came across someone who respected the art and words of someone like Jane Austen.
”Oohh hehe…don’t get me started,” Booker bounced a bit excitedly. ”I’ll talk your ear off about Austen and her works.”
Moving on down the hall, Booker could feel himself already feeling better. He was certain he could probably go home, hell, maybe even back to work, without any further problems. But it was better to be safe than sorry; and, again, Nurse DJ Dizzle seemed like the feisty type and would probably find a way to keep him from fleeing until he got checked out. So, instead, the man continued to converse as the topic eventually returned to his name.
>> ”Sounds like it. Do you have any siblings that follow the same theme?”
”I have a sister,” he said with a smile. ”She broke the mold, though. Has a ‘normal’ name and all…”
Booker shook his head a bit, chuckling a little at the thought as he pushed on, heading for the room that he was being led to. From the nurse’s plan, it all seemed fairly simply, she was going to just check him out to make sure that he was okay before he was set loose on the world. Of course Booker couldn’t stop himself from poking a little jab at her for her choice of words. But he was quickly proving that the lovely young nurse came to verbal sparring match to win…
>> ”Well, in surgery, everyone is a walking disease factory. It’s all a matter of perspective.”
>> ”…Oh you’re just a bundle of happy thoughts, aren’t ya?” He teased.
Once in the room, Booker had to marvel and just how colorful and bright everything was for the kids – and how small. The much taller, much bulkier man had a difficult time maneuvering around the room, trying to not clear table tops and counters with his giant-like arms. However, with practice (and after bumping his shoulder on more than a few pieces of equipment), the man finally managed to find a seat at the edge of the examination table. There, once he felt secure, he took a calming breath and shared a grin with the nurse who was trying to hide her mirthful smile.
It was only when Booker settled that he finally put a voice to his real thoughts; he wanted to thank her for keeping the kids calm back there. Of course it was her job and, seriously, who was he to thank her? But he wanted her to know that he did appreciate it. It was his mistake, he shouldn’t have gotten into it without watching what he was doing, but she still managed to jump in and keep all the kids from freaking out. For that he was very thankful.
>> ”Of course…I think we’re both just trying to help them. Anything you can, you know?”
He nodded. ”Certainly.”
Booker couldn’t do this job. He enjoyed coming here, he enjoyed entertaining the kids, but at the end of the day, he got to go home. He got to live his life. He got to be happy and healthy. For these kids, they had a lot that they were going through, that they were suffering, and to have to bear witness to that every single day, it was heart-wrenching. Booker honestly didn’t know how she did it but he respected her all the more for it.
>> ”I’m going to check your pupils, okay? Open your eyes wide for me.”
She turned and started to gather equipment. She needed to check his eyes and, as she pulled a small penlight up, she asked him to open his eyes wide for her. As she leaned in closer, the man couldn’t help himself as he decided to give her exactly what she asked for. His eyes opened very wide, the his mouth turned into a terrified grimace, perfect teeth bare and mouth gapped in silent horror. It must have made quite the comical look but Booker held it as long as he could before he finally broke down, chuckling to himself, his eyes squinting in humor as he turned away for a moment to finish laughing.
When he done, he finally turned back around, his face a bit more calm as he grinned. ”Sorry. I know. I’m a child. But considering that you work here, clearly you should be used to it.” He grinned matter-of-factly. Still, Booker knew (sometimes) when to stop a joke and he opened his eyes wide for her. ”So, while you are so uncomfortably close to me,” he said, staring into the penlight. ”Tell me a little about yourself, Lady Juliette. And, you know, maybe not dwell on how embarrassing my epic dance fail was back there.”
Booker had a bit of a clock in his head when it came to Nessa being upset. He knew that she needed her time to stew and the mope, but he also knew that there had to be a time limit on it or she was going to go on and on in that state. While they shouldn’t necessarily depend so much on one another, fact is that that was just who they were. Booker was there for Nessa and vice versa. Eventually that will change but for the time being, the man was more than happy to take part.
And that was what he was doing. Standing off to the side, tuning his ukulele, Booker began to play without so much as another word of warning to the woman. There was no point to it because she knew exactly what he was going to be doing. So with a grin the librarian began to play and sing a song that he hoped was going to lift his sister’s spirits.
His fingers danced expertly over the strings, plucking in person tone as his voice matched, singing from the immortal words of Katy Perry. It was probably one of the most uplifting songs that he knew that it was perfect for this situation. Vanessa was an absolutely great person and she deserved every bit of happiness that came her way. While it was a sh*tty thing that happened to her, she couldn’t let it define her reality for the rest of her life. She was would get over it, she would move on, and she would persevere – he knew it.
All she needed was a little nudge.
>> ”You didn’t even bring Left Shark? It’s like you’re not even trying.”
She tried to deflect him with her usual snark, a stubborn attempt to remain in her cocoon of self-loathing. However her comment was met with him merely advancing further, singing just a bit louder so that he could drown out her voice.
” You just gotta ignite the light And let it shine Just own the night Like the Fourth of July
'Cause baby you're a firework Come on show 'em what your worth Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!" As you shoot across the sky-y-y”
At this point Booker knew that he had her. He saw the tiniest flick of a grin on her lips. Small, miniscule, she may have very well just been passing gas, but he was willing to accept that it was a smile and that he was getting through to her. So he continued on, he sang his song, he pressed his message through ukulele and voice as best he could, relentlessly because he was not going to lose his sister to grief and sadness any longer.
” Baby you're a firework Come on let your colors burst Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!" You're gonna leave 'em fallin' down down down Boom, boom, boom Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon Boom, boom, boom Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon”
By the time he came to the end of his song, Booker began to last first by sitting at the edge of the couch, which she had graciously pulled her legs in to keep from him from sitting on them. Booker continued to smile at her, his voice ringing with the words, putting as much honestly and genuine belief in them as he could. She was his sister and he wasn’t about to let her continue to suffer like this. When he plucked the last string and belted out the last word, Booker sighed, closed his eyes, and like a rock star lifted both arms to the sky like a figure in victory.
”Nailed it.” He grinned wide. Sitting there, he tilted his head as he eyed his baby sister, seeing that she was coming around but she was far from one hundred percent. He understood but he got her to smile once – that was all he wanted.
>> ”This is probably how a plastic bag feels. And it sucks.”
”Actually, I think if it were a plastic bag she’d be more ‘Arrrrgh! What the f**k is happening to me?! Why am I sentient?! How am I thinking?!?!’” Booker acted all this out, a terrified look on his face, arms flailing as he flopped back onto the couch, returning to a normal posture. Her face turned into an expression with a bit more sympathy. ”It does suck. It sucks, like, so much its face has probably collapsed from so much suckage.”
Booker had had his own fair share of break-ups in the past. He knew that they were never easy and, more often than not, he had been in the exact same boat that Nessa was in. Hell, his last relationship had left him reeling to, even had him scuttling back to move in with his sister (which he still was). Booker knew just how bad it could get but to him that meant he was all the more responsible to make sure that Nessa didn’t suffer alone.
He turned on the couch, facing her, quietly strumming names tunes on his ukulele as he addressed her. ”You haven’t been looking at her FaceSpace right?” he asked, eyeing her suspiciously. ’You know there’s a reason we put a No FaceSpace After Break-Up Clause into action whenever one of us goes through a break up?”
Booker did his best to give the kid an encouraging smile but he looked just so damn defeated. He had seen the look in others before. Most assumed that working in the library was a cake walk: a bit of dusting, some light organizing, maybe even chatting up a cute patron or two in an attempt to “build community awareness” (insert eyeroll). But the truth of the matter was that a library could be just like any other job; it was hard and grueling work. Not a lot were ready to hear something like that but there it was, nonetheless.
His arms crossed over his chest as he waited for the boy to absorb all this, Booker finally sighed, stepped in, and clapped his firm hand on the boy’s shoulder. He started to steer him away from the back area and back out towards the massive amount of shelves. Of course he wasn’t expecting the boy to do all of this right now. The fact was that shifting projects took months and months to complete. Honestly Bailey probably would see the smallest fraction of it before he either quit or died under a collapsed wall of books – doesn’t happen all that often but…you know…
Ahem.
Steering the boy away, Booker sighed as they took another detour, this time into a staff lounge area, one of two or three in the building. This room liked like an staff room luncheon room: large beige tables, metal chairs, a lumpy sofa in the corner, and a fridge that had probably seen action during the second world war. But, the interesting draw of this room were the two vending machines in the far wall; one containing all sorts of salty, healthy, and sugary treats, and the other an honest to goodness ice cream machine.
Booker smirked a he steered Bailey towards it. ”Come on,” he said with a light punch on the arm. ”My treat. This place isn’t ALL that bad. Get some good vittles.” He walked up to one of the machines and added in some money to get himself an ice cream sandwich. ”We’ll take a break and then head out. I’m sure you’ll do just fine.”
Booker couldn’t help it. It was the librarian in him. Whenever he spied someone who seemed like they could use some advice, he of course, had to offer his. It was just his way of things. He didn’t want to see other’s suffer due to indecision or uncertainty. Besides, he knew what it was like to question certain things, even begin to doubt your own ability to decide. Some kind words during such a time tended to go a long way and he was more than happy to assist in whatever manner he could, to whatever degree. For Svetlana, it simply seemed like she could use a understanding word or two.
Words, clearly, were what Booker excelled at.
>> "Thanks"
It was only one word, but the smile on her lips, the genuine acceptance of everything he explained to her, it seemed to have struck some kind of a chord. Booker wasn’t necessarily looking to change her life right then and there, but it was clear that he was able to help, even if it was only in the most miniscule of ways. So, with a nod of head and a goofy flourish, he gave her a small bow.
”My pleasure.”
t seemed as if their little interaction were coming to an end. The sparring went well but there was only so much dancing around one another that they could do. Besides, he really should hit the showers as he had already spent far too much time here. Still…it was a shame to cut this little meeting short. The woman was nice and the conversation was good, not to mention she had a pretty sharp wit about her. Vaguely he wondered just how shady it would seem to ask if she wanted to meet up after she was done trainin--
>> "Do you want to grab a drink?"
His brow arched and a grin swept across his features. The imp had clearly returned to the man’s features as he smiled sheepishly at the young blonde who had just addressed him. It was a prime time for him to crack a joke about her earlier statements about not asking him out, but he also didn’t want to paint himself in the light of a jerk or anything like that.
Still…it was tempting. He watched her, eyed her for a second, and in that moment the imp slipped away and the sweet and caring librarian that he truly was shone through. Thankfully his struggle to keep his obnoxious, joking side down granted the younger woman enough time to verbally jab him again, returning them to their calmer states.
>> "I mean... whatever librarians drink…Wouldn't want to ruin your reputation or anything..."
He chuckled, heartily, as he stepped over to the ropes of the ring and pulled them apart so she could slip out and back onto the ground. ”Despite the stereotypes that we drink the blood of those who would dare to be loud in a library,” he winked. ”We drink just like anyone else.” he then snorted, waited until she was out before climbing out himself and rejoining her at her side. ”And you should see us librarians at happy hour. I’ve almost had to call HR on several occasions for misconduct in a groping manner, if you catch you drift.”
He gave the woman another beaming smile as he stepped away. He glanced at the clock against the far wall before turning back to her, gathering his gloves under his arm.
”In other words, yes. A drink would be nice.” Innocent, sunshiny grin followed before, gestured to her. ”Hit the showers and meet up in an hour or so?” He grinned. ”I should run home and change. Unless you have a thing for sitting in nice bars, smelling of warrior sweat?” Cheeky grin.
Though Booker was a paragon of good tidings and cheer, the flip side of that was that he didn’t like to see other people suffer through it. He was the kind of man who would grin and crack a joke or make a funny face or just become all-around obnoxious just at the chance to making the victim of sadness see a bright ray of sunshine. It didn’t always work, though. Some people were so nestled into their anger and denial against the world that even the pure puffball that was Booker B. Bookman couldn’t snap them out of it. And while it was true that he hated to see such a thing happen to strangers, it was even worse when he saw it happen to his own sister.
Booker had been protective of his sister for many, many years. Watching her endure what their parents put her through, the young man could hardly just set back and let the world beat her down. He did his best to support her, to protect her, to be by her side, but eventually the young woman would have to find her own way. Booker was an advocate of that, after all. So he let go when he needed to – but that didn’t mean he was going to let her continue to wallow.
The break up with Rebecca Grey had been a tough one for her to handle. Booker could see it in his sister’s face as the days ticked on. For the most part she moped and scarcely took an interest in any of the things that he knew she would have loved to wrap herself up in. Video games didn’t shine as bright, busty redheaded porn was ignored, and alcohol…well…it was probably best for the both of them that he kept the alcohol out of her hands.
He loved his sister but watching her suffering like this was absolute torture. He knew that it wasn’t something that was going to be fixed in a day, but damned if he wasn’t going to at least try planting the seeds of rehabilitation. The world needed Nessa Bookman! Not the transient-looking wraith with seven-day-old god-I-hope-that’s-cheese stain on her pajamas that CLEARLY needed to be washed, burned, or exorcised.
So, thus begins operation “Bear NESSA-cities!”
He was subtle as he opened the front door to his sister (and technically his) apartment. Pulling the book bag strap from across his chest, it echoed with a loud RIIIIIIIIP of one side of the Velcro strap being torn from its other half. Strolling into the room, he was struck by the scent of day old take out and depression. It didn’t take the man long to find the source of this…memorable aroma, as he turned a corner and found his sister curled up on the couch, with all the appearance of a certain fantasy icon crying over his lost “Precious”.
Setting his bag down on the side of a table, near his door, Booker slowly approached the fallen woman, as one would approach any other hurt animal. Eyebrows raised as he surveyed the young woman, he sighed as he tilted his head. He couldn’t allow her to go on like this. It was time to initiate the twelve-percent of a plan that had in mind. Didn’t seem like much but it was better than eleven-percent, wasn’t it?
Without a word to her, Booker turned on his heel and disappeared into his room. There were the sounds of moving things, grunting, toppling boxes, and even a muttered ”Ouch!” before things quieted down. For the moment it almost seemed as if Nessa would have gotten away from her big brother but, before long, his shadow darkened his doorway. If she were to turn, she would find him, there, tuning his ukulele with a grin on his face.
No words needed to be said – they only needed to be sung.
” Do you ever feel like a plastic bag… Drifting thought the wind… Wanting to start again…?”
He slowly approached his sister, his voice drowning out whatever drama filled nonsense she was clearly not engaged in. There was no way she could deny the power of Katy Perry for long.
