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.
Vanessa was stumbling her way out of bed, trying to gather herself. The night before was intense, and maybe even fun, but it was a terrible decision. It was specifically the terrible decision her brother warned her about before she dismissed it. She was so confident she had matured enough to resist Spencer’s advances, and she could not have been more wrong. Did she even think about saying no? Not that she could recall. Booker was right; Spencer should be classified as a Stage One Dangerous Substance.
>> ”Fancy meeting you here, sugar.”
Right! Stumbling! Vanessa got to her feet, still feeling her knees wobble from… recent activities. There was no time to dig around for a second towel, so she could only poke her head and an obviously unclothed shoulder through her doorway to survey the scene.
Spencer was already sashaying her way into the bathroom, (and God, was it fun to watch her sashay,) leaving her poor brother standing in sight of the hallway.
Their eyes met, and Booker seemed shell-shocked. This was the one thing he did not want to return home to, and she could see the urge to escape in his eyes without the need for mind reading. Vanessa had a rare moment of lucidity where she realized how in over her head she was. Booker was right, and as much as she hated to admit it, she could use his help getting out of her situation.
She meekly mouthed the words, ”Help me,” but it was too late. Booker turned and walked back through the door, vacating the apartment and freeing himself from the toxic sex cloud Vanessa let in. She tried to follow, forgetting her unclothed state, but there was no chance for her now.
Spencer opened the bathroom door, looking at Vanessa like a snack she had a craving for. ”Everything okay, baby? I was waiting,” she purred, loosening the towel around her body until it fell to the floor.
She… well… a shower did sound refreshing. ”L-lead the way.”
Spencer Robertson was only in town for the weekend before returning to Texas, so Vanessa would only be under her mysterious thrall until her flight Sunday morning. (Nessa would, of course, offer to drive her to the airport.) Vanessa would call Booker that afternoon to assure him a dozen times that Spencer was gone and she was not complicit in some trap to lure him into her clutches.
Until then, Vanessa was a compliant, whimpering victim, suffering the consequences of not listening to her brother’s experience.
The Padawan joke landed with Alice, who was dying and preparing to go to nerd heaven. She even contemplated her reality in lame referential fashion! It was honestly adorable, and such a shame Vanessa could not mention her Bohemian quandary, since she never actually voiced it. She did accept the role with grace, excited to be taken under her superior’s wing, not only with gaming and tech, but with…
The way of the gay.
If that was not the most adorable damn thing she had heard all day. If Alice had said it out loud, she might have earned a hug right there. Vanessa was quiet on many controversial topics, but she took pride in the notion that some younger men and women saw her as a queer role model. It was one of the few things that made her consider coming out as trans, but there were still some personal hurdles she had to overcome to be comfortable with that idea.
”Stick with me, girl, and you’ll learn plenty,” she assured Alice. She fancied the idea of having an eager gay apprentice.
And there came the HR inappropriate thoughts again.
Alice followed Vanessa’s instructions and took a seat at Vince’s desk. From that point forward, there would be no real “eye contact,” or at least not useful eye contact. Vanessa learned long ago that she could not read thoughts through a monitor. She would continue the conversation like a normal person for the time being—no mental cheat sheet.
To her credit, Alice was flirting despite dealing with starstruck emotions. She was precious; Nessa was not a fan of inter-office dating, but she did want to take the girl under her wing in the most innocent way. ”I’m not sure if I’m getting an accurate idea of what this’ll look like,” she said seriously, watching Alice’s face on the screen. ”Vince isn’t anywhere near that cute. Think you can make some angry faces? Maybe swear at the screen?”
She joked, but the thought hit her with another realization that a sound test might not be a bad idea. ”Actually, talk for a minute so I can check levels. Talk about anything. Talk about your girlfriend? Maybe mention what your major is?” Okay, so maybe she was using this as an excuse to probe. Why not kill two birds with one stone?
If Booker was not a fan of Spencer being his kid sister’s former fling, he was viscerally bothered by the realization that she was an actual ex-girlfriend. Vanessa did not consider what she was doing as “going behind her brother’s back.” It was a busy period in their lives, and Booker did not warrant a say in her love life. She was in the last years of being a teenager, when anyone was quick to defend their decisions with the shield of adulthood.
Except the decisions she made with Spencer were troublesome. She would think of a bad idea, bat her long eyelashes, pout with her pillowy lips, and Vanessa would find herself going along with anything her girlfriend wanted. Looking back, it seemed bizarre, but in the moment, it was hardly like her arm was being twisted. Spencer just… made her want to live dangerously?
Booker may have had a point, even if he chose to be a smug *sshat in the way he acknowledged her revelation. Vanessa was willing to concede her original plan, but she was a big girl. She was a mind reader! (She was a mind reader back then, but she would ignore that condition.) If she caught any troubling intentions in Spencer’s head, she could bail. It was like having a built-in storm-warning!
The tense silence hung in the air, but eventually Booker broke it with a heavy sigh. It was the sigh of broken resolve. Success! He did not say he was okay with the compromise, but his final warning was clearly one of resignation. She could take that.
Vanessa hopped from her chair and wrapped her arms around Booker, planting a kiss on his cheek for good measure. ”There’s the begrudging consent I was looking for! Thanks, Book!” She returned to her seat and picked at her salad, but she was already texting Spencer to amend their plans. The change was surprisingly well-accepted, and Vanessa felt confident that they could handle coffee as adults who once dated without it getting weird.
Vanessa groaned, feeling a pounding in her head, accompanied by a consistent ringing. Her body felt loose, but there was a sore spot on her stomach. She was still wrapped in sweat-dampened sheets and, of course, Spencer.
If mind reading was Vanessa’s storm warning, she blatantly heard the sirens and ignored calls for evacuation. It genuinely started with coffee. Coffee went so well, Vanessa was sure they could manage a drink to cap off the night. The drink became three drinks, which became a trip to the tattoo parlor. Right, the tattoo parlor for the fresh belly-button piercing Nessa now sported. From there, drinks continued until Nessa lost count.
And now she was greeted by the dark haired vixen responsible for her headache (and more pleasant after-effects.) Spencer was already on her feet in all her vivacious glory, grabbing a towel from the hook on Vanessa’s door. ”Oh good, you’re up. I’m guessing the bathroom is down the hall? Maybe I’ll see you there?” God, the idea sounded so appealing in that sweet Texan accent, even with her pounding headache.
”Mmm, maybe,” she groaned, still trying to stop the room from spinning. ”Down the hall to the right.”
Spencer blew her a kiss and slipped out of the room, and Vanessa’s head started slowly clearing up. Booker was absolutely right; she was not prepared for Hurricane Spencer, and…
It was nice, just being playful and silly with Gina. It all felt so effortless. Neither of them even shied away from the night they shared a bed, which was nice. In the light of the morning, Vanessa worried that drunken decision would make things uncomfortable, but she could not have been more wrong. ”I can verify. Pro cuddling skills. Potentially Hall of Fame caliber,” she joked before they linked up and headed toward the boardwalk.
Vanessa was not exactly versed in “boardwalk food,” and realistically, the two women might have had different experiences visiting beaches on their respective coasts. ”I think there’s some overlap? There’s plenty to snack on though.”
They ascended the sandy steps up to the boardwalk and entered the hustle and bustle of beachgoers wandering the wooden path. It was busy, but still more sparse than any New York sidewalk on any given day. Maybe it was an illusion that came from the lack of towering buildings all around them, but everything felt more open and free out there.
Their minds were both on food, and Gina wanted to know what Nessa might be craving. There was a temptation to check Gina’s eyes, but they were both wearing sunglasses, obscuring her mind reading effects. Honestly, she had been using her mutation as a crutch less and less with Gina. She was not going to stop reading the woman, because that would mean avoiding those gorgeous eyes, but she was not probing them for thoughts often. Occasionally she got curious, but she was accepting Gina might be one of the more genuine, honest people she had ever met. Why waste time reading thoughts at that point?
”Hmm, I don’t know,” she admitted, her eyes scanning the buildings they were passing. Taco shops, grills, candy shops, and plenty of other options taunted her. The scents wafting from the open storefronts were tantalizing, including the meats. It would be so much easier to be a vegetarian if meat would automatically smell worse. No dice. ”Everything sounds good, so it’s throwing off my radar.”
As they walked forward, there was a gap between buildings, and Vanessa’s eyes lit up. ”Ginaaaa. Food truuuuck,” she said, excitedly drawing out the words as she pulled her friend along.
Vanessa loved food trucks. They boldly chose to eschew traditional buildings, and that mentality usually meant unique offerings. Looking around at the dozen or so trucks parked around her, Vanessa’s mouth hung open slightly. ”So many options!” she said enthusiastically, before dialing it back and glancing at Gina. ”I mean, if this is cool with you.” It was not like the food truck court left them lacking for options, after all.
All Vanessa’s reasoning fell flat on Booker’s ears. It was hard to blame him when she knew what Spencer was like back when they were still in college. He was not trying to be selfish; as he pointed out, the selfish choice would have been to flee the country. Booker was genuinely looking out for her, and his good-intentions were enough to stifle her frustration at how patronizing the whole encounter felt.
Particularly when Booker was working with partial information. When he mentioned Nessa’s “nights” with their ex, she winced, realizing an inherent problem that got lost in the shuffle. Booker was focused on his schoolwork, and Vanessa was busting her ass working, so it was easy to forget a necessary conversation neither of them was going to want.
Booker was begging her to cancel the plans, but Vanessa was already sighing and resting one hand atop the other. ”So. We’ve never really talked about the Spencer stuff because… well, you know.” It was not a great moment in their sibling relationship when Booker caught the girls in his bed. She was originally visiting the campus to see her brother, but when Vanessa and Spencer crossed paths, there was no resisting the pull between them. She genuinely did not realize which room she had stumbled into until Booker made his presence known.
”In the interest of full disclosure… that night in your dorm room was… kinda not the last time I was with Spencer,” she admitted, forcing the words out slowly, like each one was trying to hide in her throat. ”We may have been… you know… together for like two months.” Yes, the right thing to do would have been to break up with Spencer that day. It was not the first compromising position the bombshell put her in, but it should have been the last.
Therein lied the problem. ”I planned on calling it off, but… it was hard. When I was around her, it was hard to remember the totally logical reasons to end things.”
Suddenly, Booker’s advice hit her, and it was like her ears were finally unclogged enough to hear it. Her eyes widened. ”Oh my God, this is a terrible idea.” What was she even thinking? Drinks at her place with Spencer? That was like inviting the fox into the henhouse!
Except she had already made plans, and Vanessa felt weak backing out of them now. She did believe there was some safe middle-ground worth finding with Spencer. Rebecca made mistakes, and Vanessa was working to forgive those (slowly,) and it had been years. ”What about a compromise? I meet her for coffee out in public. Plenty of witnesses, no alcoholic influence, and no proximity to a bed.”
She looked at Booker, determined. She was a responsible adult, after all! Her teenage childishness was behind her! ”I can handle this, Booker.”
It was… a strong reaction, to say the least. Booker’s opinions on Spencer were well-documented. Years later, she still came up occasionally after a night of drinking. It was word-association; for some people, when they thought ate strawberry ice cream, it drummed up a strong memory associated with the frozen treat. When drunk Booker heard something about “evil” or “mayhem,” his mind was good at drawing parallels to Spencer.
Vanessa did not appreciate the patronizing tone her brother was taking with her. She did not know better, did she? He could be unintentionally pompous; she was sure it came from being “brilliant.” He was not the only one who had dated Spencer, and not the only one who suffered the consequences. Yes, he had the fact that Spencer was laying down the flirtatious groundwork with Nessa before she broke up with Booker. She would be shocked if that did not come up in the upcoming argument.
”Booker, I’m not an idiot. I haven’t just forgotten who Spencer was. I very much remember being handcuffed to a bench at the police station.” It had been fortunate that she had been busted by a gruff mutant cop who had better things to do than deal with a girl who was busted for trespassing and lewd public acts. It was the one time Spencer almost got Vanessa arrested, but there were close calls. Something about Spencer made it impossible to say no, which led to boundaries pushed, alcohol consumed, and at least one unexpected overnight trip to Canada.
Years had passed! Nessa had time to gain perspective. Spencer was selfish, and she was a liar. She was unfaithful to Booker, and she was unfaithful to Nessa in the end. ”It’s been ages, and we’re adults. I get who she is, and I know better now. I’m a big girl, Booker,” she reminded her brother. ”Maybe I just think it’s time to stop being petty. Exes can be civil, even when one of them is Spencer Robertson.” She had to show she was confident; Booker was so used to protecting her, but sometimes, it was unnecessary. She had to make her own choices.
Character's full name: Shelby Whitney Alias/ Nickname/ Code name: N/A Gender: Female Age: 28 Nationality: American Ethnicity/ Cultural Heritage: Swedish
Appearance
Hair color and style: Blonde, occasionally dyed red Skin Tone: Fair Eye Color: Green Height: 5'6" Build: Thin Visible mutation: None.
Character
Personality: Incredibly intelligent and quick witted, Shelby has a surprising amount of emotional intelligence to go along with her book smarts. Never one to talk down to someone, she is the brainiest cinnamon roll you'll meet. Job or part time job and description: NASA Flight Engineer
Character's full name: Chloe Kim Alias/ Nickname/ Code name: Chlo Gender: Female Age: 25 Nationality: American Ethnicity/ Cultural Heritage: Korean
Appearance
Hair color and style: Black Skin Tone: Tan Eye Color: Brown Height: 5'3" Build: Lithe Visible mutation: None.
Character
Personality: An artistic soul, looking to live life experience to experience, feeling to feeling. The consummate free spirit, Chloe is often seen as in a daze, floating through life. In truth, she is just constantly taking in the world around her at all times. Job or part time job and description: Professional Photographer, Amateur Painter
Character's full name: David Temple Alias/ Nickname/ Code name: Dave Gender: Male Age: 28 Nationality: British Ethnicity/ Cultural Heritage: British
Appearance
Hair color and style: Brown, spikey Skin Tone: Fair Eye Color: Green Height: 5'10" Build: Lanky Visible mutation: None.
Everyday clothing style: Casual, t-shirts, occasional button-downs and jeans
Character
Personality: A daydreamer with his own sometimes dificult to follow sense of logic. Good hearted, but easily flustered. Job or part time job and description: On-Screen Personality, Creative Director, Editor of The POW Block Party
Character's full name: Vince Bianchi Alias/ Nickname/ Code name: Vin Gender: Male Age: 29 Nationality: American Ethnicity/ Cultural Heritage: Italian / New Jersey (Which he claims is its own cultural heritage)
Appearance
Hair color and style: Brown, curly Skin Tone: Pale Eye Color: Brown Height: 5'8" Build: Lean and Muscular Visible mutation: None.
Everyday clothing style: Casual, sleeveless shirts, t-shirts and jeans
Character
Personality: An absolute teddy bear with a foul mouth and a propensity for over-the-top shouting. Job or part time job and description: On-Screen Personality, Voice Actor of The POW Block Party
Character's full name: Gian Russo Alias/ Nickname/ Code name: N/A Gender: Male Age: 40 Nationality: American Ethnicity/ Cultural Heritage: Italian / Spanish
Appearance
Hair color and style: Dark Brown, Messy Skin Tone: Weathered and fair Eye Color: Green Height: 5'10" Build: Lanky Visible mutation: None. Other Features: Covered in tattoos
Everyday clothing style: Casual, t-shirts and jeans
Character
Personality: The father figure of TPBP gaming team, forever giving everyone a hard time, but forever looking out for them like they were his own. Has a young daughter who is basically the whole team's child. Job or part time job and description: On-Screen Personality, Content Director, and Founder of The POW Block Party
Character's full name: Jamison Pearson Alias/ Nickname/ Code name: Jamie Gender: Male Age: 35 Nationality: American Ethnicity/ Cultural Heritage: French
Appearance
Hair color and style: Light Brown to Dirty Blond Skin Tone: Fair Eye Color: Blue Height: 5'10" Build: Dad Bod Visible mutation: None. Other Features: N/A
Everyday clothing style: Casual, t-shirts and jeans
Character
Personality: Analytical and logical, prone to banter Job or part time job and description: On-Screen Personality, Voice Actor, and Editor of The POW Block Party
Character's full name: Johnathan Warwick Alias/ Nickname/ Code name: John, Johnny Gender: Male Age: 35 Nationality: American Ethnicity/ Cultural Heritage: Irish
Appearance
Hair color and style: Auburn Brown Skin Tone: Fair Eye Color: Dark Green Height: 6' Build: Slightly larger than average Visible mutation: None. Other Features: N/A
Everyday clothing style: Button-down shirts and jeans
Character
Personality: Responsible and willing to point out the many terrible ideas that come along at TPBP, (before taking part in them anyway.) Universally accepted as the team mom. Job or part time job and description: On-Screen Personality, Intern Wrangler, Editor, and Event Planner/Coordinator of The POW Block Party
Character's full name: Dorian Toomey Alias/ Nickname/ Code name: Dor, Dori Gender: Male Age: 25 Nationality: American Ethnicity/ Cultural Heritage: Irish
Appearance
Hair color and style: Constantly changing Skin Tone: Fair Eye Color: Dark Brown Height: 5'4" Build: Stocky and well-built Visible mutation: Color-changing hair. Other Features: N/A
Everyday clothing style: T-Shirts, sleeveless shirts, and jeans
Character
Personality: Responsible and willing to point out the many terrible ideas that come along at TPBP, (before taking part in them anyway.) Universally accepted as the team mom. Job or part time job and description: On-Screen Personality, Editor, and Event Planner/Coordinator of The POW Block Party
Mutations
Color Changing Hair. He has full control of the color of his hair, changing it at will. He can change it to any hue he can identify, and a full change can ripple across his hair in five seconds.
There was no denying how valuable a POW Block internship was to ambitious young gamers. Digital entertainment was an exciting field of work that was growing, and with a good reputation, many young gamers and even non-gamers knew TPBP. Writing majors learned a lot working with the scripted content teams, and artists loved working alongside the animation and merchandise departments. The gamers though, they could lose themselves with the Let’s Play team.
Alice was going to fit right in, immersing herself in the recording setups. They got passionate gamers all the time, but they were not always savvy when it came to the technology they worked with. It was nice to know there was at least one intern she would not have to educate from the ground up. She found humor in the similarities between how Alice looked at Vanessa and how she looked at a great computer with a high-end video capture device.
Just because Alice was in her element did not mean she was done being nervous, stumbling around Vanessa’s name. She could throw the girl a bone. ”You can call me Nessa, Alice. Or boss. I don’t mind boss,” she teased, returning to her setup.
As they talked together, Alice slowly seemed to get more comfortable, assuring Vanessa she was not as bad as the rumors would lead her to believe. It was the great POW Block Party secret: Vanessa was not as terrible as she let people believe. Her words were blunt and intimidating, but she was a softy at heart. Alice evidently knew true “alpha b*****s,” and while Nessa had no genuine clue what she was talking about, she guessed Geordie girls were a catty subset of British girls.
She was also not hesitant when it came to sneaking in a compliment. ”Words like that might get the harpy to take you under her wing. Flattery will get you far, my Padawan,” she promised sagely. Booker would be so proud of her for working a Star Wars reference amidst her total not-flirting.
Alice liked her tanktop. Suddenly the shirt felt like an incredibly wise purchase.
They both completed their tasks around the same time, which let Vanessa catch an adorable thought. Alice read engineering magazines. Such a precious nerd. ”Duly noted. Your vigilance is appreciated.” She did make a mental note to keep an eye on the frayed wire so she could talk to their equipment manager later.
But for now, there was still time for fun. ”Hey, you’re about Vince’s height. Want to do me a favor?” Vanessa grabbed her own headset and put it on her head as she pointed to Vince’s headset. ”Want to put that on? I want to check how our audio is coming through between headsets, and we’re using facecams, so I want to make sure that’s centered correctly. If you could just sit down and turn on the camera?” She took her seat, slipping behind her monitor so Alice could not see her grin.
Silence. Silence was bad. Booker was processing, and he was watching her vigilantly. Vanessa was doing her best to keep her expression neutral, but Booker’s own neutral look was unnerving. He crossed his arms, and she watched nervously, waiting for him to break the lingering, painful silence in the room.
>> ”Who is it, Nessa?”
Sweet lord, how she missed the silence. Now that the inevitable question was asked, it was on Vanessa to decide the best way to broach her request. Best was a subjective term, because she knew the “best” option compared to all her other options still left much to be desired. She was hesitating, and the longer she gave Booker to think, the more likely he would assume the worst. The way his eyes widened and his tone of voice changed the second time he asked just showed he had reached that point in his process.
Unfortunately, if he had gone to the worst-case scenario, it was likely he had reached the right assumption. ”So…” she began, trying to piece something reasonable together out of the words she had rehearsed before his arrival. All those words, and indeed, all the words in her vocabulary, were doing an excellent job avoiding her. The words she did find, she started stringing into a drawn out, run-on sentence. ”She messaged me a while ago, and I just kind of left it’s just been the odd message here and there, checking in, and then she casually mentioned she was coming back to town for the weekend and that we should have a drink and catch up, and all the stuff was a really long time ago, if you remember, and we’re legitimate adults now, so I don’t see the harm in catching up with Spencer.”
Her own eyes were wide when the name left her lips, and she watched Booker’s face like a hawk, sure she would find a reaction. What she would not give to negate his Adapted field for just sixty seconds so she could see all the many warning bells would be going off in his head at the mention of Spencer Robertson.
It was tragic. Vanessa never considered she would die from a case of critical embarrassment over her own breakfast table. She was actually making an honest to goodness effort not to flirt with her brother’s most recent sexual partner. In the past, she was always such a flirt, and it occasionally led to romantic entanglements with Booker’s ex-girlfriends. Now, she was trying her hardest to make innocent conversation, and it was like some latent part of her brain failed to get the memo. She was dropping flirtatious lines unintentionally, and every time she caught herself, she was left open-mouthed and awkward.
Being a good sister was apparently overrated.
As if she was not flustered enough, Svetlana was actively wondering now if she was being flirted with. Who was the first person she considered asking for advice? Agnes. Agnes, star violinist and stealer of redheaded girlfriends. Even in other people’s thoughts her ex’s ex-ex was inescapable.
If anything useful was picked up from Svetlana’s thoughts, it was the vibe that she was not interested in women, or at least not used to women flirting with her. (Given her stunning appearance, Vanessa found it hard to believe she was the first to take a shot—not that she was actually taking any shots, of course.)
Svetlana played off the moment in stride, and Vanessa might have loved her for moving the conversation forward. ”Well, I’m definitely a fan of this pseudo-caffeine boost,” she assured her. All awkwardness aside, Vanessa could get used to the pep in her step that came with being around Svetlana.
Before any further damage could be done, Booker’s voice called out, giving Vanessa an out to save herself. She was thankful, even if his intentions were likely more selfish than altruistic. ”You’ve probably figured this out by now, but he’s a bit of a showboat. With food, at least, he can back it up,” she told Svetlana, averting her eyes on the off-chance the blonde wanted to think about other areas Booker had boast-worthy skills.
Biggest problem of a mind-reader who tread the romantic ground once walked by Booker: the uncomfortable second-hand knowledge that her brother was good in bed. The first time she caught one of those thoughts, she seriously contemplated self-immolation.
Strolling into the kitchen, Vanessa spoke in a hushed, but clearly annoyed voice. ”Okay, new house rule: no more drop-dead gorgeous blonde bombshells! They apparently turn me into a spazzy idiot!” She was not serious, (mainly because she had no intentions of following a rule like that,) but she wanted to make it clear to Booker how much she was failing at existing around Svetlana.
Telepathy is definitely a "be careful what you wish for" kind of power, particularly when you cannot turn the power on and off. People are always thinking, and sometimes initial thoughts are less than palatable.
Gina was "playing the field," or at least that was what she read in her eyes during one of their previous encounters. That was great for her. Awesome. Vanessa could not be a hypocrite. She had been dating women since her breakup, (if you use the term "dating" loosely.) They were two single, adventurous friends. Two attractive, queer, single friends. No reason for that to get complicated.
Except recently, the "dating" was dying down. More of her time was going to Gina, because try as she might, "go out to the club" did not sound as appealing as "watching paint dry with Gina." (Not that they had added that activity to their list, but if Gina asked, Nessa was pretty sure she would give it a shot.
Being at the beach was filling her metaphorical energy bar, so Vanessa was fine with whatever Gina felt like doing as long as it didn't involve going home. She had been looking forward to the impromptu trip too much to cut it short, especially when the night would come along eventually.
And with it, fireworks. It was gong to be a great night, and Vanessa was doing a good job ignoring the romantic implications of fireworks.
Gina had mentioned how her mutation affected her, and how she was naturally nocturnal. It was the right choice not to lay around just yet. First, they should exhaust some nervous, excited energy. (The "they" was really just Vanessa, of course.)
"As good a sleeping buddy as you are, I totally agree it's time to prowl the boardwalk." The more distance between her and the tragedy of that club night, the more she looked at it with surprising fondness. Yes, her relationship crumbled, but she had a genuine moment with Gina. The end of the night still made everything worth it.
Nessa took a cursory glance to make sure she was leaving nothing valuable behind on the beach. "I don't know about you, but I'm craving some boardwalk food. Shall we?" She offered her arm to link with Gina's, not considering the implications of how much time the two friends spent arm in arm.
Vanessa’s barrage of niceties and kindness had the exact effect on Booker she expected, eliciting confusion and suspicion. Necessary evils. He knew something was up, and she was going to give up the ghost and ask her favor almost immediately. She just had to pacify his suspicion with delicious food scents first, to remind him that she could be a giving, thoughtful sister when properly incentivized.
Before she started to speak again, Vanessa was already moving past him so she could nudge him from behind toward the table. ”Nothing’s gotten into me. I just thought you could use a good meal after a long day of work. It’s important to treat ourselves after we work our asses off, and we, as siblings, should be encouraging one another to take that time to treat ourselves.” Once again, the lack of subtlety could win awards.
Once Booker was in range of his well-seasoned, cooked to his preference steak, Vanessa’s words became more drawn out, like she was trying to make her request sound like the logical conclusion of her point. ”For instance… it would be very cool and noble for a certain brother to perhaps make plans out of the house Saturday night.”
The next line was noticeably faster in pace because there was a subtext of guilt to her request. ”So his sister can maybe have a few drinks and catch up with an old friend.”
It would be nice if he said yes without further cajoling. He could eat his steak and slather his potato with sour cream and chives and put no thought into questioning who Vanessa was planning on bringing over the house. It was a pipe dream and was not going to happen, but the thought itself was pleasant.
Instead, Vanessa took her seat in front of her salad and the potato she had prepared for herself. She took a sip of one of her grapefruit beers and braced herself for what might come next.
Chapter One: It's Just Drinks (With Our Evil Ex-Girlfriend)
Living with Booker was it's own little string of silly, sweet, annoying, and occasional maddening moments...
No one needed telepathy to understand Vanessa. As far as people went, she had a transparent streak. She was honest-- sometimes brutally so. She hypothesized that all the points she put into "lying and deception" were preoccupied keeping the two major secrets of her identity.
When Vanessa wanted something, she found it best to lean into her transparency. It was going to be clear she was angling for something, especially when Booker was the person she wanted something from. Rather than trying and failing with subtlety, she was going to just go all out with brown-nosing and see where that got her.
By the time Booker got home from work, the table was already set. She had made herself a humble salad with avocado, but his side of the table was notably different. Nessa had sucked up her moral quandries long enough to prepare a steak, with a side of baked potato. She had not been a vegetarian all her life, so she was not inept with cooking meat. Rarely, that could come in handy. She even went out of her way to buy his favorite beer. No cutting corners!
She was looking for a favor, which was always more challenging since it put Booker in a position of power in any upcoming negotiations. Unless she had something he needed, she was at his mercy. This would be even more of a challenge, because the favor she needed was something he would disapprove of. She was a big girl who did not have to run her life choices by her brother, but she acknowledged how easily he could ruin her plans as her roommate. The wisest choice was too appeal to him and hope he could give her a break.
Lofty goals.
When the door opened, presenting Booker, fresh off a long day at the library, Nessa greeted him enthusiastically. "Hello, brother of mine! How was your day? Don't worry about dinner, it's all taken care of. Just take a load off and relax!"
