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.
Celeste was nervous about telling Marisol - after all, they had only known each other for a little while. It wasn't like they were really even friends yet. They seemed to have had a good connection, despite Celeste's fairly outgoing personality and Marisol's more awkward social ways. In a way, she was happy she felt comfortable enough with Marisol to just go ahead and tell her the truth. At the same time, it terrified her because she may have just ruined a friendship. It was always a nervous moment 'coming out' to people about her powers.
When Celeste looked back to Marisol to see a warm smile, Celeste knew she had made the right choice. What a gamble, but it paid off. That was the biggest thing she really hid from people, at least that was important. She remembered when she told Booker, which she was super nervous about. They had made a small dare to each other to share a secret with each other. She was a mutant and he was an adapted. Celeste had read a little more into the AMA about them since then.
>> ”It’s really cool that you wanted to do something good for people with your powers, But I’m sure you’ll find a way to do that with or without them.”
Celeste leaned into Marisol's half hug. She let out a relatively loud sigh of relief. She gave a smile towards Marisol. That was sweet of her to say, and especially to be careful not to say it loud enough for customers to hear. "Thanks... Just remember me when you're on Broadway." She gave Marisol a wink and a small chuckle. She had a serious face on though - if Marisol was as good as she seemed to be, there was no doubt in Celeste's mind that she would reach her dreams.
>> ”Are you at Xavier’s? My uncle is a Swim Teacher there.”
She nodded, "I am, actually." She took a look at Marisol's face before her eyes going wide, "Mr. Cervantes?" She actually wasn't taking a class with him, mainly because she didn't even know how to swim. But she had heard of him and seen pictures in the school. She actually kinda looked like him, at least from the pictures she'd seen of Mr. Cervantes. "That's so awesome, we may be seeing more of each other outside of work then!"
>> ”Hey, just curious… have you tried to use your powers at all? Or maybe, I du...
Beep! Beep! Beep! Her watch alarm was going off. She quickly reached over and turned it off. She was surprised it went off - that meant it had been 6 hours since her last nausea medicine.
>> ...no, are there any usual side-effects that just… aren’t?”
Huh, now that she mentioned it, yes. She wasn't nauseous. She was going on 6 hours with no meds to help cover the nausea up and she felt nothing. She usually needed it around 5 hours, but she always kept an alarm on every 6 hours just in case. There was occasionally some variations in her nausea. That only meant a couple things - an adapted was nearby or she was dying. She nodded, "Well, actually, coincidentally, yeah... I usually am nauseated, so I take some prescription medicine that makes it go away. But... I haven't been nauseated at all..." Celeste was still debating the reasons, her mind not clicking that Marisol was an adapted.
>>”They’re doing fine. Just finishing up with some chatting over the last of their food, it looks like. I even asked if they wanted dessert!”
Celeste smiled proudly. Marisol was going to be a great waitress, awkward or not. She was already getting the hang of it pretty quickly and so long as she didn't panic with any other customers, she should be fine. "Asking for desert was an amazing idea, good job! I don't think I ever even told you to do that." In fact, the customers say no so much that Celeste usually forgets to even ask them if they want a desert now. Barb isn't too happy with it - she doesn't think Celeste is 'upselling' enough.
Celeste gave Marisol a warm smile as she watched some people walk in front of the diner but then chose to go somewhere else. Dang, it was a really slow day... Which was nice. Her and Marisol were able to actually talk. Maybe she actually found a friend here? Someone she could actually become good friends with? Of course, someone that was at least around her age. She considered Booker a close friend, even though they didn't know each other much or even know each other outside of the library. It was really nice to be talking to someone about some of the stuff that was on Celeste's mind lately.
>>”College is for discovering ourselves, right? I’m sure whatever you do, it’ll be great.”
Celeste smiled and nodded. She could tell the girl was being sincere. Celeste hoped she was right! "Thanks, I hope so!" Celeste was a bit of an overachiever, mainly trying to make up her 'mistake' of being a mutant to them. It wasn't something she was too concerned about anymore - she still had a competitive edge in her, and still wanted to succeed, but not nearly as much as before.
>>”So… why almost radiology? Not that I’m judging. It just seems oddly specific.”
She looked over to Marisol, debating on if she should really tell her the truth or not. She didn't really seem like the type to be against mutants, but she might freak if she told her she had a ton of radiation inside her. Was it something she was willing to out about herself already in their friendship? There really wasn't a point in hiding it. She'd just hear it from the kitchen crew in a week or so, anyways. She sighed and gave a little shrug. She looked away and she talked lowly, "Yeah, I'm a mutant. Radiation mutation, so I can release & absorb radiation. So I figured I could use my powers to help reduce radiation exposure and stuff if I went into radiology. But.. Uh... Yeah, I don't know if that's really what I want to do." She took a quick glance towards Marisol, to gauge her reaction to her confession. Hopefully Marisol wouldn't care. Celeste really hoped she wouldn't care. Ugh.
>>”I’m okay, really. I just don’t have a lot of experience with people flirting with me,”
Celeste chuckled and nodded, "No worries, just the nerve of some people is just ridiculous. It looks like the business guys went well when you went to check on them, did it?" It looked like it did - but she did need to check with Marisol to make sure it went fine. The little old ladies looked like they were about done. She checked her watch - it had been a while since their shift started. It was a pretty slow day, too, so it was a good day for Marisol to start.
>> "And thank you for saying I’m pretty. I guess you must have a lot of guests like that, too?”
She grinned and shrugged a little, "It comes with the territory. Plus, I think these 50's outfits make some people think they're actually living in the 50's," she shook her head. She grinned, and semi-jokingly told Marisol, "I mean, if they look rich, it doesn't hurt to flirt a little back. Nice tips!" I mean, a girl had to eat and if that meant stroking an ego just a little bit she was willing to deal with it.
>> ”Speak of, you know so much more about me at this point, ”I’m the dance girl, drama nerd, socially oblivious chick. What about you? Do you have any big plans for college?”
She looked at Marisol with an arched brow. She did kinda know more about Marisol than Marisol knew about her. Mainly, it was part of their respective roles - she was the teacher and Marisol was the student. Celeste had to learn more about Marisol to make her more welcome and to help her train in a way she could relate too.
Celeste paused for a moment, deep in thought, before chuckling a little: "I have no idea. I thought, back in Regina, where I'm originally from, I was going to be a radiologist. But ever since I got here a few months ago, I don't think that's what I'm supposed to do... I don't know." She shrugged again, unsure, "But, either way, I'm going to New York University in January, so I'm super excited to get started. Maybe I'll land some awesome internships or something while I'm there too to help me figure it out."
Celeste wasn't ready to take crap today. She felt pretty protective of her little trainee, future independent waitress. After she dropped the order off, she dropped by Barb's office to let her know what happened in case the guy complained or did some stupid sh*t. Barb nodded and returned to doing her managerial duties.
With that, Celeste moved back to her little spot on the wall, and leaned against it, waiting for Marisol to come up to. She had went to check on the businessmen's table. Celeste smiled - it looked like it went well. The guys seemed happy and Marisol seemed content and not stressed.
>>”Celeste, thank you. So much. I get awkward when people are flirting with me.Well, more awkward.”
Celeste gave a big grin to Marisol. At least she didn't seem upset or anything for being shamelessly flirted with, "Are you okay? Sorry that your second table had to be such a perv." She sighed, "Most of the time, they're not like that. But you're a pretty girl, so I'd recommend just thinking of something to say when they actually do do that."
>> ”I think I’m gonna be really glad I get to work with you. And for the record, I’m sixteen.”
She nudged the girl with her shoulder, "I told you I'd watch out for you." She gave her a smile and playfully rolled her eyes, "Alright, Miss Grown Up, excuse me." She was, of course, joking.
Awe. Poor, sweet, young, naive little Marisol. Even Celeste had some experience with flirty customers - of course, she sometimes herself was flirty with people. It looked like the poor girl did not really pick up on the whole flirt-love game. There wasn't any problem with that, either. It was probably better - Marisol was probably still in high school, maybe 16 or 17?
In any case, she nodded, "Yes. He is." Celeste would've probably just ignored it but she was kinda numb to those kind of things by this point - the misogyny was pretty common place. People didn't have respect and honestly, there wasn't a point in fighting people sometimes. Choose your battles wisely or whatever.
>>”Yeah, there will be no flirting back. I’m… not a flirter. I’m bad at flirting. My flirt game is nonexistent. Okay, I'm ready. Let's go."
Celeste laughed and nodded, not really surprised. Based off Marisol's current reactions, she probably wasn't the most flirty person. It was good, though. Innocence and stuff or whatever.
And with that, they were back off to the man. He wasn't ugly, which was good, but poor Marisol didn't seem in the slightest interested. Celeste was already annoyed at the smooth talking he was trying to do. But, she knew what kinda game he was playing. It wasn't like he was some cute guy wanting to take her out on a date - he just wanted a Kindlr styled hook up. It wasn't the time or place for that kind of talk - especially to a new employee.
>> ”There you go, sir. Sorry about the wait. Did you see anything you liked?”
>> "Oh, I definitely--"
>> ”On the menu, I mean!”
>> “What’s wrong, sweetheart? It’s all about service with a smile, right?”
Oh, no, oh no, oh no.
>> "I… um…”
She patted Marisol on the shoulder and motioned for her to leave before she took her pad out and gave the gentleman a smile, "Hi, I'm Celeste, Marisol's trainer. Marisol is in high school and this is her first job here, she's a bit nervous." She made clearly to emphasize high school. She gave another smile, "You know, I believe she's about 15. Did you hear about that 15 year old girl near NYU? A 20 year old ended up getting charged with statutory rape because her. Dang shame." She smiled, "What would you like to order? We have a couple specials," she pointed them out on the menu.
He seemed to calm down after her little story, ordering a basic BLT with some mayonnaise on the side.
Maybe she was a little harsh on the guy, but he was being a perv. He had no excuse to be doing that, especially to a new waitress. Of course, she wasn't even sure if Marisol had left or not and she turned out to go put the order in.
Life is a Maze with Mirror Grey-Morris - Celeste gets lost in the Maze, Mirror finds her, they wash Angua, and then Celeste gets a royal tour of some of the Mansion. [Completed]
Keeping Up Appearances with Jude - Celeste goes to the school to scout out her classes but ends up getting a tour by Jude, which then gets them going on a self-described 'friends gathering' - which is totally not a date. >.>; [Completed]
*Generation Zen - NYU with Tempest - Celeste goes to the inauguration of class 2021 to see a Tempest giving the keynote presentation and manages to grab him for some intense discussions regarding the current climate between humanity & mutantcy.
*Hey Kid, Are You Lost? with Chase Taylor - During a field trip to the mall, Celeste goes shopping but finds a lost mutant wandering about, so the mystery of finding out who and where he belongs began.
You Gotta Get An Upgrade! with Marisol Cervantes - Celeste phone gets water damage & she has to find another one; her and Marisol head off to the mall after work. [Completed]
>> "It's good. We'll get a baseline with the vanilla. Like going to a Chinese restaurant and ordering the sweet and sour the first time. You gotta know how it measures up."
Celeste nodded, "Right? Exactly." It was a very basic option - vanilla and strawberry. She almost thought a joke was going to come from Jude, but he responded with understanding for her plain ice cream. Wait until they went out to eat actual food, though, now that'll be fun. Celeste was a huge fan of trying new foods. Well, if they go out to eat actual food. But ice cream? That wasn't something Celeste was willing to mess with.
>> "Would either of you like a cherry on top?"
She smiled, "Oh yeah, I would love a cherry too." The two cones looked delicious. She smiled and stood beside Jude, unsure of really what to do as he began to pull his wallet out. She figured he'd get it this time, because, guy things and she'd get them next time. That's what friends did, right? Just switch paying or whatever.
Celeste's eyes opened wide as he spun and made a shooting noise. And then there was cherries on top of them. Celeste grinned wide, but Jude had already beat her to the question. When she heard the man say 'long line of berry slingers,' Celeste nearly lost it as she laughed. That was just too funny. What a awesome power. Plus, hereditary? That was even cooler. She nudged Jude, "you should totally use that power sometime."
They definitely needed to come back here - the selection was amazing, the ice cream guy was honestly the coolest guy ever, and the ice cream looked good - even Jude's cone, which had bacon on it. Celeste wasn't sure how she felt about it but she always said she'd try something at least once.
>>"This guy's awesome, but I think I'd rather walk. I'll let you have first bite. That way it's cooty free."
Did he just say cooty free? She giggled and gave him a playful look, "You're going to get all my cooties then." Celeste didn't want to try it and insult the man's weird flavored ice cream, but she ended taking a nice,yummy lick off of Judes ice cream cone. Hopefully, she wasn't too embarrassing in her licking of the ice cream because she felt extremely self-conscious as she did it. It was... Interesting. She enjoyed the caramel, but the bacon taste in it? She wasn't too big of a fan of. It wasn't bad, just not something she'd probably ever order.
Once they were outside, she offered her opinion of the ice cream to him. "That flavor was, in my professional opinion... Interesting. The caramel was great, but the bacon bits? I don't know about that part." She chuckled and watched his face intently for any indications that he liked or disliked the weird ice cream flavor.
>> ”Gotcha. Pleasantries first, then down to business.”
She nodded, "And uh... If you're not sure if we have something, just ask one of the other waitresses." Hopefully, Marisol wouldn't catch on that it was a delayed critique of her initial 'do we even have that?' comment. But the businessmen seemed to have taken it well - it didn't seem like they were out to be mean or anything. After checking in on a few of her tables, she returned to Marisol. She had arrived back just as a young guy entered into the diner. Kinda weird for a person as young as him to randomly come to the diner, but hey, whatever strikes your fancy.
>> ”I think I’m gonna try taking the new table, if that’s okay.”
Celeste, "Right behind you." She gave an encouraging smile - that's exactly what Marisol needed - taking initiative. She was already better than half of the employees here, even with her little social awkwardness.
>> “Me? I’m better now that you’re here,”
Celeste immediately knew what was going on - it had happened to her plenty of times. She also rolled her eyes. Thankfully, the guy didn't see her eye rolling. Celeste folded her arms. She didn't want Marisol to be offended, or worse, hurt by this guy. But at the same time, Marisol would probably need to get use to it happening to her, too - she was a beautiful, young lady. Men, especially younger ones, didn't know how to not be creeps it seemed. And honestly, women too.
>> ”He’s… is he upset about something? Or does he appreciate my service? I can’t figure this guy out,”
Celeste smiled and motioned for her to follow her to the training room. She wasn't going to have this talk out in front of customers, mainly because it could cause some issues. Especially if that guy overhears us. Once they were back in the training room, Celeste took a breath and gave Marisol a smile, "No, he's not mad. He just wants inside your pants. He's flirting with you." That may have been okay to her or the other waitresses, but it was just rude to do it to a brand new waitress who was as young and innocent as Marisol was. Celeste peeked and shut the door to the training room. "So, there's a couple ways you can play it. If he gets creepy, tell him he needs to back off. Carefully and respectfully. If he doesn't, I'm going to take over the table and you're not going near him." Celeste was going full on protect her little noob waitress. "Or you can tell him you have a boyfriend. I would say girlfriend, but he'd probably be into that..." She kinda muttered the last bit, sighing. Barb wouldn't get upset if they were a bit mean to a nasty customer. "Alternatively, you can play him. Flirt back. Usually, you can get better tips that way." She shrugged, "but I'm not sure if that's a good route for you." Marisol didn't seem like she'd be too great at flirting back with the customer.
Celeste followed Marisol and gave her as much encouragement as possible. If Marisol was nervous around people, she would need the extra push to get through her training. And Celeste was actually pretty good with socializing - it usually came pretty easy for her.
>> ”Hi, I’m Marisol and I’ll be your waitress. I’m still in training and this is my trainer, Celeste.
So far so good - that was good.
>> She’s right beside me.”
Oh no. That was one of those things that the customers might latch onto. Celeste cleared her throat in a general motion to draw the attention away. It could be that the gentlemen just found it endearing - which was fine. But she wasn't going to have two jack*sses hurt Marisol's feelings just because she was new, training, and a bit on the socially awkward side of things. The least thing Marisol needed was to feel like she wasn't doing a good job. And for her first time, she was.
>> ”So, yeah. What are your drinks and how is your day?”
Celeste smiled. It was honestly refreshing to see someone so nice and awkward - Marisol didn't seem like a fake person like a lot of the people who worked at the diner. The guys rolled with it and that made Celeste content. Her primary duty was to stand and look pretty and be an encouragement to Marisol.
>> ”We have those?”
Um... Well, at least they thought it was funny. Maybe Celeste should have had her review the menu some before setting her out on her own. That would be the next thing they went over as soon as they brought the guys their drinks back. Yikes...
>> ”Why am I allowed out around people again?”
Celeste chuckled and, jokingly teased her, "I mean, you did accept a job as a waitress." Her face became a bit serious but she had a warm smile, "You did a good job, especially for your first time. Don't beat yourself up over the little stuff. Really." She gave her a pat on the back as they reached the kitchen line to put in the guys order.
"Once we deliver their drinks, we're going to have you study the menu some. Try to ask how their day is and then ask for their order. Pleasantries first, order second." She smiled. There was no reason to mention the rest of her little blunders. That was the important thing and Celeste was sure Marisol understood the rest.
Marisol had a good head on her shoulders - or at least she seemed like she did. She was going to adjust just fine, at least in the end. It was always hard to learn a new job, especially one where you have to deal with customers. Celeste had a really hard time adjusting to Starbucks when she first started working there in Regina. She nearly quit a couple weeks later until she finally started getting the hang of it. Her biggest issue was memorizing all the different combinations of coffees though... Uff...
>>”Oh stop, like you’re even much older than me.”
She laughed and shook her head, "I dunno what you're talking about. I'm clearly the protector of all waitresses." She was, of course, entirely joking. Celeste had just been doing this job a bit longer than Marisol. Marisol was on her first day. She had been here just a few months now, "But seriously, don't let anyone run you over. You're my little trainee, so I'll be sure to keep any butt faces in check."
>> ”I think I do.”
Celeste almost nodded but the two businessmen entered the dining room. She didn't have the best feeling about them - sometimes businessmen can be pretty sleazy. One looked kinda like a used cars salesman and that always made Celeste super suspicious. She patted Marisol on the shoulder and gave her an encouraging smile, "Remember, you can tell them you're training and I'm your trainer. I'll be right beside you. If you have any questions, ask me. If you freak out, just tap my hand, and I'll take over." She smiled and squeezed her shoulder, "You got this."
Celeste huffed as she began to head towards the bus stop. She was carrying her book bag on one shoulder, which was full of books, binders, paper, and pens and pencils. It was her last semester of high school and she planned on going out with a bang. She had decided to stay late at the Mansion today, mainly to get some studying in for her home economics class and to practice her art for Mr. Holloway's class. Art wasn't something she was good at, so she had set aside some time to actually practice drawing some random things from the internet.
It was getting a bit more chilly at night as the summer began to slowly fade into autumn. Thankfully, Celeste had worn jeans and a button up blue shirt with a black jacket today. It was the perfect combo to stay warm on a nice, cool night. Celeste was a bit excited for some cooler weather but not too excited about the freezing weather that would follow up shortly.
She was only about 5 minutes away from the bus stop before she felt a strange, instinctual feeling that she was being watched. A quick glance, though, showed no one was around her. Was it just because it was late? There was surprisingly almost no one else on the street. It made sense, considering the time, but was it really that dead of a night? It was a Thursday, after all, but still, she had expected to see more people out on the streets in this area. Maybe it was like this every night - probably was. This was the first time Celeste had stayed this late as the Mansion. She just really hoped the bus was still running from here towards her place - otherwise, she'd be sleeping with the homeless tonight.
Celeste took a moment to appreciate the nearly cloud free night, although no stars could be seen due to the heavy light pollution of the city. It was something she missed, one of the few things, from Regina. She could always go outside and lay in the grass and watch the stars dazzle in the night sky. But those times were gone and it was time to move on from them. She had a new life, with new friends, new school, and a new future.
Celeste liked Marisol. She might not be the best waitress due to her nervousness but it was something that came with the job - something that she would learn to adapt too. She seemed ambitious too, so after she got through her social anxiety, Marisol had the chance to become a pretty awesome waitress. Of course, Celeste hoped that she'd eventually get on Broadway or whatever actresses and dancers aspire too in New York City. Being a waitress was a good interim, but it wasn't something Marisol should be doing for longer than necessary.
>>”It’s a nice thought, but I’d kill for a script. This girl’s not a fan of improv,”
Celeste grinned. Poor thing. At least Celeste had tried. She gave a bit of a smile towards Marisol, "Well... Maybe... Um, practice makes perfect? Although, a script would be pretty nice. Just remember! You're going to get paid the most minimal amount possible, so don't let it stress you out or anything." It was said playfully but it was serious comment - you get paid crap, hope the tips are good, and you can't let people get to you.
>> ”Still, nice to know I’ve got someone like you protecting me from jerks.”
Celeste chuckled as she nudged her, "Just doing my duty and all that to help the youngins''" she said in a fake country-like accent. It could be scary to deal with angry customers, especially the first couple times it happens. Plus, lots of customers are just rude.
She saw, in her peripheral, a peeping Marisol. She was trying to see her notepad. That probably would have been help. She made sure that she would be able to see it on their next orders.
>>”I guess I’ll have to make sure to keep my writing legible. I don’t need the kitchen calling me ‘chickenscratch’ or something behind my back,”
Celeste laughed but made a shhhhhhh sound quickly. They were a little too close to the kitchen for comfort. She mostly tried to stay quiet, do her job, get out and do what she needed to do. She wasn't here to create trouble - she just wanted her money so she could pay her bills. She wasn't even sure what was up with the kitchen staff, but they saw themselves as better than everyone else maybe?
After a few more tables waited, served, Celeste stopped and leaned against the wall, "So we have a moment now. It's not common, but just keep an eye on drinks and watch if someone else comes in. Otherwise, yeah. Do you want to do the next table?"
Celeste hadn't meant to pry but it was clear how much that little question had hurt Booker. She really didn't mean anything by it and she definitely didn't have to know about it. Although, she was a bit curious about what an 'adapted' was and the mechanics behind their biology. Was it an X-Gene, similar to an X-Gene or something else? Was it an evolutionary response to the X-Gene? She'd have to do some research in her spare time to learn more about it. Maybe some medical associations new something or some websites in the internet. Oh well, for now, she needed to do something to change the subject. What was up with her and asking him questions that he clearly wasn't comfortable with? Second time in only a few hours. Uff.
>> ”That’s awesome! Big ole smarty pants right here in the library! Maybe you should actually consider applying for a job so you can actually afford one-tenth of a single textbook.”
Technically, she was pretty smart - she had a pretty darn high GPA, thanks to some special classes she took in Regina. On that same note, it was probably more to due with her previous constant need to try to make her parents gives a rats *ss about her. That was something she had left behind in Regina. She figured she'd still work hard, but she wasn't going to beat herself up over getting B's instead of A's anymore. Life was too short to be crammed in front of a textbook. She groaned at the idea of buying a textbook, "I actually already have a job, I'm a waitress... So... I'll just need to work for the next 6 months an have no bills and I should be able to get one or two." She was really hoping she could get a laptop with some of her financial aid. Maybe just pirate the PDF versions of them? Oh well.
And with that, she was alone, sitting in a chair with a cookie. She sighed and leaned back in her seat, crossing her legs and folding her arms. She was a bit tired from her usual lack of sleep. And their big, busy day so far. The silence of the break room made her mind wander about her life in general, especially some of the moments that led her to this specific moment. She still felt pretty lost here. She was in the beginning processes of getting signed up for classes, she was going to college, she had a friend in Booker. She didn't have that many other people, at least not yet. Well, that was excluding Norma, of course, but the little old lady she lived with was busy literally just trying to stay alive. She was on a path but there was just some sadness, maybe some bittersweetness, in it all.
Celeste hated these moments - where she was alone, in the quiet, her mind allowed to wander about as it pleased. She needed something to do to keep her mind occupied. Eating a cookie wasn't the most enticing thing.
>> ”Celeste, you’re terrible at following orders, you know that?”
Ah, finally. He appeared! She turned a little red and perked a brow, "I mean, you can't just tell me like that and not expect something to happen. Plus, I'm hungry." She made a silly face but then smelled the pizza took a deep breath, enjoying the scent. It smelt amazing. It even looked amazing. She took the plate and nodded, more than happy to dig in. She grabbed a slice and took a bit before quickly putting it down. She chewed it quickly and took a swig of soda, "Oooh, too hot still. Poor tongue." She had gotten a little too excited for that meal. And her tongue paid the price. But, worth it.
She nodded, "Yep, that's me. My shift ended pretty much when you left." Thankfully, Celeste was ready to get out and be out of that little diner for a while. It had been a long few hours. Most of the time her customers don't really remember her - they usually are much more focused on their drinks and their food to be bothered to remember a waitresses face. It was something Celeste was fine with - she didn't remember most of them, either. It was just her job.
>> "Yeah. I remember. Small world."
She chuckled and nodded. Well, they weren't very far from the diner and it was New York City, but he was right. It was a small world in their inter-connected lives they lived now.
>> "Guess you'll get to enjoy that sun and beautiful day you were talking about, I, personally, plan to go get a tan."
She nodded, "I just might." Unless she ended up just staying in her apartment. Maybe she'll bake some. Or practice her Latvian. Or do something else. Who knew? She had a whole day ahead of her. At his joke, Celeste wasn't entirely sure to laugh. Did he tan? He was green. Maybe a darker shade of green? She gave a small giggle after a second of processing, "Well, sunbathing can be a pretty relaxing activity." Just laying, some sunglasses on, feeling the warmth of the sun over the body. It wasn't something Celeste was particularly prone to do - it made her sleepy. She needed to be doing something and laying on the ground, relaxing wasn't something in her books. She gave him a smile, "Where are you off to?"
Juliette had made a very good recommendation with taking some type of training course - plus, maybe she'd learn new ways to use her mutation. Celeste was trying to find new ways to use it besides just throwing some radiation at someone and hoping for the best. She watched as Juliette looked over the schedule and then handed it to Ruddy. Whew, first step - completed. She was enrolled! Well, almost. Ruddy had to do some administrative work, but that shouldn't be too much of a problem.
>> ”English is… English is… um… a good skill to have, but if you don’t think you’ll need it, then you’ll likely be fine. It’s not really like you don’t have enough classes for a semester anyway.”
Celeste peered around Juliette with an arched eyebrow, curious as to what Juliette was watching. Celeste kind of stared at Ruddy chase the vacuum. She figured now is good as time ever to ask, "Why did a Roomba have a knife on it...?" Celeste was a little bit confused over the whole Ruddy/Roomba situation.
Anyways, they were on their way to watch a class. Exciting! Celeste wondered what the kiddos of the Mansion were up to, how classes were put together, all that fun stuff. It would be a great experience for her to get a feel for how her classes would be in the coming weeks.
Art wasn't her specialty, in fact, she wasn't gifted in the arts at all. She had plenty of other talents - like languages, but art? She was a terrible artist. She could sing, so if they would ever be graded on that, she'd have something there. Celeste stood next to Juliette and observed the classroom as the art instructor continued to instruct the class in artsy things. It seemed like a fun enough class. She could get use to this!
