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.
>> ”I act and I dance—ballet, even. I… kinda still don’t know what to focus on,”
Celeste wasn't sure the drama that went on in... Well, drama related specialization. Marisol seemed to want to do both but felt like she needed to make a decision. Celeste gave her a smile and unsure of anything else to really say, "Well, that's part of what your school will help, right? Help you figure which part is the best option for you. Maybe you'll be able to bedazzle them and not have to choose?" She heard Marisol comment about her future and she nodded. Too bad she had no idea what she wanted to actually do when goes there... What kind of job would she be good in? She had no idea. At least Marisol was committed to a field, already.
>> ”So you seem good with people, That’s good. I’m not. Good with people, that is. I really hope that doesn’t bite me in the butt here,”
As she put the drinks on a tray, she stopped to listen to Marisol's concerns. She gave Marisol an encouraging smile, "It may be a little hard, but you'll come around too it." She paused, carefully phrasing her next wording in a way that maybe Marisol would relate too. "Think of it... In a way, you're acting. These people - all they care about is their drinks are refilled and they get their food in time. Ultimately, they're not going to remember who you are - it's not a bad thing or anything, it's just the way it is. You're acting. And mistakes are okay - most people find it endearing if you're a little awkward or not good," She gave another encouraging smile to Marisol, "Most people won't care anyways. If anyone gives you a hard time, tell me and I'll handle them for you."
She paused, with an eyebrow arched waiting for Marisol to add any comments or questions.
Afterwards, on the way to drop the drinks back off at the ladies, she made a quick comment, "It's usually better to remember who ordered which drink, just to avoid the awkward 'who's drink is it?' kinda thing." From there, she stopped the drinks off and began to ask what they would like to eat. She wrote their desired meals down in her little notepad. She walked back to put the slip in the kitchen, "and this is where you put their order, food wise. Once it's ready, the kitchen guy or girl will yell. Be sure to remember at least one meal from the table so you don't forget when they call it out."
Unfortunately, this place wasn't a high-tech, automated place - it was still very much a old, rinky dinky ma and pa restaurant.
Celeste wasn't even sure what all this meant for her powers. She knew it was off - she wasn't nauseous. It also meant that, most likely, the tons of radiation that pulsed through with her blood was gone. That was a bit frightening. She figured the extra radiation provided a nice boost to her immune system since, well, it's kinda hard for anything to live in 5,000 rads constantly. She wasn't even sure how she was alive with it. But it was her blessing and her curse, so she was still slowly learning to accept it. While she didn't feel any different around Booker besides her nausea, she knew her body was probably confused.
>>”However, more than likely it’s because of my aura. It affects mutant’s different. Some don’t notice a change until they try their powers, others need to avoid me because having their powers off hurts them. I’m glad you’re in the former category.”
She nodded slowly, her face lost in thought for a moment. She immediately thought to people with physical manifestations of their powers. Yikes... That would definitely be understandable for them to avoid him at all cost. He could pretty much rip apart their very beings by deactivating their X-Gene. That was powerful and a bit scary - at least for those individuals. The worst part was that they wouldn't know he was an adapted - well, who knows what that even is in the general public? It doesn't sound like a very used term & Celeste had never heard of it before - and she read all sorts of books, news articles, everything.
>> ”It’s...complicated.”
She watched his reaction and immediately regretted even asking. It wasn't something she even was too curious about - she mainly just asked because it seemed like a logical place to go with the conversation. She gave him an understanding smile and quickly moved on to another subject, "So, I'm going to go to NYU in January. Kinda nervous, but pretty excited too." That was a huge subject change, but it was the only thing that came to her mind in time. At least, that was her plan. What was she going for though? She really wasn't all that sure at this point. Originally, she had thought she'd be a radiologist or maybe do some type of work with radiation - but she really didn't think that was what was in her future. Who knows, ultimately, though. Maybe she'd turn back around to it once she was in school. Doubtful, but not impossible.
>> ”Well, it looks like our pizza is on the way. So I’ll be right back. And don’t go spoiling your appetite looking for the cookies I left on the top, right shelf of the cabinet! You’ll never find them."
Celeste gave a little clap, excited for their food to finally arrive. But wait, what was this about cookies? Now that was something she had to check out. She waited until he left to go get the pizza before she went over to the top, right shelf of the cabinet and pulled them down. Mmm, cookies. Did he make them himself? She took it back and put it on the table, taking one out. She took a big bite into it and sighed at the yummy flavor. Delicious. She finished the cookie pretty fast, too - she was hungry. She took a swig of her soda and settled back in to wait for Booker to return. She'd save the rest for after the pizza.
Celeste smiled as Marisol put the handbook into her purse. "Most of it will come from on the job experience. At least, that's how it was for me."
>> ”Fiorello H. Laguardia High School. It’s a school for Performing Arts in the city.
She grinned, "Oh, that is really awesome. So, performing arts, so are you more of a dancer or an actress? Or both?" That was pretty awesome, actually. She didn't really have any friends, even back in Regina that were involved in theater. She had met them, of course, and they always seemed like pretty awesome to hang out with but she just never really became friends with them.
>> ”Um, are you a student, too?”
She smiled and nodded, "Yep. Last semester of high school, then I start college at NYU in January." She wasn't sure Marisol's feelings on mutants yet, so Celeste decided to leave out the whole Xavier's as her school of choice for her last semester, unless she asked specifically asked her about it. She didn't seem like the type who would care, but no one can ever be too careful.
>> ”You can drink on the job? The phrase. Duh. No, I’m totally cool. Hella ready for this. I leave my waitressing future in your hands. Let’s go.”
Celeste took a moment to stare at her with an arched brow before chuckling, "Yeah, the phrase... They don't even serve alcohol here. Well, not yet, anyways." Barb was in the process of getting the liqour/beer or whatever license for the store. She really wanted to have that option, especially for the nights where she brought in a variety of musicians and their bands. Celeste herself had actually invited Booker to perform at one a while ago. Maybe if a customer was mean Marisol, maybe she'd overlook it. That was really a good thing in this kinda job.
She gave a smile and motioned for her to follow her, "So, again, for now, just watch me." And with that, she brought them into the floor. Lucky for them, it was a slow day. Not many people, mostly older people probably looking to relive their youths. She walked over to a table with 3 elderly women, "Hi, I'll be your waitress today. I'm Celeste, and this is our newest coworker, Marisol. She'll be watching me, so if you need anything please let one of us know. How are you ladies today? What can I start you off to drinks with?"
1 water, 1 iced tea, and 1 diet Coke. With that, Celeste showed Marisol how to write it down along with the price on the pad and then motioned for her to follow her to the drink machines.
Celeste thought it was pretty funny how surprised Jude was by her confession of not loving the cold. It really wasn't that she disliked it - she was ambivalent. She did like the cold a lot more than the heat though. She'd rather be freezing than hot any moment of any day.
>> "Tch. You're spun sugar and whipped cream. If I'm cute, you're a walking, talking confection, the kind that Japanese school kids squeal about."
Celeste giggled and nudged his shoulder slightly. Definitely cute and adorable with that kinda expression. He was a pretty charming guy, too. "I don't know, seems like they'd be squealing all over you, too."
>> "No. It's a romance language, though so it's in the neighborhood of French, I guess. The guy I work for is as Texan as they come and I think he knows Spanish. Or maybe only the swears..."
She laughed, "There's a lot of similarities. It'd probably be pretty easy to pick up on. You know, some people say learning the swear words first is the best way to learn a language." She had actually talked to a Mexican-Canadian back in Regina who said he initially learned English swear words before he learned the rest. It seemed to be a famous way to pick up languages, at least from her experience.
>> "Oh man. I feel like I have to take a risk because there's some crazy stuff here. I've already had black goma flavor somewhere else and it was only meh. I had to try it, though 'cause it was black. How about this. You go safe and I'll go crazy. That way, if mine's bad, I can steal from you."
She smirked. No way was she going to eat black ice cream. She was a total foodie - she loved eating different things. But she was not about to risk ice cream. Ice cream was just too sacred. She nodded her agreement to the deal, "Sounds like a plan. I'll get basic and you go for the crazy... I might steal a bite of yours, though." How cute of them - offering to eat each others ice cream. Their friends gathering was a strange one for friends.
Caramel corn and bacon ice cream. The caramel part sounded pretty good in that equation but the rest made Celeste smirk. "Good luck," she whispered to him. After reviewing her options, she decided on the safe bet; "I'll take... A waffle cone, with a scoop of vanilla and a scoop of strawberry." Everyone loved vanilla and strawberry, but she looked over to him to make sure he would like those options before she confirmed her part of the order.
She whispered a thank you when he purchased her ice cream. He didn't have too, since it was a friends gathering, but Celeste figured she probably shouldn't oppose. She could get them the next time they're on a... Friends gathering thingy. "Do you want to walk and nom on the ice cream or do you want sit in here?" She was leaning more towards taking a bit more of a walk but they had done a lot of walking.
He was a pretty easy, typical customer - it made Celeste happy. He didn't have any complaints, he enjoyed his food, it was a great experience for the both of them. Well, at least for her. She could only presume he enjoyed it.
In a turn of fate, Celeste actually shift ended when he paid. So, she went into the back and picked up her purse & book bag and clocked out. It was time to hit the bus to go home. Or somewhere. She had all day, after all. She definitely wasn't in the mood for sleeping. She had been having worse than usual nightmares, so it wasn't something she was even remotely interested in doing even though the little bags under her eyes were getting a little bigger.
With that, she was at the bus stop about to board the bus - but then she saw that customer at the diner walking up to hop on. Huh. Looked like he was going to get on the bus too. She gave a small wave, "Oh hey! I'm the waitress, from the diner." She smiled, seeing if he remembered her or not. It wasn't common for her to run into her customers on the street. She swiped her bus card and began looking for a seat. Maybe he'd want to sit with her?
Celeste was doing her best to make Marisol feel comfortable. The woman had some nervousness about the job, which is understandable. Especially if she'd never held this type of job before. It was probably a good time to ask about her previous experience so Celeste could see how much of training Marisol might need, "Have you ever had a job like this before?" It wasn't too important of a question, Barb had already hired her. Barb liked hiring fresh talent that she saw potential in - whether they had the experience or not. Celeste could see some of the nervousness and the good thing is, being awkward around customers isn't grounds for hire. It's only if they're rude. And there would be plenty of customers who find it very endearing.
Celeste just hoped she didn't get a lot of the customers who complain about the prices or do the whole 'You sure I can't get this free?' crap they like to do every now and then.
Marisol looked like she was enjoying the handbook, so she leaned back in her chair and let her flip through & examine the pages, "You can take it home, if you'd like... Probably the big thing is that don't put your fingers in food or and it's better to just bring cups out for refills, that way you don't risk touching the straws and stuff." Really, the book was much more cooks in the kitchen than the waitresses, but it was good to be well rounded.
>> ”Gotcha. Though I won’t have a bookbag. I live at school, so I wouldn’t need to— Well, that’s irrelevant. Sorry, continue.”
Celeste chuckled and gave her a smile, "Nice, that's awesome! What school do you go to?" It had to be a high school - she didn't look old enough to be in college. Could she? Probably in something similar to Celeste's school at the Mansion - they provided some type of dorms. Maybe if she found out, she could help tailor her explanations to help her understand or at least feel more comfortable with it.
>> ”Really? You’re the first coworker I’ve met besides Barb. What exactly am I in for here?”
She leaned over after making sure there was no one around, "People here are very chatty, when they shouldn't be, considering how bad they are their jobs. Don't take offense if you hear things about yourself or anything like that. Don't trust 80% of the place. The waitresses are fine, but most of the kitchen staff aren't. And Barb, Barb is really good." Celeste already had plenty of the whole 'you know that girl emits radiation? She's around customers food' crap despite safety. Celeste didn't even emit that much radiation, barely not even enough to pick up on a Geiger counter. She smiled, "I can tell you more but we need to be outside and far away from this place."
"Alright, any final questions, burning desires, last call for alcohol before we hit the floor?"
>>“I start almost every morning with a jog in the park for that reason.”
Celeste grinned. She wished she had more time to go jogging, and especially hiking. She loved hiking. Between work, getting started with her last semester of school, and volunteering at the library - she had a bit of a full plate. Being unfamiliar with the campus, Celeste show to follow him and his instructions.
>> “Society at large is starting to accept mutants more because they’re learning, seeing more of us. We’re friends, family. The media has given a view into what hatred and fear is doing to us. The bombing of the mutants’ homeless shelter in Odessa saw to that. Places like Sanctuary here in the city show what could be instead.
Ah, the media. That by itself was a pretty sensitive topic in the world - with the 'mainstream' versus 'not' and what not. Fake news and everything else. It was an interesting time to be alive, that was for sure. Bad things sometimes had to happen for good things to happen or something like that.
>> “But that’s easy in liberal New York. What about in Mississippi? Parts of Africa facing their own internal troubles? Religiously strict regions of the middle east? It’s going to take time, but we’re getting there. I think there is indeed some sort of egalitarian society. Some of it is people becoming better, more understanding but laws and global support is another side of it. Eventually anti-mutant hate speech will be treated like any other form of discriminatory talk. Action as well, but in the mean time we might indeed see more dangers like stronger META-like bots. There’s push and pull on all side.”
He had a great point. At least in New York, there was a community - an acceptance of mutants, minorities, etc. That was her ultimate question - the push and pull, she realized. How would continue to push for mutant rights (along with other minority rights) be pushed back by the, well, bigots? How far would they go...? That was something that he probably didn't have the answer too, though, so it wasn't something she was going to ask.
>> “We need to remember who’s in the middle though: the common man or woman. That’s where that fear comes back in. Even the common mutant can’t protect themselves from a gun or an angry mob. Those with obvious physical characteristics? I can’t imagine. I can hide mine behind sunglasses when I need to. We need to combat fear with education and protection through the law. And see it enforced.”
Kinda sounded like we needed some type of U.N. resolution against countries that were against us - but then again, so many were already against us and so many other people. Celeste sighed, deep in thought over his opinions. She had hope that he was right - we'd eventually reach some type of egalitarian society, where mutants and humans could live side by side and prosper.
She nodded, he was right. "A lot of it seems that we need to get people out of poverty and get them a real education... The META bots, they have scanners of the X-Gene on them, right? What do you think 'advanced' means? Do you think more schools like Xavier's will show up around the globe?" She was kinda surprised there wasn't more of them, but on the other hand, maybe it made sense they were pretty selective.
Celeste couldn’t help but give a small chuckle at the girl. She was nervous - Celeste remembered how nervous she was when she first started this job. If it hadn’t been for her Starbucks, she would have not been in any way prepared for this job. She gave the girl an encouraging smile, “Don’t worry - the nervousness wears off. It just takes some time.”
Celeste nodded as she asked her questions. “Easy enough questions!” She brought out a small training guide, “This is pretty old, but Barb makes us go over it. Oh, and Barb? You probably meant her for that interview. She’s the owner of the diner.” Celeste leaned over to whisper to Marisol, “Just don’t inhale when she’s around and you’ll be fine.”
>> Just the basics, I think. Where to find what, the best way to take orders, and how not to get fired on my first day?
Getting back to the job at hand, “So, really, you’ll be a waitress - your main duties is to help take the customers orders, deliver them to the kitchen, ring them up, and process their payment. That’s it.” She smiled, “At the back of the restaurant, where you’ll enter from now on, is where you can leave a bookbag or your coat when the weather gets chilly. There’s the waitress station, right by the kitchen door to the outside, where you can pick up your ordering number pad thing.” She really wasn’t sure what to call it but she shrugged and handed her one. “Most of today you’ll be mimicking me.”
She gave another encouraging grin to Marisol, “Just read through the guide… And try to gain something from it… Probably won’t get a lot, but something.” She sighed at that darn book. It had regulations from what seemed like the 60’s in it. “You’ll see how I interact with the customers and try to mimick it. You’ll want to start out by saying good morning, good evening, and then something else - how’s the weather? The weather is lovely today, etc or something.” She waited to see if she had a question before continuing, “Then ask them what they would like to drink and that you’d give them some time to figure out what they want. Then you go get their drinks, bring them back.” She smiled, “Don’t let them sense fear though, they’ll try to dispute bills and everything with you.”
She couldn’t help but chuckle at the last part. Celeste patted her arm reassuringly, “Don’t worry, Marisol, we won’t let you get fired.” A few seconds later, she grumbled, “No one else seems to even when they actually should.”
Celeste was keeping herself busy at work. She had arrived a couple hours before they opened to help get everything ready.
She helped the guys in the back get the grills and stoves going, helped prep some of the food that would be used throughout the day, chatted with the manager, Ms. Barbara Mary Johnson, (she seemed to like being called Barb for some reason.)
Barb waved towards Celeste as she saw her. Barb had a big ole’ smile on her face and offered Celeste a muffin. Celeste couldn’t resist so she took it, prepared to save it for her break.
Barb nudged her, “Hey! Guess what? We gotta new gal’ workin’ now. Her names Marisol. We want you to train her. So you’ll start off by telling her the rules, showing her the ropes, then she’s to shadow ya for taday. Then tomorra she’ll be on her own or maybe train a bit more,” her thick Southern accent escaping with every word.
Celeste was shocked - she hadn’t heard of any new person being hired. But Celeste was more than happy to help train someone new! She wondered who the girl might be, what made her want to apply at the Wallflower? Was she a mutant too? She hoped she had a good attitude - God, she hoped she did. Too many people came here with a no good attitude or were just jerks.
When Celeste saw a woman walk in in a blue apron uniform, she knew it was her. She quickly began to walk over to her, checking her watch. 15 minutes early. Very punctual. That was a nice change from the usual.
Celeste smiled as she approached the new woman. She looked young - maybe a little younger than her? “I’m guessing you’re the new girl, Marisol?” She reached her hand out to shake Marisol’s hand. “I’m Celestina De Ward, you can call me Celeste. It’s a bit of a mouthful otherwise.” She gave a big grin to Marisol. “I found out I’m training you this morning, so I’m super excited!” She motioned for Marisol to follow her to the back, out of the hustle and bustle of the main eating area. They had a small, very small training room where she offered a seat to Marisol and sat down herself.
“So, before we get started, do you have any questions or concerns? Of course, if you have any as we go please just let me.” She gave a smile and waited for her answer.
Celeste had a lot of insecurities regarding her mutation. It was a very offensive/defensive type of power. It wasn't one that had a lot of practical uses outside of that arena and Celeste would have preferred to have something that could help people. But instead, she can just make them super sick. People, even mutants, sometimes got freaked out by her own power. Radiation wasn't something people took lightly. People freaked out over radiation. If there is a hair more radiation in an area, it's the end of the world as they would know it. It was a bit overreaction, considering radiation existed all over the planet in various forms - even in bananas.
Plus, there was the effects on Celeste that she had no idea about. How was it effecting her internal organs, having 5,000 rads of radiation inside her at any given time? Could she have kids? Would she get cancer sooner than most because of it? Lots of questions and not a lot of answers - not a lot of answers doctors could give even if they tried.
But Celeste had managed. And she had used her powers to defend herself. She used to practice on plants, particularly weeds and flowers. That's how she had as much control over it as she did. Of course, there were some exceptions, especially right after she manifested her powers. She did manage to get an entire class sick due to a sudden burst from her... But that was a whole other story.
>> ”I’m actually a little touched that you told me. Thank you for your trust.”
She had watched his reaction carefully. But he reacted... Nicely. In fact, he even felt touched by her confession. Celeste relaxed even more. That was probably her biggest 'secret' that she kept hidden from people, at least that wasn't dark and super personal. She was just glad her intuition was right, and he actually thanked her for her trust in him. That warmed her heart, honestly. "Well... Thanks... You're kinda my closest friend, so it's nice that you know, know entirely who I am." Maybe she could have phrased that a little better? Oh well, he should get the drift of it. She got along better with him than anyone her own age, in her entire life.
>> ”As for me, you may be a mutant...but...not around...me… I’m different too. I...turn off mutant powers. I’m an adapted.”
She arched a brow as he slowly explained his adaption. She was more curious than anything. Celeste had never heard of someone being adapted but it wasn't something that really surprised her - if there was mutants, why wouldn't there be people who could negate the effect? It only made sense in their crazy world, at least in her mind. She nodded, "Wow. That's pretty awesome, actually. Well... Thank you for telling me, too." She smiled. He may not have cared if people knew or didn't know about his mutation but it was nice of him to confide in her with something serious like she had. Her eyes went wide for a second though, like a light bulb went off in her mind, "So that's why I'm not nauseous when I'm around you!" She paused, realized how she phrased that, before quickly backtracking her phrasing. "I mean, my powers make me feel really nauseated, so I have to take some medicine to get rid of the feeling. But I haven't been ever since I've been around you - I mean, it could be because I've been taking the medicine like usual, but usually I could feel it coming before my watch goes off. So that explains why I'm not!" She took a sip of her Coca-Cola and enjoyed that feeling as it coasted down her throat.
Once she got over her light bulb moment, she gave Booker a smile, "That's pretty awesome though, being able to turn off powers. Pretty strong ability. How'd you find out? If you don't mind telling me, of course." Some people had some sensitive stories about how their powers or potentially power-negating abilities. That might be a different story, a different secret, he may not be comfortable sharing with.
Celeste wasn't all that sure what she should do. Celeste wondered if he had parents that were freaking out, looking for him. What would she do in that kinda situation, her kid lost in a big mall? Better yet, could she even have kids...? She did have 5,000 rads in her... Hm, maybe thoughts for another time.
Celeste also caught wind of the smell of food. She was actually a bit hungry too.
>> "Maybe we could look over there? Everybody eats, right? We could look there... while I eat."
Celeste watched him take his little money out before she shook her head, "No, no, you keep that. You might need it. I'll buy it for you." Mall food was expensive anyways. Plus, she was a bit hungry, too, so it all made sense. She scanned their options, Chinese, pizza, Italian, ice cream - definitely will have to get desert, actually. Celeste loved some ice cream, "What are you craving? Pick anything you want. Afterwards, we can even get some ice cream." She gave the boy a warm smile, encouraging him to get whatever he wanted.
Celeste was feeling a lot better, at least compared to how she was feeling before. Mr. Holloway was good with words and made her think things through - plus, maybe she was just in a rump. There was a lot of good things going for her in her life, despite the little set backs. She was going to college, she had a place to live, she had a future building for herself.
Mr. Holloway seemed to think her jerk-face comment was funny - it was, but she was dead serious. People were jerk faces. Everywhere. But, people have there own things going on in their lives that make them that way. Even Mariah had a reason to be a d*ck bag, despite Celeste not knowing anything about her.
>> ”There are definitely plenty of jerk faces out there. But there are people like you who are committed to balancing them out. There are plenty of paths you can take to make a difference, but you don’t need to figure that out yet, you don’t have to choose your path before you get to college. Sometimes, when you’re there, you figure the path out then"
She was flattered he thought of her as balancing out the world out. She didn't know if she was all that much good - she still had her days where she was moody, irritable, but for the most part, she did do her best to be as nice and friendly to people. His last bit of advice was very true - she had a year or two to decide what she wanted to do ultimately. Most people went into college not really knowing what they wanted to do, right? Maybe she could get some internships, explore her options, do something to help her get where she felt right.
>>”Don’t think you have to rush to anything. Find friends at your own pace. Figure out your future at your own pace. You’ll do great things, Celeste, but you don’t have to start them tomorrow.”
She nodded, "Okay..." Find friends at her own pace. "How did you end up knowing you wanted to be here, to be a teacher? Like... How did it all fall into place for you?" Maybe that was a little deep of a question, but she wanted to see how someone's else's life's puzzle pieces ended up... Matching.
Celeste gave another small sigh. Even Celeste didn't really think that the girl got under her skin as much as she did, but the more she talked about it, the more insecurities that kept bubbling to the surface. Maybe she could become a police officer? Nothing like stopping bad guys with a dose of rads. She'd probably get charged under the Geneva conventions for human rights violations or something just because it's radiation. If she had laser vision, or super strength, it wouldn't matter. She was a minority within a minority. Ugh.
>> ”I understand where you’re coming from. Radioactive waves are not a neat healing beam or an aura of peace or anything like that. But Celeste, you may be a mutant, but you’re more than your mutation,”
He was right. She was more than just her mutation - but since she had been given this type of mutation, shouldn't she be using it for a higher purpose? It felt like a waste to just leave it there but it also felt like there wasn't much she could do with it. It was a catch 22.
>> ”I make my shadow do things. Fat lot of good it’ll do me for making a difference. But I’m here teaching and I work with a group in the city trying to make a difference.
She chuckled at his shadow waving, "See, you're using it right now to make a difference for me. Can I do anything cute? Nope, unless you want to be puking everywhere. And that's not very cute." Too bad she couldn't make cute mutations on peoples bodies. That would be weird but maybe cute?
>> ”Your powers can be the thing you have to defend yourself with or even the thing you experiment with. You never know what secrets your mutation will reveal one day. hey won’t be the thing that stops you from doing the amazing things you want to do. And you, little missy, sound like you have the drive to do some truly amazing things.”
Maybe she could experiment with it more. She had never tried anything besides blasting or absorbing it - maybe there was something else she could do? Maybe her training classes could help her with that. "I suppose that is true... Maybe something will come good of it." She smiled, unsure of what to say, "Well... I mean, I really hope so. I want to leave the world a better place than I came into... I guess it's just how the world is, though, with jerk faces and stuff."
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