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 happily working along. She enjoyed the less intense conversation her and Booker had - it was light, some silliness, and some semi-serious. It was pretty enjoyable overall. Celeste hummed a few songs during the breaks in their conversation, enjoying the peace and quiet of the library. Her mind drifted to what her secret confession would be once the time came. Celeste hadn't even kept up with time well.
She was proud of the time her and Booker made on clearing and cleaning the bookshelf. Occasionally, she'd take a step back and just observe how different the bookshelf looked. It didn't look like a major hazard anymore, which was awesome. Probably made it a lot less scary for the patrons to come over and view the books, once they get them back on there. It was also awesome now that if anyone did touch a book, they wouldn't immediately get a huge whiff of the dust. Hopefully it wouldn't damage her and Booker's lungs too much.
>> ”Come on. Let’s push these carts out of the way and head to the employee lounge.”
Celeste nodded and started pushing the cart over to the far wall. It was actually a bit heavier than she expected. There was tons of books on the cart, but it didn't seem like it would be that hard of a push. She grinned once Booker helped her move it, grateful for the help. It moved it along a lot faster. "Thank you," she really needed to work on her strength, she thought.
Celeste followed Booker to the staff room - it felt wrong for her to go by herself. It just didn't seem right. It was like someone with authority needed to go with her into a staff room like that.
>> ”Ladies first.”
Celeste grinned, always a bit excited to be in the staff lounge. She walked into the room, saying "Thank you, good sir" before she passed out of his earshot. She always took in the site of the lounge - it was so basic compared to the rest of the building. It made sense, it covered all the essentials a staff lounge would need. But still, the rest of the building was so beautiful. They could have at least added some better decorations or something. She followed Booker towards the back wall. Once they got there, she took a look at the options, debating on which soda she wanted to get.
>>”Any specific toppings? I assume marshmallows and lobster is fine with you too?”
Hmm. Good question, she hadn't thought about toppings. She grinned and laughed, still quietly even though she really didn't have. "I wouldn't ask for any other type of toppings. Lobster is pretty expensive though... So... How about ham and pineapple?"
Celeste still wasn't sure what secret she wanted to give away when the time came. Maybe he would forget about their little dare. She had thought about it over their time of quiet work, but she wasn't entirely sure what she was comfortable sharing. She had preliminary decided on telling him about her mutation but was worried that might change his opinion of her. He didn't seem like the type to get upset over that kinda stuff, though, but you never really know until you know. Otherwise, she could fess up about her parents. Eh, probably the mutant part. The parents would definitely make his opinion of her change.
Wow. It was a pretty warm, summer day. Celeste had decided to wear a light, button up, blue dress today. She had on heels, but had her snickers in her purse just in case she needed them. It helped make her blue eyes pop. Celeste created a visor with her hands, taking in the landscape of the mansion. She saw the pool, the hedge maze, and the outlying forest. Whoever decided to build this place did an amazing job. Her mind drifted to the history of the place - how long ago had it been built? Why did it get built? Was it re-purposed? So many questions - none of which came to her mind when she was asked "Do you have any additional questions?" She still hadn't received her class schedule, but should be receiving it in the next week or so.
She had decided to stay with Norma instead of moving into one of the bedrooms in the mansion, at least for a little while. The little old lady had been diagnosed with breast cancer & when Celeste mentioned moving into the mansion, she nearly had a mental breakdown. Something about how her children never visit, how would she eat without her cooking, and how Celeste has become like her daughter. Celeste understood she was lonely - who wouldn't be in this big ole' city when you don't have any friends or family willing to visit.
Her eyes drifted over to the hedge maze. Celeste bet it would be a pretty amazing site for Halloween. She wondered if they did any type of Halloween parties. Realizing that it was only a couple months away, Celeste wondered what she might decide to be this year. Maybe a cat human, like from Final Fantasy. Or maybe the grim reaper. That'd be a fun choice.
Celeste thought she noticed something moving into the Maze - it looked like a dog, but moving way too fast for her to be able to tell if it was one or not. Was it just the light? Was it a shadow? She wasn't sure, so she decided to check it out. That's always the best option, right? Check out the unknown creature or thing moving into a maze. What could go wrong?
Celeste walked to the entrance of the maze, peeking into the entrance, and whispered, "Hello...?" When nothing said anything back, she against defied basic instinct and decided to go into the maze. Walking through a few of the turns and twists, she called out one more time, "Hello...?" When nothing but birds chirping greeted her far in the distance, she shrugged, and turned to move back out of the Maze.
Oh no, Celeste realized quickly that she had paid no attention to which turns she had made - she was lost, in the maze. She shook off her initial panic and began trying to find her way back out of the maze. She grumbled, kicking herself mentally. How in the world did she manage to get lost in this thing? Well, she knew how, but why did she not think more intelligently about the situation? She decided to make a right, a left, skip a few turns, and make another right. Right into a dead end.
With a groan, she leaned against one of the bushes. She pulled her phone out to a big ole "SEARCHING FOR SERVICE." Absolutely wonderful. She was stuck in a Maze, with no service, with a potential animal/creature thing running around. She could feel the panic starting to come up.
She mumbled some more words under her breath, a little annoyed at Ms. Bats. She really wanted to be her friend for reason. Probably just the challenge of it, at this point. Celeste put Ms. Bats to the back of her mind. It was like she had just said - it's fine to have a few enemies, plus, maybe she'll get lucky and Ms. Bats will somehow at least tolerate her.
Or maybe she'll get really lucky and never even meet her. This is a pretty big library, after all with probably hundreds of employees. Maybe. She finally pushed the thoughts out of her mind and moved on. No use to dwelling on it anymore.
Celeste wanted to open up to Booker, mainly because she did need someone she could talk too. She needed to have a friend, especially in this new world she had entered.
After she made her little comment about sharing secrets, her mind began to race. She wanted to find someone else opinion if stealing the money was completely wrong or justifiable. Should she somehow save up the 3000 and send it back to her parents, despite everything? But wouldn't it be better to just completely silence them from her life at this point? She knew they weren't interested or else they would have called, so why did she feel so darn guilty about it? Or maybe, what about her previous hatred for her little sister, Isabel? Her parents literally used her middle name as the name for their second child. She had gotten over it as she had gotten older. It became clear what her parents were doing, even if it took Celeste a couple of years to figure it out. But Celeste could not fault Isabel for their parents actions.
Where would she even start if he took her up on that offer? Celeste made a mental note to never put herself in a situation like this again. She was way overthinking the situation.
Celeste was going through memory lane, trying to decide what to do, what to say, how he would react, and tried to imagine those reactions and how she would reply. She remembered the light bulb moment that she realized Isabel was practically meant to replace her. She was 14, Isabel was 3. She had asked her mom to help her with her homework, practically begged her for help. Her mother would say nothing to her - practically ignoring her presence. That was usual but sometimes if Celeste pestered her enough, she would give some type of acknowledgement.
Instead, her mom went over to her sister, sitting down, and began helping her learn colors and read a story to her. Celeste stared at her mom for a minute, tears flooding her eyes. There was no remorse, no acknowledgement from her mom. She tried to tell her dad when he got home that night, but he did the exact same thing - he went straight in, kissed his wife, kissed his second child on the head, then settled in for a beer. Not a word or even a look was given towards Celeste. Sheesh, Celeste thought, putting all that into actual words would be quite a story.
From there on, Celeste knew she was on her own. It took her a couple years for her to finally get the bad feelings she had for her sister out of her system, it wasn't her fault after all.
If she did tell Booker that, would he think of her as some type of thief? A hoodlum runaway from some crazy parents? Or maybe he would think the parents had it right. That she was the crazy one, just wanting attention. She let out a quiet sigh, her mind returning to how she would reply if he reacted in a not so favorable way.
If she told him any of that, she would have to disclose she was a mutant. That might freak him out a bit but he didn't seem to the kind of guy who was against mutants. But the word 'radiation' tended to freak some of the most rationale people out.
>> ”How about we start with just a regular secret? And we do it at lunch? That way, no stray ears will hear?”
She nodded, her facial expression serious and lost in thought. Hopefully the sudden change didn't give away that she had planned that dare.
A regular secret. That was fair enough. Nothing too major, nothing too sad. A baby secret, if you will. All that extra thinking was completely unnecessary. She furrowed her brow, clearly deep in thought, now, about a regular secret she should tell him. "Oh yes, we should definitely do it at lunch." She was so lost in the rest of the stuff going on, she hadn't even though about actually keeping it a secret from nosy people. "Knowing my luck, Ms. Bats will show up right when I spill my beans," she joked quietly.
>> ”I guess you’re just going to have to wait and see how generous I am. Don’’t worry. Just you know, I’m terrible at starving my minions. You’ll be fed, and fed well.”
She giggled, a smile on her face. "Good too hear, it's nice to know I won't waste away in the dust of these ole' books."
Celeste had gotten so into the work that she didn't even realize it was lunch time, however, she did catch herself thinking of that pizza more and more frequently. She rubbed her hands together, trying to get the dust off of them and then wiping off her dress. Sheesh, so. much. dust. "Pizza time!!!" she exclaimed in a quick whisper to Booker - wow, she had really gotten hungry.
>> ”You’d be surprise at the audacity of some people, Celeste,”
Celeste couldn't believe it. Ms. Bats did not like cheesecake? Celeste eyes stared Booker down, "Are you sure? Because if not, then I really have no chance." She threw her hands up dramatically, rolling her eyes. "Oh well, everyone has to have a few enemies. At least this potential one everyone else doesn't like either." She really didn't like people not liking her though but she wasn't about to go out of her way to make someone like her, especially when they wouldn't even take the time out of their day to get to know her.
Celeste was content that he promised not to have her library card deactivated. Worst comes to worst, she'll at least still be able to check out books. Of course, they were both joking but nothing like being a little playful dramatic. They both seemed to be pretty comedic, playful people, especially towards each other. It was fun. It definitely made the boring and routine of their current task go by a lot faster than it would otherwise. Not to mention, they were able to do both without getting behind schedule. That's always a plus.
She knew she could trust Booker, she knew they could be - if they weren't already, great friends. She didn't have anyone like that here and she didn't really have anyone like that back in Regina, either. She was a bit of the outcast until she hit high school, when she started going out of her shell. She had never connected to someone like she did with Booker, either though. Most of the other kids in school seemed to have one or two best friends that they spent literally all their time with. Of course, no one at her school really cared about reading as much as Celeste did. They also couldn't keep up with her conversation on some of the most serious topics. Celeste didn't have that - she meandered group from group, with a bunch of acquaintances that she'd chat with. It would feel great to have that friend she could call and complain about someone with - or the most likely type of call, talk about the new best book she ever had read before.
Celeste looked over to Booker, seeing him with her arms crossed made her feel a twinge of guilt. Maybe if they knew more about each other, it would help their friendship - maybe they would even be best friends! Gasp! That was probably a bit of stretch, she thought, but they could at least become good friends. He was like a mentor, an older brother to her at this point.
"Well... We could just each tell each other our darkest deepest secret at the same time and just see what happens." She laughed, semi-joking. If he agreed to do it, she would honor her portion of the agreement. If he didn't, then it was an easy, harmless joke to pass off. If he passed it off, she'd just keep working, already thinking of a new song she could start singing.
>> ”I may take you up on that one day as well. Come on, let’s finish sorting these, dusty, and organizing. If you do good, I’ll order us a pizza for lunch I may even toss you a chunk of the crust.”
Celeste nodded, and started working again, trying to be a little faster than before. She grinned, "Oh? We're getting pizza? Ooo! I'm excited! Can't wait!" She loved pizza. Well, she loved pretty much all food but pizza had to be at the top of the list. No one could ever go wrong with pizza. She paused, and gave him a playful glare over his comment about the crust, "Well... So long as it has some garlic sauce on it, I'm all for a piece of crust if that's all I can get." She had a huge grin on her face, "But, just so you know, I can be sneaky and I'll totally figure a way to get a slice or two." That was probably the most empty threat ever, she really wasn't even sure where the library break room was. Of course, that's even presuming that's where they would eat said pizza. She had never actually been into the employees section of the library. She had wondered what a librarians break room looked like. Would it be kinda cool looking, different, exciting? Or would it be a typical, bland, break room like retail stores have.
Celeste continued to take in her surroundings for a moment, before focusing back on Juliette. She also pulled out another paper, and furrowed her brow, "I believe I'm up to date on all my vaccines, but honestly I don't know the schedule or if it's different here than in Canada. This is my resume, I'm not sure if you guys need it or not. It's not really... That good." It only had her current position, as a waitress, and her previous barista experience and her volunteer experience. She wasn't even sure if they would need something like that, but it is better to be prepared.
>> That’s… awesome, actually. It’s really rare that a student comes in here with that much info. We’ll definitely take all that down when we get things set up in the office. It sounds like you’re used to a few more extracurriculars than we have to offer here, but hopefully you’ll get along well enough anyway.”
She nodded, putting her documents back inside her purse. She would give them to her once she asked for them. She had a big grin on her face - Celeste was pleased that Juliette thought that was good. Celeste tried to grab anything and everything she might need when she left and she figured this would be pretty important. Maybe that made up for the horrible first impression, Celeste thought. "That is fine - I work about 30 hours a week, then volunteering, so I probably wouldn't have too much time for extracurricular activities right now." That's not to say she wouldn't try to join something if she could, she would just need to see if she could make it fit her surprisingly busy schedule.
Celeste began walking towards the hallway that Juliette nodded towards. She took in as much details as she could about the mansion - after all, she would probably need to learn her way around it pretty soon if they accept her.
>> ”I should probably let you know that housing here is free, since we know how hard life can be for young mutants. If you do want to move in, don’t let money bog you down, yeah?”
Celeste nodded. It would be pretty awesome to have a room in these gorgeous mansion. Plus, it seemed a lot safer here than where Norma lived. On that same token, Norma had taken her in when really no one else would have. Norma had a hard time taking care of herself, let alone her apartment. Celeste had changed that a lot. She was an entire stranger and the only thing Norma knew was that she enjoyed volunteering at the library and was living in a motel in a very dangerous part of town. "Do I have to decide today or can I think it over?" She was pretty conflicted but she knew ultimately that she would have to do what was best for herself. Plus, she could still visit and help Norma out.
In either case, her respect for the Institute increased tremendously at the knowledge that the school doesn't charge students for housing. That is absolutely amazing. They must help so many mutants have a home, a safe place to live. It was inspiring.
>> ”I go there fairly often, yeah. My boyfriend works there… maybe you know him? Booker Bookman. He works at a library. Kinda punny, huh? I’ll keep an eye out for you the next time I’m there.”
Celeste was excited to hear that Juliette went to the library. If light could dance in someones eyes, it would be doing it in her eyes then. It was one of her favorite places to go.
Celeste made a fairly loud gasp at hearing that Booker was Juliette's boyfriend. What a crazy small world it is! She had been working with Booker for a while now, helping reorganize some of the bookshelves that hadn't been touched in what seemed like decades. "I do! I actually work with him pretty frequently now! That is so crazy! Honestly, he's like my long lost brother. He's a great guy and an amazing librarian. Oh yeah, it took me a bit before I finally believed that was his real name. It wasn't until I heard some of the other librarians call his name that I truly believed in his name." She was only semi-joking - she had kept her doubts of his name to herself, turns out she had been wrong to doubt him. His name was truly Booker Bookman.
>> ”These are the offices. The Headmaster, Rudolph Kipperling, or Ruddy, as most people call him, is our first stop. Ready?”
Celeste nodded, still excited and nervous. While she looked down the hallway, she began to walk. Her eyes looking for the Headmaster's office. "Yes, I am definitely ready!" Well, hopefully she was ready at least. She wasn't entirely sure what was next.
The woman screamed as Aiden forced her weapon out of her arm. It was obvious she was in a ton of pain, angry, and scared. And she knew she deserved it too.
Once Aiden let go of her, she began to run away in the direction of the older guy, yelling back towards Aiden and Celeste: "This is not over! We'll get you guys eventually! It might not be us, but the government will realize they made a mistake!" She didn't even grab the gun, she just kept running as fast as she could. She also left behind the other guy, who was still curled up in fetal position. It looked like he was retching.
Celeste clapped as she ran away, putting away her taser into her purse, content that she wouldn't need to use it after all. After the woman yelled out to Aiden and her, Celeste rolled her eyes. From what she understood, the Supreme Court struck the law down. Hopefully it wouldn't make any reemergence's. And if it did, she imagined the reaction internationally and domestically would be pretty severe.
She was a bit intrigued by Aiden's mutation. Snowflakes, blizzards, what an intense power. She wondered how cold his skin was, actually. She theorized that he had to move to make the snow begin, but she wasn't entirely sure how it all worked. She could control her own powers, but granted, she didn't really understand the mechanics behind them either.
>> "You okay?"
She smiled towards Aiden, relief washed over her. She was better than okay. It made her feel better knowing there was good people in the world. She walked over towards him, reaching her hand out. "I'm Celestina, thanks so much for helping me out back there. I was a bit worried there for a minute."
Celeste had a big grin on her face, listening to Booker pretend to be evil. She barely knew him and she could tell that he was in no way a bad person. He actually seemed more like the kind of person that would go out of his way to help anyone. Celeste hoped one day people would look up to her like that - someone they can confide in, help them grow. She glanced towards Booker, looking like a light bulb went off in her mind, "Maybe you can invite Ms. Bat's to the diner, that way you can see! I can give you some of our really good cheesecake. Everybody loves cheesecake, right? That might soften her up to me, a bit." Clearly a long shot, but Celeste had been scheming about how to make a good impression on Ms. Bats ever since Booker confirmed she was a Grouchy Gale. She was determined to be at least on civil terms with Ms. Bats.
>> ”Aw don’t worry. I’m sure I’ll remember, some days, to leave a box outside for you climb in. Wow. Well, you know, when you have the drive and the passion to make something a success, then I guess anything is possible.”
She made a fake, exaggerated motion with her hand against her eye, like she was wiping tears away. "At least every now and then I can sneak into my favorite place, then. Just don't let them deactive my library card, please."
She smiled and nodded, "Yup, you're right about that. Hopefully she wont have too much passion for you though," she teased. If his reaction is anything like it was just a few moments ago, she couldn't wait to see them interact with each other. She can already see how Ms. Johnson might interact with Booker, and how Booker would react to her advances. That by itself would probably be enough for Celeste to break down into laughter in the middle of her shift.
Of course, Ms. Johnson already knew some basic information about Booker. Celeste had to request the mornings and early afternoon shifts off so she would have time to volunteer. When Ms. Johnson asked more questions on why Celeste was requesting off every morning and afternoon shift, and only taking the late shifts, there was some serious questions. Why would she want to work the late shift, first off? No one wanted to take the late shifts. The servers usually wouldn't get off until 2am, sometimes 3am in the morning. On Celeste's job application, she had put she was available at all times - which was technically true when she first applied. Celeste had to explain what she did, who she usually worked with, a pretty brief overview of the volunteer experience - come to think of it, Celeste realized, her boss was extremely nosy.
Celeste stopped talking after her relatively deep comment as well, content that Booker had left the conversation for a moment. She stared at the top book on the pile she was moving over to her cart, "Unexplained: Mysteries of the Universe." Seriously? She rolled her eyes and ordered the books, placing them on the cart. She realized she was a bit behind Booker, but saw him start organizing his cart. She took a breath of relief - she had some more time, she had been organizing before putting them onto the cart & then readjusting with each new stack she brought over. She hadn't done it very efficiently but she was only a few minutes behind him.
>> ”You know…if you ever need to talk or just vent… I’m usually always here and happy to lend an ear.It’s not trouble. I have two of them after all.”
She froze, her cheeks getting a little red. She hated how easily her face betrayed her. She had told no one what had happened between her parents, and even her "friends" back in Regina didn't really know how bad it was. Talking about it made it real and that scared Celeste. Not to mention, she didn't want anyone to feel any type of sympathy for her. She was in some emotional turmoil for a moment, before sheepishly looking over to Booker, "Well, um.. I mean, everyone has a story. Most of everyone has dark spots in their stories," she shrugged, "Well, I just mean bad stuff happens to everyone. But good stuff happens, too... I may have to take you up on that offer with one of the two ears eventually." She twirled her hands together, unsure of what to really say or do next, "But, everything is fine, ultimately. Everything has worked out so far, like I mentioned before." She gave a weak smile, "Thanks for offering, though."
She winked, "The same goes for you, of course, I got two good ears that are good for listening, too."
She didn't want him to worry or anything and she definitely did not want to risk her friendship with him by making him think she was emotional wreck or anything. Crappy stuff had happened to her but, it could have been worse, it wasn't like she hadn't accepted it, and had moved on to the best of her abilities. Plus, she simply couldn't say that her parents didn't even care enough to see if she made it to New York alive or that she stole 3000 dollars from them to run away from them.
>> ”Oh wow, Regina! That’s pretty flat, huh? Must be crazy to be here now.”
Celeste nodded, "It is a pretty beautiful place. I miss it, kinda." She did miss the familiarity, for sure. She knew her neighborhood like the back of her hand. She rode her bike around it, drove around it. Which reminded her, she needed to get her ID's updated in the New York. She took a deep breath, grateful that at least her parents had made sure her American citizenship was set up and in good orders when she was born alongside her Canadian citizenship. She laughed, "Yeah, it is pretty flat."
>> ”Don’t apologize. It’s okay to be a bit nervous. No judgement.”
That statement from Juliette made Celeste feel loads more comfortable. It was a bit crazy, at least in Celeste's mind, how just a few words could relieve so much stress. Celeste had been so worried about this - and so far, Juliette had been amazing, nice, and understanding. If this was how it was going to be, Celeste was regretting a bit of not coming sooner. Celeste felt like everything happens for a reason, though. Even though she was a nervous wreck and it took her a while to get her courage up, she made it.
>> ”Well… the sister school’s a bit different than other schools. We have lots of grants and things for students that can’t pay to go to school here - we get lots of kids from situations where they can’t afford to pay tuition. We can work something out when we take a look through your resources. Sound good?”
She nodded, her face solemn, "That sounds great!". Hopefully it wouldn't be too expensive, but if they're willing to work with her, she would give as much as she could. Plus, maybe they would have some type of advanced program so she could at least finish her high school by the end of the year. She was on pace at her high school in Canada to finish early, but running away kinda ended that. Celeste couldn't wait any longer to leave, though. Her sibling was beginning to see what was happening and Celeste didn't want her to see that side of their parents. It was better that she left.
After stepping into the lobby, Celeste looked back to Juliette, "Thanks!" Celeste took a moment to take a look in the lobby. Wow. It was a beautiful building, that's for sure. After she examined her surroundings, she looked into her purse and pulled out a few folded up papers.
"I have my transcript from Regina, you'll see I was in honors in most classes except a few maths classes." She grumbled at the idea of math, she was okay with it, she wasn't good at it. "I also participated in chess, a little bit of soccer which I was terrible at, singers club, readers club, and helped out at several blood drives. I also volunteered frequently at the library." She shuffled through some of the papers, "Oh, and here is my immunizations, too. So I have all of the stuff I think you guys might want." She thought she had grabbed everything they would need, but she wasn't entirely sure. She had her American and Canadian passport in her purse if they needed some type of government ID.
>>”It’s good that you have a place to stay right now. Often, we’ll get kids in who don’t have anywhere to stay, so we have to clear out a room for them that evening. If you’re looking to move in here, then we can do it right with a bit of extra prep time.”
She nodded. She had read and heard about the news articles about kids who were kicked out, thrown out, or had to run away from their families due to awful parents. She was lucky that she was able to steal that 3,000 USD from her parents, otherwise she probably would have been one of those people begging for a place to stay. Her thievery was a secret and she hoped it would stay that way forever - she felt very guilty about it. "I'll have to talk with Ms. Norma, the lady I'm staying with right now. She really likes my cooking, so I'm not sure if she'll want me to go." Plus, depending on how much tuition was, she wasn't sure if she could afford that plus a room at the mansion. Either way, it was good to consider all of her options.
>> ”Do you go to the library a lot, then?”
Celeste's eyes lit up at the question, "I do! When I first got here, it was where I was spending pretty much all of my time. Now, I actually volunteer there, just about every day now actually. It's pretty much what I do with all of my free time!" She had a huge grin on her face, thinking of the library. It was one of her favorite places, if not her favorite. The library had always been a home of sorts to her, but once she arrived in New York, it was practically her life line. Not to mention, she had met some pretty awesome people there. "Do you visit the library? We'll probably bump into each other there soon if you do!" Juliette seemed like she was interested in the library too. Maybe she had met a fellow library lover?
>> I am the meanest of customers, I only tip the four-and-a-half percent, as opposed to the normal five.”
Celeste made a quick, fake gasp, "I knew it!" She also had a huge grin on her face when she made the clearly exaggerated expression. "If I'm not your waitress, which would be doubtful, I will let them know what a monster you are," she laughed as quietly as she could. She knew Booker was nothing like that, but it's a bit fun to poke fun with him.
After she noticed Booker's initial reaction, she had to stop what she was doing and watch his full expression and reaction of Ms. Johnson. She really didn't mean to talk bad about her, she was a good person. She just made some terrible life choices, especially regarding her addictions. And love life. And in general terms, her life. Celeste gave her credit where credit is due, though, she saved that diner from shutting down. It was her idea to set up the Saturday night events, and that's what rebounded the diner from destruction.
>> ”Uhhh, well, who am I to deny a hard earned establishment the money that they are owed? It’s what makes the world go ‘round, after all!”
She had a very hard time trying to control her her laughter, getting a little bit too loud. Once she regained her composure, she muttered, "Sorry..." She grinned, then said in a joking way, "Also, please don't let them kick me out of the library when they realize I'm way too loud. There'd be no home left for me!" After composing herself, she decided to defend Ms. Johnson - to an extent, "in her defense, she did save the diner with those Saturday nights. Although, I do wonder how she got the first couple groups to do it. From the stories she tells, it was nearly empty every day."
Celeste got quiet after that encounter. She felt pretty guilty. It made her visibly uncomfortable. She should have been more careful with her jokes, no one knows what someone might have went through at some point. Booker didn't deserve whatever happened to him in relations to his parents - he was clearly a great guy. And from what he mentions of his sister, his sister seems like an amazing woman. Booker's parents had two great kids, at least from what she knew about Booker and from what she heard about his sister through him. She hoped they didn't treat either one of them badly, but based off his reaction, that didn't look to be the case. Celeste didn't know the details, but it bugged her. Crappy stuff happens to everyone. How depressing.
>> ”We’re cool…”
She let out a deep breath of relief, a faint smile on her lips. She put few more books on her cart, moving up to the next shelf. The stress she had quickly penned up was let out with the breath. Her face returned to its normal color. Thank goodness they were okay; that would have been her luck - lose one of her only friends because of some stupid comment she made. Not to mention, she'd have to find a new library. Celeste paused her thoughts there, realizing they were kind of spiraling into doomsday situations.
>> ”Hah! I can hardly ask that you, You said it yourself…you’ll be working.”
She grinned, giggling, "I have a 15 minute break I'll be able to take. I'll just have to be sure to line it up just right." She nodded, her facial expression clearly showing her designing the plot in her mind. It would have to be carefully thought out, planned between taking her break, ensuring the customers satisfaction, and when he performs. It would be rough, but she could totally try to make it happen.
>> ”Just like real life, eh? There’s rarely a positive without a negative. But that’s just the nature of things,Balance. That’s the key to everything. Sometimes you need a bit a negative to truly appreciate the positives.”
She nodded, her face turning serious. "You're right, but I still don't like the endings for it. You're suppose to choose destroying the Reapers but it destroys EDI, which kills me. So you can choose synthesis but it merges the reapers with all biological beings, which is the joyful happy ending. But the whole point of the series is to destroy the reapers. I just don't like it," she grumbled. She had some pretty strong feelings about the Mass Effect 3 endings. Hopefully he had already beaten the game or she totally just spoiled it for her.
That was actually a pretty deep comment, though. Those type of games usually get very deep though. That's what made her love them so much. The right and wrong, the possible mistakes. Ultimately, it's the humanity of the game. She sighed, "but on a serious note, yeah, balance is the key to all things." She sighed again, "You know, if I drew a timeline out of my life, I can see how everything that has happened has led up to where I am right now. It's weird, but in the real world, for me at least, it seems that each event has built me up to the next event, whether its good or bad. But especially the bad. It builds you up, makes you realize how great the positives are, keeps you strong as a person. Gives you hope, or whatever." She realized how mushy her words were getting, the last few words turned more into a whisper than her normal talking voice. She never would have came here if it wasn't for her mutant powers, or her parents emotional abandonment. She never would have met Booker, or Norma, or Ms. Johnson, or experienced all the awesome stuff that's happening in her life now.
Celeste kept working as they chatted, occasionally checking their time and making guesses in her mind that they would be finished with this specific assignment. Booker seemed like he would be a good boss or a good friend. They clearly cared about similar things and their passions were similar. Maybe somehow her and Booker were long lost siblings! Her mind drifted to some of the other individuals she's met in the library besides Booker and Norma. A few college students, an elderly couple. None of them seemed to interested in talking, which was fine. It was the library, after all.
>> ”I may have to take you up on that offer. Besides, it affords me a chance to pester you at your work. See how you like it when the shoe is on the other foot, my friend!”
She grinned, "Well, those nights are pretty fun! Not nearly as fun as this, but fun. We wouldn't really talk too much, though. I'm just a waitress, so I'd bring you something to drink and your food but I'd be busy with everyone else." Her eyes darted to him, with a smile, "Unless you're one of those kind of customers that are all mean, demanding, you know."
She rarely actually talked to any of the performers. Maybe it was because she was so busy those nights or maybe they just didn't care to pay her much attention. Sometimes they'd ask for a beer, or some water. She would grab it for them and serve it with a sweet smile. Celeste was pretty sure it was illegal since she's only 18, but that's what the boss says to do. Whatever they ask for, get it to them. It made the diner a ton of money. Lots of hipsters started showing up after they started the practice a few years ago. Simply put, it brought in a ton of revenue for the diner that normal Saturdays never could. It made sense Ms. Johnson would want to cater to every whim and desire of the artists.
>> ”Well, it wouldn’t be the worst thing I’ve done for free food. ”I’m kidding. But, I have been flirted with before so I’m sure that I’ll be okay.”
She laughed, "Wellllllllll, I mean, you gotta do whatcha gotta do. There is zero judgement here." She put her hands up in a surrendering kind of way. "On a serious note, yeah, you should be fine. It's just... Weird, watching her do it." Her face showed some discomfort, "It's just weird. But, I mean, she is a pretty woman for someone who's 60 and smokes 2-3 packs of cigarettes a day." And maybe has the first stages of liver failure, she thought to herself. She shrugged, clearly showing some judgement to her boss there. She never understood why people treated their bodies so badly.
Her cheeks flushed a little red, feeling a bit of guilt. She realized after she had made the comment about parents favorites that he didn't take it too well. She felt like she could feel the tension in the air for a moment after he ignored the comment. Either he was the favorite and his siblings got the bad end of the deal or one of his siblings was the favorite and he got the bad end of the deal.
She knew how it felt to be the least favorite child. She could understand, and relate, if the comment upset him. Her parents practically had a whole new child just to replace her after they found out she was a mutant. She had tried numerous ways to make it up to her parents. She got amazing grades, practiced her singing, was a total bookworm. However, her parents drew the line at being a mutant. Nothing she ever did would change their mind. When she left Canada, she had left them a note and her flip phone number for them to check in on her. Just in case. They never did. It'd been a few months since then and she'd heard nothing from them. She had decided she should just get a new number, that way she could fully let go of them. She just didn't have the heart to do it yet.
She didn't know, well, anything personal about him though. She didn't know his story or why he would be upset by it, so she couldn't really say much. She debated if she should apologize or just ignore it, so she decided to whisper "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to touch a nerve." She wasn't sure if he would hear it, but either way, so be it. She hated making other people feel bad and even worse hated conflict.
>> ”Wow. Okay Lucille Ball. Next thing I know you’ll be asking me to Jitter Bug. But, yes, the NPCs are some of my favorites about that game. Though I was partial to Nick Valentine. I dunno, I just love the throwback to the old, hardboiled detectives.”
She did a little curtsy, "Hey, don't judge my words! It's a cute word or expression or whatever you call it." She laughed a little bit, "I don't dance but you never know. Maybe I'll put a request in when you're performing at the diner." She nodded her agreement regarding Valentine. He was a very interesting Detective and the story line with him was pretty good. Definitely a throwback, as Booker called it.
>> "Huh. I don’t think I’ve read ‘My Sister’s Keeper’, yes, but I does keep coming up on my Suggested Reading list. Ooo, Mass Effect 3! Personally I still love the first one best, but they were all pretty amazing. I love games with choices. I always end up playing a good guy, thought. Even in a video game I fill bad for hurting innocent people.” She nodded, "Well, when you do read it, be sure to have a bunch of tissues around you. It's so freaking sad." She cried like a huge baby the first time she read it. It took her days to recover emotionally after reading it. "But, do not watch the movie. It's crap and they completely changed everything," she grumbled.
She nodded, "I like decision based games a lot too. I always try to be the hero too, saving everyone from everything. Like, I hate all of the endings for Mass Effect honestly because each one had a negative. Or was kinda weird."
Celeste smirked at Booker's response about Ms. Bats. That's a shame. Celeste let out a little sigh, but her mind was made up. "I definitely won't be searching her out but if I meet her, I'll kill her with kindness... Doesn't sound like she would like me, I mean, if even you are confirming it."
While she didn't believe being entirely nice to Ms. Bats would even work with helping her like her, optimism! Granted, she probably wouldn't even acknowledge Celeste and even if she did, it wouldn't be too polite. They have never worked together and plenty of volunteers come in and out of the library. She did wonder why she didn't like people under 20, however. Well, there was plenty of people under 20 that Celeste didn't like either.
A light bulb moment went off in her head as her mind drifted back to their singing talent for a moment. "Oh, I forgot to mention, the diner I work for has Saturday night events, where they bring in local singers, bands, all that fun stuff," she paused, trying to remember the schedule and line up. "I believe this Saturday is folk... And next Saturday is Alternative. I'd have to check the schedulefor the rest. I have to work during those events, but I'll be able to get you a free meal if you wanted to come to one sometime."
She hated that job, but it paid her bills. She wasn't cut out for customer service type jobs like that. Beggars can't be choosers though, she reaffirmed to herself. On the plus side, she was on pretty good terms with pretty much everyone else that worked there. She enjoyed working with most of them. She smirked, figuring she should give him ample warning in case he did decide to check it out one day. "Well... The manager, Ms. Johnson, will probably try to flirt with you before she lets me give it to you for free. So that may be a little uncomfortable but if you can grind through it, it is pretty tasty food. I mean, considering most diner foods."
>> ”I’ll keep a look out in the comment section. And it better be a nice comment and not you just trolling.”
She laughed with a big grin, "No guarantees! Either way, you'll know it's me!" She used to get into fights with people all the time, especially on social media with more politically sensitive matters. After Booker had brought the carts, she quickly chimed in, "Ooh, I claim the green one!"
>> "Wow…could you be more cruel?... I mean…that’s like asking me to choose between my children, of which I have none. Well, that is an utterly unfair question but, since you asked, at this moment, and trust me if you ask me again later, the answer will change… Favorite book is ‘Pride and Prejuidice’ by Jane Austen and favorite video game is ‘Fallout 4.'"
She grinned, "What do you mean no kids?! There's no baby Booker's running around in daycare, playing in books? Either way, most parents totally have a favorite child so..." She stuck her tongue out at Booker playfully. She nodded at his answers, "Both good choices! Pride and Prejudice is an amazing book. Fallout 4 is the bees knees too. I modded it so much when I had a computer." She thought back to all the mods she had installed, from clothing, new guns, to settlements, "My favorite part was creating new characters and having them romance the various players, like Piper and Paladin Danse. I'd create these elaborate backstories for them, so it'd make sense for them to romance whichever character I picked."
>> You? And no weaseling out of it! I answered…you answer."
She had started removing books on the opposite end of the bottom shelf. She hadn't really thought about which might be the best place to start, she just dived straight into it. She noted a few books that belonged in other sections of the library and organized the other books on the green cart. The library should just pressure wash this shelf down after her and Booker get finished sorting the books out. It was so dirty. There was still loads of dust still on the books, in between them, in the pages, etc despite their best efforts.
She had actually used the time he thought about the question to figure out how she would answer, so she answered after only a few seconds. "Favorite book? Hmm, My Sisters Keeper. Favorite video game... Mass Effect 3, of course, with all the DLC. Especially the party at the citadel one, I can't remember it's name." She grinned, "Mine will probably change in a day or two too."
Celeste still had the potatoes on her mind for a little bit, even after the topic of conversation switched. Mainly, though, it was about what she was going to cook for dinner when she got home. If she gets home on time, she should have just enough time to get it finished before her shift at the diner starts. She had started craving potatoes ever since they started talking about it. Maybe Potatoes Au Gratin, she hasn't made that in a while. No one can ever go wrong with potatoes and cheese, after all. There would probably be enough to bring some when she comes in tomorrow, so she made a mental note to go by the grocery store on her way home to get the ingredients. She knew Ms. Norma would love it, she always loved her cooking.
>> ”Haha, maybe next time I’ll bring it in. I’ve been promising to give Old Ms. Bats a performance as a belated birthday present.”
She nodded, excited. "I would love to watch the performance," she exclaimed enthusiastically. It would be great to finally know what one sounded like, especially someone who had talent with the instrument. She wondered where the Ukulele originated from. Hawaii? Or southeastern Asia? Oh well, the origins aren't too important anyways. The important part was the player performing with the instrument.
"Oh, Ms. Bats." She had heard of her through some of the other workers in the library. Celeste hadn't personally met her yet and from what she's heard, she kinda would prefer it to stay that way. She glanced around her, making sure she wasn't around. She leaned over to Booker, "Some other people say she is all grumpy and mean." She was clearly skeptical that Ms. Bats was actually as grumpy and mean as some people in the library made out. If someone started some mean rumors about her, who wouldn't be a bit grumpy? "I've never actually met her, but people kinda say mean things about her." It sounded like Ms. Bat and Booker had a good relationship, though. Although, that could be a bit of an assumption.
>> ”Just type in Pixel Jungle into the search engine and the first links you get back will probably by my videos. Oh if you want a good place to start, and laugh, watch the challenge maps that my sister made for me in ‘Average Giuseppe Maker’! One of my absolute favorites. I think I disowned my sister several times for some of those. Especially the last one
She grinned, his excitement for video games and his ViewTube channel was contagious. She enjoyed video games, especially ones with intense stories. Plus, the ones that that involved drama, romance, betrayal, were the best to her. Mass Effect was one of her favorite series because of that. She loved feeling the emotion, feeling like she was living the main character. She never really watched ViewTube videos of people playing video games, so it would be interesting to see what that is all about.
"That'll be the first video I look up then! Sounds like she gave you a run for your money! I would be too embarrassed." She laughed, making sure she wasn't too loud. She paused, taking a glance over to him, deciding to open up a little bit,"It might be a while before I can actually subscribe or watch them, though. I only have one of those ancient flip phones right now and no computer. But once I get one, it'll be one of the first things I do!"
She let a big grin out, "So... Favorite book, besides the great and powerful potato, AND favorite video game? Oh, and you can only pick one of each." She had a big grin. She hated those type of questions but they always made her think. She loved so many books and had a few favorite games. It was always hard for her to narrow her favorites down (especially her favorite books), so she wondered what Booker might say.
Kinda makes me think of Chuck Norris. XD