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.
Things were quite sobering now and Winnie wasn’t sure if she were ready for that. She did love her friend dearly and, with the added closeness, there had always been those odd little flutters in the pit of her stomach about trying to take things a step further. What was one night in the grand scheme of things? After all, they got along so well together and most people already assumed that they were a couple. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth as both women vehemently denied any involvement with one another aside from some slutty dance when they’ve had too much to drunk. Nessa’s co-workers were disappointed, of course, and felt it necessary to remind the two women just how hot it would be if they hooked up, but they both knew there the line was.
Still, it was fun to think about crossing it every now and again. She tried to imagine what that would look like, only when completely drunk of course, and while she could get flashes and images in her head, it was never anything sustainable. Maybe that was a good thing because the last thing that Winnie needed in her life right now was to be in love. Honestly, that only led to more and more trouble.
Waving those thoughts again, she continued her relentless teasing of the other woman, who was cuddling up next to her. Really, it would be a hassle to replace the brunette so it was a good thing that Winnie wasn’t looking to let her go any time soon.
>> ”Glad I’d be a hassle to replace. That’s is what they call job security. Job securitity is also being a good wingwoman.”
Winnie smirked when her friend whispered in her ear. ”Hah. Securi-titty.” She snorted. ”You’re stupid.”
However as he friend sat up, Winnie followed her with her eyes, and then proceeded to sit up as well when it showed that Nessa was now looking to a newcomer. Of course, it was a very shapely and curvaceous newcomer, and most certainly a distraction that the short-haired woman would love to engage in. Sitting up, she pushed out her chest a little, crossing her legs as she gave the woman a flirty smile and looked between both Nessa and the waitress she ahd been working over all evening.
>>”Oh wonderful. I need to go do a thing. It might even take a while...Won’t you keep my lovely friend company? She likes to have company and she’s, like, very lovely.”
>>”Very sure. Totally tired of her sass anyway. Enjoy!”
”Please. As if you could ever get enough of my sass,” Winnie snorted and shook her head.
She watched as her friend walked away and teasing slid aside to allow the waitress to sit next to her. With a new friend to keep her occupied, sobriety with a tinge of still being buzzed filled her lips. She would spend the next length of time charming the young woman, paying compliments, before testing the waters to see how far this evening would go. Given the smile and the careful twirl of the waitress’s hair, things were definitely looking good.
Winnie never minded having people over to her apartment. It was by no means the cleanest thing in the world, it was put together enough that she could have impromptu company. Whenever she met a partner for the evening, she wasn’t opposed to bring them over to her place, hence the reason she kept it somewhat tidy most of the time. And today proved to be no exception.
Her apartment was actually quite nice. It was decorated sparsely but it definitely screamed Winnifred Wickham. The furniture was mostly secondhand but it was all still nice. Nothing matched but that was mainly since Agnes didn’t outright believe in such things matching. The real eyecatchers were the blown up photographs that hung in frames around the room.
The photographs were of a variety of subjects, but all were black-and-white and possessed the same attention to detail. It was clear that these were a professional’s work, and that professional just so happened to be strolling through the apartment. As Winnie passed a wall, the reflection of the glass added a much needed sparkle to the drab subway tunnel, and did the same to the photograph of the Empire State Building next to it. Truly Winnie did have a talent, but there were so many photographs, amateurs and professionals, that the field was very cutthroat.
But, for as stressful as her job could be, Winnie was actually inspired by her own photographs. Plus, when she brought over dates, they got to see her artistic talent on display. You’d be surprised how much of an aphrodisiac that can be.
As Winnie moved throughout her apartment, she pulled off her hoodie, momentarily flashing the room with her toned stomach, before she sighed and tossed it onto a nearby chair. Pulling her shirt down again, she hummed to herself as she made her way into the kitchen and grabbed a plastic bag, then turned to open her ice box. Her voice called out from the dull hum of her fridge.
”Go ahead and sit down, Hun,” she said. ”I’ll bring you your ice momentito.”
>>"Really, I can't sank you e-nuss,"
Winnie just smirked a little. She finished cracking the ice trays and pouring the contents into the baggie. As she sealed it, she knocked the fridge door closed with her shoulder and made her way back to the living room where Jackie was still waiting.
”You don’t have to thank me. I have to thank you,” She said. She moved next to Jackie, holding the ice up and pressing it against her new friend’s arm. ”I mean, you saved my life. I...don’t know how, or if, I’ll ever be able to repay you for that.”
It was hard to follow. She was focusing on the quickness of her pulse and the fear that was quickly enveloping her. She didn’t know how calm herself but she knew that she needed to get out of her. Already she was being chased by some madman who thought she was some diabolical grandfather and that was her cue that she needed to run. She bolted down the hall, shouting for Amazing Lady to run too, despite the fact that she had been abandoned to be strangled to death. But before long she ran into another man, this one seemingly right in the head. Again, her shouting was put to work as she told the man that she was being chased.
Surprisingly, the man didn’t think she was a figment of her imagination and actually acted to protect both herself and the Amazing Lady; though, admittedly the Amazonian wasn’t looking very “amazing” right now. The scent of her vomit quickly filled the air and Winnie opened her beak, gagging a bit. Ugh, that Amazon was totally not getting laid tonight.
Looking up, Winnie watched in surprise as Thor acted, throwing a hammer that immediately collided with the man’s chest, sending him crumpling to the ground. Needless to say, she was impressed. She watched as he tried to take command of the situation, informing Amazing Lady that she needed to push through the pain and then ordered them up to the roof. Was that really the safest option? She guessed it could be. After all, maybe the smoke was just coming from within the building and the roof would lead them all away from it?
”Ugh, fine!” she grumbled. Winnie turned her small head back to Amazing Lady and, ignoring her ramping up fear, shouted at her again. ”Come on, gorgeous! We gotta go!”
With a mighty warcry, Winnie ran towards the staircase, hopped...and collided with the side of the step. There was the immediate sound of grumbling and shouting in a variety of colorful words as she hopped up, several times, before finally managing the first step. God, that was torture. She looked up, spied the length of the staircase, and just shook her head. She was going to die like this, wasn’t she? But she had to try, no matter how comical it looked.
A determined theme song playing in her head and Winnie charged on, hopping up, ascending stairs, and making great progress. After what seemed like hours (it was seconds) Winnie flopped her tiny kiwi body up, upon the step, finally, and sighed. She did it! She totally did it! She looked up...she had gone up two steps.
”SONNAVB*TCH!!!” she chirped and flopped over again. She grumbled breathlessly. "Corgi-bird down! Corgi-bird...down!"
Winnie could scarcely see what was going on anymore. As the hands wrapped tighter and tighter around her neck, her eyes bulged in fear. She stared at the face of the gladiator that sought to pull her head free from her body and already she was feeling the life seep out of her. Nothing that she could do would stop him and even her newfound friends were quickly proving to be absolutely no friends at all. This was how she was going to die, right here, at the hands of a psychopath who thought she was something she wasn’t -- that was no way to die.
She gasped, the man barely registering that Amazing Lady was trying to stop him. Instead her hits were doing little else annoy the man who swiftly kicked backwards, attempting to kick the other woman off. His focus was on Winnie / his grandfather, and her alone. Winnie’s eyes began to roll up into her head, her mind slipping away into blackness as she felt the for sure that this would be the end of her. She would die here and she hadn’t done a damn thing with her life. That was probably the most terrifying thought that she could have.
Her pulse raced and Winnie wondered if this was what death was; final race of blood through the veins before they run dry and stop moving forever. It scared her, deep down, completely and utterly. And that alone was what brought on the most familiar of feelings, a vibration covering her from head to toe, before finally, in a sudden sound that cracked the air, there was a POP!
Winnie’s world suddenly grew around her. She wobbled meekly on her two, spindly legs, shaking her head and blinking her eyes in confusion. For a few seconds, she didn’t even realize what was happening, until she looked up and spied the massive figure standing above her, looking just as perplexed. It was then that she realized it...she had gotten scared being so close to death and that must have done the only thing she could imagine -- activated her mutation.
”Ah...f**k me!!” she grumbled in agitation. The gladiator looked down and, upon seeing the tiny little kiwi bird, jumped and turned his foaming mouth towards her. Shakily, Winnie ran out, between the man’s legs and looked up to spy Amazing Lady still standing there. ”Don’t just stand there you f***ing idiot!! Run!!”
Winnie only caught the smallest glimpse of Sandy and, by the time she did, the leather pants wearing woman had run off at impressive speed. She was gone, a trail of screams being the only thing that followed her as she ran off, down the hall and disappeared. Winnie couldn’t spare the time to even think about what happened to her, thanks to the towering behemoth of a man that turned to seek her out.
Hopefully Amazing Lady took her advice and bolted because that was exactly what Winnie was going to do. Her tiny heart racing, her pulse far too fast, she took off, dodging around maddened people, dashing between legs, and making for any place that looked safe; behind her, the gladiator pursued. Winnie only managed to make it around the corner before she found herself slamming against another massive man, this one with extremely blond hair and holding a hammer. He didn’t seem as confused as the others so shouted.
”Watch it, ya big Moose!! That guy is trying to kill me!!” she shouted, just in time for the gladiator to move it around the bend and charge at her tiny frame at full force.
Even in her drunken state, Winnie knew that what she was looking at couldn’t be good. People were all sorts of screwed up right now and as much she wanted to believe that it was all just party decorations and hired actors, it was a fact that she was quickly believing less and less with every passing moment. Something was wrong here, deadly wrong, but as much as she wanted to put a name to it, it was seemingly impossible. Every time she thought too hard on the matter, she felt her pulse quicken just a bit more and it was getting far too fast in her opinion.
No, she had to keep her wits. She was about to spend the evening in a lone hotel room with two very gorgeous women. That was all she wanted in life and it would prove enough of a distraction. However, even as she tried to convince herself of this and marched onward towards the table that was pointed out before, she couldn’t help but look towards the disturbance.
She gulped. Her eyes widened a little. The person there kept screaming, banging their head against the wall over and over again. The smear against the wallpaper, even from this distance, looked more and more real with every passing moment. Winnie tried to laugh it off but soon the panic from one of her new friends had wormed into her head like a maggot; the fear began to fester from there.
>>“Oh my god! What is going on? Maybe we should get a hotel person?”
Meekly Winnie stopped, turned and looked back at them. Honestly that wasn’t sounding at all like a bad idea now. The fact was that people were seemingly getting hurt. It could very well be just decorations and acting, but if there were the slimmest chance that it was real, then maybe they actually should get some help; or at least report it so that it could be confirmed to be just really excellent ambiance.
”Y-Yeah…” she whispered in a low voice. ”Maybe...you know...that’s a good idea?”
>>”I don’t think the hotel staff can help...There’s something weird going on, I think,”
Her heart rate was getting a little faster now. The recorded screams and ghostly noises were just starting to get on her nerves now. She felt thoughts straying, turning darker, wishing that the night were over already. A night of blissful distraction with these two would have gone a long way, but it seemed that maybe that offering was being tugged off the table. All she wanted was a break from all the orange and black decorations and fake guts (was it fake?). Her breath catching, Agnes took a calming breath as she tried to return to the other two.
”W-Well...you know...we...could just head downstairs? Maybe just let someone know? We can head back to my place?” She tried to bargain, nervous she gave a dismissive wave to the floor. ”Kinda tired of all the sound effe--EEP!!”
Strong hands suddenly wrapped around her throat. Winnie’s eyes bulged as someone, a massive man dressed like a gladiator had suddenly seized the photograph. His eyes wide and manic, he shook her angrily by the throat. Winnie gasped, clawing at the man’s hands as he just continued to squeeze.
“I WON’T LET YOU HURT ME GRANDPA!!! I WON’T LET YOU!!! I’LL KILL YOU FIRST!!!”
Winnie’s eyes began to roll back into her head, all source of air gone. Slowly, so slowly she started to crumble as the comfort of darkness overtook her mind.
Nessa grumbled in mock pain. Good. She mock deserved it. Winnie was still smiling though, lying down upon the couch, staring at her friend, trying to wrap her head around what she had just admitted. Winnie had never suspected that Nessa was a mutant. Normally she would have been fine with it, kudos for coming out, but to come out and have such amazing abilities? Winnie really was beginning to feel as if she had just been soaked on the shallow end of the genetic gene pool. Really, who has the ability to turn into a freakin’ kiwi bird?!
She sighed, shaken from her thoughts as her drunken friend nestled in by her side. She wiped her tear stained cheeks on her arm so Winnie turned onto her side to face her. The two friends stared at one another for a time, before the telepath broke the silence.
>>”I mean, you could look at it as me letting you be the hottest mutant. And it’s still a close call. I think Gina’s still rocking the top spot, but I’m willing to agree to a tie for second. And I think I know a certain waitress who would definitely cast her vote for you.”
Winnie rolled her eyes. ”Well that’s not really a fair and unbiased opinion, is it?” she teased lightly. ”I mean Gina is crazy hot so we can hardly compare to that gold standard.” At the thought of being tied, Winnie sighed if false frustration. ”Fiiiiiiiiine. We can tied for second hottest…” a wicked grin pulled at her lips. ”...at least until you get a zit or I throw acid into your face. Whichever comes first.”
The two giggled against, looking very close and intimate. At least one or people passing by gave the two women an extended look. Some even elbowed one another, wondering if something was going to happen. Winnie was quick to tell them all to go screw themselves sideways before she returned to to sweet and innocent picture of a woman lying next to her friend.
>>”So you’re still my bestie?”
Giving her a warm grin, Winnie watched her look away. Leaning over, she planted a soft kiss on her forehead. She then sighed as she rested her head there. ”I guess. I mean, I don’t want to go through the hassle of breaking in another friend.” She shrugged. ”So...yeah. You’re my friend. Well, at least until that waitress comes back. Then you’re just an albatross, love.”
>>"Oh...I'n sorry, I'n still a little--I sore-got you said you were a so-togra-ser."
Winnie just shook her head, offering the other a sweet smile. ”Don’t worry about it, honey. After what we’ve been through tonight, you’re allowed to forget little details like that.” Another bright smile was offered to her new friend and she continued to push her bike alongside them.
Her night was definitely turning out better than it had moments ago. She thought that this would be her last but, thankfully, she was wrong and instead made a new and interesting friend. Winnie had met all kinds of mutants since she moved to New York a couple years ago, but she had yet to meet anyone like Jackie. She was certainly a one of a kind and that alone could garner the young woman’s attention. She had to wonder why it was like to have the kind of power that Jackie had, but she would wait until she was feeling better to get too nosy.
>>"Dat sounds like nee, 's... suh-ssering sore your crass-t...Sun-tines I's gotten really nice shiners, or sun guy cuns at you wiss a 'ottle... I dunno... I guess it's diss-erent dan sexual harass-nent."
Jackie had said that she worked as security before so it was no wonder that she had her fair share of bad experiences. The young woman frowned a bit before she reached up and patted the woman’s good arm. ”That doesn’t sound easy,” she admitted. ”But I’m glad that you’re made of tough stuff.” She leaned over, tilted her head against the massive woman’s arm for a second before she perked up.
They rounded another corner and everything became immediately familiar. The bakery at the corner, closed by now, showed that she was home. So she immediately walked to the corner, gesturing for Jackie to follow her, and then made her way towards a brownstone apartment building, one of many all lined up together. When she stopped at the steps that would lead to her building, she turned and grinned to Jackie.
”Whelp! This is where I live! Told you it wasn’t far.” She beamed. She parked her vespa, chained it up, and set the kill switch on it before she turned and started to climb the steps. She only got about halfway up before she turned and waved for Jackie to follow. ”Come on, honey. I don’t bite.” With that she jogged the rest of the way open, removing her key from her pocket and opened the door to the building.
Okay so maybe that little display was just a tad bit unnerving, but it wasn’t something that Winnie was going to let ruin the rest of her night. She was out, she was feeling sexy, she had two lovely and agreeable women on her arm -- she was damn well going to make sure that the good times started flowing. However she couldn’t get the image of that man shaking and quivering out of her head. Was he really that out of sorts? If so, why did he come to a Halloween party in a revealing devil costume? Honestly with his physique, he probably should be seeking the arms of a lovely person, but was instead just cringing in the corner in fear.
It just didn’t make any sense. But, Winnie was going to do her best to push passed it. With the two sexy ladies nearby, both of whom were willing to adjourn to an empty hotel room, she had plenty to keep her occupied. She didn’t need to think of this man and his fear of imaginary spiders -- that is Amazing Lady commented.
>>”The punch bowls are over-”
>>“Do you think he is ok?”
Just as Sandy was pointing out where the drinks were, the Amazonian princess’ voice filled with concern. Winnie stopped and looked back at the poor fellow. Really it did seem like a most terrible trip but she didn’t want to waste her perfect night. Still, even as the thought of her night going awry began to rebound in her head, she couldn’t help but notice that little flutter in her chest. It was an odd sensation, especially since she was so relaxed and loose before, but it was something that made her momentarily pause as odd thoughts filled her mind.
She was breathing okay, right? Was her pulse that fast? Do people’s brains just stop working and they need to manually force themselves to breathe correctly? She struggled with these jumbled thoughts, taking another sip of her drink. She felt safe enough as it was from a bottle and not a red solo cup. As the wave of anxiety began to dissipate, she sighed with relief and gulped down her fears. That was strange and annoying but it wasn’t going to get further than that.
>>”I think it’s the punch...I was feeling fine until I had a few cups of it earlier...I’m probably wrong and he’s just having a bad trip, though,”
Winnie turned back to Sandy and Amazing Lady. The idea of someone spiking the punch was not that far off from actual things that could happen at these parties, but it seemed so...ridiculous. How would risk roofie-ing an entire floor of people? Besides, most everyone seemed to be dancing and partying just fine so there was no way that could be it. Thankfully Sandy had quelled any fears and noted that the young man on the floor was probably just having a bad trip from something outside of the drinks. Winnie breathed a small sigh of relief and nodded, putting on a brave face.
”Oh. Oh yeah! S-sounds about right,” she smirked. ”Old classmate of mine, Zelda, had a bad trip like that once. Kept thinking the walls were trying to suck her in. She spent the entire night standing on a footstool until it left her system.” She giggled and shook her head. Aw Zelda, she should call her.
The trio moved along before, the notion of a nice, private room calling to them like a siren. Winnie could still feel the edges of a fuzzy anxiety attack lingering on the edges of her mind, but she did her best to ignore it; a task which was aided when Sandy sauntered before them with a sultry smile on her lips.
>>”Come on, the room is this way. Let’s have some more fun before the night’s over.”
Winnie beamed. Her hand lowering a bit to Amazing Lady’s lower back, she grinned as she raised her eyebrows towards her new friend. ”I think that’s an enticing offer.” She gave Amazing Lady a gentle nudge towards Sandy. ”Why...don’t you two get started? I’ll get us some more drinks.”
She winked and turned to saunter away towards the makeshift bar. However, she only got a few steps before someone on the other end of the hall shrieked and started to bang their head against the wall. Winnie couldn’t see from this distance so she wasn’t sure if there was blood and, even if there was, it could easily be faked. Still, there was something about the force and screeching that made her skin crawl even further. Either this was one hell of a convincing actor, or something was seriously wrong with them. Whatever the case, she tried to laugh at herself, passing it off that she was just letting her imagination run away. What she needed was drinks and a blissful time with two gorgeous ladies.
Another screech. Another sickening thud against the wall, and Winnie turned away, heading for the table with alcohol. It was just a party. It was just a Halloween party. Everything was fine.
The evening was entirely looking up. Not only did she have two gorgeous woman on her arms, but she could feel the energy shift in the room. The spooky decorations aside, Winnie was moving on, ready to come out and do what she came out here for -- fun. With her arm draped around a shapely Amazing Lady, she gave the newcomer her full attention, leaning only a little upon the other. Her world turned a tiny bit but that was only due to her temporary buzz. She would be focused enough to ensure she had fun.
A glance to the other woman, and Winnie offered her a sultry wink. Amazing Lady certainly seemed like she was ready to join the party but she also looked as if she didn’t have any alcohol in her system either. That was a crying shame. So she was all ready to steer her towards the alcohol table when the other blonde suggested something about ensuring her clothing was cleaned off. Mmm, Winnie could hardly turn down an offer like that.
>>“Super Pals are go!”
Winnie giggled. She loved a team player. Turning back to “Sandy”, she gave her a coy little look. ”Well, sweetie, it looks like the Super Pals are at your service.”
Winnie took a second to observe the woman and had to admit that she was a little surprised by her. She was had initiated this contact and yet she looked almost...jumpy. Maybe she was nervous? She doubted that this was her “first time”, but maybe it was her first time trying to jump into something with a group? Winnie could believe that; Halloween was notorious for people trying to jump into new, one-night only experiences. She had had several of her own in the past. Ahem.
But, before she knew it, Sandy crept closer and slipped between the two women. Winnie was all smiling, ear-to-ear, her hand rest upon the small of the other woman’s back.
>>”I think I saw an empty room back the other way, if you Super Pals want to accompany me...Unless you had other plans, of course. I wouldn’t want to get in the way of those.”
Winnie glanced to Amazing Lady. ”I’m more than happy to oblige. What say you, oh glorious Amazonian?”
As she asked this, the trio moved down the hall, but not before the still buzzed photographer cause sight of something just a little strange. In the hallway, as people passed through partying and laughing, there was one person who was sitting on the ground. They were curled up, holding their hands over their head, their knees tucked into their chest. At first Winnie wondered if maybe this was part of their costume, or if maybe they were just feeling ill. However, as they passed closer, she paused when she realized that the person was actually whimpering and rocking back and forth. The shadowy smoke seemed to swirl about her in a strange, unearthly haze. And, from the man’s lips, he muttered, over and over again, “Spiders...they’re everywhere...they’re eating me...can’t stop...all over...can’t stop...can’t move…”
Winnie blinked and remained in pace with her group. She tried to shake that strange sight off of her, but it was difficult because of how disturbing it seemed. Still, Winnie had two lovely distractions with her, both of which were close enough for her to squeeze just a little tighter. As much as she loved Halloween, and the debauchery that would follow, she was just as excited for Christmas as the creative places that she could hang the mistletoe...
Winnie was happy to have the company, especially company that was as strong and powerful as Jackie here. When she started her night, she was just looking for a little time off to drink, hang out, make a night of her single nature and living life, but oh how it turned out to be anything but. Everyone cancelled on her and she was almost mortally injured by a malfunctioning METAbot. The good thing was that it allowed her to make a new, comely friend and she was one that Winnie wanted to get to know better. After all, it wasn’t every day she met a physically mutated mutant (except for Gina).
But, on the way to getting to know her new friend, there needed to be small talk. Winnie didn’t have a problem with small talk, but it could be rather annoying if you couldn’t find a starting point. She hoped that her crustacean friend was actually a good talker or the two of them would end up just strolling on in awkward silence.
So Jackie was far more quiet than Winnie had figured. That was fine! She would still find a way to work with that. Walking along side her, pushing her vespa along, she turned her head upwards to get a glance at the rainbow-shelled mutant. She was quiet beneath her face mask, her eyes low as she seemed to struggle to find something to say. Winnie was about to toss her a lifeline but, thankfully, Jackie dived in herself.
>>“So… I told you how I work in a nightclu’...What do you do?”
Winnie smirked. Jackie must have been nervous because this was the second time that the subject of careers was brought up. But she wouldn’t point it out to her new friend. Instead she just gave her a sweet smile as she looked ahead. With a small shrug her shoulders, she answered…
”Oh I’ve done this and that,” she said with a small sing-song to her voice. ”I’ve waited tables to make ends met, but my real passion is my camera.” It was true. She really couldn’t imagine her life without her camera as it was her everything. ”I freelance as a photography. Sometimes for newspapers. Sometimes for magazines. Took portraits down at the Target-Mart down on 64th for a little bit. But then the manager tried to grab my *** so I slugged him and quit.” she shrugged before smirking. ”I guess you’re supposed to suffer for your craft, you know?”
Winnie usually took bad news pretty well. She knew to smile and to act nice, especially if it was news that someone was struggling to share. She didn’t want to seem as crass or uncaring, so the young woman usually had a good enough rapport with people, despite the fact that she could come off as a bitch from time to time. Right now was not Winnie’s finest point; she was drunk, she sensitive, and she was hanging out with her bestie which meant that she could hardly keep her mouth under control. Really, being around Nessa just had this effect on her where she really couldn’t be bothered to keep herself under check.
After all, there were certain freedom that were supposed to be inherent when hanging out with your bestie. For Winnie, it was being allowed to have the mouth of a sailor and a slightly diminished filter.
But this was something all-together. Winnie had always prided herself on being the mutant of the two girls. Even if her powers were utterly lame, she at least could pride herself in being part of an exclusive club. Nessa was LUCKY to have a mutant bestie...even if she had been sleeping with one less than a year ago. Ahem. But that was besides the point! They were friends and Nessa was supposed to be slightly jealous of her being a mutant! Those were the rules!
And now, the rules were thrown out the window. Her alcohol addled mind wanted to make up stories, that she had already told Nessa about the incident with Booker (pridefully) but deep down she knew it wasn’t true. It was a fact that attained even more reality when Nessa plucked a few more thoughts out of her, including that infamous phrase, ‘Senpai’, which had seemingly caused both women to blush before turning away.
So it was true. Nessa was a mutant. AND she could read thoughts? Just how f**ked up was that? Not only was she not the only hottest mutant in the room, she was now the one with the lamest abilities? Ugh! Again. No justice.
It was Nessa’s poor attempts to keep from laughing. Winnie probably should have felt just a little insulted by that but the alcohol in her system was tickling her ribs in just the right spot that she started to giggle before she finally just grabbed a pillow and shoved it over her own face.
>>”I’m really sorry for never saying anything. I should have. I’m working on it...You’re my best bestie and I promise I tried not to read your mind to much, it just kind of happens sometimes because you have pretty eyes.”
”Oh f**k off,” Winnie replied with good-natured tinged with jealousy.
However, with the pillow over her face, her comment came off more as ”Mmph foomp omph,” than anything that was coherent. She really just wanted to slink down and allow herself to fall into the darkness to never resurface. BUT, there was still something that kept her going...the fact that she was going to have a hot date with a waitress after this. So, if she had to, she would force herself to live.
Lifting the pillow off her face, she tilted her head to look at Nessa was trying to be apologetic for lying to her. Winnie pouted a little, gave a little wave with her free hand so that Nessa could lean down and snuggle in close to her: a sign that her apology was accepted. But, before Nessa could lay her head down, Winnie swung with her free arm and smacked the telepath on her head with the pillow that she had used to cover her face mere moments ago.
ThumP!
”That’s for lying,” she grumbled. She then hit again. ”And that’s for trying to upstage me as ‘hottest mutant’.”
Winnie was actually pretty impressed. It wasn’t like she had never seen special effects on during Halloween before, but this was the first time she had seen them done with such quality. The way the smoky tendrils swirled out of vents and throughout the hall, it almost made her actually scared. However, reaching out, she swept her hand through a particularly thick fog of it, smirking as her hand passed right through. It was nothing. Besides, if it was something dangerous, like a fire, the alarms would be blaring all over the place. The Skyline was nothing if not efficient when it came to safety.
She sobered up a little as she watched the smoke continue to writhe before utterly dissipating from view. Really, whoever it was that they got for the effects this year, they knew what they were doing. She snorted a little, the alcohol still having somewhat of an effect on her as she turned her head to glance at the rather gorgeous looking woman at her side. The outfit was to die for, really, so it was of a little wonder that the two of them were chatting it up.
No matter how drunk she was, Winnie never let an opportunity pass her up.
>>"Looks like it! I’ve never seen black smoke machines before! I’m Amazing Lady, and you’re… let me guess… Andrew Lloyd Webber?"
A giggle fell from her lips as she shook her head. She turned around to face the over, letting her predatory eye gaze upon the woman up and down. Even sober Winnie could barely keep her wandering eye from...well...wandering...but it was even worse when she was buzzed. She was straightforward and blatant in this regard, just grinning like a cheshire cat as she eyed the delectable female she was conversing with.
”Close, Sweetness, but not exactly,” she said with her very light, English lilt. ”I’m the venomous Toxin, from Arachid-Man #114.” She grinned, turning herself so that she was fully facing the other woman. ”And you certainly do look amazing...lady.”
A soft wink was offered to her. Winnie had initially come up here for another party guest but they had been quite forgotten now. Not surprisingly considering how quickly the young woman could switch gears in this mindset.
>>"Let’s hope they went all out on the drinks too! Shall we find out?"
”Oh the Skyline always goes all out this time of year,” the kiwi-shifter explained. ”I’m sure that they have plenty.” she edged a little closer to the Amazonian princess. ”Why don’t we...take a look…together?”
She smiled a beautiful, sparkling smile, edging a bit closer to the other. However, just a she felt she was about to land some kind of deal, she was stopped by the presence of another who had crept up. Turning back to them, Winnie tilted her head, curious, as this woman seemed extremely familiar. She pursed her lips in thought, eyeing the amazingly tight-fitting costume she wore, and arched her eyebrow. Why did she recognize her?
>>”So. I didn’t get your help cleaning off my costume earlier,”
Her eyebrows lifted as realization hit her. Tiling a little, she glanced at the woman’s posterior and waggled her brows. Oh yes, she certainly did remember her now. Though the blonde seemed a little off, Winnie just shrugged it off as the alcohol altering her perception a little. She draped her arm around her Amazing Lady friend and bit her bottom lip as she nodded to the greaser.
”Oooh, that certain is a crime,” she said as she turned and glanced to her superheroine friend. ”This looks like a job for the Super Pals, eh?”
Winnie actually loved Halloween. It could be so cheesy, so ridiculous, but it almost always promised a good time to be had. That was what Winnie was always after, a good time, and this year seemed like it was going to promise a hellof a time. With a rip in reality and people’s need to celebrate whenever they think the world was going to end, the parties that took over the city on Halloween were going to be legendary. Winnie had already been to one earlier in the day and now she was in the midst of latest endeavor -- the Skyline Hotel.
The Skyline was known for throwing these amazing parties, but it seemed as if they had outdone themselves this year. They wanted the city to know that the Skyline was where you should be celebrating and Winnie was not disappointed in the fun. The alcohol flowed freely, the music was blaring, the dancing was electric, and the company was, Mm, oh so satisfying. Already Winnifred had made plans to meet up with someone much later in the night, but for now, she just wanted to wander.
She felt sorry for anyone who wasn’t in the hotel strictly for the party. People passing through, just needing a good night sleep, they wouldn’t find any peace and solace here. Most of the rooms had been booked specifically for the afterparty carnalities that tended to ensue, but hotel management weren’t complete jerks. Specific floors were blocked off, just for people to wanted nothing to do with the partying to rest and relax. Sadly, that did little to keep costumed drunks from traveling through.
Winnie was one such drunk. Already a bit buzzed, she had gotten off on the wrong floor and knocked on the wrong door enough times that she had been cursed, ignored, and even had a door rudely slammed into her face. When a good samaritan finally informed her that she was on the wrong floor, the darkly costumed photographer gave them a full kiss on the lips, a wink, and then wandered away. The man’s wife demanded to know who was at the door, but Winnie wasn’t around to hear the man’s stammering explanation as she already made her way into the elevator, the doors sliding shut.
Upon entrance to the top floor, Winnie sighed in relief as she could already see every people in costumes, nudging playfully, holding each other close, or struggling to get doors open. Stepping out, Winnie actually made quite the sight. Winnie knew that she had a good body and had absolutely no problem showing it off. However, this year, she wanted to do a costume that would leave just a little to the imagination -- though not much.
The costume she chose was a genderbend of the comic book villain Toxin, the arch-nemesis of everyone’s favorite, Arachnid-Man. The skintight, black leather costume looked perfectly molded to her curvaceous form, and the white emblem of a spider across her chest served as a stark contrast. It immediately drew the eyes of anyone around her. Moving down the hall, Winnie revealing in the attention she received, even tossing back her hood to reveal her short, pixie hair.
However, after a particularly loud wolf whistle, Winnie turned to grin at the perpetrator, but not before she accidently nudged her arm against someone who was passing by.
>>”Watch it,”
Winnie stumbled but turned back, watching the blonde woman catch her eye. The two stared at one another for a hot second before the other, dressed like some greaser from the movie Goop, continued on. The photographer took a moment to admire the view before she shrugged and dipped her head towards the woman as she walked away.
”My apologies, gorgeous,” she muttered.
However just as she turned to continue on her trek for more interesting companions, she stopped when she noticed something strange in the air. She held her breath, feeling a strange vibration course through her body, but nothing that seemed overtly terrible. Maybe it was just someone running down the hall, or a passing army of dump trucks? She shook it off but paused when she noticed the darkened, shadowy tendrils that curled along the walls and down the ceiling. For a second Winnie just stared at it, unsure of what to make of it. She just gulped and laughed it off (only a tinge of nerves in her voice)
”Wow…” she said, turning to a person next to her. ”They...really when all out on the decorations this year, didn’t they?”
Winnie gave Jack a brilliant smile as she nodded and turned back to her vehicle. She gave the beast one last inspection to make sure that no one had touched it in any manner that it shouldn’t be touched. Once she was assured that nothing funny had gone on, she shifted her gaze back to Jackie and gave her a small, welcoming smile. Really, how lucky could she be?
Most would have probably been turned away by the monstrous-seeming appearance, but Winnie knew better than to judge anyone by how they looked. Her mutation was a perfect example of that. She hated it when people found out and teased her about being a kiwi-shifter. Really, it was one of the most ridiculous mutations that she could think of, but it was okay for her to make fun of it, not anyone else. Others didn’t have that right so being teased because of something that you couldn’t help just felt...wrong to her. It was not something that she would ever willingly participate in.
Besides, Jackie was her hero! She would never make fun of her and she would make sure the larger mutant knew exactly how grateful she was.
On top of that, she also wanted to ensure that Jackie was alright too. After the battle with the bot, her new friend had seemed as if she had injured herself. Unwilling to allow that to be so, Winnie stepped closer to her rescuer and tried to look over her arm. It was this one that she had been complaining about earlier. While she didn’t know anything about physiology (nothing useful anyways), she didn’t want to leave her friend just to slink home and suffer. That wouldn’t have been very fair.
No, she would help her, as best she could. So she offered her to accompany her home and she could ice that arm of hers. It was probably the least she could do but it was something, wasn’t it?
>>"I'd like dat...Are you sure it's okay?"
Winnie grinned as she stepped back, her hands clasped behind her back. ”That will be more than fine.” She returned to to picked, released the brake and started to pull it up to the sidewalk so that she would wheel it back to her own place, with Jackie by herself. She turned her gaze back up to the hooded woman and smirked. ”I don’t live far from here. Just a block away. But I ran out of gas and didn’t want to leave my sweet ride this far from home.” She shrugged her shoulders. ”But this is fine. We can chat!”
Winnie was pretty drunk. Well, she was pretty all the time, but she was fairly drunk down now, which was the point that she was trying to mentally make. Whatever fantastical tale Nessa was trying to feed her was absolutely failing. Even if Nessa were telling the truth, the young photographer wasn’t going to be allowing herself to accept anything she said at face value. After all, they were in competition (for some reason) and that meant that she needed to keep on top of her game. She couldn't let Nessa's fanciful tales distract her; she was in it to win it.
However has Winnie tried to get back into her game she found she was immediately distracted by the fact that her friend had suddenly moved closer, placing her hands on either side of her face and pulling in for a deep look into her eyes. This was certainly not a move that the photographer was expecting especially not from her friend who is in a confirmed relationship. And yet here she was face-to-face, nose-to-nose staring into those deep brown eyes that didn't shut away from her. It seems that her evening had taken a turn that she in no way could have expected.
Stumblr had a meme that instantly came to Winnie mind. It was actually quite disturbing when you thought about it, the picture was a hand drawing of two eyes placed over a USB port looking terrified off into the distance. This image was only made more disturbing by the fact that when you plug the USB into the port made it appear to be gagging on something best left to the imagination. This image was further scandalized by the addition of another drawing of the USB being pulled from the port and in very soft letters the blushing port uttered the word “Senpai” very softly.
She couldn't help but wonder if this is what was in store for her; if she was about to be scandalized in a similar fashion and made a immortal and some meme that would be traveling through the internet. It was because of that when she looked into Nessa's eyes that the only thing that she could think of, the only word that would rebound in her head, was very simple word the same that she saw at the bottom of that cartoon...Senpai.
However, just as the word came to her mind, not once uttered, she was suddenly absent of Nessa's firm grasp and shunned away. Nessa blushed, couldn't meet Winnie's eyes, and yet she still managed to find a voice through her drunken haze; a voice that said...
>>”Winnie. Dammit. Listen. And no. I’m not your senpai. Don’t make this weird.”
She froze. Did Nessa really just say that? It was almost as if she reached into her mind and pluck the very thought out of her head, like a teacher snagging a note that was being passed around class. She blushed a little, so did Winnie, and the pair of them just looked over one another as closely as possible. Winnie felt her mouth going dry as the realization of what was happening was slowly beginning to dawn upon her hazy mind.
>>”You didn’t tell me that story. I just heard that story. I wish I didn’t, but I definitely did...I’m telethapic. Telecatic. Telepathic...I can read thoughts. I’m a mutant, Win.”
Winnie stared at Nessa for a bit, almost too shocked for words. Granted she didn’t know Nessa that long but she had figured that she had known the other woman long enough to be able to know certain things about her. The fact that she was admitting to being a mutant was beginning to make the fumes clear from Winnie’s brain. She stared at her for a long while before she reached up, removing Nessa’s hands from her face and leaned back.
Sitting next to her, Winnie blinked slowly, her mental capabilities slowly churning, but churning nonetheless. When, finally, she decided on something to say, she turned her eyes back to Nessa and just shook her head.
”You’re...a mutant...that can read minds…” she mumbled in a low voice. ”And...I...I TURN INTO A F**KING KIWI!?” Though she shouted, it wasn’t out of anger, just sheer frustration as she flopped back against the couch, staring up at the ceiling. ”There’s no justice in the world.”
