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.
Winnie was taking a gamble here. To be honest she should have known better than to just hop into the arms of someone she didn’t know. But considering the fact that her life was at stake, she was willing to roll the dice. Besides, the second that she found herself nestled against the larger mutant’s chest, she was calmed by the fact that her rescuer said she was on the side of mutants – at least so far as she could guess. That was at least a load off. So she sighed as she hunkered down into the mutant’s hand and tried to brace herself for whatever was going to come.
Running. Okay, so that was not something that she initially expected the hulking mutant to do. She ran, barreling down the direction that Winnie had been headed, trying to dodge the swift machine as it chased them both down like a pair of criminals. It ranted and spoke in a broken, twitchy language, the kind that most certainly showed it was not working properly. Great, she had to be attacked by one that didn’t know the difference between a bystander and a ****ing assassin!
>>"Sun-sing's wrong 'iss dat... sing..."
Her rescuer huffed and puffed, running with all her might as she rounded a cornered, bumped into someone but kept on going. Winnie, feeling her heart pounding in her tiny chest, rolled her eyes. ”You ****ing think so, huh?”
Rhetorical, but still, she couldn’t help but unleash that after the comment. Really there was no way that bot was working properly so there was no other conclusion other than the fact that it was malfunctioning. But now wasn’t the time to dissect all that as they needed to get out of here.
Turning another corner, the towering behemoth who held her seemed to believe that there could be salvation if they lost the bot. She ran into an alley, hoping that it would take them into a maze in the city…but they were quickly proven wrong.
>>""Sh**,".
”Bloody hell! What’s wrong with this city?!” she grumbled in her tiny kiwi voice.
They were trapped. Buildings on all sides, no easy way for them to escape. The bot was going to close in on their location fast and the only way in was through the alley that they both just finished running through. There was no doubt about it…they were sunk. Winnie continued to curse to herself, panicking as she tried to think of what to do next. Before she could come to any kind of conclusion she was suddenly aware that they were moving again.
Winnie was picked up, marched over to a gate between them and a large, stone church. As the mutant reached through the bars, she started to set Winnie down who was immediately ready to argue the point.
>>" "I can try and shake it…Just lay low sore a 'it. It can't get you in dere."
”What?! No, love! No! Just break the bars! We can keep runni--!” She winced and hunkered down behind a tall bustle of grass. Hiding behind it, she looked up from behind it at the sound of metal feet storming down the alleyway. Before long, the opening was filled by the metal and plastic clad robotic officer. She shook her head, lowering her voice as she urged the large mutant to come through. ”Come on! Before it see’s you!” she whispered firmly.
”Halt, mutant!” the device bellowed. Marching forward, it immediately locked in on both Winnie and her new friend, and stomped towards them. ”You are under a-a-A-rrrrrreeeSST for aiding and ABETing a known mutant criminal!”
”**** off! I’m not a criminal!!” Winnie shouted!
Wrong choice of words because, at that point, the bot charged…
This was just not Winnie’s night. First of all, all her plans were essentially dashed, then her Orange Thunder baby ran out of gas, and, oh yeah, now she was running for her ****ing life!! Bolting away from the scene where the bot tried to grab her, Winnie had become the least useful version of herself, a kiwi-bird, and was running at full tilt away from the malfunctioning mayhem-driven maniac. Diving between its legs, she ran with as much force as her little legs could carry her but she knew that the far longer leg reach of the machine would probably be her downfall.
Still, Winnie wasn’t stupid, she knew that she had to run; she wasn’t going to just sit there and let whatever the bot wanted to do to her to happen. Besides, there was always the chance she could squeeze through a storm drain or something in order to escape -- she just had to get there first.
Behind her she could hear the heavy thuds of massive, metallic feet thumping against the concrete. It was akin to mini earthquakes rattling her from the ground up. She skipped and gasped, trying to keep her footing straight but as the bot closed the gap, it was quickly becoming more and more apparent that she was completely running out of room. Before long she would be within reach and, in this form, there would be little that she could do; so she did the only thing she could…
”[EXPLETIVE] YOU, YOU GODDAMN PIECE OF [EXPLETIVE]! WHAT THE [EXPLETIVE] IS WRONG WITH YOU? YOU [EXPLETIVE] [EXPLETIVE] [EXPLETIVE] [EXPLETIVE] WITH BOLTS JAMMED IN YOUR [EXPLETIVE] EYES!” she screamed from her tiny kiwi form. ”GET THE [EXPLETIVE] AWAY FROM ME!”
”Halt, mutant!” the bot persisted, never once letting up and quickly closing the gap. ”You’re wanted for causing a disturbance and attempted assassination!” The bot took another swipe at her but she hopped, just barely missing the robotic hand as she dashed on, around the corner.
Dammit, how was she going to get out of this one?
>>“Hey! Kiwi!”
Her head shot up. Down the way she saw a massive figure. For a second she wondered if it was another METAbot dressed in disguise, but as she drew closer, she saw the hulking figure lean down, offering an open hand -- a hand that was decidedly not made of metal. While Winnie wasn’t always the most trusting of people, a glance back to the pursuing bot, and the massive figure who seemed willing to help her, Winnie chucked her fears out the window. She was going to have to take a leap of faith, here.
”Ohmygod! Ohmygod! Ohmygod! Ohmygod! Ohmygod!” Another clumysy swipe from the bot ruffled Winnie’s tail feathers, causing her to squeak in her natural kiwi voice, and leap. She landed, deftly, in the mutant’s hardened hand and looked up. Tilting her head so that one eye peered at the towering mutant, she clipped her beak at her. ”I ****ing hope you’re on my side because if not, I’m utterly ****ed.”
Oh Winnie LOOOOOVED it when Nessa lost in a gaming match with her. There was probably something to do with her ego being bruised and all, which made sense since Nessa made her living with video games. If someone who wasn’t as enmeshed in the world as Winnie could best her, then maybe that was cause for rethinking her life? Winnie had used such statements before with her trash talking, but right now she was just going to let her victory speak for itself.
It was so well deserved. Her laughter filled the air as the match went on in a clearly one-sided direction. The combos that she could pull off with Luri were legendary status and, if we’re being honest, probably the only ones that she knew by heart. Each punch, each kick, every combo she managed to link together was just an utter ballet of pain for Nessa that when the final hit came, there was little else Nessa could do but opt for a cathartic release…
>>”Okay, what was that bulls*** combo! The ****!”
”That’s called ‘getting good’, baby,” Winnie said with a teasing wink. ”Maybe you should look into that?”
The venom (all in good nature, of course) would be flowing tonight. However, in the back of her mind, Winnie wanted to know more about what was bother her friend and brother. Booker and Nessa rarely fought for more than a couple of hours, let alone it be something that would turn the later to needing a drink. However, Nessa had inadvertently thrown down a challenge to the kiwi-shifter, one that she was wholly willing to undertake -- getting her friend drunk.
Now, Nessa had been known to drink a little too much from time-to-time, but it wasn’t always a guarantee. Right now, Winnie needed to get a guarantee that Nessa would be drunk enough to answer her questions. It was a good thing for her that pride wasn’t something she held too strongly onto, especially when it came to gaming matchers. Throwing a few to ensure that Nessa won, would be exactly what she needed. But would Nessa go for her plan?
>>”I am almost entirely up for that plan if we remove one word: sober. Two sips when you win and one sip when you lose...It’ll be no fun if you don’t get at least a little tipsy,”
Winnie cackled and nodded her head. ”Alright. I’m game for that.” Then, like a sign from heaven, Winnie looked up when her side view was filled with the busty, curvaceous form of the waitress who had taken their drink order before. She gave a toothy smile to the lovely lady. ”Well hello, honey. Welcome back…”
The waitress blushed fiercely at the temptress who help nothing back in the look that she gave her. Balance the pair of drinks on her trays, she smiled as she handed Nessa’s drink to her, before she turned, bent slightly and offered Winnie her own drink, plus a rather teasing glance. The kiwi-shifter bit her lip at the peek, smiling wide as she took the drink in her hand and sighed.
”Thank you, love,” taking a sip from the drink, she sighed. ”Mmm, nice and sweet on my tongue.”
The waitress’ breath caught in her throat as she straightened up and turned. However, before she got two steps, she bumped into the couch, but caught herself before she could tumble. Her cheeks red with embarrassment, she didn’t bother to look back at either Nessa or Winnie and instead slunk away.
Winnie just grinned as she turned her eyes back to Nessa. ”She’s so adorable.” she smirked. Then, remembering the rules of their wager, Winnie lifted her glass and took two, full sips of her drink. ”Woo! That is yummy. Now you,” she said, gesturing towards the other. This was going to be fun. She win a few matches but she would ensure that she lost a few as well, just to make sure that Nessa got nice and drunk.
This was going to be like shooting fish in a wine barrel...
>>”Fair. We were definitely the queens of several gay…Hahaha. ‘Wingwoman.’”
Ugh. She really walked into that one didn’t she? She didn’t bother to give Nessa a response, instead just glaring at her from her squinting eyes of disapproval. Really she was more mad that she just fed into the ammunition that Nessa surely already had stocked with her for the evening. But she wouldn’t let the other know that, instead she would just continue to give her a scathing looking until either the match started or Nessa burst into flames. Either option was good at this point -- really!
But, as the two of them began to practice with their chosen characters, Winnie found herself oddly intrigued by something that her bestie had said. She knew that Nessa and her brother had a close relationship. She knew some of what the two of them had to deal with and see how they both bloomed from it was rather heartwarming. It was because of that she that she knew that they could survive most anything. However, to hear that they had a “tense conversation” was something that gave her pause.
She tried to bypass Nessa’s clumsy attempt at forgetting the subject and instead quickly answered her question before pressing on with her investigation. The woman was trying her hardest to get away from the subject matter but Winnie was nothing if not curious...
>>”No, sorry. I’m not drunk enough to get into it.” I
Foiled again. Now Winnie really wanted to know what was going on between the two of them. However, Nessa was clearly not in the right frame of mind to discuss -- thankfully she revealed exactly what would loosen her stubborn tongue. A plan forming in her mind, Winnie nodded her in head in seeming respect of Nessa not wanting to bring up the subject and turned her eyes to the game at hand.
>> ”Anyway, stop stalling. It’s about time I button-mash your face in,”
”Psh! Go back to your lame Dance games!” she cracked back.
Starting the first round, once they both shook off the rust, Winnie went into the game. Luri moved with speed and precision, lashing out with elegant kicks across the screen as both player and character mocked their respective opponents. Oh Winnie could deliver the trash talk and she was in rare form. When the first round was finished, and Danielle fell before the curvaceous Luri, Winnie pumped both arms into the air.
”Hah! Eat that, pro gamer!” she teased! Once that was done, she turned her eyes back to Nessa. ”Listen, I need to get hammered tonight. So why don’t we add some rules? For each round we win, we take a long sip of our drink. Drink is done, order another one. Sound good?” she smiled sweetly. ”I mean, it’ll be good for me because if you keep playing like this, I’ll be blissfully drunk before long and you’ll have the spend the whole night sober.”
That was a cruel one, especially since it was Nessa who enacted this girl’s night, so she was hoping that by egging her on, and throwing her matches, that she could get her friend nice and sloshed so that she could weasel out of her what she wanted to know. It was a long shot, but it just might work...
Winnie couldn’t help watching the waitress wander away, her eyes never once escaping from the curves of the woman as she left to retrieve drink orders. The photographer let her mind wander, appreciating the beauty that she saw and imagining both possible and impossible scenarios that could come from pursuing her. She was a gorgeous woman, the kind that Winnie would have loved to spend the night flirting with, if only to see the sweet smile on her lips. Now that she was gone though, out of sight, the photographer turned her eyes back to Nessa and gave her a grin.
It was a state of being that Nessa was used to by now. Winnie tended to flirt with most anyone who caught her fancy but she never outright ditched her friend. There were just certain things that they knew and accepted about one another that made the bestie process so much easier. Still, Nessa gave her a look, just a teasing one, but it was one that Winnie responded to innocently.
She didn’t pull it past her friend to call her out on her innocence, even if it was just jokingly hinted at.
>>”I bet it does...Have you ever heard of the term ‘predatory gay?’ Because you’re eying her like she’s your next meal.”
Winnie smirked a bit mischievously as she gave her friend a coy smile. ”And who’s to say she isn’t?”
It was true, Winnie did have a bit of a wandering eye, but it wasn’t as if she harassed anyone. The second someone showed disinterest or revealed the lover they were currently with, Winnie was quick to respectfully bow out. But give her one smile, one glimpse of interest and that was enough to spur her, beginning the hunt after her intended until it’s inevitable end.
But those were thoughts for later. Right now she was trying to choose a character. A glance over to the screen showed a busty brazilian with large thighs (surprise, surprise that Nessa would choose Gabriella). To counteract that, Winnie tapped her joystick over until it highlighted the portrait of a thick thighed femme fatale by the name of Luri. She would fight fire with fire. But as she waited for the screen to load, she inquired after Nessa, chewing on her jalapeno popper concerning why she called this impromptu girl’s night. There must be a reason.
>>”It’s good to have a night where I can cut loose with my best friend, and despite all my best efforts, that’s still you,”
A well-deserved two-finger salute was delivered to Nessa as Winnie grinned and looked up to the screen again. They were just in the practice stage so that they could shake the rust off so Winnie practiced a few of the moves that she did remember by heart.
”Best efforts,” she mocked. ”I’m a goddamn delight, you b*tch,” she smirked. ”You may be saddled now but remember, I was your most successful wingwoman for a while there. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you, sweetie.”
It was just a tease, of course, but there was some validity to it. Winnie and Nessa went out many times in the past and in those times they certainly tore up the club and bar scene, and there were a couple memorable one-night stands that Nessa partook in all because of Winnie. Of course there was that one night with the Russian bodybuilder that Nessa hadn’t forgiven her yet for, but that was only a minor slip up. Nothing that needed to be brought up again. Ahem...
>> ”I mean, it’s been one of those long weeks. I needed a drink on Tuesday. Work has been going at double time and Booker and I…We just had a really stressful conversation and I could use a night out. So who are you going to be?”
She stopped practicing, tilting her head as she eyed Nessa. If she backpedaled any faster, she was going to go back in time. It was interesting to hear her talk about stressful discussions with Booker. As far as she knew, it was always peaches and cream between the two of them. They had their squabbles, but a few jokes or teases and they usually were right back on track. What could have possibly thrown a wedge between those two kids? With a scrutinizing gaze, Winnie pushed passed the change of topic that Nessa attempted to toss up.
”I’mprobablystickingwithLuri…” she said in a breath before continuing. ”Tense conversation? What did he catch you try dog earring one of his books again? You know that drives him crazy.”
There was a distinct feeling of being watched. Winnie couldn’t shake it, but ever since she turned the corner, it felt like something or someone was following her. She could feel her pulse rising but she needed to remind herself that this was New York and weirdos were a dime a dozen. It was probably some some drunk or vagrant wandering down the sidewalk she was. All she needed to do was keep her head, reach her vespa, fill up the tank and mosey on out of this neighborhood and towards the nearest, well-lit, gas station. Really, it was as simple as all that.
But as Winnie marched through the dark right, trying to get to her vehicle that was just parked one more corner away, she found herself beginning to quicken her pace. Really she just wanted to get out of here at this point, before she started jumping at shadows. It was odd just how abandoned the rest of the city seemed at this point, in this particular part of the city. Cars passed, but too quickly to use the glass to see if anyone was following. Rather, it just felt more like people were fleeing whatever was behind her, but she knew that was little more than her imagination. Right?
She ground her teeth, almost wishing that she still felt overwhelming annoyance rather than fear. She knew what happened when she got too scared so right now she was trying to not focus on it. Only a few more feet and she could get her bike and get out of here.
THUD. THUD. THUD.
Okay, those sounds were certainly not nice. The thudding was metallic and heavy, a sound that she would have normally just passed off as the random sounds of the city. But, these thuds were too close together, too rhythmic, and growing in volume the closer that they got to her. Passing another alley, and just before reaching her salvation of a corner, the sound grew deafening and caused her to spin on her heel.
”...the ****?!” she shouted in agitation and turned.
The META was sleek. Not the heavy duty variety, but the kind that was thinner, more created for pursuit than anything else. Still, that didn’t help it to not appear unnerving as the device looked down at her with a tilt of its head. A spasm coursed through it, causing Winnie to back away, and the machine or twitch. Looking down at her feet, the bot twitched again, pulling a pair of handcuffs from a compartment in its chassis.
”Stop, mutant. You are under arrest.” It spoke firmly in it’s metallic voice.
Winnie, taken aback, took another step away from the machine, shaking her head, trying to bring up the usually piss and vinegar that she mixed into the tone of her voice. ”T-The bloody hell is your problem?” she stammered before grinding her teeth in an attempt to control herself. ”What’s your malfunction, buddy? What am I under arrest for?”
The bot twitched again, sending off a spark. ”Attempted murder of a police officer.” the bot said. It lifted its other hand, picking up the rock that Winnie had kicked earlier. ”The murder weapon will go into evidence. PARLOR ROOM with the DISCO ball…” it said in it’s very confused voice.
Winnie shook her head. ”Out of your mind…” she said. She took another step back and opened her mouth to tell the thing to go find some bolts to screw itself with. However, before she got the words out, the machine snapped.
”STOP! ATTEMPTED ESCAPE! ATTEMPTED ESCAPE!” A heavy, clumsy swipe was made at her.
Winnie felt the fear coming. The loud voice, the sharp movement, the accusation, it made her pulse race until, finally her body responded in the only way that it could…
Where one second there was a young, fearful woman, the next there was a small, brown-feathered kiwi bird running through the bot’s legs and back the direction she had just come from. She needed to run, she needed safety, and she needed to get away from the bot. However, even as the swift little bird ran through down the sidewalk, she could hear the sounds to bot in pursuit.
”Sh*t! Sh*t! Sh*t! Sh*t! Sh*t! Sh*t!” the little bird shouted as she fled. This was not her night...
A shot was slammed back and Winnie followed in kind. She winced, cringing at the liquid as it coursed down her throat but she got it down nonetheless and it meant that the rest of the evening was free for whatever drinks she wanted. The Thumper was just the key to the rest of the alcoholic heaven that would be following. Plus, it helped grease the wheels of the smack talk that had already begun between the two friends. Winnie knew that Nessa wasn’t a bad fighting game player, just more of a buttonmasher than anything. Ironically, fighting games were one of the few genres that Winnie actually excelled at. Some would say she was a savant -- she would just claim it to be skill.
A witty barb about the other being too chicken to take part in her challenge, and Winnie picked up her controller and started to set up the game. As she did, Nessa did not relent as she shot back at her with just as much friendly rivalry fueled venom...
>> ”The only chicken *** around here will be if you go take a crap. Load it up, punk.”
Another sour, yet unimpressed look. ”Really? You have better material than that.”
Winnie busied herself with getting the game loaded when another party entered the scene. The waitress was well known to the both of them, mostly to Nessa though since she occupied this bar more oftern with her YouTube cronies. Still, Winnie was a patron enough times to recognize the pretty face and the curves of the woman as she approached, a bright smile and a question on her lips. She was taking drink orders.
>> ”I’d love a Rainbow Road.”
>>“Then that’s what you’ll get! And you, honey?”
Winnie gave the pretty waitress her warmest smile and imparted a smolder that danced in her eyes. Cutely she bit her bottom lip, trying as if in deep conversation as her eyes freely roamed the other woman up and down. ”Umm, I dunno, love. What’s your favorite? What do I absolutely have to have while I’m here?”
The waitress blushed a little at the look that Winnie was giving her. Hiding a small smile, the flustered woman just gave her the first thing that popped off the top of her head. “T-The Red Dragon...it’s...pretty awesome.”
”Ooo, sounds refreshing...yet hot...” A small lick of her lips. Before she nodded and disengaged as easily as she engaged the woman. ”One of those, please, my love.” The waitress slipped away as Winnie followed her with her gaze, a small smirk on her lips as she followed those curves before she turned her eyes back to Nessa who was eyeballing her. She shrugged and gave her an innocent smile. ”What? I was only asking for a suggestion. It…all looks so yummy.”
With their heads in the upcoming game at hand, Winnie grabbed a pair of fries and started to munch on them as the loading screen ignited the television screen before them. The bright colors, the ripped fighters, the curvaceous women, all was set to allure the eyes of prepubescent boys, therefore Winnie turned to Nessa for friendly conversation.
>>”I’m glad you had the time to come out tonight. I would have thought for sure you’d be busy luring some handsome lad or lovely lady to their doom with your siren song.”
She grinned and shrugged her shoulders. ”Night’s far from over, sweetie.” With that she sighed as she sat back in her chair, crossing one leg over the other as she grabbed a napkin and a jalapeno popper. ”Besides, you know me, all up for the girl’s night. How are things, by the way? Any particular reason besides just needing human interaction outside of your sweetheart and your sweet sibling?”
Ugh! What a night. First Bekka blows her off to run off with some pretentious model that only allows himself to be photographed via mirrors (whatever, right?), and then Sammie is too busy working on his “magic in card games” thesis (again…whatever), and now she was wandering through the evening, lugging a tank of gasoline because her baby decided to crap out on her way home. Blegh, she was in desperate need to get home, shower, slip into her cotton shorts and tank top and just melt into her bed with some good, brain rotting TV.
That is...if she ever gets home.
Winnie grumbled to herself as she hefted up the gas container. She always had a small one in the satchel of her vespa, for occasions just like this. However she rarely, if ever, needed to use it. She was good at making sure her baby was well fed but there had been a disturbing habit of late of some ne’er-do-well siphoning gas from her tank. There was no proof, other than the fact that her vespa had been suspicious low on gas these days, but she was certain that in a place like New York, something that idiotic would befall her.
Another sigh and Winnie kicked an aluminum can across the the concrete with her sneaker. Today she was dressed rather casually in jeans, boots, and a peach colored top that exposed her solid midriff. Over her shoulders she wore a thin, red leather jacket and atop her crop of blonde, pixie-cut hair, sat a maroon knit beanie of a maroon shade. The woman did little more than grumble as she lugged the gasoline can down the street, kicking another rock, vowing vengeance on her friends for ditching her tonight (though in reality at most she would just send them all disturbing memes or video clips in the early morning hours and forgive them afterwards).
Stormy gray eyes moving across her surrounds, the young photographer started to hum a little song to herself as she noticed that she was just around the corner from where her vespa had run out of gas. the container in her hand would be just enough to give it juice to get her to a gas station, but that didn’t make it any less heavy. If anything it just made everything worse because she knew it shouldn’t be as cumbersome as it was. But, it was probably more just her irritation that was mumbling out from between her lips now. When frustrated, even the simplest tasks seemed impossible and overtly bothersome.
Winnie did her best to shake the storm clouds away, kicking another rock in frustration, in hopes that it would carry away with it all the misery that she felt wanting to build up in her mind. As the rock clattered away, Winnie didn’t bother to see where it landed, only hearing the faintest of TING’s as it collided with something metallic -- at most she figured it was an aluminum can or pipe, nothing worth noting. She carried on, another sigh as she made her way back to her orange vespa which was still a corner or two away.
Behind her, in an alley where she had punted the stone, Winnie didn’t notice the ruby scanner that glanced down at the rock that had bounced off the cuff of its foot. A twitch of electricity coursed through a sleek, reinforced body, as a machine puffed itself up, flexing and whirling servos. With a heavy step it peered out from alleyway, turning as its head follow the young woman walking away. Another malfunctioning tweak and the machine began scanning.
”Mutant DNA signature identified…” it said to the trashcan next to it. ”...confirmed hostile threat. Proceed with capture?”
The trashcan's silence spoke volumes. Clearly it agreed...
Though Winnie s never one to actively go out and destroy a relationship, she could still speak of the famed Booker in such a way that Winnie knew it would get to Nessa. Even if she had no real intention of thumbing the pages of that particular book , it was still fun to plant the seeds of doubt in get rival’s head. Add to that that Nessa knew of Winnie's flirtatious ways, and that of her relentlessness, it was just enough to get under Nessa’s skin.
>> . ”Book’s doing well. He’s probably making heart-eyes at his awesome girlfriend, though, so you have to deal with me tonight. Hope that doesn’t ruffle your feathers…And for the record, having abs does not suddenly make you not a twig, too.”
She grinned as Nessa tried to deflect the subject of her brother. She immediately admitted that Booker was probably head over heels for his current girl. That was good for him. She had heard about Chris and it was a devastating time for the man. It was good to know that he had managed to bounce back from it. Still, the ground was ripe for the teasing.
”And so the long game continues…” she grinned. At the mention of feathers, she rolled her eyes. She was going to get a lot of those references tonight. However it seemed at the mention if Nessa being overly thin poked a nerve. She laughed at mention of her abs. ”Oh quiet…before I beat you up for your lunch money. “
Nessa was taller and while, if pushed, she could probably throw a punch, height didn't mean anything when compared to the skill Winnie had. But she didn't tease the issue further, instead becoming more dominant as she smacked Nessa on the backside to go gather the refreshments while Winnie claimed a seat.
>>”Fine, go get a couch and enjoy your delusions. I’ll get us snacks.”
A wink and a kiss blown through the air, Winnie set off to find an open couch. These were best for their gaming purposes but they were spots that were quickly coveted among the gamers. She passed by a couple that wets already taken so when jet eyes fell onto one that was, she was quick to pounce. She just managed to round the arm of the couch and plant her butt down when she watched two other grind to a halt just next to the sofa.
A friendly wave, and a gesture to shoo them away, she wrapped her hand behind her head and laid back atop the sofa. Taking up all the space, Winnie didn't have to wait long before Nessa reappeared, carrying with her a tray of delectable vittles. The photographer asset up, rubbing her hands together eagerly.
>> ”I am back with foods of the fried variety! One of the girls is coming by for more drink orders, but we’re starting things off with a Thumper…In preparation for the thorough thumping you’re gonna get in… what are we playing, anyway?”
While it may not have seemed like it, Winnie was most certainly in need of a drink tonight. While the Thumper may not have been her first choice, it would serve the purpose of taking her where she wanted to go tonight. Speaking of, she let the lame comment drop as she took her drink in hand.
”Oh I figure we can start with some Road Tussler 5. They just got the new edition here.” She grinned. ”Unless you’re too chicken **** to take the challenge?”
Winnie liked Nessa. She always did. Of all the people in her life, Winnie knew that she could trust her the most. She was a good friend and one of the few that Winnie knew who could keep up with her sarcasm and wild nights. That wasn't to say that Winnie made it a habit of having nights like this, but in those instances where she did, it was nice to have someone like Nessa at her side. Of course said night would also income copious amounts of sass, threats, and backtalk, but that was all part of the fun.
Approaching the gamer, her hoodie in full display, she could she the immediate effect it had on Nessa. The eyeroll was a good sign that invading her head was in full swing. However, when she stretched her arms above her head, making her t-shirt fully visible, Winnie had to snicker. She knew they she could salty in a number of ways, but none of them were the levels of salt that Ness the pro-gamer could reach when she was on the losing end of a gaming match.
Oh tonight was going to be legendary.
A coy smile, the lithe photographer made it perfectly clear to her friend that slights against her chosen mode of transportation could result in the other’s demise. However, even with that, Nessa found no danger in the kiwi-shifter’s words.
>> ”Oh please, no. No one will take my death seriously if my obit reads ‘death by vespa.’ And Gina’s studying and calling it an early night for a test tomorrow…Not that I needed a reason to keep my girlfriend a safe distance from a tricky fox like you.”
Winnie just grinned. She'd get her back for dissing her baby, but at the right time. Nodding that Gina was being a studious bookworm. That was sweet that Nessa didn't try to lure the gargoyle mutant out…also a bit surprising. She knew Nessa well enough to know that she was probably crawling out of her son to be near hey current girlfriend, but maybe not. Maybe Nessa was just evolving into a fully mature hooman. Stranger things have happened.
”Well that's good to know. But as gorgeously curvaceous as your latest paramour is….” she teased and waggled her eyebrows. ”…I was referring to the book slinging beefcake of a brother of yours. How is my future husband doing?” She loved to tease and threaten Nessa that one day she will make her move on Booker. It was especially effective on game nights as it provided an amazing distraction.
Moving towards the door with a gracious nod, Winnie pulled it open and waved for Nessa to enter.
>>”Besides, I needed time with my hella fave bestie…It’s been a weird week, so I thought I could use the catharsis of watching you put your foot in your bragging mouth.”
Winnie was quick to roll hey eyes, opening and closing her hand as she mimed along in an overly dramatic re-enactment of everything Nessa was saying. ”Blah, blah, blaaah. Aren't you tired of writing checks your scrawny *** can't cash?”
She smirked, sticking her tongue out at Nessa and followed her into the bar. They were immediately hit with the sounds of gaming and the scent of alcohol and artery clogging food. Winnie was excited to get the evening started, but first they needed to find a place to settle and claim for the evening.
>> ”Come on, I want to grab a couch before they’re all taken by nerds. Well, other nerds.”
”Psh, speak for yourself, dweeb-ette,” she smirked and adjusted her hoodie. ”If anything I’m just being the charitable, popular one. “ She then reached down and ushered Nessa towards the bar, but not before giving her a snack on the backside to send her off. ”Go on now. Order the food. I’ll scam us a couch. “ With that she was on the hunt for the perfect place to plant the both of them.
Stepping back out into the real world was pretty effortless, but a little disorienting after traveling through the mirror world. It was different and certainly something would take time getting used to. Thankfully this would probably be her one and only trip through this world… unless Maya decided to seek her out again. If that were the case , well, Winnie wouldn't mind taking another walk with the woman…or man, if that was the gender she was presented with. But those were thoughts for later.
Stepping out onto the street, Winnie took a breath to settle herself before turning back to the other with a grin. She looked absolutely disgusting right now but it wasn’t as bad as the first time. Still, she hoped that after this Maya would take a bath or at least set herself ablaze.
With the admission that there was nothing wrong with being single and playing the field, Winnie knew that was a state she was comfortable in as well. She was willing to entertain the notion of forever with someone, but it wasn't something she was outright looking for anymore. If it appeared, awesome, if not then she would just have fun in the meantime.
>> "Nothing wrong at all"
She nodded. Good. The smirk on the woman's lips was an indication that she too was just trying to enjoy herself now. She'd get there.
>>"Unlike sneaking into crime scenes... But I meant what I said. If you change your mind about the team, you know where to find us…Stay safe, kiwi."
She rolled her eyes at being admonished for sneaking onto the crime scene. As if that was going to stop her in the future. However, she did pause at her offer about the X’s. Honestly she still thought it was ridiculous but she would tuck the offer in the back of her mind for the time being; just in case. Fit now she just turned and waved her hand to Maya, bidding her farewell.
”Of course…” she started. ”…unless not doing so means running into you again, gorgeous.”
Another wink, but she didn't wait for Maya’s reaction. Instead she merely turned on her heel and moved back down the sidewalk towards her building. Like Maya, she definitely needed a shower now…though hers may have to be a cold one...
It would have been difficult to ignore. The pretty heroine had seemed unsure when she declared that she had a girlfriend. First she tried to play it off as not needing the use of her abilities to get laid since she had someone to return home too. But not a second later, she flubbed over her own words and altered her ownership of said status into the past tense, meaning that it wasn't in effect anymore. The earmarks of someone trying to move on.
Now, Winnie could be a bitch. She could pick out those flaws in others and tease them mercilessly. Those closest to her knew it came out of a place of love. However, having just meet this woman (and stuck in another dimension that she didn't want to be trapped in), Winnie managed to rein herself in a tiny bit.
She clarified Maya’s use of the past tense and pointed out that she seemed unsure of the status. It was a state that Winnie was familiar with, given the fact that she had her fair share of relationships that she figured would go the extra mile, only to crap out only a mile or two in. Being in that is of state, then thrown out of it, could be disorienting, and Maya certainly looked to be a little lost.
>>Had...it's just... it lasted a while and I'm not quite used to being single yet. Not that I don't..."
Maya had Winnie's full attention. She watched her, eyebrows lifted, her eyes scanning the other, open and willing to hear more. She knew this kind of discussion couldn't be easy, especially with a stranger, so when Maya’s conviction on the topic began to falter, it came as no surprise to Winnie when she tried to change subjects.
>>"You know what? Let's go drop you off."
Winnie smirked. It wasn't sarcastic or cruel, but rather in an understanding way. Looking up, she spotted the familiar street corner of the corner bakery just across the street from where she lived. She pointed to the reflection that would lead her home. ”There.” They drew closer and as silence started to gather, Winnie broke it with a most understanding tone. ”If it's any consolation, I know how you feel. My last girlfriend…” she sighed dreamily. ”I thought she was the one. Heh. That's what I get for falling for an artist type. “ she shrugged. ”It gets easier, sweetie. In the meantime…nothing wrong with being single and ready to mingle. “ She gave the other a wink and a sly smile.
Try out for the team. Winnie took a second to let that thought rattle around in her head before she just snickered. Her? An X-Man? That was absurd. What would they use her for? To waddle around as a kiwi and make the bad guys laugh themselves into defeat. The idea was ludicrous, to be honest. Though she was she that Maya was just joking around because no one could be serious about such a proposition, especially to a kiwi shifter.
”Ah, piss off,” she replied with a smirk. ”I won't be some token team mascot. Besides, you want to check me out in tights so badly, ” she grinned, ”Just visit me on yoga day.”
As the topic of conversation shifted back to Maya’s abilities, Winnie had to admit that she was curious as to how movie walking even worked. From the woman's explanation, it seemed entertaining but wholly useless. However it did open the door to less than clean thoughts to invade her head. Given their recent experience, she would have kicked herself for not asking / teasing only served Maya right fit going gaga after her own abilities.
Apparently she would hit a nerve…
>> "Seriously, why does everyone keep asking me that?! Can you imagine how awkward it would be to actually walk into a porno?... Like... just... that's just wrong... on so many levels..People. Besides, I don't need it. I have... um. Had a girlfriend."
She snickered, then burst into outright laughter. That was definitely a nerve. To be honest she be a little pissed off too if other people pestered her about using her powers just to get laid. And if she were asked enough times, she'd probably react just how Maya did. But there was one part of the woman's rant that drew her attention….
”Had? “ she asked curiously. ”You seem confused on where you two stand.”
Winnie loved to be with another person. She didn't have a voracious need to be in a relationship like some people she knew, but it was always nice to bring home a nice way body to smuggle up to in bed. However even someone like Winnie Wickham needed to have those people in her life who hasn't seen her most blissful of expressions. That was all part of a healthy life, balance and ensuring that you did didn't bed ALL your closest friends. Luckily Winnie had one of those friends in the lovely form of Vanessa Bookman.
Funny name aside, Nessa was actually one of those friends that Winnie actually enjoyed spending time with. They weren't always crawling all over one another for attention, but rather had healthy doses of personal life before seeing eachother again. In this instance, some time had indeed passed since their last get together, but they managed a chatting contact via apps and phone calls. However now was the time for them to meet up and Winnie could not wait.
Anyone who knew the two girls would automatically ship them together. The way they talked to one another, the teasing the verbal barbs, everyone would say it was just foreplay until the inevitable time where they would just explode like a repressed volcano. But for Winnie, she never saw that, and she was certain Nessa was of the same mind. They were good friends who liked to give one another the business; there wasn't anything wrong with that.
The meet location set, Winnie left her apartment dressed rather casually with hip hugging jeans and thin hoodie but deep red. On the front there was a white colored cow with a message for her bestie. They would be gaming against one another tonight and that meant one thing – the gloves were off.
Climbing onto the back of her trusty steed, an orange Vespa named Orange Thunder, Winnie set off into the city to begin her night of fun, friendship and insults. She knew the gaming bar that Nessa chose by heart. It tended to be their go to for these kinds of nights. Weaving throughout the city, careful of other cars, and cursing out those who weren't careful of her, the photographer eventually drew close enough to stop, just in time to feel her phone buzz with a new message in her pocket.
Pulling it out, she read the screen and immediately drew an agitated and amused look. So it begins…
Almost there. Sorry. Had to stop off to pick up a cushion for you to sit on. You'll need it when I’m done wrecking your *** tonight.
She snerked as she looked up, the light turning green, and continued on. It didn't take much longer for Winnie to arrive and, out front, there was Nessa, waiting and dressed to compete. She just grinned as she climbed off her bike, stretched, and pocketed her keys. Her hands in her hoodie, stretching out out just enough to put her message on display, she grinned at the other.
”This goes without saying, love, but talk bad about my baby again and is the last thing you see barreling towards you,” she gave her a cheeky grin. ”How goes? Where's your far more attractive better half?”
She didn’t hit her with her full strength, or in the face; that would have been rude. While she understood when a joke was funny, Maya was really beginning to overstep her bounds. Ever since she discovered she was a mutant, Winnie had been dealing with people making fun of her. It was just one of those things that she really got used to over the years. But, still, she may be used to it, but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t going to let out her frustration over it.
The punch was warranted, square in the other woman’s arm. Only a fraction of strength was delivered but it was still enough to cause the other woman to cringe and rub her arm. Good, that was the point of it.
>>"Yeah...You really do punch like a pro."
She smirked. ”Dad made sure I could protect myself,” she said. ”Besides, it wouldn’t look good for the owner of a boxing gym and personal trainer to not teach his kids how to ball up a fist.”
Another charming smile. They continued on, their dialogue eventually circling back to Maya’s abilities. The gender shifting was interesting, the mirror walking was cool, but the movie walking? That alone may the young photographer pause in curiosity. Unsure of the effectiveness of it, she flat out asked how it was even a thing. Maya seemed to get that question enough times to not be fazed by it and just pressed on.
>>"It doesn't...I mean it does, it just does not have much practical use. Fun, though, depending on the movie... although I don't like the part when I have to stick around until the ed, or die to get out. Some movies are long when you are inside them."
Winnie just smirked and shook her head. She tried to imagine what that was like, to just walking into one of any kind of movie, live out the scenes with the characters and either go on until you reached the end or died on film. It wasn’t the best of circumstances but it did sound somewhat entertaining. Of course that also led the young kiwi-shifter to a series of thoughts that she was sure that Maya had either entertained or had been asked to partake in.
A sly smile as she eyed the other, then she shook her head, laughing. ”That must be entertaining. Though, forgive me, but you’ve never...stepped into an erotica, correct?” She gave her a suspicious look, almost as if she were already set for Maya to say that she had. A young woman, growing up, with abilities like that, she could name a few people off the top of her head who WOULD do it. Still, the thought made her cringe a little. ”You wouldn’t even need an Octopus mutant. You could partake in your anime-fueled fantasies whenever you like.”
