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.
It was. Javier knew first-hand about the power of a good kiss to stop the overthinking train in its tracks. He smiled as they walked out, happy that for once, he was not the one whose thoughts were running away with him.
They sat in the back seat of the Unter, heading to the mysterious location Booker had selected. He took on the planning of the date, which was really considerate on his part; the number of choices would have made Javier freak out more than usual. As it was, he felt a little guilty for leaving the burden of planning to Booker, but it was the lesser of two evils. For now, at least.
>>”Almost there. So...ummm… I have to ask, how early did you start getting ready? Because I’m pretty sure I was ready by breakfast this morning.”
Javier laughed softly, looking at Booker. He could have just been saying that to make him feel better, but he was pretty excitable in general, so Javier could believe he would be preparing for a date way ahead of time.
"Depends on what you mean by preparing" he admitted "I have been sitting around ready for a few hours at least... but you were planning for the both of us, so. You win." he chuckled.
Booker was happy with his gift. It wasn't really a gift... well, not an original, meant-for-a-date kind of thing. They had been working on concepts for the Bandit costume even before the convention, so Javier simply thought that it would be a nice occasion to give the updated, experimental, totally superhero-safe piece of the costume to Booker at the start of their date. It was good to give something, and at least he was one hundred percent sure that the librarian would like this one. Apparently, he did.
>>"Ugh, I’ll just, leave it here, if you don’t mind? Just so I don’t have to carry it everywhere and risk losing it. I’ll just pick it up when we come back here.”
Javier actually said "Sure" before he caught up to what was implied. He could feel himself blushing the same time Booker did; apparently, the librarian once again did not think through what words he was using, and he realized the mistake a minute too late.
>>"Not like that, clearly! I mean, not that I don’t want to... But I didn’t mean to come off that presumptions. I mean, who wouldn’t?”
Javier found the whole thing amusing. For once, he was not the one with the horribly embarrassing mistake - and from the other point of view, he really did not think the mistake had been all that horrible, or embarrassing. Did others think like this, when he obsessed with his own mistakes?... Booker looked cute when he was fumbling. And really, as much as the thought of bringing him back to his apartment after the date gave Javier a tinge of panic, it also made him feel a rush of warmth that was not at all bad.
>>”Um...m-maybe we should go? That is...if...you know...you still want to. After all that.”
Javier chuckled and leaned over, pressing a soft kiss to Booker's lips. "Yeah, let's go." It was much better to be the person that got to comfort someone else's anxiety, than to be in need of comforting. He liked being that person. "So... where are we going?"
Booker always managed to put his own spin on things. Javier was relieved to see that he did think the same way about dressing up for a date, but he would not have been Booker if he had not put a nerdy spin on being dapper. In this case, a bowtie, which not many people could pull off even on a good day. Javier might have been a little biased, but as a fashion professional, he thought that the choice made Booker look... Booker.
>>”Thanks. It’s...heh...one of my favorites. You look...wow...just…so handsome.”
Booker blushed, and Javier did too. He was not used to being openly complimented like that, but he was getting used to the librarian just saying whatever popped into his mind. For a moment, he worried that he should have said something similar. Booker was very handsome, after all. And he had already seen him shirtless...
>>”Oh! I almost forgot. I know it’s customary to bring flowers to your dates house, buuuut… I hope you don’t think it’s too cheesy. But...I-I figured you could get more use out of these.”
Booker presented his gift: A bouquet of colorful threads, arranged as if they had been flowers. Javier's face lit up in a smile, and he laughed as he accepted it. "Wow! This is... perfect." he admitted, looking up at his date "I'd say I'll put these in water, but..." he chuckled, moving away from the door, leaving it open so that Booker could follow. The apartment was small but tidy, and Javier soon found a box to stand the bouquet in on the table. Next to it, there was a neatly wrapped package.
"Thank you, Booker" he smiled. The librarian knew exactly what to bring, and what to day, at any given time. It was an easy and steady kind of presence, and Javier was enchanted by it "I didn't... uh, think of flowers. But, I did finish this." he picked up the package and handed it to Booker. Inside, neatly folded, was the shirt belonging to the Bandit costume they had been working on... or rather, a version of it. Since he started working on Maya's costume, and thinking about actually making outfits for the X-men, Javier returned to the drawing table, starting with the materials. And the shirt, even though it was just cosplay, was a good opportunity to practice. "I played around with it a little, so now it's... functional. Flame resistant, flexible, reinforced in places... Not that I expect you to fight in it, but. Well. It's safer."
Preparing for a date tended to cause a lot of anxiety, even in people who didn't usually have to deal with that. Javier had been mentally preparing himself for it, ever since they agreed, back at Booker's apartment, that they would have to go on a proper date sometime. Sometime soon. One the one hand, the mere thought made Javier feel giddy and excited... but on the other hand, now that he was left alone with his thoughts and ample time to reflect, he could feel the tension mounting in his head.
As much as the con experience proved to be a disaster, what followed had mostly been a memorable experience. The kissing and the confessions, anyway. It was dreamy enough that Javier could put off obsessing with the details of all that happened, and the things he said while he was panicked and tired. But eventually, he had to remember all that, and then came the endless avalanche of thoughts while waiting. Would Booker actually want to go on a date? Was it just an adrenaline thing? Was he supposed to wait, or was he supposed to call? What was the appropriate time frame to make that decision? Should he text? Was that too needy? Did Booker even realize what a mess it normally was inside Javier's head? What if he didn't?... What if he did? How did normal people do this?...
Eventually, the call came, and all Javier could do was agree and try not to freak out. Then, he had to get ready - way too early, and then sit around, trying not to reconsider his attire, which right now consisted of dark pants, a teal shirt, and a black vest. Was that too much?... He also had a gift. He was not sure he was expected to have a gift, but it was better to have a gift than cause disappointment by not having a gift. Even if Booker probably did not have such expectations. Because Booker was such a nice guy, with such nice... everything.
Finally, the doorbell rang. Javier took a deep breath and slowly let it out.
You are supposed to enjoy this. This is a date. And you already know he likes you.
Javier opened the door, and for a moment, he forgot the anxiety from the sheer joy of seeing Booker on the doorstep. Then came the relief to see that he was dressed for the occasion as well. Javier smiled, genuinely happy to see the librarian, but not brave enough to make any first moves.
They both relaxed a lot, now that they were not awkwardly tiptoeing around their emotions. For Javier, it made sense - but even Booker looked less tense now, and definitely happy. His smile was something else, something both excited and gentle. Javier had the feeling that even with his easy-going personality, people did not see this expression every day.
>>’Bless them indeed,”
"Oh, I wouldn't go that far" the tailor smirked, tilting his head into Booker's touch. He hoped that Flying Fox and Above Average would get the treatment they deserved for putting people in danger for such a dumb reason. It wasn't like they had the intention of orchestrating what would follow between him and Booker. But life or death situations tended to bring the truth out of people...
>>”...Javier... Would you like to go on a real date? With me? I mean...if you want to...that is…?”
"I would love to" Javier smiled without hesitation. Once again, as the tables were turned and Booker was nervous, he felt a lot more confident. Also, there was really only one answer to a question like that. "As long as it doesn't involve a fight... One meet-cute was quite enough." he chuckled. "But yes, we should go on a date. Sometime when I'm not... you know, wearing your clothes, and..." he made a face, just as his stomach made a growling sound "... and I'm not starving. Sorry. Side effects of my powers, I guess..."
They kissed again, and it was great, and Javier was not complaining at all. It was such a perfect moment, perfectly flawed in many ways, but still, something that one would dream of often, but it didn't happen all that much in real life. Having a crush on someone amazing, and finding out that they had one too. Having the moment and the confidence to admit it. Also. The kissing was pretty great too. They both smiled a little dreamily as they looked at each other.
>>”I swear that’s not why I gave it to you. It was just the smallest shirt of mine that I could find.”
Javier chuckled. Booker was definitely... more buff than he was, which resulted in a difference in shirt size. At least the mock-proposal shirt did not make him look like a kid wearing his brother's clothes.
>>”I guess it was just serendipitous.”
Javier smiled as sat back, reaching down to hold Booker's hand. They were having a movie level romantic moment, but for now, he'd allow it without obsessing too much about what the catch might be.
"It almost makes the fight worth it" he chuckled in agreement "I don't think I would have ever said anything otherwise... or at least not any time soon. So... yay for crazy mutant movie geeks?..."
Javier felt like a teen again. Or rather... a college student, since technically, he had been very shy as a teen, and only began experimenting with the dating scene in college. Which meant that all the shy, awkward, heart-fluttering experiences were a part of his college years too. The whole thing had both upsides and downsides. But either way, even if he had crushes before, this one... was actually working out. Which he could scarcely believe. Someone like Booker, who was definitely amazing, returning the crush, that really only happened in romantic movies this easily. But just when Javier's brain was beginning to latch on to the idea that there had to be a catch, Booker was kissing him again, softly, all over.
>>”I do...I really...really...do…”
Javier was just about ready to melt into a puddle. The gentleness, the affection, the familiar touch, it was all enough to take his breath away. Booker liked him. Really liked him. Really really liked him. That thought was enough to sweep all overthinking aside as he was kissed again. It really was just too good. Once things were said, and confessed, and out in the open, there was really no anxiety anymore in Javier about enjoying all of it. The second kiss was just as soft, but longer; Javier slid his hands into Booker's hair again, still damp from the shower. Had he been told that he would end this day making out on a couch with a hot librarian slash occasional superhero, he would not have believed it. And yet, sometimes things did work out.
"Well... I'm happy with that" he smiled finally as they came up for air again. He really was. Giddy was a better word for it, maybe, but he was trying really hard not to be a teenage girl. He arched an eyebrow at Booker, still framing his face with his hands. "Tell me you didn't have the t-shirt lying around just for this."
There were a lot more factors to work clothes than fashion, even with mundane occupations. Being a vigilante, MRC sanctioned or otherwise, meant that the outfit had to go through a lot without giving up on its wearer. And in order to make sure he did the best work he could, Javier needed to ask some... specific questions.
>>"It is in shifts, I guess. I sign up for a shift as often as they let me. Sometimes that's just watching the school grounds so no kiddos sneak out-- which is harder to do than it sounds when the kids have powers, mind you. Sometimes we get calls from the police for backup."
Javier nodded. He knew that the X-men watched over Xavier's, and he also knew that the police tended to call them in when the MRC was overwhelmed, or when their specific powers were needed. Which made them more legit than lone wolf vigilantes... but probably also a lot busier. Which, once again, was relevant to the costume.
Javier got to measuring and jotting down numbers.
>>"I don't carry it around all the time. I don't wear it under my clothes all the time like the cartoons."
"Well, that makes it easier" he smirked "Because it probably would not be concealed as easily as in cartoons... I always wondered as a kid how they managed that." Most uniforms would stick out, show through, or, at the very least, would make going to the bathroom really complicated. "So... does that mean that you have to be able to get in and out of the outfit fast and easy?..." he asked, trailing off as he realized that the wording was not... quite right on that one.
Javier did have a crush on Booker. That had never been the question, but then again, Javier tended to have crushes on people he became friends with, more often than on celebrities or random strangers. The more time he spent with Booker, the more he liked him. And, eventually, he had to admit that he was attracted to the librarian. Spending time with him... was easy, despite the default awkwardness. Kissing him was easy too.
Once it was happening, there was no question in Javier's mind about whether or not he wanted to return the kiss. He wanted to melt into it, really, with the wave of warmth that spread over his skin. Booker lifted a hand to caress his face, and Javier shifted closer, going with the soft kiss, sliding his own hand into Booker's hair. The kiss ended as softly as it began, and they were left with their foreheads together, both a little breathless.
>>”You...have a crush on me… You like me?”
"Yeah, I like you" Javier admitted with a chuckle, catching his breath "I mean, you make it hard not to..." He was just so... Booker, with the smiles and the patience and the goofy jokes. Also, hot, which really was just the icing on the cake. But he had been the one who started the kiss, so... "... you like me?"
Okay, great, so he was rambling again. He could see the look on Booker's face soften as he talked. He was aware that the whole thing probably sounded pathetic from the outside; they both shielded each other in the fight, but while Booker was brave and heroic, Javier only managed to get knocked out by a table. He really did not talk to earn himself some pity; it just... kind of kept working out that way. So, he stopped. Booker probably had a very clear picture by now of how messy it was inside the tailor's head.
>>”Javier…?”
He looked up. Booker looked like was seriously considering something; probably something to say, something that would make Javier feel better. He was just... a kind and considerate person. Which, sadly, made Javier feel all the more helpless by comparison.
"Yes?"
>>”I’m...going to try something. Just...don’t freak out…”
As it usually happened when told not to freak out, Javier immediately freaked out. What was Booker going to do? The tailor's eyes grew wide for a moment as Booker shifted closer, and then... and then it just happened. There was a soft, careful pressure against his lips. Booker was kissing him.
"Don't freak out"?!
It was... not something that he'd ever imagined anywhere near the realm of reality. Booker was just... really, he was everything, he was just way too good to be true, outside of everyone's collective league. And yet, here they were, on the couch, and Booker was kissing him. Javier gasped in surprise, and then froze. Except, freezing was not the right term, because he actually felt warm all over. It washed over him like a wave, an almost unfamiliar physical sensation of actually wanting the contact. So, he eventually closed his eyes and shifted forward, tentatively kissing the librarian back. There were so many things that could go immediately wrong. But maybe they wouldn't?...
It was selfish to go off on a ramble about one's own traumatic experience, trying to talk and work through it, without acknowledging that someone else had also been through it. And anxiety was not an excuse for that kind of selfishness. Javier was generally a caring person; he wanted to make sure Booker was okay, and not overwhelm him with his own thinking out loud.
>>”Oh, yeah, heh, I’m okay. Couple of bruises, nothing more... I was scared, that much is true. But...if we’re being honest...the thing that most scared me was...seeing you possibly hurt.”
Javier grew more still. He looked over Booker; he could see some of the red marks from the zip line on his arms, but he was not cut or bleeding anywhere. In movies, sometimes people looked okay until they were not, from some wound they were heroically hiding. But Booker really seemed okay, even by Javier's standards of worry. But then he talked about how he was scared of seeing Javier hurt.
>>”Kinda like you, I discovered my abilities in a...pretty traumatic way… ...I’ve seen people get hurt. And...for some reason...I...really…really...didn’t want you to get hurt.”
Javier looked a Booker, and he really couldn't... say anything. It was just something in his face, or his eyes, or the soft touch on his arm as he talked. Javier felt half mesmerized and half scared that whatever he could say would come off as awful.
>>”So...I’m amazing right now...because I know you’re okay.”
His breath came out as a little laugh, and Javier shook his head. Really, he didn't deserve Booker like this, next to him. No one really did.
"See, that's... that's just you, Booker" he said with a chuckle "Whatever Lieutenant USA has, or whatever you cosplay as, it's not really... that. I still can't really believe you stepped in front of me, just like that. I guess I didn't think people did that, in real life... I mean... When... Flying Fox threw the table at us, I thought I could stop it, and just... I didn't want you to get hurt either. It didn't go... quite that well. And I was thinking about all these things, and what would happen, and... You just did it. It's just, you think of the kind of person who would do that, without thinking, and... god, sorry, I'm rambling again."
Javier was not even sure why he was rambling. Booker listened well, and very attentively; he was not laughing at him, and he showed all the small signs of empathy, like the touch on his arm. It made it easier to talk. Javier also talked because he hoped against all hope that eventually the jumble of words would arrange itself into something that explained at least part of what he was feeling. Which would have been nice, because he himself was not sure what he was feeling either. Except warmth, now that they were sitting side by side.
>>”You’re not a mess, though. You helped. How many people were just standing around, taking selfies or didn’t know what to do? Javier...you helped me. You didn’t have to...but you did... You...you know...you should give yourself a bit more credit. Clearly I’m not the only ‘hero’ around here...even if you don’t mean to be.”
"Well... I was following you." Javier admitted with a small smile. He was. He had been. Booker ran in to help, and Javier would have been a really sh*tty friend if he let him do it alone. Especially with his powers. Especially since Booker shielded him in the fight. Which he still did not know how to think of without feeling overwhelmed.
"When I was in college, one day... there was an accident at one of the labs. The whole thing caved in. I... managed to hold it up, until people got out, but then I got buried. I never really trusted my powers after that." he admitted "I think they have... something to do with my mental state. Or, don't know, maybe how focused I am. So when they were cutting in and out around you, I just... kind of assumed it was..."
Where was he going with this again?...
"... me being distracted."
Right.
"I mean, I was trying to help. But it's not... really heroic, if you can't actually help." he noted finally, looking down at his bruises. He glanced up at Booker and shook his head "Sorry, Booker. You were in that mess too. Are you doing okay?"
Javier wanted to just... sink. Into the ground, or out of existence, it didn't really matter, he just needed an out of the situation, somehow. Sure, it was impossible, but nice to think about while he tried to not say anything any more stupid than he already had, and also not look like he was about to pass out. Geez, there was really no way out. The couch shifted next to him, and he could tell that Booker was sitting right there. Javier took a deep breath. He was a mess. He managed to be a complete mess, after Booker invited him over we held hands and everything. Pathetic. This memory was going to be solely responsible for a whole lot of sleepless nights...
>>”Hey, it’s...okay. Really. We both...kind of...went through a lot. We’re bound to be a little...off right now. But you’re fine. I’m fine. No reason to be embarrassed here. I promise.”
He sounded so calm. There was a hand on his shoulder, and Javier managed to force himself to look up. Booker meant what he said, he always did. He was like... oil on water. His aura cancelled mutant powers, but there was something else about him that... was just calm. Javier let out a slow sigh. Maybe he would survive this day. One breath at a time.
"Thanks" he said finally, looking down at his hands. Booker was definitely wearing a shirt now, but still, he did not trust the blush all that much "I mean... for everything. It's... I have had powers for years and I never used them. I mean, I did, just... whenever it was a crisis, and there was no other choice. I'm not a vigilante, or a superhero, or anything, so I don't usually... talk about it. It never felt important." He really wasn't trying to make Booker pity him; he was probably doing that all on his own already. But talking helped make sense of things. "I'd be lying if I said I never had a wall collapse on me before..." he shuddered a little at the memory "But when things go wrong, my first instinct is to get out of there. It's just... how my brain works." He shrugged a little. Stating facts. "But back at the con, when those two started wrecking things, and hurting people, you ran straight into it to help people. I mean, sure, you were already dressed as a superhero..." he chuckled a little "... but seeing you act like one, that's... you're great, is what I'm saying. I'm kind of a mess, but. I am glad I was there."
Javier was only vaguely aware that the shower turned off. He actually was getting immersed in the story of the Lieutenant USA comic now, which was a much needed relief from reality, and overthinking things due to his strange new environment. The clatter, however... that he noticed. The tailor jumped, only managing by sheer luck not to spill coffee on Booker's comics. Turning around, he saw...
>>”...hi… Just...you know...left my shirt...out here…by accident.”
A very shirtless Booker fresh out of a shower.
Not like he had not seen the librarian shirtless before. He kinda had, during their costuming sessions... hell, he even had to rip a mock shirt off of him once. But that was different, because that was work, and kind of not a full picture, and at a distance, looking up... well. Javier inhaled some hot coffee, and went from staring straight to coughing fit. Saved by the lungs?... It was embarrassing either way. Damn.
"Tis okay" he managed finally, not sure where to look; he was sure the image was burned into his memory now, for better or worse "I mean, it's not like I haven't..." god no Javi why "... not like you need..." stop it just stop talking stop it "... I mean you obviously look really..." give up you lost admit it "... I'm such a dork. Sorry." That last part came out with a defeated sigh, as Javier set the coffee mug down, and flopped back on the couch, covering his face. "Sorry. I don't do well in people's personal... spaces. Or... in spaces. Or persons. In general."
Javier exited the bathroom, and the cooler air of the apartment felt good on his skin. Booker was in the kitchen, doing... kitchen things. Javier hoped that he did not take up too much time; the librarian also deserved a shower and some clean clothes after what they had just been through.
>>”Haha, well thank you. Um, I’ve set some coffee if you want to pour yourself a mug when it’s done. Sit back and relax if you want for now?”
"Sounds good" Javier nodded with a smile. Coffee sounded good. Honestly, he was starving, but he was not going to bring that up until later. He knew that if he had been the host, he would already be stressing about feeding his guests anyway.
>>”OH, and put your...pants...in there. I’ll set the washer once I’m out. Okay?”
Javi nodded, and Booker disappeared in the bathroom. He put his carefully folded laundry in the basket, and then went to pour himself a mug of coffee and some milk, before he found a comfortable spot on the living room couch. He relaxed with a sigh, and waited for the coffee to cool to a drinkable temperature. Trying to make himself at home. Trying to not think too much about the fact that Booker was showering one door away.
"Get a grip, Javier" he muttered to himself, and looked around. On the coffee table, he discovered some Lieutenant USA comics; Booker must have used them for reference recently, because the costumes looked familiar. He picked a volume up, flipping through it. It had been quite a while since he'd read comics... He started going page by page, trying to pick up on storylines and characters. Lieutenant USA was a pretty straightforward character; but despite the great artwork, Javier had to admit, Booker managed to be a lot more likable somehow. How he did it was a mystery. Javier sipped the coffee, and turned the pages, slowly settling into the story.
