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.
Posted by Locke N. Tori on Dec 18, 2013 23:34:47 GMT -6
Beta Mutant
566
2
Jul 29, 2017 19:08:13 GMT -6
Locke shook his head, grinning in the way a parent does when their child misinterprates something. “I already told you, you won’t get to time to make sure you’re comfy when you have to defend yourself.” The time had come for action. Slipping his attention back towards the ground around where Ms. Summers Felt, Locke’s fingers twitched and the earth responded, leaping up and at Ms. Summers. The action was to simply catch Evelyn off guard, as the attack was followed up by a low wave of dirt to make her stumble backwards. It was easy for people to assume that anything involving the earth or stones moved in slow motion. Locke had believed the same thing at first with his golems. When he had to find water in a desert that the Danger Room had created however, Locke’s eyes were opened up to the possibility of his powers having a surprising element of speed.
The second attack that Locke made on Evelyn had been meant to keep her safe from the impact of the first one. Should she be sweeped off her feet then the first blow wouldn’t hit her in the chest. She had been given plenty of time to establish what she could use to defend herself, and he had to at least see how she would respond. No fully formed Fluffy yet, but just because the ground wasn’t walking around did not mean that Earthwalker was any less dangerous. Things were bad when Locke was still, because it meant that he could be in any place his powers extended to. Over time he had developed a thick skin, blocking out most outside stimulus when using his powers. Oh sure he could currently see Ms. Evelyn, but she was no more important in his actual field of vision than the tiny corner of the nose you can see. What mattered more was the information that he was getting from Fluffy.
Technically speaking the best way that Ms. Summers could defend herself at the present moment was to deal Locke himself. Without his input the earth would not keep it’s altered shape. And while he was the one who was controlling the attacks on Ms. Summers, the idea was for her to defend herself against Fluffy, not the man supervising. The wave meant to through Ms. Summers off balance continued on, curving and heading back towards her. Like the waves of the ocean escalating up into a crescendo, this new strike was building in power. Locke had been working with Fluffy, seeking as always to find new improvements. A few properly placed stones, combined with a hollowed out section allowed for a grating noise, like two cinder blocks dragging against each other, as Fluffy rasped out a simple command.
Posted by Locke N. Tori on Dec 5, 2013 23:39:10 GMT -6
Beta Mutant
566
2
Jul 29, 2017 19:08:13 GMT -6
The Tori men were generally thought to be relatively harmless and fairly easy going. In his life there were only a few events that managed to ruffle Hugo's feathers. Locke kept his lips shut when something bothered him, and he had been called "Rock man" long before his mutation had been present because of how he faced life's chaos with a stony face. Chris often was in a world of his own, a happy carefree kid that only seemed scared when there was thunder and lightning. However, if you tried to mess with their girls, you would be punished, and punished harshly. Locke was on a rampage with Fluffy, picking up the body he had made fall and swinging it into another biker that he had seen before slipping into the gravel and rock companion that was just barely being less destructive than Bad Wolf. He was aware of someone aproaching him, and his grip on Chris's leg tightened because of it. Chris however was just as furious as his big brother, and even with his small size, he wasn't going to let this unruly crowd get away with making his big sister scared.
If a stranger tries to hurt you, and it's a guy, Locke taught them, hit low and hit hard. Mai didn't understand why that advice was given, though she knew that such a hit when in a movie or cartoon show made both her brothers cringe. Chris got it, and he had good aim to hit that specific area. He didn't know that the one with the Bad Wolf jacket also flew his big brother to help save the world. The fact that Streak had greeted Locke before Chris punched seemed a little wierd though.
Two of the pack saw that their fun was being hampered and decided that something needed to be done about that. At first it seemed as if the pair had decided to retreat, rushing back outside with their heads ducked low as they plowed through the chaos. However with the stench of gasoline and the revving of engines, it became clear that they had chosen to use the Lion's Head as their own personal race track.
Posted by Locke N. Tori on Dec 5, 2013 23:03:39 GMT -6
Beta Mutant
566
2
Jul 29, 2017 19:08:13 GMT -6
Here Locke was, claiming that he was not the Bruce Lee fighting sort, and his student used freaking sais. Where does someone even find those, unless they are looking specifically for children's toys that allowed them to act out the part of the turtle in red. For actual ninja tools of the trade, he was pretty sure that you had to capture a ninja and devour its heart, and that only happened on the third Tuesday of every other odd numbered month. Ms. Summers on the other hand had access to the items on display in a museum. If she wanted to use a t-rex bone to club her attackers, she just needed to decide if she wanted the femur or a toe bone. Somehow it did not seem right that she was teaching herself how to use weapons that Locke could only describe in the most vague of terms, such as three pointed pointy thing.
"You're over analyzing," Locke said with a grin. He had the same sort of tendency when talking to attractive girls sometimes, and he did the same problem with math and science work. Logic helped with learning other subjects, but too much logic in subjects that already had a heaping helping of it naturally built in it made for potato clocks that do not work. "What you use in the past isn't going to help right now. Well not exactly. You learn from the past experiences and your body will build up muscle memory. Reflexes." Locke thought about how many times he had used his powers without actively thinking of them. Fluffy had often caught people by surprise as the earth jumped up to protect the teen when his body first caught wiff of danger.
What he could see for defense was a really simple thing. There were trees around them, heck, Locke was standing underneath one. Part of why Locke had not brought Fluffy up yet was the roots that he was going to have to work around. He had first hand experience with what happened when trees lost their hold of the earth that held them. Locke wasn't going to risk having a tree fall down upon his head. Not only that but the trees, should Evelyn choose to climb up one, provided a blind spot in Locke's earth sense.
Posted by Locke N. Tori on Dec 1, 2013 22:02:07 GMT -6
Beta Mutant
566
2
Jul 29, 2017 19:08:13 GMT -6
Locke was use to being called younger than he sounded. For years people thought that it was his father answering the phone once Locke’s voice had stopped squeaking like a sixth grader’s attempts to play the clarinet. Only when people actually met the young adult did they realize that he was not the elderly man that he sounded like. It would be a few years still before people actually got the right idea about Locke’s age. Until then he would continue to baffle people on the phone and have people asking him for identification when he wanted to se R rated films. He wasn’t looking forward to his twenty first birthday if all that awaited him on that day was going to be going to a bar and getting as sloppy drunk as his dorm mates were. In high school Locke’s birthday fell into the category of students who didn’t have their birthdays recognized. College had different vacation lengths, and depending upon what sort of activities or organizations you were a part of, and it was entirely possible that he would be spending that momentous day surrounded by those morons who now were singing “What the fox says”.
“Business must be good this time of the year,” Locke said as he looked down at the table. Talking to females had become easier for him. Still managing to handle large crowds was a challenge. Locke needed noise, especially at night, but this was too loud and too packed for him to be at ease, even if he wasn’t a part of the festivities. The bar was close enough to his college’s apartments that any major academic situation may well drive the campus’s population here. There were plenty of students around and plenty of chances for the bar to make money. Melissa talked about the thickness of the walls to which Locke could only nod his head. He was able to sense the walls presence on the ground, and as such could ‘see’ what sort of impact they had upon the earth. There was a sense of width, but not stability in what his earth sense told him.
“Better for them to be thick,” he managed to say after some serious amount of thinking. He didn’t understand why he was the person that she felt would be best suited to talk to. As a host at the bar it seemed to be logical to make nice with the patron who was being the most free with their money. So far there was nothing that Locke had done to suggest that he would be a good source of income for the bar. In fact he had even said that he was here as a chaperone. Designated drivers, or in his specific case, walkers, were not likely to be buying any alcohol, and a coke did not cost nearly as much as a beer. Probably it was because Locke was the only person in here that didn’t look likely to try and grab at her butt or something.
Posted by Locke N. Tori on Nov 10, 2013 19:36:52 GMT -6
Beta Mutant
566
2
Jul 29, 2017 19:08:13 GMT -6
Wherever Locke went, trouble was sure to follow. Be it something as simple as getting caught in a rainstorm, or something as dangerous as a stalker mom, Locke attracted not only dirt, but problems. Tonight was hardly any different it seemed. There was a rather loud kafuffle coming from the front of the hotel. Locke had been around enough frat boys to recognize a party being crashed. His grip on Chris tightened. Mai was sensible, but her brother was unpredictable. Chris might very well decide to go rushing to the biker gang to see what that tattoo on that man’s face was. Not that there was anything wrong with people who had facial tattoos, or even people that rode motorcycles. Some of the nicest people liked to ride hogs or had ink on their face
What set Locke’s protective senses a tingling was the way that the gang handled people. The leader had no just cause for shoving people around, and what’s more the gang that followed behind were being even more rowdy than the man who had started it all. Evelyn was trying to stop one of the gang after there was some new adjustments to the floor plan. What people had been assuming was a hump, something that was easy to believe with the way that Locke had to slouch over to be able to hold onto his siblings hands without dislocating their shoulders, was actually his backpack filled with the portable Fluffy. The Lion’s Head was made with enough concrete that Locke had materials for an army of golems. Doing so though would weaken the structural integrity of the hotel. It wouldn’t do anyone any good if he stopped the gang by making the entire hotel fall in on them.
Be it their lessons together or the aide that came to help her by form of a giant stuffed lion? she was alright for the moment. One of the gang members, a man built wider than Locke, thought the crouching teen and the little kid might make a good target for mayhem. Hands were placed on Locke’s shoulders as he was reaching into the backpack. Big mistake. When Locke’s body went rigid, danger usually followed for any who dared to harm him. Chris was pulled underneath the safety of his big brother’s lanky form just in time to see a rush of gravel fly out from Locke’s backpack and strike the biker squarely in the jaw. He always knew that his big brother was a superhero, and now he saw it for himself.
Fluffy, underneath the guidance of Locke shoved the unconscious body of the biker out of the way and started lumbering forwards. Something important had vanished from Locke’s ‘sight’, and he was pissed. Mai had been with the “twins” but he could not sense her. Either she had climbed up onto something or…
“Locke!” Mai called as she was lifted higher into the air by Chuck, who was heading directly to the elevator that the guy in the bathrobe had been hiding in earlier. The “twins” who had been connected for the sake of the creepy conjoined affect were dragged along and tossed like dirty laundry into the elevator. His hands emptied Chuck hit the elevator button with a meaty fist.
Posted by Locke N. Tori on Nov 7, 2013 23:21:50 GMT -6
Beta Mutant
566
2
Jul 29, 2017 19:08:13 GMT -6
Even if he hadn't asked it, Evelyn still answered the question of "What do you do?". Now if only Locke had any idea what to do with hyper awareness or voices in the head. awareness he could work with, since that was the power that the two had sort of in common. She said that she couldn't turn hers off, but Locke, while in a similar position, didn't always have that extra input. "Just paying attention isn't enough,"Locke said, noting how Evelyn hadn't answered his question. She picked up on the soft tumbling of the dirt as little clods of it were loosened up. No Fluffy yet, but she still noticed something that most didn't. He thought carefully how to say the next part, not wanting to sound like those math teachers who made him feel dumb for not getting the concepts of trigonometry or fair division. "All that you see isn't important. If it were any normal person could pick apart a magician's act. For right now, what matters is what you can use."
There, he had managed to give her a gentle nudge back to the question of what was around that she could use to keep herself safe. Maybe what he should do next was try and get Evelyn to pay less attention to what her awareness was telling her. It took him time and practice to understand what his earth sense told him, but Locke needed his powers to operate like any other person. When his earth sense was turned off Locke had problems with depth, bumping into things without meaning to, even in familiar surroundings. "Now take a deep breath and hold it, keep all your head voices tightly together," The idea was to get Ms. Summers to listen only to the most important bits of information that her powers gave her. He'd go half mad if he payed attention to how bugs moved about on the ground.
Locke abandoned the earth where he had been messing with it, testing out another spot. Heat and humidity had an affect on how well his powers worked. Sun dried earth on a day with low humidity made Fluffy more prone to crumbling, but generally it hit harder. Mud, caused by a good amount of moisture could make things stick together well, but resulted in gushing rather than hitting. He was not only getting a sense of his student, but also what would be the best location to take her by surprise from.
Posted by Locke N. Tori on Oct 30, 2013 23:21:53 GMT -6
Beta Mutant
566
2
Jul 29, 2017 19:08:13 GMT -6
Just getting into the hotel was hardly enogh for Chuck. There had been a question of his authority when he was asked to leaveand he didn't take kindly to being given orders. To add salt to the wound, it had been his bike that forced them to stay at the Lion's Head. Had it been anyone else in the pack, he'd have left them behind. If you couldn't even keep your hog running, you had no rights to wearing the Bad Wolf emblem. He could hardly call himself the leader if he failed to get his Harley running again. So with injured pride he now had to be boasterous. Distract the pack from his own failings by giving them this toybox to play in. They were, for the most part, not too bright a bunch.
Chuck got the party started by purposefully shoving patrons out of the way, sending them crashing into antiquated furniture and walls. Clouds of dust rose as plaster from the ceiling was loosened and came crashing down. No verbal command was needed to tell the Wolves to make some hell. Wrists of young ladies were grabbed with lewed suggestions made. Hired actors that had missed the entrance found that there shouts meant to startle were returned, often with a headbutt. One side table that had been broken by Chuck's barging through the crowd was picked up and tossed through a wall.
The Lion's Head was strucually strong, but the walls were still old and brittle enough to crumble at such enthusiastic rowdiness.
Posted by Locke N. Tori on Oct 26, 2013 23:22:01 GMT -6
Beta Mutant
566
2
Jul 29, 2017 19:08:13 GMT -6
Outside of the Lion's head, a small army of motercycles burped out noxious, toxic exhaust fumes. Bad Wolf, terror of New York City had returned to wreck havoc on their stomping grounds after a campaign on the East Coast. It was just one of those happy chances of fate that had lined up their arrival on October the thirty-first, specifically where the traffic for Fright Night at The Lion's Head caused them to be iddling. Not only were they penned in by the traffic, but Chuck, the leader of the gang was having mechanical issues with his hog. With an impressivegrinding sound, the power to his ride was cut.
"We're heading in boys," Chuck bellowed. His voice had always been rather loud, but years of shouting orders over choppers had gigfted the man with a foghorn volume. If his ride wasn't getting him anywhere, none were moving on that night. Chuck knew that the Lion's head hadbeen closed for years. He didn't think that it had ever really been open.
Bad Wolf was in for quite the surprise as they burst their way into the hotel, onlyy to find it occupied. The ticketman at the door recovered from his shock and approached the biker gang, tryining to express authoriy as they demanded either the entrance fee be paid, or that they politely leave. "Relax! It's a hotel ain't it?" Chuck yelled, his volume not decreasing even if they were indoors. One of the bikers put the ticketman in a headlock and dragged him along behind. "We're allowed a bed ain't we?"
Posted by Locke N. Tori on Oct 22, 2013 21:47:03 GMT -6
Beta Mutant
566
2
Jul 29, 2017 19:08:13 GMT -6
Locke grinned as a ghost drew near. He didn't leave his room much, so seeing someone that he not only recognized, but had interacted with was pretty awesome. Not wanting to make her break character, but still wishing to acknowledge that he saw his first student, Locke nodded to Ms. Summers. The twins had wanted to do something fun on Halloween, but Locke ahd just wanted to visit the Lion's Head. He liked history.
Mai found something that she liked. "Twins!" Mai exclaimed, letting go of Locke's arm to dash over to two young teen girls. There weren't many sets of multiples in her school, so finding people that came in pairs like her thrilled Mai. Especially if it was a set of girls. Mai didn't realize yet that the girls in the pretty dresses were actresses hired to scare people. Locke gave a small cry of his sister's name, but didn't worry too much. His heart knew every detail about his aiblings, and for the first six yeara of their lives, Locke's powers had been picking up on the impressions that the twins mhad on the earth.
And Chris was demanding his attention now. Locke's arm was being shaken now. "Locke! Locke!" Chris said in a whisper. At least what Chris considered a whisper. As quuiet as Locke was, Chris could be loud. "It's Officer Jenny!"
Locke looked over his shoulder to sneak a peek at what had caught Chris's attention. He hadn't followed Pokemon like his younger brother, but he did know what the plush animal was. His attention back on Chris jhe was surprised to see something more than adoration on Chris's face. How could it be taht Chris had a crush nine years earlier than it took for Locke to get one? Then again, KD was real. This was someone from a cartoon show.
Posted by Locke N. Tori on Oct 22, 2013 11:31:54 GMT -6
Beta Mutant
566
2
Jul 29, 2017 19:08:13 GMT -6
Perhaps this would be easier if Locke knew what Ms. Summers’ powers were. The problem was that Locke had grown to be hesitant of asking that question. It was one of the most repeated things at the mansion, followed shortly after by stories of people running away from home. Not that it was going to make any difference because in the end, according to Ms. Summers, her powers weren’t something that she could turn off. In a way he was the same, though he didn’t have Fluffy running around next to him all the time. The earth sense didn’t turn off either unless he was not touching the ground, or, of course, there was an adapt nearby. “Alright, so no training how to use your powers,” Locke said, seeking clarification and confirmation.
Ms. Summers reaction to a casual mention of Fluffy was classic. Just looking at Locke it was hard to say what exactly his powers were. Oh the dirt thing was pretty easy to guess. It stuck to Locke’s pants, especially on the hems of his legs. There were plenty of people that did things with dirt or sand or anything else like it at the school, but Locke’s powers were the only one that manifested itself as a human shape, and his diversity of materials that he could work with was extensive. “Oh you’ll meet Fluffy. He’s never too far from me.” Especially with the gear that Locke had for trips away from the mansion. Locke had a backpack full of gravel that could make a golem roughly his height.
“So defense right?” Defense he could do. He was defense. “First thing is paying attention to your surroundings.” Of course Locke didn’t know how well Ms. Summers paid attention to her surroundings. “Knowing not only when you’re in danger but what there is around you to keep you safe.” Locke’s mind raced through the topmost layer of soil, feeling it buzz pleasantly. The earth wasn’t just a pile of stones and compressed dirt. Even the most stationary pebble had a life, but most people just did not see it. As always the dirt was waiting for him, ready for Locke to give it shape. “What do you see?” he asked, pulling some of the dirt together under the topmost surface. Fluffy needed to be formed underneath the ground, at least partially, before it could cause havoc above.
Posted by Locke N. Tori on Oct 12, 2013 22:26:31 GMT -6
Beta Mutant
566
2
Jul 29, 2017 19:08:13 GMT -6
It was Locke's favorite holiday, and this year he was spending it with two of his favorite people. Kendra had agreed to fly out to New York City for a visit, and with her came his little brother and sister. The family had decided to head to the haunted house event at the Lion's Head. For the twins it was all about the fun of Halloween, and spending time with their big brother. Chris still viewed Locke as a hero. How close that was to the truth was unknown to the kid. Locke needed a break from the whole saving the world while being a fulltime student. Tonight the Earthwalker was just a guy dressed like a zombie, a minion hanging off one arm, and a clown/cowboy/doctor on the other.
"Did you really take someone else Trick or Treating?" the costume confused nine year old asked, pulling his brother in one direction, while his minion sister went the other, trying to hide from a tall man who looked like his chest was a chest of drawers. Chris's question sounded like an accusation. Locke grinned and angled his body to keep Mai hidden. Chris had always been the bolder of the two, but once Mai knew that she was going to be safe, she'd be into the haunted house.
"It's not like that. Kid needed a chaperone," Locke explained. There was a ding and a false elevator door opened to an empty space. Mai peeked out just as a "guest" dresed in an oversized bathrobe screamed and closed the elevator door. Sensing that Mai needed to know that it was suppose to happen, he gave her hand a squeeze and laughed. Mai looked up at him and gave that little grin that all women do when they can't believe what men find funny. "You know what? The RA for my dorm did that same thing last week, only he had on bunny slippers too." It was a small lie to make his sister feel more at ease.
Posted by Locke N. Tori on Oct 7, 2013 22:20:34 GMT -6
Beta Mutant
566
2
Jul 29, 2017 19:08:13 GMT -6
"Please baby, I'm begging you," a new mother pleaded, near tears with exhaustion. Colic wasn't just some health issue that mother's told their daughters about to scare them into not having children. It was a real issue and meant nights of little to no sleep that bled into weeks. There just seemed to be no end to her daughter's wails, and the neighbors above, below, and on both sides let their displeasure over the noise show. Their pounding on the walls, floor and ceiling of her apartment just upset the crying baby more. All she wanted was some sleep for her small family. Was that too much to ask?
The atmosphere inside of the two bedroom apartment became all the more tense as the mother lifted up the wailing infant. The cries were raising up to a newer pitch, as though something was physically hurting the baby. The mother couldn't tell which was worse, that her daughter seemed to be so pained or that she just wanted her to shut up. The walls were pressing in on them both, and her nerves were so tightly wound that they would snap in the next breath. A powerful thunderstorm trapped inside of a cramped apartment, needing to break.
And then her daughter yawned, the action interrupting the wailing. A dazed expression settled in on her little rosebud's face, as though that bottle of warm milk had finally taken affect. The mother yawned, feeling the exhaustion draining the last remnants of frustration out of her. Maybe tonight they would be able to get some rest if the trick or treaters managed to stay away from their door. The tv had been turned off in an attempt to keep the baby from crying, and now that sleep seemed to be at hand, the mother was going to call it a night. Her arms felt so much more heavy than the small weight of the infant, and her own head started to droop.
Wind carried the heavy and intoxicating scent of roses up into the nursery. The bushes had been planted the week before hand and offered a bit of beauty to look out over as she rocked her child. Even the sounds of the city, normally so loud and frantic, seemed to soften up. The world could be so peaceful as long as her little rosebud slept, as though time had frozen. Another round of yawns started up, and the young mother found herself quite unable to stand up out of the rocking chair. Her mind was becoming fuzzy as sleep seduced her.
Posted by Locke N. Tori on Oct 6, 2013 22:36:20 GMT -6
Beta Mutant
566
2
Jul 29, 2017 19:08:13 GMT -6
"I'm not going to tell you to do something if I don't think it will help,"Locke said, trying to offer some reassurance to Ms. Summers that he wasn't throwing out random orders, even if the not twisting an ankle one seemed to make sense to him. He wasn't sure how she would respond to him saying that he was trying to figure out her weight. As inarticulate as Locke could be around girls, including his girlfriend, he had enough sense about him to know that anything related to weight with females was a minefield that can only be traveled if you are into guys. "Look at it this way. When the situation demands you defend yourself, your attacker isn't going to wait until you're comfortable. If this is awkward for you now and you feel unbalanced, you'll be prepared for the future."
Only you couldn't fully prepare for the future. Locke knew that going into the Danger Room was going to be a test of his skills every time. Things never felt right in there, and he had learned a bit of flexibility. However his last note worthy experience had ended up with the pins in his leg getting pulled out of place. He should have known that the person who controlled metal might be able to affect him, but the teen had forgotten about that aspect of his anatomy. So you couldn't be fully prepared, but you could at least know how to handle a few things. First up for Ms. Summer was getting dirty.
Even if his powers didn't draw dirt to him like some strange magnet, Locke would still end up messy with each exercise or excursion. There was blood with the shoot out, dirt from trees being pulled up by the roots at Christmas, and matter best left unknown flung at him by monkeys on the island. You can't save the world with out getting a little messy in the process, and you couldn't stay safe without doing the same thing. It was like how no matter how tidy an eater you were, if there is a two year old with food within a five foot radius of you, you'd end up with some sticky spot of skin.
Evelyn grumbled a little about it, but in the end she did take off her shoes, which probably made her as uncomfortable as it made Locke comfortable. "So what were you hoping to learn today? Something power based or just typical martial arts? Because I'll be honest with you," Locke took a deep breath, "I'm no Jackie Chan. All I do is wrestle with Fluffy."
In partnership with the New York City Police and Fire departments, the Historical Preservation Society had planned this Haunted House. Without a doubt the Lion's Head Hotel held an antiquated feeling. The building itself was structurally sound, but with the collapse of the Stock Market, and the struggling economy that followed in the years after had given the dated wallpaper and architectural details an eerie feeling. Nearly seventy years of the building being closed had given it the abandoned factor needed for spooks. Well planned and organized spooks controlled by volunteers of course. Much of the atmosphere that made this such a convincing haunted house was the original hotel. The walls had not been knocked down to make room for crowds of people to move about, there were few false walls for hired performers to hide behind and jump out at people. In fact most of those false walls were up to keep the patrons of the haunted house from wandering into rooms that might be less than safe, or to keep some of the most historical elements safe.
Not much had to be done for aging the Lion's Head. Cobwebs were as authentic as the crown molding. Some of the nights profits would go to the removal of the graffiti that made it seem as though mentally ill patients had been given a can of paint and told to express the word invocation. Actors dressed as if they were employees or guests from the Lion's Head back in it's glory days. The idea was that they were people who simply didn't know that they were dead. Disturb and maybe startle the patrons, but don't terrorize them. Past Halloweens in New York City had been rather... eventful. This year there was going to be someplace where families could bring their small children without fear of blackouts or costumed people convinced that they were zombies, witches, or Greek gods.
