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 Welldrinker Cult
A shadowy group is gaining power, drawing in people who are curious, vulnerable, or malicious, and turning them into Mystics. They are recruiting people into their ranks to spread the influence of magic in the world, but for what end goal?
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.
Zek barely held himself back from responding to the witch comment. He settled for not reacting whatsoever. Instead he filed it away for later, since the girl was willing to...look for the next Zek was accused of making. Well, a little witchcraft never hurt anyone, he thought, conveniently ignoring most historical accounts of witchcraft.
It was always good to play up the mystery. The time for blatant lies would come soon enough.
Zek continued maintaining an expressionless expression…the mafia?!
How. Freakin’. COOL!
Zek stook a small series of sips from his slushie. Slrp slrp slrp. He smacked his lips together and let out a contented, “Aaaah…” deliberately drawing out his response. He furrowed his brow and stared off at a fixed point in the distance. An eyebrow arched. A thumb and forefinger stroked the scruff on his chin. Thinking. Thinking. He was thinking. Didn’t he look like he was thinking? Or contemplating, even! Contemplating, meditating, weighing, considering, PONDERING.
He waited until an awkward amount of time had passed, then waited another couple of seconds. Sluurrrrrrp. Mmmmm. Enjoy the melting ice and syrup. Luxuriate in it. Close your eyes and count to four. One.
Two.
Three.
“Yeah, okay,” Zek said chipperly. She really wasn’t that bad a judge of character. “I’ll do it for half the profits you make off this adventure. So what’s the plan, Judge Judy?”
Sluuuurrrrrrrp. Zek met the girl’s stare as he continued enjoying his treat. THen she gave up on the act.
“My heart bleeds,” he said offhandedly before going back for another slurp. Oh no, the girl hadn’t gotten any Christmas presents since she was 12. Oh no, how could she stand having gone a whole seven months since Christmas. Oh no. The poor wretch. Such an awful childhood. No wonder she was reduced to zapping guys and dragging them into alleys. Seven whole months. Zek was surprised she hadn’t already gone on a murder spree.
“Actually,” Zek said. “I have never vaporized any random men who were bothering women. Scout’s honor.” He held up three fingers. They were the wrong three fingers. He had never been a scout. The girls had figured him out pretty quick when he’d tried to infiltrate their organization to get a drop on the cookielicious loot.
He had to admit, though, the kid talked tough. And it didn’t seem like bluster. Something was weird about the girl. Well, weirder than what he’d already seen. Which was fine by Zek -weird people made life interesting.
“Nah, keep your hoes - they’re only good for ploughing and unsuited for fertilizing and stuff,” Zek said, waving a hand dismissively. “I’m more interested in these desserts. What are you thinking? Apple pie? Creme brulee? Heads on a stick? Low-fat froyo with a side of pain and torture?” He indicated the unconscious guy, in case the girl had forgotten him. “And should I assume the, ah, catering is for a party this guy’s supposed to be at?”
Zek was wondering what a little fresh-faced girl was doing in this part of town at this time. He was also wondering why a full-grown man was stretched out on the ground of the alley by the girl. That question, at least, was answered a bit when she tazed him to render him unconscious again.
Well that told him a few things about her, but now he had so many more questions. Like, was that a genuine, limited edition Howdy Kitten purse from the exclusive 1989 run? By the time the girl answered him, Zek was already figuring out that, yeah, this girl was okay. Well, maybe not okay in the head or in lifestyle choices, but at least capable of handling herself.
Also, there was something about child trafficking. And a missing sister.
Right. Riiiiiight.
Zek’s face was impassive, almost downright bored, as the girl seemed to start breaking down right in front of him. He took a good, long, noisy slurp of his slushie. Sluuuuuuuuuurrrrrrp.
He looked down at the girl. Then at the stunned guy. Then back at the girl. “Sounds to me like they’re going to sell her to the Peruvian child trafficking ring,” Zek said thoughtfully. Zek had dealt with enough underaged girls trying to get into the club to get a sense when the big ol’ teary puppy eyes were a fake. He was getting a similar sense here. He just made sure he was outside of her range with the stun gun.
But on the bright side,” he continued, plastering on a smile like you’d see on someone in an infomercial. “This just means more presents for you on Christmas, huh?” Zek jerked a thumb in the direction the girl was pointing. “And I’ll bet if you go over there, you could convince them to cut you in on a little of the profit. You know, hush money.”
Sometimes Zek got bored. No, scratch that. Zek tended to live in a perpetual state of boredom. He’d thought moving to the Big Apple would solve that, but....well, it kinda did. He’d certainly been meeting a colorful cast of characters lately. But Zek also liked seeing what was out there. So on his off nights when he wasn’t expected to be at the nightclub, Zek liked to explore different parts of the city. He was always looking for new sitting buildings, at least. As in,buildings on which to sit on top of and watch everything around him.
But tonight he wasn’t really finding any good buildings, or even good actions or distractions. He’d gotten a kitty out of a tree for a little boy, but that was it. Still, it had been enough for him to decide to treat himself to a giant blueberry slushie, the 64 ounce kind that was guaranteed to give you brain freeze and a sugar high.
This part of town just made Zek think of plastic apples. That had been left too close to a fire, and now they’re mostly turned into a congealed puddle of grossness and stank something fierce and persistent that was going to stay in your nose all day.
So not a total waste of a night off, really.
He slurped his slushie through the big ol’ straw and continued walking down the sidewalk. Ahead of him, a big brute of a man was kinda ,shouting/talking loudly for someone else, something dealing with some mildly illegal activity. Zek’s interest was piqued. GRanteld, it was late, but anyone being so open about stuff was either really ldumb or really didn’t care.
Either way, Zek was curious. Especially when a little girl popped out of an alley to bring the guy into it. Now why do I feel like I watched a Venus flytrap in action?
By the time he reached the entrance of the alley, he could hear the girl distinctly voicing her lack of consent. Zek quickened his step and came into view, his slushie in one hand and a golden orb in his other hand. He quickly took in the not-pleased look on the girl and the guy’s hand on her and made his choice.
“Smile for the camera!” he called out cheerily, snapping the ball at the guy. The guy vanished in a quick burst of light. “Whoops! My bad! Forgot to change the white balance!”
Zek looked down at the girl. “You okay? Was the guy bothering you?” he asked. He slurped his slushie.
Zek nodded at Ice Ice Baby’s name and casually pulled his trenchcoat closer together. Maybe it was the ice water he’d just had but it seemed to be getting colder. Well, maybe if he talked even more, he’d warm himself up a little.
Well, he’d talk about other things than the Romanian camps, at least. Maybe it was the short and clipped responses, or perhaps the eyepatch, but Sammy Snowball just seemed a little murderous about the subject. “I see,” Zek drawled, nodding thoughtfully and squelching all the little jokes and barbs his mind was coming up with. I’ll just save those for later.
“I’m good, Sam, I like...water,” Zek said, matching Sam-Sam’s cadence exactly. “Although I wouldn’t mind an aqueous martini, Sam, but only if you have olives.” He’d read of such things a while back and thought they sounded amazing. The martini, that is, not the olives. He already knew those were amazing.
Zek completely ignored all the commotion coming from the last two dumbbells frozen by the pool table. Wasn’t his job. Besides, Sir Samalot had an eye on it. Which means, they have his undivided attention. Zek fought back a grin, failed, so turned into the smile instead.
“So, Sam, if I understand you right, Sam,” he began, lacing his fingers together and resting his chin on them as he leaned on the bar. “You got drunk, Sam, and thought to yourself, ‘Sam, you should buy this bar, er, dive, Sam’ because it made you homesick.” He stared up at Samtonio Banderas. “You know, Sam, normally people ask if you were born in a barn, Sam, but I’ve never heard of someone being born in a bar, Sam. I guess that explains the lived-in look around here then,” Zek finished.
“And yeah, Sam, pocket dimensions. Maybe. Sure, that works. How about you, Sam? Wait, let me guess! Does it involve you having a little sister who always wanted you to play with her and build snowmen with her?” Zek’s eyes were practically sparkling with awe.
Zek took a loooong sip of water. So it seemed Mr. Snowman owned this place. Zek deliberately kept the water in his mouth and made a huge show of looking all around the joint, twisting his head all over the place, as if he’d never seen any of it before. “Love the decor,” he said after swallowing. There really wasn’t anything worth a spit take.
Zek watched Arctic Chill take up a bartender role and he decided to make his way over. His water was getting low anyways.
Hopping up on a bar stool, he grabbed the bar with his off hand for balance and swung his feet up on the adjacent stool. He smirked briefly as briefly considered completely lying. The name’s Ette. Jacque Ette. But he didn’t think Icy Hot would buy that for a moment. “M’name’s Zek,” he said. “But my friends call me Zek.” Zek knocked back the rest of his water and gently slammed the glass down on the bar.
“So what’s your name, Frostbeard?” he said. “I’m willing to bet fifty cents there’s an excellent story around that eye patch, Mr. Ex-Bounty-Bounter-And-Cop-Bar-Owner.” Also, he was starting to run out of nicknames for Mr. Freeze-pop. “Also, why a….” he paused to blatantly look around the bar again. “...bar?” Could he help it if his voice inflected funny on “bar”? Well, yeah. He could’ve. But he did it on purpose.
Few things passed the time better than needling folks.
Posted by Zek on Jul 3, 2020 17:11:33 GMT -6
Cold Steel likes this
Gamma Mutant
Dinner first!
[redacted]
461
33
May 18, 2024 7:01:58 GMT -6
Zek
The gryphon wanted to fly, but it knew there wasn’t room. The air was dead as well and to get anything it would need a running start. This ground made that treacherous. But slow stalking was fine as well, especially since its prey couldn’t fly and didn’t look too fast either. Although the Familiar Thing was with the Enemy. That...made the gryphon feel…
It shook its head and rubbed at its beak with the side of a scaly talon. The gryphon ignored the cries of other potential prey as they fled in all directions (except up and down, of course). It had its eyes set on one in particular. It’s incredible, keen eyes, able to pick out signs of exertion and fear on the prey.
The gryphon stalked its target over the strange ground momentarily lost it as it opened a crack in one of the flat cave walls that made up its cage. THe gryphon roared and surged forward, succeeding in sliding further and further. It made it to cave wall. And the crack was gone.
“SHKREEE!” it shrieked, looking for another opening.. But then its ears perked. Over the unholy noise surrounding it, the gryphon heard...the Familiar.
It whirled around, its tail slamming against the differently colored part of the wall that hid the crack the Enemy had used. It could still hear her in there, especially at this range. But right now something else had its attention.
The gryphon sets its sights on the Familiar. And the Familiar was making light. The flashes seemed to burrow into the gryphon, but not in the same painful way as the raking ropes of light from the ceiling of the cave. But in a way that made the gryphon feel...comforted?
The gryphon raised its head and cocked it to the side as it took the Familiar in. And it was roaring at the gryphon. No, screeching. No...talking. Yes, it was talking. About...his wings?
The gryphon turned its head. Why, yes it did have beautiful wings! He opened them up a little bit with a small, full body shake. His beautiful wings looked even better when diving at prey! But...was the Familiar prey?
The gryphon started slinking forward again, slowly, its mismatched eyes focused on every movement of the familiar while splitting its attention with listening for the Enemy. It wouldn’t do to leave his back completely unguarded for the Enemy in case it...did something.
Zek sighed, spewing pretzel crumbs. Looks like they weren’t good after all. What a bother. He seriously contemplated just making the new growing ice wall go away like the other one, but he suspected Mr. Elsa over there could just keep putting up walls all day long. Zek just didn’t have the balls for them all.
Eh, might as well tell him what’s going on. Zek turned back around again. “So I’m a bounty hunter and this doofus skipped out of his bail so I’m taking him in.” At least that’s what Zek was going to say. Instead, he just spouted some indecipherable words and spat some pretzel pieces before realizing that his mouth was too full and drying out way too quickly from all the pretzels to actually talk.
Fortunately, Mr. Slushie kept talking so Zek had a chance to chew some more. Wait, the dude was police? And the police were on their way? Great! And the ice machine was even inviting him to stay! Zek smiled and only a little bit of pretzel showed. With a big gulp he managed to get the rest down.
”They are?” Zek said, albeit rather dry-mouthedly. “Well that’s wonderful! Saves me a trip down to the station!” Zek pinched the front of his trenchcoat and pulled it out, akin to puffing out his chest. “I can just turn Polecat over to them. I’m a bounty hunter, by the way,” he added.
Then Zek decided he didn’t care to spend the whole wait standing by a rather ice wall, so he started shuffling his way back over to the table he’d left his water at. Stale pretzels really dried the mouth out. “So you a cop?” he asked, making with the small talk even as he approached his glass. “What brings you to this dive?” he said, gesturing all around him.
For some reason, One-Eyed Wonder was not happy. Or so Zek assumed because all of a sudden everyone was being ordered out of the bar. Well, that worked just fine for him too so--
An ice patch appeared in front of him and Zek froze. Not in the same way as the floor, though, of course. That and the White Christmas aesthetic the bar was rapidly adopting clued Zek in. Patches the Pirate was actually Frosty the Snowman. Well that changed things! Especially because the patch of ice started growing up into a shiny wall of ice. With hands.
He turned his head and then his body to face Mr. Grinch. “Alright Vanilla Ice,” he said with a wide, schmoozing smile. “Watch closely, for the hand is faster than the eye!” Beat. He looked at the guy's one eye. His smile froze. “Oops. Sorry. Is that offensive? MY bad,” he apologized. “Anywho. Voila!”
A red ball formed in his non-pretzel hand and it was flicked a few inches away. Suddenly Polecat was there, facing the Abominable Snowbrute with the same dumb look of “Huh?” he’d had before. There was just a moment for his expression to change before another flash of light took him away.
“Presto!” Zek said, scooping the rest of the pretzels into his mouth and rubbing his hands together to get rid of the salt and crumbs. “We good?” he asked politely, before rudely turning around and pressing a golden orb into one of the reaching hands. Suddenly there was nothing in his way.
He smiled. Zek had never had an ice wall before. Especially one so handy!
Great. Now the pirate was yelling at him. Zek rolled his eyes and just kept turning away. He popped another pretzel into his mouth. Still stale, but they were starting to grow on him. Everyone in the bar was now kind of silent, though and turning in his (or possibly more accurately, Mr. Angry Pirate Man’s) direction.
“Uh, I found the man I was looking for?” he said confused. Hadn’t he already covered this? Did the guy need earpatches as well as an eye patch?
Then a chill settled over Zek even as he took his next step. Oh brrr! Feels like a parade is marching over my grave! And then Patches spoke, which was somehow even more dramatic than the yelling. Zek started walking but turned his head all the way around to address the Half-Blind Buccaneer.
“Fine. I totally didn’t just kill that guy,” he said professionally in his best customer service voice. “Happy?” THen Zek noticed his breath. Like, not in a “it stinks” way, but in a “he could literally see it” kind of way. He piped up again, “Oh hey, maybe you should get someone in here to take a look at your air conditioner. I think it’s busted.”
And with his helpful observation out of the way, Zek twisted his head back to normal, pulled his trench coat closed with his free hand, and started making his way toward the door again.
She went down and out, but she needn’t have bothered. The gryphon soared way past her and overshot by a couple of yards before crashing to the floor and sliding even more yards into a pillar. The gryphon screeched in shock and woozily shook its head.
Oh that hurts, it thought. Then the gryphon shook its head again and tried to scramble to its feet. And boy did it scramble. Razor sharp talons clattered on the dance floor and the hindquarters bottomed out twice as the fur-covered paws kept slipping. Wings opened up and a tail stabbed out to help with balance and the composite creature slowly found its balance. You’d think it had never really walked on four legs before.
The gryphon snarled as it righted itself. It held itself for a moment and started pulling its wings back in. People were running and shouting left and right and each movement drew its attention. It snarled again and snapped in displeasure. And then it saw her again. The enemy. And that other thing now by her, the….very familiar thing. With a twisty neck. And it tripped and faceplanted.
Ouch! The gryphon blinked.
But the gryphon was not too interested in that. Not right then, at least. The blonde fallen female was the enemy, the target, the….something. IT would figure that out later, right then it just wanted to get its claws on her.
Slowly, sometimes sliding, the gryphon began prowling forward.
Lines of agony raced over Zek’s body as it continued to warp and twist. Aaaagh! he screamed in his head. The sound that came out of his mouth sounded like a dying cat mixed with a rock grinder and louder than even the music.
Zek didn’t know what was happening other than everything freaking hurt! Were those bones shifting?! What was that squelching sound?! He slapped a hand to his head and narrowly missed gouging an eye out. “SCREEE!” he shrieked.
For years he stayed there on the floor and the pain slowly lessened, at least enough to do something. And the gryphon slowly picked itself off the floor. He called out again, but he sound like an angry eagle. He took a step and nearly tripped - four legs were new to him and all the feet were different. He hissed in displeasure. And the music kept playing!
The gryphon roared to the heavens and flung its wings wide open. It was going to fly somewhere, to chase down this enemy and rend it limb from limb! It finished its roar by lowering its heading and shaking it from side to side. And then, as it slowly became away of other things lurking around it, a new sound cut through the electronic noise.
It sounded strange and familiar. Like...him! Wha--? No-- ARRGH! The gryphon lashed its tailed and stalked sideways, keeping its laser-focused eyes on the figure shouting at him. It practically exuded fear. But then something else registered to the gryphon. Another shape, another one familiar, one that looked exactly as he remembered.
ENEMY! The gryphon froze and its gaze snapped to the blond haired girl he knew he hated. The gryphon pulled its wings in most of the way and crouched.
Then it lunged at her with a roar of pain and rage.
“Aw, for cryin’ out loud!” Zek complained to himself. He’d be very surprised if more than the table closest to him could hear him, or even pay attention to him. The pirate and the bikers had captured everyone’s focus, all right, but while Zek had been expecting a show, he got a teaser trailer at best.
“What a rip off,” he said, drowning his disappointment in stale pretzels and washing it down with decent water. Granted, the Kung Pool fighting was pretty cool, especially when Mr. Eyepatch smashed a mug in a guy’s mug. Haha, that guy has a coffee-face now. Coffee face! He had smiled when that happened. But then, like, nothing happened a;fter that. Zek didn’t even have a chance to finish his pretzels before the scene was over! What kind of a bar fight was that?!
“Grumble grumble grumble,” Zek muttered as he realized the evening was not about to get exciting anytime soon. Might as well grab his target and go. He sat his glass of water on an empty table and popped another pretzel before walking over to the scurvy biker gang as the pirate started telling them why they sucked. Or something like that. It was boring.
The scurvy dogs didn’t really have a chase to do more than hear the pirate’s demands before Zek cut in. “Hey, uh, sorry for the interruption,” he said as he sidled up to the table, placing himself at an angle to both Oculus Prime and the two standing doofuses. “I love the energy, the vibe, and the hardboiled, bad-to-the-bone alpha dog thing you’ve got going on here,” he said, waving his empty hand at everything before eating another pretzel. “But l’ve got places to go and people to see so I’m just gonna get what I came for.”
Zek flicked his eyes over the bikers. Where was… oh, there he was. Polecat was one of the two standing idiots. Zek’s eyes brightened and a beaming smile spread across his face. “Why, hiya Polecat! Say cheese!”
And Zek quickly snapped a ball across the couple feet of space and watched it swallow Polecat up and burp out a flash of light. Zek smiled at the pirate. “Okay, carry on. I’m not here,” he said as he started to turn to leave.
Zek smashed the chair into the first dog and was rewarded as it abruptly collapsed in on itself and went crashing into another couple of chairs. Then he stabbed it legs-first at the other ghosthound. “Ya! Ya! Take that, mutt!” he cried. The legs jabbed into the dog and elicited silent cries of pain.
A feral grin stretched across Zek’s face. Ghost dogs weren’t real dogs and therefore elicited no moral hesitation in removing them with extreme prejudice.
“Take that! And then!” he cried as he assaulted the ghost with his chair, beating it back in a table and hammering it again. Finally the hound just kinda shattered into dozens of pieces before sublimating into a fast-disappearing green mist.
Zek took a moment to admire his work. The sight of the vanishing dog was just so beautiful. But adrenaline didn’t let him stop for long.
His brown eyes snapped up to find Janine. A guy was yelling that metal hurt the dogs and it seemed Janine and David had quickly jumped on the idea. They were back to back, each with a chair in hand, slowly rotating around each other as they moved toward an exit. Janine had her clipboard wedged in her armpit. Jim was making his way to them and seemed to be using a different form of defense, mainly one of the members of Wild Hunt being dragged by his feet by the burly bouncer and occasionally swung around to interpose him between himself and a dog.
So far the dogs seemed to be leaving Wild Hunt alone. But they were harrying everybody else. Hell’s Angles had huddled together and a wall of flaming shapes surrounded them like a kaleidoscopic igloo. A dog prowled around it, but a single touch of a shape sent the dog bouncing back.
The various other venue folk had managed to clear out already and Hunters Moon seemed to be mounting a good defense and --whaaa? The crazy singer was ;leaping towards a group of dogs! With just a mic stand!
Zek didn’t have time to observe the battlefield. He tossed a ball at Wild Hunt and caught a band member before throwing an inert orb into the mass of dogs that the Hunters Moon singer was charging into. He threw several more balls that way, aiming to distract and hurt or whatever. He definitely was not going to try and capture any more of them though! He started jogging that direction himself.
Zek blatantly stared at Polecat and his pals as they billiarded. His face was rather blank and without much expression, other than lazy interest. If he’d had a stalk of wheat, he’d’ve been chewing on the end of it.
The clink of glass on wood caught his attention. Zek broke his vigil in order to turn around and pick up his water. “‘Thank ye, thank ye,” he said, raising the glass to the bartender and winking at him. Then he languidly turned back to face the rest of the bar in general and Polecat’s band of stinkers in particular as he sipped his water through the tiny little straw in it.
It was some pretty decent water.
Zek checked his bare wrist. Eh, time was passing slower than he’d expected. Guess watching them play pool really isn’t going to be entertaining at all. They were really bad at it, from what Zek could see. And he could see a lot. Like a laughably horrible handoff of something clearly illegal. Like, Zek understood that nobody else could hide things like he could, but still! He’d seen 6th graders pass notes in class better!
And now a big guy was approaching them. Zek only needed one look at him to learn everything he needed to know. Big, tough, completely unafraid, and with a bearing that said “my way or the highway”. He reminded Zek of a bouncer. But with a freakin’ cool eyepatch.
Suddenly Zek wasn’t so bored. He turned just long enough to snag some pretzels from a bowl on the bar and then slowly started sauntering toward the group at an angle. He didn’t want to be too noticeable, because that might distract the players in the live performance, but he also wanted a good view with a clean line of sight in case he needed to orb Polecat quick and flee.