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.
Atticus was in no way impressed. He had dealt with authoritative types before and found that no matter the profession, they had always riled him up. However, at this moment he was unable to really express that anger since he felt a disconnection to the fiery furnace within his chest. It was…not a good feeling. It was a feeling that he had gotten used to and, now that it was gone, he noticed just how cool everything around him felt. It was a lonely sensation and one that he didn’t want to continue having.
So, he tried to shoo her away. The elderly woman (okay sure, she still had it in some places) was completely cramping his style and he wanted her gone. Sadly it seemed she was the exact person he needed to talk to about finally finishing his registration with the school. He, of course, sighed.
”Of course you are…” he said with a defeated grumble. To the other two who were speaking to one another behind him, he gave an annoyed look. ”Horsegirl, Feathers, are you absolutely positive there is no one else I can talk to about finishing up my registration here?” He turns back to Gemma then and waves his hand dismissively. ”Not that you’re not great. Wicked, mum, truly, but maybe someone a bit more awake can help me?”
Because old people sleep all the time. That was his point. Atticus had never been good at not offending someone. His music. His attitude. His abilities. It was just naturally that he put people on edge. But clearly the young man had yet to learn the lesson about how terrible of a choice this was and that eventually this attitude of his was going to be thrown at the most wrongest person in the world…
Oh there it was. Now this was what Atticus liked to feel. Carrick had wanted to know what he could do, well, he was going to show him exactly what he could do. The anger welling up inside of him, Atticus taps into that dark, dark place as he feels the furnace in his body build up higher and higher. The heat continues to rise so much that the air around him wavers and blurs to the point that it can be seen by the naked eye. It was hot and it was only getting hotter thanks to Atticus and his need to show off.
Though Carrick doesn’t seem to be all that impressed, the action only egged Atticus on to continue with his endeavor. Would have to burn the kitchen down to get the reaction he wanted? The entire mansion? Sure he was game for that! Atticus was not one to back down from a game of chicken, no matter how dangerous it was.
Unfortunately it seemed that his game would be prematurely canceled. While he grinned mischievously at Carrick, there was a strange feeling to wash over it. It felt almost like all the air was being sucked out of the room. Suddenly he could feel the heat dimming, as if he was burning out all the oxygen and yet he was A.) still breathing, and B.) still completely pissed off and only getting more irritated. What was going on? In a frustrated panic, Atticus turned around to the sound of a new voice suddenly appearing. He hadn’t heard them enter because the flames had been muffled out the sound but now, here he was, looking at someone new.
>> "Mr. Dashwood? Please refrain from burning down the building. We just had it rebuilt from scratch."
”What’s that?” he asks, almost as if looking for confirmation that she was the one who shut him down. ”Did you do this?”
Atticus’ eyes return to the palms of his hands. The bioorganic vents that sprouted when his mutant powers developed are just cold now. There was no more heat being generated and that was a surprise considering how angry he was about it. He hadn’t felt like this in a few years now. It was strange, alien, and he definitely did not like it.
He looks up at the return of Horse Girl and rolls his eyes. So she was the one who went and grabbed the power thief? She was seriously working her way off his pursuit list. To Mrs. T-C, whatever Carrick called her and gives her an obstinate look.
”Yeah, yeah, neat trick,” He waves her away. ”Mind backing up, love? I don’t much care for what you’re doing to me.” He looks to Carrick and Horse Girl. ”Can all the grannies in the building do that?” He asks in a whisper that is not at all a whisper.
Atticus was mostly listening to feathers at this point. While the tour so far left much to be desired, the heatmancer was continuing to feign interest for the simple fact that he had heard rumors. Rumours about teams of heroes, about secret facilities, and quite frankly he wanted to break that news all over the internet. But, for the time being, Atticus would continue to play along until he could find some subtle way, some brilliant mind trick, to draw the information out of his new tour guide. It would take subterfuge and persuasion, but Atticus was certain that if he waited for the right, most opportune moment to strike, that Feathers would open like a book.
>> ”Well if ya want secrets all ya ‘ave to do is ask.”
Okay. So maybe it would be far easier than he thought. Who would have known that just outright asking would break the dam of secrets here?
Atticus turned the camera onto Feathers as he continued to talk. DR? Jet? Assassins on staff? AND a retractable basketball court and rocket launchers? It seemed this place was exactly what people were guessing it was and he was getting confirmation from a resident (or at least frequent visitor)! This was really going to blow up the internet, wasn’t it? He wondered how much he could sell this to the BBC for…
Quickly Atticus stopped the stream and turned on his video camera to just record. That way he had the only record of the rest of this conversation. Makes it far more valuable to sell off, you know?
”Magic cult? Now you’re having a lark, mate,” Atticus scoffed. However he paused in thought and than vaguely began to remember running across a few articles online. ”Wait…” He looks around as if just realizing something. ”Wait…so this? This is the school that was attacked? The one that was all over the news last year?” He shook his head in astonishment and muttered a soft ”Wicked…” under his breath. Why did it take so long for him to make that connection?
>>””So, what can ya do power wise Atti? Asking because it’s gonna determine where we go next.”
”Atticus…” he says, correctly Feathers. He wasn’t a big fan of nicknames, despite the fact that he freely gave them to everyone else and stubbornly refused to learn anyone else’s real name unless they’ve earned it. However, Atticus soon smirked and shrugged his shoulders. ”...and I bring the heat.”
Atticus took a moment to remember irritating things: Feathers calling him by the wrong name, Horse Girl rejecting him despite him being so nice, that annoying kid in the plane next to him who kept crying for more sucking candies to help his ears pop. Rolling his neck as the tension welled up, Carrick would feel the immediate area around Atticus getting warmer and warmer. Soon Carrick would note the glowing orange in Atticus’ eyes as he holds his palms upwards. Vents of organic metal seem set into his palms that begin to glow until they erupt in small plumes of orange-red fire.
Atticus grins a cocky grin to Carrick and winks.”The real heat, as you can see…” He paid little attention if anything around them blackened or caught fire. This was a mansion for mutants right? They should be able to afford it. [/i]
"Ah. Wicked." Atticus says as he drops his stuff on the ground. It was nice to see a place like this actually doing what it was supposed to do and catering to the occupants. He didn't know who the peon was that would be gathering his things, but Atticus would make sure to leave them a tip in the form of an autographed picture of himself. It was like printing money considering how famous he would be in the future.
His stuff abandoned, except for his guitar case, Atticus followed Feather's deeper into the mansion. The kitchen seemed to be a favorite of the winged Carrick, an idea punctuated by his continued gestures with his half-eaten sandwich. Moving from there to the classrooms, Atticus looked around with only semi-interest. Classes. Bleh. He knew that it would be something he would have to contend with here but there was a small part that had hoped it would be something different. At least there were music rooms. Atticus looked with interest towards those, happy to know there would be free strings when necessary.
"Can't say no to 'Free'," he mused aloud. And though he doubted the school had the talent he needed to rebuild Atticus and the Infernos in America, he still offered a gracious smile (so, so saccharine) in reply. "Ah. Yeah. Sure the sessions are...cracking."
His phone up, Atticus continues to stream the tour, including himself in the image as many times as he can. Though the audience was shrinking a little there was still a healthy number of them up. To Carrick's question, the heatmancer chuckled.
"You bet! At least a cool fifty!" He pans the camera again. "We'll uncover all the secrets, won't we?" He then zeroes in on Carrick again. "You know where the real aces stuff is, don't ya?"
Atticus saw no wrong with his words. Horse Girl, err...Woman, was cute! He wasn't going to say no to her if his life depended on it. If anything he was sure that she would catch on to his flirtatious words and maybe bring that pretty smile back. Unfortunately it appeared as if he had been incorrect and she missed his meaning. Odd. Why did she seem so irritated and cold? Oooooh, he began to wonder if maybe --
But his thoughts were cut off by the death glare coming from several animals. Hey now, that didn't seem fair. His orange eyes shifted from the hackled dog, to the glaring rabbits, and back to the stone-faced blonde. Ugh, why did the pretty ones always have to give him a hard time? Especially when he went so far as to compliment them so nicely! He said he liked Cougars! Who didn't?! Fools...that's who. And speaking of...
>>"Carrick..."
Atticus shifted his gaze over to Feathers and arched a brow. The man seemed to be in mid-bite of a sandwich. Atticus turned back to address Horse Girl but found her storming away, her and her motley crew of animals. Hands shifting into the pockets of his jeans, he sucked his teeth, sighed, and then turned his head just enough to eye Feather's out of the periphery of his gaze. As he looked over the clearly confused, winged man, Atticus found his own irritation start to rise -- an effect which could be felt in the room as things around him began to feel just a tiny bit warmer.
He stared at the other for a few more silent moments before he shrugged. "Well, Feathers. Looks like just you and me, huh?"[/color] He pauses then, looking between Carrick and his bags, before gesturing with a bit of a cocky grin. "So...you gonna take my bags or...?" He shrugs then, waiting for Carrick to answer.
Okay. That one stung a bit. Atticus was arrogant enough to think that most people had heard of him, or at least his band. He couldn’t count the number of times that people had waved him down or called out to him at pubs wanting an autograph. Sure it had not happened much since he entered the Americas but his social media had tons of followers who were literally from everywhere, even here in America! So it wasn’t too much of a belief that he would run into a fan here, at this school, especially a pretty one.
Unfortunately it seems he had said something wrong as the pretty smile simply vanishes from her face and an expression of deadpan annoyance. That…is unfortunate. A smile like that should not be used sparingly.
But, back to the conversation at hand. Atticus waves the question off dismissively before he replies.
”Ah no one needs that paper stuff anymore, love,” he says, taping his phone to minimize the stream and open up his email. The “sent” tab is tapped and the screen shows his transcripts and application had already been submitted. ”Already sent all that in, see? Supposed to meet with a counselor. Thought you might be her.”
>> ”Careful mate, that there is a teacher… used ta be fun but then she got older. such is life though.”
Atticus turns to Feathers and offers him a cheeky grin. A glance back to Horse Girl and then back to Feathers before he says…
”Nothing wrong with older, mate. I love meeting Cougars.” Another wink is shot at Horse Girl before he sighs and sets his duffle bag down and strolls into the mansion, looking about with a mixture of wonder and mischief.
>> ”Carrick O’Conner! Lead singer of....The snack pack? Workshopping the name.”
Atticus chuckles a bit. Pulling a lollipop from his pocket, he unwraps it and pops it in his mouth. The white stick dangling between his lips wags too and fro as Atticus continues to walk around. But, out of the corner of his eye, he looks at Feathers, now identified as ‘Carrick O’Conner’, and smirks.
”Keep at it. I’m sure you come up with something wicked, ya?” That turn, he turns back to Horse Girl, glances at all the animals and then sighs deeply and opens his arms. ”Well, do I just go pick out a room myself or you care to show me around. I might get into trouble on my lonesome.”
Finally! Someone answered him. In all honesty he had not been knocking all that long but the firemancer wasn’t the most patient of people. Sometimes he wanted things unreasonable fast but that was something he was trying to work on. His mother often told him that not everyone was going to move at his pace so it paid to have a bit of patience. In the moment he would remember those lessons, but when he was out on his own, it was easy to forget – like he did not. He didn’t know who responded to them but, upon opening the door, they would certainly find a slightly soured expression waiting for them.
He would not be making a good first impression today.
But, as luck would have it, Horse Girl was actually pretty cute. The sourness diminished a small amount, only to be replaced by a cheeky grin. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all.
>>”Hi there!...How can I be of service? What’s this about a star pupil?”
”Hello there, luv!” Atticus smiles a conceited smile. ”Had I known a pretty bird like you would be waiting on the other side of the door, I would have knocked a bit more gently.” He adjusts his guitar case, shifting it from one hand to the other. His mouth opened, he is about to state his business when another voice pipes in.
>> “”Graduated already...But I’m here. Where is the fight? Got... ten on him.”
A brow arches and Atticus finds himself looking upon another person, a young man with wings and a steak sandwich in his hands. The sandwich looked good but practically sensing the attitude on the other, Atticus could feel his guards settling into place. His expression gives no hint of this, however, and instead merely offers a mask of self-confidence.
”That’ll be ten well spent!” Atticus responds with a point and a wink. He then turns back to Horse Girl and smirks. ”Name’s Atticus Dashwood. Applying to be a student here.” He then holds up his phone, which is still livestreaming, as he turns the camera onto Horse Girl and Feathers. ”Surely you’ve all been waiting to roll out the red carpet for the lead singer of ‘Atticus and the Inferno.’ am I right?”
As if in response his phone pings loudly as several members of the live stream chat start sending messages, donations, emoji gifts, and comments that most consisted of compliments about him.
It was a bright, cool day in New York. Winter was beginning to wane in order to make way for the upcoming spring. The sun was high in the sky and fluffy white clouds drifted by on cool breezes that came off from riding the ocean waves nearby. It was going to be a nice, calm, cool day, one that everyone could enjoy. But on this particular day, the warm rays of the sun beat down upon a crisp, green lawn that stretched out in front of a very famous and well known mansion: Xavier’s Sister School.
On this particular day, the school known to provide aid, care, and future for mutants had a new figure darkening its lawn. His shadows stretched a little ways to the side, a tall, punk-clad twenty-something with a frohawk and piercings made his way across the grass, a single duffle bag slung over his shoulder and a guitar case in his hand. His skin was a warm shade of brown and over his eyes he wore dark, expensive looking shades. However, behind the tinted glasses there was a clear visage of smoldering, yellow irises.
A cocky grin on his lips, the young man continued to make his way towards the school. His torn t-shirt bore the phrase “Too Hot to Handle” upon it, and his dark jeans were torn in just the right places to make it look edgy and cool, but not like he was trying too hard. If anything, this young man looked like he lived the aesthetic.
It is only as he moves closer to the school does his free hand move up and it is seen that he is carrying a cellphone. Holding it up, he taps the screen that seemingly opens an app and activates a livestream. As soon as his grinning face shows up, he gets notifications soon after others instantly joining the feed, sending him emoji gifts of presents, flowers, and thumbs up. He chuckles as he speaks up.
“Awright, awright, me ladies and gents! Welcome to Part 4 of my livestreaming journey hopping across the pond to see what the American’s have to offer,” He laughs and approaches the large doors. ”As you all know, home couldn’t handle me so I had to dip. No worries, no worries! I will make my triumphant return before you know it. But…a promise is a promise and I must see what kind of hell I can raise here.”
Climbing the steps to the school, Atticus Dashwood, better known online as TheHumanLighter, or Atticus, the lead singer of the Infernos, rings the doorbell, waits a second, and then begins to knock.
”Oy! Come on then!” he shouts and then winks to the camera. ”Can’t keep your future star pupil waiting, can ya?”
Character's full name: Phineas Atticus Dashwood Alias/ Nickname/ Code name: Atticus, Inferno Gender: Male Age: 21 Date of Birth: 1/29/2003 Birthplace/ Home/ Place of origin: London, England Ethnicity/ Cultural Heritage: Black
Appearance
Hair color and style: Black hair usually styled into a frohawk. Skin Tone: Dark brown Eye Color: Yellow Irises Height: 5’11 Build: Thin but muscular. He works out regularly but most focuses on cardio as he is more of a runner. General Physical Capabilities: Atticus is in fairly decent shape. Average strength and speed of a regular human who keeps himself in good fit. His dexterity and endurance are a little heightened, if only because of his singing, instrument playing, and his freerunning hobbies. This keeps him in slightly better shape than most other people and makes him a pretty decent fighter. Other features: Pierced ear and nose, tattoos on his arms (left: sleeve tattoo of a fiery balrog, right: anarchy symbol) and the letters F-I-R-E tattooed on the fingers of his left hand. Everyday clothing style: Usually will be found in dark clothing. Leather jacket, jeans, ripped t-shirts and some silver jewelry. Most of his clothes will have the scent of charcoal on them or will have old burn marks. Uniform: Doesn’t have a uniform yet but will more than likely be sleeveless or something that will keep his hands and feet uncovered so he can utilize the vents on them.
Character
Personality: Atticus can a bit of a wild ride to know. The first and most obvious of traits that people will notice about him is his attitude. He is extremely cocky and often presents a front that he is better than everyone else. Because of his hard life he will often boast how he doesnt need anyone and will outright and stubbornly defy authority figures who don't have his respect (which can be an uphill battle to earn). Therefore, Atticus has a divisive reputation, where most thinks he’s an @$$hole and others think he’s edgy and cool. But, the truth of the matter is that all of it is only a mask for the real Atticus underneath.
In truth, Atticus actually is a good person that tends to push people away so he doesn’t appear vulnerable. Growing up in poverty, knowing how his mother was treated, how most downtrodden are treated, has left Atticus with a need to protect and save those who cannot save themselves. He respects the hard-working people (especially the elderly) and can quickly be won over by them. Youngsters also are a soft spot to Atticus as he will see it as his duty to try and teach them to be tough and protect them from bullies of the world.
In the end, even if he may come off as a jerk, Atticus will always do what is right. Morality: Good(ish). Deep down Atticus is a good person. He pulled the short straw in life and has a bit of a chip on his shoulder. However, despite that, he does want to do the right thing. He does not like to see injustices or people being put in harm's way and will be quick to anger and defend a good cause. Hobbies/ Interests:
Singing
Playing Guitar
Playing Drums
Cold Drinks
Social Media
Songwriting
Challenging authority
Pasta
Squishmallows (secretly)
Job or part time job and description: Atticus is a full time student at Xavier's but earns some side money as a food delivery person for the app FastFoodies. Fears/ phobias/ concerns: Atticus likes to pretend that he is strong and brave and scared of nothing but the truth is that he is scared a lot. Personally he fears enclosed spaces because it reminds him too much of when he was living in poverty with his mother. He had a small room that he had accidentally lit on fire when his powers first manifested.
Despite his claims of complete control over his abilities, he fears hurting those people that he loves and cares for. He was lucky his mother hadn’t been home when his powers manifested because he burned down his apartment complex. Luckily everyone made it out alive.
Lastly, as much as he despises his grandfather, he also fears him. He knows his grandfather has a lot of power, financially and politically, so as much as he wants to bring the old man down, he also hopes to just stay out of his line of sight. Special talents:
Songwriting
Playing musical instruments
Parkour / Free Running
Social media posting
Mutations
Mutation description: Extreme Body Heat: Atticus body can generate heat up to about 3,000 degrees fahrenheit. Because of the intense heat, anything touching Atticus’ body can be burned away, including clothing and metal. As the heat gradually rises, his skin reddens and seemingly grows transparent to the point that someone can see the silhouette of his skeletal structure underneath his skin. It is quite the sight to behold. However such heat cannot be contained for long and must be expelled. Thankfully his body has adapted multiple ways to handle such intense heat.
Heat Resistance: Atticus’ mutation has allowed his body to adapt to the heat and fire that he produces. Because of that, his body has a high level of tolerance for heat. Fire doesn’t burn him if it is under the max amount of heat he is producing and remains relatively unharmed.
Heat Vents: Atticus mutation has developed these strange organic metal vents in the palms of his hands and in the soles of his feet.These vents are organic and part of his body and cannot be removed. Atticus utilizes these vents to focus his heat. By pushing the heat from his body out through the vents in his palms or feet, he can release a stream of unimaginably hot fire that can reach as far as 100ft and sustain it for several moments. However, these streams can quickly drain him of his heat and unless he stays angry, they will sputter out eventually.
Fiery Breath: In a moment of desperation, Atticus can expel the heat out of his mouth, causing a small line of fire. It won’t reach as far if he were to use the vents on his hands or feet, but still effective in a last moment of defense or flair of showmanship.
Fire Burst: Atticus’s body is able to produce an extreme amount of heat. If he were to allow it to grow in his body and hold it in, he would be able to expel a huge burst of heat from his body that would superheat the air around him. Flammable material would quickly catch fire thanks to the amazing levels of heat he could radiate.
Weaknesses and Limitations:
Hot Head: As stereotypical as it seems, Atticus is definitely a hothead. He is quick to anger and can sustain that anger for awhile. This is actually what fuels the heat in his body. Atticus has to get mad in order to use his abilities so usually will have to maintain a low level of irritation to keep access open to them. However if Atticus is unconscious or in someway artificially calmed, he will not be able to access his abilities.
Burning Up: Atticus can burn hot so long as he is angry, however, he doesn’t have a limit for how long he can sustain that. As he burns, his body burns necessary fuel in his body and if he doesn’t rest or consume food for energy, the flames will eventually burn out. If he pushes himself to the point where he burns out, Atticus’ body will shut down and force him to rest. At the moment he can only sustain such heat for about 20 minutes straight.
Can’t Stand the Heat: Atticus has a resistance and immunity to heat under 3,000 degrees. However, should he experience heat greater than that, it would burn him as it would anyone else. So, while he has some strength against fire, even he has his limits.
Water: While Atticus is able to burn up an evaporate a large amount of water near him, if he were to be completely submerged in a large amount of water, it would be strong enough that he would be impossible for him to produce any heat.
Varying Range: When firing his flames from the vents in his hands and feet, Atticus can hit a range of about 100ft. Anything after that, his flames fizzle out and are harmless sparks. Additionally, when he is producing heat from his body, without expelling fire, he can only produce heat outwards of about 20-30 feet.
History Of Your Character Sometimes heroism can be born from horror. Phineas Atticus Dashwood should have been born with a silver spoon in his mouth. The Dashwoods were known to have a rich, deep history in the United Kingdom, and come from a very wealthy bloodline that has managed to maintain its lineage throughout the years. However it appears that such luck was not in the cards for Phineas. By the time he was born, long old scandal had torn his part of the family apart and left his mother, Destiny Dashwood, destitute and out of the family wealth. All she had was a name and a pluckiness to carry on with her son despite her misfortune.
Of course Phineas, who, once he was old enough, quickly decided to go by his middle name ‘Atticus’, only became irritated once he learned the truth of who his family was.
Atticus grew up happy, for the most part. He loved his mother though he hated the struggling they had to endure. His mother often worked several jobs, dated losers, and more often than not Atticus had to pull extra weight around the house to ensure the bills were paid. As soon as he was old enough to work (or just underneath it) he tried to bring home money to his worn out mother. He was happy to do it. But on one particular day, after a bad storm where he and his mother ran around their small apartment, plugging up leaks, Destiny let slip that this wasn’t the life she grew up in.
Constantine Dashwood, her grandfather, was one of the wealthiest men in the country. Atticus, of course, knew the names were similar but he never dreamed he was actually related to the man. Destiny did not let those honeyed thoughts drift over Atticus’ head for too long, however, and she quickly informed him that because of decisions she made, Constantine had disowned them both and cast them out of the family, allowing her to keep her name to serve as painful reminder of what she had once had.
Atticus fumed. How could this man just cast them out like that? How could he let his own family struggle, starve, and nearly go frostbitten every winter? When asked what had happened, Destiny would not go into it but merely stated that she had “wounded his pride”. Atticus would remain silent for a long time as Destiny would try to soothe his worry and his annoyances, after all, what is in the past cannot be changed.
But still, the news had changed Atticus. It made him frustrated and he needed a way to channel this anger. Thus…he turned it into music. The few friends Atticus had convinced him to join their band as a guitar player the previous summer. Their music was…bad, to say the least. However, with his newfound fount of inspiration, Atticus took the pen to paper and started to compose. And boy, those first few songs were cathartic as hell.
The genre of the band changed once Atticus began to take a leadership role. From soft rock / ballad types, his angry voice transformed their music into metal that tore and ripped through the lyrics like fine paper. It seemed his angry voice reached and audience because in his teen years, he and his band quickly garnered attention on the internet as ‘Atticus and the Inferno’ began to go viral. This was especially thanks to his hit song, “Constantine is a T@$%!!”. A hit song that garnered more attention than he thought it would.
It was almost surreal when Atticus saw the cease and desist order that showed up in his email. Not because of the legality of it, but because he saw the emblem of the office it came from, “the law offices of Dashwood & Hayes”. It was his grandfather’s law firm! It seemed that he had struck a nerve. So…what was wrong with hitting one more?
The new song, “C#$%stantine”, was a quick hit on the internet and, thus, Constantine’s reaction was similarly as quick. Once again Atticus refused to take down any of his music as he had changed enough lyrics that direct defamation could not be cited, but despite that he was caught off-guard when he found a fine black limo situated outside his apartment building and a security quickly rushing him in.
A storm of obscenities rolled off his tongue as the guard pushed him into his own apartment where he was greeted with a hard looking, white haired man with a face chiseled and rough as a stone dragon. Atticus had seen pictures of him. It helped when he was writing out his song lyrics. Constantine Dashwood in the flesh.
The conversation was quick and it was tense. It was clear that neither liked the other and there was going to be no changing that. But despite Atticus’ best attempts to ignore any threats thrown his way, it was quite difficult to fully ignore them, especially when Constantine promised, in no uncertain terms, just how much further he could ruin Atticus’ mother. Atticus bit his tongue then, listened as his grandfather muttered out things being different in the good ole days and how ‘The Club’ used to have ways of handling riff-raff like him and his mother. In the end, as much as Atticus hated the man, he was still just a teenager and he couldn’t risk his mother being ruined further.
Atticus would step in line.
Of course Atticus felt filthy once the old dragon left. How could he not? His anger and his rage at the old man began to seeth within his body as he stormed into his room, stomped around and roared and smashed. It was then that he noticed that something strange happened – he felt hot. He rarely ever felt hot, something his mother used to tease him about, but now he did; and it was only getting worse. It got so back that when Atticus tried to scream, a burst of fire flew from his lips. He tried to cup his hands over his mouth but found that fire spilled all around them and he realized that there were not these strange holes or vents in the palms of his hands that also spewed flames. Atticus panicked, fire filling his room and setting the apartment ablaze. Luckily he, his mother, and only a few others lived in the building as it was getting ready to be sold. No life was claimed in the blaze and Atticus was found amid the ashes, unharmed.
And Atticus would soon learn that if times were difficult before, they were even more so now.
Atticus was blamed as being the pyromaniac who purposefully set the building ablaze. The owners of the building seemingly drew the charitable interests of Dashwood & Hayes (no relation, of course) and swore that this angry teen with an obsession with fire would fully learn the errors of his ways. There was little that Atticus could do to defend himself, though bless his mother she tried. In the end, Atticus was lucky he didn’t have to do jail time, but working off his debt with public services was hell and through it all, he could just feel that vile grin of his grandfather, laughing from his mansion as both he and his mother suffered one final time.
By the time Atticus was done, he was changed. Still angry, of course, but that bitterness in him only grew tenfold. On top of that, he realized he was a mutant now and slowly learned to get some control over his abilities. Oh how he wanted to turn those flames upon his grandfather but his mother always managed to get his head back on straight.
However, she knew that gentle talks could only go so far and what young Atticus needed was proper instruction. She floated the idea of a school in America, one that could help him hone his abilities and get him a proper education since he had dropped out of school. Sounded ridiculous, of course. Why would he leave his mother behind just to go to school? But after several long talks it was finally decided that this would be the best thing to Atticus. Distance from his grandfather, a chance to become someone special, a real shot at life.
So, with a promise that his mother would be okay, Atticus Dashwood packed his bags and left for America to attend Xavier’s Sister School.
Roleplay What’s your OOC/Discord alias you’ll be using?: Horhay Where did you learn about this site?: The old gods whispered of its existence in my sleep! Do you have any other characters on MRO, if so who: Jorge, Bella, Booker, Hugh, Charles, & Celeste. (Retiring Niko. She’s earned her rest.) Sample RP: For those who logged into Ding-Dong, it is often trouble to find something to watch. It was filled with people either mixing songs, acting out funny skits, or pretending to eat gaming dice. In any case, people often found themselves mindlessly scroll through the app, flicking from one video to the other, in search of entertainment. For those that searched long enough, they would find a new person to follow, or a video to repost or save. It wasn’t an often occurrence as most tended to chuckle and then flick on by. But there were some personalities on the app that were charismatic enough to simply draw and rake in the viewers.
One of those creators happened to be a young man from England with the handle TheHumanLighter. It was hard not to be interested in his videos. He was a musician and played in a rock band. Often the channel featured original songs or unexpected covers. His last viral video was a heavy rock rendition of Tina Turner’s “The Best”. Apparently the people went wild for that song and was mixed with many, many other videos. But today it seemed his video was garnering attention for another reason.
He was going to a new school.
The video showed a young black man wearing a studded leather jacket, torn up jeans, and a “Too Hot” t-shirt of black and vibrant yellows and reds. Across his face was a broad smile framed by a young beard, and thick glasses over his eyes. However, even through the tinted frames, the blazing yellow eyes were hard to miss. A hand running up hits afrohawk to ensure that it was straight and looked its best. With pearly white teeth, he looks into the camera of his phone, sending that smile to anyone who logged in to view his livestream.
It really was a nice smile.
“Hello there mates! Welcome to Part 4 of my American Odyssey! As you all now, grew tired of the man telling me what to wear, how to act back home so figured I would take a bit of a vacay and see what the Americans have to offer!” He turns the camera forward to show off a large mansion sitting across a field of freshly cut and well-maintained lawn. Those local viewers mostly knew what this place was; a school for mutants. Atticus, the personality on screen, only grinned and summoned a bit of flame to the palm of his hand.The camera turned back on him would reveal him carrying a worn dufflebag that seemed to the brink of splitting. “Let’s see what these people can do, yeah? Stay tuned!”