The X-men run missions and work together with the NYPD, striving to maintain a peaceful balance between humans and mutants. When it comes to a fight, they won't back down from protecting those who need their help.
Haven presents itself as a humanitarian organization for activists, leaders, and high society, yet mutants are the secret leaders working to protect and serve their kind. Behind the scenes they bring their goals into reality.
From the time when mutants became known to the world, SUPER was founded as a black-ops division of the CIA in an attempt to classify, observe, and learn more about this new and rising threat.
The Syndicate works to help bring mutantkind to the forefront of the world. They work from the shadows, a beacon of hope for mutants, but a bane to mankind. With their guiding hand, humanity will finally find extinction.
Since the existence of mutants was first revealed in the nineties, the world has become a changed place. Whether they're genetic misfits or the next stage in humanity's evolution, there's no denying their growing numbers, especially in hubs like New York City. The NYPD has a division devoted to mutant related crimes. Super-powered vigilantes help to maintain the peace. Those who style themselves as Homo Superior work to tear society apart for rebuilding in their own image.
MRO is an intermediate to advanced writing level original character, original plot X-Men RPG. We've been open and active since October of 2005. You can play as a mutant, human, or Adapted— one of the rare humans who nullify mutant powers by their very existence. Goodies, baddies, and neutrals are all welcome.
Short Term Plots:Are They Coming for You?
There have been whispers on the streets lately of a boogeyman... mutant and humans, young and old, all have been targets of trafficking.
The Fountain of Youth
A chemical serum has been released that's shaving a few years off of the population. In some cases, found to be temporary, and in others...?
MRO MOVES WITH CURRENT TIME: What month and year it is now in real life, it's the same for MRO, too.
Fuegogrande: "Fuegogrande" player of The Ranger, Ion, Rhia, and Null
Neopolitan: "Aly" player of Rebecca Grey, Stephanie Graves, Marisol Cervantes, Vanessa Bookman, Chrysanthemum Van Hart, Sabine Sang, Eupraxia
Ongoing Plots
Magic and Mystics
After the events of the 2020 Harvest Moon and the following Winter Solstice, magic has started manifesting in the MROvere! With the efforts of the Welldrinker Cult, people are being converted into Mystics, a species of people genetically disposed to be great conduits for magical energy.
The Pharoah Dynasty
An ancient sorceress is on a quest to bring her long-lost warrior-king to the modern era in a bid for global domination. Can the heroes of the modern world stop her before all is lost?
Are They Coming for You?
There have been whispers on the streets lately of a boogeyman... mutant and humans, young and old, all have been targets of trafficking.
Adapteds
What if the human race began to adapt to the mutant threat? What if the human race changed ever so subtly... without the x-gene.
Atlanteans
The lost city of Atlantis has been found! Refugees from this undersea mutant dystopia have started to filter in to New York as citizens and businessfolk. You may make one as a player character of run into one on the street.
Got a plot in mind?
MRO plots are player-created the Mods facilitate and organize the big ones, but we get the ideas from you. Do you have a plot in mind, and want to know whether it needs Mod approval? Check out our plot guidelines.
It was really easy to forget that everyone else was dealing with their own struggles when you'd closed yourself off while dealing with your own. Will was being reminded of that rather bluntly with this conversation. Sure, it wasn't as though he wasn't aware of people having issues, other mutants with bothersome powers but... As before, things were different when it was someone who got it was the one saying it. When it was a conversation about real people with real names and experiences and not just words on paper or some dismissible 'Seenit' post.
Will faced his indefatigable running partner as he took in everything Lee said. It was, quite frankly, a lot to grapple with -- especially with the clock past midnight. Will felt relief that there were others that could relate, regret that he hadn't bothered to try and reach other mutants in order to try and support each other, frustration at himself for not trying to fix his own issues. His mind was also still reeling from the revelation of ghosts (Seriously. Ghosts.) being a thing. For better or worse, what won over everything else was simply fatigue as all the rest of it blurred together into a messy blob of vague unease that he'd have to spend the time unknotting properly when he could think a little more clearly.
"Guess people are pretty good at figuring out how to deal with their issues. S'not like we get a choice." Will gave a little chuckle at that, before letting out the rest of the breath in a low sigh, running a hand through his hair to give himself something to do with his hands. "Think I'm probably about tapped out for the night though." He admitted, wiping his sweat damp palm off on his leg. "Didn't mean to pull you away from your runnin'. Uh... Thanks, though."
Will's mouth opened to reply to the comments on spirits as Lee confirmed that, yes in fact she'd meant ghosts. He made an earnest attempt to actually say something, mouth hanging agape as he did, but found only stunned silence.
The younger man tried to collect himself a little. Will picked up his jaw, mind buzzing as he tried to determine how to deal with this new bit of bizarre information. Ghosts. Well -- was it that strange considering he could change the way peoples senses worked, and Lee could steal people's energy and other mutants could do everything from shine line from their hands to pick up and throw a minivan like a baseball?
Yes. Yes ghosts were still weird.
There wasn't any -proof- of ghosts. Right? There was proof of mutants. There was a reason for mutants. Science. The X gene. Plus more, probably? Will had never studied biology in any depth.
But, Will trusted his senses. (They were pretty good senses, afterall.) And those senses told him Lee wasn't lying. That as far as he could tell, she wasn't putting on a bit, nor was it some bizarre, dry humor. True, his senses also told him there weren't ghosts, but... his senses also couldn't detect Lee's siphoning, or quite catch everything. Probably a good thing anyway, with how overwhelmed he was with just the physical world -- if he had to deal with ghosts too he'd never get to sleep.
"I. Sure. Ghosts." Will finally said falteringly as he attempted to keep up with the conversation, the back of his mind trying to sort out where in the hierarchy of wild things Lee had told him tonight that 'Ghosts are Real' would fit.
"But, things got better for them? Or they learned how to handle things better, eventually?" Will asked. It sounded as though there were plenty of other mutants who lived with consequences of their abilities that just had to be dealt with, not something that could be ignored. Staying away from too many people, or certain places. Or in Lee's case, keeping a careful eye to be in a 'goldilocks zone' of people. Again, he wasn't one to relish in other people's discomfort, but it was a relief to know that there would be and were people out there who could empathize with his situation. "Jeez though... Being an empath? Don't envy them. It's hard enough just hearing everyone in a crowded room, let alone 'feeling' them. Can't imagine how tough it'd be."
So even within the sub-section of people that made up mutants, it seemed his -- and her abilities worked in an unusual way. Maybe that was unfair to do. You could get pretty specific with that sort of thing. Neither of them had mutation that had changed them physically, for example. Nonetheless, Will couldn't help but lament the hand he'd been dealt a little. Were there really mutants out there that just... got along with their abilities? Liked them even? Seemed as much, if Lee's kid had been actively looking forward to them, but, it was a hard thing to grasp for Will.
Lee's suspicions -were- right. Will didn't know many mutants, at least not on more than a surface level. Name and a face. Frankly, he didn't know that many -people- beyond that. Arms length, always careful.
The examples that Lee provided about other mutant helped Will grasp and understand a few things though. At least bring him to understand that other mutants maybe didn't share in the struggles that Lee did, or Will did, but still had issues with their powers. It didn't make him feel better per se, but, it was also nice to know it wasn't a failing on his part. At least not exactly. However, Lee did go on to imply while he might not be able to fix exactly how his powers worked and effected him, he could likely learn how to make them easier to deal with. Will could tell she was careful not to assign blame to him. Kind of her. Lee seemed like she was exceedingly careful with the words she used.
"Guess it's lucky I caught your attention then, if it's a bit uncommon." Will commented on their chance encounter and on how they seemed to share at least a few commonalities in the difficulties with their mutations. "Even if a lot of--" The tounger man stopped mid-sentence as some of the rest what Lee had said about other people's mutations fully clicked. "Wait. Sorry, did you say spirits? Like ghost spirits?" Will's tone had shifted to almost completely baffled disbelief, with only the sheer absurdity of everything else Lee had already told him keeping him from dismissing the notion entirely.
"....most of the time, people don't notice a thing."
As Lee explained that, Will realized that he was probably within whatever range of effect that Lee's siphoning affected. At least, he presumed so. It didn't sound like she had to touch people like he did to have an effect on people. If she didit would no doubt be a whole lot easier to keep herself from getting too much.
Though admittedly, it was a bit of a funny to thought imagine Lee having to 'duck-duck-goose' people for a pick me up.
Will focused a moment, trying to see if he could notice if anything felt off and... pretty much just felt the same as normal. Well, as normal as he ever felt. He could feel the threads in his shirt scraping like burlap on his shoulders, hear the gnats buzzing outside of swatting range, felt the pebbles underfoot threatening to push through the rubber of his shoe... He felt sore legs and and the overall fatigue from the run, but... nothing unusual. For someone so used to knowing about all the things happening around them, it almost made the hair on the back of his neck rise to be made aware there were still things that could slip so perfectly past his awareness.
"No kidding? So, you just end up borrowing a bit from all the people around you to keep you going then?" Will guessed, his words reaching for confirmation or clarification as he did. "But your powers sorta don't know when enough is enough? Least I can get whatcha mean there." Will added as he continued speaking with the older woman. There was a pause, a half-second hitch, Will wondering if he was asking too many questions before he dismissed his anxieties and continued. "Is that normal? I mean... I know normal's like, out the window with powers, abilities, gifts. But, like -- not having a handle on havin' too much? Or, well. You know what I'm tryin' to get at." Will let out a little 'pfft' of frustration at his inability to properly get his words out, but, Lee had been pretty good at parsing what he had been asking prior and he doubted he'd be misunderstood.
60 hours? And presumably that meant from about now, or whenever she'd left the airport, not from the time she'd gotten up in the morning. Might as well call it 3 days at that point. That was more than a little unsettling to think about.
Will imagined that the first time you ran into something like that, the lack of fatigue or urge to sleep for a day or two would be interesting, at least for novelty, and maybe for catching up on things you didn't seem to have the time for. But trying to balance that all the time? Getting enough to get through the day without over doing it and being up all night? And who was to say she didn't still suffer from staying up that long, even without being tired. The average human just was not built to be awake for more than a day at a time.
Will at least, could take some amount of solace in that eventually he'd be able to sleep. Regardless of how loud or bright the world seemed, or how uncomfortable he was, exhaustion would eventually put him down.
More terrifying too was what Lee said towards the end of her explanation, that without people she didn't get that energy. Or rather, she didn't get any energy. None. Zero.
That was... scary. If she was running on a low battery, and nowhere near anyone else, she ran the risk of just... running out, and having no way back up? Will couldn't imagine how careful she must have had to be to make sure she never ran completely out of energy with no one around. Lee's explanation of her abilities did shed a bit of light though, on why she'd probed as much as she did about his own troubles with controlling his abilities. Maybe she was searching for similarities in their powers... maybe there were some? Will wasn't sure. Was it strange to have poor control over the 'cap' on your energy?
The word she used though, 'siphon', implied she was -taking- energy from people, not just generating it from being around them. So, less like photosynthesis like his imagination had cooked up at first. Parasite and vampire came to mind as the next examples, but they felt rather rude, the former more than the latter, and so he pushed them away.
"So... Sorta like the textbook definition of an extrovert, turned up to '11' then?" Will asked, sounding a little incredulous at the older woman's explanation, as though he hadn't been trying to explain about his own preternatural abilities just minutes prior. "You literally get your energy from other people?" Will hoped that 'extrovert' sounded better than calling his new friend (Acquaintance? Conspirator?) a vampire.
Lee admitted that she'd had a complicated life, to say the least. Will had managed to catch onto that well before now, but it also sounded like she had a complicated relationship with the mansion, and the X-men and... well frankly knew who or what else.
Who exactly was this person he'd run into?
Shoving those thoughts and musing to the back of his head to worry about later, Will tried instead to focus on what Lee had said, or, maybe more importantly, how she said it. That some of the things had ended up working out for the better for having worked with those at the mansion and with the X-men. That having someone who understood her powers was invaluable when it came to certain things, at least medically. That -did- explain why she knew so much about the inner workings and the pressures that might be put on someone who went to them for help... but he guessed she hadn't succumbed to those suggestions herself, or she'd probably have a more glowing review of the whole organization.
Huh. He still didn't really know exactly what Lee's powers were, did he? She'd mentioned bits and pieces, needing energy from people, sometimes not having enough, other times having too much and having to burn it off. She'd said she had too much, hence the running -- and he could extrapolate that's why she'd been able to lap him on the running path without even breathing hard. But how did that work? Trying to reach for any comparisons, he could only imagine it being a bit like a plant and photosynthesis.
"Glad t'hear they were able to help. Though, uh... I don't think I really get what it is your powers are?" Will admitted, giving a bit of a sheepish smile, not knowing if he was supposed to have been able to pick up on the nuances of her abilities from the bits she'd already explained. "I know you said you get energy from the people around ya, and it is, or was, hard to manage to keep from gettin' too much or not enough, but..." Will started to trail off, before quickly adding, "Like, y'don't need to share. Just... I mean, I -am- kinda curious." Will admitted, his smile widening to a grin.
"Well, guess it doesn't hurt to keep 'em in mind if I'm outta other options, but..." Will trailed off as he gave his final option on joining the mansion or not in a non-committal way. It wasn't as though he was unaware of the possibility of practicing his abilities without guidance not baring fruit. Or even a situation where the detrimental effects of his mutation grew worse. There were always horror stories out there about mutants who's powers got entirely out of hand, even if most of the worst of those stories were embellished or entirely made up.
"Security? Guess that makes sense..." Will commented on Lee's explanation about there likely being at least some kinds of administrative or clerical work that'd need to be done. Forms filled, papers punched, all the usual sort of thing. Will wondered idly if there would be a background check. There'd have to be, right? Or else risk someone trying to get in with malicious intent... Not that a background check would necessarily a perfect measure for that. The rational part of Will's mind knew it made sense, even mundane schools and businesses had security, but the skeptical part couldn't help but think it made it sound all the more like a gilded cage. "Imagine it's pretty important to keep track of people going in and out of a place like that."
"You sound like you're pretty familiar with the whole thing though?" Will directed the hesitant question towards Lee, his words probing tentatively. If he had to guess, she probably hadn't been a student there herself... he wasn't sure about the timeline of the mansion, per se, but Lee's words about wishing that someone would have had a talk with her when she was younger pretty much ruled that out. So, that left either she'd spent some time there later on, which could explain how she knew about the 'expectations' of older mutants getting guidance there... or else Kevin was enrolled there. Possibly both.
In any case, Will thought it wasn't really his place to ask too much or at least not too directly, and so left the half-question hanging in the air -- easy to dismiss if Lee didn't feel like sharing, and just as easy to offer more.
Will make a face as Lee explained the positives and potential negatives about someone his age seeking out help from the mansion. He could, and no doubt would get help there if he were to go... but it sounded like there were certain expectations that would be suggested. It also sounded to him like Lee was being particularly careful in choosing her words, at though trying to maintain neutrality on the situation. Will wasn't sure if she was just trying not to pressure him, but with what she'd said earlier -- how emphatically she'd insisted he didn't have to use his powers for anyone, or on anyone's behalf, he guessed that it was more likely there was another story there. Maybe several.
Will himself, well, he couldn't exactly say anything bad about the X-men on the whole... But... It always felt off to him how rubber stamped it all seemed to be with how well they fit into the current power structure. Got along with the government without friction, aided the NYPD. What was to keep them from sliding into just being another arm of the same corrupt system that led to the Registration, or that let the bigoted events that started the 2012 riots to happen again? How easy would it be to paint the X-men and the ones that joined up with them as 'the good ones' to allow people to point fingers at anyone that didn't want to fall under their umbrella?
Maybe it was bitterness. Maybe it was pessimism, but it at the very least made him wary. Hearing about the 'expectations' to join in return for them helping someone, well. That didn't make them sound any better. Lee's tacit disapproval, or at least her lack of overt approval, pushed it even further.
"Think I'll pass then, on 101 course." Will said, trying to wipe the grimace off of his face. He was normally a bit better at keeping up a poker face, but it'd been a pretty heavy conversation so far, and his legs felt like they were filled with sand. "Besides, I'm guessing there's probably some sorta paperwork to sign off on, and being seen around that place all that time..." Will waved a hand, banishing the idea entirely. "I'm still not sure I'm okay with more than me 'n' you knowing. That'd feel like yellin' it."
As Linc approached him, Will was a bit less absorbed in his sightseeing than when the couple had pushed by. Enough at least to take a half-step aside as he presumed the other man was moving in the same direction as the pair that had just hurried out. It wasn't until he was being spoken to that he actually started paying attention to the other person. Will turned to find himself roughly eye level with a camera hanging from Linc's neck, as Linc talked about a pair of tickets to the catacombs, getting them from a couple (the ones that just ran out?), and what sounded like an offer to give Will one of the two.
Will was skeptical by nature. Scratch that, Will was only one step removed from paranoid. (Being able to catch all the things people mutter under their breath doesn't leave you with a very good impression of most people, after all.) However, Will was -also- very much a person earning far too little in a city that cost far too much, and one of the most tantalizing offers had just been laid out. Getting something for free.
Will worked a customer service job, pouring coffee and drinks, so he knew well enough free things happened all the time. Poured a latte with whole milk instead of oat for the lactose intolerance customer? Well, if no one behind the counter wants it, see if any of his favorites were in the shop. Cookies were a little wonky? 2-for-1 deal.
So maybe he could set aside his pessimism for a bit and take the chance?
Pulling himself out of his thoughts, Will took a moment to process the idea, sizing up the significantly taller man who offered him the tickets as well.
Well, if this was some sort of scam. Which the camera wearing man had insisted that it wasn't, then it was certainly a bizarre one. And Linc certainly wasn't giving Will the vibes of some sort of sly and clever mastermind out to swindle him out of his wallet.
"Oh?" Will replied, an eyebrow raised in emphasis. "I mean, if it's a free ticket, then sure. You positive? Those things have gotta have some kinda price tag on then, no?" In spite of his gentle protest, Will still reached out for the ticket that Linc offered, grasping the stub gingerly in his outstretched finger. Will's words were really more a show of politeness, or formality than any actual attempt at deflecting the offer. Societal expectations of 'oh no I couldn't possibly' and all that.
"'About this', 'like this'..." Will repeated the phrases that Lee had said back to her with a bit of extra emphasis, "Sorta splitting hairs there, ain'tcha?" Will questioned, a bit of smugness pushing through past the earlier irritation and grumbles. It was nice to know he hadn't lost his knack -entirely- for being able to read people. It just seemed Lee was tougher than most. And the lopsided smiled was the most he'd seen her react in their entire conversation, which frankly was a bit of a relief. She'd seemed almost completely unflappable until now.
"Least I can say it took someone good at talking sense to people to get it through my head at least... Imagine if it all clicked because of some ClikClak video or something." Will scoffed through a laugh, shaking his head as he tried to bring a bit of levity back to things.
Will listened carefully though, as Lee explained about Kevin's upbringing and how different things were for him as opposed to well... Frankly a lot of mutants. Will's expression did turn to one of thoughtful surprise as she mentioned that Kevin had been actively waiting for his abilities, rather than getting blind sided by them like some kind of twisted, white elephant puberty gift.
Jeez. Being able to look forward to that. Be excited. Embrace them rather than being scared of them. Hating them.
"Waiting, for them?" Will repeated back to Lee, unable to keep the incredulous look off his face or out of his voice. "I... Well dang. Good for him." The man's incredulous expression didn't fade entirely, as he tried to wrap his head around the idea of someone being excited for something that'd struggled with for so long. Then again, things were different. Or so Lee kept trying to tell him. Without so much pressure against mutants, and with a pair of mutant parents, well...
"Seriously..?" Will chuckled and shook his head in bemused disbelief. "Well, between that and gettin' things into my thick head... I dunno, you've gotta have plenty keepin' you busy, but..." Will scowled, realizing he was rambling. "Just. You siad you wished someone had talked to you earlier. All I'm saying is If there's a place people like us go to figure stuff out. You'd be the kinda person I'd want to be talking to."
"Yeah, yeah... Forest for the trees or something like that, right?" Will grumbled in a good natured way, responding to Lee's comment on things right in front of your not always being obvious. Half-remembered idiom or no, it was clear he agreed with her statement.
Will could feel the worst of the tension that had twisted his stomach into knots slowly relenting, no longer feeling the need to jump at every crackle and snap in the night. Actually, with the brief lull in conversation, Will was slowly becoming aware that the raw, jagged feeling at the edges of his senses had finally dulled to an acceptable level of buzzing instead. Between that and the heavy, leaden feeling he could feel in his tired limbs, he wasn't about to have trouble getting to sleep once he made it home, even if his legs would protest the whole way there.
"Do you give these talks often?" Will asked Lee, half-joking, but with a genuine question hidden somewhere there in the mirth. "'Cause you've got a knack for it. Be a waste if you're only givin' them to knuckle heads running around the park at... Jeez, what time is it even..?" Will started to reach for his phone on instinct, his hand reaching his pocket before he stopped. It wasn't really important, and it felt rude to check out of the conversation... plus he didn't want to flashbang his eyes.
"I know, I know, I just said I didn't listen to a word when I was in school, but..." Will shrugged as he failed to come up with a more compelling argument to dismiss his earlier statements than the simple motion of his shoulders. "I dunno, you got me to listen. I imagine your kid's got a better grip on stuff than I did at his age... or heck, now even, probably..."
Will had never been much of one for history, nor was the man particularly interested in architecture -- at least not on any sort of professional level. In addition, he was far from being any sort of pious follower of religion or student of theology. Therefore, one might think it'd be unusual to find him in a place that held such cultural and spiritually significance. But you didn't need to have some sort of deep, meaningful connection to the whys and whens of somewhere to understand that some places were simply... beautiful.
It helped as well that when other people respected a place, felt a connection to a place, they tended to move and behave more carefully and calmly... 'Most people, anyway.' Will thought, with an irritated glance towards the least hushed cluster of tourists as he was shaken out of his quiet appreciation of the carefully kept cathedral.
Even with the chatty tourists, in the midst of a city like New York, the cathedral was a remarkable departure from the endless noise and bustle that was a constant, cacophonous background to 'The City The Never Sleeps'. With the sounds of business and traffic muffled and sealed away by walls that had stood for 200 years or more, Will could put up with a handful of gawking tourists yammering back and forth, even if it was well above a stage whisper.
Still, putting up with it didn't mean he was enjoying the noise, and Will tried to distance himself from the thick of the crowd as best he could, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans as he craned his head back to admire the vaulted ceilings, the impressive, decorative pillars and arches supporting the roof, the way the evening light with it's amber glow scattered into warm rainbows as it shone through the stained glass, turning spots along the floors and pillars into colourful pieces of ephemeral art. The place was old, but cared for in ways that tried to mask that it ever needed repair and maintenance, as though it were magically preserved from the time of it's construction. A careful eye, or a supernatural one, however, could see the tiny inconsistencies and the hard to reach places that showed age and dust -- almost forgotten by time entirely.
The smells too, of the place were somehow comforting. Gone was stink of street side trash, burning oil and gasoline all it it left outside along with the omnipresent odor of sunbaked asphalt, like stale tar. Instead smelling of oiled wood and melting wax and just enough of people, tourists and staff walking through, that it didn't carry the scent of a place forgotten or neglected. Almost like a library, though the dust smelled just a touch different. Incense and wax and cloth rather than paper and leather.
It was enough that Will could feel his shoulders relax, some of the tension ebbing from the almost preternaturally anxious man as he stepped slowly through the space, peering about at some of the altars holding candles and their flickering flames. In fact he was distracted enough he almost didn't notice a pair of people, (husband and wife, maybe?) as they made their way suddenly for the exit, seemingly in some amount of distress. With Will and the couple both distracted, Will clipped shoulders with the older man, enough to startle both, but not injure. Hurried, appropriate apologies were spoken back and forth - "Ah, sorry, my bad..." and hands were raised in forgiveness as the couple continued their egress and Will tried to turn his attentions back to the sights around him.
"In some ways, I wish I had had someone talk to me like this,"
"To be honest, I might not have listened to a talk like this when I was younger... I know I didn't listen to those stupid motivational speakers they brought in every other month after the riots..." Will admitted, trying to recall some of the insipid slogans and designed-by-committee cookie cutter speeches, but could only remember a vague distaste for the whole display. "Different though, when someone that gets it is sayin' it though." Will listened as Lee spoke about her own experiences with learning about her own powers, in what sounded like less-than-idea scenarios. The woman even sounded like she lamented that she hadn't had the opportunity that Will had here, having someone speak to them about the importance of learning your powers. That she'd learned more while protecting herself or defending herself than any other and that knowing more before then would have been magnitudes better. Will was certain there were at least a handful of stories there.
That was certainly something to consider as a morbid thought experiment the next time he was stuck running laps. Would it have been better to have been thrown into situations where he didn't have the choice but to learn to use his powers? Forced to face himself and what he could do rather than sitting on his hands and hoping everything would just change?
Well... probably not.
As Lee commented he seemed he seemed better at avoiding trouble, Will's first thought was to think that she really had a knack for understatement. At least if even half of what she'd said and a quarter of what she'd implied was true. But he had enough sense not to vocalize it, instead giving a small shrug and tapping his ear as he had earlier. "Ah well, easy to avoid trouble when you hear it a mile away." Will commented, coming to a quiet realization he really did have it a lot easier to keep himself out of trouble with his abilities, something he'd been underappreciating.
"Y'know, I was kinda hopin' there was gonna be some miracle answer. Some cheat sheet, or somethin'. Not just grit your teeth and do it anyway." Will paused, hands stuffed into his pockets, before he continued, sounding somewhere between bemused and irritated. "Then again, that'd probably just tick me off that I hadn't found it. Hm. Bit embarrassing having to have to have that pointed out to me."
Will had a nagging feeling that there was a lot more behind a lot of what Lee said, that there were stories left untold behind her explanations. Will didn't pry. First he couldn't know for sure if there much more behind any of the things she'd said. Second, asking someone to bare their soul like that to someone they'd only just met was a bit much. And finally, of course, some of those stories could be part of what Lee refused to speak aloud to anyone.
All in all, it'd be poor manners to ask.
Turning his attention away from wondering what Lee hadn't said and instead focusing on what she did, Will's expression turned to one of mild surprise. Lee's kid, named Kevin apparently, was a mutant as well -- and just coming into powers of their own.
Maybe that was why Lee seemed to be so ready to dole out answers and suggestions to all the questions and complaints Will had had. It was possible she'd either been having a similar discussion with Kevin recently, or was preparing herself to do so.
Then again, maybe she'd given this sorta pep talk before to someone else... or it could be that the whole situation was just a lot simpler than Will's mind had made it up to be.
"Hope his don't keep him up all night." Will gave a soft laugh as he commented on Lee's mention of her son having powers of his own. "But, nah... I needed a talkin' to, I think." The man gave a Lee sheepish smirk, his expression somewhere between gratitude and embarrassment.
"You're right though -- Okay, you've been right a lot here, but..." Will grinned a bit wider at the comment, looking a bit less sheepish and embarrassed as the conversation continued. "I mean about not knowing much about my powers. Never though much about 'em except for being a party trick and a pain in the butt."
Will's expression turned a bit more thoughtful before he kept speaking. "I guess though, it wouldn't hurt to figure things out, even if I'm starting late. Best case scenario -- I can do somethin' that matters to someone. Worst case? Least I might get better at defending myself with 'em, right?"
Will nodded in understanding as he tried to part Lee's gentle words of advice. He should practice, it would be good for him. There'd no doubt be people that would find what he could do useful, or appreciate him. But... Will also noticed Lee was careful not to tell him to do anything. And that Lee seemed insistent on making sure he understood that he didn't have to work with anyone he didn't want to, or use his abilities at times he didn't want to.
The man wondered briefly if there was a story there, or Lee's considerations stemmed more from her being a parent. He certain was getting talked to like a wayward teenager, in spite of his age... not that he didn't deserve it, or need that sort of handling -- at least in regards to this part of his like.
However, Will didn't have much time to consider which it may have been (if it wasn't both), as Lee continued speaking, attempting to have him understand that she fully empathized with his reluctance to open up.
Ah. And there it was. Confirmation that Lee had been here in 2007. That'd she'd been through the Mutant Registration fiasco. And in the absolute worst of ways.
Only stuck in the camps for a month. What a way to downplay the experience. There were enough horror stories out there, embellished or not, that painted a grisly picture about what being in there entailed. Even for only a month.
And yet Lee spoke about the without hesitation, telling Will that she understood, that she had her own issues she had to get through -- and that she did get through them. Even telling the man that there were things she still kept close to her chest for fear of them getting out... but that sometimes certain things being 'out there' was ultimately better.
... Well damn... It was pretty tough to keep whining about your issues when the person you were talking to dropped something like that. It felt a little like complaining about your papercut to someone missing a limb. Sure -- Will understood it wasn't about who went through what. Trauma didn't work like that, trying to compete over who was hurt worse didn't help anyone -- but here... it did help put things into sharper perspective.
Lee had gone through hell. Then picked herself up and decided to live a full life anyway. Even took the time to talk to stubborn gits like him to help out.
"I..." Will stood, mouth hanging open for a moment as he struggled to find the right words, before just shaking his head, the tension he hadn't realized he'd been holding dropping from his shoulder. The man gave Lee a bemused smirk as he found his voice again. "You really are a mom, aren't you? Feel like I'm getting a lecture about doing my homework."
