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.
Agnes smirked and blushed with a little bit of embarrassment. Truth be told, even before she met Nessa, Agnes had been wracking her brain trying to figure out what she wanted to do with her life. Every day it was looking more and more like she wasn’t going to return to the woman that she was, but there was still some slight hope that she was going to make it back to that. That Agnes, though she gave up on music, seemed to have a plan of some kind!
How weird was it to be jealous of a person you used to be but had no recollection of?
It made Agnes all the more confused. When you grow up, you have a lifetime of experiences behind you and those shape what you do and do not want to do with your life. But for her she had the looming shadow over her head of a future that in essence failed her. Whatever her motivations were for quitting music, it didn’t matter. What mattered was that it turned out music wasn’t for her.
Now, there were factors to consider. Whatever life Agnes couldn’t recall clearly shaped up to that decision. Ms. Gray didn’t seem to know and Agnes couldn’t find any information as to why she would have quit. But she wasn’t going to leave anything up to chance. She had a new life to formulate and, at it appeared, less time than she would liked to figure it out.
But she would figure it out. She had faith she would.
Agnes stuck her tongue out at Nessa before her lips slipped into a smile. ”What can I say? I’ve had a lovely distraction keeping me from focusing this whole trip.”
That wasn’t true. She wasn’t going to blame Nessa for her inability to focus and decide what to do with her life. Then again, memories of cuddling in bed and trips to the beach often found a way to permeate her thoughts.
Agnes blinked those away as Nessa started to consider her options. Internet fame but following her own path? Honestly that sounded like the best sort of thing for Nessa. Still in the same vein of what she wanted to do, and loved, but allowing herself to build it up herself. A smile cropped up as she rested her chin on one of her hands and nodded.
”That sounds amazing,” Agnes agreed. ”And totally a valid plan!” She had to laugh at Nessa’s offer to collab on a podcast and picked up her coffee for another drink. ”Oh I doubt anyone would want to listen to me? What am I going to do? Talk about music or insects? I’m sure most people will find the former boring and the later gross.”
Agnes pursed her lips. Argh, stupid thoughts! She really wasn’t sure what to do with her life. So much of it had been centered around music but it just seemed appropriate that with this new life she was building for herself that she shake it off and start fresh. But with what?
Her eyes drifted back to Nessa. ”You’ve got an amazing future ahead of you, Nessa,” she said, offering her a genuine smile. ”I’m sure you’re going to build something amazing with it all over again. As for me?” she shrugged. ”Who knows. Maybe a bee farmer. Get rich selling high quality honey for a living.”
As much as her life had changed as big a move as she was supposed to make, Agnes was actually quite happy since this trip began, even more so now that certain things had finally been addressed and handled. There was still a lot of her life back in America that she hadn’t thought about yet, things she needed to consider and reconsider. But it seemed that a certain ViewTuber had managed to blissfully distract her from her troubles since their arrival.
But it couldn’t last forever. That was the problem. As much as Agnes wanted to revel in the sweet and uncomplicated bliss traveling abroad with a beautiful, possible future relationship, it wasn’t an answer to her problems -- it just delayed them. Nessa, thankfully being far more practical than succumbing to Agnes’ PDA, reminded the insect queen of just that.
That’s right. This whole trip, despite how much fun it was, was supposed to help the both of them take some much needed time to consider what they wanted to do. What lives they wanted to return to in the states. They were essentially blank slates now, able to jump back into their worlds without fear of what it would do for their future. They were forging ahead with new ones. But there was also so much uncertainty. How could they decide?
Agnes, returning to sitting back in her own chair, smirked at Nessa as she reached over and gave her arm a squeeze. ”You know you don’t have to keep clarifying everytime you say ‘us’, you know?” Agnes offered her a cheeky smile. ”I’m not imagining wedding bells at the end of this trip either, Nessa. We got plenty of time.”
It was true. Maybe a younger Agnes would have jumped to those conclusions. One who was desperate for any kind of fresh start after leaving the hellish household her parents had built. But that wasn’t for Agnes. She didn’t want that -- not yet anyways. Maybe one day, with the right person. If Nessa was it, she didn’t know, but that was what time and dating was for, right?
Picking up her coffee, she took another sip as she eyed the other woman. She nodded her head in understanding, raspberried her lips with idle frustration. ”Yeah, I’ve got to do the same. Not sure I want to follow music again. My past self did and after what Ms. Grey told me, seemed like I had gotten burned out. I know I’m not that Agnes anymore but…” she breathed as she looked out over the water again. ”...that may be in more ways than one. So...what should I do?” She asked. ”Math teacher? Podcaster? Maybe a very sensual model for short hair?” She grinned and put on a goofy pose and smile, to get a grin from her contemplative partner. ”You have any ideas you want to start considering? Maybe talking it out with me will help.”
It was a fun game, chasing each other through the square at the bottom of the Eiffel Tower. Sure they had earned a few scornful looks from other passerbys, locals who were tired of youth from across the world using the country’s landmark as a nexus for wild and youthful love. But Agnes didn’t care. The pixie-haired brunette fled through the square, a giggling flowing freely from her lips with every step of her running heels. She felt good, better than she had in months.
Once she had managed to seize her pursuer, her playful mind imagined a multitude of things to “do with her”. Some funny, some romantic, but the most prevalent thought that popped up in her mind was to kiss her. Kiss the girl. Sebastian the crab sang about kissing a girl and though that song was directed at a dark-haired prince, it was easy to transpose herself into the imagery.
Kiss her. All she had wanted to do since even before they got into Paris, was to kiss her.
Thankfully, as her crystalline eyes locked onto the other’s she suddenly remembered the generous gifts Nessa had been granted. She was a telepath and one look into Agnes’ eyes cemented exactly what her plans were. And it was enough to spur her into action.
Their lips met. Agnes was frozen, the soft, pillowy sensation flooding through her before she turned her head, and wrapped her arms around Nessa’s waist to pull her closer. Agnes didn’t know what she wanted for her future but, in this moment, she knew that she wanted Nessa beside her.
***
There seemed to be a considerable weight lifted from the duo since Paris. With a better understanding of where they stood with one another, Agnes felt on top of the world. Yes there was still a lot the two needed to figure out but knowing that these feelings were still developing, mutually, since their time in the hot tub, it cleared a bit of the haze in the insect queen’s head.
Of course not all the cards had been laid out just yet. A kiss and some making out had managed to find time in their daily schedules but when it came to more intimate matters, the both of them had decided it would be better to temper those fires with patience. There was still a lot of the trip to go and it was something that should happen at the right time and moment.
As the trip progressed, and they passed through other lovely cities and countries, eventually the pair found themselves in the Netherlands -- or to be more precise, Amsterdam. There was no way they could go to Europe and not stop here.
Sitting outside one of the many bakeries and coffee shops, Agnes sighed as she looked out over the river before her gaze swept back to her companion. It was still mid-morning and they had more of the city to cover on foot, but breakfast and caffeine was needed.
Agnes, eyes Nessa devilishly, grinned as she scooted next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder as they observed a passing tour boat on the river. With a smirk, she nuzzled into Nessa’s neck and delivered a small kiss behind her ear.
”Hey,” she whispered. ”You’re zoning out again. Whatcha got circling around up there? We’re not all telepaths, you know?”
The more she thought about this idea, the more she liked it. Why not? Why not just take that plunge and erase all the bad things from her past in a single blow? She didn’t know her old self anymore and with every passing day it seemed like she wouldn’t. And with her past now buried with the deaths of her abusive parents and disappearance of her brother, it seemed like this was the best course of action. It was time to just go and become someone she wanted to be.
A new name. She had plenty of time to think about it. With Nessa at her side, the both of them deciding it was time to let go of the past, it should be a fairly quick process -- once they get back into the states. For now, Agnes would have to think about what she wanted her last name to be. What she wanted to be represented as. There were so many names, words, and ideas that she could conceive of but all those were pushed away. They were thoughts for another time.
Not when she was on a date.
”That sounds like an amazing idea,” Agnes said, cheering Nessa with a piece of bread. ”And something we can certainly talk about…” she said coyly, running her finger along the rim of her wine glass, heavy eyes looked upon the other with a impish smile. ”...after our date.”
A date. That thought struck her like a ton of bricks. She really was on a date with Nessa, wasn’t she? After the hot tub incident, it was hard to ignore that there was chemistry there but they had wanted so desperately to hold onto the friendship that was developing. They didn’t want to put that at jeopardy, being two young adults lost in the annals of time.
But given that both their lives had been altered so drastically -- why not? Why not take that leap and just give in to the flow of everything magical and wonderful in this city of romance?
A glass was raised and Agnes responded in kind. Toasting to new lives, whatever it may be, though not in marriage. Yeah, that would have been a bit fast for Agnes but she was more than interested to see just how far things were going to go. So she smiled warmly and clinked her glass to Nessa.
”To the possibilities before us,” she said. ”And the odd turn of events that lead us here.”
***
The Eiffel Tower. There was no way that they could come to Paris and not visit such a landmark after the sun had set. There were many people milling about but as the duo stepped onto the scene, they raced through the square, giggling and dodging around people. Fueled by wine and amazing food, the duo managed to move with surprising ease, zooming around other people, criss-crossing their own paths, until finally Agnes was the first to reach a quiet spot beneath the towering behemoth.
She waited, hiding herself behind one of the giant, metal legs until she heard Nessa’s inquisitive footsteps seeking her out. When she was finally in range, a pair of lily-white arms snapped out, seizing the mindreader by surprise and pulling her into the quiet solitude of the location Agnes found
”Gotcha,” she teased, her breath still catching up from the chase. She grinned, trapping Nessa against the pillar and mused outloud. ”Hrmmm...now what to do with you…?”
Really it was hard for her body to not betray her when she was around Nessa. The other woman was so free with her compliments that she made the young insect queen blush, flutter, or twitch on the regular. One would think that she would get used to it at this point but Europe, it seemed, made her more susceptible to these sweet, honeyed words. This time her wings offered an involuntary flutter thanks to Nessa’s continued compliments to her hair.
”Really, you’re sweet,” Agnes said with a slight grin.
Her crystalline eyes lingered for a moment longer than they should have. Nessa’s curiosity seemed piqued by Agnes’ proposition of a price for running her fingers through her hair. Hrm, what could she ask for in return? There were a multitude of innocent things, and even more less than innocent. God, what was it about Paris that made her drunk with affection? Certainly wasn’t the wine, yet. She had barely had a few sips and since arriving her tolerance already seemed to be growing.
She pushed away those thoughts that colored her cheeks and instead focused on Nessa’s question -- why cut her hair to begin with? It was both a simple and complicated answer; her new life was starting. That was the most important distinction to make, wasn’t it? Agnes felt like a new life was finally beginning for her so why not take advantage of it?
It was a sentiment that Nessa seemingly shared. Though it seemed like her life was still beginning, in her old life she had cut out her parents and built success for herself. As much as an achievement as that was, that wasn’t the life Nessa had anymore and now she had an opportunity to build something even better.
And apparently Agnes had the ability to build a life upon having a super sexy haircut.
She grinned. ”Mm, keep talking bout my haircut and I’ll just have to raise that price for touching it,” she teased, taking her own piece of bread and tearing off a piece. ”As you can see, demand is suddenly rising, therefore, so do the prices.” She placed the bread in her mouth and then stopped for a moment to think before smiling and shaking her head. ”I just made myself sound like a hooker, didn’t I?” Laughing, she covered her mouth to finish chewing and swallow her bread. ”I’m so bad at this. Sorry.”
At least it wasn’t a total derailment of their conversation. Nessa took the opportunity to question her own want of change. Her last name was still connected to her parents, so why did she keep it? Her brother, which Agnes had yet to meet but whom Nessa talked about with adoration, seemed like a possibility. But he hardly seemed like the type to make her keep a name out of spite or honor.
Agnes shrugged her shoulders. ”Who knows? Maybe some spark of hope that you wouldn’t have to change it?” She sighed and looked at the table, chewing on her lip. ”Hrm...you know, that’s a good idea.” She said. ”New lives, right? I...I wonder if maybe I should change my last name. Agnes is me, of course, but Nicholas? I...don’t feel like a Nicholas. I have for a very long time, apparently.”
There was something incredibly sweet about the way that Nessa stared at her since they left the house. Agnes wasn’t the conceited time but even she had to admit when she felt cute. The haircut, the dress, the make-up, all of it just seemed to come together in a cohesion that she was actually happy with. Part of her wondered if this was another one of those traits from her older self that was bleeding through. If so, she actually wished she could offer that version of Agnes a thank you. She was apparently quite the confidence booster.
Walking to Charme, the pair of them talked and Agnes found herself unable to take her eyes off of her friend. She still couldn’t fully comprehend where all this was going but this was one of those instances where she was willing to live for the moment. And such a moment this was to live in.
Her cheeks blushed a little as her smile pulled them into adorable, rosy puffs. Nessa certainly had a way with words and her compliments continued to hit their mark, causing that fluttering in Agnes’ chest to buzz just a little louder. Her insects weren’t stirring either. That was a good thing. She had feared that nerves would make them squirrely but, maybe that was the point -- she didn’t feel nervous. For whatever reason, this just felt right.
”Haha, thank you,” Agnes said again, absentmindedly running her fingers through her shortened hair. ”Doesn’t look silly, right? From the old pictures Ms. Grey supplied for me, looks like I never cut my hair this short.”
It didn’t really bother her, to be honest. She didn’t care what her old self would have thought of having such short hair. Today, this Agnes, she was happy with it and willing to try something new. That was all that was important.
Taking a careful sip of her wine, she sighed at how it tasted. She was really growing a fondness for it while traveling Europe. It certainly seemed like something she would be taking back to her old life.
At Nessa’s question, Agnes took in a deep breath of the river and smiled. ”I just...felt like it was time for a change.” she said. ”The youth I remember is ancient history. The future I forgot...seems like it’s not coming back.” She mused before looking across the table to Nessa. ”I figure it’s time to start living and forge a new identity.” A smirk played on her lips as she tilted her head, eyeing her friend closely. ”And yes. if you want to run your fingers through my hair, I’ll let you,” a teasing smile pulled at her lips. ”For a price. I don’t know what yet, but...if you’re willing to pay it, I’ll think of something good.”
Things had gotten...interesting. Since the hot tub party, both Agnes and Nessa had known there was something between them. However, considering where they both came from, whom they were both with and what occurred, they didn’t want to rush things. The amazing friendship was there and they wanted to explore that before attempting anything that it could evolve into.
What better way to test patience and theory than going on a Europe-touring trip together, right?
There were a few...instances...where Agnes found herself both confused and a little scared. That first night in Europe, thankfully, the insect queen didn’t fully remember. She knew that she drank and ate, but why she had woken up in the bed, her body wrapped around Nessa like a serpent...that was a question she still didn’t have an answer to.
Scratch that. She partially knew why but she didn’t want to admit it. Not yet. Their trip was just starting for the blue-eyed brunette merely laughed it off with Nessa and claimed the strength of Portuguese wine was legendary.
However that couldn’t answer everything that happened afterward. Throughout their trip, there had been other close calls; close calls that had their own explanations. Cuddling ina single bed (one bed instead of two was most cost effective), ogling one another at the beach (the sunset was too beautiful and one another just happened to be in the way), and nibbling on Nessa’s neck. Okay, that one would be hard to explain but Agnes assured that she was having some ultra realistic dream where she was lapping up spilled honey from a comb!
Either way, things were getting a bit harder to ignore the further that they travelled. So once they ended up in Paris, the City of Love, Agnes could feel that weight of reality weighing down on her. Traveling through the streets, on their way to their hotel, Agnes just felt right walking with Nessa by her side. It was to the point that she ended up glancing at her over and over again, forcing herself to smile and look away.
This was something, wasn’t it? It still seemed too early to tell but the insect queen had a way to signify whatever this could be. And that meant a change was needed.
With a promise that she would be careful and that she would see Nessa a little bit later, Agnes asked a local guide where the nearest hairdresser was. After some confusing direction, Agnes eventually found it. Thankfully the stylist, a kindly old woman with salt-and-pepper hair, spoke enough english to under what Agnes wanted. She wanted a new her.
Some time later, Agnes returned to their hotel. As she drifted through the room, wearing a cool, linen dress, she smiled as she stopped at a mirror and checked her appearance one last time. This was the shortest her hair had ever been. Cut into an adorable pixie cut, she turned her head left and right and made sure to take plenty of pictures so future stylists could do the same. This was a look she was going to keep.
Nessa called out and Agnes smiled as she followed the voice into their shared bedroom. Her surprise at the ready, she sat at the edge of the bed, crossed one of her slender legs over the other, and awaited the appearance of her friend.
Now, the idea that Nessa presented to her was quite logical. As much as the two of them had to think about and consider, they were in Paris. Paris. Could they really say they had been here if they didn’t go on one innocent date? Feeling a small flutter in her chest, Agnes stood up, bit her bottom lip in thought, and offered her “friend” a nod.
”I’d be...honored…”
***
Charme. It was a small, hole in the wall of a restaurant that supposedly had one of the best views of the Seine. Seeing as this was their first date (as friends or possible lovers), the quiet location with a beautiful view seemed like the perfect place for their little rendezvous.
Seated outside on a small table, Agnes was dressed in a lovely black dress that clung onto her curves. Her lips, painted a beautiful shade of burgundy, stretched into a smile as she turned and looked out over the dark, passing waters. Truly it was a breathtaking sight -- well, almost.
Sapphire eyes turned back to Nessa as she watched her. When she caught her gaze, she offered her a warm smile. ”You look gorgeous.”
The alcohol was hard to ignore. As much as Agnes could feel the reserved side of her brain trying to get her speak and act properly (or at least not sluttishly) there was just too much freedom in ignoring that. Besides, everything she did was entirely practical and on par with what she would have done should she be home alone. What was the difference with there being an audience. It was just Nessa. It wasn’t as if anything weird were going on.
In the time it took for Agnes to pull the top from her head and sprawl atop her bed, she found herself deeply enthralled with the feeling of the cool, soft sheets beneath her back. It was so sweet and lucious against her skin that she sighed pulled herself up just to feel the fabric pull against her hungry body. It felt so completely and utterly good that she had to close her eyes in satisfaction.
But she was tired too. As much as she didn’t want to be, Agnes could feel the weight in her eyelids grow and threaten to fall over those sapphire pools and descend her down into the deep recesses of sleep. But not alone. Nope. She wasn’t going to allow for that.
The memory of Nessa grabbing her butt faded, but barely acknowledged (until some random half-memory when she was sober again), as she now needed a sleeping partner. While Nessa attempted to weasel out of it, Agnes pouted and whined cutely, like a kitten mewling for affection.
Stay with her. That was all she wanted.
At her insistence, Nessa finally agreed. ”Yay!” Hopping off the bed, Agnes pounce/hugged Nessa from behind, her bra-covered chest pushed against her friend’s back before she peeled away and wandered back to the bed. She got about one knee on it, ready to climb further when Nessa reminded her that certain other actions must be taken to properly be ready for bed. ”Oh. Yes. Silly me.”
She smiled again as she slipped off the bed and found her suitcase in the corner. After only a few moments of humming and searching, Agnes pulled out a large, oversized shirt. Black with the malformed face of Queen Pelpetina on it and the words “Dew et!” emblazoned on the bottom. It was a silly shirt but she really enjoyed the prequel Space Battle movies, despite what anyone said.
With her back turned to Nessa she unhooked her own bra, sighing stretching her arms as she dropped it lazily onto her suitcase. Then, with the shirt now hanging low over her body, she shimmied out of her own jeans and once again proceeded to climb into bed and await the warmth of Nessa’s presence.
She didn’t have to wait long. The bed creaked as Nessa climbed and settled in. After a few more silence seconds, the woman by Agnes sighed leaned over and whispered her thanks. The soft words brought a smile to the insect queen’s lips. Her first instinct was to lean in and nuzzle the young woman in thanks, but in her drunken state, she only imagined it. Instead, as sleeping quickly claimed her, she merely replied with a smile, a coo, and a nod of her head.
”Mm, it’s going to be a good trip,” she said. Feeling the arm circle around her midsection, she rested her own arm on top on of it, running her fingers gently across the bare skin. ”Especially because I get to spend it with you.”
The last part of that sentence barely made it past her lips before the brunette slowly drifted into the lands of sleep.
It was easy to get lost in the fantasy. Agnes closed her eyes, dreamily imagining herself sprawled out on a canopy bed, some Porteuguese goddess wrapped about her. In her fuzzy-brained state of mind, Agnes felt a warmth course throughout. Suddenly the idea of bed and cool sheets and a warm body sounded oh so good to the insect queen. It was enough to cause her wings to flutter in excitement. Though, she didn’t really have a goddess with her, did she?
Her eyes swept over Nessa. Small to the point of nearly closed, a smile tugged at her lips as watched her friend finish cleaning out the glasses. Mm. For a moment the hazy image of the Portuguese goddess in her head shifted into that of Nessa before shifting back. Hm...wasn’t that bad to think about. But just as the image floated in, it floated away on another wave of wine-induced stupor.
She chuckled with Nessa as the beauty offered to help her to bed. However her comment pulled an incredulous look from Agnes. ”Tipsy? Pfft,” she razeberried drunkenly. ”I’ll have you know my butt is perfectly rounded. Feel that?” she turned, trying to flash her friend a look at her jean-covered butt. She didn’t sense if Nessa touched before she turned back around but was satisfied. ”See? Not tipsy at all.”
Eventually they found their way to the bedroom. Earlier in the day, after they had first arrived, they already managed to get their stuff put away. It was one less thing that they had to worry about. Good thinking ahead but all Agnes wanted to do not was climb between the covers and sleep the alcohol off.
Agnes was so happy to see those cool sheets and warm blankets. She immediately began to kick off her shoes and pull off her top. However she stopped when Nessa offered to leave the entire bed for her. A pout immediately found its way to Agnes’ lips. Taking both of Nessa’s hands she pulled her further into the bedroom.
”No, no, no! Don’t be silly!” she smiled wide. ”Look, see?” she turned and bent over, slapping the bed. ”There’s plenty of room to share. Come on! We can’t spend out first night in Europe separated.” Releasing Nessa’s hands she flopped back on the bed, just wearing jeans and her bra. She stretched out, spreading her hair and limbs across the entire bed. ”Come ooooooooon. Say you’ll sleep with meeeee. Please?”
Agnes couldn’t suppress her smile. This was the last place she expected to be with the last person she expected to experience it with. Everything just felt so beautiful and perfect. To cap it all, Nessa raised her toast with a cookie in hand. It was hard to not want to salute that.
”To finding ourselves!” Agnes saluted the toast and bit into it with utter satisfaction. Here was to an amazing first night in Europe, in a cozy cabin, with nothing but youth, pastries, and wine on their side. Did you need anything else?
***
The night had been the best party that Agnes had ever attended. It was a party of two and it was an absolute blast. Though her parents had discouraged drinking, Agnes had never really been one to experiment with it, even after she had left home and found refuge in Xavier’s. Sure she would see a couple students sneak by with beer they had managed to get from town, but she hadn’t really been one to partake.
Now that the wine flowed freely, she was already beginning to understand just how good it could be. Throughout the night, she continued to sip at her glass and eat cookies until they finally deemed it necessary to bring actually food into the equation. Luckily bread and cheese had been included in their baskets, just enough to get them through the night until they could get to town and find real food.
But this? Wine? Cheese? Bread? And some of the best Porteuguese records she had ever heard? That was all they needed. Well, that and a pretty girl to share the experience with.
Or, maybe that was the wine talking.
Agnes shook haze from her head, and leaned back in her chair. She watched as Nessa got up and began to wash out her glass from any remnants of the wine that lingered on. That was a good idea. They should probably call it quits before they got drunk.
Standing, Agnes had to stop herself by holding onto the couch and let out a small snort. Yeah, it was a good thing she knew her limit. She wobbled on her feet, following Nessa so that she could wash her own glass.
”Mmm,” Agnes said as she turned and sat up on the counter next to the sink. Casually she rolled the glass between the soft palms of her hands before she nestled it between her legs. ”I can just imagine it. A nice little cabin, out in the countryside. Wake up to the sun shining in your eyes and not some towering building or the sounds of traffic outside.” She sighed dreamily. ”And the smooth thigh of some gorgeous, portugeuese goddess wrapped around your hip.” Agnes posed, throwing some of her hair forward to cover half her face in a sultry manner. But the seductiveness was shattered when she finally broke into laughter and shook her head. ”Or something like that. Not that I’ve given it much thought.”
Agnes waddled, carrying the heavy jar of wine under her arm, smirking as she held the door open for Nessa. It was good to be inside. While she was revved up and ready to experience everything that Europe had to offer, she was admittedly tired. The long flight but traversing this town in order to find the right house, it was far more exhausting than she thought it would be.
With a grin she set the wine on a nearby table, hefted up her bag and flopped onto a nearby couch with a sigh. It was beautiful and quaint and very country-y, but none of it was as beautiful as the sweet cushion of the sofa beneath her butt. She wiggled into it and reached out her arms, stretching long and firmly until she felt her vertebrae crack. Ahh, that was relief.
”Oh, definitely,” she said with a sigh. ”You’d think with all the mutants around the airports would start hiring those that can just open portals to wherever you want to go. Make travel so much easier.”
She puffed a few strands of hair out of her face and turned, giving Nessa an appreciative smile. She was still tickled pink that she was here with her bestie. She didn’t think that this would be a possibility but here they were, leaving their troubles behind in a whole other country. That’s a gorgeous thing, really.
It was then that her eyes laid in on the plate of wrapped pastries. Oh. Yes. As if in response to the sight alone, her stomach rumbled, having last eaten on the airplane quite some hours ago. That, plus Nessa’s new plan, immediately spurred her on to action.
Her hand reached out, grabbing on of the tarts as she laid back on the couch and took a bite. ”Mmm…”
The sound she made was almost obscene. The pastry was absolutely everything. A free hand resting on her bare stomach, she licked the crumbs from her lips before turning to Nessa and offering a broad smile.
”That honestly sounds like the best idea. The town will still be there tomorrow. We have wine and pastries to consume! We gotta think of priorities, you know.” She said as she tore off another piece of pastry between her fingers and popped it into her mouth. So, so good.
Agnes still couldn’t believe that she was here. Here! In Europe! It was honestly something that she never thought would happen to her. She spent so much of her life just trying to stay afloat, trying to strive for something better for herself as well as put as much distance between her and her parents. She wanted more from life and hard work was the only way to get it. But it seemed that you can only do so much hard work before you begin to burn out.
And boy was she burned out.
Agnes was perfectly okay with taking a break from the responsibilities of life, but a trip to Europe? That was not something she had ever anticipated for herself. And yet here she was, with a good friend, about to have the time of life. It was hard not to smile at the prospects.
Lagos was beautiful. Not exactly where she thought they would being but she was certainly glad that she and Nessa had worked so hard on the itinerary. This was going to be an amazing trip and, already, it started off on an amazing start.
Agnes loomed near the entrance to the home they would be staying in, a cute little house they both found on SkyLodge for a great deal. Agnes lingered on the steps, dressed in her jeans, leather jacket, and pink crop top. Wings fluttered a little at the sensation of the breeze moving through the nearby trees and caressing her face. She sighed in satisfaction and smirked softly until the sounds of footsteps on gravel pulled her attention back to the side.
There came Nessa, keys in hand, laden like a pack mule with jugs of something tucked under each arm. Agnes giggled as she rushed over and grabbed one of the jugs to offer an assist.
”Well isn’t that lucky for us?” she laughed, taking the jug into her own arms and hugging it against her chest. ”Let’s just make sure that we don’t drink ourselves into a stupor and miss the whole vacation.”
Agnes had never really experienced this level of generosity very often. The majority of her experience with people is them treating her badly or ignoring her completely. But there were those few incidents that she could recall where she truly felt that she had met someone who cared. Whether a nice pastor she met living on the streets, or the kind guidance counselor here at Xavier’s, or, in her latest example, this sweet friend who wanted to take her to Europe.
She was obviously unsure. You don’t just say “Yes!” to an offer like that out of the blue. As a matter of fact, etiquette screamed in her ear for her to try and stall and say no until she fully thought it through. So, to buy time, she inquired -- was Nessa sure?
Everything that Nessa said sounded absolutely justified. They were good friends, going through similar things, and while she was going to be careful with some of the money, she wanted to spend a little as it didn’t truly feel like hers on something that was fun. So why not? Why not go on a soul-searching adventure across Europe?
Biting her bottom lip, Agnes wavered back and forth. Finally a broad smile swept over her lips as she nodded her head.
”Alright, Bookman,” she grinned. ”You got a deal. I have some money saved I collected doing oddjobs in the Mansion gardens. I can definitely take some and splurge on a well-deserved trip.” Wiping the last of the sweat from her brow she stuck out her hand to her bestie. ”Let’s do it. Let’s tackle Europe together.
Agnes really was happy for Nessa. Admitted her own story didn’t result in that happy of an ending. As much as she wanted to believe that there was some hidden cache of money just waiting for her to pluck out of the ether so she could decide the rest of her life -- it seemed doubtful. The sad truth was that searching her own “adult life” hadn’t proven to be fruitful at all. As a matter of fact, quite the opposite. Did she even exist?
To be fair, she knew that she existed. It was simple enough to find certain records of her attending school here at Xavier’s, even going off to Juilliard. But after a certain point, it was almost as if she had dropped off the face of the earth. Why? Who was she? It was a question that both plagued and exhausted her.
But, like her new good friend, part of her was wondering if it was just better to let that side of her go. That was her future now passed and a return to it seemed most unlikely.
Upon hearing part of Nessa’s plans for her money, Agnes nodded her head respectfully. ”I mean, doesn’t get more cliched than that, right? Backpacking across Europe? Go for it!”
Of course Nessa’s justifications were not necessary but they were warranted, nonetheless. After everything she went through, and now having some form of disposable income, why not partake?
Agnes was about to continue her support of her friend’s decision when the nervous ticks caught her eye. Nessa looked a little off-kilter, to the point that Agnes was almost concerned. But before she could voice that, Nessa managed to squeak out her proposal.
Wait, was Nessa really offering to take her along? She brunette paused, her crystalline eyes momentarily widened at the prospect. Honestly it sounded like a dream. She had always wanted to see Europe but admittedly there was some hesitation. Nessa was a great friend and all but there was something almost guilt inducing about accepting such a generous gift. But...why? Nessa offered. Wouldn’t it be far weird, not to mention rude, of her to decline?
She shook the shock from her face before answering. ”Oh...Oh my god. Nessa, are you serious?” she asked while she closed the gap between them with a step or two. ”That’s...so generous...I…” She gave her a look of uncertainty. ”I mean...a-are you...sure?”
Agnes couldn’t help the smile that spread across her lips at the brief once-over that Nessa gave her. There was something there, that much Agnes was willing to admit, but nothing that she wanted to think about too hard just yet. They were still fairly fresh in one another’s life and it was better to take a beat, cool down, and just see where things went. After all, right now Agnes was more interested in a friend than a bedmate.
For now. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.
But back to the matter at hand. Using a towel to dab the sweat from her neck, she tilted her head, listening as Nessa announced her victory against the evil bank! Well, not so much “victory” as “patiently waited for them to do their jobs”. It was a success nonetheless! She had money! Money was good!
”That’s awesome, hun!” Agnes nodded enthusiastically. She then snickered and shook her head. ”Well don’t make too many bad decisions,” she laughed. ”Unless you are planning on deaging again to access another secret stash of money you have hidden?”
