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.
Nate liked to believe his tastes in partners were varied enough that he did not have a set "type." He had dated very different people over the years from the sweet and artsy Sarah to the domineering and practical Natalie to the driven and dutiful Quin. If he included men, it varied things even further since the ways Nate was attracted to men and women were entirely different.
Still, if Nate had to decide what his "type" was, Quin ticked a lot of the boxes for the trends he noticed. There were some obvious physical ones: Nate had been with several redheads, he had a knack for finding women who came close to him in height, and the women he courted often had athletic builds. That was all the shallow stuff out of the way. Beyond that, Quin was confident and independent. Nate was drawn to strong women and Quin fit the bill. She was clever enough that he felt challenged by her, which he liked. Even one of the problems in their first relationship, her strict moralistic view of the world, was becoming a non-factor as Quin accepted the grey in the world.
It was nice to have someone who fit into his life so easily, and while the physical aspects were not all that important, it even made walking together easily as Quin could more or less match his stride. "I'm not sure if I ever had Norah's kind of energy," he jokingly admitted. "I bet at the orphanage I was watching all the other kids running around and trying to figure out where they were hiding their batteries." Of course, being bullied had a habit of robbing someone of energy and motivation, so maybe child Stephen had an excuse.
There was comfort in knowing Quin shared in Nate's nostalgia. Coney Island was never going to just be a tourist attraction that was good for a day trip. It was a memory, and one he was honestly excited to revisit. "Well, I didn't exactly miss that sugar made your suggestions twice," he teased. He looked over to his daughter. "She doesn't exactly need it, but hell, it's her day to treat herself. Let's get snacks, but if she starts bouncing around the park, you're helping with round-up duty." He would make a joke about how much trouble a seven-year-old could get herself into at a place like this, but he thought better of jinxing them. Nate knew Quin was still new to dealing with kids in this kind of setting, so there was no need to scare her or make things harder on her.
Norah was bouncing around happily in her very floral red and white dress, leading her two adult companions into Coney Island. With the weather turning warm and Norah still new to New York, Nate thought it would be a nice treat for her now that school was done. She would be going to Chicago soon to spend the off-season with her mother, so it was important to take advantage of the time he had with her.
”You’re welcome, sweetheart,” he replied, chuckling at her exuberance. ”You earned it for doing so well in school all year. Let’s have fun, but try not to run too far ahead of me and Miss Quin.” The little girl nodded and ran ahead a short distance.
It was time to be with Norah, of course, but when he was setting up the plans, Nate decided it would be a good opportunity to spend time with Quin as well. Coney Island was always going to be somewhere important to them. Things with Quin were going great; they were close friends, they worked well together, they were supportive to one another, and, well, the sex was great as always.
Things seemed easy and uncomplicated and then Norah got Nate thinking when he brought up Coney Island in the first place.
”That sounds so fun! Is your girlfriend coming, daddy?”
”Huh? I have a girlfriend?
”Miss Quin, silly!
”Oh, Quin!” Nate chuckled nervously at his perceptive young daughter. ”Miss Quin is just one of daddy’s really good friends.”
”Are you sure? She comes here a lot and you hold hands and stuff. Jenny says those are things boyfriends and girlfriends do!”
”Oh my, Jenny’s pretty informative for an eight-year-old…” he muttered.
Nate convinced Norah to talk about something else, but the conversation had Nate thinking: what was different between Nate and Quin dating and what they had been doing? They were both busy adults who just liked each other’s company and enjoyed conversation and intimate goddammit it sounded like he was describing a relationship.
When he and Nat came close to settling into a real relationship, they both had to pull back and realize it was something they were not ready for. Maybe it just made Nate gunshy with labels. Whatever Quin and Nate had going on, one thing was true: the idea of bringing her along to Coney Island made him smile.
And so the lovely redhead was walking alongside a casual Nate in jeans and a t-shirt. ”I don’t know how I ever keep up with that kid’s energy, Thanks for coming along. She’ll be a lot easier to keep an eye on with help, and beyond that, Coney Island just wouldn’t be the same without you,” he admitted, grinning at the memory.
Steph was adept at spurning the advances of men. She had plenty of practice, so she knew how to go for the throat when the time came. Her comment about men and dogs as cutting, but to Jay’s credit, he ran with it. He was willing to self-deprecate, and he was smart enough to align himself more with dogs than with men. Maybe she smiled at that; she did like dogs more on the whole.
Jay was looking for a fresh start, which almost made sense for someone who would hitch their wagon with Poseidon. As a businessman and a leader, he was very smart and his goals were very attractive. It sometimes felt like she was just a sick pet project he kept around to satiate the screwed up personal needs he must have had. ”We all come to New York looking for a new start, don’t we? I’m sure our lord and master over there will gladly build you up into something new and impressive.” And capable of terrible things.
Well, they were all on their way to hell anyway, so why not have a little fun? ”Okay, let’s humor you for a minute and say I’m a dog person. What exactly can I expect out of you?” She sidled up a bit closer to her suitor. ”Dogs are cute, and you’re very cute, I’ll admit.” She went so far as to place a hand on his cheek. ”Dogs are also loyal to the point of being needy. Am I gonna have you following me around like a wide-eyed puppydog? Because if my daughter can’t have a pet, I don’t think it’s right for me to keep one of my own,” she teased, not thinking about the mention of her daughter.
Nate picked up on the hint and knew it was time to pull back. He was trying to be hopeful and assume the best for his friend, but by her own admission, they were not looking to progress much further than they already were. It was disappointing; he still believed no one deserved a chance at true connection like Sveta. ”Fair enough. Sorry, sugar.” One day some human, adapted, or mutant with a non-city-leveling power would make that girl as happy as she deserved. Sadly, today was not that day.
The sounds of an excited seven-year-old in the other room provided a helpful segue to a new topic. ”I know, right? I’m lucky. The best thing Nat ever did for me was let me back into Norah’s life.” Their relationship sadly never came to be in earnest, but Nate was happy to still have a co-parent who trusted him and had his back, even if she was in Chicago.
Norah returned to the room with a stuffed lion, a stuffed dragon, and Parker the cat-sized spider nipping at her heels. ”Daddy, can Parker watch the movie with us instead of one of my animals?”
Nate chuckled, imagining Nat hearing that question and going pale. ”Fine with me, sweetheart.”
That earned an excited squeel from the young girl and some friendly warbling from Parker. With the animal guests squared away, she turned to Sveta and realized she was someone new. ”Hello! I’m Norah.” The introduction came with a polite little bow. ”Are you a friend of daddy’s?”
Svetlana had gone through a lot in her life and it toughened her up. Her past and her journey to America were not easy, and since she came to the land of the free, she had mostly dealt with more complications and adversity. Her capture at the hands of SUPER rattled her, but Nate would still defend to his dying breath that she held up better than just about anyone could in her circumstances. She was still shaken up from the endeavor, but she was recovering, and at her best, Svetlana could handle uncertainty and nerves with the best of them.
That was, of course, until Nate asked more about her new friend. It had been a while, to his knowledge, that she had a guy in her life, and she answered him like he was trying to get more information for Haven. Nate shook his head, though he did note that they had an Adapted stowed away in Sanctuary of all places. "Okay, so he's an adapted. That's interesting-- and it makes sense." They had talked about how much easier it was for her to get close to an adapted after all. "But tell me a little more about this friend... how long have you known him, for instance?"
He smirked and took a sip of his coffee. "Not to pry, but you don't make a habit of visiting many men's apartments." Okay, so he was definitely prying, but he was trying to get Sveta's mind off the attack, after all.
Persistence as a trait was either admirable or annoying depending on how one wielded it. The night would tell which direction Jay took things. Stephanie was shallow enough to recognize she was giving him leeway for being so goddamn pretty, but she was not some fawning young woman. He had to play his cards right to continue talking to her, and a bad hand meant she would gladly leave him there talking to himself and watching her walk away.
He did not try to call her young again, but he did double down on calling her gorgeous. She said nothing to that; she had long since mastered a smile and look that just conveyed, “I’m well aware, darling.” No one accused Steph of modesty. Vanity was part of why he was allowed to so openly look her over.
She sipped her drink, listening to him explain his role. He was definitely a low man on the totem pole, picking up the odds and ends job-wise. It made her wonder how these newbies ended up here. She was coerced with a threat, but most of the people around her seemed to be downright jovial. ”Doesn’t sound like much of a mutation to me.” She finally met his eyes with her slate greys. ”Everyone knows men are dogs already. As are musicians,” she added, meeting plenty when she was still young and working for herself.
”So, let’s assess this,” Steph began, setting down her drink. ”You’re a very handsome man, clearly. You are charming and only just barely bordering on cheesy. You can play an instrument. And you have a genuine Southern accent at your disposal, which you and I both know drives city girls wild.” She was flattering him, but her tone was clear and concise; she was just stating facts. ”All that being said, what is it about you that you don’t have some girl waiting at home.” Which was assuming, of course, there was not a girl at home he was not mentioning. See the above opinions on men and musicians.
Nate was a far cry from the man he used to be. He was being a good father to a little girl by spending time with her and protecting her from the horrors of the world. He caught the little smile from Sveta as she listened to him speak to Norah. Meanwhile, he was making the time for a friend in need, when years ago, he scarcely had friends at all.
While Norah was weighing the merits of watching a movie with her stuffed lion or her stuffed kangaroo, Nate made his way to the coffee maker. He chose decaf since it was late and Svetlana’s aura was already giving him a simulated “caffeine rush.” It would give them something to drink while they had their chat, and it felt like the right move for a host with a frazzled guest.
Nate was not Devon; he did not have the schooling to help people through traumatic events, but he was still glad Svetlana could come to him. He listened quietly as she explained the ambush at her friend’s apartment, (and he was not about to miss the way she hesitated before explaining him.) Nate’s mind was already running over their potential motivations and the measures they would have to immediately take to prevent a future incident.
It helped that Svetlana thought the event was unsanctioned. If that was the case, it could be considered a one-off event. SUPER was not run by morons; they had to understand that Haven was an opponent they had to take seriously, and their past attempts to capture Svetlana did not improve their position. Unfortunately, motivations aside, Svetlana’s ‘friend” was still shot in the process.
Nate finally nodded, pouring the coffee when it was complete. ”I’m sorry to hear this friend of yours got caught up in the crossfire, Svetlana, though I’m glad to know you’re both still breathing.” If Devon was aware, Nate was confident the man would be getting top-notch care. ”We’re going to have to take some precautions, and I’m sure Devon’ll want to have a talk with your friend.” All those things were true, and Svetlana would have noticed if he talked around them.
”Still… that’s not something we’re going to solve tonight. Both of you will be alright, and I’m sure your nerves are shot to hell.” Nate could still vividly remember how stressed out Svetlana was the first time they left Haven after her escape. ”We can try to keep your mind off things if you’d prefer. Talk about something else.” Nate handed Sveta a mug of coffee and smirked. ”Like this ‘friend’ of yours.” His tone clearly suggested he had assumptions about the nature of that friendship, and if he was right, he was curious to know more.
Steph would give the guy credit; he was persistent, but not in an aggravating way. He was not oblivious to how she was responding to him, but he was not letting it discourage him. She had not told him no, and he was willing to believe he had a chance. Sure, Steph considered telling him no, but she would take her time in coming to that decision. She did not plan on letting him make any ground, but she also did have to find some way to occupy herself at the party.
He owned his new kid status, which was smart, since Steph was not going to buy that he was just someone in the background who she missed all this time. She was too observant to be that oblivious. He did get her to chuckle at the admittedly cute, kinda cheesy line he dropped. He was lucky though; he was pretty and southern and had enough natural charm to pull it off.
Steph chose to roll her eyes. ”That’s cute, but I reckon I haven’t been a pretty young thing in seven years.” Having Malia was the benchmark Steph placed between being a young woman and being a woman, but she was not going to mention her daughter to Jay. She did not know how many members of Syndicate knew about Malia; off the top of her head, Khalil, Gwen, and of course, Poseidon. What she did know was she wanted to keep that total minimal. ”I’d say I’m more of a fox, but I appreciate your flattery nonetheless.”
She sipped her drink and finally turned to look at Jay properly, giving him a blatant once over to reassess that, yes, he was certainly cute. ”So what do you do, sugar? Mutation and job,” she added, wondering what a guy like him was doing in a place like this.
In theory, Sveltana’s timing was not ideal, since Nate was in father mode for the evening. Months ago, it would have been a bigger deal, but father mode was just Nate’s constant state of being now that Natalie was in Chicago. He could not put aside his duties just because Norah was around, and he was not going to turn away his friend when she seemed so clearly… off.
”It’s never a bad time. Just one second.” Nate turned back toward the living room and called out, ”Norah, go to your room and find three stuffed animal friends to watch the movie with us!”
He was met with an almost immediate, ”Okay, daddy!” and the sounds of a child running from one room to another.
”That should keep her occupied for a few minutes,” he said, keeping his tone light. He was fine with doing business at night or helping out a friend, but it might be best if Norah was not eavesdropping from one room over. ”Come in, please.”
As expected, Svetlana was not alright, but it was worse than Nate was predicting. SUPER was always around, but they had started to assume that they would not be going after Svetlana, who at this point must have been seen as a high-risk asset. And yet there they were. ”Oh hell. How are you holding up? Did they hurt you? Do you feel like you can tell me what happened?” He wanted to handle her gently, but he also knew how serious a run-in with SUPER was.
Stephanie took cursory glances toward the group chatting in the area, but she did not want to linger and unintentionally make eye contact. Eye contact drew attention, especially with her eyes, and she was content to spend most of the party avoiding attention.
Of course, Poseidon had taken this wish of hers into account, and had put her in a dress that sought attention against her will. For a wicked manipulator of a man, he did have an eye for evocative female fashion. It unsettled her the first time she realized he knew her sizes to the point where each dress seemed tailored to her curves, but now she was just unsettled by how much each selection felt like something that would belong in her closet. (Well, the more daring section of her closet.)
As expected, her dress and the body it wrapped around had garnered attention, and unsurprisingly, it was male attention. His line was corny, but he was a handsome enough guy to get away with a little cheesiness. In other circumstances, she might be more interested, but she tempered her interest in the men of Syndicate; this Jay might have been new, but that did not make him any less trustworthy than the others.
She gave him a quick glance of her grey eyes before she turned her attention back behind the bar, sipping her manhattan. "Well, I'm already here. Who's to say I'm not a sinner already?" She took another sip, letting her words linger for a moment before adding, "Besides, drinking alone at the bar means I'm never too far from my next drink." The North Carolina in her voice was slightly more natural than the man's southern drawl.
"How about you?" She was still not looking at the man yet, but at least Poseidon could not claim she was not interacting. "No pretty young thing on your arm?"
It paid to have the memory of a con-man when Nate's new job revolved around tending to a large group. He did not handle all the elements of Haven business, but he did often touch base with members, agents, and contracted help, so keeping names to faces was a very useful talent. It also helped get Quin acclimated and give her a better idea of what Haven looked like outside of her office.
Quin was, as expected, torn on being out for the night. She saw the event as a good thing, but she lamented the loss of her coveted private time. "Having an event like this was clearly the only way I knew you wouldn't spend the night working off the clock," he teased. "And this is our first one, really, but it might not be a bad idea to let everyone gather, catch-up, and blow off steam once in a while. Besides, the ice cream and sweats will be waiting for you when you get home." He would have cheekily suggested other things waiting for her at home, but Nate had told the babysitter he would be back later in the night-- not in the morning.
Nate glanced over to the door as a new redhead entered the room. "Oh, a late arrival. That's Artair, our resident Scot, and now I think that covers everyone." He took a sip of his drink, sent over by the kindness of Devon. "So what do you say? Should we go be social or hit the dance floor? It is a party, after all."
Nate shook his head, knowing where Quin would take things, and being all to ready for it. ”Anyone who saw your martial prowess wouldn’t be able to remember it; they’d be down and out cold too fast for that.” Quin was an impressive and well-trained fighter; she didn’t need the benefit of a shadowform to hold her own. He never truly expected to see her doling out vigilante justice, but he was confident that she could take care of herself when investigations might go sideways.
In some ways, Nate could compare certain Haven missions to vigilante activity, but it never felt that small. Vigilantes were responding to some immediate problem, like some kind of superpowered damage control team. Haven planned operations with long-term implications for the good of New York and mutantkind. They were working out a long game and a world-changing impact, and plans like that were bigger than case-by-case do-gooding.
Still, those thoughts were for another time. Nate had swiveled Quin in his direction, and she was looking up with that gorgeous, broad smile he adored. One hand left the chair’s arm so it could loosen the tie around his neck, unbuttoning the top button of his shirt along the way. He grinned, leaning down toward Quin, officially signifying the end of business time. ”I am. As your boss, at least.” He lifted her chin with his hand as he descended, kissing her soft lips deeply, ignoring the complex balance they were somehow learning to make work. At least figuring all that out could be quite enjoyable along the way.
It was frustrating to accept how firmly Poseidon held her schedule in his hands. The most she could hope was that there would be fewer bound, maimed, or killed bodies present at his newest shindig.
The Boss of Syndicate had made another investment in real estate, but this time, he was staking a claim on the other side of the Rip. The Sapphire looked gorgeous from everything she had seen, but knowing whose money was responsible for the upscale location soured the whole aesthetic for her.
Still, it was not like she had a choice in the matter; her Boss wanted her there, and he had the kind of leverage that she could not say no to. She even received a new dress in a nice gift box, which meant Poseidon had chosen her outfit of the night for her. Most of the fabric was sheer and see-through, but with what the opaque parts of the dressed covered, it was almost tame compared to the last dress he sent her. Perhaps the man was getting soft in his old age.
Steph checked her phone on the ride in the elevator in instinct, but she was not going to get much out of it: even if the elevator allowed reception, she was no longer in her home universe. The thought bothered her; she hated being out of touch of the babysitter, but she was not about to bring Malia back over the tear in the universe. After Halloween, the girl had was scared of the MROverse. It was hard to blame her. Especially if Poseidon’s claiming turf here, too, she thought to herself.
Taking her first steps into the party, she took a brief moment to appreciate the lovely décor paid for with blood money, before she switched to looking at the attendees. It was noticeable to her that the faces seemed different since her last Syndicate party. Evidently, Poseidon was working hard on recruiting, which was enough to make her shudder. There were some familiar faces, but Stephanie was not there to proactively socialize. If she was approached, she would talk, because the last thing she needed was Poseidon thinking she wasn’t playing by his rules, but she wasn’t going to seek out conversation.
Instead, she sauntered over to the nearest bar, walking gracefully on her stiletto heels, and ordering a Soco Amaretto Lime shot and a glass a Manhattan. It was going to be a long night, after all…
It was still odd sometimes for Nate to realize how far he came with opening up to people. Quin knew a lot about him; he worked hard to open up and be honest with her after the age reversion incident because he genuinely wanted to make them work again. He ended things because he was starting to believe they never would because of what Quin finally knew. In hindsight, part of Nate wondered if he should have stuck it out; they seemed to have an easier time together now. Then again, perhaps that was just the benefit of time, distance, and perspective.
Nate returned to the present, where he was playing the role of boss to a woman who constantly amazed him with her capacity for caring. If anyone had the right attitude to make change and be there for those who needed support, it was Quin.
The ex-cop was acclimating well, and Nate smirked when she started talking about the liberties she could take with her new role and stumbled into dangerously vigilante-esque territory. ”Oh, I know you could strike fear into the hearts of slumlords.” He held up his index fingers and thumbs into L-shapes to make a frame around her face from his perspective, before panning down. ”When the police ask, they’ll claim in fright that it was a woman with fiery red hair, a sleek black domino mask, and an unforgettable body.”
Well, perhaps he got himself a little off-point there. It was hard when he was around Quin, and he had done so well staying on topic up to that point. ”Okay, sorry, please tell me that was all the business you had for me.” Nate walked over to her side of the desk, planted his hands on either arm of Quin’s chair, and leaned into her. ”I’m suddenly in a less-than-businessy mood.” Oh, if only HR could see him now.
Working at Haven came with some much needed flexibility, even if the drawback was how busy it left Nate in general. He was doing a lot of work from his apartment for the week since Norah had the week off from school, but that did not mean he had any less work to handle. Thankfully, Norah was an independent girl for her age and could occupy herself with coloring and toys and Parker when he had to focus on work. She loved the giant spider, and with Natalie not around to give Nate her judgy look, he could let her play with the pet with impunity.
Thankfully, it was the end of the workday, even for him. Norah was finishing up her dinner of homemade spaghetti and meatballs, and they had a movie night to share together lined up before bedtime. Nate was already rinsing off his plate when he heard a knock on the door.
He made his way to the entryway and opened the door to find a familiar blonde looking back at him.
”Svetlana! I wasn’t expecting you.” Right? It had been a fog of a day; hopefully he had not let some get together with his friend slip his mind.
”You look…” He was going to say ‘great’ since Svetlana always looked great, but looking her over closer, something about her expression was off. ”You alright, sugar?”
