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.
Kyle smiled with growing amusement as the cat-woman turned her attention to him, the change from annoyed to playful clearly shifting across her features. Did he forgot to mention that the lady he'd been watching was covered in fur from almost head to toe? And had a tail? Hence the fact that he considered her a cat-woman in his mind and that her athletic dance from before had likely been the upside to her outside appearance. Still, despite the fur, he could see that her body was well shaped and defined. It was no wonder she was able to move with such fluidity.
Which was what her first move was likely intended to showcase, among other things, as well as test his reaction. Placing her hands on the wall, she suddenly swung her legs over with ease towards him, a low level kick aimed towards his legs. Lifting an eyebrow, he waited till the last second before the legs were about to hit....then tensed his muscles and jumped. Backwards. While shifting his body weight so that his legs ended up in the air for a moment.
Landing with both feet on his own wall behind him, Kyle shook for a moment to regain his proper balance, then grinned and folded his arms across his chest, watching the woman, now known as Sarah, watch him in kind. Oddly enough, in a weird way, her appearance could be considered exotic and appealing. But perhaps that was because he didn't find issue with it because he was a mutant as well. Curious.
"But of course, that would be only fair. I'm Kyle and it is my utmost pleasure to meet you Sarah. Now then....shall we play the hopping game?"
As Kyle rolled up beside Lori's beat up old Hummer, he was about to lower the kickstand on his bike when Lori asked him from the vehicle what he wanted to do about his bike. In honest surprise, he froze and gave her a quick look, then bounced his head back and forth between the back of her Hummer and the sidewalk. The thought to bring the bike with them had never occurred to him and now that the offer was on the table.....
He gave her a quick nod towards the back of the Hummer, signalling his intent to store it there. After a moment, the bike was stashed and locked down to avoid bouncing about in the back of the Hummer and Kyle was seated firmly in the passenger seat. He smiled warmly as he did, then barely kept his laughter to a minimum when she asked him the question about being a vilgiante. "Ah, my secret has been discovered. Alas, I'll have to give up this life of fighting crime!" Shaking his head, he snickered slightly before adjusting himself in the seat.
"Nah, this...outfit has a purpose. I'll explain it later...suffice to say, it'll come in handy for whatever kind of opponent you have lined up for me. Hopefully. As for your efforts, I thank you great for them and no matter how this goes down, that fact will stand."
For the rest of the trip, they rode in silence for the most part. He merely nodded to her words about who'd they be going to encounter, though his mind was more focused on getting ready overall for this battle. Lori focused on driving the rather cumbersome vehicle, Kyle content on something within the pack he'd brought. He spent almost the entire trip digging around inside it and only when they were about five minutes from their destination did he turn his attention to something else. In this case, it was his helmet. Flipping it so that the open bottom was before him, he reached inside and seemed to fiddle with something inside the helmet. As luck would have it, Lori chose that moment to serve the vehicle to avoid something on the street. It both caught Kyle by surprise and yet also covered up the sound of a mechanic clicking from within the helmet.
The Hummer finally grinded to a halt in front of an old church, its wheels crunching against the road beneath. Tilting his head up from his task to the church, then back to Lori, he quirked an quizzical eyebrow at the location. But before he could even ask any questions, Lori snapped a camera up and he heard the distinct click of a picture being taken. Not that he needed that click to know, what with the bright flash of light that temporarily blinded him. For a moment after, his vision was filled with white spots and he shook his head quickly to remove them. Once they did, he chuckled and stepped out of the vehicle, tossing his pack onto the ground.
"Yeesh, give a guy some warning before you do that next time. Besides, if you wanted to take a picture, should have waited a moment....because if you laugh in the next few moments, I will completely find it not your fault." And with that, he reached into his bag to retrieve the other components of his outfit.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About five minutes later, he pushed open the church's doors and stepped inside. The final adjustments to his suit flickered in and out of focus as he walked through dim lights, but that would be enough to show that he wore boots that had a protrusion that extended up almost to his knees. His forearms were now sporting gauntlets, each with what looked like a curved blade attached to each. No longer did he wear his jacket over the rest of the flexible suit beneath, its purple, black and silver color shining in the occasional light. His bike helmet was under his arm for the moment but as he approached movement in the church, he placed it firmly over his head and made sure it was secure there.
Taking a deep breath, he called out into the church to gain the attention of those present. "Knock knock! Might there be some folks here who are causing some trouble and require a tiny lesson in manners?"
A sword and a mutant? This was definably going to be fun.
It had only been a day since Kyle had met Lori in that most dangerous part of town under the assumption that she was out of place. She didn't fit in down there, where the vile and corrupt resided. Under that assumption, Kyle had approached her, almost tried to fight her actually when her demeanor seemed to back the thought. When they'd parted, Lori had promised she'd find him a much better opponent since she wasn't a fighter at all. He still believed something was off about the woman but the only way for him to learn more would be to go along with it.
So here he was, scarcely a day later, heading off to meet up with her at a place of his choice. Her odd question had caught him by surprise and after a moment of silence to let the question catch up with his brain, he had chuckled and told her the honest truth.
He hadn't a clue. But he could work around that.
As soon as the call had ended, Kyle had went about the task of getting ready. Since meeting Lori the other day and Isabel the day before, after seeing the possible new challenges he knew would be crossing his path, Kyle had opted to make a better outfit for him to wear if the need arose. Not just to hide who he was if he did those random acts of vigilance, but also to give him an extra edge that his powers did not. The outfit was in his closet, hidden behind his other clothes and locked within a cabinet he'd bought himself. It had just been finished the night before...and what better way to test it then in combat first hand.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Twenty minutes later, Kyle was gunning it through the streets of New York, slipping around the traffic whenever possible by way of alley or side street. He made good time at that, the early morning fog being only a slight hindrance to his efforts to meet Lori on time. His body was covered in a black jacket, his legs hidden mostly from sight due to the fog, otherwise people might have questioned the black with silver stripes that covered the sides. On his back was a small backpack that contained the remaining components of his outfit that he couldn't attach right away. And of course, his helmet was firmly on his head.
He spotted lori idling in a beat up Hummer as he approached their meeting point, which prompted him to pass by it lightly and tap the window before he wheeled around to park his bike a short ways away. Smiling under his helmet, he powered down, balanced the bike and hopped off, waving in Lori's direction as he did. And as he approached her vehicle, he cleared his helmet from his head, shaking out his hair along the way and grinned. The prospect of today...well, who wouldn't get a wee bit excited?
When she shook her head in response to his suggestion to head back the way they came for his bike, Kyle rose an eyebrow in question, but quickly silenced himself when the next words came out of her mouth.
She would help find him someone strong to fight? This woman, who he'd just met, who'd walked into an alley and given a package to a group of guys that would likely be gracing the morgue's halls soon enough. Who said it was for personal reasons, backed by sincere enough a reaction to go with that reasoning, yet had been defensive on just about every front despite putting on an act that made him seem the damsel. Something didn't add up, but Kyle couldn't quite put his finger on it. Yet. He needed to see where this went.
Shrugging, Kyle turned back her way and smiled lightly. "Right, that makes enough sense. Alright then...if you're going to do what you say, then you'll need a way to contact me." He pulled out a slip of paper and quickly scribbled down his cell number on it before handing it to her. "I take it you can guess what this is. Whenever you find that someone, just give me a ring and tell me where to be. Perhaps I could have yours as well so I know its you calling.
Now, I'm gonna go grab my bike. If you need a lift, I'd be more then happy to give you one to where you need to go. I'll even come to you so you don't have to go back past that nasty alley. If not, I'll see you when you give me a call. So....need a ride?"
Kyle's emerald eyes danced as rapidly as the woman atop the crumbling buildings, her actions almost fluid like in their transition. She barely stopped for even an instant, overcoming any obstacle in her path with little to no effort at all, at least from his perspective. It was a most amazing display and Kyle found himself carefully studying her motions and trying to guess where she'd go next.
Even he couldn't have guessed down would be the direction.
The crowd itself gasped as the flimsy wall that the woman landed on crumbled under her weight, some of them averting their eyes to avoid seeing the poor woman get crushed under the pile of rubble that the wall was about to become. Some even cheered silently at the thought of seeing her get crushed, especially a small group of teens with an obvious attitude against mutants. He was close enough for Kyle to hear him muttering things about them under his breath and in lue of the situation, kept from knocking that kid a new brain.
Instead, he kept his eyes on the woman as she collapsed with the floor. No, she didn't exactly fall with the crumbling wall. She "rode" it down. As the last of the wall hit dirt, she was tossed off, landing almost gracefully a short distance away. She rose a moment later, sneezing due to the dust cloud kicked up by the falling wall, but as far as Kyle could tell, she was unharmed. Quite the nimble little kitty, eh?
The anti-mutant kids quickly took advantage of the fact to toss some insults her way, sneering and trying to edge his friends on to join him. Trying to look so tough and cool. Smiling, Kyle focused his attention back on the woman as she suddenly challenged anyone in the crowd to even dare to attempt what she had done. Muttering and low whispers echoed throughout the crowd, hushed concerns and people wondering if they should attempt something so dangerous. The loudspoken teen didn't waste any time using this as another chance to take a stab at her. Frowning, Kyle stalked forward slowly, gathering a small bolt of energy into his fingers as he approached.
"Why should I need to prove I'm better then you when we all know I am? The only thing I need concern myself with is if your worth more as a pet or a sla...GAH"
He never finished his sentence as Kyle subtlety flicked that bolt the kid's way, using the crowd to mask his attack. The kid was knocked from his feet and hit the ground in a slump, cradling his head. Stepping from the crowd, Kyle smiled as he stared at the fence before him, then he hopped onto it and quickly scaled the links to jump into the yard with the woman. Standing on a narrow wall segment, he folded his arms and grinned. "I'll take on that challenge. Come on kitty cat, let's play."
A flicker of doubt passed through his features when her reaction to Isabel was one of knowledge rather then confusion, but he quickly chalked that up to either the fact that she had heard rumors about her or knew her personally. Either way, it was something on his list of things to figure out as he went along. At the very least, the surprise at his words that leeched across her face seemed sincere, though considering how he seemed to have been duped twice by now, he wasn't betting on anything being the truth yet.
"She was pretty hard to handle, but she sees common sense well enough. I gave her the win in the end, but we both know it was a stalemate. Heck, I still got the scars to prove that fight. Maybe I'll show you a few later if your not squeamish.
As for someone stronger, well...to be the best, you gotta face the best. It might give you a goal at least."
With that said, he went silent to listen to her speak again and was pleasantly surprised to hear her speak about the people she had left a surprise for in the alley. She seemed suspicious about it, so Kyle dared to take a few more steps towards her so that he was effectively standing right next to her, making it easier for her to speak without being too loud. And as she spoke, he scratched his chin in thought, taking in all the details, what few they were, and processing them for later. Kyle was new here, so the connections the underworld people would have to one another and their social structure were unknown to him. But that would change soon enough and if this was his first look into it, he'd be sure to remember everything.
He watched her ball her hands into fists, the anger clearly seeping through to visually manifest itself. He was tempted to reach over and pat her on the shoulder, but he kept that action to himself....for now. When she lifted her chin to him, her eyes full of fire and defiance, Kyle simply stared back at them, matching them with his own fiery glare. He said nothing regarding the matter but a light nod showed that he understood her reasons for being angry and her actions. He was no stranger to those actions himself. Though maybe on a lesser "crippled in a wheelchair" level compared to her "death by surprise in a box."
When she finally broke that iron battle of wills, that's when Kyle dared to reach over and pat her on the far shoulder, though he did lift an eyebrow when she started rubbing her arms as if to generate heat to counter the cold. But it wasn't cold, far from it. Maybe she was cold, some people were like that. Or just maybe something he'd said was putting her off and she was trying to steady her form again. More questions, not enough answers. With a slight smile, he tipped his head to the direction they'd both originally come from.
"That's fine by me. My bike's a little ways back this way and I'll gladly take you wherever you'd like to go rather then this place. Always keep a spare helmet on my bike in the off chance someone needs a ride. Unless of course....you meant to go somewhere nearby where the use of a vehicle would not be required? So...any idea of a place you'd like to go to get away from all this....chaos?"
The dreaded finger point. Kyle had to avoid laughing out loud at it, a fact that was easily accomplished when he saw the serious glare that accompanied it. He let a small expression of shock slip across his features, blinking as if the finger both surprised and put him on edge. It did, to a degree, but most of this performance was staged; he knew she likely wasn't planning to do anything within the school halls and therefore this was a harmless threat.
Sort of. There was a bit of sweat dripping down the side of his face at the thought of being turned into a doll by a big scary lady. Note to self, don't go lurking around the dorms without permission.
When she was done, Kyle remained silent for a moment, then gave her a solid nod to show he understood. When she said nothing more after that, he took it as a sign that he'd gotten the worst of her lecture. Letting the smile creep back onto his face, he chuckled lightly. "The only ideas I shall get are the proper ones, I can assure you. Though that pink frilly dress doesn't sound so bad..."
He'd leave it at that and then fall into line behind Agnes again, tilting his head back and forth whenever Agnes directed his attention to some of the art pieces around them or towards another student or member of the school's staff that walked by them. Whenever they walked by someone, Kyle gave them a slight nod and salute, passing by a hello or a name if it was offered in return. Soon enough, the arrived at the hallway of truth.
He followed in her wake, listening to her explanation of the schools doctor and glancing towards where she indicated to find him. Somehow, he had a feeling he'd been seeing that doctor more times then should have been considered normal. He'd have to remember to make sure he got along with the Doc, otherwise those would be some awkward hours. He then turned his head to watch all the other doors as she named them, then felt his breath stall for a second when they came to the room that she said he'd have to visit to be officially welcomed here.
"Nope, don't really have any questions...no wait, I have just one Being new to town means I don't have a lot of friends sooooooo." Smiling, he cast her a wink before fumbling in his pocket for his phone. "Can I get your number? You know, in case I need help with something or whatnot or just need someone to hang out with."
Had he made a mistake in judgment? An error in his reasoning? From every angle, the woman known as Lori seemed to be quite the opposite of Isabel; she wasn't easily angered, she seemed generally distressed at times about his asking to fight and so far, she hadn't shown any signs of mutant powers herself. Looking at it from a logical standpoint, she was just a girl running around the nasty part of town doing some nasty business. But that animal instinct of his, his gut feeling, told him something was amiss about her.
There was only one way to find out what it was now.
Honestly,words caught him by surprise, enough to make him power down his hand and lift it to stroke his chin in thought, letting the possibilities fly through his mind. Her analysis was again more spot on then he would have liked though it wasn't dead on this time. After all, he didn't always lose and most the time, it wasn't because he "sucked" per say, but rather because he choose to make a retreat based on the situation. In either win, loss or draw, he gained valuable experience and learned how to improve himself for next time.
Her latest freak about her powers being non-combative did one key thing for him. It confirmed that she was a mutant, at least proving to him that he wasn't completely wrong about her. Still, if she continued to refuse to fight and if she "said" her powers weren't meant for it, there was only two options available to him. Force the issue by attacking her and finding out the hard way.....or accept her offers and watch for any signs of danger. He could have left too...but at this point, his curiosity was greater then he concerns by a tiny bit.
Calmly stepping closer, he shrugged his shoulders and placed his free hand on his hip. "Well, it appears I may have been wrong. I suppose I let myself think that just because one woman I met down here acted in a violent way that any others that dared this place would be the same. You've proven that fact wrong and made me realize how simple minded that was. I'd say sorry if I wasn't sure that at this point it wouldn't be enough.
But...sorry anyway. In any case, using that woman Isabel as a comparison was not a good idea. The chances of finding someone with that short a temper again...pretty slim. Now...setting aside my stupidity, care to tell me what those men did that required such a....harsh punishment to teach them their final lesson? In normal cases I'd be tempted to obtain it the harsh way but I figure you'd just shrug that off. " The first game had failed...time to see where the second game might lead.
Whoops, looks like he wasn't as subtle about his powers are he'd thought he'd been. Logically, considering that he had been a few feet away from the trashcan that fell and that he'd timed his words almost perfectly after the can had fallen to impede her path, it didn't take a genius to put together that something he did had knocked it over. Sure, she likely had no idea what he had done, therefore had no way of being prepared for what his power was, but that meant he had to be a little more cautious.
"I'm really that bored. Probably comes from spending years with trouble but the simple day to day routines are a drag. And your right...I'm a mutant, through and through. Proud to be one too.
But then again, I have an odd feeling that your not so different. Call it a hunch. A baseless hunch but a hunch."
The offer of meeting someone who could boss him around was a little confusing, though he made a small connection between her words and their intending meaning. It almost sounded like she was offering to take him to someone that "was" in charge....her boss perhaps? It was a leap from the information she'd given him but after adding in the facts of the way she handled things, the leap wasn't as great. And the offer intrigued him, truly it did. But he needed to know more and be sure before he made any clear decision.
Her analysis of his intentions were actually more on the mark then he'd realized. If he HAD truly wanted to know what had happened in that alley, he would have followed her more to see where she headed to and barring that, say if he lost track of her, he could have investigated the scene itself to see what clues he could gather from there. The fact that he had moved on her too soon proved that his intentions, while good in nature in his mind, had actually been for one reason and one reason alone. That made him smile widely as the revelation came to light.
"Your right. Absolutely right. I did come down here with the intent to stop something bad but when it all boils down to it, my reason for coming here is simple. I came to find trouble and face trouble. In a way, I AM here to cure boredom...because dealing with trouble is a great way to do that. As for why...well...the best way one can determine his own place on the ladder is to test himself. I like to constantly test myself in this way because it allows me to be ready for when I truly need to be up to the task. Call it whatever you like but its how I've survived till now."
The nervousness in his body was gone; if it came down to it, he could clear these people out with a single blast. Not at them, mind you, but unleash his power and scare them away. Grinning, he lifted his arm up and cracked his fingers inward, then dared to let a small spark of energy course around his fingers. "Shall we get to those fisticuffs then? Unless your frightened of being spanked...little girl."
"Desperate, not really. Curious, most definitely. I mean, I come down here to look for some kind of trouble to kill boredom and what do I find? First its what simply appears to be a woman who does not match the decor down here, curious in its own right. Then she goes down an alley, sticks something through a door, lets out a random scream that to most would indicate she was in trouble but her switch back to a normal pace shows that was all an act.
And then not a moment later, something goes off and the sound of men coughing and gagging fills the alley, then the alley is completely silent again. Seeing as no one came out after you following that, I doubt those folks are in any condition to do something about what just happened. All of this adds up to something hidden beneath the surface and that's what is stroking my curiosity."
His face was still painted with an innocent smile, though his eyes were calculating and alert, trying to find any other seams with which he could dig into to find out more about the face behind the mask she had given. People wandered by, oblivious to the small stare down between him and Lori or seeing it and deciding it wasn't worth getting into the middle of that kind of encounter. It was probably the best choice any of them made in a long time; now if he could only get into a more open space with less people around, everything would be golden.
He matched her smile but didn't let his stance falter in the slightest. Cracking his fingers in his free hand, Kyle carefully started increasing the flow of energy into that hand. Not enough to make it visible but enough that if he needed to, he could release that energy in seconds. His body tensed slightly when she stuck her hands into her pockets, the thought of a concealed weapon rolling through his head. Still, he didn't let it show on his face.
"That, actually, I have no doubt about. What I meant was who the real Lori was really like. Am I going to get a better answer then that or should I just thrown down this helmet and get right to a battle of fisticuffs?"
Oh my, was she ever the little temper when set off. Her sudden barrage of "tips" as she said they were not only caught him completely by surprise but he had a hard time not bursting out into laughter. It actually took a considerable amount of effort to keep his face mirrored into a mask of shock and feigned hurt throughout her lecture and he kept it there for a few moments after until his grin finally managed to crease its way through his charade.
"Alright alright, you caught me. It was a bad approach, I know. But it told me two things about you." Lifting his index finger, then his middle finger to count the reasons, he calmly described what he'd learned. "First, your not the girl you came off as. The way you handled me in the beginning spoke that of someone who's shy; that lecture tells the complete opposite. That tells me your using a charade as well.
And second, there's not a hint of nervousness in the way you walk or talk; that speaks to tell me your either used to this place or used to being in charge. Your sure of yourself and for whatever reason that is, it makes you able to speak your mind without fear and walk down here without worry."
She blew back the rest of his request just as easily, though she said that last part with a smile on her face and a tone that bellied the context of what she was saying. Probably not the best choice of words she could have used with that kind of tone and expression, but hindsight was always fun to experience. With that last comment, she started walking away without sparing him a second glance. A dark grin slid across his features and she hadn't gone more then two steps before he flicked his finger to the side, sending a tiny bolt of energy into a nearby trash can, tipping it so that it crashed nearby, just off her side. She wouldn't have seen the bolt but hopefully the action would startle her.
"Well if that's how you want to play, then perhaps I should start with more serious questions instead of politely trying to be friendly beforehand. So let's start with the little stunt in the alley and then work our way back to who you really are. I would really like to avoid having to damage such a nice looking face, after all."
Kyle raised an eyebrow at her frown, going over the words he'd spoken that might have elicited such a response. Did she perhaps actually like that "sparkly in the sunlight" garbage that made what a vampire was supposed to be into the spitting image of every fan girls dream about a man? Or perhaps denying her something from that topic had soured her spirit, though what that could possibly be eluded him. Without any real back up to his thoughts, all he could do was let the ideas come and go.
"Well, thats good to know. I'm not a very good brooder anyway. Too optimistic for that."
He hadn't expected his attempts at flattery to work, though in his case he was just stating honest opinions in a manner that he found enjoyable. After all, she was beautiful. She was in a place where about half of the occupants looked like they hadn't showered in years and some of them had funny colored teeth and therefore was out of place. And short of coming down here for a hit or to look for someone they knew, trouble was the only reason someone might come down here otherwise. Or maybe that was just him passing on his reason to another person.
"I speak honestly about the compliment. Sure, I admit it comes out now and then but I only hand it out when it truly fits. But if you'd prefer something not normally said, I could use exotic, fantastic or extraordinary before the beauty to spice it up a little." His smile had a hint of the mischief again, showing that he was teasing a little and mixing it with his honesty. "And true enough; my whole reason for coming into this place was to find a good trouble to kill my boredom. I'm just not quite sure if I've found it yet or if I have to dig a little deeper to find it instead."
Leaning back from her, he took a few steps to her side and titled his head in the direction they'd both come from. "Since I made the error of bumping into you, allow me to repay the deed. Simply ask for what shall suffice and I'll do my best to accomplish it..say, perhaps, a quick meal? I might not know a lot of places, but there is this one place down the street that serves a fierce set of dishes. If you don't mind a little trouble getting there that is."
But of course, his intention wasn't to take her to any food place...his location was only a short ways back. And there, hopefully, he would get the answers that were eluding his brain.
It took Kyle a moment longer then it probably should have to figure out what she was giggling about but when he did, he felt his cheeks flush slightly at the thought of what his words might have implied. Shifting his helmet to rest under one arm, he absently scratched at the back of his head, chuckling lightly to himself.
"That came out a little weird...I mean ladies like the guys who play the brooding vamp and sadly I'm not one of the one's who enjoys playing someone I'm not for the sake of earning affection. If you're going to court someone, at least have the courage to do so with who you are."
He calmly nodded to her next words, letting his eyes study her carefully. From all angles, she seemed to be your average woman and a fairly attractive looking one at that. Why someone like her would wander down here, into what could be considered the worse place for anyone that knew how to shower to come threw ideas into his mind, but he kept them silent for now. He needed more proof before he could make any claim about her being here for any other reason then that odd delivery...but he could always ask about that later.
When she offered her hand, he took it and gave it a firm shake, smiling warmly when she spoke her name. Lori was it? How fitting a name. Releasing her hand, he placed that free hand on his hip and glanced around before turning his eyes back on her. "Well, its my pleasure to meet you Lori. Dare I ask what someone as beautiful as yourself is doing in a place where beauty appears to be a rarity?" Giving her a mischievous look, he leaned a bit closer to lower his voice a bit.
Maybe it was because the woman herself was small or that Kyle spent a fair amount of time training his body but when he reached over to keep her from falling, he admittedly almost stumbled himself. She was just so...light. When he pulled on her to try and counter her fall, he was able to pull her back so easily that he overexerted himself slightly, forcing him to take a few steps back to avoid falling over.
He kept holding her till she steadied herself, then dropped his arms back to avoid voiding what many consider personal space. Sure, he might have already done that but that was in the interest of correcting a mistake. At least, that's what his cover story for running into her was going to be. Folding his arms across his chest again, Kyle chuckled through his helmet at her question, though something about her tone was off to him. He hadn't figured her for the kind of person that would be nervous about being down here, not the way she walked. Something was off here...the only question was what.
"A vampire, hmmm? Well, as much as some ladies these days are into the whole vampire scene, I am not one of them." Shrugging his shoulders, he unfolded his arms and reached up to the base of his helmet, lifting it off in one deft move and shaking his black and red hair free. His eyes, slightly hard as they were, were also filled with an innocent curiosity as he smiled at her.
"As much as the night life is enjoyable, I don't think I could stand not enjoying the sun every day. That and blood..yea, doesn't do much for my tastes. Sorry about the helmet and if I startled you, that wasn't my intent. I'm not used to this place so I got a bit turned around.
Name's Kyle. Might I inquire as to who I almost knocked down so I can properly apologize for it?"
The advantage of keeping his helmet on, even if it brought odd looks from the occasional passerby, was that Kyle could watch in mostly any direction that his side vision could see and make it look like he was still staring straight ahead. Sure, it cut off some of his ability to tell what is behind him or to the sides, but Kyle countered that easily enough by tilting his head side to side every now and then, as if looking at something in that direction instead. All the while, he kept the blond woman in sight, making sure to keep several people back in case she got paranoid in this part of turn and turned to look. Years of following a rat back to his nest did come in handy when needing to follow someone after all.
When the woman turned down an alley, Kyle slowed to a stop and decided, at least to others, to take a break and lean against the entrance to the alley itself. Waiting a few moments to let people pass by and for the woman to get a little into the alley, he finally turned his head slightly so that he could peer down the into that dark and dank street. The good thing about alleys was that while they were cluttered with various junk, spotting someone down one wasn't necessarily that hard. The woman was still walking down it, clear as dear even in the dim lighting the alley provided. Kyle was just in the process of making a move into the alley himself when she suddenly stopped, prompting him to lean back out of sight and continue the watch instead.
She had stopped in front of a metal door, unmarked by any signs that he could see. After a moment, the door swung open and someone inside took something that she pushed towards the open gateway. What caught his attention was that happened next; the woman suddenly withdrew from the door as hands reached out towards her and wasting little time, the woman bolted from the door, letting out a high pitched shriek of terror as she did. Instinct almost took him over there, tensing his muscles in anticipation to emerge from his location and strike down the people within the door. That would have happened, save for two points that stalled his instinct in favor of logic; no one chased after the woman and, after a moment or two, the woman slowed back to a simple walk without even looking to see if anyone was after her. Those points made him pause and ponder the situation in greater detail but one thing was clear; he was right about her being different from everyone else.
Leaned sideways with his arms crossed, Kyle watched as the woman came to the mouth of the alley, though his attention was distracted back down the alley when the sounds of people screaming started to come from the alley. A moment later, there was gagging and coughing and then...silence. Beneath his helmet, Kyle's eyebrow arched up, then he calmly turned his head back to watch the woman start to walk away. It was time to initiate contact.
Moving back into the moving crowd, Kyle carefully weaved his way along the side of the street, then overtook the woman carefully. Then, once he was sure he was far enough ahead to make things look normal, stopped to glance around, check something that appeared to be in his hand, then turned around when he spied her coming out of the corner of his eye. Timed so that he would bump right into her and done with just enough force that it would knock her back. Acting like he was surprised to do such a thing, he reached forward to prevent her from falling, while letting his voice bled through the helmet. "Oh my...my apologies Miss, I didn't see you coming there. I hope your not harmed.." The helmet muffled his voice a little and gave it a bit of a darker tone but it didn't cover the concern he was half faking.
