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.
Posted by Harlan Crowe on Mar 29, 2013 21:26:18 GMT -6
Epsilon Mutant
52
0
Jun 23, 2013 6:46:15 GMT -6
I'm not dead or gone away. I hope to start posting again tomorrow. I may still be slow the first 15 days of April, but I should have time off for the next two weeks after that.
I can't post from work as easily as I could before, and at nights... well, i'd like to say it was something worthwhile what kept me away but in fact... I was playing Starcraft 2's expansion. Still am, but less than the first days I got that thing in my grubby little paws.
Posted by Harlan Crowe on Mar 18, 2013 10:58:45 GMT -6
Epsilon Mutant
52
0
Jun 23, 2013 6:46:15 GMT -6
He expected a 'DAMN!' or maybe an 'Oh, my!' or maybe even a 'Goodness gracious!' from her.
He did not expect a knuckle sandwich to fly so fast and so hard against his cheek.
The punch hit him so efficiently that Harlan's lid portal failed to remain stuck to his neck. His head was easily dislodged and since keeping it afloat required a conscious effort from his part, all he managed to see were blurs as the surrounding environment spun out of focus, stunned as he was.
His head ended up smashing against a dusty, wooden door, then face planting into the floor. His body stumbled, but did not fall, leaning against a wall and raising a hand to touch his aching face, only to find empty space. In the distance he heard curses and footsteps as Ty and his girl made their getaway.
Ow.
He opened his eyes and saw dirty linoleum. It was still blurry and moving in waves as his eyes adjusted and the stars started to disappear. He didn't have much time for lying around, they were getting away!
He didn't move his body, lest he blindly trip over his own head. Wobbling his aching skull aloft, he managed to scan the room and slowly float towards his body, as his arms stretched and his hands managed to grab his face.
OW!
His thumbs touched his broken lip, then patted off some dirt he could feel on his nose and forehead. He then lifted his head up and placed it over his neck, spinning it 180 degrees to the rightful position.
The detective took to the stairs, where he could hear their footsteps going up. Judging by the way Ty moved through the rooftops and the fact the girl had entered the bank from above, it seemed like they both thought going up was the best route of escape. Harlan climbed as fast as he could, not being a slouch in the physical fitness department, but the lovebirds had a decent lead.
He would need a distraction to slow them down.
Leaning over the rail, to the side of the stairs, he looked up and managed to see the bobbing heads of his fleeting targets, almost three stories above him. His hands popped off from his arms and shot upwards, heading straight for their manes.
Hey, it might be frowned upon at a school yard, but in real life, hair pulling was a valid tactic!
Posted by Harlan Crowe on Mar 14, 2013 9:41:59 GMT -6
Epsilon Mutant
52
0
Jun 23, 2013 6:46:15 GMT -6
What? Tonight? Aw, come ON! Anytime and anywhere did not mean today! Tonight was poker night with some buds over some buds. Burke was invited, he'd gotten his hands on a bonus and he was terrible at poker!
Still, Harlan was known for setting his priorities straight where business was concerned and this meeting was important. Also, there were certain cues from body language, eyes and face expression you simply couldn't read over the phone, so the detective had to accept that he would not get to despoil Burke of his hard worn earnings.
"Tonight... should be fine" he replied, looking at his watch. "I'll meet you there."
----- o -----
Harlan made it to the restaurant at 8:20 p.m., not knowing if Dr. Lovecraft was rigorous with punctuality and trying to cover his bases with a good first impression. The locale was pretty fancy, specializing in french cuisine and wines. They had some flowery decor, making the place look warm and cozy. He couldn't help feeling a little out of place in his dark grey coat and suit that screamed 'plain!' where fashion was concerned, but it was obvious that a shrink for the rich and famous was not hurting for money and likely wined and dined on places like this in a regular basis. At least he had shaved, realizing a two day old beard worked against him in this scenario.
"Good evening, monsieurgh" asked a tall, light haired man with a fake accent behind a small counter. "Do you have a reserghvation?"
"Try Dr. Lovecraft" he said to the man, craning his neck and trying to read the upside down list on the counter.
"Ah, here it is" said the man as Harlan took off his coat and gave it to a young lady who was waiting for it and gave him a ticket before stashing the coat away.
"Dr. Lovecraft and companion" said the man reading his list. "Please follow me."
Harlan followed. He didn't know if the doctor had already arrived or if he would have to wait for him at the table but he'd soon find out.
Posted by Harlan Crowe on Mar 12, 2013 20:16:17 GMT -6
Epsilon Mutant
52
0
Jun 23, 2013 6:46:15 GMT -6
Up, honey. Up. You should have scanned up.
The good thing about abandoned buildings is that many windows have broken glasses or are flat out missing boards or sliding doors. It's easy to sneak in a floating head and the lid portal in his neck made no noise, which was one of the greatest perks his mutation had.
He had decided to go in the moment he saw the woman enter the building. Peeking from a floor above, he saw their bodies from their shoulders down and managed to hear most of what he said, till the point he called her 'honey'. Sure enough, he knew her, he hugged her and Harlan couldn't help but feel sorry for Ty. As far as he knew, the man was simply trying to protect his girl, but he was standing between Harlan and his check.
The detective flew his head out the way he had come in. His body was standing still, waiting in an alley, but the moment he saw it, he ordered it to move and reattached himself without stopping. It was a move that took some practice, but he was an old hand at it. Still, he always checked his troath with his hand whenever he had come together and readjusted any misalignments.
Harlan opened the side of his coat, where his gun was holstered. His hand touched the hilt of his gun, but he didn't pull it out, thinking what could the consequences be if he entered the room armed.
He had offered to help Ty, mostly because he was interested in the man's mutation helping him in future cases but aiming a gun at him or his girl would definitely burn that bridge. Then again, the woman had said he was 'this close to blowing up Manhattan' and the last time he had entered unarmed into a room with dangerous people in it, he had come out a headless, handless mutant.
Decisions, decisions...
Harlan flicked the holster's belt open with a finger, making drawing the gun a quick and easy process, but he left it holstered in. He'd try the peaceful method first. He'd try talking. It was worth a shot, metaphorically speaking.
The detective entered the building as silently as he could, but abandoned buildings have a tendency to gather up trash, papers, dirt and scrap. His shoes made that distinct gravely noise as if he was stepping over sand, so he quickened up the pace to get to the entrance of the room they were holing up in before they managed to make a run for it.
"Going somewhere?" he asked as he reached the doorway.
Posted by Harlan Crowe on Mar 12, 2013 19:32:36 GMT -6
Epsilon Mutant
52
0
Jun 23, 2013 6:46:15 GMT -6
She liked the name. She knew it as well and there were no longing feelings, no wishes to be found. That meant she was a runaway, most likely hiding here of her own accord. She wished to know what Mr. Silva looked like and that put Harlan in a bit of a predicament.
Burke, one of Harlan's detectives, took the case. He's the one who sat with the man, looked him in the eye and filed the report. Harlan vaguely remembered walking past, stopping by Burke's desk and looking at the pictures Mr. Silva had brought in, since pretty women usually had that effect. Did he pay any attention to the man who brought the pictures? He focused as he tried to remember what the man looked like. He had a vague recollection the man had said something while Harlan had been standing there.
What was it? What did he look like? What did he say?
"Hot babe, huh?"
That's why he knew Silva wasn't related.
"Trust me, he's not your type" he said with a grunt, still feeling the pressure she was putting on his face to keep it pinned down on the floor. "Unless you're into bearded, pierced, tatooed, ponytailed, big bruisers with glasses."
It was that sleazy factor, that cold stare the man had that made Harlan figure she was just a job to him. His face popped into his memory at the most opportune time.
When she asked what drew him in, Harlan couldn't help but huff in disbelief. Homeless shelter? Was she kidding? It may be a secret to some of its inhabitants and to most of the public, but Sanctuary wasn't exactly hiding angels. There were always rumors that the area wasn't safe for humans, that extortions in the area were common and even low life criminals gave the place a wide berth. He didn't know what happened within the walls of the place, but he long suspected that some shady dealings and dangerous mutants lurked among the corridors of Sanctuary. What he knew was mostly hearsay, probably fueled by the common fear humans had of mutants, but hear it too often and some truth must be mixed in between.
"Lots of mutants hide here. Some good, some bad... some very bad. You can't possibly be serious calling this place 'a homeless shelter' because I've heard it's far more than that" he said, trying to gauge how much she knew about the place.
Hmm... was there a chance he could actually plant a seed of doubt on that pretty head of hers? It was worth a shot. Confuse her a little, make her hesitate and next thing you know she eases her grip and his head is aloft again. And once in the air, he'll know where his hands are and then the tables can be turned.
"If you're looking for mutants, this is as good a place as any to start, but it's not a safe place to stay, Alma. Not unless you dance to their tune. Free bed? Free roof? Nothing is free in this world. At some point, they'll want to collect from you. Are you willing to pay their price?"
Who was 'they'? No clue. Was it safe? Who knows? But he made it sound ominous to try and weaken her resolve. The knife was on the floor and so was his hand. If he only knew he could reach it before she did, then things might work differently, but until he managed to get his hands inside his field of vision, they were pretty much blind to their surroundings.
Posted by Harlan Crowe on Mar 10, 2013 17:32:12 GMT -6
Epsilon Mutant
52
0
Jun 23, 2013 6:46:15 GMT -6
Watching the man work was quite impressive. You'd think he'd at least get his hands dirty, but no, he approached the vehicle, somehow sucked in the color of the car into his hand and it was as if the car had become a part of himself he could adjust at will, to the point he noticed problems with the gas tank.
"I'll do my best" he said at the suggestion of bringing more customers Jacob's way. He was a wizard indeed and seemed to be an honest man as well, so recommending him would be easy.
"I'll drop by tomorrow to bring you your flash drive. Thanks for everything" he added, opening the door to his vehicle, entering and starting it up. The engine gave a distinct hum, it sounded almost brand new. He smirked as he put his hands on the wheel, popping one of them off to give his mechanic a disembodied thumbs up, then drove out of the shop.
Posted by Harlan Crowe on Mar 8, 2013 21:56:25 GMT -6
Epsilon Mutant
52
0
Jun 23, 2013 6:46:15 GMT -6
Bienvenido! It's a pretty defensive talent yet very versatile. Hope you have fun with it! I figure Miles would get along well with him, though the age gap is kinda big
Posted by Harlan Crowe on Mar 6, 2013 14:14:18 GMT -6
Epsilon Mutant
52
0
Jun 23, 2013 6:46:15 GMT -6
God DAMMIT!
Ty had mentioned he was into 'urban exploration' but he didn't say he was a freaking SPIDER! He kept going up and down buildings and for a moment, Harlan suspected the man knew he was being tailed. Then again, there was a big chance he was just avoiding the tail as best he could and it would have worked had Harlan stuck to just going on foot.
He had gone a different route instead. Chasing after Ty over the rooftops was the easiest part. The man was the only person running over them, so he was easy to spot from on high while his body remained below. The problem was... whenever he had his head doing fly over reconnaissance, his body had to stay put and Ty would get a lead. He'd then had to go back down and run like mad once he had reattached his head to catch up with the guy and it was the hiding in the alleys that were giving him the most trouble.
He had lost him once this way, but as soon as he saw the reddish mane pop up on the rooftops again, the chase went back on.
By the end of it, Harlan was pretty tired, sweating profusely and convinced that wearing a suit to chase someone down was a terrible idea! His black shoes were there to create an image of professionalism, they were not made for running at all! He was in the middle of huffing and puffing as he caught his breath when Harlan realized Ty had stopped running. The man slipped out of an alley in a casual stroll and mingled among a crowd. Harlan hid his body behind a wall and once again sent his head to do a fly over and look from on high.
The reddish mane slipped inside a building almost too quick for his eyes to notice. Was it an apartment building? It looked abandoned. Ty had mentioned being unemployed, not being homeless, but then again, who mentions that in a job interview?
Harlan waited. There was a chance he or she lived there or that they had just picked this spot to meet. If he didn't see anyone coming in, he'd have to go in himself and confront Ty but it'd be much better if he managed to get his hands on two birds with one stone.
Posted by Harlan Crowe on Mar 6, 2013 13:12:52 GMT -6
Epsilon Mutant
52
0
Jun 23, 2013 6:46:15 GMT -6
Harlan's forehead was placed against the door, pushing it a little and keeping his lips close to the gap, so she could hear him without trouble. His tale had too many holes, but she seemed to be listening to him. The moment he dropped her name however, he knew he had made a terrible mistake and closed his eyes tightly at the sudden realization.
That's when he got blindsided.
Instead of demanding how he knew her name and him coming up with excuses, the door opened so fast, he ended up falling forward and getting caught by the woman's hands. It happened so suddenly, he lost track of where his own hands were. The one trying to open the door got knocked over and he could feel the texture of the carpet scraping on the back of it, while the other he had kept up high, but his head was moving so violently it was impossible to tell them where to move.
His first instinct was to break free and push her away, so he moved his arms and.... hit his car's steering wheel, with his body sitting waaay down there outside in the street and unable to help in any way. His lid portals were strong enough to make his head fly, but not enough to break free from the grasp of a mad woman pulling his hair!
"GRaah! Let me go!" he yelled as the room blurred past him, until he felt the side of his face hitting hard against the carpet. He tried to wrench free then, but she was using some of her own body weight over the other side of his face to pin him down quite effectively.
>>"Out! Now!"
His hands thrashed in the distance, but without having them in line of sight, it was pretty difficult to have them do anything helpful. All he could see from this angle in the floor, was the woman's body towering over him, her thighs and... her shorts and... actually, it wasn't a bad angle to have your head pinned from, if it weren't for the knife threatening to gouge your eye out!
He slowly turned his eyes to the side, avoiding to look at the blurry tip of the blade and managing to see the angry face of the woman holding him down. She was no longer afraid of him at all, that was for sure and he seemed to have triggered a self defense reaction he had not anticipated.
>>“I was wondering how long it would be until someone began to look. Let’s try this again, Private Eye. I’m going to give you a question or two at a time, and you’re going to answer me honestly. If I have the faintest inkling that you’re lying to me, Heaven forbid… Well, why make promises when I can demonstrate, hm?”
She moved the blade away from his eye just a tad until he felt a sharp pain in his cheek. He couldn't help but flinch and grit his teeth. He was totally at her mercy and even if he managed to use his hands to pull or push at her, she'd have more than enough time to disfigure his face.
>>“Get where I’m going with this? Lie to me, and you will be punished. Tell me the truth, and you will get rewarded. I might even give your camera back to you. Doesn’t that sound nice?”
No, not at all, but what choice did he have?
“Since you seem to know who I am, it would only be fair to tell me who you are. First set of questions, Private Eye—who are you, and who’s looking for me? And this time, make it convincing.”
He sighed and breathed heavily, still trying to figure out a way to free himself unscathed but time was against him and hope was dwindling. He moved his eyes around, trying to find his hands. One was on the floor, that was for sure, but where? The other, he was pretty sure was touching the ceiling... or maybe a wall?
Giving his name away was an everyday happenstance. Giving his client's name away? Not so much.
"Harlan Crowe" he said, in a voice that sounded like the progeny of a whisper and a growl. He paused, hoping that having an answer would make her loosen up her grip a bit, but she kept on pressing him against the floor and her knife still aimed dangerously at his eye.
He huffed, focusing his eyes on hers. He knew the client wasn't family and there was a chance she wouldn't even know who the client was, but whatever reaction her face had to the name, he would see it.
Posted by Harlan Crowe on Mar 6, 2013 11:20:18 GMT -6
Epsilon Mutant
52
0
Jun 23, 2013 6:46:15 GMT -6
Trying to understand what was really going on was difficult. On the one hand, you had this girl, who was clearly swimming in money and willing to depart from a chunk of it to solve something she really, truly, honestly believed in to the point Harlan was convinced she wasn't lying and on the other hand, everything she said sounded so far fetched it was simply too outlandish to be real.
They were in his office now and he was sitting in his chair, listening to the chain of events as she told them, keeping his face neutral and supportive, even if his brain was having trouble absorbing it all.
The giant, pants-less cockroach with a top hat and a cane imitated an elderly woman's voice to trick Celeste into opening the door, so the creature had no longer broken into the house, therefore there were no real traces of physical evidence to prove it's existence and Harlan was forced to rely solely on Celeste's word. She then tried to close the door, but the creature blocked it with its cockroachy leg and here is where he was getting really confused. Where he was expecting to see a shred of laughter or trickery or deceit from her, all he got were eyes holding back tears as her pride forced her to move them away.
She. Wasn't. Lying.
So what the hell was she doing and why!?
She then pulled a non sequitur that caught him off base.
>>"Did you hear those enigmatic radio ads about an exclusive party?"
What? Now where did that come from? Why was she asking him this?
Oh. Oh, no that couldn't be possible. Was this some sort of elaborate ruse to... ask him out to an exclusive party? She was a teenager! He was twice her age! She couldn't possibly have a crush on him! It was... wait a minute.
He did remember the ads, they ran just a couple of weeks ago. The party must have already happened, so he was jumping to conclusions. Burke had mentioned that the ad sounded like conspiracy theory stuff. What did those ads had to do with her or the giant cockroach?
He had kept his face serious the whole time, though his eyes and eyebrows may have given a hint or two away about the roller coaster ride his brain was going through.
"I do recall the ads. Not so much the party part, but the 'apocalypse' angle they were trying to sell and the whole mystery thing. Why? What does that have to do with the cockroach guy?" he asked, hoping to get to some answers that made a modicum of sense.
Posted by Harlan Crowe on Mar 3, 2013 21:33:24 GMT -6
Epsilon Mutant
52
0
Jun 23, 2013 6:46:15 GMT -6
His feet were up in the desk as he leaned back in his cushy chair. He held his phone with his shoulder and the side of his head as his detached hands floated and sifted through documents on the desk, including Elizabeth Grant's friends lists, credit card records, phone numbers and other notes.
>>“Lovecraft Counseling, this is Harper Lovecraft speaking, how may I help you?”
"Dr. Lovecraft? My name is Harlan Crowe, from The Crow's Eye, a private investigations firm" he said, giving his last name right along the name of the company, which usually made people realize they were talking to the boss and he liked it that way.
"I'm calling regarding a tragic incident I'm not sure if you've found out about in the news. One of your patients, Miss Elizabeth Grant? She has passed away."
He waited a few seconds, expecting the 'oh my gods', the 'oh so terribles' and the sighs that usually followed whenever he delivered news like these. A few years of doing this and you learn to simply lock your emotions away, wait and nod politely and once the shock reactions are over, jump straight to business.
"I've been hired by her father to investigate the cause of her death. Would it be possible for us to meet somewhere? I'd like to ask you a few questions..." he said, succinct and to the point. From all the information they had gathered so far, the woman had suffered a sharp turn somewhere, from rich socialité, desperate for fame and glamour to unhinged recluse and Harlan had no idea what had triggered any of it. If there was one man who could have a clue what happened, he was sitting in the other end of the line and meeting with him was crucial.
"I'm available whenever you desire. Anytime, anywhere, so if you could make some space for me in your schedule, I'd really appreciate it."
Posted by Harlan Crowe on Mar 1, 2013 18:25:27 GMT -6
Epsilon Mutant
52
0
Jun 23, 2013 6:46:15 GMT -6
>>"You're right, I do have a tough choice to make..."
There we go! See? It wasn't that difficult to convince people to see things your way. Granted, Harlan wasn't THAT sure everything would work out all right, but people usually clung to hope so he played that angle and tried to make Ty see that the best course of action was...
The door opened suddenly and Ty bolted from the car. Harlan looked befuddled at his departing back, his first thought being that maybe Ty was desperate to take a leak, but unless he enjoyed peeing over people from the fire... escape... aw CRAP!
"HEY!" he yelled from the car, like that was going to stop the runaway. The traffic light turned green and the detective detached a hand to close the door while he pressed on the pedal and moved the car forward. He reattached his hand, took a turn and entered the parking lot from a depot store, quickly leaping out of the vehicle. Though Ty had a considerable lead already, Harlan had an advantage the psychometric may not have known or considered. While Ty knew his head was detachable when he saw him sleeping, did he know it could fly as well?
He looked to the clouds and the top of the buildings Ty had been heading towards. At that very moment, a couple with clasped hands was walking and looking at him in his distressed state. Harlan didn't have time to wait for them to pass, so he just raised a hand and told them: "Now, don't freak out".
His head shot upwards as he heard the woman's scream going "OH MY GOD!!" at the top of her lungs. He felt his ears pop as his quick ascent made the difference in air pressure quite noticeable, but once he managed to hover above the building's rooftops, he noticed Ty jumping from one building to the other and heading for another fire escape.
He floated his head forward and to the side until he managed to see the exit of the alley between the buildings. He saw the man's reddish mane pop out from there, looking behind him to see if he was being tagged. Hah! You should have looked up as well instead of just behind, buddy. From his vantage point, he noticed Ty ducking into a phone booth. Perfect. That would give him time to get his body closer to where his head was floating.
Moving his headless body from afar was a hassle and quite shocking for the average folk. "OH JESUS CHRIST!" screamed a man when Harlan's body stumbled forward to reconnect back with his head, which was coming down fast. Harlan raised his arms and hands, caught his own head like a football, placed it over his neck and adjusted his troath a little so the ends matched, while totally ignoring the gawkers. He then pushed forward, leaning over the corner of a wall to take a peek of the pay phone at the end of the street. Ty was no longer there, but he caught him just heading into another alley, probably ready to pull off the same 'fire escape' getaway. The moment Ty went in, Harlan ran as fast as he could towards the alley. He could hide his body there, shoot his head up, find where the only red haired man jumping over rooftops was going, then catch up on the ground while keeping his distance.
Keeping up with him wasn't going to be easy, but it was going to be worth it. If Harlan played his own cards well, Ty might end up inadvertently delivering Tses in a silver platter.
Posted by Harlan Crowe on Mar 1, 2013 14:31:10 GMT -6
Epsilon Mutant
52
0
Jun 23, 2013 6:46:15 GMT -6
Well, this could have gone better!
He had been forced to improvise, but he didn't expect Alma to be surrounded by so many creatures! Luckily, his scream and his ghastly entrance had been enough to send her scurrying off in fright, but she took with her the one thing he needed to recover while locking herself in the bathroom.
His hands managed to break free from their imprisonment following the woman's departure from the door, but the gooey things immediately started to retaliate. Harlan tried to block incoming objects to his face with his floating hands while being glad the creepy creatures were throwing stuff like shirts, pillows and such instead of anything packing more of a punch. The only dangerous objects flying his way were shoes, and some of the creatures tried grab him, but Harlan simply raised his head enough to almost touch the ceiling, placing himself out of their reach, including the bigger ones. He was feeling safe at this height, even letting out a grin when he got hit on the face by red panties, but when a heel from a thrown shoe caught his eyebrow, he cried foul.
"Goddamit! Stop that!" he yelled, sending one of his hands to try and grab the offending creature by whatever passed for a neck, but the things weren't exactly solid and he failed to get a grip on it. What the hell were these things anyway!? They looked like shadows turned into Jell-o and Harlan had no clue what he was dealing with.
At that very moment, the woman popped out of the room, demanded her creatures to be careful and before Harlan could launch a hand to try and take advantage of the situation, she locked herself right back in the bathroom
>>“You’ve got ten seconds to explain yourself, head, or else I’m snapping the memory card. I saw your pictures, head.”
Oh, that's just great! Not only would he lose an entire day's work, but a perfectly good memory card and camera. Plus, Sanctuary would be aware of his presence if he tried to do this some other time. On the plus side, the creatures stopped throwing things at him and the detective took the brief truce to try and explain himself.
...
...
Yeah, like that was even possible! His camera had pictures of young mutant men and women coming in and out of the place, some from the windows even. How could he possibly explain that away and not look like some creepy stalker?
Damn it, clock is ticking!
"Don't do it!" he said, approaching his head to the top corner of the door and putting his lips close to the gap between the door and the wall. This way, he managed to have his voice be heard through the door and at the same time, still keep himself away from the creature's reach. One of his hands however, went straight for the doorknob and gently tried to open it, finding it locked tight.
"I'm not a creep" was all he managed to muster at the end of his ten seconds. "I'm... looking for someone. A mutant. I just don't know what he or she looks like" he lied on the spot, quickly realizing... who would look for someone and not even be sure of their gender?
"Two mutants actually. A man and a woman..." he added to the lie as his brain quickly tried to come up with believable details, preferably something that would convince a woman that what he was doing was actually good and deserving of her help.
"I'm a private eye" he said, since telling the truth always helped the lie be less of a lie. "I was hired by a couple to find... their missing baby. The mother claims he was taken away from her by a mutant couple, but she doesn't know their names. I was hoping that having her look at pictures from mutants might help her recognize them. What better place to start than Sanctuary, right?"
Brilliant! She was likely too young to be a mother but judging by the way she handled her gooey things, it was almost like she was playing the role already. A baby always pulled at the motherly instincts, the 'couple' angle explained why he had pictures of men and women and even why he tried to take a picture from her.
So convinced he was that he had pulled the right strings trying to earn her trust... that his next sentence was a fatal mistake.
