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.
"So if all things are made of energy, would a creature which eats energy be considered a God?"
"Well..." She started carefully, reflecting back on her previous words. "In most cases gods are either born from power-- they make themselves god-like through great demonstrations of power, which cow weaker beings into worshiping them, or show some sort of trait humans find admirable... like Greek gods, Zeus and the likes -- or they simply are from the very beginning. Beings that are omnipresent, who have always been and always will be. Faceless, formless... probably made up of pure energy. Both can be considered gods for different reasons... but one who eats the energy? I wonder if that would almost be like an anti-god. The yin to the yang of unlimited power." She shrugged, and scratched the side of her cheek. "In my opinion, if you have the power and sway to form a following, and the ability to hold it against opposition, you may as well call yourself one."
"The Japanese prefer to respect a sense of modesty. Must everything here be excessive?"
"Depending on what definition of modesty your using, my answers could be slightly different. But in general modesty pretty much died here a long time ago. I think when a culture like mine decides to do something, they go big. Restraint is hard, so why try? Beauty standards swing so wildly that big hair is all the rage for a few years, then it switches to flat, straight hair, and god help the girls with natural curls."
She glanced around-- the closer they got to the market, the more crowded the streets became. And, on top of that, the more attention the dragon beside her acquired. "The problem with that mindset is that once a new standard appears and everyone latches onto it, the old ones are taboo to go back to. So, in our never ending pursuit for we're forced to build higher and higher, a top the stacked bodies of all the standards that came before."
With one of her favorite treats on her mind, she almost missed what he said. Did didn't thankfully, and really had to work hard on biting back a laugh. She didn't think he was the type to take her laughing at him and not be insulted. Instead, she schooled her expression and turned back to him. "Oh, sorry. It's a nickname for a pastry." She could remember being really young and having a similar reaction. 'An elephant ear! How awful!'
"It's sweet bread rolled into a patty about yay big," She used her hands to mime the size, "... that you bake, spread butter on, and add sugar and cinnamon. It comes out roughly the shape of an elephants ear. Hence the nickname."
The smile she returned was a genuine one. She liked the fact that he didn't really talk much... it made her feel less like she needed to put effort into seeming more social. Hesitantly, she set an offering of one of her fries out for Ace, before digging into her food too.
It took her significantly less time to eat hers, seeing as she didn't have as much on her plate as him. She dug out her sketch book to fill time, and sectioned off a few pages to doodle out a few of the paintings and sculptures she'd seen so far, for reference. Starting on one, Shelby manged not to zone out fully, and managed to catch the echo of an announcement over the loudspeakers through out the building.
--pologies, the top section will be closing early today due to technical malfunctions, please make sure to use--
She ignored the rest of the announcement, turning to fish out the little guide pamphlet she'd picked up at the front desk... and cursed under her breath at her luck. "Damnit... there was a piece up there I really wanted to see, too."
With a strained smile, she replied to both his question and statement in one go. "Yep... you don't even know the half of it."
She glanced around the kitchen, wincing at each new thing she spotted. "I'm not one to argue, so believe me when I say i'm not touching anything I don't have too." Which, if she were lucky, would include the sink. How she was supposed to wash dishes, though, she'd have to figure out soon.
"No, he didn't." And that was the third reason she was nervous. "From what I've gathered though, he's eccentric. I doubt anything normal will suffice. I'll just have to come up with new stuff."
Turning from him, she moved to a cupboard close by and leaned down to pry the door open and peek inside. She expected pots and pans, and thankfully they were clean... she did not expect the small stampede of cockroaches that scrambled out. She jerked back from the sudden movement, but when she realized what it was she calmed.
"I'm just gonna assume the bugs are his?" It would make sense based off of what Sylar has said, and who Roach appeared to be as a person. She absently wondered just how many of these these she'd have to shoo out of the kitchen on a regular basis.
"It was mine too, for a while. Before I took up drawing." She didn't elaborate further, choosing not to bring up her younger years when she moodily avoided other kids her age, content with trapping herself in a library or her room with a book.
She flushed red instead, when he pointed out the flaws of what she'd mentioned. "Well, I mean, a man shooting fire from his hands could be considered natural, depending on his genetics."
Dammit, she didn't like having to think all science-y. Her thoughts often blended together, and that made it hard to pull anything concise out. "A common theory is that we are all made up of energy. We are born from it, we feed ourselves on it, and when we die what's left of it is dispersed into other things... it's only natural given how a mutant has evolved, that their energy could be different... and can be used differently, right?"
She tried to think back to all of the studying she'd done, and sighed. In theory, it could explain a lot of things, but that was neither here nor there. She wasn't an expert in any sense, and therefor her musings were virtually moot on the grand scheme of things.
"...but, I guess I get what your saying. Tulips probably won't ever be 'magical' to me, but to each his own. Everybody finds beauty in something different. I have an odd eye for beauty, anyway, and i'm rubbish at explaining things."
His next statement made the inner feminist in her stir, and she blinked at him. "Sure, that could be true.. but I am not an average woman though. I don't find beauty in myself nearly as appealing as finding beauty in others. If it comes down to admiring, or being admired, i'd rather be the one admiring." A truth, if a little vague. She'd spent most of her life dressing and acting like a boy... Girls who put value strictly on how they looked were just about as alien to her as actual aliens. But, when she was looking for an artistic spin on things, she often found herself looking in the opposite direction of conventional beauty.
"It's almost always a cultural thing, anyway. Women and men here are pretty much equally obsessed with looking good, for a variety of reasons." Glancing around, she pointed out a man walking on the other side of the street, with a dainty blonde hooked around one arm. "See them? They are a perfect example. She works to meet the standards of 'American' beauty for women, and he works his hardest to meet the male equivalent. They probably both wax, shave, and tan... he might even wear makeup."
Watching the two walk off, she sighed through her nostrils. "You either fit into a 'perfect' mold here, or you spend your whole life desperately trying to change yourself. It's a repeating pattern of shame, jealousy, and desperation.. Me? I'd rather not bother. I've got too much on my plate as it is, too worry about whether the male population will find me attractive or not."
She didn't know what to make of his mother, as she didn't have any background on it. She did however have a very prominent mother figure herself. "Not to try and compare myself to you, but my mother tends to view me as a golden child. If only because i'm the only one of my siblings who hasn't made any terrible life choices. Mom's tend to be like that... I think it's hard for them to see their kids as anything other than their babies..."
A smell wafting on a breeze caught her attention and she petered off with her conversation, sniffing the air like it would help her decipher where it was coming from.
"...I know that smell." A grin curled her lips, an almost whimsical expression settled on her face. Her brain reeled back a few years to the last fair she'd been too, and she instantly knew what she wanted to eat. "Elephant ears!" It was almost a universal smell to her. Bread-y and buttery, with a little hint of cinnamon. She would have purred, had she been a cat.
He backed out of her space, she hazarded a breath or two, and stepped back to lean against a counter for support. Her heart was racing a mile a minute, with no intent of slowly down anytime soon. Not when certain death was over there rummaging around in the fridge all non-nonchalantly.
"...Nice to officially meet you too." She knew his name now, which at least made him seem more human. Not that it was gonna change anything. Even if he wasn't really some horribly manifestation of her worst fears all clumped together into a vaguely boy-shaped figure, he was still a very dangerous mutant. That aspect of him, at least, refused to be budged.
She ignored his fiddling with the soda in favor of turning and staring blankly into the sink. She still had a task to complete, but she honestly hadn't the foggiest idea what Roach expected of her.
"I don't often go looking for trouble, so that shouldn't be a problem. I'll keep my nose clean."
A sudden pop and hiss, combined with the creaking metal from his opening his can, caught her completely off guard. She nearly jumped straight out of her skin, almost sent an errant cup crashing to the floor with her elbow, and hand to scramble to grab it before it started the journey. Good god, she was going to die of heart failure at this rate, many many years before she was naturally supposed to!
The sound of his voice, not hissing or tinted with a threat for once, also caught her off guard. Enough so that she turned to stare at him pointedly, before blinking and sucking a trembling breath in. "I...eh.. funny story, that. I had a dream about him..." It was still embarrassing and confusing, and couldn't make hide nor hair of it... but it was the truth. Considering her half-truth from before, her instincts told her to bury it under as many actual truths as she could.
"..Like I was in some kinda cartoon, where he was chopping veggies and tossing them in this big cauldron, all the while talking too me. Then he tosses me in and asks me what kinda spice I taste best with. I think I said paprika... but I don't really remember. It was a pretty fuzzy dream." She chuckled mirthlessly, swatted her loose bangs from her face, and adjusted the mask on her face until it stopped pinching her nose.
"Anyway... I must have met him before sometime, but I don't remember. Dude knows where I live though, and stopped by to tell me 'You've got the job!'" She tried to mimic Roaches voice, "I'm just supposed to cook, I guess. Enough meals for a week or two, that will fit in the freezer." Her voice dropped again, trying to catch the tone the giant bug has used on her, like she was a slow child.
"And you are absolutely not allowed to clean anything!" Hands on her hips, waggling one finger at Sylar as she pretended she was Roach and he was her... until she realized how ridiculous she must look and dropped the act.
Keep to the truth. Right. She could do that... if she managed to somehow not pass out first, that is.
He said don't move, she squeaked and stood frozen. Like a weird roman statue of some kinda goddess of cleanliness. He sniffed, staring at her, and sniffed some more. She realized belatedly that he was sniffing her like some sort of animal. Beads of sweat rolled down the back of her neck and goose flesh cropped up on her arms. She really wanted to wriggle away, make a break for the door, and just get the heck out of dodge. Then mail her resignation to Roach and pray he didn't come eat her, since the stupid bug apparently knew where she lived.
Instead she remained standing shock still, as ordered, and spent the tense nerve-wrecking time closely studying the features of the sewer mutant that had threatened eat her at one point. In her own skewed personal opinion, she'd consider him beautiful in any other light. With him intently sniffing her though, the twisted beauty only served to make him all the more terrifying.
Randomly, she kinda hoped she didn't reek of latex. She hated that smell.
His voice spooked her out of her thoughts and she focused on him fully again. Gulping, she weight her choices inside her head where, unless he was one of those freaky mind-reading types, she felt relatively safe.
Keep to the truth, he said. Yet, he didn't seem to recall her in the same light that she recalled him. The truth was steadily becoming lighter on the scale in her mine. Time to come up with a creative lie!
"...B-briefly, yes." Or half-truth. "A long while ago..." Where though? She didn't know anything about him... other than he lived in a sewer, and apparently with her newest employer. What had be called himself before? Roaches watch dog?
"We didn't really talk..." Avoid mentioning places... avoid mentioning dates and times! Be as vague as possible! "I d-didn't think I'd ever run into you ever again." A tremble raced up her spine, and she swallowed nervously.
A true giggle escaped, and she clamped her mouth shut. The comment had brought up funny images in her head... "They aren't that ugly, actually..." She liked bugs, after all. Caterpillars and other similar larvae in particular. They were pretty cute, in her opinion. "but for me at least, the term fits. I may as well eat the books like a book worm, what with how engrossed I get into them."
As for the flowers, well..."Eh, I wouldn't say it was breathtaking, really. It's a lot less magical, and a lot more..." She struggled for the word for a moment. "... natural."
Hopefully that made enough sense. "I mean, I've seen cherry blossoms before. They used to plant them all over the place in my city to make it seem more inviting. It would rain pink when there was any kind of wind. That's what i'd consider breathtaking, if only because it looked unnatural. Walking through the tulip fields just made me feel like was a little bit closer to nature; my feet planted in the soil, bees buzzing around, butterflies fluttering." She flushed, and fidgeted. She felt like she was talking too much. The dragon question her next about the cameras, and a frustrated frown settled on her lips.
"I'm not really a fan of cameras. I'm not in any way as magnificent as you are, so when my face shows up on Myface all flushed and embarrassed it's not exactly a welcome surprise."
His explanation caught her by surprise, and yet.. totally made sense. Maybe his mom was trying to break him of his delusion? See more of the world, realize your not the most awesome thing ever, be humbled and go home? Meh. "I see... I suppose it is a lords duty to know about what kingdoms he rules over, right?" She was painfully, obviously sucking up. She really needed to be more careful with her words, lest she start to sound sarcastic. She didn't really mind in someways, though... This was no different some someone who had a superiority complex because they were pretty, right? He was just... dragon-y. She was catering to his dragon-ness.
"Spread the word, reach out to the masses... all that jazz. Didn't great kings used to do that way back when?"
Glancing up at him, she couldn't help the small smile that settled on her face. "Not often, no. I'm really more of a book worm. People usually have to try pretty hard to convince me to go anywhere." She didn't notice the looks he was receiving at first... she was too caught up with trying to brag about her favorite city.
"Seattle is pretty diverse. I think we compete with San Francisco in that regard... They throw an annual festival that involves cherry blossoms, but I've never had the pleasure of attending it." She'd been down to the Asian art museum before, once, and had spent about two hours or so wandering around Uwajimaya (a district of the city where a few different cultures converged; primarily Japanese)... but she wasn't about to lie and feign any kind of knowledge on the matter. She respected him too much... also she didn't have the time to come up with a proper lie.
"I did visit the Skagit Tulip festival quite a few times though. It was really quite beautiful, too. Entire fields filled with different colored tulips."
Okay, now she was noticing the stares. And pictures, too. Hesitantly she reached back to tug the hood of her jacket up to cover her head. Man, she hated pictures.
"...Do you mind if I ask what brought you to the states, Lord Orochi?" She'd been curious of the matter since she'd first met him.
Wincing, she fought the urge to argue her case and remained silent. If she weren't so terrified of Roach, she'd have words with him late for this! "Uh.." Did it matter that she was human? Oh god... what if she answered wrong?! "I'm whichever one won't get me stabbed?"
His demand for her to turn caused her to jump, but she complied anyway. Slowly she inched around. Her arms straight at her sides, fists clenched and knuckles white inside her gloves.
"Roach didn't tell me about you, and now that I think about it. I'm betting he didn't tell you about me either. I'm Sylar, and I'm Roach's guard dog."
"No, he didn't. I was just supposed to show up and--"
She caught sight of her aggressor fully, and the words died on her tongue. He had a hood up to shadow his face, but even with the half-assed disguise she could tell it was him just from his tail alone. She'd seen that tale once before, and it had appeared at least twice after in two rather unwanted nightmares.
"AAAIEEMMFPH" She shoved her hands over her mouth and her shriek of horror warbled off into a hybrid scream-groan. Her brain shut down momentarily, too. Ohmygod... the sewer monster knows my name!.... I know HIS name!! OH GOD.
"... I swear I didn't know you lived here..." God, fate really had a morbid sense of humor.
The woman's smile faltered for a moment, but she easily forced it back into place. Not every meal was as willing and easy as the human over there; some she had to put a bit more work into. She didn't even flinch when he managed to catch the tree on fire, choosing instead to focus her attention solely on him. He was struggling; fighting against the inevitable.
Shelby felt a brief lessening of the exhaustion, but not by much. She was hardly able to do anything when she was suddenly plucked up and tossed away like a rag doll. The landing hurt, but oddly enough she started to feel a lot less tired now that she was suddenly further from the gorgeous man.
Said man, or woman rather, eyed the knife in Danny's have with clear distaste, and a trace of fear. "What's this then?" She kept her voice calm enough, but on the inside she was plotting an escape. Things had fallen out of her control, but she'd already eaten enough for one day. Lowering her voice, she smirked once more. "I would suggest you put that blade away like a good little boy. We wouldn't want anyone getting killed, now would we?"
Her voice was low enough the human wouldn't be able to properly hear. He did glance at her however, and she groaned suddenly. "I can still draw from her at this distance. If you so much as take a step toward me, I will kill them both."
Her attention returned to the knife bearing teen. She meant Shelby and the other jogger of course, who apparently hadn't succumbed quite yet.
"I think we can agree on that." She smiled, standing and dusting herself off before following him. "I bet you would really like Seattle. It's surrounded by forest and mountains."
Tucking her hands into the pockets of her windbreaker, she followed along beside him and... suddenly realized she'd completely forgotten about him being so friggen big. She'd been expecting to take the bus down the block, since the school grounds were pretty large. Those thoughts were dashed now, however, as she looked over at his elbow and realized that he would never fit in a conventional vehicle. Cringing inwardly at her lack of foresight, she trudged along and tired to keep up.
"I don't know how this city's farmers markets work yet, but back home there was always an assortment of seasonal fruits and veggies, among other things."
And there was the homesickness again. A sudden, deep pang in her chest. Shelby breathed in through her nose and exhaled slowly. "Seattle always had lots of flowers, though. That was my favorite part."
The kitchen was equally horrifying, if not more so. There were what could only be described as things in the sink… she wasn’t sure if they had once been plates and food, or if there were some kind of new fungus growing within. A shiver raced down her spine and a cold sweat broke out on her brow. How did Roach expect her to cook in this kind of environment?
She eyed the cupboards with distaste, honestly afraid of what she could find lurking within. Then, something touched her. For a fraction of a second she was sure there was a bug or rodent trying to burrow into her sweater, before the pointiness of the object suddenly caught her attention. That was no living thing. That felt like a knif--
”Who are you... and how did you get in?”
Oh god… had Roach sent her over here and not informed someone else she’d been coming? Was this his roomate? His… er… no, brain, she wasn’t going there. Maybe he’d done this on purpose and it was all some weird elaborate trap? But why though?
Before her thoughts could runaway any further, she reigned them in and squeaked. Then, gulping, she attempted a reply. ”..I...I--uh, Roach sent me here?” The note was in her bag, along with the attached key. ”I’m supposed to cook for him... he gave me a key and everything!"
She contemplated throwing her hands in the air, the universal signal that she was unarmed and had given up, but was kind of scared any type of movement would get her shanked repeatedly in the back.
The man's lips tweaked up in one of the most handsome smirks she'd ever seen. No, not a smirk. A grin maybe? Smirking just seemed so... so underhanded. This man looked like the literal definition of an angel. He could do no harm.
She took a wobbly step toward him, feeling suddenly very tried. She'd been jogging too hard, for too long it seemed. Curious though. She'd made sure to try and pace herself.
"My dear boy, what scream?" The vision before her questioned, chuckling good naturally. As if there wasn't someone passed out at his feet. Shelby felt a flare of anger prick at her when he directed his attention somewhere else. She wanted to be the center of his attention, for some reason... one she rightly couldn't explain.
"And her? She'll be okay. Poor dear is just sleeping."
...Why would she be sleeping? Shelby's brain questioned, before the doubt at the man's statement was suddenly and violently squished. Her legs gave out from under her and she collapsed to her knees. Bracing herself on her hands, she panted and tried to shake the sudden weariness away. The man angled a half smile her way, before taking a few steps in the other boy's direction.
"What is your name, hmm?" Shelby couldn't see him anymore. Neither could she see the guy who'd given her the knife, or the body of the other jogger. She was staring blankly at the grass in front of her face, sweat dripping down her brow as she tried in vain to battle back the sudden exhaustion.
What Shelby didn't know was that the man was no regular human male. He wasn't even male, for that matter. He was a gender-less mutant who spent his waking time draining the life force from victims who fell under his 'spell'. Unfortunately for the ginger, she was human and had no way to battle against the mental draw of him. Slowly, the longer she sat and contemplated how beautiful the man was, he was dragging her closer to a slow and painful death.
The same could be said for her male companion, who had fallen for the Mutant's trick.... but, he had an advantage the human's did not. The gender-less mutant, who appeared as the most desirable image of a female he could imagine, was not aware that they both shared the X Gene.
"Your friend looks tired too. Perhaps we should leave her be... just you and I can find somewhere private together..."
Her head tilted slightly and she blinked. He... he didn't eat? How odd.
... Well, odd to her at least. She loved eating. Not in the 'pig out' way, mind you... though she did over eat quite often; Shelby was just a fan of good food. She didn't like it when everything blended together into one smear of flavor.
"Ah, I see... Forgive me then. I should have asked sooner." She fidgeted a little in an embarrassed manner. Being a dragon obviously wasn't the most unusual part of his power.
Well! If he wasn't going to eat, she wouldn't either! "I will amend the plans then. We will avoid the cafe, and visit the park instead?" Of course, just because he didn't eat, didn't mean he avoided all foods... right? What about snacks? Treats?.... ice cream? People who didn't eat ice cream weren't human. Not in any sense.
"There is supposed to be a farmers market today by Tighe Triangle park. One of my classmates told me about it."
She felt him coming long before she heard him. When his massive head poked out she turned and smiled up at him. His proper, polite greeting instantly made her feel bad for having ulterior motives for visiting him. Even if he was a giant egotistical dinosaur, he wasn't horrible. He'd met worse humans in her time.
"Greetings, Lord Orochi." She wasn't sure if she was supposed to dip her head back, or bow... everyone always did it in the movies, but movies weren't exactly the best thing to base decisions on. They were often wrong. Instead, she waved one hand in a typically american fashion, and her grin widened.
"Well, you see..." She took a deep breath and twiddled her thumbs, with her arms hooked around her knees. He was either going to laugh at her, or maybe get mad. She was asking a god out for a sort-of date, after all. No, wait... not a date. Don't get fixated on that word! "I was actually wondering if you would like to go out into the city with me." She glanced at her watch, "...kind like a late lunch?"
Fidgeting, she glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes.
