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.
"Why in the world does everyone have that reaction?" Jacen asked, just a tinge of annoyance in his voice. "You tell me your husband is a practicing Medium and you run the books for his business but then you're shocked and surprised that someone works in law enforcement?"
People made no sense at times. You would think that people would appreciate the cops that tried to protect them but more often than not, even normal humans thought it was wierd for someone to voluntarily put themselves in harms way in order to protect someone else.
"I don't patrol a normal beat or anything like that." Jacen offered, trying to clear up the situation, "I'm a former Ranger remember? Special forces was my thing which means that S.W.A.T. is a better fit than patrol work."
As soon as Jacen said the words he began to rethink whether he should have said it. If Lee thought being a cop was strange then she had to think that people in S.W.A.T. were absolute nut jobs. Yeah... the whole getting together for drinks think might just have been canceled.
"Can I assume you're not a fan of big bad lawmen?"
Wow... Jacen was only just beginning to realize that he would be teaching Kealey from square one. If she didn't understand what it was like to be attracted to someone then it would be almost impossible for her to flirt at all.
"Well... mainly you'll known you're attracted because you'll feel something different." Jacen said quietly as he began to lead the way over to the main check out counter. If he was correct about the layout of the building that would put Kealey in the right area to clock out, grab her stuff, or do whatever else she needed to accomplish for actually leaving. "You see something in that person that you've never seen before or only rarely seen before. It could be a purely physical attraction but most of the time its else that you can't quite put your finger on. Something that just makes a person stick out of the crowd."
It was really the best explanation that he could come up with. Jacen wasn't a trained psychologist that understood the way people thought and he didn't have a mutant ability that let him feel emotions or read someone's thoughts and intentions. Hopefully what little knowledge he had would be enough to help the young woman.
"I'm glad you've got options for the club wear." Jacen said with a grin, changing the subject to something a little easier to handle, "Pick something that shows off your figure without being to blatant. I can guarantee you'll get at least some attention so you can practice with your feminine wiles."
RIght then another thought popped into Jacen's mind and he glanced at the door before looking back at Kealey, "Do you want me to give you a lift over to your apartment so you can get changed and everything or would you rather I just pick you up later? I do have to run by my place to change as well so, you can either come with me and see my apartments or you can hang out at your place until I can swing over and get you. What sounds better?"
Why did people always do that? Jacen really needed to quit asking people what their profession was because they always turned the question back around on him. Sure, being a medium was a little crazy sounding but for some reason people always thought that being a cop was even worse. Although, with all the mutants that had been persecuted by the police, it made sense that they would look down on the profession.
"A medium would be a neat job." Jacen offered, as he tried to think of a good way to comment about his own job, "Coming up with some sort of story to make people happy and give them closure would be challenging I'm sure. Does he Google search the person's name to find out information?"
It hadn't even entered in Jacen's mind that Tarin might be a mutant with an ability to see dead people. Nope, that was the furthest thing from his mind. He was to busy trying to think about how to describe his own job.
"And me... well... I work in law enforcement. Specialty work though. Very hush hush... top secret. That kind of thing."
He laughed. He couldn't help himself. Even the very idea of his trying to help a woman like Kealey pick out clubwear was hilarious. Sure he knew what he liked women to wear... he knew the looks that would make a woman approachable, provocative, even down right sexy, but that wasn't something he had any interest in doing. No, Jacen King 'Fashion Consultant' was never to be.
"I wasn't asking about your clothes so that I could help you pick them out." Jacen said with a chuckle, "I was asking whether you had clothes to wear if I were to take you to a club tonight. You wanted lessons and I guess that's as good a place as any to start."
Kealey's questions about flirting were slightly more in Jacen's league. On the one hand, flirting was an unconscious action it was true, but at the same time an expert flirt knew how to turn it on and off like a switch. Obviously that was something that this particular blond had yet to master.
"Flirting is something that you do because you're attracted to another person. It doesn't necessarily mean you want to sleep with them, but it does mean you want to learn more about them. You laugh, talk, smile, and give them that extra sparkle that appears in your eye when you're honestly attracted to someone." Luke explained with a grin as he offered Kealey back her flowers, "I thought tonight might give you some practice since you know that I'm nearby and can scare off anybody that seems to be coming on to strong. I don't suggest flirting with everyone at any time. In fact I'd only suggest doing that kind of thing when you know you have a friend nearby that can watch out for you."
"Bars..." Jacen said with a slight nod as Lee began making her way back over toward him, "Makes sense I suppose though, maybe I should skip on meeting you two for drinks. I wouldn't want to be the cause of you falling asleep in your beer." The last of the comment was said in a teasing voice with an obvious but tired twinkle in the man's eyes. Sure, Jacen had trained his body to be athletic ever since being a teenager but his training regimen was not as intense as it had been while he was in the military.
"Note to self... bump up workouts." Jacen though to himself as he did his best to ignore the slight quiver in his leg muscles and the rapid beating in his chest. He refused to show any weakness even if his body was telling him that it needed a few moments to just slump and relax.
"So, if you don't mind my asking, what do you and Tarin do? Oh no... let me guess. You're a personal trainer for the celebrities, right?"
"Think of you as a third grader? Never." Jacen said with a quick grin and a teasing note in his voice, "You're far to well developed to be mistaken for a third grader."
And then, with Kealey's next comment she completely threw him for a loop. She wanted him to pick out the subjects? How in the world was he supposed to know what guys wants young women to know already? Heck, for most men their minds went directly to the gutter and they immediately began to wonder about what sort of baser skills any attractive woman might possess. There was no way that Jacen would even think about teaching Kealey those types of things after what they had just dealt with so...
Suddenly Jacen's wrist was grabbed, interrupting his train of thought, and out of nowhere Kealey was pulling him back around the bookshelves. In all his thinking her had missed her comment about the books and so now his mind was racing. Was Kealey serious? Did she really want physical lessons or something? Was she pulling him to some secluded part of the library to...
"Oh... books. Shoulda known." Jacen thought to himself as Kealey suddenly bent over, picking up the various items that she had apparently dropped earlier.
As the young woman made her way back up the ladder, Jacen accepted the flowers with a good natured smile. "For me? Aaaaah. You shouldn't have!" Winking at the young woman quickly, he leaned back against the ladder and just watched as the blond made her way to the top and then set about shelving the books she had been working one earlier.
"What would a man want a woman Kealey's age to know?" The question continued to bounce around in Jacen's mind as he tried to come up with something. Even if men didn't want her to know about the more sexual side of things they would want her comfortable with a little bit of flirting and maybe even some leading comments. That would be a safe place to start. Maybe a bar or night club where Kealey could practice flirting with some of the more safe looking men while still knowing that Jacen was nearby to keep her safe. Yeah... now that was an idea!
"How are you set for club wear?" Jacen asked with a smile when Kealey finally descended the ladder, "And how do you feel about flirting?"
"With a little bit of experimentation I learned that apparently my power only extended somewhere between eight and ten feet." Jacen explained as he watched Lee slowly beginning to recover, "By stepping away I'm hopefully letting you recover a little bit quicker."
OK, so there were downsides to his ability as well as positives. Sure, certain women might like the idea of being able to step away from their powers for a few moments but other mutants wouldn't like the idea so much and for some others it might even be harmful. The way Lee was acting right now was proof that sometimes the bad came closer to overpowering the good in this particular situation.
At least she seemed to be starting to recover now that she was out of range. She still didn't look to hot... wrong wording. She looked hot but she obviously wasn't recovered even though she was starting to look a little better. "Do you and Tarin mainly hang out at bars or do you go to the occasional night club?" Jacen asked, doing his best to maintain some sort of conversation as she recovered. Whenever she was ready to leave or she wanted him to leave that would be fine but if she wanted to keep talking he'd stick around.
As the familiar sparkle returned to Kealey's eyes, Jacen felt a sense of relief rush over him. He wasn't some jerk that was out to get what he wanted and damn the consquences... sure he liked getting what he wanted but he still cared about the people around him. Thankfully Kealey was the forgiving type that was able to forget past mistakes... or at least temporarily overlook them.
Dropping his hand from Kealey face, Jacen pretended he was taking off invisible gloves and then tossing them to the side. "OK then... kid gloves are off but as for the teaching, I guess that would just depend on what you wanted to learn." He said with a quick grin, "Are you getting off work anytime soon?"
Obviously the question about his teaching her was an intriguing thought. What would she want to learn? How to enjoy the night life of New York? How to handle the kind of emotions there were so prevalent among men? How to kiss better? There were so many possibilities but there was no way he was going to push things without at least having some idea of what Kealey wanted. He had made that sort of stupid mistake once to often already and he didn't particularly want to repeat history.
Jacen didn't particularly have any plans for the rest of the day so if Kealey was free and interested, he would probably offer to hang out. Heck, he could even wander the library for an hour or two while she finished up work. The sci-fi section was probably decent in a library this size as would be the thriller area. Heck, if there was enough time he might even wander past that romance section to see if he could get a glimpse of the woman Kealey had mentioned at their previous meeting. After all, she was supposed to be a hottie, wasn't she?
Jacen jogged forward a few steps as Lee came to a complete halt and then finally turned around and walked back to her. His expression was apologetic as he watched the woman work and strain to try and get her breath back.
"If you want we can drop the wager." He finally offered after a few moments, "It wasn't exactly fair anyway. With my field blocking access to your ability, your body just doesn't know how to react."
Lee had provided him with information about what Tarin drank but that wasn't really important. In fact, as bad as Lee was looking, none of it was particularly important until she started to feel a little more like herself. Suddenly inspiration struck the man and he turned, walking about ten or fifteen feet away before turning back around to watch Lee. Now that she wasn't in his field he knew her mutation should start to kick back in and help her to feel better. As long as she had the sort of energy stored up she had mentioned earlier, she should recover rather quickly.
"So... does Tarin ever come out and jog with you or does he prefer to be worn out with other activities?" Jacen finally asked with a mischevous grin once Lee was able to stand upright again. He might not be trying to get on base with this woman but that didn't mean he had to stop teasing her or making suggestion remarks. After all, mutant or not, he was still a man and she was still an attractive woman.
Lori's speach was aparently doing at least some good as she ranted and raved at the teens. As she spoke, Jacen was blinking rapidly to try and clear away the few dots that continued to try and circle the edge of his vision. He had been spared from msot of the light show because his back was toward it, shielding Lori from most of the heat, but that didn't mean he hadn't been at least a little affected. Under his clothes, his back felt like it was actually beginning to approach that feeling of sunburn.
"I suggest you try working at a salon somewhere." Jacen offered with a slight smirk, "That heat would probably work great for a sauna or a open air tanning room."
Red's jaw dropped as he continued two stare at the two individuals that had apparently been unaffected by his heat ability. For the first time since the Registration Act he could actually feel just a twinge of fear beginning go grow in his mind.
"It's some type of, of, shield or something!" He babbled angrily, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. These two couldn't be mutants, they just couldn't be! What self respecting mutant would allow himself or herself to be strapped together like that?! "Overload the shield and then we get what we want!"
The rest of the gang was all looking toward their leader like he was crazy, especially bouncy boy. In fact, Mr. Rubber Ball was slowly backing away and glancing around as though looking for some means of escape.
"I got her with one of my quills so it proves they can't be mutants!" One of the others spoke of bravely as he joined his boss at the front of th group, "Besides we outnumber 'em... let's charge!"
"Oh... wonderful." Jacen muttered in annoyance as his hands came back up defensively, "You want big and stupid or bigger and stupid?"
Jacen stayed silent as Kealey rambled on. He had brace himself for this. After all, she deserved to chew him out. She deserved every comment she might make about his being a piece of trash that was taking advantage of an innocent young woman. Yep, he deserved everything she wanted to dish ou....
"What?" Jacen thought as he finally began to pay attention to what Kealey was really saying. If he was hearing this right then she really wasn't angry at him but instead she was frustrated with herself. "Does that mean I didn't cross a line?"
"I don't know what you feel or what you go through every time you encounter a new emotion that's all your own." He replied quietly as he walked over and slowly reached a hand up toward her face. He movements were cautious, as though he were trying to touch a skittish deer or bunny rabbit but finally with a gentle touch his finger descended to her cheek while his thumb carefully brushed the tears away from one of her eyes, "But I am a friend that you can talk to. If you need to unload or vent or just chill away from everyone else's emotions you can still call me. I'll do my best not to abuse those privileges again."
Unbidden, Jacen suddenly found his mind comparing the two blonds that had entered his life. There were as different as night and day and yet both of them enjoyed his power because it gave them a break. Lori was this wild, vivacious young woman that was out to enjoy every moment of life. She wanted to be in control of every part of life and that included being in control of her sexuality as much as anything. Kealey was an innocent young woman that looked at the world through a child's eyes. She still saw things with a wonder that few adults could even remember ever having. She was attractive but at the same time there was a virginal innocence about her that made it clear she was different than most women.
The Church of Humanity had small chapels spread all across New York City but they were most well known for the large central location that fed information to all of its smaller satelite churches. At the actual 'Church of Humanity', confessions could be made, blood could be tested, lawyers and activists could be recruited, as well as so many things that actually took place in the shadows. Jacen King had heard of the church, though he had never attended one of their services. Being associated with such a bigoted organization had always seem like the wrong choice but yet somehow he now found himself parked down the block from the very church he had always sworn to avoid.
Leaving his wallet locked security in his truck, Jacen slowly walked toward the large double doors that marked the entrance to the church. A decent sized wad of cash resided in his pocket to pay for whatever fees were necessary but he refused to carry identification into the building. If the blood test came back like he expect it to, he didn't want anyone here to know exactly who he was. Taking a deep breath he pushed through the doors and walked toward the desk that sat inside. At the table a very friendly looking woman smiled at latest arrival, never once giving the impression that she was a person that looked down upon those that her evolved from her species.
"Can I help you, sir?"
"Uh... I... I need to see about having a blood test done." Jacen admitted after a moments hesitation. For a brief second, the woman's expression didn't change and then suddenly it became extremely serious. Pointing to a door to her right she began to snap out orders like some sort of drill sergeant.
"Through there. Fill out the paper work on one of the clipboards you'll find inside and then wait. A nurse will come in to get you and then draw enough blood to run the tests. Get a move on."
Walking inside, Jacen could almost feel the beads of sweat as they began to push their way up through his pores, wanting to pop out on the surface just to prove how nervous he was. After taking a seat, Jacen went through the process of filling out the paper as requested. Thankfully they didn't require you to leave any type of name or phone number but they did ask for age, weight, height, eye color, hair color, whether any diseases ran in the family, and whether any mutants ran in the gene pool. Apparently someone was watching him because the moment he filled in the last question, a male nurse clade in dark green scrubs walked into the room.
Jacen froze as soon as he heard Kealey's voice. He had been searching for her but with no luck. Honestly, who would have ever thought that the religious book section was so big?! But now, instead of his finding her, she had found him and it didn't sound like she was very happy about it.
Slowly he turned back around, doing his best not to wince when he actually saw the expression on her face. Nope... she wasn't happy. In fact she looked down right ticked with him. Not that he could really blame her. After all, in her mind it probably seemed like he had used his power to get past her defenses and take advantage of her. Had she ever even kissed anyone before? Had she ever let herself be that vulnerable around someone else?
"Sorry, uh... I didn't think you'd take my call even if I did call." Jacen said slowly, watching the blond woman as he tried to think of what to say. All the rehearsed speeches and funny lines he had come with to try and break the tension had completely fled his mind during this moment of need. Instead he was stuck looking at Kealey as he tried to think of something that wouldn't sound completely idiotic.
"These are for you." It sounded lame, even in his ears but his mind still wasn't working right. Taking a step toward Kealey he held out the small bouquet of flowers, doing his best to give her some type of smile other than the sickly grin that kept wanting to appear on his face.
"I..." Jacen began before suddenly finding it necessary to clear his throat. "I think," he began again, "I owe you an apology. I didn't mean to cross any lines or push any boundaries you had set up."
The sound of Lee's voice as she tried to answer his challenge about keeping up cemented it in Jacen's mind. This wasn't a fair race because Lee was obviously struggling without the reserves she normally had access to. A part of Jacen wanted him to quit or to slowly back off the pace until Lee out distanced him but somehow he just knew that she wouldn't appreciate someone just letting her win.
"I'll buy him a couple rounds too." Jacen offered, slowing his pace ever so slightly so that it would be a little easier on Lee though still not a giveaway, "Is he a beer man or does he like a nice scotch or whiskey?"
Talking while running was deffinately over rated. Jacen could feel his lungs begining to burn just a touch as they tried to tell him to concentrated more on his breathing and less on things that wasted oxygen... like talking. If he wanted his body to work like a well oiled machine then he had to make sure it was getting all the fuel and air it needed. Just like a car needed fuel, air, and oil in order to run, his body had certain requirements to perform correctly. No, talking while running was most deffinately a bad decision.
The royal blue Chevy Colorado had been sitting in the same space for at least an hour without anyone actually getting out of the vehicle. Within the confines of the sturdy pickup, an epic battle of the mind was going on. The struggle to overcome embarassment and simply apologize as required was one that many men had faced over the years and while quite a few had failed the test, just as many had passed with flying colors. Throughout the annals of history, men were chearing for the brown haired police officer to make the right decision and apologize like he knew he should. The blond young woman deserved that much respect from him, didn't she?
***
Jacen slowly stepped out of his truck and, after locking it, made his way up the stairs that led to the New York City library's main branch. Dressed a touch nicer than casual in white sneakers, khaki slacks, a dark black undershirt and untucked white button up shirt Jacen didn't look at all odd approaching the library. At least, he wouldn't have looked at all odd if he hadn't been carrying a small bouquet of wild flowers in his right hand.
Stepping inside the doors of the library, Jacen scanned the area until his eyes fell on the signs that indicated the religious book section. It was not an area that he normally would enter but in order to find a certain young woman he had no other choice. Walking slowly into the area, Jacen's exactly continually flicked back and forth around the area, checking each aisle and each ladder to see whether Kealey was anywhere nearby. He had come to apologize but of course, that wouldn't work if she was nowhere to be found.
