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.
Jacen had driven aroudn town rather erratically until he was sure that noone was following them and then made a bee line for the hotel. "We've got to focus on the shredded papers." Jacen said with preamble as soon as he had pulled into a parking space, "We can sit far enough apart in the room that you'll have your power so you don't feel so drained and we focus on finding something. There's got to be an address or some sort of clue somehwere!"
Why the hell hadn't Jacen spent more around some of the spooks that had given the Rangers some of their information? Why hadn't he asked question so that he would be more ready for a situation like this? He had never been one to feel helpless and yet that's exactly what he was feeling like at the moment. As much as he was trying to be positive and encourage Lee that everything would work out the doubts in his own mind was going wild.
"I'll see about getting some sandwiches from the hotel staff and I'll bring them up. Maybe some coffee too."
***
Piecing together shredded paper was like something out of a nightmare. Who in their right mind would have enough patience to do this? Sure if you were locked up in a psycho ward or something like that then maybe this would fit with your idea of fun but right now the only thing motivating Jacen was the sense of urgency that continued to race through his body. For the moment it was like being on a never ending stream of adrenaline. Any time it started to wear off all he had to think about was what might be happening to Lori and Tarin and it would kick back in again. He was going to find something. He HAD to find something.
"DAMN IT!" Jacen suddenly growled in frustration, slamming his fist against the desk before turning away from the scraps of paper and rubbing his eyes. Why had he ever asked Tarin and Lee to come help? Why had he gotten anyone else involved?!
(OOC: Sorry to hold this thing up! My weekend ended up being a little bit crazy! I'll do my best to keep things flowing smoothly from here on. :-D)
IC:
Walking around Pulse, Tarin, and the three guards, Jacen walked over to the door and opened up the passenger door for Lee. The look on Lee's face was obvious and as tempting as it was to try and take down Pulse and his goons right here in the parking lot Jacen knew it wasn't the time. Pulse had one this skirmish but he was far from winning the actual war.
"Get in Lee." Jacen murmured in a low voice, "Trust me... I am NOT going to let anything happen to Tarin. We'll pull this off."
Once Lee was in the car Jacen closed the door and then turned back around to face the other four men. "Don't make me angry Pulse. You don't want to see me angry."
Without another word Jacen turned and strode around the vehicle to climb into the drivers seat. Even as he was starting up the car and putting it into gear, he was doing his best to estimate just how far away Pulse and his cronies really were. Had they already gotten out of his field? They weren't acting any different so maybe they didn't realize the truth quite yet.
With a squeal of tires the car lept away from the curb, racing out of the parking lot and merging with traffic.
"I'm not going to need a hospital." Jacen said as firmly as he could before slowly rising back up to his feet. His head hurt like hell and the pounding in his temples was swiftly spreading through the rest of his body but at least things were no longer spinning or splitting into double or triple images. No, everything might hurt but he could most definitely drive. Heck, he'd probably even be feeling pretty good once he got a few pain killers into his body.
He was just beginning to turn to walk toward the canoe when Kealey's last statement suddenly made his stop. Turning back to her he looked at her with obvious surprise before reaching out to take one of her hands and pull her close. "Kealey, you probably just saved my life by taking out three of those idiots. You don't have a driver's license, heck, that's no worse than at least half the population of New York City. I don't care in the slightest about that. What's important is you and the person you are. Thank you."
***
The canoe ride took at least twice as long as the previous trip had but after a lot of teeth gritting to try and overcome the pain, Jacen and Kealey arrived at the landing. A short hike later and Jacen was stretched out in the seat of his truck, calling for whatever local or state authorities might be nearby.
By the time the authorities arrives, Jacen had already fished out a double dose of Tylenol from his dashboard and swallowed it down with some of the water they'd brought from camp. The pain was beginning to recede but Jacen still knew it would be better not to push himself. Nope, once they made the drive back to NYC, it would be time for a nice long nap. Hopefully while snuggled up with a certain blond.
***
Why in the world did he like driving so far? What had possessed him to drive all the way out to Lake Lila? Surely he could have made a shorter drive and been someplace enjoyable all the same. At least then he would have had to drive all the way home with this throbbing headache!
Finally the truck pulled into the parking space at his apartment and Jacen breathed a sigh of relief. They were back... they were home. "I am going to sleep for a week." Jacen said somewhat tiredly as he and Kealey climbed out and grabbed the few possessions they had managed to bring back with them, "Care for a nap before we try to scrounge up something for dinner?"
***
Drifting off to sleep Jacen found that his opinion of the weekend was definitely up in the air. On the one hand he had enjoyed so much time with Kealey and even convinced her to go skinny dipping. On the other hand they'd been attacked by some escaped convicts and he'd gotten clocked over the head. Thinking back to the moment when Kealey had dropped her towel and then walked into the water, he felt a smile tugging at his lips.
"It was worth it..." Jacen thought as he finally drifted off to sleep, "Definitely worth it."
His head was ringing from the noise of the mutant's yell and once again Jacen found himself grateful for his helmet. If it hadn't been there to muffle the sound at least a little he might have actually suffered some sort of hearing damage. The Aussie was running off at the mouth as well as chucking yet more body parts and suddenly the law man found himself forced into a crouch, huddled behind his shield as two of the four bodies slammed into it with direct hits. While it hadn't been enough to hurt him Jacen could see a slight discoloration in the clear plastic. It was beginning to bend from the weight and force which meant that there was now a weak point.
"Great... just great."
Out of no where a huge bone suddenly slammed into the plastic, breaking off a chunk in the upper left corner. It had taken out at least a 1-2 foot section and had clipped his shoulder but other than that hadn't really done any damage.
Now was not the time to bandy words around with an overly talkative murder and so Jacen lept to his feet and rushed the man. He could tell the instant his field hit the Aussie and a smirk immediately appeared on his face underneath the ski mask. "How do you like those apples?"
Drawing his taser, Jacen pointed the weapon directly at the Aussie's chest and then fired. He was going to shock that man over and over and if that wasn't enough then he'd have to pull out the big guns. Thankfully he was experienced both in hand to hand as well as baton fighting so the pistol would only come out as a last resort. Of course, with a mutant like this, that last resort might be necessary a lot faster than he would have liked.
Jacen couldn't believe he was going along with this but now that the roles had been chosen he had no choice but to simply play along. "Next time I'm gonna demand real agents, not some damn civilians that happen to have a special ability." Jacen muttered in annoyance just loud enough for Lee and Pulse to probably make most of it out. Side stepping Jacen stood next to the doorway and then slowly reached back to place his weapon back in its holster. "You lead the way." Jacen said with a quick nod toward Tarin, "I'll follow behind the lady and our friend. Stay close though. I don't feel like having a heart attack unless it comes naturally."
"I wouldn't count on that." Pulse said with a smirk and a firm jerk on Lee, forcing her toward the doorway, "And remember.. any funny business and I snap her neck!"
As expected, the two muscle bound bouncers that Tarin and Jacen had dealt with minutes earlier were suddenly standing right behind the fake adapted. It was a safe bet that they would probably stay right next to him in order to make sure he didn't attempt to run or make a break for it.
"Let's get something clear." Jacen's hand suddenly snaked out, grabbing Pulse's shoulder and bringing him to a halt. He didn't tighten his grip on any Lee's neck any more, but it was obvious he muscles were tensing just in case he had to do something. "You better start running right now," Jacen hissed, his voice only loud enough for Pulse and Lee to hear, "because if you hurt my partner, next time there won't be a human, mutant, or adapted on earth that'll stop me from killing you."
For a moment the two men stared at each other and then the sneer returned to Pulse's face. "Sweet dreams jack ass. I hope heart conditions don't run in your family."
***
The walk out toward the car was relatively simple. Jacen had chosen to take the back so that he could guarantee his field was on Pulse at all times. Even though this meant Tarin was forced to glance over his shoulder every so often to make sure he wasn't getting to far ahead, it was the best way to make sure that Pulse didn't realize Tarin wasn't really an adapted.
"What the hell do we do now?" Jacen thought as he tried desperately to come up with some sort of plan other than what Tarin was now attempting, "And how in the world do I keep Lee from melting down once we get away?"
If Jacen hadn't had the ability he posessed and known pretty well how it worked, he would have been apsolutely terrified when the Australian suddenly grew larger and much more dangerous. But even knowing his ability didn't stop at least a trinkle of fear to form way down in his stomach... especially when a bloody body was suddenly thrown his way. In one swift move the Australian had escalated his violence from "Aggravated Battery" to "First Degree Murder". There was no way that he could just let the Aussie slip off after pulling a stunt like that.
Slowly lowering his now blood streaked shield, Jacen's eyes were ice cold looking through his helmet. "Running is for cowards and dogs like you." His voice was cold and quiet, barely discernable over the noise but with a deffinately touch of menacing. Without any pause, Jacen suddenly rushed the Aussie, lifting his shield once again to take the brunt of any more body parts while drawing out his taser. The aussie would get once shot from a taser and if that didn't slow him down... well... Jacen was just as capable of killing as anyone. He had proved that in the military as well as down in Florida.
*** (OOC: Kaz, I hope you don't mind my jumping in to manage your NPC SWAT members. Since they're NPCs, of course feel free to GMod them attacking or whatever you might like. If Jacen gets free from GB he'll come over personally but for now, you get the normal police force. :-D )
IC: The four SWAT members turned to face the man that was approaching. He was a scary apprition dressed in battle gears and carrying almost every type of concievable weaponry.
"You mutants can go f*** yourselves for all I care!" One of the men barked back, doing his best to hide the tremor that was creeping into his voice, "I don't give a rats a** what you monsters do to each other. The only reason I'm here is you're brawling on private property and King Pharmaceuticals doesn't want anything damaged!"
While the leader was speaking, one of the men to his right was holding his shield high to try and hide the fact he was unsnapping his side arm.
"So break it up and go fight in an open field or something! If you don't, then we'll be forced to stop you ourselves!"
Jacen's mind was running through every curse word he had learned while in the military and was even creating some new ones as he found himself in what was known as a stand off. When he had first walked in there had been an opportunity for a shot without accidently hitting Lee but now Pulse was partially ducked behind the woman and wasn't even sticking out his head completely. As much as Jacen wanted information he was more than willing to just drill the man right between the eyes if only he'd give him a shot!
Suddenly Tarin was speaking up, claiming that he was the Adapted. The combination of the paper work and now Pulse's statement deffinately had Jacen's mind realing all of a sudden. He wasn't a human, and he wasn't a mutant, so instead he was called an Adapted? Did that mean there were more like him? Pulse sure did seem to think so.
"You've got a trail of spirits following you all over town." Jacen spoke up, scrambling to remember every bit of information that Tarin had provided. Not only did he need to remember Pulse's last victim, but he needed to remember just how Tarin's power worked. "Your last one was a young woman from the local hotel. She actually thought you loved her, until you practically made her heart burst of course."
"Yeah, well you don't go through life without having at least a few skeletons in your closet." Pulse smirked and responded without the slightest hesitation, "You though... pretty boy. I'll make you an offer. You trade places with the lady and we slip out of here. I've got some friends that want to meet you, Mr. Adapted."
"Damn it!" Jacen mentally cursed as he desperately tried to come up with some way to signal Lee to try and jerk away. There was no way that Tarin could pull of a scharade like this. He didn't have any sort of ability that came close to mimicing what Jacen could do! What in the world was he thinking?
(OOC: Jacen will be starting off facing GB but if anyone else is interesting to playing with an Adapted, feel free to shoot me a PM or catch me in the C-Box.)
IC: "We've got a mutant riot at King Pharmaceuticals! All available units, picks up your gear and head. S.W.A.T. will have lead on this situatioN! This is priority one! We've gotten reports from the Mayor as well as from the company security forces!"
The calls had come in and the NYPD was rolling out to head for King Pharmaceuticals. Thus far they were not being authorized to use deadly force unless their own lives were threatened and every man was nervous. Normal riot gear was not designed for battling mutants but that was what they were being equipped with. Every man was wearing riot armor, helmets, and carrying a riot shield. Some carried batons, others carried sub-machine guns with plastic bullets, or even tasers. Ever man was armed with his standard side-arm, but they all wore special holsters with an extra positive locking mechanism to make sure none of the rioters snatched away their weapons. An armored vehicle with a mounted water cannon was on its way but it would be at least another ten minutes before that particular item arrived.
"Grayson, you've got Squad 1! King, Squad 2! Merskowitz, you're leading Squad 3! Break this thing up as quickly as you can and make sure that no bystanders get drawn into this mutant brawl. Assist the security forces whenever possible. Arrest any that resist dispersing and we'll take them downtown. We've got a paddywagon on the way to haul them back to the precinct. Clear?"
***
With a cry of sirens the S.W.A.T. van and several other vehicles pulled up to the Pharmaceutical company entrance. The brawlers were obvious and every man ont he force felt a twinge of fear as they watched mutant power after mutant power being put on display. Only one man felt relatively fearless and he had a secret that few yet knew about.
"Stay together! Don't let anyone separate you from the team!" Jacen King orderer as he and the eight men on his team disembarked from the van and began to circle around the rioters. "We'll get between them and the building and then start pushing them toward the rest of the squad!" Underneath the helmets every man wore the standard issue ski mask that disguised their identity and helped to prevent the threat of any sort of retaliation. Even though this was a standard riot situation, it involved mutants, and that made it anything but normal.
As the men jogged around, praying that the fight would distract the rioters from their presence, Jacen's eyes suddenly fastened on one large individual that was now standing close to the building. "Team, stay together! Get between the rioters and the building and hold your ground! I'll deal with the lone wolf over there!"
A few moments later Jacen was approaching the man that had instigated so much trouble several months before. He didn't remember his name right off the top of his head but he didn't particularly care either. "Step away from the building and return to your residence!" Jacen barked as he closed in with riot shield held high and one hand resting on his taser, "Don't start any trouble!"
Kealey's concern felt nice. Not only had she been willing to fight back when she saw the convicts, revealing an iron will that Jacen hadn't known she posessed, but she was also showing that the reason she fought back was because of Jacen. "I'll do my best to keep from scaring you any more." Jacen said with a slight smile.
He hadn't been expecting Kealey to intercept him before he could even get inside of the tent. In fact, he hadn't really been expecting her to intercept him at all. "Did I mention that you're stubborn?" Jacen asked with a wry smile as he accepted the ice pack from Kealey and walked back over to sit down on the log once again. He was deffinately starting to recover hsi equilibrium but the idea of having to paddle back to the parking area was not at all appealing. They had made it in short time on the way over because he'd been well rested and uninjured. Trying to paddle back while sporting a large bump on the noggin was not going to be fun.
"Do you have a drivers license Kealey?" Jacen called out as he suddenly remember what would come after their paddling. He wasn't really sure he was up for a drive but they had never discussed whether she even know how to drive. "I've got a radio in my truck... I can always call for help." The S.W.A.T. officer mused to himself as he tipped his head forward to stare at the ground and press the ice a little more firmly against the back of his head and neck. "Though, they'd probably insist I rid in an ambulance. No way can I leave my truck out here."
(OOC: Permission was given in the C-Box for Tarin to post out of order.)
IC: As soon as Pulse's voice came over the ear piece Jacen knew that he was the same man that had spoken on Lori's recording. There was no mistaking the slight menace that remained veiled behind his sensual and sexual over tones. He was the ultimate bad boy which explained why so many girls loved him. He was the perfect outlet for their acts of rebellion and he could make their hearts race. What more could they ever ask for?
"Damn it Lee, don't go out of sight!" Jacen swore under his breath as the woman stood and went along with the other man. He wasn't experienced in whether this was the way things were supposed to go on an infiltration mission like this but he didn't like having to rely on only sound for an indicator on whether Lee was in trouble. Sure she was a tough girl that could take care of herself but that didn't means he had to make a bad situation worse!
While Jacen continued listening he was surepticiously making his way through the crowd to get a little closer to the bouncers. Two of the large, burly men had planted themselves in front of the hall way that obviously led back to the dressing rooms and they were glaring at anyone, male or female, that moved forward like they were going to try to slip past. From Jacen's experience, bouncers were normally extremely tough and experienced when it came to street fighting, but few of them had formal combat training. That was something he would deffinately use to his advantage if it became necessary.
The sound of what had to be kissing was coming over the receiver and Jacen glanced over at Tarin, feeling bad for the guy. Once again he was glad that he hadn't asked Kealey to come and do this sort of thing but he couldn't imagine what Tarin must be feeling. These were the sounds of his wife in another room with another man. Could anything be more awful?
"This! What the hell is this?"
Suddenly Lee's cry of pain and Pulse's angry cursing came over the ear piece and with almost no delay Tarin was on his feet and moving toward the bouncers. Swiveling his head Jacen could almost see the slight glimmer of pleasure as one of the men registered the fact that they might actually get to beat someone down. Without even thinking Jacen broke into a run, shoving his way through the crowd so that he arrived right at the same time as Tarin. Two strong punches cleared the path for Tarin and a swift spin kick sent the second bouncer to the ground as well. Picking up the pace, Jacen reached back and withdrew his pistol, arriving at the door just as Tarin reared back and kicked in the door.
"Listen to the man Pulse." Jacen spit out as he stepped in right next to Tarin with his right arm raised and pointed the weapon directly between the murderer's eyes and his left hand braced under it, "Let the lady go."
Shamrocks and front row. Jacen had forgotten about that conversation. It probably had something to do with all that had happened since that rather care free time at the western bar. He'd hurt Kealey, then apologized, they'd escaped a murderer, become lovers, and now they were a couple. "Remind me to go get you a shamrock outfit for us to enjoy at the apartment." Jacen muttered as Kealey pressed the ice pack up agaisnt the back of his head, "I see no reason to wait."
Situations like this always seemed to help put things in perspective. When life was so uncertain, even on what was supposed to be a safe camping trip, why would you try to put things off? It was far better to enjoy life and enjoy experiences while you still had the time.
"They'll all survive Kealey." Jacen reassured the young woman as he looked at her out of the corner of his eye. Even bruised and dirty she was still beautiful. Those men surviving was more than they deserved. Just the fact that they had dared to interupt Jacen and Kealey's weekend was more than enough reason for them to earn whatever pain and discomfort Kealey had submitted them to.
Suddenly, with no thought for the pain, Jacen lifted a hand and gently gripped Kealey neck, putting just enough pressure on her to pull her down and plant a heated kiss on her lips. "You did what you had to do Kealey and I'm very proud of you."
But now it was time to decide what to do. There was no way Jacen wanted to take the time to break down the whole camp site but he didn't want to just leave everything behind either. "Let's pack up our clothes and leave everything else. We can pick up the camping stuff from the state troopers after they've takne care of their escaped felons."
Of course that meant getting up and releasing the pressure of the ice which Jacen was loathe to do but it was still necessary. Gritting his teeth Jacen climbed back up against, a little more steady than before, and headed for the tent. He'd get his clothes, Kealey's clothes, and his knife. EVerything else the state troopers could deal with.
"Irish... why don't you wear more green?" Jacen asked out of the blue as he focused on Kealey. It was a question that really had nothing to do with the situation they had found themselves in and yet it seemed of the utmost importance at the moment. Maybe he was still a little loopy or maybe he'd just realized that all Irish people were supposed to wear green, whatever the reason, Jacen wanted to know.
Moments later Kealey was placing a gun in his hand before rushing off to gather the supplies he'd asked for. Lifting the weapon, Jacen stared at it for a few moments before moving his gaze over to where the closest unconscious man lay sprawled in the dirt. "You look like I feel." Jacen muttered before placing a hand on the ground and slowly levering himself up to his feet.
"Aww crap." Jacen muttered once he was up and swaying ever so slightly. Why was it that standing always made a person feel light headed? Or did this just happen to people with concussions? He couldn't remember exactly.
From out of nowhere Kealey was suddenly at his side with knife and cord in hand. Why had he asked her to go get them again? Looking back over at the man in the orange jumpsuit Jacen suddenly remember. Oh right... convicts.
"Cut off lengths of rope about two to three long." Jacen said after a moment before slowly reaching back to slip the gun into the rear waist band of his pants. The feeling of the weapon pressing into the small of his back was actuall somewhat comforting and he found it much easier to focus. Gritting his teeth against the waves of dizziness that tried to overtake him, Jacen slowly made his way over to the first man and then crouched down beside him. "I need three pieces of the rope."
Securing the four men was a much longer process than it would have been if Jacen hadn't been doing his best not to fall down each time he stood up but eventually they finished it. Left in their wake were the four convicts with each one having their hands tied behind their backs, their feet tied together, and then their legs bent back so that the cords on their hands and feet were then tied to each other.
"Kealey... is there any ice left in that cooler?" Jacen asked as they made it back into the main camp and he slumped down onto one of their log seats, "My head is pounding."
IC: The instrumental music that was coming over the speakers leading up to the bands arrival was sending a steady beat coursing through Jacen's body. He could feel the bass subwoofers that probably helped Pulse with his ability. With music like that, noone would even think twice about it if their heart was going slightly faster or slightly slower.
"Hey there sugah." A woman with a southern accent drawled from behind Jacen. Turning he regarded the red head with a raised eyebrow and a slight smile. Why the hell did single men and women always target other singles? Maybe he wanted to be alone for crying out loud! "You looked a little lonely over here. Care for some company?"
"Maybe another time... I'm actually waiting for someone. Rain check?" Jacen asked with a grin. Not bothering to wait for an answer he turned and walked away, making his way over to the crowded bar in order to place his own drink order. If he had thought to look back he would have seen the woman's expression flash through just a trace of anger as well as just a trace of suspicion. Once he was far enough away she snapped her fingers, creating a small flame in her hand before quickly snuffing it out.
"I'll take beer. Whatever's on tap." Jacen ordered as soon as the bartender turned his attention to the new customer, "Thanks."
A few moments later, drink in hand, Jacen wandered along the length of the bar. He was being very careful to make sure that he stayed well clear of all three known mutants in the bar, but he still wanted to be where he could act quickly. So far Lee hadn't said much, except to order her drink and comment about how Tarin was suddenly being flocked by women. Lifting his glass, Jacen hid a smile at the comment while simply taking a sip of the beverage.
The set seemed to take forever to be over but finally the last strains of the guitar were echoing through the building while screaming girls surged toward the stage trying to get the attention of the band members. Pulse played it up, taking phone numbers and kissing hands but soon enough he slipped away from the crowd and off the stage.
"Show time." Jacen muttered as he watched the murderer make a bee line for the ever so attractive Lee, "Stay cool Lee... stay cool."
"Don't touch... right." Jacen muttered, his hand going limp as soon as Kealey grabbed it. Even though his head was throbbing like hell, Jacen had to admit it felt pretty good to be laying with his head in Kealey's lap. Why hadn't he tried this before? What would it feel like if she were running her hands through his hair? She'd sure seemed to enjoy that sort of thing back at the pool but would he like it too?
"Two... three... no two." Jacen's eyes blinked rapidly, trying to clear away any fuzziness before he finally settled on just one very firm answer. "Two. Your holding two fingers."
It had been a long time since Jacen had experienced a concussion but he was willing to bet that was exactly what he had at the moment. The throbbing head ache and slightly blurred vision was classic signs. Since his vision was clearing that meant it probably wasn't to bad but it was still more than likely a concussion. "You're stubborn." Jacen said bluntly, a slight smile touching his face as he looked up at Kealey. Even though he wasn't thinking completely clearly he had to admit he was impressed. Somehow she had managed to take out three of the convicts without any help from him. "I like that."
Who knew that something as easy as sitting up could turn into a major ordeal? And why was it that even after you'd already experienced a concussion, you could still be surprised by just how much it hurt and how much it affected your body?
"Other than a damaged sense of pride and a head ache I'm fine." Jacen gritted as he slowly sat up, trying to ignore the fact that things were swimming at the edge of his vision. Now that he was sitting it was time to try standing but Jacen wasn't sure he was ready for that just yet.
"Kealey, there's a knife in my pack in the tent." Jacen said quietly, his eyes closing as he fought off a sudden wave of nausea. This was deffinately not what he had been planning for the weekend. They hadn't even had a chance to enjoy s'mores together or go swimming in the moonlight. He hadn't gotten a chance to prove yet again just how beautiful he really though Kealey was. Damn those convicts! "Would you get it for me, along with the line I use for hanging stuff from the trees? It should be right next to the tent."
