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.
I nominate Lori for MOTM. Her posts are well written and the whole character of Lori is just fun to read about. I first read about her in the wonderful story Desperate Times and had my first opportunity to RP with her back in Nets, Balls, Rackets, & Adapteds. Even her solo posts, like Flawless are a captivating read. I think it's high time this character was honored as MOTM.
A chick magnet? Jacen had never really thought about his ability in that perspective but basically Tarin was right. First he had met Lori at the tennis tournament followed by Kealey at the coffee shop and then Lee while out on a jog. With his physique and mannerisms Jacen had never really had difficulty picking up women in the past but since his ability had shown up he had deffinately attracted women that were much more interesting than the type he had gone out with before.
"Of course... if they all knew that I wasn't a mutant most of them probably would have headed for the hills." The police officer thought as he lifted his beer to take another swig, "It's still amazing that Kealey decided to stick around."
"Maybe just 'mutant magnet' is a better term." Jacen said wryly as he remembered some of the others that had dropped into his lap or into his truck depending on the situation. There had been that first day with three butts plastered on his windshield, there'd been the skittish woman that fell into the bed of his truck, and even that woman that tried to kill him in the park. "Anyone with an active power gets a little edgy when I'm around."
Falling silent, Jacen focused on listening and sipping at his beer while Kealey explained about her abilities. There had been enough talk about his own so it was now her turn to be under the microscope.
"All of this," Jacen said with a grin as he put extra emphasis on the one word while closing the door behind Kealey, "is for you. Our first official date."
Walking over, he planted a gentle kiss on Kealey's lips and then walked over to get the flowers and present them to the young woman. "If you want, we can see about putting away your bags and then I'll pull out what smells so good and we can eat."
Without waiting to give Kealey time to reply, Jacen picked up several of the bags and then walked through the hallway and into the guest room where she was currently staying. Quickly depositing the bags on the bed he gave Kealey a quick grin and then left the room without a word. It was up to her whether she followed or decided to stay behind to put away her things or whatever she wanted to do.
With a quiet pop the non-alcoholic champagne uncorked and Jacen half filled both champagne flutes. Grabbing a couple of glasses Jacen filled them with ice water and placed them beside the plates just in case either of the diners wanted something besides the champagne. After moving Kealey's gift box from her plate onto her chair, Jacen used a pair of oven mitts to pull out two medium sized plates from the oven. Sitting the warm plates and food on the larger plates that were already laid out, a beautiful presentation was suddenly created. A basket of garlic bread was laid between the plates and then Jacen walked back around the counter. Apparently Kealey had decided to put away her purchases or something like that so he took up a place standing by her chair and patiently waited for the beautiful blond's arrival. As a true gentleman he would of course pull out her chair for her and allow her to sit down and then their date could really begin.
For a moment Jacen was planning on arguing with Kealey about going shopping with her but then a though occurred to him, Concentrating on finishing the last of his burger and onion rings, he didn't respond until he'd finished eating.
"Well, how about you go get your shopping done and then just meet me back at my apartment? I'll see what can be scrounged up for some sort of dinner and we'll spend the evening just relaxing." He said with a smile as he picked up his glass of water and drained the last of it. Already his mind was full of plans about how to make Kealey's arrival something special. Their first date it might be said. "Maybe watch a movie or something."
***
Several hours later Jacen was at the apartment looking at the time. He had figured that it would take Kealey a couple of hours to do her shopping even if she was just going for the essentials, and that had given him all the time he needed. The bar top at the kitchen with its two wooden high top chairs was set for a nice dinner. Actual white plates, not paper plates, were set out along with silverware. A bottle of non-alcoholic champagne was chilling in ice on the counter and two champagne flutes were set by each plate. A bouquet of six brilliant purple tulips was laid across one of the chairs and a medium box wrapped in tissue paper was sitting on the plate in front of the chair where the tulips lay. Contained within the tissue paper was a special gift that Jacen had picked up for a certain young woman.
Along with getting the house set up for dinner, Jacen had picked up some Italian food from a little restaurant around the corner and all of it was currently resting in the oven to keep warm. He had changed his clothes and now wore black dress shoes, socks, slacks, and a coral tropical shirt.
Without realizing it, he was pacing back and forth to make sure that everything was perfect. Open the oven to make sure the food wasn't burning, a patrol through the living room to make sure that everything was neat a tidy, a walk through the bedrooms to make sure no embarrassing undergarments or dirty clothes were left lieing about. He had done the same check at least four times already but for some reason Jacen just couldn't stand still. Any moment Kealey would be arriving and he wanted everything to be perfect.
Apparently women had some sort of internal sensor that alerted them when interesting conversation was taking place because as soon as Jacen spoke and put them into what he now realized was an awkward situation, the women suddenly quieted and turned their attention on the two men. How in the world did they DO that? It was question that would quite obviously confound scientists for years to come so he saw no reason to particularly worry about it right at that moment. If they wanted to listen then fine... maybe they'd learn there were things far more interesting than girl talk.
"We met in a coffee shop though it wasn't the most normal of meetings." Jacen replied with a slight chuckle as he lifted his own beer to take another sip. The cold but slightly sour tasting beverage slid down his throat, setting him up to tell the story. "I was sitting there, just enjoying a book and some food when suddenly Kealey sat down at my table and demanded to know what I was doing. I wasn't in the best of moods anyway and her forwardness didn't do anything to improve it. I sat there, reading and sipping my drink while pointedly annoying her for quite a while but eventually I felt silly and we started talking."
Deciding that was a good place to leave the story, Jacen took another sip of his beer. "I should have told your wife I was bringing someone but after I got off the phone I realized we'd all probably be more comfortable if I wasn't alone. Plus it gave me an excuse to spend more time with Kealey."
It had actually been perfect timing. Jacen had been trying to think of what to do for his next date with Kealey and then this invitation had just fallen right into his lap. Not only did he get that date, but he got to visit with Lee & Tarin while making it quite clear he wasn't out to steal Tarin's wife away from him.
Kealey's request for a rain check about her dream date was something of a surprise but Jacen still smiled and nodded in acceptance. Sometimes Kealey seemed so well adjusted that he forgot about the fact she'd grown up in a convent and thus had missed out on a lot of the things that he took for granted. Sure he hadn't had many dates in highschool but he had gone on a few and then his fellow soldiers in the army made sure that he had plenty of experiences in the military. It seemed like there was always some seasoned military man that was there to teach the greenhorns just how much women loved a man in uniform.
"I guess I'll just have to come up with some idea all on my own." Jacen said with a smile as the waitress walked up and placed their plates of food down in front of them. Picking up one of the onion rings, he popped the whole thing in his mouth and chewed appreciatively while he watched Kealey's expression. The pure unadulterated pleasure was something he knew he'd never get tired of seeing.
"I see it's as good as you remember." Jacen said with a smile before grabbing his water and taking a swallow. For the next few minutes, conversation was pretty much nonexistent as the two of them focused on the very tasty food they'd been given. The taste of the savory and ever so slightly greasy meat combining with the silky texture of the cheese and the crunch of the lettuce and toasted bun and then the slightly sweet flavor of the tomato was just pure heaven. It was everything that a true American burger was supposed to be.
"So how much shopping do we need to get done today?" Jacen asked after his burger was over two-thirds done and his onion rings were over half gone, "What clothes do you need to have right away from work and maybe going out and stuff?"
"High-school is a mind altering substance." Jacen said with a grin as he watched Kealey's reaction, "Ask anyone that has previously attended or currently attends one and you'll find out they all say the same thing." It made sense that she would not want to experience that sorts of emotions since she was now an adult and no longer a teenager but at the same time it was a little sad that she'd never had the opportunity to. High-school was a place to grow up and discover yourself. Sometimes you didn't like what you found but if you were willing to work, you could also give yourself a goal to strive for. Even though Jacen had been more of a social reject in high-school than anything, he had found a goal to strive for. He could still remember the army recruiter that had come and talked in front of the class. He had made the military seem overly appealing but even after some research showed Jacen what the military was really like he had known what his course should be.
Lifting his own water glass, Jacen had to fight back a laugh that threatened to have him spraying water back into the glass moments after taking a sip. Kealey was definitely starting to show her spunk now that she could focus on her own emotions and he liked that. "Right, right. Sorry. Mis-spoke there." Jacen said with a wide grin as he set his glass back down, "Correction... if I'm lucky then maybe I can show you one of those spots."
That was something Jacen had never done with any other woman. He'd never offered to take anyone else camping which meant that he'd never had anything happen in a tent out in the wilderness. It was an interesting though but he shoved it aside for the moment. Fantasizing about Kealey in that sort of situation was not the wisest course of action right then.
"Kidding aside for the moment, what is your idea of the perfect date? Where have you imagined going and what have you dreamed about doing?" Jacen asked, a small smile on his lips even though he was definitely being more serious now. If he was going to date Kealey then he wanted to make sure that he made her dreams come true. Whatever they might be.
Kealey and Lee were suddenly chatting together like they'd been friends for years which meant that Jacen and Tarin were now forced to carry on some sort of conversation. What the heck did the two of them have in common other than an attraction for Lee? Tarin was more on the preppy side and he could see dead people. Jacen was the athletic one that could cancel out mutant's abilities. But then Tarin opened up the conversation that all men could relate to. Comments and complaints about women. Perfect.
"You notice how it's always about shopping, clothes, or their hair?" Jacen replied with a chuckle while he glanced back over at the two women, "I think that this must be what they actually teach in the cooking classes when no men are around. If guys are there they teach cooking but when just girls are around they teach them how to relate to one another."
Nodding to himself, obviously satisfied in his opinion, Jacen once again lifted his bottle of beer and took a sip before looking back over at Tarin. "So how did you and Lee meet? Hopefully you gave her a better first impression than I did. And in case it isn't obviously, I'm sorry about hitting on your wife. It was dark and I apparently missed seeing the ring."
That had been an extremely awkward situation. Jacen had just been flirting with her, thinking she was just dating someone. There were certain lines you just didn't cross and hitting on a married woman was definitely one of them.
"Ah the wonders of school politics. The tantalizing combination of excitement, angst, joy, hate, and lust." Jacen said with a chuckle as he pulled open the door and let Kealey lead the way into the restaurant. "It's quite a heady combination. You should see about visiting a high school some time just to try it." His tone was teasing, all at once acknowledging Kealey's mutant ability while still trying to keep the conversation light. Actually if she did ever decide to go hang out at the high school, or college, Jacen wanted to be nearby to see what happened. It would be interesting to be sure.
"It's really quiet out in the wilderness." Jacen said with a smile as he took a seat across the table from Kealey. "I'll just take water too." He spoke up after Kealey had ordered her beverage, "And actually I'm ready to order. I'll take a Bistro Burger with Onion Rings instead of fries."
Once Kealey had also placed her own order, Jacen once again focused his attention on the young woman. "I'll have to take you out camping sometime. I bet you'd like it. Away from the city lights you can see thousands of stars. We can hike a little, cook food over an open fire, and if you're lucky," He continued with a teasing tone entering his voice along with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, "Maybe I'll even show you one of the pools I occasionally skinny dip in."
Of course, there would be no need to remind Kealey that she had already seen all of Jacen. That meant that skinny dipping wouldn't be a shock to her eyes but instead would just be a pleasure for Jacen's. It was doubtful that she'd go along with it but if he could keep the idea in her mind then once they were off alone in the woods, well, without civilization to hold you back a lot of things were suddenly allowable.
"Burger place it is." Jacen said with a smile as he made a right turn at the first light and began to head for the appropriate location. The day he had met Kealey at the Corner Bistro had been the very first time she called him for any sort of help. She had needed to get a break from the emotions around her and she had been willing to turn to him for that break. Of course that day had also led up to their first kiss, with somewhat disastrous results, but for the most part it had been a good day.
As they drove, Kealey began to relate more stories about her family and her history. They were just little tidbits that for many people would seem unimportant but having lost his own family Jacen knew that those memories were more important than most anything else.
"I was an only child." Jacen replied with a slight smile as came to a stop at a red light, "And even though my parents spoiled me in some ways, like by keeping my favorite treats around the house, they also pushed me to keep my grades up and be active in the school. You should have seen me when I was fifteen. I was this overly thing, gawky kid that happened to have a gift for swimming. I was strong but my muscles hadn't filled in yet so I looked like a bean pole compared to the other slightly more muscular guys. I was classified as a geek for being good at school and a weirdo for being on the swim team. All the girls wanted to date guys on the football, baseball, or basketball squads. Not the swim team."
Pulling away from the stop light, Jacen made a left turn and began to travel the last few blocks that separated them from one of the best burgers in New York City. "Even back then I liked camping and being out in nature. I don't know how many nights I spent in a tent in our backyard or how many weekends I begged Mom and Dad to take me a few hours to the nearest wilderness camp ground."
There was a comfortable silence for a few moments as Jacen drove the last few minutes and then parked just down the street from their chosen destination. "So, what do you think my chances are for convincing you to go camping with me sometime?" Jacen asked with a grin as he walked around the truck to join Kealey on the sidewalk and then head over to the Bistro's front entrance, "Any interest at all?"
Jacen watched as Kealey seemed to freeze as soon as his request was voiced. He had expected that she might not be the most ecstatic about his suggestion but it had never entered his mind that she might be speechless. It had been a bad idea even to say anything. Glancing away from Kealey, Jacen focused on the hood of his truck and the small car that was parked in front of them. Great, now he was responsible for the awkwardness of their not wanting to look in each others eyes.
"If you don't want," Jacen began before Kealey began to speak. Turning back to face her and meet her eyes he was surprised to see the smile on her face and even more surprised to hear her accepting his request. For a minute it was his turn to be speechless before slowly his own smile formed to return the one Kealey was already giving him.
"Thanks." He said while resisting the urge to lean over and give the young woman a kiss. Sure they had enjoyed a make out session on his couch the night before but that didn't mean he had special relationship privileges. Turning back around Jacen put the truck in gear and then pulled out of the parking space. He didn't even really know what to say now that the monumental decision had been made so instead he decided to go back to a safe topic. Food.
"If you're paying for lunch then you get to pick the place." Jacen said firmly even while his lips continued to curve up into a smile, "So where are we going? I have to admit that it's a little past my normal lunch time and I'm getting hungry."
Jacen had to chuckle slightly as Tarin walked away while commenting about the jagerbombs. He and Kealey had moved to the dating stage of their relationship and there was no way he wanted her to make a rash, alcohol induced decision. She was slightly more proper and demure so making out on the bartop was probably not the great choice for her. Maybe back at his apartment...
"Just a beer for me." Jacen ordered, giving the bartender a quick smile, "And of course whatever the lady's having."
Turning his attention back over to the other two, Jacen watched them walk over to one of the high tops while he and Kealey waited for their drinks. Lee looked attractive in her dress though that really wasn't a surprise. Anyone that could make jogging clothes look good to make pretty much anything look good. Her husband Tarin was wearing an outfit that even Jacen would have felt comfortable wearing. In fact, he'd even contemplated purchasing a shirt very similar to the one that he was currently wearing. "Did I though?" Jacen wondered, trying to remember if he one his wardrobe. He always bought his clothes rather impulsively and then stuck them in his closet. He never planned his outfit but instead looked through the clothes just before leaving and grabbed what he thought looked good. "I forget... no biggie."
"Have I mentioned that you look beautiful tonight?" Jacen asked as he and Kealey finally walked over to the hightop with their drinks in hand, "Maybe I should have skipped the idea of sharing you and taken you out all by myself." The teal of Kealey dress just accented the paleness of her skin and the light blond of her hair. Her blue eyes seemed to sparkle even more brilliantly than normal and each time Jacen looked at her he found himself captivated all over again. Tearing himself away from the distraction, Jacen turned back to watch where he was walking.
After mounting his stool, Jacen took a swig from his bottle and then turned his attention over to Tarin. "Actually the city's been pretty quiet over the past few days. We're starting training exercises day after tomorrow but unless something happens we'll spend the rest of our time cleaning equipment and making sure everything's ready for when something does happen."
Taking another sip from his beer, Jacen tried desperately to remember what sort of shop it was that Tarin and Lee ran. She had mentioned it back on their jog but so much had happened since then. What was it... psychic or palm reader or some thing like that?
"How about you? How's business are your shop?" Jacen asked, deciding to simply take the easy way out. He couldn't remember exactly what Lee had said and he didn't want to insult Tarin by mentioning a different career than what he actually had.
"I'm afraid I have to confess that I learned that bit of trivia from a woman I dated a while ago." Jacen responded somewhat ruefully as Kealey took the box from his hands. Why in the world he had shared something that a previous girlfriend, no, lover had told him was beyond him but the cat was out of the bag. Of course, Kealey already knew he had dated other people so that shouldn't phase her. Should it?
Jacen could feel his grin widening as he watched Kealey's face light up all over again as she opened up the shoebox. Smileing... why in the world was he smiling so much when he was in the middle of so much destruction? It was a good question but at the same time it was a dumb question. He had made Kealey smile again, even after all she'd been through. Of course he was smiling too. It was then that she made her offer. For a short time, Jacen's smile was frozen in place as he stared at her and then as she turned to look around the rest of the area it really hit him what she's just said.
"Can I see you the way you saw me?" The thought sprang unbidden to Jacen's mind though he did manage to keep it from moving just as quickly out his mouth. Kealey wasn't just a tool or piece of art for him to look at, use, and then toss aside. She was something special and she deserved his respect. "Maybe I should just stumble in on her showering. That'd make us even."
"Uh, yeah. Lunch would be great. But are you sure I can't pay for it? I know you're going to have plenty of expenses replacing your wardrobe." Jacen responded, desparately trying to get his mind back on track as he guided Kealey toward the door. Suddenly it hit him exactly what he could ask Kealey for. For a few minutes he mulled it over, trying to decide if it really was the right question. Finally he decided it was.
"Actually there is one thing you can do for me." Jacen said after the two of them had climbed back into his pickup and he had started the engine. Leaving the vehicle in park, he swiveled in his seat to face Kealey. "Can you forgive my stupidity for stopping things between us and maybe give me a second chance to date you and just see what happens?"
If Jacen could have gotten a picture of Kealey's face the moment he showed her the picture he would have saved it for the rest of his life. He couldn't think of any time when joy had been better personified than in Kealey at that moment. Sadly, a moment was all it would last for as she threw herself into his arms for a tight hug and then drew away to just take in the picture that she now clasped in her hand.
"You can thank... whatever those were." Jacen said as he waved toward the hunks of material that had shielded the picture from the worst of it, "They protected your picture from being destroyed."
After pulling off his gloves Jacen moved a little closer to Kealey and then slipped his arm around her shoulder to give her a quick squeeze of his own. "I'm glad you found it Kealey. I know it meant a lot to you."
After releasing her, Jacen dug into his pack and pulled out a couple of plastic bags for Kealey to put her salvaged items in. "Yeah, I wasn't here for the shoes but on the positive side, I heard shopping for shoes is almost more fun than wearing them."
Where had he heard that from? It took a moment of thought but then he remember the raven haired secretary over in the finance department. She wasn't actually a police officer but instead was a civilian sub-contractor but at the time Jacen could have cared less. She looked really good in her professional knee length skirt and white dress skirt and had looked even better in the red number she'd worn on their date. Who would thought a secretary could be that wild?
Pushing the memory away Jacen returned to the present. No woman from his past could measure up to the woman that now stood beside him and even though there were pleasant memories from may of his encounters they weren't worth his time. "I can take a look in there just to see if any of the shoes survived." Jacen offered, slowly making his way over to the closet as soon as the words were out of his mouth. From the moment he stepped inside the space he knew that he'd been right. The floorboards felt extremely weak and Jacen knew he couldn't chance staying in this area very long.
Crouching down gingerly, Jacen's eyes swept over the closet. Most everything was a mess of burnt or wet cardboard along with scorches leather, vinyl, and felt. He was beginning to lose hope that anything could have survived when he saw a pile of boxes all on top of each other. The one second from the bottom seemed to have been saved from the damage and after some ginger moving, he was able to free the single box.
"You might have one here." Jacen said as he slowly backed out of the closet and then turned to hand the unopened box to Kealey, "It doesn't look like anything else even had a chance."
"Yes, S'mores. You've never heard of S'mores?" Jacen asked with raised eyebrow. He would that thought the graham cracker, marshmallow, chocolaty goodness was known world wide but of course he'd never considered that even if it was, it probably wasn't commonly served in a convent. Internally promising himself that he'd take Kealey out of the city and to a park where open fires were allowed so he could show her the wonder of a toasted marshmallow, Jacen fell silent. Now was not the time to think of beautiful, simplistic deserts. Now was not the time to think about fantasy cookouts. Now was the time to face the grim harsh realities of life.
There was obvious charring on all the walls and from the more intense burn pattern up near the next apartment it looked as though someone had spilled some furniture polish or alcohol that had helped accelerate the flame in that section. There wasn't enough for that to be the starting point but it still made the whole area look worse. Inwardly wincing, Jacen stepped into Kealey apartment and just looked at the damage that had been done.
Keeping a careful eye on the floorboards and walls, Jacen slowly made a circle of the room while Kealey began to look for her picture only to run across her purse. Smiling slightly at the happiness that momentarily entered her voice, Jacen kept his eyes focused on the floor ahead of each step as he tested to see exactly where the danger area began. "You might be able to go over to that area but I'd rather you didn't." Jacen said quietly as he eyes the floorboards near the closet and bathroom somewhat doubtfully. They were weakened from the combination of intense heat followed by intense moisture. It was the worst part of the room and he really didn't trust it to hold even Kealey's light weight.
Crouching down by a pile of ash and debris, Jacen pulled a glove out of his pack and then carefully brushes some of the various trash and objects away. For the most part it was just charred remains of furniture or plaster that had fallen in but in the middle was something that looked different. Eyeing it curiously Jacen picked up the object and slowly turned it around in his hand. It looked like it had originally been some sort of plastic or maybe vinyl with bits of glass or something. A decorative piece that had seen better day. Sighing Jacen went to drop it back down but then froze when he saw something in one of the corner. Lifting it he looked more closely and saw what seemed to a slightly burned corner sticking out from the middle of the lump. Without the slightest hesitation Jacen pulled out his pocket knife and began slowly cutting away at the edges until finally the knick knack, or formerly two knick knacks pulled apart. Contained within them was a photo that Jacen immediately knew had to be the one Kealey was looking for. It had a couple of water spots on the photo and two corners had been eaten away by flame and heat but for the most part it was in relatively good condition.
"Kealey." Jacen said as he stood back up and turned toward her while dropping the trash and holding the precious item carefully in his hand, "I think I might have found what you're looking for."
