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.
Zinnia had accompanied Steph to the airport more to make sure she made it onto the plane than for any other reason. Her housemate was terrified of flying, and had cried on the way to the airport. Twice. Zinnia was glad she was now safely on board the flying metal tube, and no longer her problem. She had settled in to people watching for a few minutes, planning to stay until she finished the airport coffee, then head home to study. The airport was always a good place for a sample of all people, locals going, tourists coming, it was a babble of noise and bustle. Visible mutations popped up here and there, along with the occasional wild hairstyle, or tattoos swirling across skin.
A young man came up to her, and broke her people-watching spell. He seemed to be made entirely of paper, and her first reaction was thinking that she has inadvertently stumbled into a performance piece. She glanced around, and not seeing any other members of a supposed flash-mob she realised that this was a mutant, a mutant looking for help from the sounds of things.
“I know where the Mansion is, I’ve been there before, I can help you catch the right bus if you like? I haven’t been to the Sanctuary, but I think I know roughly where it is. For that you’re better off catching the subway.”
Or a taxi, if you could get one who would go to that area of town. Often drivers were nervous about entering the territory roamed by mutant supremacists. Even some of the visible mutation drivers avoided it, due to the risk to their cars. Money was money though, and with enough of it there was bound to be someone who could deliver the paperman there.
“Did you have a preference?”
She glanced behind the man, he didn’t seem to be being pursued right this very instant, but asking for those two places usually meant that this was a mutant in trouble. She skimmed her eyes over him lightly, she was a professional in spotting injuries, but she was used to skin and bones, and not parchment. For a big pile of paper he was difficult to read. She tipped her head, a little concerned.
She couldn’t drive either, so she had no judgements to pass on Jude for not being able to, although that sounded like the beginning of an interesting story. Perhaps another time, when the teen wasn’t already annoyed with her. Rowan seemed quite the handful, and Zinnia could see why Maya wanted to check up on the pair when she hadn’t been able to get Jude on the phone. The youngling was a bundle of energy even when restrained, and having his running free was a tiring thought. The teen was particularly sassy, though, and she felt just a little tempted to take him down a notch. She had to remind herself that this was not her brother, not her responsibility and that he had already punched her in the face, she probably didn’t want to antagonise him.
“Yeah, I’m alright, a bit of a bruise, but I’ll be fine. How’s your hand?”
Because punching straight onto bone, with just a thin padding of eyebrow flesh, couldn’t have been comfortable for him either. She wouldn’t mind meeting a mutant healer, though, a mutation which seemed like it would be in high demand. Not surprising that the mansion had adopted him. Lots of useful people seemed to turn up at the mansion from what she could tell.
Rowan seemed less than satisfied with the not-quite apology, but Zinnia was prepared to let it go. There was no point trying to get blood out of a stone, or an apology out of an unapologetic teenager. She agreed with the bus sentiment. Cabs were alright for short trips here and there, but if they already knew that there would be delays it was signing on for an exorbitant fare.
“My name is Zinnia, and I’m a nurse, but you can call me McStuffins if you like.”
She was vaguely aware of the show he was referring to, but she didn’t know it well. She touched her hair self-consciously. Healthy wasn’t really a word that jumped first to her mind in describing her hair, she had to wrangle it into a ponytail if she didn’t straighten it, and god forbid she leave it alone for a few days. She had fallen for that trap once, and let her hair do its own thing. The tangle had taken hours and a special trip to her Mom’s just to tease it out. It was nice to have someone mention it honestly.
“Thank you, I like your ears.”
It was true, the little flop to them was endearing, and the colour suited him. She took the little, slightly sticky offered hand and walked with the pair to the bus stop. It wasn’t that far really, the mansion must have set up some sort of deal with the bus company to get a special route which hit all the important places, as well as getting out to the mansion as well.
“Did you have a stuffie that needs an operation?”
Her sewing skills were relatively passable. Definitely enough to reattach a limb or eye, or fix some of the other little maladies that happen to well-loved fluffy friends. She couldn’t heal bald patches, or make whole new body parts, but most other things she could take a crack at. The bus stop was covered, which was good, as a light rain was starting to fall. She was glad for her jacket. The traffic crawled past at a steady pace, and she made sure to keep hold of Rowan’s hand. With her other she slid her phone out and sent a quick text to the number she had missed earlier.
>>Found boys in park. Headed back to the Mansion with them now. Hope your meeting goes well. Z.<<
She turned her attention back to her companions.
“So, do you guys live at the Mansion? Or just have school there?”
She hadn’t attended the school as a child, having an invisible mutation made it easy enough to get through school unchallenged, and changing schools would have been more disrupting once her mutation was discovered than leaving her. She was glad that the school existed though, to help visible mutants, or mutants who had an uncontrollable or dangerous powers, to teach them the control they needed to manage their powers, as well as succeed academically.
Oh dear, now the little one was really crying. And being spirited away by the French one. Aww, and thought she was nice. Well, that was one down. Even with the mom-drop the teen seemed suspicious. That was good, it would be a little worrying if he just let it slide that some random stranger was offering his little brother candy in the bushes. Really, she would have punched herself in the same situation.
“I ran a first aid class which Maya attended, knowing is a strong word, but I’ve met her, yes. She knows I work at the hospital just there, and I guess when she couldn’t get hold of you guys I was the closest to the park.”
She picked up the beeper and offered it to the teen. His hands seemed a little preoccupied trying to restrain the squirming form of his brother, who seemed quite enthused at the thought of chocolate, in any form hot or not.
”Ze Mansion”
Even better, she could text Maya that they were safely home. Or, in a safe place at least, did they live at the Mansion? Did that mean they were definitely mutants? Or perhaps the family of mutants were welcome too. She plucked a stray piece of tanbark from her ankle and nodded.
“Mansion’s good by me, I think there’s been some traffic accidents between here and there. Do you prefer the bus? Or to walk?”
She didn’t have a car and couldn’t drive, and even if she did and could, she suspected the teen would decline a lift. Smart kid. Carrying a puppykid the whole way to the mansion seemed exhausting, but if he preferred it to catching a bus which would almost certainly be delayed that was fine too. She left the decision making up to him. She didn’t want to get punched again.
Momya had pretty much sealed the deal, and the exclamation of the older boy tied it up with a pretty ribbon. She had found them. Maya would be so relieved. It was a combination of the turning to greet the teen and the attempting to stand that did it, and her eyebrow met his fist pretty hard. Her butt hit the ground equally hard. Even sensible nurse heels weren’t made for crouching in a garden with any level of balance. She blinked at the teen, the green lolly lost in the mulch, her own red one crunched instantly into a million little sweet shards between her teeth. She swallowed them, ignoring the protests of her throat, and removed the paper stick from her mouth.
“Nice to meet you, Jude.”
What loss of dignity? There was no loss of dignity. She crossed her ankles. That the bed had been recently watered and was soaking plant nutrients into her skirt was not worth acknowledging. Neither were the spiky bits of pine chips clinging to the weave of her stockings. She touched two fingers to her eyebrow and checked them. No blood. That was good.
“Did you know your Mom is looking for you?”
For she could have easily got the teen’s name from the puppykid, and she suspected simply knowing it wouldn’t be enough to get him to forgive her for the garden lollies. If he was still suspicious she could show him the missed call. She didn’t have Maya saved in her caller ID, so the raw number should be recognisable to the teen.
After waiting a few seconds to be sure he wasn’t going to jump and pummel her into the asters she slowly stood and brushed the worst of the bark-bits off. Good lord she needed a coffee. Kids were sweet, and she liked them even when they were squirming in discomfort, or crying when she vaccinated them. She was generally caffeinated though, and there was minimal punching involved. She was pretty sure she wouldn’t get a black eye, perhaps a little bruising, but generally not too obvious against the canvas of her skin. She could concealer that.
“So, with candy out, could I interest you boys in a hot chocolate?”
The green lolly would be left to the ants. She realised her suggestion could still be taken as suspicious if they still didn’t trust her.
“You pick the place if you like.”
If they agreed once they had their hands on hot milky drinks she could text Maya the good news. She wouldn’t call her though, she had said she would be in a meeting.
The little one shushed her, and she peered past the post to get a look at said brother. There was a teen searching in all the nearby hiding spots that might conceal a three-year old, and at a guess she would say that was him. There was no way to tell from here if he was French. He wasn’t wearing a striped shirt, nor a beret. She would have to wait and see. His search seemed somewhat erratic, but it was only a matter of time before he zig-zagged himself to their spot. Or started crying, in which case she would step in. For a teenager to cry in public they were really scared. Or hurting, a lot. It was amazing how much pain a teenager would fob off in an effort to keep looking ‘cool’. It made for a tricky job trying to rate them on the pain scale, but she was practised now, and could recognise the gritted teeth of a liar.
She looked (and didn’t touch) the secret phone. It looked remarkably like the beepers all the nurses wore at the hospital, except much nicer. She made appropriate ‘oooh-ing’ sounds as he displayed his prize. Did teenagers usually have beepers? As far as she knew neither of her brothers has one, but they both had off-brand phones. It sort of looked X-manish, like the emblem all the news articles relating to the x-men often had scrolling in the info bar. She knew that the X-men were based in the mansion, and that Ghost was based in the mansion too. It was becoming more and more plausible that she had indeed stumbled across the exact pair she was looking for with a stroke of blind luck.
“That’s a pretty cool secret phone. What’s your mommy’s name?”
Hopefully he would know. ‘Mommy’ wouldn’t clear much up for her. She drew a pair of lollipops from her pocket and unwrapped one for herself, in lieu of caffeine, sugar would have to do the job. She offered the other to the smaller of the brothers. It was a green one. The green ones were the best. Stranger-danger be damned. If he took it she would help him unwrap it. The little plastic wrapper was tricky to get off without practice. If he didn’t she would respect his training. This was, after all, textbook; a stranger offering you candy in the park, even though her intentions were nothing but pure she herself felt just a thrill of danger.
Posted by Zinnia on Nov 20, 2015 23:05:42 GMT -6
Ghost likes this
The Syndicate
Soldier of The Syndicate
179
29
Jun 20, 2020 5:09:16 GMT -6
Zinn breathed the midday air deeply, even smoggy with the car fumes and almost icy cold it was pleasantly refreshing after the hospital air. Even after working there for so long she still wasn’t used to the smell. Idly she wondered if it was because of her mutation, as she turned her phone back on, expecting at most a text from her Mom or Jac.
She was already in the line of the nearest coffee shop by the time the phone had loaded enough to buzz a notification of a missed call and subsequent voicemessage. She knew it was rude, but she listened to it in the line, and was still listening when she made first place. The barrister knew her and her post-shift order, luckily, as she was concentrating on the contents of the message. She paid and stepped to the side to await her highly caffeinated beverage. By the time the message ended she was out of the shop, coffee forgotten, on route to the park. Car accidents were brutal to little bodies, she had seen the unfortunate aftermath too many times in the emergency room.
Given the age of the elder child she assumed they would be on foot, or possibly bussing it. She had never gone for her drivers permit, but she was certain someone older had to accompany a driver that young. Post-shift-pre-coffee Zinn didn’t calculate the odds of finding two specific children wandering the streets of New York City. There was no time for that. Her eyes scanned the people she passed, most were adults, or children accompanied by adults, or teenagers accompanied by no one.
She scanned her eyes down the length of the street parallel to the park, saw no one that fit the description and slipped inside the gates. If she were to find them, it would be fate. If she were a couple of kids, where would she be? She strode along the paths, scanning, always scanning. She stopped to ask a gaggle of teen girls who were wearing far too little clothing for the weather if they had seen a boy their age and a little one? They giggled between themselves and pointed her in the right direction. She had no time for giggles, and off she strode again, towards the play equipment.
She was almost in sight of it when her eyes fell by chance on a pair of tiny shoes peeking out from behind a pillar. She slowed, and approached the pillar from the side, before peering around the edge. A little kid stood against the pillar, his hands clamped tightly over his eyes, his little black nose wiggling in excitement. She squeezed in beside him, careful not to touch him. If this was not the right kid it was important that she could confidently say she never touched him.
Zinnia was sitting in front of the oven, cross-legged, waiting patiently for the ding of a completed pie. The house was empty, the others had family stateside and had left the previous afternoon. It was just her and the pie. She was scrolling through her photo reel on the phone, looking to set a new background picture. So far It was a toss-up between the picture of the two of them in their Halloween costumes, taken early in the night by someone sober enough to work the capture button, and a duel selfie of half of each their faces, cropping off just above Jac’s mandibles. Getting her to let Zinn take a selfie had been a task in itself, so she had avoided the bits she was shy about. Over time she had grown a little more comfortable about the selfies (probably because of how many Zinn had taken of the two of them, in varying states of silliness) but this first one was one of her favourites. She selected it, and set it as the wallpaper. While she was staring at the screen a text from her Dad popped up. “I’ll pick you girls up at 5 ok?”. Taking pumpkin pie on the subway was just asking for trouble. Or surprise roaches. She replied with a emoji of a thumbs up, and flicked over to Jac’s messages.
“Dad’s gunna pick us up, meet at mine at 4:45?”
She snapped a picture of the countdown to pie to go along with the message. 23 minutes to deliciousness. She was determined to get it right. Her Momma would be over the moon that she had another recipe up her sleeve, even if it was a recipe laden with not a single thing healthy. Except maybe pumpkin. It had vitamins and stuff. Good old pumpkin, the essence of Fall. The face of Halloween.
<<<◊>>>
29th October
Her sewing tape wasn’t long enough to go around Jacquelyn’s shoulders, so she had to improvise with cooking twine and measure it once unravelled. She wasn’t hugging, per se, but her arms did have to wrap around her friend’s chest more than a little. Purely to make the ends meet! She checked the number twice. It was impressive.
She downloaded a rough pattern from the internet, and they began the process of shaping and colouring the foam pieces to cover Jac's body. Fastening the foam shapes onto her friend’s body was an interesting mix of hidden Velcro and pushing the foam firmly against the spines on her body where they clung firmly.
The mask of Groot’s face was big enough to wrap around Zinn’s whole head, but sat delicately over Jac’s face. The mouth section was open, but backed with a dark netting, so Jac could speak without her mouth being seen. This had been important to get right. Her own pants were a little tight, she had been walking and swimming more since she broke it off with the jerk who bought them for her. She had liked the pants, so she kept the pants. She had disliked the guy’s persistence in telling her how to dress and organise her time, so she had ditched the guy.
She wasn’t ready yet to dye her hair for something as small as a Halloween party, so she had bought temporary spray-in colour to tip the ends with pink, it should hold for the whole night, and wash out with a shampooing.
The time spent costuming, the chuckles and the photos were the little things that made her smile.
Bagels it was. Zinn flicked the dregs of the coffee down the drain and swished it with water. Jac shrugged on her own layers and confirmed she hadn’t been too much of a sleeper-creeper. This made her perhaps a little too happy, and there was a bounce to her step as she led the way down to the street side. Jac had called it nice. And nice it had been.
“To bagels!”
Because bagels were also nice. Especially bagels with cuddlefriends.
Abbey gathered a few more food items then wandered off to her room, nightshift would do that to a person. Zinn wasn’t even certain that she would remember running into them here when she woke up. There were nights she wasn’t certain how she navigated the subway and walk home after a long nightshift. In addition to making Jac more comfortable, relocating for breakfast would be nice to Abbey, give her a chance to fall asleep in a quiet(ish) house. It should also mean they skipped meeting Steph for now. One surprise housemate seemed to have rattled Jac enough, two in one morning was just mean.
“I’m down for a cream-cheese bagel, and a coffee, definitely a coffee.”
The fact that she was clutching one, nay, sipping one right now seemed to escape her. Mmmm, coffee. This was instant, and made at home, and therefore didn’t count. She sipped leisurely, letting the caffeine slowly bring her back to the land of the living. As it did the memories of the night before filtered through, like flavour from a tea-bag, and she hid her face in her mug. She hadn’t meant to come on so strong. This was her friend, and she’d crawled all over her just because she didn’t want to go back to a cold bed. What a sook.
She hadn’t impacted too much on her friend’s sleep by the sound of things, and she wondered if she remembered the early morning shuffle for the machine. She could feel her ears deepening in colour as she sipped. Sleepy Zinn might have no shame, but Wakey Zinn had spades.
“No, I was pretty comfortable actually. Sorry if I encroached on your personal space… I get a little crazy when I’m asleep.”
It was why she tried not to fall asleep at work, and if she had to between back-to-back shifts, she would squirrel away in some staffroom and sleep in a chair. Without her machine the quality of sleep was less enough that adding a chair into the mix didn’t change too much. Idly she wondered if she sleep-walked, but surely someone would have said something by now.
She scooped her jacket off the back of one of the chairs and shrugged it on.
“C’mon, lets get bagels, and the ingredients for your costume.”
The ‘be happy’ comment was sweet, and a nice sentiment. And all she could think of was the singing billy bass in her grandad’s office. She was a bad person.
He sighed at his loveluck so far and she had to sympathise somewhat. ‘Fishy’ wasn’t really what most people on the market had as their partner criteria. Still, if she was pining over a giant prawn mutant, who’s to say love wouldn’t find him in time? He went to grab a coffee and she realised in the silence just how tired she really was. She needed a shower too, and all in all it was a good thing she was not interested in pursuing the Fishy one, as she was sure by the time he got back she would be barely able to hold a conversation. It was something about being warm and full of warm beverage too.
“I hope your own research proves to be successful.”
Surely there was someone out there who would be driven wild by the sight of him. Or grow to love him slowly through friendship turning to more. She wanted to believe there was someone out there for everyone, even though her own efforts in the matter had been shortlived fling after shortlived fling. She hadn’t even bothered introducing them to friends and family before the 2 month mark the last few times, and the last few times she hadn’t needed to. Flatmates were a different matter, as it was somewhat inevitable. Still, she had only been single for a year, with a spate of dabbles before that. It seemed Manfish had been lonely for far longer.
She finished her own drink, now on the cooler side of warm, and stretched her neck. Was it rude to walk out on a date they had both agreed was somewhat farcical? He seemed like a reasonable man, though, so she suspected not.
“I should be heading off I think, figure out how to approach my feelings. Thank you for your advice, and your company. If I hear of anyone looking for a date, I’ll send them your way.”
Fairly warned, of course. She was not the type of person to throw people under the bus like that, and she figured Manfish was probably getting a little over people going on dates with him purely for the kicks. Or for him to shout them dinner, she knew that was a tactic heavily employed by some of her workmates once the paycheck started to run low.
To try and keep mah timeline straight~ First bite of Fall Zinnia meets Ty, Kai and Kirsie. People die, the Police get called. I'm sure it'll all workout Zinnia meet Jac, and tries to defend her honour against the Gymbos. First Aid Training Zinnia gets her first taste of the Mansion, when she runs a First Aid Training class (who'd've thunk it?) attended by Maya and Clyde. Promised Cameos Zinnia gets roped into attending the same Speed Date as Cafas and Maya. Meet and Greet and RUN! Zinnia and Randy run into some trouble with an errant METAbot, and then run away from said trouble. IM thinking of you Jac comes to visit for dinner, and stays for accidenticuddles. Coffee Date, For Science! Zinnia and Manfish both attend a date with research on the brain. What exactly is it that makes someone attractive to another? A New Face, A New City Zinnia meets a paper mutant at the Airport. P is for Panique Zinnia gets a worried call from Maya, and finds Jude and Rowan in the park. Welcome Home Zinnia arrives home after being far too far away from Jac on placement. 'Practice' happens. To sleep, perchance to dream Solo. Some demons resurface in a dream (Trigger warning for surreal and a bit dark) Sunflowers and thistles Zinnia brings flowers to the Mansion to surprise Jac and Cafas lets her in. You Take My Breath Away Zinnia enters Bailey's Adapted field and finds out all her breathing is apparently part of her mutation.
Her friend tried to hide her face behind a pillow and Zinnia stifled a sleepy giggle. It was almost a situation of if I can’t see you, you can’t see me. She rumbled about them being cool and Zinn shuffled into sitting, pulling the blanket up about her chin, without exposing her friend’s legs too much. She pulled the mask off her face and flicked the machine off, then yawned and stretched.
“Yaaaawwwn they’re ok. Steph might squeak, but she squeaked at me when she first saw me, ‘cause of my colour. She’s just surprised at everything. They aren’t muties, as far as I know, but they’re pro equal rights enough to not be jerks.”
She wasn’t sure she could have lived with anyone anti-mutant. Too awkward and made for too many opportunities to fight. They had been cool with her assortment of girl and boyfriends when she had been dabbling in the dating scene too, although they loved to tease her about them.
Her friend seemed on edge though, and she patted her arm reassuringly. She was still clothed, as was her friend, so if it was easier for her to escape and be introduced properly at a later stage they were only a jacket away from ready.
“Would you prefer to eat breakfast elsewhere?”
There was a bagel shop just a few doors down. This was New York, there was always a bagel shop just a few doors down. This was a good one though. She would need to collect a few things at some stage for the costume; namely brown paint and foam floor tiles. Zombie-like she shuffled to the kettle. Did she need coffee to be awake enough to go and buy coffee? Why yes, yes she did. While waiting for the water to boil she rolled her neck and shoulders and glanced at her friend, for all that she had slept on the couch and on her shelly friend she had slept quite well, and felt well rested. Uncaffinated, so a little hazy, but rested all the same.
“I can nake ‘reak-sast”. Excellent. And she was allowed to stay out on the cozy cozy couch instead of going back to the cold bed. The pillow addition was a wise choice, and in moments Zinn was peacefully sleeping. The machine hissed quietly in the background, puffing air on Zinnia’s sleeping face, keeping her breathing. She had noticed on the nights she wore it she tended to wake up breathing in and out the same types of air that she fell asleep breathing, while on the nights she didn’t wear it it was 50/50.
~~~
It was a little past morning when Abbey arrived home from work all bleary eyed and crumpled from the subway. The keys in the door made the slightest jingle and Zinnia’s eyes fluttered open to meet those of her housemate, who was staring at her. It was not unheard of for any of them to sleep on the couch, fall asleep in front of a movie, or after a particularly intense study session. The firmness beneath her took a moment for her sleepy mind to place, and by that stage Abbey had closed the door with a smirk.
“Nothing came of the speeddate huh?”
Zinnia was negotiating CPAP pipes and her uncooperative limbs, coupled with being tightly enclosed in shiny shell limbs. It was less than successful, so she lay still and blinked at Abbey who snorted and made her way to the fridge to grab something to eat (a cheese stick?) Zinn couldn’t see properly from where she was, then into her room.
“That’s not what this is.”
But it sort of was. Sleepy Zinn may have no shame, but awake Zinn had plenty, mostly for Jac meeting her housemate in a sudden and unplanned way. A little for herself because now she would have to live with the ribbing.
“Sur’ised you could e’en sleet like dat, honestly.”
Now that she mentioned it, Zinn did feel like she may have an imprint of her friend’s chest on her face. Still, it was more comfortable than sleeping face-down on a table, which she had been known to do. Plus it had the added benefit of being cozy. Her knees had let her know that that was not the current situation of her own bed. She was reluctant to return to it now that she was back under the couch blanket.
The bigger mutant asked to stay, and Zinn flicked the breathing machine on, the noise was barely audible over the streetnoise, but if someone was listening closely they could hear the hiss of air blowing through the tube. If someone was close, say, cuddling, they could probably hear it. It didn’t bother her now, but she was used to it.
“If my machine doesn’t annoy you, stay as long as you like. I warn you ahead of time though, my breakfast skills extend as far as toast and no further.”
It was safer that way. Zinn didn’t think that her friend suffered from the same risks she did walking alone after dark, but there were groups who specifically targeted visible mutants and they tended to travel in packs. Better not to risk it. Plus, cozy. She shimmied a little closer. The mask covered the lower half of her face somewhat and made her voice sound a little distant, but it was clear to show her smile, and her eyes had a cheeky glint.
“Since you’re hard to squish can I steal your warmth again?”
Sleepy Zinn had no shame. Sleepy Zinn was all for snuggling back in and going back to sleep. She had forgotten the benefits of sharing a bed, or in this case, couch. Fall was a good time to be reminded. If her friend had no complaints she would crawl up to her previous position and be gone in an instant (one of the benefits of sleep apnea being she could fall back to sleep straight away), while if she said no Zinn would snuggle in under the blanket and cuddle one of the many cushions within reach.
