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.
>>"You wouldn't happen to have chocolate flavored condoms would you, Juliette?"
Cheeky little bastard. Juliette raised and eyebrow and stifled a smirk. He had no idea the hell that he had just unleashed.
As a health teacher in a boarding school full of hormonal kids with superpowers, Juliette had made it her own personal mission to make the place as safe and healthy as was within her power. Having an assortment of birth control and protection on her at all times for situations exactly like that one was exactly the purpose of it (and for her own use on occasion, but that was beside the point). It may have made her uncomfortable or sheepish before she had spent several years working as a nurse, but by that point, it was better than some of the other stuff that she had seen. She could more than handle a few teenagers who pushed her buttons for it.
She reached into the bag at her feet and rummaged around until she produced a zip lock baggy. Inside, there was an assortment of little plastic packages. With raised eyebrows, she set it down on the table until she found the brown one that she was looking for.
”One chocolate flavoured condom for you,” she said as she set it down in front of him, leant back in her chair, and gestured widely to it. ”I don’t really care what you do with it, so long as you’re safe and smart.”
Her stance had always been that it was better to allow them to do as they chose and not judge, but to help them whenever possible. It was better to make them feel supported than to alienate them. That was when she would get an outbreak of STDs and a whole lot of awkward teenagers who would have to come to her.
>>"Sí, I understand. So, if Professor Shinbo becomes my sponsor, I train and then after I do some missions, I'll become an X-Men? Do I get a code name? If I do, I have a name in mind."
Juliette nodded. ”Yeah, it may take a while, but eventually you’ll get a full spot on the team. Who knows? Maybe you’ll become the next Alchemist.” She specifically avoided using the name of another of the more famous X-Men. ”And yeah, codenames are generally encouraged. What’s the one that you have in mind?”
It was good to see him getting so excited about this. Hopefully, it would be a step in the right direction.
Just as she thought it would, her retort had made Booker backtrack and show his true feelings toward their earlier circumstance. She had threatened not to do it again, and he had revealed that he really didn’t want that to be the case. Juliette had figured as much. It wasn’t as if she had been forcing him into any of situation that he didn't want to be in.
”Don’t worry, I wouldn’t actually do that,” Juliette told him, a small grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. She figured that it would be clear by that point, but just in case he was fretting, she made sure to tell him the truth. A snarky comment like that wouldn’t keep them apart forever. Just… until the awkwardness blew over.
Booker had offered more wine, which Juliette agreed to gratefully. At that point, something that dulled her senses sounded very good, and it was something likely make the rest of the evening a little less weird. She hated the fact that she was starting to rely on the effects of it just like Sam had, but she knew that she couldn’t just stay away from it forever. It wasn’t alcohol that was at fault anywhere - it was the way it was used. If she was careful not to become dependent on it, then there would be nothing wrong with occasionally using it to make an evening a bit easier. So long as it wasn’t every evening.
Soon enough, they were sitting back on the couch with wine and one of the bags of snacks that Juliette had brought. It was a good idea to bring it out at that point. Dinner had settled, and it made the talk less strange if they both had something to do with their hands. Veggie straws and rosé - they were the classiest of classy.
They were back on the couch together, meaning that they were close again, but not nearly as close as before. A part of Juliette wanted just to forget all the weirdness that had just happened and go back to the way things were, but she knew that it wasn't something that could just be swept under the rug. If they didn't talk about it now, then it would just make things worse until it was a discussion loaded with all kinds of worry and doubt. If they wanted to clear the air, then they had to do it now.
They had reached the topic of Rebecca, which Juliette hadn’t even realized was a topic that they had avoided. The redhead was one of her closest friends, and it had never occurred to her to check to see if she was dating the brother of one of her exes. It was such a strange coincidence, but it was a coincidence nonetheless. She didn’t know if she would have approached the situation differently if she had known, but now they did have to discuss it and what it meant.
Juliette had started off by seeing how much Booker knew. It seemed like the best way to go, considering the fact that Booker obviously didn’t know about the connection between the various women. She didn’t even know if he knew Rebecca at all. It could have been the case where he only knew about her through stories and angry mutterings. Either way, she figured that he would probably have a large grudge against her for hurting his sister.
>>”Umm…yeah… I mean, I helped Nessa through it as much as I could. Was pretty rough from what I saw. She liked her a lot and to be cheated on like that…well…that was a low blow.”
The brunette nodded. She loved Rebecca, but she’d always thought that she should have broken it off sooner with the mysterious Nessa. Her and Agnes belonged together, and she didn’t blame her for straying, but it wasn’t fair to string her along like that.
She sighed a little before saying anything else. ”Yeah, it was a tough situation. I… didn’t realize that ‘Nessa’ was your sister until I saw her just now.” She took another sip of her wine and set it down on the table before turning on the couch to face him better. ”Rebecca is one of my closest friends, actually. She was the one who let me stay with her when I had to move out of…” she trailed off and ran a hand through her hair as she thought of the mansion. ”Anyway, the point is that I think Nessa probably got a little scared that I was planning on doing what Rebecca did with you. I’m not, though. I want to get that straight right off the bat.”
The air that Nessa had left was a bit of a strange one. Before she’d come in, the room had been full of a certain kind of tension that only family members knew how to dispel. It was really too bad, though. Juliette had been enjoying herself, and she wasn’t sure if they would be able to get back to that place that night.
Still, there were things to be thankful for. Vanessa had believed her when she answered her questions, there was no violence involved, and she had left. As horrible as it sounded, she was glad that she had gone so that they could get on with things and get past the awkward discussion that would have to follow.
She didn’t know how much Booker knew about the situation, but she knew that he likely knew Rebecca. If he had known how close the two of them were, then perhaps he would have been more wary of her to begin with, since, as Nessa had so nicely put it, the cheating bug seemed to be spreading. She desperately hoped that he wouldn’t be weirded out by the fact that he was dating his sister’s ex’s roommate. Of all connections.
The house was clearly free of anyone else, but Booker still checked through the peep hole after Nessa left, making sure that she’d left the hallway before he moved a table in front of the door and rejoined her. Juliette gave him a smirk and shook her head at the antics. The table didn’t look like it would stop the wind from blowing the door open, much less a feisty sister.
She’d compared the situation to getting the ‘dad talk’, which seemed like an apt description. She’d been grilled after she was found in a compromising position with a member of someone’s family. Still, it felt a little weird. They were two consenting adults, and while Nessa did have valid business there, she just wished that she could have waited for a different time to hash it out. Or just not have forgotten her phone. That would have made the entire evening a whole lot easier.
>>”I mean…you were straddling me…”
Juliette turned very slowly and narrowed her eyes at Booker. ”Well if doing so is going to get that kind of a reaction each time, then maybe I won’t do it again,” she retorted, less annoyed by the comment than she sounded. It really wasn’t as if she was the only one participating. She had seen just how comfortable he had been with things.
With the signature Booker charm, he followed up his joke with a simple question of whether it was too soon. Juliette gave him a quick nod before continuing. ”Just a little bit.” It had made things slightly less weird, though. She had to give him that. Maybe, just maybe, they had a hope of getting things back to how they had been.
>>”I’m….really so sorry. She absolutely had no right to corner you like that, and especially with that tone. But she means well.”
Juliette sighed and didn’t say anything for a minute. While Nessa may have been slightly out of line discussing all that stuff now and taking stabs at her worthiness, she did have valid reasons to be worried. Juliette understood where she was coming from, and she couldn’t really blame her, even if she did just a little.
”She does have a reason or two to be worried,” Juliette admitted quietly, wishing that they could have had the conversation later or after. It was really too bad.
>>”I could use drink. You?”
She was done being afraid of drinking forever. It wasn’t the true demon. ”Yes, please,” she nodded gratefully. She ran her hands through her hair quickly and then sat back down on the couch while she waited. A drink or two would definitely make things easier.
When Booker came back into the room, she addressed what needed to be said. It wasn’t fair to make him guess. ”So I assume you know how everything went down with Rebecca and Vanessa?” she asked as a starting point. With the kind of relationship that they had, she wouldn’t be surprised if he did, but she needed to know how much he knew. It might have been the case where, like her, he hadn’t know any of the details until after the fact.
After saying her piece, there wasn’t much that Juliette could do other than stand and wait. It was up to Nessa to decide whether she liked her and whether she thought that the mutant was worthy of her brother’s affection. Juliette wasn’t actually sure how much pull she had in that area, but it worried her anyway.
Nessa really knew how to make a girl sweat, though. Juliette stood her ground, continuing to keep the eye contact that was made with her. She was holding her breath as she did so, unable to let it go and release the tension that had built up. It was terrifying under that infallible gaze. It was very difficult to know what she was thinking. Sometimes, as much as she knew the consequences, she wished that she had telepathy for moments like those.
>>”Okay. I believe you. I’d like to start off on the right foot from this point forward.”
With a release of tension, Juliette nodded gratefully. ”Thank you,” she replied, her voice revealing a little of the relief that she felt. While she hadn’t lied about anything that she’d just said, it was nice to know that she seemed trustworthy enough to believe and that she wouldn’t have to prove any of what she was saying. Since, well, the only other witness that she would be willing to bring in would be Rebecca...
If she was going to be dating Booker, then she would probably be going to see a lot of Nessa, so she was glad that they would be able to at least try to move past the hard feelings. There was still the issue of Becca, which would also have to be discussed when Juliette went home, but hopefully, they would be able to have a relationship in spite of that. It didn't sound like a great thing to have to deal with if her relationship with Booker got really serious.
>>”Though my ominous threats still stand. Hurting Booker would not be your brightest decision,”
”I’ll keep that under advisement,” Juliette said. She had less than no intention of hurting Booker, but sometimes things were inevitable. A perfect example was the fact that she had no idea that she’d hurt him after their first kiss. That really hadn’t been something that she’d meant to do, but it had happened, and she’d needed to try to move past it. Unfortunately, the longer things went on, the more she realized that it wouldn’t be an option to do so. They had something real, and they needed to at least see where it took them.
Muffled sounds came from the kitchen, giving the impression that Booker had just stubbed his toe or something. With the situation somewhat cleared up, Juliette was able to give a slight grin at the situation, but only slight. She quickly hid it and faced Nessa again.
>>”For what it’s worth, he really, really likes you, too.”
That made her actually grin. She’d gotten the impression that it was a mutual infatuation deal, but hearing confirmation from someone on the outside made her feel pretty good about it. She lowered her head and tried to stop the smile from growing any larger.
Booker was called back into the room, so he peeked his head out to make sure that the situation was as okay as it sounded before he rejoined them. Juliette wasn’t sure exactly how much she’d overheard, but she knew that he’d at least overheard a little of it.
He stood at her side again and gave her a look over, apparently to make sure that she was unharmed. After being under the scrutinization of his sister and then under the careful eye of him, she felt a bit like a child being okayed by a couple of adults. It was a very, very strange experience. Especially for a date.
>>”If you’re in danger blink twice…”
She shook her head and smiled a little again. ”I’m fine, Booker,” she whispered back, making sure not to copy his eye movement. She was a little shaken up and weirded out, and her libido was definitely gone for now, but she was physically alright. Her fear of Nessa getting violent was unnecessary. She'd only lashed out with words. She closed her eyes as he kissed the top of her head, trying to save the feeling for later. Head kisses were probably the best part about being short.
After some (what Juliette assumed was) typical sibling ribbing, Nessa left the room, leaving Juliette and Booker alone again. A few minutes ago, Juliette would have considered that the best case scenario, but she’d left a little bit of weirdness in her wake. The brunette wasn’t entirely sure where the evening was going to go. Before Nessa had walked in, she'd known exactly what was going to happen next, but with her gone, she didn't know where that left them. She was pretty sure that it would be too strange to go back to what they were doing right away, though. Maybe a bit more wine was in order - a thought that worried her a little.
”I feel like I just got the ‘dad talk’,” Juliette said under her breath. Like she was a teenage boy taking a girl to prom, and an adult had felt the need to explain the exact boundaries to him before taking their daughter out. It was strange to think that Booker's younger sister was functioning as his psuedo-parental figure.
She was less than used to that kind of supervision or care for someone's dating life. Her mom had always been kind of hands off with that sort of thing. In fact, when Juliette had gone to prom, she was fairly certain that her mother had put a condom in her clutch.
”The Math and Japanese professor,” Juliette nodded. She was pretty sure, anyway. That seemed to fit with his M.O. If she was wrong, then she was sure that they would both forgive her and move on with their lives.
She had wanted to make sure that Ignacio knew that he was supported and cared about there, so she had tried to impress the that he could talk to her about anything on him. That, hopefully, would be the start of a relationship where he felt comfortable telling her things rather than taking out his emotions in unhealthy ways.
>>"...Anything? Hm. well...I like guys and girls and everything in between. If someone's pretty, I want to talk to them."
She hadn’t counted on him being that cheeky. That actually made Juliette grin, which wasn’t something that she was prepared for after the bleak appearance of the first part of their talk. She shook her head and chuckled at the irony of it all.
”I am a Health teacher and a nurse, so if you have questions about your sexuality, that’s definitely something you can talk to me about. I’m technically the designated person for that sort of thing. I can also give you condoms!” she grinned extra wide at that last bit, hoping that it would diffuse some of the tension. The curriculum had also told her to talk about protection lightly and easily so that they would view it in the same light.
She shrugged and leaned back a little, ”it’s alright to like more than one gender, though. It’s perfectly normal.”
>>"I also have questions concerning being an X-Men Trainee. Like, once I become one, what all happens?"
She nodded again and considered his question for a minute before answering. ”Basically, we’ll be training you on how to better use your power, and then you’ll be expected to go on missions and such. In a little while, you’ll be a full X-Man, assuming that you choose to finish the training, at which point you’ll be a full-fledged member of the team. While training, you’ll have a few sponsors to give you guidance, and you’ll never be expected to go on a mission alone.”
Juliette reached her hand forward and took a chocolate from the top of the little pile in the bowl, unwrapping it just as Ignacio had done with so many before that. It was hard to just watch someone eat it. After chewing and swallowing, she went back to addressing the topic at hand. ”Does that make sense?” she asked him.
Before leaving, Booker had stopped to say a quick word to his sister, though it was too quiet for her to hear. She stood awkwardly, her arms crossed over her chest while she waited. She gave a small smile to Booker as he mouthed that she would be okay, even though she wasn’t sure if she believed him.
Man, what a weird date.
He’d left the room, meaning that Juliette was at Nessa’s mercy. They were standing alone in the living room, making eye contact. The height difference was slightly intimidating, and the fact that the whole family seemed to get very good genes didn’t help, but Juliette stood her ground, trying to make it seem like she wasn’t the least bit nervous. Her mind was a little more of a mess, though. She was very worried about what Nessa thought of her.
She had started with Rebecca, the elephant in the room. Juliette had thought that by getting that out of the way, they might be able to talk openly and maybe even reach an understanding. Sure, she was a little biased, but Juliette didn’t think that she was that terrible of a person, and maybe if she understood where she was coming from a little better, then she wouldn’t look at her with that gaze of utter contempt.
>>”No, no, this is not about Rebecca. Though I never knew the redheaded cheating virus was contagious,”
Juliette winced visibly. That stung. She hadn’t intended to cheat, but then, that was usually the way of things. It had gotten out of hand, and before she knew it, she wasn’t the person she used to think that she would be growing up. ”I probably deserve that,” she admitted quietly, lowering her gaze.
Little by little, Nessa gave her a glimpse into what she was thinking about the situation. She took each and every opportunity to rub salt in the wound that she could, and by the time that she was done speaking, Juliette felt as though she’d been slapped. She’d stayed silent, thinking over how exactly things had gone down.
Yes, she’d made some s****y decisions, which she was then picturing, and yes, she had moved a little fast after the breakup, but she wasn’t the type to move from person to person. Usually, she moved quite slow. In fact, her relationship with Booker had moved the fastest out of any that she’d had before. It was a weird, new experience for her, and she was there being blatantly reminded why she usually took her time.
Juliette hadn’t broken eye contact for a few moments, preferring to stand her ground while she was questioned. She did recognize the fact that it would be easier to think if her head wasn’t screaming and the room wasn’t still spinning. The conversation was a tough one and she needed more strength in order to say something without losing her train of thought. Mostly, she was just banking on the idea that Nessa would have the same opinion of mutants as her brother did. She had dated an X-Man, after all.
She bent slightly lower and absorbed whatever light she could from the lamp near the couch. It made her feel a little better, but still not one-hundred percent. She needed more, but it would do for the moment.
When she’d straightened back out and let the new energy settle, she focused back on Nessa, still thinking through exactly how to address her concerns. ”I’m… I’m not here to just screw your brother and then leave, if that’s what you’re thinking. My last relationship ended because of some hurts and differences that couldn’t be resolved, but that’s my business, and I would like it to stay that was for now, if that’s alright.”
With the most pressing matter out of the way, she could focus on some actual matters that needed to be cleared up. ”I’m sorry if you have issues with my being here. I understand, I honestly do. I know I probably haven’t come off in the best of light here.” Probably the worst time possible for an accidental mutation pun. ”But I really, really like your brother. If there’s something that I can do to come off as less horrible, I’m willing to try it.”
She had taken the higher ground, even though one part of her wanted to shout mean things back and another wanted to go run and cry. Hopefully, she would have gotten through to her and they could move past some of the misunderstandings.
Juliette recognized Vanessa and Vanessa recognized Juliette, which just meant that Booker was out of the loop. He didn’t seem to notice, though, since he was more worried about covering himself with a nearby pillow. An awkward air hung in the room and Juliette really didn’t know what would come of it. How weird would it be to walk in on a sibling like that? It was just good that she had walked in when she did, because judging from the way that things were progressing, a few more minutes and it might have been a lot more awkward.
She made quick eye contact with Booker again, trying to give him a pleading look. She really didn’t know what to do. Was she supposed to speak? To leave and let them hash out some sibling stuff? She was in weird, murky water.
Booker started to speak, and she was hoping that he would be able to convince her to leave so that they didn’t have to confront things in that state, but he clearly didn’t have a lot of grounds to do so. Despite the situation, Nessa was the angry one, and she was going to have her way.
Maybe she was just going to get her phone and leave. That was probably the best case scenario. Then, it would just be the two of them again, and they would be able to find their stride again.
Fate had other plans. The worst possible thing happened: Nessa sent Booker out of the room so that she could talk to Juliette alone. She clearly already didn’t like her and she was pissed off, which was a combination that made the woman a little scared for her safety. That was not where she saw the evening going.
It was too late to make a break for it, so all she did was stand up and fix her shirt in the back where Booker had moved it. She gave him a slightly petrified look as he left the room and then did her best to settle her nerves. Everything that Rebecca had told her about Nessa during the first part of their relationship had been good, so she probably wasn’t violent. Hopefully. Dear God, she hoped.
”I get that you’re probably mad at Rebecca,” she started slowly. There were no pretences here; she’d just dropped her nickname that only certain people used, so she’d probably heard it from Rebecca. She started with the obvious, mostly because didn’t know where else to start.
They were out of Booker’s aura, which meant that, on top of everything else, her power was hitting her like a ton of bricks and she was a bit woozy after not absorbing anything for a time. She really needed to sit down, but it probably wouldn’t look all that good in that moment, so she stayed standing. Her head was racing, trying to figure out how she could make Nessa understand that she wasn’t there to hurt anyone (especially Booker) and trying to figure out if she could absorb some light without her noticing anything.
Talking about what happened only made images resurface, which were as uncomfortable as they had been when she’d first witnessed them. Seeing Sam… well, she was doing everything she could to not picture it again, but she knew that it was seared into her mind, and she would probably never be able to look at him the same way again.
There were still questions that she had, mostly about how on earth his ex-wife was alive and why she had turned up at the mansion without any idea what was going on. Still, she knew that a few unanswered questions weren’t a good enough reason to put herself through more torment. Maybe someday they would be answered, but she was okay if that day wasn’t anytime soon.
She had wanted to be there for him, to help him get through things. More than anything, she wanted to be able to save him like she did people in the hospital, but it had turned out to be an impossible task. Sam was too far into his funk that the only person that could get him out of it was him. By staying there with him she was only hurting both of them. Still, she felt rather sick thinking back on the way that things had ended.
Juliette gave Rebecca a sad nod, revealing that she would, in fact, have done the very same for the redhead. She would have dropped everything if she called to say that something was wrong, because that was the kind of friendship that they had. She knew that when she was ready, she would be able to tell Becca the rest of what happened without fear of judgement. Plus, there was a couch there for her. If there was one thing that she hoped from that night, it was that she and Rebecca would never lose touch.
”Wine, chocolate, and Binge sounds amazing,” Juliette said with a small smile, tucking her knees under her so that there was room on the loveseat for Becca to sit down. She’d been told to make herself at home, so she did so, pulling a throw blanket off of the back of the little couch so that she and Becca could sit under it and be a little cozier. There were some liberties that had to be taken while Binging, no matter the circumstance.
She took a large sip of her wine and then set it down on the table, allowing Rebecca to control her own television. The night had certainly taken a turn for the better thanks to her friend. She knew that it would be a while until she was feeling alright again, but she also knew that she would make it through.
There were hands on her body and her hands were moving freely up and down his chest, toying with the hem of his tight shirt. She had her eyes closed, savouring every second that they were close. The fact that he was matching her movements only spurred her on further.
In the background, Westley and Buttercup had made their way out of the dreaded Fire Swamp and had been greeted by Prince Humperdinck’s men, but neither of them turned around to watch it. Nor did they turn to watch when Westley was put in the pit of despair. There was no one to watch the albino warn him about the machine, but neither of them minded. It felt right to be like that, to be in that position, like they had both been waiting for it. Juliette never wanted it to end.
Of course, wishing rarely ever worked out, and the moment was just a little too good to be true. Her lips were pressed to his when the door creaked open, but she ignored it, figuring that it was just the wind or a phantom noise. Perhaps she was just desperately hoping that it was, and that they weren’t about to be interrupted or stopped.
However, as soon as there was a female voice behind them, Juliette knew what was going on. Apparently, Vanessa had come home early and was surprised by the fact that there was a stranger straddling her brother in the living room. It wasn’t like she could blame her; it was a bit of a strange thing to walk in on.
Her voice had made Juliette jump, though, which ended the kiss. She made worried eye contact with Booker for a moment before she lifted her leg over his lap and sat on her own next to him. Quickly, she wiped any lipstick that had strayed from her lips and felt herself blush before she looked up at the newcomer.
”You must be…” Juliette trailed off as she looked at Booker’s sister through a furrowed brow. There was something distinctly familiar about Vanessa. Even her name…
Oh! Oh, ****.
Vanessa “Nessa” Bookman, aka the ex-girlfriend that Rebecca had left in the dust in favour of Agnes. While Juliette loved Rebecca and tried to support her through everything, she hadn’t really agreed with the way that she’d strung Nessa along (because she had so much room to judge), but she didn’t know until after the fact.
If Nessa was a sane person, then she likely had some kind of grudge against Rebecca, and therefore anyone associated with her. Juliette wasn’t sure if Nessa knew that they were close friends, or about the fact that she was currently living with the redhead after fleeing the relationship that she had just ended.
Juliette looked back at Vanessa through wide eyes, suddenly hyper aware that there was probably still lipstick around her mouth. She couldn’t possibly have any good thoughts about her or the fact that she was just on top of her brother. ”...Nessa…” she finally finished quietly.
After being given the idea of joining the X-Men, Ignacio seemed to look a little more himself. It seemed that the distraction technique had worked, and his mind was running in different directions. For the time being, that would be enough. It definitely wasn’t a permanent solution to anything, but hopefully, it would keep him from getting his teeth knocked out.
>>"Who would I talk to about that?"
”Oh, yes. Not me; I haven’t been on the team long enough to train future members. I can give you the name of one of the senior members, though. I can give you their extension, too.” Juliette pulled out a pad of sticky notes and a pen and began to write down the first name that came to her mind.
Sam Johnson. Juliette blinked and immediately ripped the first note off as soon as she came to her senses and crumpled it up. They were avoiding each other, currently, and she couldn’t exactly send students to him. She now knew why it was considered such a bad idea to date the people that you work with.
Juliette caught herself staring at the blank note for a minute too long, so she shook her head and tried to get any bad thoughts out of her mind. She needed to move on. She looked to her left and looked at the list of extensions on the phone for ideas.
Tetsuya Shinbo. A senior X-Man that she didn’t have a lot of contact with, but seemed like he would be a good person to send Ignacio to. If not, then she could always call on Rebecca or Ghost… well, maybe not the flammable air mutant, but she still had other options.
”The X-Man Shard, aka Shin, as he’s known to most people. Just give him a shout whenever you’re ready and tell him that I referred you. It’s not nearly as scary as it sounds.” She chuckled at that. Her own meeting with Cafas had been a little nerve-wracking, but to be fair, he was a 6’4” movie star who could move metal. She would have been stupid not to be a little nervous.
Juliette took in a breath and rested her arms on the desk, leaning forward and looking him in his kaleidoscope eyes. ”Ignacio, I want you to know that you can always talk to me. About anything.”
Rebecca confirmed that she knew about Sam’s sort-of-ex-wife, so Juliette didn’t need to explain it all again. She was especially thankful for that fact, considering the fact that it really wasn’t something that she wanted to recount right then. It had kept her up for countless nights before that, and the thought of talking about it now… well, it made her sick to her stomach.
She had, unfortunately, given her the wrong idea about how Sam had reacted to the situation, though. He had been intense and well, scary, but he hadn’t hurt her. Juliette knew that he would never purposely hurt her. There had been a few times that he had nearly done it accidentally, but never on purpose.
Thinking back, there had been so many warning signs, though. The night terrors, the drinking, the ice children, his past. They had all accumulated and had begun to weigh down on her until she couldn’t bear it anymore. Alexandra coming back had just been the last straw. Maybe, that was why she had found herself so drawn to Booker; someone without demons or a drinking problem. The thought of that simply made her look down at the couch and shake her head. She should have ended things before that.
”I’m okay. Physically, anyway,” Juliette told her. It was good to get that cleared out of the way first. Physically, she was fine. It was her mental state that had taken the real blow. ”Any damage he did… he did to himself.” She rubbed her eyes as she tried to get the image of him stabbing himself out of her head.
Juliette took the wine glass that she was poured and nodded a thank you to Rebecca. She felt bad about dropping in like that, but it was obvious that Rebecca was a stellar host. Staying on her couch sounded incredible at that point.
”Thank you… for doing this,” Juliette sighed after a sip of wine. ”Tonight was just… well, I’m sure you can probably imagine.” She closed her eyes and shook her head again. Things were going to be different from that point forward. That much, at least, was very clear.
Probably the best part of The Princess Bride was how well the campy props and dialogue blended so seamlessly with the genius plot. As the movie rolled forward, she couldn’t help but enjoy herself, just as she had all the other times she’d seen the film. Only, it was a little different, considering the fact that she had some pretty great company.
The weight of Booker’s arm around her shoulders was definitely welcome, and rather comforting. It made the movie that much better to watch it with him like that, and it was a little cozier, too. There was never any harm in getting a little snuggly while on a date. Somewhere along the line, her hand had migrated to rest on his thigh, close to his knee.
It seemed like they enjoyed all the same moments, too. Every once and awhile, Juliette would find herself unable to keep from mouthing certain lines, but found that when she looked to her right, he was often laughing or quoting things as well. Things just felt right.
So right, in fact, that as she watched Buttercup tumble after her prince, she couldn’t help but look back at Booker. When she did, she was surprised to see that he was already looking at her. She met his eyes and flickered back to the movie for a moment, before she came to the conclusion that as much as she did love that movie, there were better things to look at in the room.
Juliette stayed locked on him for another minute, just holding her breath while she searched his eyes. A second later, she moved one of her hands up to his shoulder, and the other to his jaw. Quickly, she shifted so that they were at a better angle, then pressed her mouth to his. It was gentle at first, then more passionate as the seconds passed.
Kissing him felt good. She didn’t want to stop, not even to see Westley and Buttercup encounter the R.O.U.S.s. She moved even closer, so soon enough she had her back to the television and her legs on either side of his.
With the confirmation that the student was indeed alright, Juliette felt a lot better laughing at the situation. Like she, along with so many others, had experienced, the girl was just going through a rough period, and living in the library had just been an unfortunate consequence of her experiences. Juliette hoped that by now, she was back on her feet and living either with her parents or somewhere on her own. Stories that had hopeful endings were always so much better.
"That's good to know," Juliette replied with a smile. She was glad that Booker was the kind of guy to know that kind of thing and not get lost in the hilarity of the situation. He was a good person, and he had clearly bothered to follow up on her afterwards so she could get an answer about where the girl had ended up.
Still, she could see where it would have been easy not to worry about such things. Imagining Ms. Washington screaming like that after walking in on the scene... well... it was a deep, dark hole.
With the prospect of the movie in sight and a clearly nervous Booker, she had pulled him along toward the couch and referenced the film. While Juliette wasn't a hardcore nerd, there were things that she got excited about, and that movie just so happened to be one of them. The reference had rolled off of her tongue, so she was glad that he answered in kind.
>>”OH No! We better get going. It’s probably the Dread Pirate Roberts. I hear he doesn’t take prisoners.”
She chuckled and shook her head as she continued, "I guess we'd better hope he takes well to 'pleases', then." They were facing the couch, which was built for four people (more, if you packed them in right), and Juliette suddenly realized that she didn't know where she was supposed to sit. The last thing that she wanted to do was make him uncomfortable by sitting too close.
He took the centre cushion, so she followed closely behind and took the one to his left, making sure not to sit too close, but still close enough for them to be considered sitting 'together'. She sat back into the couch and readied herself for the movie as he got it ready. There were few experiences like rewatching The Princess Bride.
As the title credits rolled, she let herself drift slightly closer to him, even slightly resting her head against his shoulder. Perhaps it was the fact that they were watching one of the best romantic movies of all time, or maybe it was just the fact that Juliette was really enjoying herself, but she didn't notice as her head moved. It just sort of happened naturally.
With their dinner finished, Booker started to clear away the plates. He didn't seem to be particularly bothered by the fact that he needed to clean up, but Juliette didn't really like to just sit and watch while he did all the work. Dishes couldn't set on fire, and there was no cooking involved, so she wasn't worried about helping out a little. Surely she wouldn't be able to destroy anything there.
While he walked away with the plates and silverware, Juliette began to take serving plates, the wicker basket, and the wine glasses to the kitchen. She was far better at balancing things in her arms than she was at anything else in the kitchen. She followed after him and placed them down on the counter top, making sure that nothing fell off and smashed on the floor. That was no way to continue a date; cleaning up glass from tile.
Juliette listened quietly as he told her the tale of the university student that squatted in the library for a time. She rolled her lips in and raised her eyebrows, imagining the scene. Living in a library didn't seem like the best scenario, but she did know from personal experience that having to flee a living situation after a failed relationship. She was just thankful that she had someone like Rebecca who was willing to take her in so she didn't have to result to any extreme measures like that.
As much as she empathized with the girl, the idea was a little absurd, and she was picturing it from Booker's perspective as well. It was a little bit of a crazy tale. She stifled a laugh as she pictured her bathing in the washroom while Ms. Washington, the little old lady, of all people, walked in. There was probably quite a bit of confusion and yelling for a little while. The idea was kind of crazy, and definitely a great anecdote. By the end, she was chuckling rather than stifling a laugh. She would have liked to have seen that in person.
She quite liked talking with Booker, actually. There didn't seem to be any awkward pauses or dips in the conversation, and he was a great conversationalists as well as a great listener. If date went on for far longer than she was anticipating, then she wouldn't really have minded. She could have just sat there and talked to him for hours.
After her chuckle had stopped, Juliette was hit with a thought. "Do you know what happened to the student, though? I would hate to think that she ended up with no place to stay..." The story was funny, but it would have a sad ending if the girl was stuck out in the cold. It could have very well happened to her if Becca wasn't as good of a friend as she was.
With dinner (mostly) cleaned up, the second part of the date was looming closer. Juliette eyed the couch and the television in front of it before meeting Booker's eyes.
>>”Soooo… um…ready to movie?”
"Ready," Juliette nodded with a grin. He was cute when he looked nervous.
She was a little nervous herself, but not nearly to the same degree. They'd kissed twice and danced very close, so she wasn't too worried about sitting close to him for an extended period of time. Plus, she was getting very comfortable with him, so there was really nothing to worry about. Besides, they were going to be watching one of the greatest movies of all time. There was absolutely nothing to be nervous about.
Out of the corner of her eye, she eyed the snacks that she'd brought. They definitely seemed silly after the amazing meal that they'd just had, so she didn't bother grabbing them. Perhaps later after the food had had some time to settle.
Her grin still stuck on her face, Juliette grabbed Booker's hand and pulled him lightly toward the couch. "Come on, before the man in black catches up to us."
Juliette was well used to talking to Booker on the phone or texting, so she'd heard many of the stories that were shared over dinner. However, there was something much better about hearing them in person, and a phone could never truly replicate the experience, no matter how many fancy new features it boasted.
Of course, the food was amazing. There was nothing better than home cooking, especially when it could be enjoyed like that. Sitting there with him and enjoying his company made the already awesome experience better.
Her chicken and vegetables were gone, so she was prolonging the meal by taking small chunks off the end of her biscuit. Every few minutes, she would take a little chunk and dip it into what was left of the sauce from the vegetables, just as Booker did. She didn't want to finish before him, and she definitely didn't want to move the evening faster than it needed to. She was enjoying her time, so there was no reason to rush anything.
She had been a little worried about the wine, but it was evident that she'd worried for no reason. In fact, she'd finished her wine first without realizing, meaning that if anyone was going to be labelled a drunk there, she was the most likely candidate. All in all, she was fine with that fact, so long as she hadn't accidentally turned the tables.
The meal was wrapping up as she told an anecdote from work. It was one of her best stories for that kind of setting, actually. Since she worked around blood and bodily fluids during most of her nursing shifts, it was difficult to think of something interesting that didn't have parts inappropriate for a dinner table. Especially when many of them featured someone putting something into their body (through an interesting end) that they really shouldn't have. The story of how one of the doctors had been told that there was a pregnant woman outside of the ER in a cab was often her go-to.
>>”Oh come on. You’re making that up. Shouldn’t lie to people who feed you.”
"I'm not kidding," she shook her head and chuckled. "Thankfully, the woman was nice enough not to sue, although she was a little angry that he thought she was pregnant. The doctor's yet to live it down, though; every once and a while, someone will come up to him and point at whatever he's holding and tell him to make sure that he has the right one before using it."
She laughed quietly, reminiscing about one of her favourite parts of working in the hospital as she dipped her last piece of biscuit into the sauce. A second later, she was out of food. Quietly, she set her hands down in her lap, still not wanting to make it seem like she was trying to hurry him along. They were at his apartment, after all, so she would let him decide where they would go when.
"So do you have any crazy stories from work?" she prodded, trying to imagine what a crazy librarian story could entail.