[ open ] #throwbackthursday

[aeturnus]

who: Cain (now Romulus), Anyone
what: During the effects of the Temporal Chalice, Cain gets to explore some of his much, much earlier years. He's in his early twenties, not immortal, shy and gentle, and goes by his birth name: Romulus. Oops.
when: 15th until the event ends.
where: Housing during the day (floor six + around), and out in the Quarantine at night mostly. Specific starters upon request.
warnings: Romulus at this point in his life is a slave. Mentioned of free vs not, expectations of having lesser value, and possible other related subjects are very likely. More will be edited in if necessary.

i. Housing. Floor six.
[ He's not sure what to do with himself here. One of the first things Romulus did when he came to was familiarize himself with the device he carries around with him, because he remembers that being important, and notices that the job he only vaguely recalls sent a message to not show up if you couldn't do the work citing distraction to the other workers who were still in their right minds. He supposes that means he should stay away from the place and he intends to. It just doesn't leave him a whole lot to do aside from putter around the floor he knows he belongs in, even if most of his belongings feel foreign and familiar at the same time. Sparse, too. Some technology to work, small knickknacks here and there, and nothing that really speaks to who he is. All except for a plain lantern hanging from the bedpost with scenery drawn on it that makes him feel more at home. It's familiar to him, only a breath away, if he were back home at all. That lantern is lit every night to help him sleep.

Either way, Romulus putters. Messes around in the kitchen to try and make food but plenty of the products are foreign and confusing and he sticks with what he knows, basic fruits and vegetables and puts together simpler things with simpler tools and methods. He's not going for anything fancy, just subsiding on what he can until he figures out what he's doing here anymore. What he doesn't do is actively bother anyone. Finds his own supplies and makes sure whatever he uses is communal and doesn't belong to anyone in particular, shops with the money he's found for himself to buy things he can't find.

It's probably easier to ignore the guy who's suddenly turned wallflower around floor six, or even in the rest of the building where he comes and goes quite often out to explore the city. Except... he didn't used to be like this, not at all, entire demeanor changed. Not that he's the only one but it's pretty radical and noticeable. Kinda sad, really. ]

ii. Quarantine.
[ Mostly, he goes out at night. Lots of people don't notice the nervous ones at night because crime still exists but Quarantine is better protected and managed than most cities in other universes, apparently, and a lot of the older residents expect the nervous ones to calm down eventually. Romulus isn't nervous because of crime, but instead because it feels like a lie. He shouldn't be out here without a cause or an order or a reason given to him to explain if anyone catches him out — but he's not doing anything wrong. There's no master here, no one holding him in their hands and certainly no one to say he can't explore or shop or live.

It's freedom, and it has his heart constantly in his throat. What do you do with freedom?

Either way, he stumbles into people because he's not paying attention, lost in thought. Flinches back and swerves to press nearer to the walls or almost walks into the street sometimes and has to get fished out of the way. It's all very nerve-wracking, but again, people expect it more in the darkness for whatever reason. Sometimes he does go out in the day, too, but this is easier for him. ]

I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to run into you—forgive me.

[ He doesn't meet many peoples' eyes in the dark of the night, either. ]

iii. Wild Card.
[ Romulus gets places he shouldn't. Curiosity is certainly his vice and that's never gotten him anyplace good. It's usually up to Remus to keep him from wandering and Remus isn't here. He doesn't go into dangerous-looking places, but stores or odd streets or stopping to watch something odd? There's no reason not to. ]

[ Make something up, and I'll work a response in! Contact at plurk or at biomagnet#1925 @ disco to discuss more if necessary. ]

Comments

[spellslots]

[Yeah, that's about what he expected, but he doesn't look too upset by the revelation.]

That's how it's going, huh? You okay?

[He seems... withdrawn? Smaller? It's hard to put a finger on.]

[aeturnus]

I'm fine, Sir.

[ It's an easy answer and mostly true. Just because he's super stressed about this whole situation doesn't mean he isn't functioning, and he's totally unharmed, too. There's worse ways to be. ]

[spellslots]

[The only person who calls him sir is a five year old (Angus is not five), so that little bit of decorum? respect? draws a slight furrow of Taako's brow.]

You don't gotta sir me, my man, last I checked Taako was pretty sufficient. Has someone filled you in on all the weird shit?

[aeturnus]

[ He just barely doesn't manage to hold in his sigh, and it's put out for sure, even if he keeps it small. What is it with people and not liking respectful titles??? ]

If you mean the changes around here... Yes, it's been mentioned.

[spellslots]

Cool, as long as you're not running around thinking we're a bunch of weirdos.

[Well, they are a bunch of weirdos, but at least they don't usually go around pretending to know people don't know them.]

[aeturnus]

Mm, no. That would be... other things.

[ It's as close to snark as he gets like this, controlled and tightly wound and totally bereft of purpose here. Two steps away from a meltdown and he's acting like it's just another day with a troublesome, world-altering city ready to bowl him over. ]

[spellslots]

[Well, it gets a bit of a wry grin out of Taako.]

I'll be honest, it's a fucking lot to adjust to, and I've done this shit before. You seem to be doing pretty well.

[He's trying to be Nice and Supportive but that doesn't come naturally.]

[aeturnus]

Was there another option?

[ Genuine question, actually. He's pretty sure no one gives a damn when anyone else just breaks down. They just disappear or get forgotten, and he can't afford that. ]

How have you done it?

[spellslots]

I think a couple people have thrown tantrums.

[That's a good way to describe it, although it also comes from a place of Taako thinking it's silly when people who get paranoid and worked up about whether or not the folks in charge of this place are evil.]

And I've done plenty of things - [wink] - so you're gonna have to get a little more specific, pumpkin.

[aeturnus]

Tantrums aren't really worth it.

[ Which is a pretty loaded statement. For him especially it isn't worth the aftermath but he doesn't much see the point of it. ]

Oh, uh... adjust, I suppose.

[spellslots]

Could not agree with you more on that one, at least most of the time. Occasionally there's some fun in kicking up a fuss.

[He's just a drama queen though.]

Oh, yeah, for sure. I think the weirdest part for me was the fact there are places without magic, that was a new one, but everything else isn't too weird.

[aeturnus]

There is? How?

[ Yeah, he's always just seen it bring trouble. ]

Is that true? How would anyone know if they don't have magic? Unless they knew everything...

[spellslots]

As a distraction, to get attention, if you just wanna annoy people...

[These are all Valid reasons, especially the first, which was an occasional strategy that he and Lup employed when they needed to get away with something shady. One of them would play the distraction while the other got swiping.]

Not a bad point, I guess they don't have magic users. Or like, anyone in their world who's managed to find out that magic exists.

[aeturnus]

[ Okay, his lips quirk up at that. He hasn't quite met Taako's eyes at all but the conversation is at least... easy? Easier than most he's had. ]

I'll keep that in mind.

But then how would they know about it?

[spellslots]

Well, like, they have magic as a fictional concept, but they've got no proof that it's real, so they kinda just assume all magic is made up. Same for gods.

[Things he all takes as 110% real, even if his personal opinion on gods are different.]

[aeturnus]

[ Okay, but he's still not quite getting it. ]

How would they make up something like that if it's not real somewhere?

[ After all, this place is real. All of this exists. Could someone have really thought any of it up if it weren't possible? ]

[spellslots]

[Honey.....]

That's how fiction works, my man. Stories, you know? [Is this a hard concept? He's a little confused.] I mean, not saying that it might've been the base with magic, but people can definitely just make shit up.

[aeturnus]

[ He considers that, because it's still strange to him that someone could come up with something so amazing from... nothing? ]

I know. But making something up that's actually real without knowing about it...

[spellslots]

You make up enough shit and you're gonna hit on the truth eventually, right?

[Taako shrugs; this sort of philosophical bullshit really isn't his strong point.]

Or, you know, maybe there's just connections between every reality and sometimes stuff bleeds through.

[aeturnus]

[ He tilts his head, then nods slowly. ]

Right. All the magic here is just... more amazing than I think I could ever make up myself.

[spellslots]

That's a pretty normal reaction to have, I've seen shit here that I'd call impossible back home.

[Loki's illusion magic is balls to the wall intense.]

[aeturnus]

Even with magic?

[ Magic is supposed to be the tool that makes the impossible possible, isn't it? ]

[spellslots]

Yeah, for sure. There are limits to magic, back home, all sortsa restrictions and shit you can't do.

[Even if the IPRE tested those boundaries.]

[aeturnus]

What kinds of restrictions? You can't just use it to do anything?

[spellslots]

Gods no. I mean, there is a single spell that can theoretically do anything, but you gotta be pretty fucking desperate to try it, cause the risk of it backfiring is uh, real high.