[ 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

[scholiast]

(She hesitates.)

Well... he's friendly, and quick-thinking. Very helpful. Like I said, I haven't know him that long but he's been kind to me.

[aeturnus]

[ There's a moment where his head ducks automatically, eyes searching the ground because he has to take that in. It sounds like a good thing, and the feeling that comes with it, the swelling in his chest, is frightening and nice at the same time. ]

It's not hard to be kind to someone who is kind back.

[scholiast]

(She can't help a tiny, sad smile as she watches him process this. It looks like he doesn't hear things like this very often.)

Oh, um. Yes, I suppose.

[aeturnus]

[ Nope! :D He sure doesn't. ]

Thank you... for telling me that.

[scholiast]

(Romulus :( )

Of course. Any time. (It doesn't seem like much to be thanking somebody for. This poor kid.)

[aeturnus]

[ Tough life, man. At least he's not alone for it yet. ]

Did you have any other questions...?

[scholiast]

Sure. How come you're out so late?

(Oh man she doesn't mean it in a mom way but. Also kind of in a mom way shh. It's chilly out here, after all.)

[aeturnus]

[ Geez! He's fine! He's wearing Cain's stuff which is all jeans and t-shirts and a nice jacket for chillier days and, to Romulus, it's all ridiculous and strange. But it's what he had and he can't argue for the comfort of it, not really. Just the fashion. ]

Late? There's less people out at night.

[scholiast]

Oh.

(Well, that all checks out then huh.) That's fair. I prefer being around fewer amounts of people too.

[aeturnus]

There's less eyes on you that way.

[ And his own eyes lower for a moment before he looks back up. It obviously makes him uncomfortable to be noticed, much less by so many people at once. ]

[scholiast]

Agreed. It's easier to hear yourself think, too.

(She catches his little glance down and promptly looks away, over the top of his head so it doesn't seem like she's staring at him quite so much.)

[aeturnus]

[ It's just weird. Nobody likes to pay attention to the help, slinking around in the background to make their lives easier with nary a bit of acknowledgment when a job is well-done. The tables have turned far too much. ]

Yes, and to... understand more. About the things around you.

[scholiast]

Yes.

(Her voice is a little quiet now. Honestly, she's had too much time to think and understand the things around her. The chalice can go back already. She's tired of being in this body, of having Taako look at her like her very presence is causing him pain.)

[aeturnus]

[ He's quiet for a moment, then he glances over to her. Watches her in the moments she's not watching him. ]

Are you okay?

[scholiast]

Mmm.

(She shakes her head slowly, then sighs.) I... yeah. The same thing that has changed you has changed me too, and I'm finding it hard to get used to. That's all.

[aeturnus]

It has? How so?

[ His memories just aren't concrete enough for him to place a difference. It's definitely been frustrating to know things only so vaguely. ]

[scholiast]

Well, it seems I've been sent forward into the future by a good handful of years.

(This probably sounds bizarre to him.) Turns out, things have changed.

[aeturnus]

[ It's more than bizarre, but he's keeping up well enough. Trying to. Making it work somehow in his head. ]

Should they... not have?

[scholiast]

Not like this.

Maybe. I don't know.

(She sighs again, and folds her arms.) It's complicated.

[aeturnus]

I'm not much help with complicated... I apologize.

[ She didn't?? ask for help???? Romulus pls. ]

[scholiast]

It's alright. I don't know if I can talk about it, so it's moot, I suppose.

(Can't, or won't? Good dose of both, probably.)

Thank you all the same, though.

[aeturnus]

[ It doesn't really matter which since neither is his business. ]

It's nothing, Ma'am. [ There's a quick grimace, one step away from a flinch. ] Lucretia.

[scholiast]

(She actually laughs at that, unable to help herself.)

You're quite insistent on the Ma'am stuff, huh. Cain wasn't the same level of polite that you are.

[aeturnus]

It's only proper. [ His nose wrinkles. ] Slaves below free men, using their name is very poor manners.

[ Maybe it needs to be explained? If people here aren't used to people like him, maybe it just... is something they don't understand. He's not the same as them. ]

[scholiast]

Slaves?

(Her smile fades, replaced by a raised eyebrow.) Pardon, but what do you mean exactly?

(She thinks she knows, though, and abruptly feels quite sad about it.)