[ 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

[greyjane]

[A bit of a laugh--]

Okay, not quite that high. There's no air up there. The atmosphere - what we breathe - is sort of like a giant ball around the planet.

[She makes constructs as she talks, to demonstrate her meaning. One solid bright blue ball surrounded by a more transparent layer. This is one area she probably could get into the straight science of, but she doesn't think describing things like stratosphere would do aught but confuse him.]

Once we pass this layer, we - people, humans - stop being able to breathe. And space is also quite cold.

[aeturnus]

[ Romulus sits back a bit, looks on in awe. Not being able to breathe sounds like a bummer and he doesn't want to go that far, but knowing this now is amazing. ]

Are clouds out of reach?

[greyjane]

[Her smile's a bit soft and wistful.]

No. We can touch clouds if you'd like.

[An easy request, in the grand scheme of things.]

[aeturnus]

I'd like to do that.

[ As close to the sky as possible. The sky's never been tied down before, and he wants to be up there with it. ]

[greyjane]

[She gestures to his plate.]

Then eat up. Anything you don't finish now we can save for later, and there's plenty more so don't you worry about eating me out of house and home. We can go when you're finished up and ready.

[A pause.]

And has anybody told you about showers yet?

[aeturnus]

[ There's an odd moment where he absorbs the information about dinner, then finishes his plate. He hesitates for a moment before getting up to serve himself more, watching Shai the whole time from the corner of his eyes.

Some of that tension breaks when she asks that, though. ]

Yes. Yeah. I know about showers.

[greyjane]

[She pointedly looks at other things, because that boy is not subtle about that observation. Goodness gracious, is that a clock on the wall? How fascinating.]

Oh good. So I don't have to extol their virtue at length. Make sure you take as many of those as you please, too.

[aeturnus]

[ It helps set him at ease, being invisible in a very obvious way, and he serves himself more before sitting back down at the table. He seems to be in a good mood about it, however. ]

They're amazing. Strange to get used to but... I like them.

[greyjane]

Nothing quite like a hot shower after a hard day.

[It's the only luxury in her life she'll go out of her way unnecessarily to enjoy. Everything else she can live without in a pinch but by god, take away her showers and she'll riot.

(Nothing so dramatic, of course, she can make do without them, but it's entirely the principle of the thing.)]

All right, you sit and enjoy that, I'm going to finish up the dishes. No guilt, all right? I mean it.

[aeturnus]

[ When she says that, he pauses. Watches her and searches her expression with pursed lips. Not scared or worried, but teases of uncertainty he tries not to let show. It doesn't make sense to him when he's here to help, but... well, he's not always here to help, so... maybe? ]

... Okay, Shai.

[greyjane]

[Learns quick, this one. She spares a cavalier smile for him and then focuses on the remaining clean-up. The food's cooled enough now that she pops what remains into a container in the fridge, reminding him that he's free to have more if he wants it. The stove gets a wipe, the floor gets swept, and before long the whole thing is spotless as if it'd never been used at all. She gives her handiwork a satisfied nod and then comes back to the table where he's (presumably) finished his food.]

I'm ready if you are, darling.

[aeturnus]

[ When he's finished, Romulus gets up to wash his own dishes, a compromise for himself while Shai continues the rest of the cleaning. He finishes up after she's done and smiles halfway with his head ducked. ]

I don't know if ready is the right word... But let's do it. Please.

[greyjane]

[She gives him a once-over, studying him a bit briefly and then she nods to herself.]

Reckon you'll be able to wear one of my coats. Gets cold, the higher up you go.

[So she heads out of the kitchen, stopping at the closet just beside the front door to rummage. She doesn't own any excessive amounts of anything else but food, but she has a few sturdy looking coats Just in Case. She doesn't need them unless she's in a blackwall, but she does certainly hate being taken unawares.]

Okay. Think we're about set.

[aeturnus]

[ Can't breathe, not warm... It doesn't sound very welcoming the higher up you go, but then again, it's a place for wonderful, wonderful things. Of course it's difficult to get there.

He follows her obediently, pausing when she does and then takes the coat offered to him and tries it on. Not really his size but he can already tell it will be comfortable. That's the most he cares about right now. ]

Ready to go?

[greyjane]

Born ready, darling. C'mon.

[Annnd out the door she goes. She locks it behind Romulus once he's outside, and then tucks her hands into the pockets of the hoodie she'd thrown on. It's been a while since she's done something like this, frivolous for the sake of frivolity. It'll be fun.

But she'd rather not do it in the middle of town, where everyone can see a bright blue spire of energy. She doesn't care about the scrutiny, or the questions that would follow, it's just-- tedious to explain half a dozen times over.

So she leads him out of the city a ways, chattering along the way about nothing in particular. And once they've reached a spot that she deems ideal, she just throws up a construct. It's not a gradual process, it doesn't have to grow or build upon itself, she just imagines it and it exists. Nor does it - as a structure - need supports or braces or beams to hold it aloft. Energy manipulation is, at its core, more mental than physical.

The end result is a spiral staircase in that electric blue shade, faintly transparent and awash with a warm glow. She sets her foot down on the first step, one hand on the elegant scrollwork railing she'd magicked up, and looks over her shoulder at him.]

Long way to the top. Think you can manage?

[-- She's teasing, kid.]