+1 Brat

[saturniapavonia]

 Ah, Roman Godfrey. He strolls with a lazy directionless pace and is unafraid to stare as much as he gets his own looks. What is with people? Finding a seat he reaches into his blazer for a cigarette and a lighter. Nexus doesn't have any rules about juveniles right? 

"So is this the part where I ask something philosophical or just start giving advice out of my ass?" His expression stays neutral until his mouth tilts in a slow smirk.

"Fine. I'll shoot. What do you do when you feel like you're meant to do something important but have no clue what it is?"

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[brave_heart_verity]

No Nexus cops are going to swoop down and stop Roman from smoking if that's his desire. Hurrah for anarchy, he can get a nice head-start on his lung cancer and hacking cough.

Verity hadn't been staring at him; she barely spared him a glance until he started talking, only making a mental note to stay out of the ring of stench that cigarette's going to create. (He's not terribly interesting, even compared to where she grew up. Pretty, maybe, but just not interesting to her.) That is, until she hears the sass.

He is one of her people.

"Better that than this being the part where you ask 'where am I' or 'oh god why am I on fire'," she points out with a deftly arched eyebrow. Her eyebrow skills are on point.

"You figure out what it isn't."

[saturniapavonia]

You never know! The law is really all about swooping in when you're having a good time. At least that is how it goes back home. Smoke easily rolls into his lungs and out into the air from his nostrils.

Good thing he can't read minds, Roman would be terrifically insulted to not be found interesting. He's a Godfrey. It's like being a Rockerfeller only relevant. Being insignificant in any other environment is not something he considered taking a jaunt into Nexus.

"I'm pretty hot, yeah," he's got enough sense to not snicker at his own delivery but touche, lady. "But besides that this is one of those uh head trips or dreams."

Oh. That actually would be good advice if there were so many things that weren't. "It's going to be along, long list."

[brave_heart_verity]

No good time ruining cops. The flip side being that there might be nobody who cares when he gets himself into trouble. Nothing's perfect.

The hell is a 'godfrey'? Rich people have never impressed her. People who hoard their money are pitiful at best. Don't even get her started, Roman, she's a democratic socialist from Manhattan. She knows how to throw down in these debates.

The comment gets the desired response in that she's looking him over, but... nope. Love is blind, in that it's blinded her to all other options. (And seriously, her boyfriend. So hot.) "You're not smoking anything interesting enough for that."

It's still good advice, he's just being lazy about it. "Yeah. It is. Welcome to adulthood."

[saturniapavonia]

The norm would usually be that Mrs. Godfrey would care if her boy was in trouble. Everyone else would rather he just fuck off. She's the one that taught him the importance of heritage.

A Godfrey. Ah. They're not too different fro all the other people with money. Roman doesn't know where it comes from outside of the bank. The Godfrey Institute makes money from whatever comes from the labs. He hasn't had the pleasure to meet any Manhattanites let alone democratic socialists.

She looks like that kind of artsy type. Cute. Probably pretentious. His green eyes blink and shrug. "This is the chaser." He's attractive enough for small time co-ed tail in Pennsylvania. "...You got anything that will really take me to Mars?"

"Tediousness and obvious things. Do the wonders ever stop?"

[brave_heart_verity]

Yeah, but mommy isn't here, is she?

He may want to look into that someday. Or not. They say that ignorance is bliss.

People keep thinking that about her. That she's artsy and pretentious. She keeps wondering how long until they're disappointed. Not that she much cares about disappointing them; her curiosity is scientific. "Me personally? No. People here? In both the literal and figurative sense."

"Oh, my guy, you haven't even gotten to the taxes yet. Trust me, you have not lived until you've filled out a 1040." She shouldn't sound so serious about that.

[saturniapavonia]

May all of Nexus and Roman breathe a sigh of relief that Olivia Godfrey is not here. Even if that would give him some kind of true mark of importance. And really though, aren't children always seen as far more grand in the eyes of their parent?

For now his eyes are on the present. It's a rookie move.

Well, has she seen herself? It's the hair, the glasses and the tattoos. To one that doesn't know any better it's all a crafted image. "Are you talking like someone who knows or someone who just has no idea?" Roman winks a green eye. She looks like she could toke if she wanted to. Besides any adult that's given him drugs has never actually given him drugs.

"I'm going to hire someone else to do that shit." He even scoffs about it. "Does the IRS even reach this far?"

[brave_heart_verity]

That's the ideal. Considering her parents aren't speaking to her, she's not sure she's the one to ask about these things.

It's a very carefully crafted image, yes. Absolutely. But the reasons for the care and the craft aren't what he thinks. The wink isn't any more impressive than anything else he's done. "I've never been to Mars, literally or figuratively, but people here have both psychotropics and space ships." It is so matter-of-fact with her, so boring. Like she doesn't do either because she just can't be bothered.

Which is pretty true.

"I don't think so, but you're going to have to go home before curfew. Don't want to get grounded, do you?"

[saturniapavonia]

Parents are overrated. Roman thinks it now and again, even when all he has he owes to her. But all he's been denied is also her doing.

She is giving him attention. That's what this is about. "I've had a good trip, bad ones too." Are they talking about the same things? He shrugs his lanky shoulders. "If I'm not high and you're not either we're either doing something wrong..."

"Why? Going to call the nonexistent cops?" Roman taps ash and rubs his nose and mouth.

[brave_heart_verity]

He'd feel differently if his parents were gone and he had to make do on his own.

Ah, any attention is good attention? Poor boy. "Or you're very lost?" She supplies the last part because she's a very helpful person, really. "It's probably that."

"No, you don't look like you need any help getting in trouble."

[damn_yourself_early]

"Start doing things!" comes the exuberant suggestion from someone even younger than Roman. But what is he wearing? "You'll either hit on what you're supposed to do, or definitely figure out what you're not!"

[saturniapavonia]

He stiffens and turns. Who let's kids just run around here? Is it Halloween or is that a movie that is out or something? "Yeah?" Seriously where is his mom. "Where's the party kid?"

[damn_yourself_early]

"Oh, it's always a party with me," Loki replies. Funny question, about his mom. "I'm very hip, you know. So what's your deal?"

[saturniapavonia]

"Costume party," he adds because well, that's the only way he can make sense of the get up. "I'm sure you're the life of em." Yeah. Sure.

"Just dropped in. What's yours?"

[damn_yourself_early]

"At least I dressed like this on purpose," he counters.

"Arts 'n crafts time," he answers the question. "I'm making a future! There might be glittery macaroni, I haven't decided."

[saturniapavonia]

"You mean there's a purpose besides partying?" Surprise, surprise.

Roman is nice enough to not blow smoke in Loki's face. He's still looking around expecting a parental unit to swoop in and save little Timmy or whatever his name is. "Here I was thinking the future would be robots and chrome. Glittery macaroni."

https://bitly.im/LFqU8

[damn_yourself_early]

"There's a party where they let you dress like that?" Backhand!

That's a nice favor. Loki, in turn, will not bring Thori here sometime to blow "smoke" in Roman's face (having a literal hellhound puppy makes paper-training interesting). "What if we're not in the future?"

[saturniapavonia]

A stumble but clean volley right back atcha. "Uh yeah. What, you just decide to pull that on or did someone pick it out for you?"

Just goes to show a little consideration saves in the long run. If only this was something Roman was more mindful of first hand. He just isn't going to bully a perceived child. "Of course not. No hoverboards, no Transformers, no robots... No indication that this is the future."

I approve of your muse choice A+

[mybadhabit]

"Philosophical questions tend to get a better response if you're looking for attention." The amount of attention Sonic had been paying to Roman was about the same as the amount he gave everyone else when he was people watching; not a lot, until he started speaking. Compared to the aliens and monsters that occasionally wander through, the average person just isn't that interesting. A disillusioned teenager, though? That's just cute. "Everyone has an opinion, after all, and everyone wants theirs to be the right one."

"As for your question," a shrug, and Sonic folds his hands behind his head as he reclines back in his tree. "Either I go through my training exercises in order to prepare for whatever it is I'm supposed to do, or I go find someone to hit until I feel better."

"Depends on my mood."

thank you! <3

[saturniapavonia]

There would be a ridiculous amount of indignation if he had any idea that Sonic thought of him as an average person. Disillusioned youth is a little better. Cute? That's something he'd have to consider. It sounds patronizing. "Philosophy isn't about right answers." Earning a D in it meant that he knew that much. It would have been higher if he were present physically or mentally. "Okay, here's one for you. If a snake eats it's tail will it disappear or just turn inside out?"

Which is so much better than if a tree falls in the forest does it make a sound?

"What if you don't know what it is so you can't prepare for it?"

[mybadhabit]

The cute is absolutely patronizing. Congratulations, Roman! You've stumbled upon one of the residents of the Nexus who is at least as arrogant and self-absorbed as you are. And he's older, so he gets to be a dick about it.

"The absence of a right answer does not stop people from wanting to be right." Really Roman, you of all people should know that. "And it will do neither; instead, it will continue eating itself for the rest of eternity."

"Prepare for everything." He shrugs. "Being over-prepared is far more preferable to being under-prepared."

[saturniapavonia]

It also means that he's being checked out. You're not his type dude. Not one bit. Roman sniffs and rubs his nose giving this piece of work a once over with his spooky green eyes.

"But then we're talking about want. What I want and what you want, they're different." Just calling it right there. And yes, he should know that his desire for being correct should make him right. Should. But it doesn't. Possibly not ever.

"Preparing for everything is what Y2K was about." And Roman Godfrey would be damned if he's stocking up on canned beans and toilet paper when that feeling in his gut is real.

[mybadhabit]

Wow, no, Roman would have to be at least a billion times more impressive for Sonic to be interested in him as anything more than a chew toy. He should consider himself lucky he even made it up that idea. Spooky eyes don't even do Roman any favors; Sonic just stares right back with a smirk like a cat toying with a mouse.

"All of life revolves around the concept of want. You want to eat, you want to survive, you want to thrive." He shrugs one shoulder with a dismissive flick of his wrist. "All philosophy does is define the ideals you follow in order to achieve your particular wants."

"What's Y2K?"

[saturniapavonia]

Deep, deep down, he knows that he is ugly, odd and a parasite. That's why he'd like for someone, anyone to see him and think he's something. Maybe it's good to merely be a chew toy for the likes of Sonic. No eye tricks here. Not now. He stares back.

Now we're talking with weirdos. Peter would be proud.

"Or it just makes people talk out of their ass." Which is what Roman has been doing. Hah.

His eyebrows lift at the question. "Are you for real? Before the year 2000 they thought that computers would just fuck themselves unable to process the number, all systems would be destroyed or corrupt or melt, the sky would fall. The world would end."

[mybadhabit]

Aren't dumpster levels of self-esteem masked by swaggering arrogance a thing of beauty? Sonic might have a pretty face, but the insecurity about his worth as a person run deep, weigh heavy on his mind like a nagging little demon whispering tidbits of self-doubt in his ear.

It's always been easier to dismiss others rather than deal with the uncertainty.

Besides, Roman's still a teenager. Give him a few years, maybe he'll grow into his gangles and cut an impressive figure of a man.

"Nothing wrong with talking out of your ass if you can do it convincingly!" Sonic chirps, flashing a toothy smile before dropping out of the tree with all the grace of a cat. Down on the ground, his wide grin and sharp-eyed stare might seem a little less impressive, considering his towering height of a whopping 5'7".

"A computer based apocalypse?" he scoffs, his grin shifting into a sneer, then into a frown as he considers the information. Now, was that before or after he left his village for Z City? It sounds like something someone would have mentioned before, but he can't recall anything about computers coming up in his crash-course pop-culture lessons. "Must not have happened where I'm from. Or if it did, it must not have been a big enough concern compared to the monsters suddenly rampaging through the streets."

[saturniapavonia]

That does seem to be the norm for people with very poor self image, yes. And between the two of them it would have been excellent to have good, solid role models for mental health. There's no way for him to see that Sonic had any chances. Roman sure as hell didn't. He knows about those nagging whispers. It's impossible to hell who they belong to. There are so many and they wait until there's silence and darkness.

There is so much darkness now than there used to be.

Sonic is, if anything, very athletic. The catapulting motion of coming down from his tree gets a golf clap out of Roman. What is up with this guy? He fits his cigarette in his teeth and...takes two steps closer.

"They thought it would be a computer apocalypse. It was just a miscalcuation, a conspiracy theory. Nothing really happened." Monsters though? He blinks. "What kind of monsters?"