05-31-2022, 12:02 AM
A pleasant hum left Romulus. Her response was satisfactory and what he wanted to hear, after all. The busier they were often was aligned with conflict that occurred, so some peace and quiet was rather needed. In fact, even somewhat rewarding. With the sky above in a flurry of colors and the presence of a friend by his side, the kingpin could feel his breath begin to slow and mind start to clear. The present faded into view. For the first time in awhile, he could take a moment to live and spend it with someone who appreciated his presence without any underlying motive. Even his family couldn't do that...
Purple hues marveled in the warm sky above them. He listened to her intense spiel with interest, reconsidering his position on what laid above them. "I suppose that is why we keep beautiful things at a distance then," he mumbled inquisitively. Romulus' lips flatly pulled back as his browline furrowed, hesitantly questioning the validity of his response. The statement stood true though. The lion rarely let someone lurk in his thoughts for so long without any boundaries. He preferred to stand alone in his endeavors for his own safety and sanity. He had cared too much before, only to watch his family die before him in the span of months. Never again.
Yet he could feel something tugging on his insides. A member of his past stood before him with open paws, despite the negative connotations before them. Fate had brought them here. Whether that be to continue on or for closure, he did not know. He let his gaze wander away from the sky as she spoke, only to find her own eyes upon him and a smile subtly across her maw. His lips tugged back to echo her sympathy. "I wouldn't take fate to be cruel," he echoed back softly. "Maybe there's an end goal in mind." Was the future worth losing a friend though? Ximen's death was a tragedy, not a poetic exit from this world. Romulus bit his tongue as the thought arose, hoping for the best for the both of them. There was no need to damper the mood. "After all, we are here reunited and enjoying the quiet. Let's enjoy that while it lasts," he ended with.
He found himself leaning forward as she continued to speak, outlining her tragedies over the last two years. A hesitant laugh echoed hers as she finished. "I would not have taken you for a drinker," he honestly admitted. "We all have our demons and a need to cope with the downsides of our lives though." She drank, he dreamed. Was it so bad to indulge every now and then? Not excessively, of course. A guilty pleasure could enrapture someone so easily, as it had done in his past, but as world around him improved, he did not feel so inclined to indulge. Without a getaway, Romulus could only think he would have gone insane. Maybe the same was for Merlin? He didn't want to press too much, given her lighthearted facade, and kept that analysis to himself. Perhaps a different time.
What had he been up to though? Romulus, unlike his father, did not actively speak on his accomplishments, but Merlin had given him the chance. He hesitantly opened his jaws. Lost for words, he let out a sigh. "Work," came his blunt answer. "Fixing the mistakes my predecessors made and hoping the Coalition of the Condemned would make better choices after years of worthless rebuttals and revenge." Romulus wanted to relieve himself the pressure of pleasing his parents, who were dead at the time, and to create a better environment for those that remained to prevent their grief. He had succeeded for the most part. Though... a bump in a road always occurred. "As you can see, we're in a bit of a predicament now though." The paw opposite to her lifted up to his face and scratched as his cranium. A hesitant laugh exited him after a few moments. "We can't catch a break, can we?"
He shook his head in displeasure and lowered his gaze and paw to the floor in shame. In this moment, Romulus took notice of the proximity of her paw. The lion chose not to acknowledge her comfort verbally and looked back up with a smile in an attempt to offer mutual solace in their quiet moment.
Purple hues marveled in the warm sky above them. He listened to her intense spiel with interest, reconsidering his position on what laid above them. "I suppose that is why we keep beautiful things at a distance then," he mumbled inquisitively. Romulus' lips flatly pulled back as his browline furrowed, hesitantly questioning the validity of his response. The statement stood true though. The lion rarely let someone lurk in his thoughts for so long without any boundaries. He preferred to stand alone in his endeavors for his own safety and sanity. He had cared too much before, only to watch his family die before him in the span of months. Never again.
Yet he could feel something tugging on his insides. A member of his past stood before him with open paws, despite the negative connotations before them. Fate had brought them here. Whether that be to continue on or for closure, he did not know. He let his gaze wander away from the sky as she spoke, only to find her own eyes upon him and a smile subtly across her maw. His lips tugged back to echo her sympathy. "I wouldn't take fate to be cruel," he echoed back softly. "Maybe there's an end goal in mind." Was the future worth losing a friend though? Ximen's death was a tragedy, not a poetic exit from this world. Romulus bit his tongue as the thought arose, hoping for the best for the both of them. There was no need to damper the mood. "After all, we are here reunited and enjoying the quiet. Let's enjoy that while it lasts," he ended with.
He found himself leaning forward as she continued to speak, outlining her tragedies over the last two years. A hesitant laugh echoed hers as she finished. "I would not have taken you for a drinker," he honestly admitted. "We all have our demons and a need to cope with the downsides of our lives though." She drank, he dreamed. Was it so bad to indulge every now and then? Not excessively, of course. A guilty pleasure could enrapture someone so easily, as it had done in his past, but as world around him improved, he did not feel so inclined to indulge. Without a getaway, Romulus could only think he would have gone insane. Maybe the same was for Merlin? He didn't want to press too much, given her lighthearted facade, and kept that analysis to himself. Perhaps a different time.
What had he been up to though? Romulus, unlike his father, did not actively speak on his accomplishments, but Merlin had given him the chance. He hesitantly opened his jaws. Lost for words, he let out a sigh. "Work," came his blunt answer. "Fixing the mistakes my predecessors made and hoping the Coalition of the Condemned would make better choices after years of worthless rebuttals and revenge." Romulus wanted to relieve himself the pressure of pleasing his parents, who were dead at the time, and to create a better environment for those that remained to prevent their grief. He had succeeded for the most part. Though... a bump in a road always occurred. "As you can see, we're in a bit of a predicament now though." The paw opposite to her lifted up to his face and scratched as his cranium. A hesitant laugh exited him after a few moments. "We can't catch a break, can we?"
He shook his head in displeasure and lowered his gaze and paw to the floor in shame. In this moment, Romulus took notice of the proximity of her paw. The lion chose not to acknowledge her comfort verbally and looked back up with a smile in an attempt to offer mutual solace in their quiet moment.
ROMULUS MALUS
kingpin — lion — coalition of the condemned — tags