—atrophy

romulus. 27. hacker with a guilty conscience.

[writeaholic]

“I’m cool if you have your own opinions. Just if you don’t preach it out every few seconds.” There’s a momentary silence as she listens to him; he was smart, or at least smarter than the other people she had met here. Being great and smart had a large distinction; which was forgotten easily at MI6. “That’s a first. Usually people can’t tolerate me. But I can’t tolerate anyone, so I guess that’s okay.”

[hxckd-blog]

He never thinks to give his opinion often - Romulus keeps to himself, for the most part. “I’m sure that’s not true,” he says, giving a small smile. It wasn't as though everyone was the same; surely some people have to like her, and she can't dislike everybody.

[identityxnknown-deactivated2015]

“Both, usually,” Nine said, flicking her eyes sideways for just a moment as a smile cracked across her face. Her sparring partner swept his right hand around, and she ducked, striking his side with a one-two jab of her own. 

When she moved back to her resting position, waiting for retaliation, she called out, “What about you? Are you trying — ” she dodged another swipe  “ — and failing, I might add, to distract me, or are you just curious?”  

[hxckd-blog]

“Both,” he repeated almost curiously, amused by it. Sure, he had things to do, but they could wait a half hour or so before he really had to get back to them.

At her question, he gave a shrug, gaze still following her movements. ”Just curious.” The fact that he was a Q was beyond obvious (too frail to fight, not to mention the laptop he always brought with him), and he probably shouldn’t have been in there, but he couldn’t resist going down to watch every so often. Was this the sort of thing his brother had put himself through?

[identityxnknown-deactivated2015]

“I can tell you’ve been practicing,” Nine said breathlessly, dodging a clip from her sparring partner and responding with a lash of her own. “Your body work is much stronger than usual.”

[hxckd-blog]

Romulus could only watch from the sidelines, laptop set aside. This was something he wished he could do, but would probably never be able to. “Are you trying to distract them or spar with them?” he questioned, raising an eyebrow in Nine’s direction.

[hxckd-blog]

@passingnoah, @rosalinefielding

[hxckd-blog]

@quartermalster, @lydiamoretti, @emerywagner

[hxckd-blog]

@crypto-q, @avaredrick, @laurenmadsens, @hxckd, @orionjarett, @jones-cosette, @oliverturner

[terrvrs]

“Then I won’t pick it up again.“ The novelty of robotics and prosthetics aside–Tarek liked his hands. They were quick with a trigger and deft with a knife, and the pleasure he got from tinkering with new weapons didn’t balance with the risk of losing them. “008.” He nodded to the violin. “Is that your work?”

[hxckd-blog]

“Good.” Romulus would have left it at the name he was given - rather, the number - but the agent asked a question, and he couldn’t think to do much but respond. “No; I’m pretty sure it’s older than I am. Most of what I do is on the computer side of things rather than the physical.” He could make something like that, maybe, but he wouldn’t think to do so unless asked to create an item of that nature.

[hxckd-blog]

@0-0-1, @aurcl, @00three, @jacobrbale, @nathanwilsxn, @andrewmaskall, @orbis-non-sufficit, @008-tarek, @identityxnknown

[pietrocaruso-blog1]

“What? Look, When a person has to go, a person has to go. Whoever’s in the lady’s bathroom is either a. dead b. a lactose intolerant idiot who consumed lactose hoping their intolerance no longer existed or c. having really quiet sex.” Ava paused for a breath and, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, resumed, “I couldn’t wait forever. Besides, it’s just a sign. Men’s room, lady’s room, men’s room, lady’s room. Whatever. Instead of staring at me like I’ve committed a heinous crime, you should be thanking me since you’ll find it smells quite nice in there – cinnamon and lavender, to be specific. It smelt like vomit before. Anyway, it’s free now.”

[hxckd-blog]

As the woman finished her rant, Romulus gave her a halfhearted smile, gesturing vaguely towards her. “I was only trying to tell you your fly’s down,” he said, hoping not to embarrass her (or himself). “I hope you understand.”

[writeaholic]

“Fair, fair.” Her mouth forms a frown as she scoots towards her screen again, smothering the joint in its ashtray. “Thought you were one of those anti-drug assholes for a second there, and all that. Glad to see you’re not like the other snobs here.” She comments offhandedly.

[hxckd-blog]

“Every man - and woman, what have you - should have their own choice, no?” Half a smile strikes his features as the rest of her comment registers, and he looks to her again. “Thanks, I think. You’re not half bad yourself.”

[terrvrs]

“I’m not incompetent.“ But he allowed Romulus to take it, letting his fingers slacken so the instrument slid smooth and fluid from his palm. It didn’t matter much to him. Clearly it did to the Q, hands shaking, hackles raised. And he can’t help but make light, dissipate the tension. “But you could build me mechanical hands.“

[hxckd-blog]

“I could,” he muttered with a sidelong glance, before his gaze fixed on the violin. “Doesn’t mean I would, but I could.” He wasn’t normally this aggressive, but he was the one who’d left the violin out, and he didn’t want another person dead (or hurt) because of his . . naiveté. “Which number are you supposed to be, then?” Romulus didn’t often pay attention to faces and names, not unless it was a person he communicated with often - which this person was not.

[writeaholic]

“Alright, alright… but only if you tell me why. Tradeoff, or whatever.” The joint is placed precariously over the ashtray she’s got set up for herself. She doesn’t hide her curiosity, not when she’s in a state like this; and it’s not as if she was ever known for sweetness, but instead ragged edges that she occasionally even cut herself upon.

[hxckd-blog]

“Asthma.” His reply is blunt, and his gaze returns to his laptop screen yet again. This, at least, he can do, no matter how weak his body gets, and his hands don’t shake quite as much when he types. “Fair?” Romulus would rather get back to his work than talk to her, but he can’t completely blow her off - that would be  b e y o n d  rude, and he’s not that sort of person.

[terrvrs]

“I’m a bit out of practice. But it my defense–“ Lowering the violin, he ran his thumb down the neck, paused–and applying pressure on a secret latch popped it open to reveal– “A bomb. That’s why the sound is off.” It was one of the earlier weapon prototypes, dated and archaic, but he enjoyed rifling through the antiques. Never know what you might find.

[hxckd-blog]

“Yes, a bomb,” Romulus said quickly, pulling it from the man’s hands, “and one that still works, which is why you’re not supposed to pick it up.” His hands trembled as he set the instrument down on the counter again, before he shoved them in his pockets. “Didn’t anyone tell you? I might be in Q branch, but I can’t sew your hands back on if you blow them off.”

[writeaholic]

Her head lulls back, almost in the notion of her cracking her neck, only for her gaze to land back on him. “What'cha mean?” A thumb flicks the joint while bits of ash scatter over her desk. The desk itself is a breathing entity of it’s own; if you didn’t know who’s it was, it looked like it could’ve devoured you. "Weed’s never killed anyone, you know.“

[hxckd-blog]

“I’m not just anyone,” he says, words accompanied by a weak chuckle. It isn’t said cockily, but rather regretfully. There’s many reasons he never joined his brother in sports or in the military, and asthma is one of those things, among many others. “Really, could you put it out just for today? I’ll set up somewhere else tomorrow.”

[petramacdonald-blog]

“I’m still absolutely ignoring you, but – repeat that bit for me?”

[hxckd-blog]

“I was asking if you could turn that down, just a little. That’s all.”

[writeaholic]

“What? It’s a cheat day. Unless you want one.” Lauren pulls a well placed joint from her lips, shaking the box of twinkies in front of her intended victim.

[hxckd-blog]

Romulus’ gaze rests on her for a long moment more before he shakes his head. “I’m good. Thanks, though,” he says, turning his attention back to his computer. It’s another few seconds before he cast her a sidelong glance, looking now to the joint. It’s going to make him sick, he knows, but can he really ask her to put it out?

“I’m not saying that’s going to kill you, but it might kill me, so . .”

[hxckd-blog]

Home.

home: in what type of environment do you feel most safe?

"Anywhere I can have my computer and internet. I can’t get out of every situation with it, but I can come pretty damn close.”