Romeo wasn’t quite sure how he ended up at this party. One moment he was on a casual date with some guy and then his date suggested a party. Before he knew it Roo was a few beers in and a line down in the bathroom. He’d long since lost his ‘date’ who knows how long ago and was now making his way through the unfamiliar house trying to find a bathroom. Every door he looked in was wrong and he felt like he had gone in circles and opened every door except the bathrooms at least twice. Maybe he was just fucked up though. He wasn’t sure. Anxiety started kicking in when he realized he didn’t recognize anyone there to ask either. When he finally opened one last door he came face to face with none other than Randy. His eyes went wide for a moment and he took a step back. “Oh, uh, hey. Didn’t expect to see you here. This wouldn’t happen to be the bathroom would it?”
“Randy?!” Roo’s eyes went wide. He really shouldn’t have been drinking and he shouldn’t have mixed alcohol with pills. “He’s very attractive and I can’t help but feel myself drawn to him. I want to get to know him better. Maybe hook up some more and see where things go. I don’t care what other people say about him. I can see the good.” And he would just ignore the bad. His hands felt shaky and his eyes were a bit glossy. “I think I need some water because if I keep talking I’ll just embarrass myself.”
so far the night had felt really great, he had got to meet with some of the friends he hadn’t got to see in what felt like so long and it had him lift his spirits just that bit more, admiring the pretty decorations around them and thinking about how much work must have put into an event like this, the room was so big and the turn out was great, he was wondering if maybe he could speak to whoever helped put all of this together about putting together a sort of fundraising event for the animal shelter when he accidentally bumps into someone, nothing too bad, just knocking shoulders, but he still felt bad all the same once he was brought back, looking over at the other with wide, apologetic eyes. “oh, i’m so sorry! i, um…i was really deep in thought…and you’d think this sort of thing would happen more often because i kind of daydream all the time, but…anyway…you’re okay, right? um, i could get you something to make up for it, whatever ya want!” // @littleluddy
Romeo had never gone to an event like this before. It was huge and hosted in such a large space. He’d never realized how many treasures Walt Grove actually had. He was looking around, sipping on a kiddie cocktail as he was too nervous to ask the bartender for a real drink. Though, he wouldn’t mind one. When someone bumped into him it startled him a bit and he flinched. “Oh! I’m totally fine. No worries.” Roo offers the other guy a smile. “Are you okay?” he asked. Then the guy offers him something to make up for it. “You could, like, totally get me a drink. The same thing gets boring after a while, you know?”
If there was someone’s company that Romeo had always enjoyed it was Elaine’s. Previously she had been his babysitter when he was a child, but he had always looked up to the woman. Even now he still felt close to her. She was like a big sister and Roo really loved that for the two of them. Maybe it was strange for them to be in a cafe together, sharing conversation over bread bowls of soup, but Roo didn’t care. He’d brought along his school books in hopes she would help. He knew how Elaine was though and she needed Roo just as much as he needed her. “How’s art going?” he asked her. “You know, we’re kind of similar that way. Photography is kind of an art form if you think of it. Would you consider it one?”
“Okay, so just stand like that. Actually move your hand slightly lower. Right there! Stop! Okay, perfect,” Romeo says as he looks at Peri through a camera lens. He had one eye open and one eye looking through the camera hole to focus properly on the photograph he was taking. Peri was a great model for what he was doing. They didn’t mind the cold and they also just seemed super chill. Roo dug their vibe. “Alright, you can relax now. I think I have the perfect shot.” He stands up straight and pulls up the camera’s most recent photograph then groans. “God dammit. It’s blurry. It must have not been focused properly.” His brows furrow together and he sighs. “Do you mind if I try one more time?”
Berlioz was one of the people that Romeo could be around and not have to really put up a façade. The other boy just seemed to get him. And, in a fucked up way, it helped that they were into the same thing. Which just happened to be pills. Roo had popped a few before meeting up with Berlioz at the mall. Roo wanted to buy something nice for his mom for the holidays, but he was also in a really bad headspace that evening and wasn’t sure that was going to happen. His eyes were glossy and his heartrate was erratic. Nothing he wasn’t used to. Currently they were just sitting in the food court. Romeo had a smoothie and he kept chewing on the straw. When that grew tired he began pulling the straw in and out of the lid, causing an awful screeching sound. He only stopped when Berlioz said something and he looked up. “What?” he asked. “I didn’t hear you.”
“Hi, Tim!” Roo greeted cheerfully as the man entered his home. “Mom’s not here right now, but I’m always glad to see you.” He smiled brightly at the older man. Roo truly loved Timothy. He’d always been like an older brother to Roo and since he never had a father of his own it was something he needed. Sure, he had his Gramps but Tim had a different demeanor than that. “It’s nice of you to stop over though. Um, we could hang out if you want. I don’t know what we would do though. It’s not too cold. We could go take pictures at the park or go get dinner even. I am a bit hungry.” Though Roo’s happy and cheerful demeanor had faded over the years it was always genuine with Timothy. “Or, we could order pizza and play video games if you’d like!”
Romeo had his fair share of problems, but when he was with certain people they all seemed to disappear. Prilla was one of those people. She was so lively and full of cheer. Roo really appreciated her company. It was nice to even just spend time studying with her. His home was a safe place for him and he rarely invited people over, but Prilla was the type of person he felt he could trust. It was his first time inviting her over. They were in his room, books sprawled out on his floor where they sat. They’d been studying for well over an hour now, chatting in between. “Alright,” Roo finally said. “I think it’s time for a break. Would you like a snack or something?”
It seemed that from the start of his life Romeo didn’t stand a fighting chance. He didn’t know his father and his mother was so young when she gave birth to him. He was born early. A few weeks only, but still early enough to raise problems. His mom tells him she never doubted he would make it though. As a child he enjoyed the story but as he grew older he’s become more cynical and sometimes thinks maybe things would be easier if he didn’t fight for his life at such a young age.
Has always been very inquisitive. Asking questions about anyone and anything. He was thankful he had his mother there to answer all these questions though.
Was very, very close to his grandparents growing up. Especially since he lived with them most of his life. He loves them dearly and it may seem odd, but he’s his mom had him young enough to be able to spend a long time with his grandparents.
His grandpa nicknamed him ‘Roo.’ He said Romeo was a nice name but everyone deserves a nickname too.
Roo adores his mom’s friends and the people he grew up with on Hundred Acres Street. They were all very different from one another and he likes to think he picked up a few good traits from them.
Discovered he was gay at a pretty young age. Probably around early middle school years age. Isn’t quite sure how he came to the conclusion but does remember realizing it one day.
High school sucked. He hated it and he grew very suicidal during it, going as far as hurting himself at times. He never wanted his mother to worry though. He was very good at covering his tracks and putting on a happy face.
Social media terrifies him. It can make or break a person. Barely used it in high school, only uses it a little more now to post his photography. He has an Instagram for his photos but rarely posts anything personal like pictures of himself or life updates.
The older guy he met while in high school showed him a side of the world that Romeo never knew existed. He felt like he was on cloud nine but then someone found out, leaked pictures of him with the guy all over school, and outed him. Roo didn’t go to school for three weeks after that. It was traumatizing and he cried to his mom for days and felt like such a disappointment though she always assured him that he was not and that she loved him.
The accident he got into with the guys at school was rough. He still has scars from it and was pretty badly bruised. After that though he was sick of feeling pathetic and weak. He trained as hard as he could to get stronger. And although he would never throw the first punch it makes him feel better knowing he can defend himself.
Christopher Robin came in the form of a blessing in disguise. He finally felt like he had someone to talk to and Christopher was that person.
His photography collection is probably his most prized possession. Specifically, a photo of him, his mom, and grandparents he took. It was taken on his very first camera. He set it up on a tripod and used a timer. It may not be the best quality and his grandpa may be blinking from the flash, but it’s his favorite nonetheless.
Roo thought college would be a breeze compared to high school, but it wasn’t. He still struggles a lot with mental health and coming to terms with other things from the past. The classes were hard though. Well, not necessarily the photography ones but the general education classes he was required to take were a struggle. He was always a bright kid and did decent in school but college level courses were so different and advanced that he couldn’t wrap his head around them.
Then came the pills. Those helped ease the pain in his mind and helped him focus better in school. Almost over night his grades got better as did his focus. He wasn’t tapping his pen against his notebook or doodling all the time. He was more engaged, focused, and alert.
Pills started with some Adderall and Vyvanse but he’s been known to pop molly/ecstasy on occasion. He knows he shouldn’t be doing them and knows his mother would be so disappointed in him if she found out, but he’s too far in to stop now.
When he can’t take pills he hits a vape. It keeps the edge off for a little while.
Paris has been a dream of his for a long time. At the beginning of his second year of college he dropped an additional math class to start taking French. He took French for two years in high school but is very rusty. He knows if he ever wants to live there he’ll need to speak the language!
He doesn’t like to think about the past. It makes him depressed about how he turned out. He used to be so care-free and happy. Now he’s...kind of numb, if he’s being honest with himself. Maybe it’s from the pills or maybe he just grew up too fast. He isn’t sure, but he sorta hates himself.
Kangaroos are his favorite animal for obvious reasons.
Aside from photography one of his hobbies is baking. He was always baking with his mom growing up and can make some really great cookies and pastries. Cooking is another story though. He’s mediocre at best.
Going back to social media, he does have a snapchat. He likes the photo filters on there. He only has about 10-20 snapchat friends. Doesn’t add strangers and builds some sort of trust between the other person before adding them. Has multiple private stories so only a few people can see certain things.
He’s very private about his life though and a very good liar when it comes to talking about it.
All of Romeo’s life has been about his mother. She had him when he was fairly young and she did her best to raise him in her home with her parents at Hundred Acre Street. And when her parents died and she was left with the home and a very young Roo, she truly had to go into superwoman mode. She was incredible and Roo knew that no matter what he ended up doing with his life, he wanted to make it a good one for her. She was kind, tough, and took care of what she needed to. Roo may of had to be watched by her friends during his days off from school sometimes, but it was okay because he adored all of them. They were all so good to his mom and he was a model child in return. Of course he could be a little too energetic sometimes, but he did his best to stay in line and never cause a fuss. All Roo ever wanted to be was the perfect kid from a not-so-perfect home. And for a while it worked.
High school changed things a little bit. He was thrown into a world where who you were mattered and because he didn’t have much, he was teased about it constantly. He never tried to let that get to him though; he knew that people could be mean because they had nothing better to do and he never wanted to fall for things like that. He stayed off of social media, he steered clear of anything that was drama-related, and he kept his head down as much as he could. But of course that couldn’t last forever. It was his senior year of high school when everything started to go to shit. He fell for an older guy, he got outed at school, and suddenly he was either really cool or really gross. He couldn’t catch a break from anyone and even with the flock of girls that decided to be his bff suddenly it was not enough protection from the threats and everything else. He got into a pretty bad accident with some of the guys from school and ever since that moment he promised he was going to learn how to fend for himself. He took martial arts, went to the gym every single day, and kept his rage to himself because he didn’t want to worry his mom. The only person who was there for him was Christopher Robin, and for that, he was forever grateful. And when graduation came he couldn’t have been more relieved. He got was going to major in photography, his collection going back to days snapping pictures of him mom cook and throw neighborhood bbq’s in the backyard. His photography showed the best of him, but could also show the worst. Self images of mental breakdowns and things he never would let see the light of day in a hidden folder as a form of release was his only way to get by.
So far college has been hard, but Roo tries to keep an optimistic look on things. He got involved with an older guy again by the name of Randy Fluggerbutter and for a bit, he really liked the guy. He didn’t expect anything romantic but that didn’t stop him from catching feelings. And once he did things were over and Roo felt lost yet again. He doesn’t want his mom to worry and he doesn’t want anyone to know this even hurt him, so he does what ever college kid does when they are going through things. He started taking pills. And he loves them. Pills kept his mind at ease as well as helped him do well in school. His photography has never been better and he feels like he could really go somewhere with it. He wants to get away from Walt Grove. He wants to move to Paris and eat fresh croissants and start his life over. He wants to take his mom with him, even though he knows she will hate losing Hundred Acres Street. Roo in a way hates how far he is from the fun-loving kid he used to be, just enjoying his life and being with his mom, but he knows to get back to where he was he needs to let go of everything holding him back. So he keeps his fun-loving demeanor as he plans his escape. It isn’t the perfect plan, but it’s better than having none.
🌹Opinions on Magic:
He wishes he believed in it. He used to, but lately it’s been a little hard.
🌹Connections:
Berlioz Bonfamile: He is yet another older guy he knows he should stay away from, but can’t seem to do it. He knows the guy just hangs with him for the pills and the photography, but Roo really likes him.
Michael “Mikey” Blumberg: He is a sweet soul. He’s always been Roo’s friend and Roo is grateful for that. He would even dare to call him his best friend.
Grenda Strong: They are his gym buddy and they adore them with his entire heart. No one has ever been so openly kind and strong as Grenda and they remind him a lot of his mom. So in a way, they are his “mom” friend.
Based on: Roo from Winnie the Pooh
Faceclaim: Michael Cimino
Faceclaim Change: Negotiable (POC Must)
Availability: Open
