ryan bergara voice: let’s get into it
tw: death/murder (of parents), abuse (very much glossed over, i promise), violence (not graphic - he’s a boxer)
full name: roman julius barnes
known as: roman, rome
age: 33
birthday: march 2nd, 1988
sexuality: heterosexual
gender: cis male
occupation: conservationist (museum tbd)
hometown: new york, new york
family: mother and father (both deceased); uncle (estranged)
height: 6′1″
personality: + tenacious, creative, hard-working, independent
- stubborn, aloof, sarcastic, sullen
the only child borne to catherine and thomas barnes, the early years of roman’s life were an idyllic snapshot of childhood in gotham. his parents doted on him but also did their best to raise him to be kind and conscientious, and were good and caring people themselves. little roman adored all things artistic, and finger paintings and malformed pottery frequently became part of the barnes family decor. as he grew older he cultivated his own creative voice, honing his skills when it came to painting in particular. he dreamt of being an artist, but knew that such a goal wasn’t realistic unless you came from wealth. while the barnes family finances were stable, they were far from rich.
one night when roman was fifteen, he had a rare argument with his parents which resulted in their leaving him at home while they went to dinner without him. he stewed and sulked for a while, but an hour later contrition set in and he was ready to make amends. but the knock on the door later that night heralded not the return of his beloved parents, but news that would turn his world entirely upside down: catherine and thomas had been killed in a mugging gone terribly wrong.
too numb and shell-shocked to put up a fight against the case workers, he moved in with his mother’s estranged older brother, nick. roman had never even met the man before, and he soon realized why his parents had kept him away - the man was a cruel, bitter person who hated the world and took his anger out on the nearest moving object. roman endured three hellish years with his uncle, and the second he was old enough to sign a lease he did so. the apartment was tiny, the walls were paper-thin, the locks only worked about half the time - but it was his, and no one could take that away from him.
with the help of his parents’ life insurance payout, he put himself through college and grad school to study art conservation. these days he works at one of the city’s most hallowed museums, spending his days tucked away behind the scenes with only spotify playlists and the painted subjects of his projects for company - just the way he likes it.
most nights, he spends beneath flickering fluorescent bulbs in dingier-than-not boxing rings, fighting in underground matches in which he is usually a practically uncontested favorite. the only way he can sleep is if he’s fresh from a fight, just enough energy left to clean himself up and fall into a blessedly dreamless sleep. he doesn’t do it for the money - although it helps. it’s a way to clear his head, to quiet the racing thoughts and numb himself to the world beyond him and his gloves.
tl;dr: gruff artsy boy has a tragic backstory and seems very unapproachable but is a secret softie
*also just a bit of a disclaimer in that he is not violent for violence’s sake nor does he feel the need to inflict it bc he is an abuse survivor - boxing is a hobby/mindful activity and boy for sure goes to therapy*
lightning round aka i swear he’s not an emblem of toxic masculinity
is currently teaching himself to cook
leaves treats in the break room for his coworkers once a month, will never in a million years admit it
paints his own pieces in his spare time - a lot of scenes around the city but some surprisingly pastoral stuff, too
owns maybe two piece of clothing that are not paint-stained
conversely, he keeps his apartment very clean, almost fussily so
