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[nepotis]

Display Name: natalis.pueri
Profile Photo: this clip art balloon
Notes: anon post, cw possible references to alcohol use in comments

if it was your birthday
and you could ask whoever or whatever brought us here
this Confluence or whatever the fuck
if you could ask them for one birthday wish
what would you ask for?

Comments

[nepotis]

well, fuck.

[ What are you supposed to say to something like that? And, if Five's going to share this much about himself, Harry might as well reciprocate. ]

I guess in that case, our fathers were more alike than different. my father was the CEO of my world's leading bioengineering firm who cared more about running his company than raising a son. his company created people with powers, but I wasn't ever one of them.

[forasecond]

Fathers. What can you do?

[Harry is probably... a lot more tangled in the emotions of it than Five. He's distanced himself from that time in his life, enough time passes and it gives a person perspective. Not that he agrees with any of it, but he doesn't feel the same hurt his siblings do when talking about Reginald. He imagines it's much the same for Harry, and his own father.]

He created those people with those powers on purpose? Or was it a side-effect of something gone wrong?

[nepotis]

drink to their memory? ;)

[ Harry's feelings regarding his father are complicated to say the least, made even more complicated by the fact that there is an alternate universe's version of his father here, who by all accounts was a better father than Harry's in every way. He's been trying to avoid thinking about it as much as possible. ]

He was purposefully researching genetically modified animals, for use in medicine or government contracts. But as far as I know, none of the "heroes" or "villains" that came from Oscorp's work were intentional on my father's part.

[forasecond]

A solid choice.

Maybe you're better off not being touched by any of it, in the end, especially if it was accidental. Who knows what kind of catastrophe you could have ended up with, then.

Five doesn't know how right he is...

[nepotis]

I don't know. I was seconds away from getting my hand on an experimental serum that would have cured my terminal disease, so you'll have to forgive me if I say "agree to disagree."

[forasecond]

Terminal. Well, to be frank, that fucking sucks. I'll give you the disagree on that one.

[nepotis]

yup. the last thing my father ever gave me.

[ So maybe Five will understand why one more birthday is an important thing to Harry. ]

[forasecond]

[It does put some things into perspective, there. Not that he'll be apologizing for being an asshole. That's just part of the deal of... you know... dealing with him. Pick your friends better, probably, Harry.]

Well, fuck.

So it's genetic?

Have you thought about asking around? I know the Guild and the Society shit is stupid, but they do have resources to shit the rest of the world doesn't. Plus, the other displaced like us, who knows what kind of skill and powerset you might find there, too.

Wrong kind of science for me, but maybe there's something out there, you're in a completely different part of the multiverse now.

[He isn't usually one for optimism. But you know what? This is a goddamn case for it if there ever was one.]

[nepotis]

I'm working on it. I'd rather not rely too heavily on guild resources. I don't feel like being anyone's "Hero."

[ And he isn't ready to think of himself as a "Villain," either. ]

[forasecond]

Fair enough. I'm no hero either.

[The difference is, Five doesn't care if people see his actions or motivations and label them villainous. What he does, he does for his family, period, end-stop.]

[nepotis]

problem now is figuring out how to support myself without the resources of the guilds backing me up. I don't exactly have many marketable skills.

[forasecond]

Everything's marketable if you try. I'm no teacher, but I'm gonna set up a tutoring gig. Who knows how well it'll go, or how long it'll last, but it's something to get money flowing.

Forget skill in the way you're thinking. You good at poker? Darts? Pool? Play an instrument? Sleight of hand? You can turn hobbies into money-makers. What can you do?

[nepotis]

only things I'm any good at are drinking, tweeting, and hooking up with supermodels.

[ #humblebrag ]

IDK... maybe I could set myself up as a social media manager for some company or something. but that shit's usually for unpaid interns.

[forasecond]

Don't be an idiot.

At that rate, you may as well just be an influencer.

[Is he serious? Is it a joke? Hard to tell. Probably a joke, though. He hates social media, as a rule.]

[nepotis]

I'd much rather shill for someone else's brand than my own, thanks.

IDK. I'm just spitballing.

[forasecond]

Hey, whatever brings money. Literally, anything is better than retail or food service, so I suggest you do whatever you think you can make work. Even if it's a side gig or hustling idiots at pool hall.

[nepotis]

I'll make it work. even if I have to get my hands a little dirty to do it.

[forasecond]

Little dirt never killed anyone.