EDIT: Obviously terfs found this and reported it until it got taken off of redbubble because they have nothing better to do, so in the meantime, it’s available as a risograph print on my Etsy!
ID: a digital drawing of a black dog in sketchy pencil. its leaping forward, held back by a leash, its teeth bared, blood dripping from its jaws and splashing underfoot. in a serif font in all caps it reads “good boys maul transphobes”. end ID
Since Roman mutated from electricity to darkness, he’d been really focusing on getting a good handle on his powers. Previously, he avoided being a mutant as much as possible and for that, he had little control over his abilities.
It has now been over a year since he faced the changes in his powers and has spent a lot of time training himself with them. That is a big part as to why he had closed himself off from the world for so long.
With that intense training, he has gained incredible feats with his powers that he couldn’t even imagine…
…so long as it is dark enough.
Roman’s power over manipulating and changing his body into darkness is very much influenced on the amount of light in an area. In a dark room, he is nearly unstoppable. He can make himself intangible, he can morph and harden his body, he can make tethers, etc. Same think with a darkened night in the city.
On the flip side, his powers are very much nullified when out in the Sun or in a very bright room. Maybe he can really focus and strain himself to make a flick of a tether, but aside from that, his darkness abilities are pretty much gone. And, if strained for too long, his body will start to wear down and weaken.
So, all in all, Roman at night is an absolute monster. Roman during the day? Not much better than the average human.
Roman is kind of more comfortable with his life. He’s trying to make improvements and find his old confidence back while keeping his anger in check. With that said, a large part of him coming back to those he was close to has him realizing just how alien he is to people.
It’s hitting him that he’s never really been used to the norms of being apart of the lives of others. Checking on people, hanging out every so often, being around for life events.
He’s stuck in the feeling that he just has never been a good friend to, well, anyone in his life. Maybe he’d been friendly and kind, but never a true friend with his flaky habits and his recluse lifestyle.
He wants to be better. He wants to be normal and offer people healthy relationships. But, there are some he feels he’s burnt far too many times to really try to ask for another chance.
“Well good for you!” she said with a kind smile. It seemed they were all at least trying to work on themselves.
She started laughing, something about the Hades tripping and Roman remembering that she had a lot going on the last time they spoke had struck her funny. “Yah, let’s see. The twins are eight months old now, I’m getting married soon and stressing the fuck out. Therapy helps, but-” She shrugged. “Nothin? Not a thing?”
Roman’s eyes went from kind slits to large orbs the more she spoke. Did she say twins? And married? Fuck, he’d missed so much. Here was someone he wanted to consider a close friend and yet he was absent through some of the biggest moments of her life. The hell kind of friend was he?
“H-Holy shite, lass! Look at you! All grown up, startin’ a family, and standin’ all tall,” he said in cheer, his own self-grief getting shoved into a corner. His head darted through his therapist’s suggestions and he was quick to open his arms for a hug, something he didn’t really do often beforehand.
