romanhesse - Tumblr blog

[romanhesse]

— characters: roman & alara — setting: ship creek seafood market, downtown — tagging: @nazlidurmaz

It was tough having been born and raised in a coastal city, then going off to work in the sea, and returning. At some point Roman was sure he vowed that he'd never eat fish or seafood again, and for a good year, maybe two, he'd actually stuck to that declaration.

Once in a while a craving popped up.

This time he was shopping around the seafood market and perusing the vendors because he was planning on visiting his parents and cooking up some dinner for them. Preferably one of his mother's favorites.

It'd been a while since his dad had come by the shop, usually the man was in a couple days a week, and after being gone and isolated so many years the former roughneck couldn't stand going that long without seeing them.

As the overly tall restoration specialist was checking out some halibut a voice solidified him in place. Roman's entire body went absolutely as still as a statue, even the air in his lungs seemed to seize up, and his feet felt cemented in place.

Countless hours of that very particular voice in his ear— there was absolutely no mistaking it.

Heart thudding within the confines of his chest, Roman turned, but he hadn't known what he was expecting. A cold sweat on his brow, a flush to his cheeks, nerves in his gut, and anxiety buzzing through his entire large frame. Surely the wide-eyed look as though he'd seen a ghost didn't help with the way he looked at the tall, dark haired woman.

An incredibly beautiful woman.

But this couldn't be.

No way.

All the years they'd written and shared the deepest parts of themselves, and how that took so long to graduate to emails then texts and eventually phone calls. They still hadn't seen one another.

Nazli— he had no idea what she even looked like.

That voice he'd know anywhere, though.

"Uhh," Roman somewhat coughed to clear his throat a little, "sorry, didn't mean to whip around on you and gape... or whatever I was doing, you just sounded—"

Head shook, then internally talking himself down, there was no way. He and Nazli had been talking quite a bit about meeting face to face but hadn't come to a decision yet. They were each afraid of losing what they had in their bond.

"Anyway," the former roughneck rose a rough hand, "the uhh, halibut's really good."

[romanhesse]

— characters: roman & alara — setting: brews & bites cafe, downtown — tagging: @alarabalik

It was one of those days where Roman felt he wasn't going to get much done. At least not the work that he wanted to be doing, which was getting his hands dirty on one of the few projects he currently had going in his garage.

No, instead, the former roughneck had a delivery, then spent too long at the auto parts store ( because the owner, like usual, was too chatty ) before finding himself stepping inside the familiar café.

"Alright, what's the special of the day," Roman inquired with a hint of a smile, "and I mean the food. You know I just get straight black coffee like always. Nothing's changed— yet."

When he'd been stationed all that time in the remote North Sea there was nothing fancy on the rig. It changed his tastebuds. After his first stay the very next time he'd gone into a town or city Roman couldn't stomach any of the fancy espresso concoctions. They were so sweet and tasted nothing like coffee that the Anchorage native nearly spit it out.

"How's little Ela doing?" The question came a moment later out of general fondness for Ally's daughter.

[romanhesse]

— characters: roman & abel — setting: last call, north star — tagging: @abelpcyne

If he was a thinking man then Roman would worry what his frequency in attendance at the local bars meant, or worse, looked like to others. Thankfully, so long in a solitary existence led him into a place where he'd grown comfortable with whom and what he was as a man. As someone that shared space as an inhabitant of this maddening world.

Opinions meant so little.

There were only a rare few that held any weight in how he might feel one way or another if he dissatisfied them in some way.

When he heard that sigh breathe into the glass full of a heavy handed pour of amber, the former roughneck knew the man next to him was doing too much of what Roman had learned to sidestep.

Thinking.

"Might need to get that next glass ready to go," he jested, eyes still forward, "sounds like it's definitely more than a drink or two kind of night."

[romanhesse]

— characters: roman & cristian — setting: rumble boxing, bear valley — tagging: @cristicncastro

"Hey, I figured I'd see you in here bright and early," Roman called out to the owner upon spotting the man setting up the gym for what would no doubt be a long day.

When the former roughneck wasn't working on his own projects for his own business he was finding things to keep himself busy with, hitting the bag and getting some exercise in seemed to be the Anchorage native's go-to these days.

It hadn't taken long after Roman had left the North Sea and rig life behind for him to get restless. He supposed that kind of life burned right through him and he didn't know how to be anyway else.

"You think you're down to spar with me today," he questioned, though, it was mostly a joke. Cristian had become a fast friend once he'd found Rumble boxing only months after returning home.

[romanhesse]

Thankfully Roman wasn't in any real rush, and even if he was there was zero interest in making the cashier's job even more challenging. A sigh was blown past his lips and the former roughneck's eyes squeezed shut, he truly hated when people were assholes to service workers.

"I'm surprised the manager hasn't rolled up yet," Roman commented, "to rescue them and to also get another line working so there's not a full on crowd catching the scene."

For a moment, just a twitch in his leg, the restoration specialist nearly took action. What had stopped him was the possibility that his intervention could potentially cause an even bigger tantrum.

"Would would've thought produce would've been this upsetting..."

location: any grocery store open to all: 0/3

As Orlando stands in line at the grocery store, he noticed the line slowing to a halt ahead of him. A customer at the register is engaged in a heated argument with the cashier, and Orlando can feel his patience wearing thin. Taking a deep breath, he reminded himself to stay calm and composed, though the urge to push the rude customer out of the way was strong.

"Quite the show up there," Orlando remarked with a wry grin, gesturing subtly toward the commotion. "Looks like we might be in for a bit of a wait."

[romanhesse]

The only times the once roughneck ventured into an establishment such as the Lake Hood Lodge was if he were on a date, and those were more fantasy than they were reality.

Dating, sometimes even being social, wasn't on the top of the list of priorities or needs for Roman. He'd spent so long in solitudes that he'd become comfortable with it, and found ease in being on his own time. Which was partly why the now restoration specialist could get lost in his work all day without popping his head up. In fact, his dedication to his craft and his business was a major player in why anything resembling a date was practically unheard of.

When she approached him as Roman had been making his stroll by the restaurant, he'd barely put a hand up in halting whatever she was attempting to sell. Only dropping it when realization hit that wasn't the case.

"Uhh," a little dumbfounded his hand lifted to rub his fingers against his beard just under his chin, "interesting question. Not really a wine drinker..."

There was a part of him that wanted to humor her but Roman had no answer to give. "As long as it has alcohol in it and doesn't taste like vinegar," the big man shrugged, "I guess I'm good with it."

location: outside of lake hood lodge and grill open to all:

Taking a break following the afternoon rush, the sommelier went out to enjoy a breath of fresh air outside the Lodge. As she stood outside, she noticed a person nearby, perhaps also taking a break from their own activities. Zora thought she might have recognized them as a patron in the past but she couldn't be sure.

With a friendly smile, Zora approached them, feeling a sense of camaraderie in this shared moment of respite. ""Hey there! I have a somewhat odd question for you: if you could only drink one type of wine for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?" She asked, curious for a strangers perspective on an ongoing debate amongst the staff.

[romanhesse]

❝ bring back one last time for the summers we saw, second guessing and all ❞

Age: 35

Gender & Pronouns: cis male & he/him

Neighborhood: Mountain View

Occupation: owner of Hesse Customs & Restorations

Positive traits: charismatic, engaging, & adventurous

Negative traits: cynical, aloof, & foolhardy 

Length of time in Anchorage: local, left at 18, & returned 4 years ago

Faceclaim: Casey Deidrick

grease stained fingers, worn boots and a rustic smile, the sounds of the ocean, a forlorn and distant look in his eyes, humor as a defense mechanism, a spartan living space, and an aversion to talking about the weather

Born and raised in Anchorage, Roman was the son of a fisherman and a nurse. The relationship he had with his parents was good, it was a loving household, and everyone got along well. 

The only negative memories Roman has of his childhood was his father’s long absences. His father, Charlie, had his own boat and crew that would often times be out to sea for months at a time. 

The childhood he experienced wasn’t one of luxury or abundance, they weren’t wealthy by any means, but they also never really thought they were poor. They had each other and those smiles meant more than some of the extras his friends might have had in those days. 

Always long and lanky, never quite a master of his gangly limbs, Roman wasn’t the best at sports. He played just about everything and was decent because of his size, there was just subpar agility and coordination. 

At least he was a good student. That was the bright side for a teenager who thought ahead to colleges and wondering if he’d ever attend because he wasn’t sure his parent could afford it. Athletic scholarships might not come his way, so Roman began banking on grants and sponsorships due to his GPA. 

In the end, Roman went into the oil industry as a roughneck. Something that no one, not even himself, had expected. He’d grown up around fishing boats, knew the ins and outs of the sea, or so he thought, and had planned on joining the Navy. Eventually he had wanted to become a rescue swimmer for the coast guard. 

Life always had its twists and turns and a summer job after high school had him running off with his best buddy there to take on a dangerous but high paying job in the Gulf of Mexico. 

Naturally, Roman started at the bottom and worked his way up the ladder as he gained experience. He could swim like a fish, was an excellent mechanic/handyman/welder that eventually found himself working in the North Sea. The most dangerous in the world (and one of the most remote locations) as a driller. 

The isolation was almost as brutal as the job itself, and the losses he endured through the years eventually had him stepping away from the life on an oil rig. Eventually the money just wasn’t worth it and it came to a point where they could no longer offer Roman enough incentives to stay on. So he packed his bag and tucked away his heartache and headed home to Alaska. 

With so much money in the bank and in need of something to keep him busy, the haunted man used to grueling work put together a shop. Something that touched on a passion that had been laid mostly dormant due to the demands he’d previously had on him.

When he was a child, alongside fishing with his father, Roman was also taught the mechanics of an engine. They worked on motorcycles and classic cars, and with his father now retired, he couldn’t think of anything better than starting up a business that put him in touch with the fond memories that kept him going in dark times. 

Hesse Customs & Restorations was born and for the last 4 years he’s been building custom motorcycles and restoring classic cars for customers and fellow enthusiasts alike. Sometimes his old man pops into the shop and helps out, but mostly he just brings in business and talks people’s ears off. 

[romanhesse]

Jane Austen - "Sense and Sensibility"

[romanhesse]

ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING (2021-) - 3x04 "The White Room"

[romanhesse]