Roman McKenzie

Quick Facts
♕ NAME: Roman McKenzie ♕ BORN: July 27, 1992 ♕ HEIGHT: 6'2 ♕ HAIR: Black ♕ EYES: Green ♕ PIERCINGS: None ♕ TATTOOS: Wings above each outer ankle ♕ HOMETOWN: Newport Beach, CA ♕ ZODIAC: Leo ♕ ABILITY: Hydrokinesis

History
Anyone who’s anyone has heard of McKenzie Oil. It’s right up there with Chevron and BP, after all. Owners Leonard and Fen McKenzie rub shoulders with some of the biggest business tycoons around, and their son Roman was born to follow in their foot steps. Growing up a child of privilege in Newport Beach, California, Roman was offered plenty of opportunities many children his age were denied. Since money was never scarce, anything the boy wanted, he got. The newest, hippest electronics and most popular toys were handed to him on a silver platter, and any hobbies he expressed interest in were made readily available.

On paper this sounds like any child’s dream, but all the luxuries in the world can’t make up for a lack of parental affection. Leonard was always off on one business trip or another, and Fen seemed more interested in throwing lavish parties and mingling with Orange County’s finest than spending time with her son. These elements, coupled with an inbred sense of superiority found in most rich kids, caused Roman to become a bit of a, well, jerk.

Acting out was common practice when Roman was small. Anything to get attention from his mother and father, even if it was negative. Of course, over time, this stopped having the desired effect, and Roman had to switch things up. If he couldn’t get attention at home, he’d have to find it elsewhere. Thus began his campaign to become the reigning king of his school. He began focusing on creating a popular, if not universally liked, persona. He joined several “rich kid” sports teams, such as lacrosse and water polo, which helped him to build his little social empire. As is the way of the universe, the more Roman became an all-encompassing asshole, the more people flocked to him. Team captain begat student body president begat homecoming king. Roman was essentially the crowned prince of the popular kids, which ultimately meant he was a cocky bully who shrugged off anyone who didn’t like him with a dismissive comment and social shunning.

All this would have just filed him under the “good looking douche bag” title, only Roman’s also smart. Maybe it was the expensive tutors his parents hired or a studious gene passed down, but his grades were always admirable. Of course, he shrugs this off like it’s not a big deal, because to him, it isn’t.

In regards to his power, they first manifested themselves while he was at water polo practice. Roman discovered, very much by accident, that he could send the ball flying into the goal net if he concentrated hard enough. At first he thought it was just a series of lucky breaks, but over time he realized he was literally influencing the water around the ball. After a few experiments in the pool, he found he could do some pretty impressive, and admittedly weird, things with water. This was, of course, used to subtly cheat at his sport of choice.

He became so competent at any sport played in water that it was only a matter of time until one of the sport scouting agents who visited the school from time to time noticed him. Only this wasn’t your average talent scout, but a recruiter for the Quadritarian Collegiate Institute who’s keen eye had caught Roman’s power being used in action. The agent offered him a very impressive sports “scholarship” if he agreed to enroll in their esteemed private school, and both Roman and his parents agreed it was a good idea. Needless to say, he was a bit surprised to find out the true nature of the academy. But for Roman, it’s less a chance to meet people with similar powers to his own and more a chance to dominate yet another student body.

In-Game History
TBA

Personality
As previously established, Roman is an arrogant little S.O.B. Of course, no one is that one dimensional, not even a spoiled rich kid from Orange County. He’s also confident, intelligent, and carries around a sense of entitlement that would put royalty to shame. It’s a stereotype that all children raised in a wealthy home will end up pompous and aloof, and Roman is definitely not the exception. Perhaps if mom and dad had instilled some sense of gratitude and humbleness in him rather than leaving him at home with the nanny all day, this could have been avoided. But as it stands, they’ve created a bit of a monster. If there’s a chance to get ahead, he’ll take it. Sometimes this means using people, but his motto is “if you’re gonna make an omelet, you gotta crack some eggs.” Basically, he’s looking out for number one, and screw you if you get in his way.

There are a few redeeming qualities to Roman, of course. The universe simply can not allow such a completely horrible creature to exist without balancing it out at least a little bit. It surprises a lot of people to find out Roman is somewhat of an activist when it comes to the ocean and the creatures it houses. Since his parents owned an oil company, he was dragged along to plenty of industry do-good community service events. Any time there was an oil spill, you can bet Mr. and Mrs. McKenzie were there to lend a socially inclined helping hand. Nothing looks better for the cameras than the son of oil tycoons scrubbing their product off of sad little ducks and sea lions. Somewhere along the line, Roman found he actually gave a crap about the little guys. It probably didn’t help any that mom and dad found activism to be a droll waste of time, either. Defy the parental units and help save the whales that have managed to defrost your icy heart? Sounds like a plan.

Anyone who can put up with Roman for any length of time will find out he’s a loyal friend. He knows guys like him don’t make real friends easily, so when he finds one, he tends to get protective. If someone can give him a reason to respect them, he will unflinchingly. This goes for his peers as well as adults. Most people expect him to be callous and defiant around teachers or other figures of authority, but he does posses manners, and uses them when appropriate. Of course, he may be courteous to a professor’s face only to turn around and rip them apart behind their backs, but such is his nature. Another surprising aspect of his personality is the fact that he is not, as one would assume, a chauvinist. Those instilled manners of his are present around the opposite sex, and he can be downright charming when the mood strikes him. Charisma flows through him like the water he controls, so it’s a rare occasion when he won’t hold the door for a lady or have a calculated compliment to offer her.

In a nutshell, Roman truly believes you can get away with anything as long as you do it with enough confidence. And if you can’t, well, you didn’t deserve it in the first place.

Ability
Hydrokinesis. Roman can create and control movements in water. This means he can form a wave, “push” or “stretch” liquid into different shapes, or cause a small whirlpool using only his mind. He tends to use his hands for dramatic effect, but it’s strictly for show. He can’t create water, however, so there needs to be the correct amount readily available in order for him to manipulate it. This means he can’t make it rain out of nowhere suddenly or pull water out of thin air.

As long as there’s water involved with the liquid he wants to control, he can affect it. This means he’s capable of manipulating things like, for example, soft drinks or some alcoholic beverages, but not milk or gasoline. He tends to focus mostly on water, tampering with other liquids only to show off or for the sake of shenanigans.

The amount of water is also an issue. He can only manipulate a few gallons at a time. Amounts like the entirety of an Olympic sized swimming pool are far too vast for him to control all at once. And like most of the other students at the institute, he can get worn out relatively quickly when using his power, as it’s mentally taxing.

Relationships
Lily Sloane

Levi Blakely

Lear Shapiro

John Constantine

Playlist
Phantom Planet | California We’ve been on the run / Driving in the sun / Looking out for number one / California here we come / Right back where we started from / California, here we come

All-American Rejects | Top Of The World ''It’s a king that we put up there / And he's a short way to fall from grace / Don’t be so greedy / A dollar's a penny to you / When hearts are beating / Say what you want 'em to do / Wasting away... I see you / When the top of the world falls on you / Finding a day, don’t wanna be you / When the top of the world falls on you''

Trendy | Alpha Sigma Sigma Dear Mom and Dad don't be sad / Things are so great at the frat / Please lend a hand I need a grand / Well it's all part of the plan / To buy my friends and join the staff / I'll get my ass kicked for laughs / And the Greek letters on my shirt mean I've got the best friends money can buy

Trivia
♕ Roman's ears are a little off. They’re normally sized and set in the right places, but where the average person’s round off at the top, his pull up into small points. They’re not quite old horror movie vampire levels of pointy, but it’s still pronounced enough to draw the occasional curious eye.