Warning for trauma dumping.
[name_m]Rumen[/name_m] [name_m]Ezekiel[/name_m] Branick (25) is Luka’s younger brother and the youngest of the Branicks. He’s felt some overshadowing by [name_m]Luka[/name_m] growing up, which is why he’s related to Tavi’s friends feeling like they’ve been overshadowed by [name_m]Luka[/name_m] as well. [name_m]Rumen[/name_m] used to be the one they paid attention to until he decided he didn’t want to be babied, and now they don’t, though he feels their reactions aren’t quite what he was looking for. He agrees with [name_m]Luka[/name_m] that their parents are good though he doesn’t see it through the same light [name_m]Luka[/name_m] does. [name_m]Rumen[/name_m] laughs at the fact that Luka’s mother is so invisible to the Volkovs because she’s not invisible to the Branicks at all. Still, she wouldn’t have been as comfortable or mentally prepared as [name_f]Katia[/name_f] with raising [name_f]Livvy[/name_f]. She’s gone through trauma of her own, such as the loss of her parents, which the Branicks know all too well. Nothing’s really hidden from them since she’s definitely told them all her trauma. [name_m]Rumen[/name_m] genuinely feels bad for her but also uncomfortable, seeing when he was born prematurely, she was inconsolable. [name_m]Even[/name_m] though he’s completely fine now and she still dumps that story, which he’d rather not hear. He’s never treated [name_m]Luka[/name_m] as lesser even though he think [name_m]Luka[/name_m] is socially disabled in a way, but worries she will get super emotional and make it seem worse. The Branick father is not that much nicer, he’s a good person, but super fair-weather, and his lack of sympathy when she needs it is likely triggering her behaviour.
[name_m]Rumen[/name_m] at least understands when his mother gets this way around family, but he’s uncomfortable when she does it randomly. Like ordering pizza and then crying about the death of her dog 7 years prior, and that person on the other end now having to console this complete stranger. [name_m]Rumen[/name_m] wants to be more sympathetic about people and not be fair-weathered like his father, but admittedly would feel lost if a random person trauma-dumped on him. Though the Branicks (save for their father) are more used to this given their dynamic. [name_m]Rumen[/name_m] feels bad for [name_m]Luka[/name_m], since he wanted to be there for [name_f]Livvy[/name_f], and it took everything in the Branick siblings’ control to make sure their mother doesn’t swear revenge on [name_f]Katia[/name_f]. Their mother isn’t really that vengeful thankfully, but [name_m]Rumen[/name_m] has seen her get revenge on a woman who bullied her. After years of being upset about what the bully did to suddenly getting over it, people are worried that revenge is her solution. She has seen a psychologist over this and [name_m]Luka[/name_m] has seen one as well. [name_m]Luka[/name_m] is a lot different with struggles, at his first appointment, he refused to say anything and acted like the psychologist should know what he’s thinking since “that’s their job”. The Branicks thought he would never have another appointment but he did, and thankfully this will help [name_m]Luka[/name_m]. [name_m]Luka[/name_m] hasn’t told anyone much outside his psychologist so the rest don’t know exactly what’s going on. [name_m]Rumen[/name_m] wouldn’t have minded, he’d feel the same way.
[name_m]Rumen[/name_m] respects [name_m]Sol[/name_m] and understands why he’s not comfortable with them. [name_m]Rumen[/name_m] himself is somewhat quiet and feels he’s somewhat responsible for how unknown the family can be around the Volkovs. Though he admires that they haven’t used their own personal dilemmas as a battle of “which is worse” or made each’s others problems about them. Since childhood, Rumen’s highly respected his sister, the eldest Branick, though in recent years, he’s seen her more as a human. Someone who still makes mistakes and has flaws, even if she is very responsible. Sometimes, she is because she has to, which naturally makes [name_m]Luka[/name_m] and [name_m]Rumen[/name_m] more so as well. [name_m]Rumen[/name_m] would never imagine parentifying her, he hated being babied after all. [name_m]Luka[/name_m] couldn’t either, mainly since he was living a special life with [name_f]Tavi[/name_f] and fatherhood to [name_f]Livvy[/name_f] until their split. [name_m]Rumen[/name_m] hopes the best for [name_f]Livvy[/name_f], especially in moments when his own parents could have been better as parents, even if they are good people at heart. He has a bad habit of talking to himself, though usually not in public, but it’s usually to cope. [name_m]Rumen[/name_m] works for a life insurance company but he isn’t planning to get life insurance to “take anyone out” despite the jokes. He wishes he knew his late maternal grandparents and one day hopes his parents will change for the better. As a kid, he always wanted to change people for the better though now, he always sees it through. Whether it’s completely dumped out there or completely tucked away.
