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POSTED ON Mar 13, 2021 10:13:22 GMT

The sky was speckled with stars on a canvas of abyssal blue as Adrian and Rowan reached the summit of Mr. Pyre none the worse for wear. As with every other plottable surface on the mountain, the summit was adorned with rows and columns of headstones that read the names of those among Hoenn's dearly departed. A place of rest.

Somewhere was a headstone with Howitzer's name, and a matching urn that rest atop it. Adrian gestured towards it with an outstretched hand, feeling his digits chill in a phantom twilight breeze, inspiring them to stay close.

"It's over here." Adrian grabs at Rowan's hand rather than his wrist, fingers digging betwixt Rowan's, perhaps seeking comfort over command. And yet still it was him that led the way, though he seemed noticeably reluctant; ill at ease. Still it taxed him to keep a stiff lip in her presence.

He takes a seat on the damp, cold earth, holding his hand aloft to keep Rowan's in its clutches. Dull eyes survey the barely weathered headstone in idle contemplation as he neglects to say much more, leaving the silence to hang between them. "This is why I really brought you along..."

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POSTED ON Mar 13, 2021 22:55:40 GMT

Rowan had been following quietly behind Adrian for a while, concerned that he’d never seen them be this somber in the short time they’d known each other. Considering the nature of this monument, he was certain that someone important to them was spending their eternal rest upon the summit of the mountain. There was something to be said for Adrian wanting to share this journey with him, but he couldn’t muster up the happiness when he saw how much sadness appeared to be crippling them. “It’s over here.” These were the first words he’d heard them speak since they started the climb, finding a certain comfort in hearing his voice once again after going so long without it. “Right behind you.” Rowan gladly accepted their hand into his own as he was led towards the gravestone, giving them a gentle squeeze of support when he sensed their trepidation at the approach. He wanted to tell Adrian that he was there for him and that everything would be okay, instead deciding to remain silent out of fear of overstepping his bounds and possibly upsetting them.

Once Adrian lowered himself to the ground, Rowan wouldn’t waste any time to drop down beside them, caring far more about supporting Adrian than the possibility of getting his clothes dirty. Familiar silence lingered between them as he studied the gravestone, able to tell that this wound was a fresh one by the relative age of the monument. Rowan no longer cared about being careful, leaning over and resting his head on their shoulder, wanting nothing more than to comfort them and be close. “I’m so sorry, Adrian.” He didn’t know what occurred to cause the death of Howitzer, but he wasn’t about to make them relive the memory unnecessarily, not wanting to cause them further pain. Rowan didn’t know what it was like to lose a Pokemon, not even having considered it to be a possibility until he was sitting among those that had made the ultimate sacrifice. Thoughts of how he’d react to losing Mistral nearly brought tears to his eyes, though he opted to push this encroaching darkness out of his mind to remain strong for them. “Do you want to talk about them?” Might have been a ridiculous question, but he imagined that Adrian might have not gotten the opportunity to do so often, allowing him the chance at the outlet.

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POSTED ON Mar 17, 2021 9:52:06 GMT

Rowan Wrynn likes this

"Not particularly." Laying his head against theirs they enjoy a moment of silence, enjoying the serenity that surrounded them: A sea of constellations hung overheard, enshrouding them in darkness while enamoring them with the brilliant, dazzling gleam of its stars...

"I just wanted to visit." Adrian seemed a little remote or withdrawn; perhaps detached. A cold, emotionless tone of malcontent as he addressed a blaring issue, though not keen on discussing his dirty business. "She..." Adrian seemed to hesitate as he acted contrary to his assertions.

Features twisted with a tortured look of disgust as Adrian struggled to find the right words for such a delicate and exacting situation. "Howitzer... She; she was murdered. Right... by my side."

That look of disdain quickly became anguished, though Adrian quickly shifted to a more cool, if aggressive, tone. "I'm still out there most nights, looking for the one who did it." Wistful and haggard, he hardly inspired confidence considering the last year's events. "If I could just find him already I'd, I, I'd have already—" Adrian growled the words as he nearly went on a winding tirade, instead stopping himself short with a deep breath of exasperation. Adrian rubbed his thumb against the palm of Rowan's hand nervously, wondering how crazed he came off.

"I can't let it go. She deserves better."

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POSTED ON Mar 18, 2021 10:14:12 GMT

“I understand.” Rowan lied, knowing that he could never understand the pain that Adrian was going through as much as he wished that he did. "We can sit then, as long as you need." He smiled softly up towards the head that rest against his own, glad that he seemed receptive to the supportive affection at the very least. Eventually, they broke the silence that had been previously requested, beginning to explain the story behind Howitzer. Rowan quickly came to understand why the other hesitated in sharing the unfortunate fate of their Pokémon, his face twisting into a saddened grimace at the tale.

Murder? Some cruel person had willingly killed Adrian's beloved companion, with callous disregard for the bond they shared. It was hard enough to believe that such evil existed in the world, let alone that someone he cared for had been afflicted by them. "Arceus…that's so horrible." Unease built up inside of him once more at the idea of his own Pokémon being taken away so harshly, attempting to force away the thoughts so he could be present for Adrian.

Rowan was able to sense the nervousness within them, as though they were afraid of being judged or shamed for this crusade. As far as Rowan was concerned, Adrian had every right to be angry. "I'd be doing the same, to be honest..." Amber eyes glanced down at their conjoined hands, reaching his free one up to tuck errant strands of hair behind his ear. "...chase them to the ends of the earth if I had to. I can't possibly imagine what you have been going through but…" Rowan pulled both of their hands upwards and placed a soft kiss on the back of Adrian's hand. "...I'm here for you. You'll find them, it's only a matter of time." He paused for a moment, unsure of exactly how to phrase what he wanted to say. "I'd understand if you didn't want me to help, but just know that I would."

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POSTED ON Mar 19, 2021 7:56:33 GMT

"...That means a lot, but you're right. I don't want you to try acting noble for me..."

It wasn't why he'd chosen to like Rowan, and it wasn't about to start winning him any favor now. Adrian sat there quietly reflecting and considering Rowan at his word. They'd only just met. Rowan knew fuck all about him, really. Or the things he'd done in service to the dark; the one named Yveltal.

Clutching at Rowan he'd pull them closer, collapsing into the cold earth with them, feeling the faint tickle of the grass lashing his skin as they tumbled to the ground. Around them the wind picked up in a gust that tossed Rowan's hair and whistled through the breeze.

Adrian felt more whole than he had in the past year, but still it fell short. Still the darkness gnawed at him every conscious moment, compelling him to act in accordance with its wishes. He wasn't free.

But he wanted to be, here and now with Rowan at his side, whiling away the twilight hours beneath the celestials. "Let's just enjoy ourselves..."

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POSTED ON Mar 21, 2021 1:22:37 GMT

    “Okay.” Rowan nodded, already having expected the answer from Adrian. “Just remember, the offer is always open.” He accepted that this was a personal matter for them, not wanting to drag him into what would surely end in violence against the person that murdered Howitzer in cold blood. All he could hope for was that they didn’t get hurt further in the process, either physically or emotionally. Losing Adrian now after only having them for such a short amount of time wasn’t something he wanted to think about, and he wanted to do anything he could to prevent that.

    Rowan smiled softly as he felt himself be pulled towards the ground with Adrian, gazing upwards at the sprawling scape of stars above them. “Don’t have to tell me twice, handsome.” Between Wyndon and Slateport, star gazing was often difficult due to the light pollution, but here atop Mount Pyre it was as though they were immersed in a sea of constellations. “It really is beautiful up here.”

    Laying on the ground next to Adrian, Rowan realized that these last few weeks in Hoenn were the happiest he’d been since he could remember. Adrian was a large part of his contentment, but being free to make his own decisions and spend nights like this under the stars came in close second. “You know, back home I couldn’t even go out without being tailed by the security my family hired. It's...really nice to be able to go anywhere, with someone I actually want to be with.” Leaning over slightly, he placed a kiss on Adrian’s cheek before advancing to his lips. “It’s what I’ve always wanted, for as long as I can remember.”

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POSTED ON Mar 21, 2021 6:28:51 GMT

Adrian's fingers clench against Rowan's when they begin reminiscing about their past; it's of no fault of theirs, but it quickens something inside of Adrian, causing him to ruminate on the dilapidated state of his past goals.

Howitzer and him would've blazed a trail through the Pokemon League by now, Adrian was convinced. It gnawed away at his good sense, reflecting on his lack of accomplishment in her absence. He needed to honor her memory, if not through vengeance, then by claiming the successes he'd promised they'd earn together.

"I'm sure that was frustrating." It was such an innocent plight, in that Rowan hardly deserved the further complications to his awkward upbringing. Rolling his head over to face Rowan, distracting them from the stars, he graced them with a smile that promised solace and warmth. "And now you've done just that, so... what's next?"

But it was like looking back through a mirror at his own shortcomings as he saw himself in juxtaposition with Rowan. The question aimed itself at Adrian as easily as Rowan, the former now caught in the human-devised contraption called guilt and shame. To Rowan, he would've been spacing out with his brows knit together.

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POSTED ON Mar 22, 2021 0:24:51 GMT

“I’m not really sure…” Rowan said with a small laugh, offering Adrian a small shrug to emphasize his uncertainty. “...I’d spent so much time trying to earn my freedom that I never really considered what to do with myself afterwards.” Rolling onto his side, Rowan placed his elbow into the ground to hold his head up with a palm, placing his other hand on their chest. “When I was younger, I had these dreams of working my way through the League. I wanted to become the next champion of Galar, so no one could tell me that I didn’t earn everything I had. So I could prove everyone wrong about me...” A soft sigh escaped his lips, running a finger over their torso idly as he reminisced about long abandoned aspirations. “...but that is unrealistic. I’m not an exceptional trainer, most of my Pokémon are too stubborn to listen to me half the time. Almost like they take after their trainer.” Rowan giggled softly, able to find the humor in his plight at the very least.

“I just want to find my place in the world, honestly.” He chewed his bottom lip in contemplation, unsure of where or what that would be. “A place that I feel like I belong, for once in my life.” Being with Adrian was the only part of his life that made him feel this way, certain that his choice in partner was what would make him happy. Yet, there was still an unfulfilled part of his soul that craved strength and renown. A desire deep within him to prove wrong those that doubted him, to become someone great without the fortune or acclaim of his family. “I’m sure I’ll stumble onto something eventually. After all, I found you on pure chance.” Rowan gave them a warm smile, looking into their eyes to only get a vacant void in return. “Everything okay, Adrian?” It was obvious they were lost in thought, but he wasn’t sure what exactly triggered the absence of presence.

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POSTED ON Mar 24, 2021 5:18:38 GMT

"...No. But I'm fine." They were in no immediate danger, and Adrian was keeping good company with Rowan. Adrian merely felt restless and guilty lying here in the shadow of Howitzer's memory, as if he was seeking clemency.

Idle hands commit the devil's work as they both trace against one another with their digits, Adrian turning to Rowan and locking stares, noticing the shimmer of the stars in the reflection of their eyes.

"I think she would've liked you. Not that she ever disliked anybody," he huffed with laughter at the notion. But in the end that had been Howitzer's undoing. She was trusting and all too kindly to strangers. It'd been cause for her ruin.

Adrian fixes his gaze back onto the starsweald above. "They say Mt. Pyre is a place of power," he whispered so softly that Rowan would've been hard pressed to discern his words were they not already shoulder-to-shoulder.

"That was why I came here with her ashes..." Not to bury her, but to save her. Silence hangs over them for a moment as Rowan processes Adrian's derangement; the lengths he'd gone to try and secure her life... somehow.

"There is a power here, I'm certain..." He owed it a sort of fealty, even. "But it couldn't help me bridge that divide."

Adrian mustered a strained, wry smile before turning to Rowan: "So now she sits here. She'll see every sunrise, every setting sun dipping over the world's edge..." Alone.

Away from me.

It wasn't right.

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POSTED ON Mar 25, 2021 3:59:10 GMT

    “I’m sure I would have liked her, too.” Rowan offered a solemn smile in response, wishing that the opportunity hadn’t been taken from them. “Mistral might have butted heads with her though, he likes to be the center of attention.” A soft chuckle escaped his lips, reaching upwards with a hand to brush some hair from their face. “I bet she misses you too, wherever she is.” Amber eyes glanced up towards the stars for a moment, curious if Howitzer was watching over them right now in the afterlife.

    “Power?” Rowan didn’t know much about Mount Pyre aside from it being the final resting place of beloved companions, and even that he’d only learned recently since coming to Hoenn. Admittedly, there was a strange aura about the monument that he felt as they lay underneath the blanket of stars. Perhaps it was those that believed in this place who were giving Mount Pyre this power, or maybe there truly was some entity watching over the souls of the deceased. In either case, the miracle that Adrian hoped for never came to pass, and the agony he must have felt was immeasurable. “I’m sorry…” Was all he could say, knowing that he couldn’t do anything to soothe the pain of their loss.

    “I heard someone say once, that no one is ever truly gone. As long as you carry their memories with you and cherish them, they’ll be with you forever.” Rowan smiled wearily and wiped at one of his eyes, letting out a shaky laugh. “I know it’s a bit cliché, but it feels...comforting.” How he wished that power was real more than anything in the world, to allow Adrian another chance to be with Howitzer, another chance at happiness. Memories were all that were left, and as painful as they were to hold onto, it was what kept the Arcanine in their heart. It was a piece of her that would carry on until they’d meet again one day, reunited at last.

    “She’s never alone, not as long as she’s in here.” Rowan gently prodded the spot on their chest right where his heart would be, before sliding his arm around their torso and pulling himself closer. “You’re not alone either, not as long as I’m here.”

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Sootopolis City

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POSTED ON Mar 25, 2021 21:46:35 GMT

His ribcage rumbles gently with faint laughter at the mention of Mistral. "Howitzer could be like that, too." But she didn't crave being the center of attention, she simply pined for Adrian's during their downtime. But it'd been endearing. Their bodies burn together against the chill falling over the mountain's summit as the night wears on all around them.

The four winds whistling around the locale of Mt. Pyre creates a cacophony of pleasant notes to break up the silence of this dull, dreary boneyard they found themselves in.

"Ha. You're right, it is cliché." But his ear-to-ear smile was genuine, and Rowan had touched him with his moving anecdote. Interestingly what Rowan said was true even to his very eyes; he'd caught... glimpses of an alternate Mt. Pyre where the dead walked freely, and demons reigned...

Turning his attention back to Rowan, he murmurs into their ear before nuzzling against them: "But you're right." Rather than languish away in his endless act of mourning, he decided now to immerse himself in this feeling Rowan gave him, fumbling his clumsy digits against their tummy to while away the hours... I'm not alone now. And at times it made him feel guilty...

But it was all he had, and he would take it gladly, for as long as it lasted.

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POSTED ON Mar 29, 2021 4:56:22 GMT

A thought came to Rowan’s mind as he stared into the eyes of his lover, though unsure if presenting it might upset them. “I was thinking…” Rowan began, obvious hesitation in his voice as he reached over to retrieve a small pouch from his belongings. “...I got these carrot seeds from the Vital Spirit Festival, and I have been wondering about where I should plant them.” Gently chewing his bottom lip out of anxiousness, his gaze met theirs once more. “...and well, maybe up here would be a good place...next to Howitzer.”

A hand reached up to push some of his hair behind his ear, letting out a small chuckle. “It’s silly, i’m sorry. I was just thinking that maybe some life could come out of the death, and it would give us another reason to visit here more often.” Rowan dismissed the idea as easily as he’d presented it, unsure of what exactly compelled him to present it in the first place. All the talk of the power this mountain possessed must have gotten to him, and it wasn’t exactly like he thought straight when he was in Adrian’s arms in the first place. “I’ll find somewhere else.” He commented finally, moving to place the seeds back into his belongings as though he expected Adrian to be opposed to the idea.

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Sootopolis City

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POSTED ON Mar 29, 2021 7:33:40 GMT

Rowan Wrynn likes this

"Hmmm?" Adrian was curious if nothing else, though what Rowan pulled from his satchel was hardly what he'd been expecting. At first he struggled to understand why: I'm not so sure a graveyard is the greatest place to grow a plant—

It is the perfect location. Yveltal's glowering stare bleeds through the veil, allowing it to bestow upon Adrian its divine countenance. Adrian's stomach sank. Fuck.

These seeds are a gift that must be nurtured. You must take them to places of power and bury them...

Only then will they take root and take their shape. It's not entirely clear what is meant by taking shape, but Adrian can't help but distrust Yveltal's tone on the subject.

Adrian's eyes go out of focus for what would've only been a moment before he fixates back on Rowan. "N-no... I mean, I don't know if it'll grow, but... It'll give us both a reason to come visit together. And that's... great."

Reaching out for their elbow, he pulls them back abruptly before dipping his head against theirs. "In fact, at this point, I'd be offended if you insisted on backing out. I mean, it's Howitzer's honor at stake here, now." Lips peeled back in a grin so that Rowan would know he wasn't being serious, and it surprised him how easily he joked about Howitzer like that. He'd never taken up anything less than a melancholic tone when it came to Howitzer...

Until just now. And he didn't feel guilty...

Somewhere in Rowan's eyes, he was staring back at his own reflected glee, though he didn't recognize it beneath the blond-on-black locks guarding those cat-like eyes.

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POSTED ON Apr 1, 2021 3:10:48 GMT

Adrian Malcolm likes this

“You think so?” Rowan was slightly taken back by their sudden acceptance of the idea, their voice wavering ever so slightly as if they were nervous about something. “Are you sure?” An eyebrow raised as their hand pulled his arm back, setting the pouch on the ground between the two of them once more with a concerned look in his eyes. There was something off about Adrian, but Rowan wasn’t able to exactly place what was making them act so strange out of nowhere. “Alright, for Howitzer’s honor then.” Adrian’s smile was enough to put him at ease once more, as it often did. Admittedly it was a strange request to make, and he couldn’t blame them for acting weird in response, considering. “Thanks, handsome.” Rowan leaned forward and pressed his lips against theirs for a long moment, not wanting to pull away until he was desperate for air, a rosy glow on his cheeks now.

“I don’t know why, but I have a feeling something good will come from it. I can’t really explain it.” Rowan rolled over slightly and started pushing his finger into the dirt beside the monument to a fallen friend, placing a seed into each one until he’d run out and gently covering them. Thanks to the chilly night air and elevation, the ground was damp enough to provide sustenance for now, but they’d need to come back and continue caring for this future plant in the days to come. “Not the kind of seed planting I thought we’d be doing tonight when you called me.” Rowan turned back towards Adrian with a small grin stretched across his lips, forgetting for the moment that they were in a rather public place to make these kinds of innuendo. “What should we do now?” Arms slithered around their form once more, resting his head against them with a contented sigh. “I’m all yours.” He giggled softly, mimicking his saucy taunt from the night they’d met with a more gentle tone.

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