by SunnyJustice » Wed Apr 21, 2021 9:05 am
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-----Rowan Adashithe misunderstood gentleman
Career of the 5th Hunger Games Full name: "Good evening, my name is Rowan Adashi. Perhaps soon to be Rowan Gwydion."
Gender: "I'm a gentleman, but I understand the confusion." Despite being male, Rowan is often referred to as a Career mum. It's pretty normal to him. However, non-Careers might find it confusing that he goes by both he/him and 'ma'...
Sexuality: "Apologies, I am not sure." Rowan is bisexual.
District: "I come from District Two, thank you for asking. It's a lovely place."
Age: "I was eighteen when I lay down my life for my district. I did not intend to return."
Voice type: Tenor
Appearance: Fairly tall and wispy for a District Two fellow, Rowan stands at 5'9" with a look of stately elegance. He keeps his dark hair neat and immaculately trimmed to maintain his clean appearance. Glasses frame his mahogany brown eyes, which always hold a look of warmth and mild concern, as if the state of the world troubles him and he'd like to nurture it back to health.
Personality: "I try to be a gentleman, but my social skills are frankly terrible. My apologies if I offend you by accident! I promise I don't mean any harm." After the horrors of the previous games, Rowan has taken the responsibility of gently guiding the Careers back onto a kinder path. He holds unfaltering respect towards Letitia and Gabriel's original vision of the alliance, a beacon of hope shining through the bleak arena. Truly honorable Careers should treat every tribute with respect and dignity. Allies deserve the utmost loyalty and care, hurt tributes should be made comfortable, and enemies should receive as swift and painless a death as the Careers are capable of providing.
Rowan wishes he could call himself a pacifist, but he understands he still plays a terrible, deadly role in these games.
Partner: "I am happy to announce Esme Gwydion and I are now in a relationship."
Alliance: "With my fellow Careers - Esme, Lily, David and Alice." The alliance suffered a copycat betrayal with Blake Sutton following in Clark's footsteps from last year. Both their fates proved all traitors' crimes catch up to them at some point. As for the actual Careers, Rowan shared a sibling-like bond with his district partner Lily, and soon extended that same relationship to David and Alice. He and Esme formed a different kind of relationship. ⚔
Reaped or volunteered: "I volunteered with the sole intention of protecting my district... and ensuring no hearts are unnecessarily broken." Rowan was motivated to protect the children of District Two, but he also promised his friend Almond that he'd look after his district partner. He vowed not to let young Lily suffer the horrors that Almond's sister, Apricot, endured last year.
Parade outfit: "I had quite the dapper outfit! My stylists are geniuses, I have nothing but utter respect for them." Rowan wore a formal burgundy suit with a dark granite pattern. Crystal-like growths of rock protruded from the suit's shoulder areas and tailcoat.
Interview angle: "I tried to come off as a gentleman, although I'm afraid I may have upset them a little..." Rowan spoke about the other Careers with respect and pride, complimenting the kind hearts of tributes like Letitia, Sam, Leah and Matty. Most of the audience were endeared by this, but one Clark-supporter hurled horrible verbal abuse at him, shouting obscenities about how 'you can't be both a good Career and a good person'. Rowan remained calm and polite onstage, acknowledging he respects their different views.
Alignment: "'Lawful evil' would fit best. Had circumstances been different, perhaps I'd have the chance to become a better person."
Weapon of choice: "I use a spear to keep my enemies at bay." Rowan fights with it like a staff. He hates harming people, even if they have every intention of murdering him. The blade is mostly to scare them off.
Fatal flaw: "Oh... I have many." Compassionate but socially clueless, Rowan is the ideal target of all types of manipulators. His nurturing instincts, his code of honor, his moral principles, they are all exploited with hilarious ease by both villains and desperate tributes.
Mentor: "Sadly, I had none." That changed after his district partner won the games.
Training score: "Ten... I'm not sure how that happened either, but thank you!" Even though Rowan's fighting skills were mediocre among Careers, the Gamemakers marked him high to encourage his morals. It intrigued them, the idea that a 'murderous Career alliance' could turn out surprisingly compassionate, and they wanted to see more in the future.
Death: "My everlasting gratitude goes out to my district partner, Lily Brie. I am so proud of her." Bitter cold pierced Rowan's uniform as his pedestal rose into a chilly mountain plateau. The moment the bloodbath began, staining the frosted grass crimson, he tuned out the chaos and entered the frozen Cornucopia. Inside he found a spear with the branding of a popular crayon company, as well as a backpack filled with useful supplies. As he picked them up, a horrific scream echoed through the golden horn. Rowan took a deep, calming breath and exited the Cornucopia, only to see the scene of his worst nightmares. Blades clashing against blades, desperate tributes pleading for mercy, gaunt hands clutching for a weapon they'd never reach. His eyes widened with horror as a cold hand tugged at his ankle. As he looked down, fear turned to pity at the wretched sight of a dying tribute, trembling from the cold. "Please."
"You must be so cold..." Rowan knelt beside the tribute and brought them into his arms. They curled into his embrace, burying their face in his chest with a weak sob. The bloodbath raging around him was of no consequence, all Rowan could think of was helping this poor soul as he rummaged through his backpack. At last he found it, a thermos of water that still felt warm. "Can I offer you some water?"
The tribute nodded, eyes round and grateful as Rowan held the thermos to their parched lips. A stillness seemed to settle over them as they drank. Once they finished, Rowan still held them in his arms until they exhaled their last breath in a quiet sigh.
As he gently set the fallen tribute in the grass, Rowan noticed an appalling scene. Blake Sutton, his own fellow Career, thrust his sword through the District Seven boy’s stomach and left him to bleed out. Rowan's eyes widened in horror as Blake approached him laughing. "Hey, bro."
Rowan shook his head at his barbaric teammate, forcing himself to remain calm. This was not how a Career should behave; cruel, drawn-out deaths were what the alliance existed to prevent. As Blake continued to laugh and boast behind him, Rowan approached the distraught District Seven tributes with his head bowed in apology. "I am so sorry-" He stopped, frozen in shock as he took in the scene. The boy was begging his district partner to take his life, but she vehemently refused, saying she'd never do that to him.
Rowan turned to the girl with a regretful expression. All she wanted was to save her friend, but it only appeared to be causing him further distress. "I'm afraid he is beyond saving. I understand it must be hard for you, but... would you respect his wishes?"
She looked at him with utter horror. Then, almost in a trance, she plunged her blade into her district partner's heart and ran. Rowan watched her leave, wondering if he'd really done the right thing. Dark, regretful eyes strayed to the boy's still body.
Esme approached him, murmuring gentle reassurances that snapped the lost Career out of his thoughts. She offered him her hand for comfort and he gratefully accepted it, cradling it in his palms. Her elegant fingers belied a immeasurable strength that, at the moment, was all he could ask for. "Thank you," he whispered, though words couldn't fully express his gratitude.
As the bloodbath drew to a close, Rowan and his allies gathered up supplies and started the long trek up the mountainside path. At the top sat a building that seemed an ideal home for the alliance. Rowan led the way in silence, refusing to speak to Blake, that insensitive torturer who went against everything Careers stood for.
Soon they reached the summit, a snow-covered plateau. Shielding his face from the howling wind, Rowan trudged the final steps forward and wrestled the doors open for his alliance. They filed into what appeared to be... a school lobby?
After the initial moment of confusion, the Careers began to explore their new territory. The room behind the cafeteria held a vast supply of frozen food, and on the uppermost floor, the library became the alliance's designated camp. Exhausted after braving the cold, unforgiving mountain path, the Careers curled up in any comfortable couch or crevice to get an early night's sleep. Rowan and Esme volunteered to take watch that night. By dawn, the sleep-deprived sentinels had curled up against each other for support.
A sound from the lower floors sent Rowan clambering to his feet, spear at the ready. He tapped Esme on the shoulder and whispered for her to wake the other Careers. As she went to rouse Lily, Rowan left the library and descended the stairs with cautious steps. His heart pounded in dread as more noise ensued - metallic screeches, heavy thuds, a scream.
He broke into a run, almost flying down the stairwell until he'd reached the basement. The spear shook in Rowan's hands as he forced himself forward into the abandoned halls. Burnt-out florescent lamps flickered overhead, and every footstep sent dust billowing around it in a silent plume. The air, thick with the musty smell of old shoes forgotten in lockers never to be opened again, soon took on a horrible copper tinge as he continued on. Then he saw her, slumped against a locker almost as battered as her body. With a jolt of horror, he remembered he hadn't heard a cannon yet... and to confirm his fears, the tribute's eyes fluttered open, fixing him with a petrified stare.
"I'm... I'm not here to hurt you, I promise," Rowan stammered, sinking to his knees beside her. "Who did this to you?"
Her lips moved, forming the shape of a terse name: Todd. Rowan nodded, making a mental note that a killer was roaming these halls, clearly armed with some terrible bludgeon from the looks of it. Uncertain what he could do for the dying tribute, he again reached for his water canteen and offered it to her. She weakly shook her head and Rowan could read the silent no on her lips.
"Would you like some peace and quiet, then?" Rowan whispered. The tribute responded with a tired nod, but as he turned to leave, she caught his wrist with a desperate look in her eyes. You don't want me to leave? But you want peace and quiet... Heart sinking with the weight of a horrible realization, he followed her imploring gaze to where it rested on his spear. Oh... I understand now.
Once the tribute was at peace, Rowan slipped one of the cafeteria's bread loaves into her hand - food for her final journey. As he stood up, he noticed a figure standing at the end of the hallway, watching in shocked silence. With a shudder, Rowan found himself staring right into the accusing, heartbroken eyes of Blake Sutton. The taller boy spun and stormed off before Rowan could say a word.
Rowan returned to the library by his lonesome, assuming Blake needed some time away from the alliance. Once he reunited with the waiting Careers, he explained everything that transpired and his allies responded with clenched fists and raised voices, infuriated over the grisly fate of Todd's victim. She is a stranger, yet we want justice for her... somehow, this feels right, Rowan observed.
Lily remained behind, standing guard over a sleeping Esme. Confident in his district partner's strength, Rowan headed out to hunt their quarry alongside Alice and David of District Four. It didn't take long for them to find Todd. Rather, Todd found them.
Lunging out from a dark classroom, the towering tribute knocked Rowan aside with ease and swung at the smaller District Four tributes. Rowan regained his footing just in time to watch Todd bash his mace into the back of David's head. As the boy crumpled, Rowan rushed forward to catch him in his arms. A horrible scream pierced the air - not from David, but from his district partner Alice, who charged Todd in a murderous rage. Too afraid to watch, Rowan returned his gaze to the dying ally in his arms.
To his surprise, David wore a smile as he watched his district partner fight. "Thank her for me," he whispered as his eyes slid shut for the final time. Two cannons fired, first David's, then Todd's as Alice took her revenge. Rowan set his fallen ally down, willing his tears not to fall just yet, and approached the distraught District Four girl to bring her into a tight embrace. He told her of David's final words, the pride and trust he held in his partner. Only when Alice's tears and rage had subsided to a shaky calm did they return to the library.
Esme greeted both returning tributes with a tight, comforting hug. Soothed by her presence, Rowan leaned into her embrace and let the world around him fade to background noise. Lily took one look at the distraught Careers and ordered everyone to take a much-needed rest. They spent that evening in recovery, and the next morning Blake returned to camp. Rowan tried to welcome him but was met with silence. Brushing him off, Blake took charge and arranged the day's activities himself: He and Esme would patrol the building's exterior, while Rowan, Alice and Lily investigated strange noises coming from the gymnasium. The other Careers just took it in stride and agreed.
Rowan and Esme shared one more hug before they split up. Once both patrols had gone their separate ways, Rowan and his group entered the gym - only to see a tall silhouette dart away from them. Alice sprinted after the tribute, leaving Lily and Rowan struggling to keep up. A cannon fired and Rowan slowed his pace, assuming his ally had taken down the other tribute already. He froze as he arrived to see Alice's motionless body strung up in a snare. "We... we have to warn the others," Rowan breathed, biting his lip to stop it from trembling.
He and Lily left the building to search for their other allies, to warn them yet another dangerous tribute prowled the halls they considered home. As Lily checked the perimeter, Rowan ventured down the mountain, following a suspiciously fresh pair of footprints down to the Cornucopia plateau. His cautious descent turned into a brisk jog, then a sprint as he spotted two familiar silhouettes down by the snow-covered pedestals. Relief turned to stark terror as Blake turned on his own district partner, unsheathing his sword.
"Esme!" Rowan cried out to her. But he was too late. With a vengeful smile, Blake plunged his sword through Esme's back, and Rowan froze in stunned horror as her scream of pain echoed across the plateau.
"A love for a love," Blake hissed, wrenching the blade free as he broke into a run. He was gone before Rowan could stop him.
Esme fell to her knees in the snow, a rose plucked and wilting too soon. The sight snapped Rowan back to reality and he rushed to her side, clearing the distance between them in seconds that felt like hours. He took her into his arms, so gently, as if the slightest disturbance would shatter them both. "Esme, I'm here. I'll take you home now," he murmured, wrapping her in his longcoat for warmth. "Hold onto me, alright? I don't want you to get cold." His voice broke on the word cold. How could it not? Cold, bitter cold gripped the world, its piercing chill biting deeper with each heartbeat, each labored breath that took Esme further away from his side. A world without Esme... a world without love. Living in that world seemed colder than the sharpest blade of ice. "I... I'm so sorry."
"Shh." She reached up and wiped the unshed tears from his eyes, smiling like nothing was wrong. "It's going to be okay."
You're the one dying, yet you're comforting me. Rowan willed his lip not to tremble. I don't deserve you. This world doesn't deserve you...
But you deserve the world. And if he couldn't give that to her, he should at least make her final moments comfortable. So, despite it all, Rowan's pained expression softened into a gentle smile. He cradled her closer to shield from the ruthless winds, vowing that this time he'd stay with her until the end. "I'll never let you go again. I love you, Esme."
She smiled at him for the final time, once-vivid green eyes already beginning to glaze over. "I love you too."
The howling wind echoed Rowan's rage as he hunted Blake down. Once he cornered the traitor on the cliff's edge, justice was swift and brutal. Rowan stabbed Blake to death, then tossed his cold body off the mountainside, refusing to give such a wretched monster a proper sendoff. "Goodbye, Blake. You aren't welcome," Rowan whispered. "Only five Careers entered the arena this year."
By nightfall, he returned to the summit with Esme's body clutched in his arms. Lily welcomed him inside with concern, then outrage as Rowan tearfully explained what happened. The two of them held a makeshift funeral for their fallen allies that night, laying David, Alice, and finally Esme to rest in the library they'd once called home. Rowan prepared a lavish dinner in the cafeteria, and Lily used her sword to divide it into five generous portions: one each for the living, one each for the fallen.
Afterwards, Lily debriefed Rowan on what she'd found in the building since his departure. Both remaining non-Careers now prowled these halls. The taller one they'd chased earlier was Richard of District Eleven, and he was the one who set the traps. Another tribute, Aster of District Seven, had barricaded herself into the girls' locker room to escape Lily's onslaught. The District Two tributes decided to split: Lily would try to break into the locker room, and Rowan would hunt down the scheming Richard.
All night, Rowan scoured the upper floors for the boy but found no sign of life. Only when he moved to the ground floor did he hear movement. Cautiously, he followed the sound to the open music room door. He entered, squinting into the darkness as he scanned the instruments for a hiding tribute. Maybe Richard was crouching behind the drum kit? Rowan stepped forward to investigate...
The door closed behind him.
Rowan felt the unbearable cold of a blade piercing his back. As he crumpled to the floor, his assailant kicked at him, kicked even as the wounded Career curled into a helpless ball on his side. Unable to defend himself or call for help, Rowan could only endure the tribute's brutal attack in silence. Eventually, Richard stormed out of the music room, leaving him to die alone. The door slammed shut once more.
"No, don't..." Rowan's voice trailed off. Don't leave me like this. He crawled to the door and reached for the handle with shaking fingers, a futile attempt. With a shaky sigh, he curled up and waited for darkness to take him, but years of training meant his body refused to give up without a fight. His heart continued its relentless beat, reminding him the world wouldn't let him go so easily.
A cannon fired somewhere, but to Rowan's horror it wasn't his own. Lily... please don't let that be you.
The minutes crept by like hours, but eventually Rowan opened his eyes to the creak of a door and a furious voice. "It was the disgrace, Richard, who did this then," came the murderous snarl he thought he'd never hear again. "I'll make him pay."
"Lily..." An almost dizzying wave of relief rushed through him. She was alive, even though he'd let her down. "I... I'm sorry."
"I'd say you're forgiven, but there's nothing to forgive you for," Lily said in a uncharacteristically soft tone. Rowan curled into her arms as she carried him up to the library, where he knew the other fallen Careers would welcome him into their ranks. She set him down beside Esme, then unsheathed her sword and offered him a solemn smile. "Like we agreed?"
Rowan nodded his assent, returning the smile despite the agony he was in. It would not last. Soon, his district partner's blade would reunite him with Esme and the others. "Thank you," He whispered, closing his eyes as Lily raised her sword in reverent silence.
Soon a welcome darkness swept away the pain, and he awoke to the gentle warmth of lips pressed against his own.
"I was waiting forever for that."Rowan's Relationships
Alliance: | ◆ allies | ◈ neither allies nor enemies | ◇ enemies | ❖ betrayed
Feelings: | ♡ romantic | ✿ very positive | ✓ positive | ▣ neutral | ✘ negative
The 5th Hunger Games
【 D1 ❖ ✘ 】 Blake: Rowan will never forgive this backstabbing murderer. Traitors have no place in the Career alliance.
【 D1 ◆ ♡ 】 Esme: Now that Rowan and Esme are reunited, they have all the time in the world to spend together.
【 D2 ◆ ✿ 】 Lily: A sister to him. His entire aim was to ensure she made it home, so in the end they both won.
【 D4 ◆ ✓ 】 David: Though David and Rowan have their differences, they still share a close bond.
【 D4 ◆ ✓ 】 Alice: A trustworthy, loyal friend who fought steadfastly by his side.
【 D5 ◇ ✘ 】 Todd: He killed with reckless brutality, leaving his victims half-alive... truly terrible.
【 D5 ◈ ▣ 】 Oriana: One of Todd's victims. After Rowan found her dying in the basement, he swore revenge on Todd.
【 D7 ◈ ▣ 】 Jules: After Blake fatally stabbed him, Rowan bears the guilt for telling Jules' district partner to end it.
【 D7 ◈ ▣ 】 Aster: Rowan blames himself for Aster and Jules' trauma. He apologized to them both in the afterlife.
【 D11 ◇ ✘ 】 Richard: He attacked Rowan viciously over a grudge, but the level of brutality was just excessive.
【 D11 ◈ ▣ 】 Marie: Rowan never met this tribute, but she was apparently the cause of Richard's grudge.Other
【 ✿ 】 Anise: Rowan's beloved baby sister! He hugs her all the time, to an embarrassing extent.
【 ✓ 】 Laelia: Anise's partner and Rowan's sister-in-law. He's quite fond of her.
【 ✿ 】 Almond: When Rowan learned his friend was in love with Lily, and Lily was entering the Games... well...
【 ✿ 】 Willow: Another of Rowan's close friends in District Two. She was deeply affected by his death...Last edited by
SunnyJustice on Thu Jun 03, 2021 4:34 pm, edited 4 times in total.
