11-25-2020, 07:57 PM
[align=center]
ROWAN PIERS SULLIVAN
careful eyes peaked from over the barricade, following the reaper truck as it made its way down the road. he inhaled deeply through his nose. this was it. the moment they’d all been waiting for. anticipating. his brows furrowed gently as he stared down at the phone held steadily in his hands. odd. he figured his hands would’ve been trembling with anxiety, terrified of what could go wrong, what could happen to them… yet his hands were steady. and, aside from the gentle race of his heart, he felt a rush of ease. calm. they were ready for this. it was hard to feel anxious for something they were so well-prepared for.
the air around them was so silent that one could hear a pen drop. slowly raising the camera up, he glanced around as others started to surround the vehicle. “hey row,” he turned his gaze towards ben, blinking gently. “get this on camera.” his lips dared to turn into a smile as he focused the camera on him, pressing record as everything started to go to plan.
it was unbelievable. everything was going off without a hitch. he followed after ben, trying his best to keep a steady hand as they chased off the reapers from their truck. he glanced around at the other rebels around him.
rowan was often overlooked. it wasn’t as though he could particularly blame others; he was used to it. actually, in most ways, rowan agreed with them. he didn’t have the loudest voice, and he didn’t carry himself with the natural charm others around him possessed. at times when benedict always seemed to know exactly what to say, row was more soft-spoken and at a loss of words. it made him wonder what benedict and the other rebels even saw in him, if they even noticed him much at all. who would have much expectations for someone that appeared so unassuming?
the man didn’t want things to stay that way, though. little as others thought of him, rowan at least had hope. not just in the movement, but also in himself in some ways. he wanted to rise to the occasion. blow everyone away. the pain he endured growing up couldn’t have been for nothing. no- rowan wouldn’t let it. for the young orphan boy that barely managed to make ends meet; the vivid memories of the sound of the growling of his stomach keeping him awake most nights, soon to be drowned out by the sound of uproarious rebel cheers. everything young rowan had once thought was impossible was unfolding right before his eyes…
a large fire erupted from the truck. his lips started to pull into the faintest hint of a smile as he looked at the screen, the lens focusing on the rebel leader stood silhouetted by the fire and smoke. with benedict, it all seemed possible.
the hopes and dreams of everyone in this group felt in reach with every course of action they took. each plan, each meeting… all of it would one day make all of the fear and dark times worth it. even if they got knocked down a hundred times and even more, they would find a way to rise up and come back. rowan was sure of it. rebellions were built on hope. and if rebellions were built on hope, then rowan could help build a strong foundation with everyone.
perhaps that was why he and ash both went down different paths. hope. even when the brothers were going through the worst of times, the young mousy-haired boy always had hope that things would get better. it was the only thing that would keep him going some days. and this revolution… this rebellion only ignored the hope he had for better days. beyond this dark era.
lowering the phone, he clicked to re-watch the footage. he didn’t have long to review it before ben caught his eye, the two sharing a brief moment before they both turned to walk towards the pickup. rowan felt at a loss of words the entire walk there. “i don't care how long it takes-” ben started, “-how many trucks we have to burn or how many fights we have to fight; we will win. i can just... god, i can just feel it!” he grabbed rowan’s shoulder, squeezing proudly. rowan shook his head and briefly clapped a hand onto ben’s upper arm proudly. ben always knew what to say. he huffed as the other man gently nudged him away. he climbed into the passenger seat.
his arm rested just outside the truck window as they drove back to their makeshift homes. his hand absently raised from time to time, fingers splaying apart just enough. as if to catch the wind in the palm of his hand. thoughtful eyes narrowed gently in contemplation, wetting his lower lip.
[b]“so you feel it?” he said suddenly, pausing before he turned his gaze towards the driver’s seat. “that we’re going to win?” the idea was enough to make his heart pound loud enough to ring in his ears, chest feeling tight. hopeful. he turned to look outside at the world around them once again, resting his head back against the carseat.
“do you think-” he paused, as if searching for the right words in the distant skyline. “they’ll still be the same as before once this is all over? when we last saw them.” he didn’t think he’d have to say who exactly “they” were in order for benedict to know. the two of them had lost so much from this better living; their pain was a heavy burden they both had to wear. he blinked rapidly and released a short, heavy sigh. how could the pain they endured be so different, but also in other ways the same?
the wind gently ruffled through his hair as he gazed outside, turning his hand absently against the soft gust. “don’t you want to be happy?” ash’s last words rang woefully in his ear. so clear he would’ve thought the man was sitting right with him again. ”or do you think it’s naive to ask for so much?” to hope.
the air around them was so silent that one could hear a pen drop. slowly raising the camera up, he glanced around as others started to surround the vehicle. “hey row,” he turned his gaze towards ben, blinking gently. “get this on camera.” his lips dared to turn into a smile as he focused the camera on him, pressing record as everything started to go to plan.
it was unbelievable. everything was going off without a hitch. he followed after ben, trying his best to keep a steady hand as they chased off the reapers from their truck. he glanced around at the other rebels around him.
rowan was often overlooked. it wasn’t as though he could particularly blame others; he was used to it. actually, in most ways, rowan agreed with them. he didn’t have the loudest voice, and he didn’t carry himself with the natural charm others around him possessed. at times when benedict always seemed to know exactly what to say, row was more soft-spoken and at a loss of words. it made him wonder what benedict and the other rebels even saw in him, if they even noticed him much at all. who would have much expectations for someone that appeared so unassuming?
the man didn’t want things to stay that way, though. little as others thought of him, rowan at least had hope. not just in the movement, but also in himself in some ways. he wanted to rise to the occasion. blow everyone away. the pain he endured growing up couldn’t have been for nothing. no- rowan wouldn’t let it. for the young orphan boy that barely managed to make ends meet; the vivid memories of the sound of the growling of his stomach keeping him awake most nights, soon to be drowned out by the sound of uproarious rebel cheers. everything young rowan had once thought was impossible was unfolding right before his eyes…
a large fire erupted from the truck. his lips started to pull into the faintest hint of a smile as he looked at the screen, the lens focusing on the rebel leader stood silhouetted by the fire and smoke. with benedict, it all seemed possible.
the hopes and dreams of everyone in this group felt in reach with every course of action they took. each plan, each meeting… all of it would one day make all of the fear and dark times worth it. even if they got knocked down a hundred times and even more, they would find a way to rise up and come back. rowan was sure of it. rebellions were built on hope. and if rebellions were built on hope, then rowan could help build a strong foundation with everyone.
perhaps that was why he and ash both went down different paths. hope. even when the brothers were going through the worst of times, the young mousy-haired boy always had hope that things would get better. it was the only thing that would keep him going some days. and this revolution… this rebellion only ignored the hope he had for better days. beyond this dark era.
lowering the phone, he clicked to re-watch the footage. he didn’t have long to review it before ben caught his eye, the two sharing a brief moment before they both turned to walk towards the pickup. rowan felt at a loss of words the entire walk there. “i don't care how long it takes-” ben started, “-how many trucks we have to burn or how many fights we have to fight; we will win. i can just... god, i can just feel it!” he grabbed rowan’s shoulder, squeezing proudly. rowan shook his head and briefly clapped a hand onto ben’s upper arm proudly. ben always knew what to say. he huffed as the other man gently nudged him away. he climbed into the passenger seat.
his arm rested just outside the truck window as they drove back to their makeshift homes. his hand absently raised from time to time, fingers splaying apart just enough. as if to catch the wind in the palm of his hand. thoughtful eyes narrowed gently in contemplation, wetting his lower lip.
[b]“so you feel it?” he said suddenly, pausing before he turned his gaze towards the driver’s seat. “that we’re going to win?” the idea was enough to make his heart pound loud enough to ring in his ears, chest feeling tight. hopeful. he turned to look outside at the world around them once again, resting his head back against the carseat.
“do you think-” he paused, as if searching for the right words in the distant skyline. “they’ll still be the same as before once this is all over? when we last saw them.” he didn’t think he’d have to say who exactly “they” were in order for benedict to know. the two of them had lost so much from this better living; their pain was a heavy burden they both had to wear. he blinked rapidly and released a short, heavy sigh. how could the pain they endured be so different, but also in other ways the same?
the wind gently ruffled through his hair as he gazed outside, turning his hand absently against the soft gust. “don’t you want to be happy?” ash’s last words rang woefully in his ear. so clear he would’ve thought the man was sitting right with him again. ”or do you think it’s naive to ask for so much?” to hope.