( sean teale, homosexual, cismale + he/him, class (tank) «—◦—→ well met, ADRIAN SILVA! the divine born child of ARTEMIS. your name sings in our ears! it’s been 30 years and now they have answered the song in their veins. before they answered the song, they were a/an WILD LIFE PHOTOGRAPHER and were living in SEATTLE, WASHINGTON. history and myth will remember them for their PERSISTENCE, AND OBSERVANT EYE but will also magnify their ALOOFNESS, RELENTLESSNESS, AND STUBBORNNESS if it causes them to falter. now it is time for the world to sing their name with them. | bc, 35+, he/him, pst + homophobia & slurs.
Full Name: Adrian Silva
Alias/Nickname: "ghosttrack" (online/social media handle)
Age: 30
Gender: Cismale
Sexual Orientation: Homosexual
Appearance
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
Build: Lean, athletic — a panther-like grace with long limbs and surprising power
Skin: Warm, tan, sun-kissed
Hair: Wavy dark brown, kept short on the sides, longer up top and often tousled
Eyes: Deep brown with golden flecks; observant and calm, but harden into something almost animal when he's hunting
Face: Expressive brows, high cheekbones, a strong but not brutish jaw
Style: Understated and practical — layers of neutrals, workwear jackets, cargo pants, worn boots; often looks like he’s just come in from the field. Camera strap or utility satchel never far.
Frequently scans rooms like he's tracking something
Runs or walks in the wilderness to clear his mind
Tends to sit in silence instead of filling space with words
Quirks:
Has a soft spot for orphaned or injured animals — he's raised and released a few
Never takes selfies, but captures candid portraits of people without them noticing
Miscellaneous
Fighting Style:
TBD
Scars:
Faint claw marks across his lower back (from a creature he never saw clearly)
Nick along his collarbone from a jagged branch during a forest pursuit
A long, pale line over one eyebrow — camera lens shattered under pressure
Favorite Music:
Ambient electronica, lo-fi beats, and field recordings of storms and animals
Occasionally traditional folk or tribal music from areas he’s photographed
Tattoos:
A minimalist lynx silhouette on his ribcage
A series of camera lenses in the shape of moon phases climbing up the inside of one arm
History
Adrian grew up in a coastal town in southern Chile, raised by his father, a reclusive but fiercely independent biologist with ties to local myth and ritual. His early years were steeped in nature, not just observing it, but being part of it. That wildness stayed with him.
He took up wildlife photography in his early twenties, seeking not only to document the natural world but to understand it. He spent years in rainforests, mountains, and deserts — working freelance, publishing occasionally, but mostly disappearing off-grid. His eye for capturing movement and emotion in wild animals earned him a modest but loyal following online under the handle ghosttrack and with it came enough in the way of jobs and sponsorships for him to move to the United States.
To most, Adrian is quiet, even easygoing, charming in his own calm way. But something changes when danger strikes. His friends say his body language shifts. His gaze narrows. He becomes silent, precise, and terrifyingly efficient — as if something ancient stirs in him.
He never knew his mother, and his father didn’t speak of her — only that "your strength doesn’t come from your blood, but your instinct."
When the Calling came? Adrian followed it without hesitation. Whatever was sleeping in him was waking up. And it was hungry.
TL;DR
Grew up isolated in nature, raised by a strong-willed father with secrets
Became a wildlife photographer, living a transient, observation-heavy life
Laid-back and personable in daily life, but transforms into a cold, unrelenting predator when pushed into conflict
No huff of discontent or visual cues telling Samson he was crossing a line, or saying anything that was pushing Adrian too far into discomfort. Just the same, he wouldn’t play the odds forever and while he’d wanted to get that off his chest - it was absolutely not why he was here.
“The only difference being he’s my friend and I care about him a great deal, both of you. I can’t say the same about everyone else.” A look of concession with a slight tilt forward, Adrian could take it however he wanted. “That’s all I had to say, don't worry - you're safe now.” Playfully mused, he then held the camera back up again, though this time he extended it toward Adrian, “Often I learn best by observing, would you mind?”
He just gave a low, non-verbal hum at that. The aloof son of Artemis was probably already infamous for being hard to find and even harder to get close to. Anyone who thought they might be his friend was probably far more than that in Adrian's eyes and didn't even know it. His last conversation with the other son of Demeter was a good sign of that. He was not doing himself any favors with this behavior, it seemed.
The shock came to his face yet again as the camera was brought closer to him. "Are you sure?" One of the big rules (at least in his previous circles) was that you never touch another man's camera. Not just because they were expensive, but also because of all the settings that were set perfectly for that person. One accidental turn of a switch or lens without either party knowing it could be...
But he held out his hand to take it, looking more than a little reverent at such a gesture.
The uncomfortable shift was palpable. Adrian, about three shades paler, looked like Samson had just about pulled a knife on him.
For all the hulking strength Adrian possessed in and out of his transformations, it had to be a little endearing to see a look of unbridled terror when the subject was broached. They were in the thick of it now. If Adrian had just run off, then Samson was liable and likely to get lost out here - no escape, it seemed.
“You should tell him, or - tell him more, anyway.” Before Adrian had the chance to say, he already did. "Luka will appreciate it, I'm sure; he won't assume what you don't tell him, he's very sweet like that." Samson took a beat, gauging, "Also, feel free to tell me if you think I'm crossing a line."
Well, that wasn’t as horrible as the ‘we shouldn’t spend time together anymore’ he was half expecting. It was enough to get Adrian to go from being wary to giving Samson a flat look at essentially being told to talk more. But if there was someone who could get away with saying it without the quiet son of the forest taking offense, it was the man in front of him.
“Advice I should apply to everyone, probably.” He agreed, not exactly crestfallen or chastised but something adjacent to it. Acceptance that he should probably do better at such things, even if it wasn’t part of his nature. Some things could and should be learned, it seemed. “Anything else?”
Barring a few twigs stuck to the strap, the camera had managed to survive the tumble. Fortunately, Samson wouldn’t be able to sleep for a week thinking about what a waste it’d have been if his butt had crushed it or something. That’d be embarrassing. Taking Adrian’s hand, gladly, and working his way to standing on his feet again; the fact that Adrian was grinning like that after Samson’s suffering spoke volumes but he was more grateful for the amusement than any fretting. “It’s not funny.” Playfully pointed, “You can stop smiling at any time.”
It wasn’t his business, but there was a topic that Samson had wanted to broach since coming out here, longer actually, but there were only so many hours in a day and it took time to articulate. “So, you and Luka-” Samson started, “he told me that he likes you.” And he’d told Samson that Adrian felt the same, or had implied the same without really bringing it up. “And I have eyes,” and other parts, “so I thought it was pretty clear there was something there but- may I make a request? As a friend and someone who cares a great deal for you both.” Regardless of what Adrian said, Samson was incapable of holding his opinion inside for too long.
The surprise in the subject change would be obvious from how quickly the smile left Adrian's face. The urge to shut down or be protective was quelled, solely because of who he was talking to, but the wariness in his expression was still there. He was never one to speak much about these types of things. Not that he'd had many of them, but after how poorly things had gone with-
...somebody? Someone he couldn't remember. Stupid taken memories.
He finished dusting off Samson before taking a step back and nodding to silently tell him to continue with whatever request he wanted to make.
“I meant the birds,” Samson joked, smile firmly in place as he pointed vaguely into the canopy, “you too I guess, but we’ve had this discussion.” Camp had a way of getting hectic and Samson had a habit of getting lost in the minutia of the daily routine; his life was fairly removed from exploring the woods around them, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy it now and then. It helped that there was a chivalrous guide receptive to helping out when Samson needed it.
Distracted until he wasn’t, the scene opened and whatever Samson was about to say fell out of his head shortly after. Yes, this seemed about right. For a moment he forgot why he was here until Adrian was making a motion for him to do something: Right.
Powering it on, he spied what looked like a white and black woodpecker, then lifted the camera and tried for a shot before the bird quickly flew off. “Okay, rude- um-” he turned instead and opted to begin descending to get a good picture of the cascading water from the base. The climb was steep, less a path and more an outcrop, moving to hoist himself down - he managed to steady himself by grabbing onto a root, but the placement of his footing was poor, and quickly began sliding down, stumbling into half a roll before he tumbled and hit the ground with a loud thud.
“I’m okay - !” Was called up from the forest floor, flattened on his back with his thumb in the air.
It all happened so quick. Adrian's eyes had been tracking where the woodpecker was heading so he could give it a stern talking to later. He didn't notice Samson losing his footing until he was already out of arm's reach. He was following right behind him, of course, sliding down not with grace but as someone who knew how to traverse these areas like he was made to do just that.
You know that sound dogs make? Something that sounds somewhere between a huff and a sigh? Yeah, Adrian made it while looking down at Samson with an honest-to-god grin on his lips while offering a hand to hoist him up. He was amused more than worried, though there was a little bit of concern for the camera since it wasn't as sturdy as a demigod.
Decompressing a beat into the silence, he was prepared to pivot when Adrian shifted the focus back to the source of Samson’s current anxiousness. “It’s this curse that Bear is under, the more I learn about it the more troubling it becomes.” Cursed with unrelenting failure was - well - for people whose lives depended so much on success, it was cruel. A death sentence. “Once a day, fate will make him fail at something completely, if he’s fortunate he can shake it off, if not-” he thought about the man crumpled in front of the forge, brought so low. Samson’s features faltered a beat, falling as they pressed forward, “there’s a healthy dose of despair awaiting him.”
The gesture wasn’t lost on Samson, each of them communicating in their own way, the pace, the forest, the prospect of picking up a new skill. “I think you’re doing just fine, the distraction is nice: something about getting out, touching grass, good company.”
Adrian didn’t say anything as Samson filled him in. He didn’t make any grunts or noises. If the son of Apollo looked in his direction, he’d only give a small nod or motion for him to continue. It was a lot to take in, but also something familiar in a way that made Adrian’s temples throb like some kind of strange, phantom pain. He didn't touch it or flinch in any way. It was his burden to carry the memories of having his mind broken and some part of his being stolen from him.
"Me, good company?" Said with a flat tone that just barely went up at the end. A joke, or as close to one as you could get from him while he was working. As expected, they stumbled on a small brook that was cascading down towards a clearing. From their current high point advantage, they could see lots of interesting views as well as some fauna which were also enjoying what the area had to offer.
Adrian merely motioned for Samson to choose which piece of it all caught his attention the most- and to capture it with his camera.
“As laconic as ever.” Profound in his way, that was a tidbit of wisdom that the son of Apollo would be tucking away for later. “And just in your mind, I think, but I know.” Samson offered, while encouraged to seek Adrian out whenever he wished, the onus remained on him to do the seeking and the needing. Which was fine, now was a prime example of a situation where want and need seemed to intersect; a want to spend time together and a need to check-in with the son of Artemis. “Truthfully? Stressed.” One of them was cursed, and much like with Adrian, Samson was too much of a fixer to not dwell on it. Again, much like Adrian, it happened to someone he cared a great deal about. With this was a subtle revelation that he’d need to be more mindful of going forward. “But… there has been a lot of success as well, personal clarity.” His dream, Apollo, both had helped cement his foundation a little further, perhaps even express how he was feeling rather than just smiling.
Another beat, a breeze through the leaves, silence and stillness despite how they moved through the world. “It’s nice out here.” He added, still speaking without many pauses, “Hughie told me you two went down unda together,” it was a terrible attempt at an Australian accent and one that Samson immediately regretted. “How was it?” Naturally, Samson had never been but that couldn’t be too much of a surprise.
Adrian slowed down a bit to put more of his attention on Samson after the mention of being stressed. They both have a need to help streak in their personalities that both defined them and could easily be the death of them. He'd heard some of what's been happening recently in passing, but he didn't have all the details. He definitely didn't know which problem was the one weighing Samson down. Thank goodness he was more of a listener than a talker- he'd hopefully get more details soon.
He grunted at the comment about the forest. It was nice, when it wanted to be. Just like people, nature seemed to have its moods and gods help you if you ended up on the wrong end of one. "I'd never been to Australia before. I'm happy that my first time was when I could talk to the animals." Hugo was also a good enough guide that he didn't need to do that much. But he wasn't done with the previous topic. "Tell me how I can help you be less stressed."
Where were they headed? Samson couldn't be sure, but he was quite confident that Adrian knew where they were taking him. Right?
“Wait, did you start walking without knowing where we were going?” Amused, “If you wanted to spend time together, you could've just said as much.” Teasing, of course, playing with the adamancy of someone who always seemed to just tell it like it was. Despite this, Samson made something of a thoughtful expression as he considered what he was hoping to fill his camera roll with. Friends for sure, not unlike the candid he'd snapped of Adrian at the wedding. “Landscapes, I think. But if a critter passes us by while we're on the lookout, I wouldn't mind trying to get a good shot.”
"I don't need to know where I'm going." Adrian pointed out casually. "Anything worth finding won't be found following a path." His eyes kept going to that camera, still both fascinated and impressed that Samson had gotten it. "And you came here looking for me. I've already told you that I enjoy your company." Had he? Or had he silently implied it, like he did most things?
With that settled at least, he started walking again. This time, he was headed towards an area he knew was more uneven on the ground. It'd make for good scouting for something that could catch Samson's eye, if the angle itself didn't do so alone.
While he was completely fine with silence, he also wanted to hear the son of Apollo talk. "Tell me about how you've been."
Noting the wide-eyed look that the purchase earned him, Samson felt himself flush a little - suddenly aware that it might look like flaunting. He knew how he'd come to present himself at camp, neat and tidy, far from the dirt he was born in, slipping into that ease wasn't his intention, but then again he had asked for the best they had. “The man at the shop said it should be pretty good, uh-” he smiled, despite the fact that there wasn't any joke being told, “top of the line… are the words he used, I believe.”
Samson would give no argument to the demonstration, he'd assumed as much from the onset but could think of worse ways to spend the afternoon beyond being grounded in comfortable silence and light conversation. “But, you're the expert so… lead the way."
Without further ado, Adrian did as asked. He moved with a purpose but made sure to stay at a pace that Samson could keep up with. They were here to take pictures, after all, not test their stamina. But as he was surveying the area, he realized they hadn't talked about something important about all of this. He stopped moving a little abruptly and turned towards the other, regarding him to see his expression as he asked the question.
"What are you interested in?" Adrian motioned to all of the untamed nature around them. "Animals? Plants? Landscape views?"
Overhead there was a faint chirping from a very chatty bird, with a squint Samson thought maybe he'd recognize it but the creature was gone before he got a good look at it.
“Just company seeking, I think - assuming you have some battery life to spare - that is.” Samson offered candidly, they'd talked about it briefly before, but with the recent excursion to the mall he'd picked up a little something to make it more concrete. Holding up the new, however mundane, camera, it was expensive by non-demigod standards, but cheap in the grand scheme of how much money they often came into. “I was hoping you'd take me up on my previous request, I thought if you wanted to go for a hike together we could find a few good shots?”
Adrian only grunted at the answer he was given. Even now, even after everything he'd been through, he still didn't understand why anyone would go out of their way to spend time with him. The terse and aloof son of Artemis had grown enough to not argue the dead point these days, at least. Besides, he did enjoy having company right back. Usually.
Adrian's eyes went extra wide when he saw the camera. Chump change or no, it was leagues better than his old reliable. "I..." It took him a second to regain his composure. He cleared his throat, put on his usual stoic expression and nodded. "We can do that. I don't have mine on me, though, so I'll have to guide you with yours."
@trackandcapture
location: the woods
notes: and where in the woods is "here" you ask? that's your business.
A few days of rest was exactly what he'd needed, but of those who'd actively seek him out there was at least one who generally had to be approached first. Finding Adrian wasn't always easy, a text would've been the surest cut toward it but Samson was feeling bold in his approach to the forest. Either he'd stumble upon the son of Artemis eventually, or Samson would inevitably get lost and Adrian would stumble upon him instead. “Thought I'd find you here,” Samson commented, coming into blatant view despite whatever amount of time he'd spent lingering on the periphery of Adrian's senses. A few weeks had passed since the wedding and much had changed, at least, Samson had begun to feel as though he was changing. Growing. Lighter in some regards.
He'd known Samson was coming. It wasn't because he could sense him or because he was being particularly disruptive. It was because there was a chatty finch that saw him and came to Adrian to ask if he was going to give him more seed if he found them more fruit. After shooing it away, he made himself much easier for the son of Apollo to find.
"It's the best place to look if you were searching for me." He answered back, hands in the pockets of his jacket. He regarded Samson with a slight tilt of his head and a slow blink. “Everything alright?”
The past few weeks have given Victor a lot to think about. Not only did he have to worry about living up to the name of his mother, a goddess of retribution and vengeance and justice, but he had to learn how to work as a team with the other demigods. For so long, he had been on his own and he had to learn to rely on no one but himself - his father taught him to trust no one, that everyone would be after him because of his skillset. Of course, Victor now knew that he told him that to keep him close, to ensure that Victor wouldn't stray from his cruel hand and turn against him. Perhaps his mother's innate sense of justice presided within him all that time, because eventually he did turn against him.
But now that he was here, it meant having to learn to be more than what his father raised him as. He was a man, a person, and not just a weapon. And yet, he still found himself having trouble getting used to that, getting used to being more than that. His days were still full of training, sharpening his skills with his sword and practicing his martial arts for hours on end, and while he had reached out to a few people... He still didn't feel quite as comfortable around people, still afraid that they'd see him for what he was - a weapon, a criminal... a monster.
Deciding to take the shift patrolling that night, wanting to keep himself busy but also wanting to be a productive member of the camp, Victor walked through the forest as the animals of the night sang their songs. Accompanied by the chirps of crickets, the croaks of frogs, and the occasional hoot of an owl, Victor walked slowly, carefully, as he followed the perimeter trail, listening to the sounds of nature - and listening in case there was something he wouldn't have heard.
Eventually he found a small creek and he moved towards the bed of it to dip his hand in the water, cupping it and bringing it up over his head to cool himself off. Just as he was about to bend down and grab another scoopful to get a sip, however, he heard an odd sound and his hand instinctively moved to the hilt of his sword as he looked over his shoulder.
It would be easy to think so, the way Adrian was obscured in the tree line. In reality, he was simply sitting on a branch and resting his back against the trunk of a tree. It was just the blessing of Artemis that made him so hard to see during the night. The moon seemed to be working with him, keeping its shine far away from where he was.
"If you're following the path, there's some territorial badgers up ahead that might try and mess with you."
"yeah but other then that its been pretty slow." There was a shrug to his shoulders as he spoke.
"Only 4 most of them work at he waffle house or do something to help me keep it up and running its kinda nice to have just to have a dedicated workforce." using cultist to work had to be some sort of HR violation but that was a problem for later. "There is one Nypmh that was a camp before but all she really does is gossip so i get news on who is fucking who but nothing else."
He grunted at the mention of the nymph. People seemed to have mixed opinions on them, but Adrian didn't get bothered by them. Maybe it was because of his demeanor, maybe it was because of who his mother was. He didn't know and, since they didn't give him problems, he didn't care much. He'd worry about it if they did something serious to someone and he needed to step in.
"Seems boring," he observed, "spending so much time worrying about other people's personal lives."
elian didn't take offense to the words—if anything, they felt familiar, like something he would say. the woods didn't belong to anyone, yet they felt more like a home to some than any four walls could. someone like adrian, who looked as if he belonged here, could call them his without anyone arguing. he stands there a moment longer, beneath the sweep of a branch, drenched in its shadow. the quiet stretches between them. the woods didn't mind silence, neither did he.
“i wasn't looking for anything, truthfully." his words come out in a gentle cadence and he moves from where he stands, out into the open more. “just following where the stillness felt the most honest and familiar.” it's hard to explain that feeling to someone who might not know it. it wasn't a haunted thing, like ghosts who plagued mortals. for elian, the stillness was comfort.
there's a half chuckle that pulls from deep in his belly, passed the cage of his teeth. a huff of air, a barely there upturn of his lips. “people have told me the same thing—that i'm not great company—” his voice is low, he waits a heartbeat before he continues. “but sometimes it's easier being around someone who doesn't ask for much.”
those words were enough to get more of adrian's attention. who was this? someone who'd shown up while he was unconscious? someone who was even newer than that? he wasn't as good at keeping track of people as he should be- he'd asked after someone who'd left to do other things more than once so far (and felt like one hell of an ass for it). one of the ways he'd have to work on being better.
"adrian." he offered up, though the other hadn't asked for it. in a place like this, with someone who also respected what it was and what it asked for, it felt correct.
It had been an intense week, Quinn having spent the entirety of that time locked away in his mind palace. The ever shifting landscape changing to his will, the very room itself like puddy in his hands. On his return to camp though he was met with several pieces of information all at once. The first being the departure of his brother. The second being that Adrian was awake. The third was something about Zombies? He hadn't really been paying attention to that part though.
Hearing that Adrian had awoken though, well Quinn had been nervous to approach. Nervous to reach out to someone that in truth he hardly knew. It had only been a short time that he'd been at camp before his mother had called on him and his brother. Only a short while before he was being dragged through time and thoughts made corporeal. Only a short while since he saw the man's divinity ripped from his very being, leaving nothing but a barely moving husk behind.
It had been one of the reasons he'd locked himself away. He had wanted to train. To be better. To get stronger. He didn't want to watch anyone suffer that fate again. So to hear that he had awoken it lead Quinn through a strange wave of emotions. But if he was going to be strong the least he could do was check in on his fellow demigod. So gift basket in hand he marched up to the Artemis Cabin and knocked. The door had barely opened when he suddenly was rambling off at the child of Artemis.
“I heard gift baskets were a thing here. And while I don't have a frame of reference for having your divinity ripped out of you I figure the closest thing would be what helped me perk back up after that time I was held hostage by Somali Pirates for a week.”
Adrian didn't get many visitors since waking up, and, honestly, he was just fine with that. The less he had to talk about how he was fine or what it was like, the better. When he'd heard a knock at the door, he was expecting it to be someone looking for the other, bigger, more sociable son of Artemis, not him. It was one hell of a surprise to see Quinn there, looking at him and talking to him before he's fully processed it.
He blinked a couple times, not sure if Quinn was being serious about... well, any of that. He did register it all enough to take the basket off his hands and step to the side to let him in. "Thanks." He cleared his throat. "For the basket."
The temple was behind him. Empty stone and marble, colder than it should have been. It felt wrong to speak to her there now, beneath a roof someone else had carved. There was a time when that could've been the place, but that was before he'd put on that crown and drank from the cup... the first time.
Adrian walked until he found trees tall enough to silence the world outside of them. The forest didn’t care about his failure. It didn’t pity him. It just was. Pine and bark and water. Wind brushing through leaves like breathing. Familiar. Brutal. Honest.
He picked a clearing edged with moonlight, far from paths or prayers left by others. No animals stirred near him, not yet. That felt right, too. He built the fire himself. Small, cautious, dry pine needles and a spark from some found flint. He didn’t need warmth. This wasn’t for him.
In the folds of his pack, wrapped in a torn shirt, was a photograph. Worn at the corners, edges faded by handling. Just a candid shot he took ages ago of a wolf and her cubs. He'd shot this back when he was new to photography, back when he still smiled without checking for it first. He held it in his hands for a long while.
Then, without ceremony, he laid it beside a bundle of wild sage and crushed juniper berries: both offerings Artemis had once received from those who had nothing else to give. Clean burning, cleansing. Humble.
After wrapping them up, they were tossed into the flame. The fire took them gently, not hungrily. Smoke curled skyward like a question he didn’t know how to ask. Adrian knelt beside it. For a while, he said nothing.
Then, the words came. Halting. Gutted. Like dragging teeth from his own mouth.
"I showed up late.
Tried to help.
Didn’t help much."
He exhaled. Was this how someone was supposed to pray? Was he messing this up, too?
"Didn’t fight well.
Didn’t think fast.
Didn’t stop them from using what was mine."
He ran his tongue over his split lip. A small reminder of when the man who was perverting the power that had been Adrian's struck him. He'd done so hard enough to leave the son of Artemis swaying, needing to get his head back on straight.
"Watched it burn out in someone else’s hands.
Couldn’t get it back.
Didn’t even try soon enough.
And now it’s gone.
The part that made me more, once.
Or… better. I have something again, but I don't know if it's the same. I don't know-"
Adrian cleared his throat and blinked rapidly, his vision getting blurry from pushed back emotion. He pushed his face forward into the path the wind was taking the smoke, as if that would be enough to hide what he was going through from his mother.
"I don’t know if I’m still yours.
Or if you’re still watching.
But I’m still here. Trying.
Even if it’s just as the part that’s left."
He spoke the last line into the flames, saying them low enough that even the trees might not have heard it. Smoke carried the scent of the offering: of sage and ash, of burned paper and memory. The photo was gone. The fire dimmed to coals. The clearing was still.
He didn’t wait for a sign. That wasn’t why he came. But he did stay there until the small fire burned itself out. This was as much speaking to the goddess as it was a memorial to what he'd lost that day in Turkey.
the usual messes in the kitchen had been gone for days. the cups left on sills, the dirty plates, and the stained spoons – all cleaned properly, stowed away. too uncharacteristic of hughie, but he had been wanting adrian to heal within a clean, tidy environment, so he had to up his roommate game. his sibling game, too. he just didn't know if adrian would appreciate the company.
from where he stood, leaned against the countertop, hughie let out a low chuckle. “nah, you're going to be back and at it in no time, mate.” hopefully that sounded convincing, and not as apprehensive as he felt about the whole situation. “you're healing, right? feeling better?” an ask for reassurance.
he wouldn't have cared much if there was a mess. that was partially because he was too exhausted to pay it any mind but it was mainly because he fully saw their cabin as their space of solace. if hughie felt more at ease without worrying about such things, then he had every right to do what he wanted. adrian would just quietly clean up after, when he had the time and energy. that just wasn't right now.
but he was appreciative that he didn't have to trudge through any hazards in his current state.
"healing, yeah. should be back to normal soon, I hope." he huffed, motioning to his brother in hopes to get the spotlight off of himself. "what about you? have you been, okay?" he did his best to keep his concerned tone stowed away. the other might be older, but adrian will always have that protector instinct.
