#strangcbchavior

rowan knew very little of the mercer family, only the very same as the public. whether that was by the mercer’s design or his own choice, he wasn’t too sure. however, as he listened on to the choir finish a sorrowful ballad, he became painfully aware how desperate he was for that to change. grief is a funny thing, in that it often comes with bouts of irony ; what didn’t matter to him before hope mercer’s death definitely piqued his interest now. with the choristers drawing out their very last note, rowan’s thoughts ended just as they did. he peered around the room, drawing in a breath and waiting for a cue that it was acceptable to exit the premises. in the very front row sat the family of the deceased and something within him swirled, a sense of... familiarity ? it wasn’t until she turned her head that he got view of her profile and a name pushed itself to the forefront of his mind : ren. hope mercer’s sister. rowan didn’t have many interactions with ren, because to be frank, he didn’t have all that many with hope. he never visited her home, or the places she loved to frequent. instead, he saw her in class and in the halls, which the same could be said for ren.

rowan stood with the crowd, following them down the walkway and out of the cathedral. the air outside smelled of a nearby campfire, and he wrinkled his nose in distaste. normally, it was a welcomed scent but on a day like today it felt... wrong. he craned his neck as to search among the faces for the one that stuck out to him most of all. ro wondered how close the two sisters were, and how ren was handling the passing. in a way, he hoped she needed an ear to listen just as much as he did. when rowan spotted her nearby, he found himself in a jog, waving her down. “hey, ren ! hold up !”