(no subject)

[dishearten]

CHARACTERS: the Huntsman and YOU.
DATE: April 1 - 16th I think it is.
WARNINGS: Maybe? I'll toss something in the header if it gets really bad. just in general, mentioning of mind control/heartlessness probably.
SUMMARY: without magic, heartless people don't do so well.

ＡＰＲＩＬ ６ＴＨ - ８ＴＨ.

( at first, it was easy to ignore. as the weakness stretches into a week, he's starting to get a sense that something is wrong. he's not magical, not in any sense of the word, yet it seems that the magic in this place is thin and getting thinner by the day.

a man without a heart in an unmagical world was a dead man. every day the magic seems to be a little less and he seems to be a few steps closer to the death he'd been so lucky to avoid.

despite obvious weakness, he can't quite stay in. he doesn't look healthy, as he goes about helping natives to make fishing traps or helping to rebuild the still devstated village of Como. still, he works and works fairly hard, even if he needs to stop and rest on occasion. he is often back in his room early each night, though, and tends to sleep very heavily. )

ＡＰＲＩＬ １０ＴＨ-１２ＴＨ.

( as the days stretch on he's seen working only a few hours each day. when he can he dedicates himself to smaller tasks, but it takes him a long time to do even simple things, like braiding ropes or cleaning fish. he doesn't have the energy to explore, anymore, and is forced to stay closeby to the inn and the village.

the Huntsman does push himself every night to go sit out on the beach with his brother. and quite bizarrely, he seems to talk to himself and leave odd blanks in the conversation, as if he's getting an answer from somewhere. the only gap in this conversation happens to be when the wolf goes thundering in the water, collecting shells that he brings back to the brother that can't join him.

Graham himself mostly looks up at the stars and doesn't move too much. )

ＡＰＲＩＬ １５ＴＨ.

( eventually, he can't quite manage to be helpful in most heavy tasks. he sleeps more often than not, a rather frightening kind of sleep that is very difficult to shake him out of. it doesn't hurt him, at least not obviously... but it's easy to mistake him for dead and he can't stay awake for very long when his eyes are open.

the wolf is hard to shake from his side, often sleeping on top of his brother and whining at anyone who will come close. )

ooc: graham is heartless and basically ceasing to function with lack of magic. welcome to anyone but especially existing cr. if you wanna specific starter, hit me up at goplayzelda!

Comments

april 4th or something.

[sheriffing]

[ It surprises Emma just to get a few hours of sleep in the little bed he offered her. She's dealt with a full range of emotions since arriving for this mission, from rage to fear and finally the unexpected happiness of reuniting with an old friend. Graham claims it's only possible here, but that's not the kind of answer Emma likes, and as a result, it's become one she refuses to accept. There has to be a way to get home and to bring him with her, but it's too soon to force any kind of action. The first step is to figure all of this out. Once she does that, they'll find their best chance of getting back where they belong.

It was probably going over every detail of their current situation that left the savior so exhausted, and in the end the smart thing to do had been to stay close to someone who she could count on. Losing him once meant that she didn't want to let him out of her sight, yet she wonders if the same protectiveness works both ways. He offered her his bed and her acceptance came from believing she could keep an eye on him. What she wasn't expecting was to awaken early to the sounds of a whining wolf - the brother who looked after Graham.

She barely knows where she is when she blinks her eyes open, a blurred understanding of the sleeping form on the floor starting to come into focus. It's hard not to think of the last time that she saw him in a similar situation, and that memory causes her to call out to him, a tremble in her voice as she starts - ] Graham?

[ Emma would find a way to calm herself down if he showed any sign of responding. It's how still he is that creates the panic rising within her, a tightness in her chest and her heart in her throat. She'd realize she was overreacting if she slowed down, but there's no time for that in her scramble to join him, pushing out of bed and sinking down to the floor beside the wolf who nudges his nose at his human.]

Graham, wake up!

[It's sharp and it's frantic, as unnecessary as the way she pulls him into her arms and reaches for his wrist to -

Oh.]

You're okay?

[dishearten]

( maybe he should have considered how alarming it would be to find him prone on the floor, considering all they've gone through. it's not easier to deal with seeing Emma again a second time around, with the extra time they got to spend together slipping away from her. it's one of many things that had to fall by the wayside in the exhaustion of everything last night. he's not used to feeling so worn down; in fact, he's not used to feeling much of anything.

the wolf half reclining on his chest and whimpering in his ear probably hadn't done much to ease Emma's mind, either. the wolf knows a little too well when something is off with him, in fact the wolf seems to have caught on faster than Graham himself. after thirty years of not feeling tired, he doesn't question much how exhausted he feels of late. there's something not right and he hasn't had time to question what yet.

he doesn't hear Emma call and doesn't answer, which only makes the wolf whimper a little louder, shifting to sitting and looking at the savior like he expected her to fix it. it has to be horrible to relive something rather painful for both of them, but at least this time as she holds onto him and tries to shake him back into awareness, it actually works. he's too tired when he first opens his eyes to really have a proper reaction, peeling heavy eyes open and trying to make sense of the situation that is still a bit muddled by sleep. )

Emma? ( his voice is still a little colored by how deeply he'd been out of it. he props himself up on an elbow and then gives up on that too, ending up in her lap. there's an odd warmth to him whenever shes close, as there always is, and that prompts a sleepy and slightly crooked smile as he looks up at her. he has no good reason for it, other than the fact he is still half asleep and still likes to see her. the wolf is desperately trying to lick his face, and the huntsman pushes his muzzle back, much to the affront of his brother. ) —m'alright. ( that barely sounded like English, but in theory the mumbled promise is supposed to make the savior feel better. )

[sheriffing]

[ There's no excuse for holding him tighter when he wakes up, but the fact of the matter is he does wake up this time. He's barely awake but still alert enough to be aware of her, and even if she gives the wolf a moment to lick at him, Graham rejects his poor brother on his own. Emma will stand by being frightened. She can't help the flashbacks that seeing him like this caused, and she won't ignore the pounding of her heart or the relief that frees her from her fear when he smiles sleepily in her direction. He's okay, this just reminds her of a time when he wasn't.

For a few seconds she waits for the request that she get up, or give him space, or something other than hold him like this. She's not... they're not... whatever they are, this probably isn't a good idea. As much as she'd like to find a way to fight all of this together, he's been clear about the reality of the situation. It'd be safer for her not to get attached again. She dreads the day when they'll have to go their separate ways, while Graham is convinced that it's going to come.

That's unlikely to happen anytime soon, though. Tonight he's warm and safe and probably still a little sleepy when he looks up, and she's gentle in her hold on him without letting go. He could move if he wanted to. She's not trying to keep him here with her if it's not what he wants, but she runs a hand through hair that's shorter than she remembers and takes a deep breath, letting herself find comfort in his presence. Eventually she's going to find her way back to Storybrooke, she can't stand being away from Henry as it is, but this is enough right now.]

Sorry, I didn't mean to - [To wake him up? To make a scene? She can't apologize for caring about him, that always seems to come out whether he wants it to or not. He has a way of sneaking past her defenses before she realizes she's let them down. Does he know that she grieved for him? That she took on his badge to try to finish what he started? That his jacket is still hanging on a hook in the station? She's lived with little reminders of him for longer than she had a chance to work beside him, and sometimes all she can see is how it ended and how much it hurt to lose him.]

[dishearten]

( honestly, at first, he's still too exhausted to register how shaken she seems. or why she might be shaking him awake in the first place. it's rather abnormal that he sleeps so deeply, he's a creature of instinct nearly as much as his brother. he wouldn't have survived long in the wild if he wasn't a light sleeper. the fact that he is so hard to wake of late is something he hasn't considered too much, just assuming that his body needed the rest despite the inability for him to really feel his weariness. it's a deeper problem than that, though, and it'll take a bit more time to realize that.

for a minute he's content to stay on the floor. the arms around him feel good, and he likes the feeling of her fingers in his hair. he doesn't watch as the wolf skitters a short distance away, circles three times, and lays down to watch them, but he can hear it. it's very tempting to just go to sleep again, it calls at him far too much. it seems so simple to just let go and fall away... but she speaks again and the tinge of her voice forces his eyes open again. being around Emma always does manage to pull at heartstrings that shouldn't even be there. he sees the unhappiness in her expression and can sense the pain she's feeling, and her pain hurts him too.

he hadn't considered anything until it was too late and Emma is already looking at him like she's seeing a ghost. again, really, because hadn't she looked quite similar when she'd spotted him to begin with? he should be a ghost, really, and yet in moments like this it's hard to feel grateful he got a second chance. he's not sure it's any easier for her to be around him knowing that when she goes home he can't follow. worse, he's not sure that this pain will be worth anything. in the end she's likely not to remember him at all when she goes back to her family. she doesn't remember the last time she was working for ALISTAIR, why would she remember this time? she might be better off not being around him at all.

he doesn't know much, about what her reality is. he had never asked and perhaps she found it too painful to tell him. he knew that she'd mourned him, though, she wore it on her face when she looked at him, wore it around her wrist as a reminder. as much as he wants to be remembered, he wishes she could remember more than misery. when he thinks of her it's mostly wonderful things. Emma doesn't get to be that lucky. )

I'm all right. ( he doesn't know why, something here preserves him despite the heart that was crushed in Regina's palm. he's as living as a heartless man can be. his hand tucks at her side and lands on her back and he wants to bring her closer, he's just not quite brave enough. ) Come here. ( it's instinct more than anything. the wolf sits on him to keep track of all the ways he's still living, and it seems like the best way to prove to her he's still living and breathing. being close, just for a moment. it might help her... it might help them both. )

[sheriffing]

[ He doesn't seem alright to her. He's alive, she can tell that much, but maybe pulling him from sleep wasn't the best way to get his attention.

She couldn't help it. Graham was just lying there and the last time it was like that - he knows how it ended. The thought is enough to hold him a little closer, and there's no effort to move until she feels him try to bring her down to his level. If his instinct is to keep her near him, hers is to resist. She's about to say as much when impulse catches up to her, too. It's harmless, isn't it? She can't hurt him like this and it doesn't mean anything. He's a man raised by wolves, he's just trying to comfort her whatever way he knows how.

And she wants that right now, she does, if she's allowed to have it. He's already on the floor and it's not that hard to get down on his level, but where the wolf sits on top of him, Emma starts beside him. She curls her body against his from there, her head pressed close to a chest that rises and falls with breath but lacks the beating of a heart. Before she thought she'd felt it, but she knows better now. It doesn't beat because it isn't there. For a moment, she's struck by that absence, until her arms find their way around him and her body winds up against his, and she's reminded this isn't the same way it was last time.

When they were at the station, no amount of shaking had been able to force him awake. She'd called out, screamed, cried - and it hadn't mattered because he was gone. There was no waking him up.]

I'm sorry. [For things he won't understand now, feelings that she's carried for too long. He can decide she's apologizing for waking him too early, but it's more than that. It's not being able to help him, not believing when she could have. Not finding his heart when he begged her to search for it. She'd followed him and stood by his side, but maybe if she'd just tried instead of getting caught up in his behavior. Graham may not believe there's still hope for him, but Emma needs to. She has believe there's a way to get back what was taken from him. It's more than being the savior, it's wanting to be there for a friend.]

You should get some sleep. [Yet she doesn't move to give him the space to, at least not yet. It'll take more than a moment or two to take in all the ways he's with her now. She's still bothered by the lack of his heartbeat, how she misses what she's never known him to have. There has to be a way to get that back. If this ALASTAIR makes it possible for him to be alive, with his wolf, in some random world, they should be able to put his heart back in his chest, too.]

[dishearten]

( it's a little sad that it's been a long time since he allowed himself this instinct. the desire to be close to someone, to comfort with proximity and closeness. he doesn't do it often, he touches with purpose and not pleasure. he keeps himself detached and aggravates the distance he maintains from the world intentionally, without even thinking about what he's doing when he does. he and Emma had barely had a chance to be close before it all fell down around them, that glimmer of promise broken in a moment. it's hard for him to let go of that promise, even though he knows he should. her life has moved on without him, and that's for the best. no matter how warm and complete and happy he feels when she is close, it doesn't matter. their chance together was crushed a long time ago.

he should know that, logically. it's just easy to ignore, especially when he's had proof that these moments don't last and they can't haunt her once she goes home. it won't last but he'll be able to hold onto them, and he's not going to give up that chance. he's surprisingly content on the hard floor with Emma at his side, head lolling a little on the ground to press a scruffy cheek to the top of her head. she's maybe less so but if she's bothered by the ground she doesn't mention, curling closer than he can ever remember her being and in the end it probably comforts the Huntsman more than the Savior to get a chance to hold onto her like it's possible he won't have to let her go.

when she speaks he knows she doesn't mean waking him. his hand rubs at the bare skin of her shoulder, warm in the weather of the island yet it's not too hot to be close just yet, this early in the morning. ) I'm sorry too. ( that it'd had to end that way, that he'd had to be the next statistic in people that had abandoned her, even if he hadn't wanted to. it wasn't fair, even heartless it was practically painful to think about those last bittersweet moments. they'd tasted like freedom, felt like flying; he should have considered the risks of flying too close to the sun.

even if he'd considered them, he isn't sure he would have done anything differently. he'd rather have fallen than gone sulking back to the queen. he just wished Emma didn't have to be collateral damage in his destruction.

still, he's not mad. he doesn't blame her for not believing, for the queen making good on a vow she'd made before Emma was even born. he blames the queen for her cruelty, and himself for falling into her clutches in the first place. he wishes he could lighten the burden Emma carries, thanks to him, he's just not sure how. maybe it's not possible. maybe all he can do is distract her from it. the reality is different here, even if it won't be for long. it's easy to dwell in the dark, but for once he'd like to stay in the light, like the rays seeping in through the window. he rubs at Emma's back, slow circles — because he wants her back in the sunlight, too. )

I think that's what I was doing all night. ( it's mildly teasing, a joke in the way only he can tell them. they're not funny but he thinks they are and somehow that means it counts. his eyes are still closed, though, mostly just to savor the moment. his eyes are closed but his ears are plenty open, so he can hear the wolf rising and sneaking closer, peeling an eye open a little too late before his brother flops into the pile, which earns a disgruntled oof from the man the wolf half lands on. hope there was room for three, Brother didn't seem inclined on asking for permission to join. )

[sheriffing]

[It's nice to be this close to someone, no matter how long it lasts. Emma's found the love of family and friends, and her greatest accomplishment might be the son she's been able to hug regularly until arriving here. There's nothing that feels the same as embracing someone who matters to you.

With Graham, she'd given up on that possibility when she'd buried him. Her feelings on ALASTAIR are mostly negative ones but there are some things here she doesn't understand. Why pair them up? Why bring him back? Why put the two of them through this when his life already ended? Every time Emma dares to hope at a possible endgame, it's for a better story than what he had. It doesn't make sense to bring him back temporarily. If he didn't have a future, why bother at all?

It doesn't matter what they've decided. What matters is that she's decided he has to live, they just have to find a way to make sure it's a lasting change. If she only has a little time here, she'd like to think she can find a way to set things right for him. It's not fair for him to go around without a heart, especially not when it's the kind of thing they've both seen people use as a weapon. There's no telling what it'll take to make his heart his own again, but that they even have to fight for it with people who have the ability to keep him alive is kind of a problem for her.

Now's just not the time to talk about ALASTAIR and all of it's complications, especially not when Graham started to share his feelings before. His logic is that any organization that could allow people to be hurt is more of a problem than a solution, and knowing what little she does, Emma is inclined to agree. It's something that might come up later on, after they've gotten ready to start their day and decided not to talk about this. Graham isn't the type to push. He's not going to walk around reminding her that they cuddled after she thought he was dead. It's just that this helps, for the moment.

And like most things that do, it can't last. She nudges at him for teasing about sleeping, but while Graham can hear the wolf coming, Emma is caught unaware. There's no background experience of living with a wolf to know he's coming, no caution around him from a woman who's mostly been treating him like an oversized dog. She lets out an unhappy ungh when the wolf decides to join them, turning in when she should probably turn away and free herself from the tangle of limbs.] Guess he felt left out. [She mumbles her comment breathlessly, trying to figure out how to move or breathe or just find some peace in the middle of the cuddle pile.

Henry would think this is either awesome or hilarious, and right now, she's not sure which one would win out.] Morning.

13th idk???

[grunehexe]

[Things have not been proceeding to well on Nalawi, particularly for those of their number who relied on magic. Sieglinde could set a broken bone, stitch a cut, nurse a concussion, and cure disease, but she couldn't do much of anything for magic slowly draining away- especially when her own was going with it.

She had offered her blood to Gilgamesh. Spread tales of Loki to the natives. But what else could she do? She largely holed herself up in her room, trying to cobble together a spell to prevent further magic loss... but it wasn't going well.

It was making her way back to her room, one hand tight on Isengrim's collar to rely on the skull-faced dog's support, that she heard Brother's whine a second after her familiar's ears perked forward. Curious, she made her ungainly way to the sound, knocking gently.]

Graham... ?

[This... was his room, was it not? Sieglinde waited patiently for a moment, but as Brother continued to whine and nothing came from the man himself, she tried the door, brow furrowing when she found it unlocked.

Cautious, she poked it open slightly, not even needing to duck like most of their number, perfectly at proper height to use Nalawin architecture. Gingerly, she peeked in, hand at the ready in case she needed to cover her eyes.]

Graham... ?

backdates to january 1st tbh

[dishearten]

( when the door opened, the wolf was the first and easiest to spot. the dark gray head and two-toned eyes peered up over the bed, from where he was settled on the other side of it. Brother didn't get up, despite watching the company with alert eyes and perked ears. in fact after he was sure Sieglinde had spotted him, he ducked down and continued the low whines that had dragged her in, dropping his head back on the chest of the huntsman he was currently reclining on.

it troubled the wolf greatly when he couldn't manage to wake his brother up. it was getting harder and harder to do as of late, and when his brother wouldn't wake the wolf took it upon himself to be his eyes when Graham couldn't take care of himself.

the wolf looked at Sieglinde with heavy pleading eyes, huffing air in Graham's ear to no noted effect. the blonde human was gone, she was best at waking his brother, yet the wolf didn't want to leave him alone to go fetch her. at least it was obvious that he was still breathing... even if it was slower than it should have been. )

Hdu

[grunehexe]

[Rather than the worst case scenario she'd been hoping for, finding the man in a state of undress or perhaps post-bath with ears waterlogged, it was... an actual worst case scenario. Sieglinde's somewhat shy expression vanished quickly in favor of concern when she saw that Brother continued to whine as if asking for help, that Graham's chest rose and fell even slower than she would expect of sleep- and she couldn't even have the luxury of thinking he might be asleep. He was a man of the wilds, of the woods, and no person of that type slept so soundly through noise and motion.

Not naturally.]

Gra-

[Sieglinde tripped in her rush to the bedside but thankfully Isengrim was there to half catch her fall, and she made it to his bedside, the skull-faced canine instead staring steadily between the sleeping master and his brother, the glowing "eyes" in its sockets bright. A small hand moved to Graham's forehead to feel for fever- none. A small ear was placed against his chest- no obstructions in his airways, heart beating. Small fingers moved to thumb up an eyelid- he wasn't unconscious. But.]

What happened?

[In her alarm she addressed Brother as if he could answer her, even as she pulled her small pouches about her waist closer to access them easier, rifling through own for her smelling salts- pungent stuff, those, of her own make.

Which she tried wafting under Graham's nose, her own pinched shut. Isengrim thankfully only had boney nasal passages.]

can't be tamed etc

[dishearten]

( Brother's ears flattened apologetically at the question, as if he would have really liked to answer and he just couldn't form the words. there was some kind of hint in the way he nosed at Graham's chest, but not one that would make any sense. how would anyone guess that the vessel that almost everyone took for granted had been stolen? in fact it was impossible unless the person believed it was. magic was a complicated art in his world.

Inesgrim was lucky enough to not be bothered by the smell of the salts, though the wolf wasn't quite as gifted. Brother made an unhappy note, sitting up and twisting his nose away from the smell. he didn't protest much more than that, watching his human with distinct interest and obvious worry. he'd never tried to wake his human with a smell before. sounds and licks usually worked and had lost effectiveness days ago.

it was a delayed reaction, long enough it might have seemed like it wouldn't work at all. eventually Graham's expression twisted into a weak grimace, before a hand lifted to knock the offending scent away. tried to, anyway; he missed and his hand landed on his chest instead. when his eyes opened he looked more than a little disoriented, for obvious reasons. )

Sieglinde...? ( Brother was whimpering and trying to lick at his jaw, and Graham couldn't quite manage to push him away. he closed his eyes again, trying to find the willpower to keep them open. ) I'm all right. Don't worry. ( because he seemed totally fine, right? he was too tired to even present a good show of being healthy. )

I'll get you for banishing me to january

[grunehexe]

[If only wolves could talk- the language of people, that was, not just the vague concepts like worry and pain and joy that could be read in ears and tails and barks. Sieglinde's expression grew more worried the longer she held the smelling salts under Graham's nose without reaction, mind rapidly trying to think of what the cause of this could be, before-]

Graham, can you hear me? See me?

[She hastily stoppered the noxious smelling contents of her potion vial and waved her hand a few times rapidly to clear the air before waving her hand slowly in front of the man's face, watching to see if his eyes would instinctively follow the motion or not. He said he was alright, but that was as bold faced a lie as they came.]

Keep your eyes open and answer me, or so help me I shall smear these smelling salts under your nose.

& my little dog too I hope!!! COMMIT

[dishearten]

( now that he was out of the rather alarming slumber, he could hear her. and he'd seen her well enough to know who was with him, even though keeping his eye open was easier said than done. he was used to not feeling anything, and it was not as if he was in pain. it was as if without magic he was slowly reverting to what he was meant to be, a dead man. whatever was propelling him usually was gone and he was just running out of... everything, it felt like.

Sieglinde certainly didn't fuss around. he might have even been amused if he at all had the ability for it. he did open his eyes again, though, and at least there was awareness in the way he looked at her, even if he looked more than a little exhausted. )

Yes. ( to both. not much of an answer, was it. he shifted up to rest on his elbows, shaking his head and blinking heavily. nothing seemed capable of shaking the weariness anymore, though. ) Both. It looks worse than it is. ( DOES IT REALLY?! NO... ) The lack of magic doesn't sit well with me. That's all.

April 15th

[keystaff]

[Sure, if Sakura had noticed that he seemed to be getting a little slower, the odd pauses in some conversations when Brother was around, but she figured if it was something more serious that he would tell her, right? He knows she can heal, so....whatever it is, she tries not to pry.

It's just hard not to freak out when she finds him in such a sleep when checking in with him one afternoon. She kneels next to him, hovering, biting her lip as she tentatively reaches for his shoulder.]

G-Graham-san.....?

[dishearten]

( he appreciates the attempt to give him privacy. he's not a public person at the best of times, so of course he keeps as much of his inability to himself as he can manage. especially in the case of Sakura. she's so small, and it's a worry far bigger than she should have to carry.

still, it's impossible for anyone not to notice there's something wrong with him as time goes on. the way he's only out and about a few hours, or spends all his time sleeping. he's in the bed for once when his company calls, with his brother protectively curled at his side when Sakura tries to wake him.

Brother flattens his ears and whines softly, but at least the Huntsman does wake slowly. heavily, like he's being dragged out of more than just sleep. ) Sakura...? Is something the matter? ( he doesn't remember making any plans with her, that he could have slept through... )

[keystaff]

N-no...I just didn't see you outside like usual. You're usually out there helping about now.

[But he's been more and more tired lately and she isn't sure why. Isn't sure if there's anything she can do to help. What might be wrong with him. She peers down at him worriedly, looking from Graham to Brother as the wolf whines.]

Are you okay? You seem pretty tired lately. I know a lot of us have been worried, with our magic or powers, but.

[But Graham doesn't have any, does he? Not so far as Sakura is aware.]

[dishearten]

( it's hard to guess at the time without using the device given to them by ALISTAIR and that's out of his reach on his nightstand. still, more and more lately he goes out later and later. comes back in early, too. it's not something he's proud of, it simply is like he's running out of charge. a dead battery that refuses to hold more energy, no matter how he rests or tries to recover.

his brother is more than whimpering, he's worried. there's enunciation and ideas Graham never noticed in the noises. it's an ability that has to have come from ALISTAIR, but at the moment he can't do much to take advantage of it. his brother is the only one he is around enough to really communicate with. he sits up slowly, rubbing at Brother's ear to try and reassure him. it doesn't really work. )

I'm all right. Just tired.

( he aims for a smile and it comes out more like a grimace. still, what ails him is far more complicated than he wants to explain to Sakura. she's too small for worries like that on her head. )

Don't worry about me.

[keystaff]

A-are you sure? I can get you some water or....?

[It's pointless to tell her not to worry. Not when he seems so exhausted this often lately. This is possibly more concerning since she isn't sure just what is wrong. She herself can't really tell what the wolf might be trying to say but she still understands enough from his whines, his body language that he's obviously worried over Graham as well. This might not necessarily be something she can actually help with, but she still wants to try. To know what is going on at least, if Graham will confide in her.]

[dishearten]

( he rolls shoulders a bit like a tin man that has run low on oil. in fact, calling him a tin man is perhaps a little too astute. especially when his heartlessness is affecting him so much at the moment. )

Water... I would appreciate that.

( he doesn't feel thirsty, or hungry, or in pain. he just feels tired. still, maybe taking a drink will make Sakura feel better, even if at this point he's not sure anything is going to make him feel better. as much as he would prefer to be honest with her, there are just some things he can't say. telling her why he was out of sorts would make her wonder why, and he would rather protect the innocence he saw in her.

telling her an evil queen stole his heart and killed him does not seem a good way to do that. it might not be the right choice, but it's the one he has decided to make. )

I think this is long overdue - 15th

[reconditioning]

[He's seen bodies before. Too many, probably, but he wasn't alone in that: you have a couple hundred thousand brothers and sisters in arms that all lived like you, trained like you, died— well, that's just how it was. So spotting the animal he knows laid out next to a familiar face is worrying, doubly so once he can't spot the rise and fall of Graham's chest from a distance. A few quick strides and he's there, palm heavy across the only pulsepoint he can find and there's a heat in Graham's skin that promises he's alive, if only just— ] Hey, hey—

[One hand at the other man's shoulder, a steady pressure, grip worried as it shifts.] Graham, can you hear me?

Come on, buddy. Come on. [He can't remember the last time he saw a medic, lacks the supplies to take care of him if that's what this is about to come down to.] Please wake up.

oMG i totally lost this in notifgate I AM SO SORRY

[dishearten]

( to be fair, it's easy to miss his breathing. it's like every vital function is as slow as possible now, far too slow to be normal or even particularly healthy. every part of him is dulled thanks to the lack of magic in the air. it's remarkable his body manages to keep going when there's so many reasons it could simply give in and let go. it wouldn't have been the first time.

still, whatever part of him kept him from giving in, the strength the Queen never managed to take from him, even with his heart in her palm, is with him still. keeps him from giving in to weakness and his body stubbornly refusing to let go of his second chance at life. so despite painfully resembling a man that was too far gone to wake, he eventually stirs to the shaking — with alarming slowness, like it takes a minute to even reach him that someone is there.

when he manages to open his eyes, Brother dissolves into relieved whimpers. waking him is getting harder and harder and the wolf has been there every time. the Huntsman can't quite manage to sit up, but at least he moves, however sluggishly. when his eyes focus it takes a long pace to recognize the face next to him. ) Finn? ( the fellow who had never seen a wolf before. ) What time is it? ( he can lose hours at a time, maybe days; he wonders if he went too long without being woken, if it would be possible. )

it's ok!

[reconditioning]

I don't think it really matters all that much right now. [They've got bigger things to worry about, after all. People are sick; Graham's not the only one looking worse for wear, and while normally that's not exactly Finn's business, it is when it's somebody he knows. Likes, even. So for a second he waits, wanting to make sure nothing's broken or in danger of exacerbating the situation— and then Finn shifts his arm, helping to lift Graham at least to the point of sitting upright regardless of what he might want, keeping him held fast against his side.] Are you hurt?

Can you breathe?

[dishearten]

( Graham thinks it matters. and he isn't sure he likes that answer. no matter what shape he's in, he intends to be there when the bomb goes off, to do what he can. if he missed it, he's not likely to forgive himself easily. he doesn't get the chance to press before Finn helps (that's a nice word for it) him sit.

nothing is broken, there's no visible reason for what ails him. that doesn't seem to be much of a relief to anyone that has inspected him yet, though. )

Well enough. ( he feels short of breath even though he hasn't done anything but sit up. he wonders idly if when he's asleep (again, an extremely nice word for it) even breathing is an exercise. ) There's nothing wrong with me. Not that you can help with.

( it's a little more honest than he usually is. two weeks of being like this, he's starting to realize there's no good in hiding it anymore. )

[reconditioning]

[Finn doesn't like that answer. And with the whole world in turmoil, turned upside down and on its head, he's not exactly inclined to let it lie. There might be better places to be (somewhere in the back of his mind, he thinks there's somewhere else he ought to be, having promised Anakin he'd look after Luke) but he's here now; until he's certain Graham isn't on his deathbed, he isn't leaving.] Look, you're right: whatever's happening here, I don't get it.

But that doesn't mean I can't help.

[A beat, and then, earnestly:] Tell me what's going on.

[dishearten]

( the unfortunate fact of the matter is he's not sure anyone can help. not until they sort out what is limiting the magic in this place. he's beyond helping, nobody can give him back what he's lost, and he knew that a long time ago. all this raises questions he doesn't have answers to; how he can manage to exist without his heart in the first place. it's more than just absent, now. it's crushed. how does he manage to keep going without it?

Finn is earnest and determined and Graham has honestly grown weary of hiding the truth. what good has it ever done him? )

I need magic. With whatever is happening here, the magic is fading, and since it's fading, I'm fading, too. ( it's not a promising situation, and he knows it. he's worried about what might happen if the magic completely disappears. ) I wish you could help me, I do. But I don't think there's a way. ( not unless Finn has a spare heart, and Graham is willing to bet he doesn't. )