epidemiology | hello, my old heart, how've you been?

hello, my old heart, how've you been?

CHARACTERS: graham & sakura & maya & open
DATE: before the next labyrinth log
WARNINGS: none id think
SUMMARY: just a few starters / open prompts for mr cracker

MAYA.

It isn't often that he finds one of their group off on their own. Especially of late, their lizard company here in the maze has not proven to be particularly gracious company. The prison clothing all blurs together sooner or later, yet the topknot Maya always wears is unmistakable. It's curious to spot her alone, though, she doesn't have to be that way long, as footsteps pad up closer to the fire she's sitting near.

He makes an obvious show of approaching to her front. He shouldn't surprise her, though... knowing the girl, she might just be surprised, anyway. She is used to Brother, maybe, yet a brown wolf with a grey patch spreading over his front could be another threat in a labyrinth full of them. His ears are plastered low, he almost looks regretful as he toes closer to her, like he expects things to go badly and wouldn't even be surprised if they did.

Rather like the last time they'd seen each other, actually, only then he'd been completely human in his disbelief he could be tolerated.

SAKURA.

The days keep stretching longer and longer. Graham isn't optimistic or pessimistic, whatever he was must have been pulled out of him along with his heart. Still, even he is starting to feel the stretch of the days. Will they ever see the end of this trial? It bothers him more, when he knows it is not only the deserving that walk it.

When he sees a familiar crop of bobbed hair, he waves her over, managing successfully to wipe whatever melancholy he'd been wearing as he smiles at the sight of the girl he is so fond of. More than fond, he supposes. After what he'd said to Emma, it's easier now to wrap his head around the feeling, even in the absence of his heart.

"Over here," he calls to Sakura, patting the spot next to him. It's been a bit since they spoke; they should change that.

THINK FAST.

After finding a wealth of items during a rather lively search of Daenerys, the only queen he seems to be able to stomach these days, Graham finds himself in possession of more than a few throwing knives. They're odd things, none of them seem to match, and the weights of the handles all vary, making them a little unpredictable to throw.

Not, of course, that it stops him.

Hopefully the whistle of metal ringing through the trees and heading for a target obviously carved into the trunk isn't a surprise. "Mind your head," Graham suggest mildly, and he's already aiming another knife. His company should maybe shift a bit over to the left, though Graham does pride himself on never missing. Is that really worth testing, though?

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[Well, she had sat with him while in the prison and all, but one supposes perhaps that didn't quite count, since he wasn't talking to her, not able to in a way she could understand anyway, while in his wolf form. But regardless, Sakura turns when she hears that familiar voice, glancing behind her to him as she turns, giving a small smile and wave.

Neither of them, at this point, would deny the other a chance to spend time together. Not after all this, in the middle of all this, especially. So Sakura's quick to bound over, seating herself next to him as he indicates. She doesn't think twice on leaning against him a little in support in how tired she feels. How it hits her when she isn't moving, isn't standing and so on guard against the creatures here and everything else.]

Graham-san. You're you again! I mean....you always were 'you', but, ah...

[Okay that probably sounded strange. But at least he knows on the whole wolf thing. Unlike her awkwardness around Yukito when he had no idea about Yue.]

( it's true, that moment in the prison does technically count, though it doesn't feel quite the same as a proper conversation. the wolf can only say so much. while Graham is starting to favor the form, perhaps more than he ought to, he realizes that is not truly who he is. though perhaps a part of him might wish it. )

I was, but I know what you mean. It's good to see you, too. ( he settles an arm around her shoulders with quiet ease, letting her lean close. if she's weary, then he's happy to give her support for a little while. ) Are you still in one piece, Sakura? ( it's said teasingly, but he is also a little curious. he knows her tendency to find trouble, to say the least. )

It'd be kind of obvious if I wasn't in one piece, wouldn't it?

[Though he obviously doesn't mean that literally and all. If she were in literally two pieces, neither would exactly be this calm and content over the situation. Let alone necessarily quite this close, as she rests against him tiredly. It isn't something she would be so comfortable with just anyone. But Graham is kind of an exception, as close as they are at this point.]

I'm alright. Just a little tired.

You'd have to have quite a poker face, to be sure. ( he tugs her a little closer, a half hug, and a half playful attempt to check if she's all in one piece. good news, everyone, she sure seems to be. he doesn't seem in a rush to let her go after he's done, either. she's not shivering, but body heat is easily shared...

and, he likes to have her close. )

Have you not been sleeping? ( his playful tone shifts to a more concerned one, his attention moving from the fire to her face. )

I have. Just not as much? I mean, it isn't safe, here. I've been resting but.

[What with the creatures roaming around and all. It didn't seem wise to rest for too long, whenever she might have eventually actually closed her eyes at times once it got darker and she grew more exhausted. Sakura is aware she needs more rest. It's just a matter of safety, of practicality that she probably hasn't had as much of it as she should. In worry, in wanting to make more progress to get out of this labyrinth.]

No, it's not. ( it's not the most dangerous place he's existed in, that's a fact, but it's far from the most dangerous at the same time. Graham feels more comfortable here than he ever had in the prison, unbelievably.

still, he understands it isn't as easy for everyone. he feels a little guilty for not checking in with Sakura sooner. he rubs a hand over her arm, before offering, ) You can stay with me tonight. I'll look after you so you can get some rest.

I -- ah, you're sure? I mean, you wouldn't get as much sleep either if you were watching out for me.

[Maybe if she watches out for him tomorrow night? But she's too tired at the moment to really protest. Seeming more relieved than sheepish or anything about the offer as she might usually be. If there were anyone she would trust, it would be him, after all.]

I'm sure Emma will look out for us if I need to sleep.

( he's not too worried about that... he can put up with far less sleep than most, considering the fact he can't feel the repercussions of losing it. not to mention he's likely better rested than most, seeing as he has someone he trusts at his side every night. he and Emma make a good team, and they are sure to make sure to look out for each other when they need to rest. )

O-oh. Well. Between the three of us then. Alright.

[Between them it should work out, right? If they take turns or whatever. Or so she figures. She is tired enough not to even really think on just how much he really must trust Emma too. But then, he knew her from home, right? So that wasn't so strange? Her eyes close as her head lulls more at his shoulder, fatigue setting in now she is warmer and feeling safer.]

( yes, between the three of them, they should be more than covered. though, knowing himself and knowing Emma as well, they're not likely to wake Sakura for a shift. she is determined to help and do what she can, but Emma and Graham both take the stance that she is a child, and should only be expected to do so much.

and it seems clear that she is more tired than she had let on, as she starts to fade before she even finds a proper bed.

Graham doesn't mind, holding her close and still. he'll likely carry her to bed later if she needs it... for now the quiet and comfort will do both of them good. )

Mind yours.

[ Just as mildly. a little amused. A spark of red hex energy pulls the knife out where it hit, turns it, towards him. Her concentration doesn't hold for long, it drops into her hand and she ducks out of his way. She's still nursing her injury from the lizard, and promised Dany she would not overexert. ]

Do you prefer a moving target?

[ She sure can make rocks and loose leaves move. ]

( so far his head seems fine, Wanda, but... he will take the advice, just in case she feels inclined to huck the knife back at him. she doesn't, and the next throw lands where he intended it to. he weighs the next dagger in his hand, getting a feel for it and estimating how it will throw.

did he prefer a moving target? Graham's brows rise as he considers it. his usual practice is with targets that are stationary, though, he's got plenty of experience with moving targets, too. )

I would take one. ( it'd certainly offer a bit more difficulty than landing a bullseye, if she was offering. )

[ She sits, placing his knife next to him. Wanda breathes slowly, concentrates. She makes a quick little tornado that lifts up leaves, leaving them drifting in the air. A lazy flick of her wrist changes their speed at her whim. ]

How's this?

( interesting ... and a bit intimidating, as magic often proves to be. no matter how long he's around magic with better intent, a part of him can't help the undercurrent of fear at the unknown.

it's only the time he's spent in Audentes and ALASTAIR that has allowed him to accept there is a possibility of magic not corrupting absolutely. so he watches the track of the leaves silently. when he does throw, he pins his mark to a trunk, but just by the edge of the leaf. )

Very good, ( he decides, though she's welcome to make it harder on him if she feels inclined. ) How do you do that?

[ He is good. His mind is quiet as he throws, and it is hard not to think of sitting beside Clint, watching him nock arrows and hit target after target. ]

Magic, [ she says, quietly, but playful. ] I want it to move, so it moves.

( quiet is important. he was raised by hunters that realized the value in silence, in not giving themselves away until it was already too late. the cleaner his thoughts are, the easier the shot...

and without a heart, that inner silence is even easier to find. )

I don't know enough about magic to correct you. ( magic had always been the answer in the forest... what she does certainly looks like magic. ) Name a target.

These three leaves.

[ She sends them spiralling in a pattern, they align but very quickly before being separated — he can get all three or just one. ]

Yes?

( there's no answer, at least not with words. his eyes narrow — the fingers on his free hand wiggle, as he watches his mark.

it takes him longer to throw, this time. the trick of never missing is simpler than it sounds, it just requires not taking a shot unless he'll make it. and when the dagger lands in the trunk, he did manage to get all of them, though the last is barely caught by the stem. )

You make it look easy.

Edited (no need for that tacked on the end ...) 2017-08-19 09:07 (UTC)

[ The answer is in his mind, though she was not snooping. ]

So do you.

[ Admirable, her tone conveys that more than her words. Wanda pulls the dagger from the trunk — again it floats back to Graham carried on a cloud of red. ]

Only knives, or do you use a bow as well?

Bow is my preference, though I've been saving my arrows for game.

( it isn't as if he can't repair them, it just makes more sense to be careful. and besides, )

I found these, searching with a friend. It's odd, none of them seem to match the other. ( he plucks the blade from the air, and then shows Wanda the handle. this one, smooth and black, the next bone, and one in his pocket yet intricate metal. )

[ She looks, no touch. ]

So they have been left here by others?

In a matter of speaking. We found them in the belly of a beast.

( so, perhaps not left intentionally. )

From those who came before us.

[ She sighs, playing lazily with the leaves. ]

Perhaps I should also be doing some target practice.

With knives? Or with magic?

( she'll find he's less remarkable in getting her moving targets, but he'd still try if she wanted him to. )

With knives.

[ Natasha doesn't imply, but Wanda relies heavily on her power. ]

( he nods, before he turns the blade in his palm to offer her the heel. he's more than happy to let her have a turn, though, )

I can grant you a moving target if you want one, though perhaps not quite as impressively.

[ She takes the knife, holding it firmly. ]

Then, please do.

( give him a moment to think of how to do this, Wanda... but he does think quickly on his feet. Graham glances up at a fairly low branch and hikes himself up to take a seat.

where he has no magic to offer, he does have gravity. dropping targets for her leaves a slow moving target, but a moving target all the same. )

[She's strayed a little from the group, but not far enough to attract the attention of the lizards. Instead, she's started up her own small, pitiful fire, and sits by it. It's too small to even warm her, but she doesn't seem to care, quietly resting with her head on her knees and starting into the flickering flames. It's a far cry from the exuberant girl usually so full of energy, the way Graham normally knows her.]

[But she's not alone, not anymore. She lifts her head as she hears the wolf pad towards her, eyes widening a little -- but doesn't move as it comes towards her. While she sometimes may common sense, Maya at least seems to realize making sudden movements is a bad idea, so instead she watches as the wolf pads closer, hand close to her magatama just in case she needs to shield herself.]

[But it doesn't seem hostile... just sad? Can an animal be sad?]

Hi, wolfy..... what are you doing out here? I'm not very tasty, you know.

[who talks to wolves what a weirdo tbh]

( she does seem a bit quieter than he's used to, though, this is not the first he's seen of it. in fact, he's well aware that he's caused it, before, and that might have something to do with the guilty look in his eye. it's odd how he can emote better as a wolf than he seems to be capable of as a human.

he ducks his head, eyes lowered — maybe Maya will spot the familiar glowing mark, still displayed on a furry head — before he turns three times and settles in a warm furry ball next to her. he huffs a sigh, before his attention returns to her, with the same imploring brown eyes.

if she hasn't gotten the message... he doesn't intend to make a meal of her. he's simply here to offer company. )

[Yeah, it really is odd, the way this animal is looking at her. She can see the glowing number on the wolf's forehead, and frowns a little -- but these numbers don't seem to discriminate, so it's probably just the food, right?]

[Still, he's not making any move to attack her, and she reaches out her hand towards him like he's a dog, so he can sniff it.] Geez, you must be a pretty good hunter if you've got a number like that. A big carnivore, huh?

[But her tone softens a little when he curls up. If he allows it, she'll hesitantly pat his head, though she's quick to draw her hand back if she senses anything off or he doesn't take to it. She does keep talking, though]

Did you get separated from your pack? You must be really lonely by yourself.

[why else would he be here...]

( some of Audentes have managed to put two and two together without Graham explicitly explaining — clearly, some have not. he will have to explain it to Maya later, but for now, he doesn't seem inclined to shift out of the form he's in. it is more comfortable a skin to wear, especially in the climate they still linger in.

if being imprisoned has been good for anything, it has been for the practice in control over the fairly new ability. it has been months now, but it still feels new.

have you been separated from your pack? well, in a vague sense, no; Audentes was all around him, but Graham had never considered that his family. so he mutters a half whine, thinking of the brother left behind in Oska, and even further to the family he saw slowly cut down to nothingness.

yes, he had, though that wasn't what had brought him here. )

[Well, she doesn't mind the company. And this wolf seems sad and alone, like she is.]

[She's slow and hesitant, with a kind of care and cautiousness that's pretty odd for Maya to display in general, but she strokes his head a little comfortingly when he doesn't bite her hand off for trying. Also: when he sounds sad]

Yeah, I get it. I don't have a pack.... I don't think one would ever take me.

[Pets, pets]

The two of us could hang out, though. He's not here, but-- I know another wolf, a cute one. You guys could be friends.

( to be fair, if Maya is going to hesitate doing anything, it should be to pet a wild animal. wolves aren't known to be friendly, unless the only wolf you've met is Brother. and then, well, most of the time. for his part, the brown wolf shows no discomfort in the careful touches she runs along rugged fur. Graham would have never suspected he would like to be pet when he thought of it as a human, yet the touch felt different in this form. a positive thing, tied to comfort. comfort for both of them... and by the looks of the girl, she could use some.

now that she seems to be growing more comfortable with his company, he lolls his one, singular head, (see: one, 1, just the one for anyone reading and wondering) onto her knee, an answer without words to her belief that she would never have a pack. Graham already would consider the girl someone worthy of his thought and protection, that means she's already technically in a pack, surprise!

though it leaves him cold to hear she doesn't imagine anyone would want her, though it isn't a thought that he hasn't had in his own life.

mention of his brother, unsurprisingly, seems to make the fur lined face a little more miserable. he misses his brother quite desperately, after all. hopefully he is well, off in Oska. the mention does make it quite clear that Maya has no clue who she is talking to, though. )

Edited 2017-08-10 06:40 (UTC)

[Yeah, well Graham and Brother have both ruined her. Hopefully she never meets a real wolf, because she'd probably die thanks to their cuddly asses]

[listen her own mom abandoned her if he's going to adopt her she's literally getting raised by wolves, what have you done]

[she pets and scritches his one singular head (thanks for clarifying that) thoroughly while he's doing that, settling a little with his head in her lap. It's... nice. No animal has ever really done this with her.]

I guess it's you and me, Wolfy, until I get to introduce you to Brother.... that's his name, by the way, he's not my brother.

[Just to clarify]

...That is, if I don't kick it in here. [It's... kind of a joke, but it's a little too tired to be a proper one. How is Maya when her cheerful guard is down??? Morbid and vaguely self-deprecating, apparently]

( it cant be any worse than the bears that apparently roam the streets in Kurain, at least wolves are fairly small and clearly very good for cuddles.

thoroughly clarified at that, yw. his ears tilt a little as she talks to him, though mostly the wolf is perfectly stationary as she pets him. he's listening, though, that much is clear. especially considering her unwelcome addendum.

he lifts his (again, singular, just the one) head to look her in the eye, a low whine catching in his throat. if wolves could talk, this one would be saying, don't talk like that, Maya Fey. )

[Maya doesn't cuddle bears, okay]

[She has the decency to look embarrassed when the wolf turns around and gives her a Look, apparently not even questioning the fact that she's being scolded by a wolf.]

Sorry, sorry, I was just joking. [don't ground her, new wolf mom!!! She holds her hands up placatingly] I'm sure we're gonna all get out of here in one piece. I just wish I were more useful.

[Or... useful at all really.]

Hey, do you think we could double team some rabbits or something? I'm no good at hunting, but maybe I could be like.. a distraction, or something.

Edited 2017-08-11 05:08 (UTC)

( he'll ground you if he feels like it Maya Fey!!! or ok no he won't, but he still seems unimpressed by her lack of faith in herself. he's never heard her speak like this before, though... perhaps there is a reason for that. he often tells his Brother things he doesn't easily tell a human being.

odd thought, that... he will have to confess the truth of things later.

for now, even though he feels he could better teach her to hunt in human form over wolf, he shifts upward slightly. if she wants to go hunting, he will help her. he does paw at her knee gently, though, as if an imploring face will be enough to cheer her.

occasionally it is, for the huntsman, why not Maya? )

[She totally interprets it as him really wanting to hunt and not an act of comfort, sorry papa wolf]

Wow..... I guess you're hungry, huh? [She's going to get up, since he's apparently so eager to hunt in the middle of the night] OK! Let's do this..... but I can't really see too far, so..... I guess I'll be counting on your eyes and nose and ears, Mr. Wolfy.

[He's been upgraded to 'Mister Wolfy', congrats]

( just having names is new for him, Maya, you can't really scare him off by giving him bad ones

he lifts onto all fours, and starts to head off into the dark on unbelievably silent paws. it'd taken him time to pick up a new sort of silence, though with practice he walked as quietly as he did on human feet.

if the girl was determined, then a hunting they would go. it may be late, but he could scrounge something up. maybe after that she'd let herself get some sleep. )

[She's not much use hunting, especially in the dark, but she's trying her best and surely that counts for something.... nah, it counts for nothing. They might manage to catch something small, thanks to him more than her, but if he was looking to tire her out, then he manages that easily, at least]

[When all's said and done she is tired enough to curl up and let herself drift off, and there being no people around (that she realizes, anyway) means she'll let her guard down and he'll continue to see another side of her. She's not quite pathetic enough at this stage to outright cry herself to sleep, it's more like sadly shivering herself to sleep. If Mister Wolfy (a perfectly respectable name, thanks) wants to spend the night, she'll appreciate it]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

hello, my old heart, how've you been?

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wrap here if you want?

think fast.

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refuses to prose what now

how fkn dare u

fight me

we have established katydevil would win, & besides u wronged me i get to fight u

i did nothing wrong.,.,.

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wrap here i think :)

ties a bow on it