Somewhere at the Edge of the Preserve; Thursday Morning [12/15].

[pun_king]

Fosse had kicked Graham out of the cafeteria kitchen again, where he'd only shown up trying to help, but the school's janitor was having none of it. Why couldn't he just understand that, when you spent your whole life enslaved to an evil wizard, sometimes just cleaning and tidying up a messy kitchen was all you really knew to do with yourself? He understood that he shouldn't just fall into the same old patterns and habits again, and that now that he had freedom, he should be out enjoying it more, but still! He couldn't help being a little morose as he walked the edge of the preserve, kicking a stone here and there and brooding a little over his current lack of direction in his life.

Still, distracted as he was, you'd think he'd still be able to notice the very imposing man in a bright teal windbreaker suit coming up to him before he seized Graham by the cowl of his cloak and lifted him up, pulling him in close with a menacing sneer.

"There you are, you miserable little whelp!"

"W-what?" Graham, startled, trying to wrench himself free of this man's grasp. "No! I... I..."

"I can smell his magic all over you, Gwydion! I'm here to seek my revenge!"

"Gwydion?" Graham balked a little, his legs dangling and kicking to no effect. "No, no, you have me mistaken for someone else! My name's not Gwydion! It's Graham!"

"Graham!" The man, shocked at this revelation, dropped the boy, who crumbled in his own surprise at his feet. "No! It can't be! That's....you are the one who stole the princesses from my sister! And it is your son who turned my brother into a ca--"

But that was as far as he got, because the moment Graham's butt hit the ground, he turned, crawling away as fast as he could until he could be sure that the thick foliage of the preserve would hide him, and, as soon as it was clear enough, he scrambled to his feet and started running as fast as he could, as far as he could, from this mysterious person and all the wild claims he was making. Gwydion? Stolen princesses? Turning someone into a ca--??

He didn't know what was going on, but he did know, if it had anything to do with Manannan, he was in big trouble, and so he was going to try and find somewhere safe to hide out until he could figure out what he could do about it!

[[ open should anyone want to find Graham or come across him in the woods, OR come meet a very cranky wizard repping for the Charlotte Hornets in his starter gear! ]]

Comments

[pun_king]

Of course, Graham knew when someone had started following him. You didn't live under the thumb of an evil wizard for your entire life without knowing when someone was watching you, even in his desperate desire to escape. But he could also tell that, whoever it was, it was definitely not the man who had accosted him, and he also knew that whoever it was....was determined.

Realizing he couldn't shake them, he did the next best thing, stopping in his tracks suddenly and swinging around, his hands lifted menacingly in warning.

"Stop right there!" he called out, in a voice that was far more squeak than it was intimidation. "I know mag--"

He blinked as he saw who it was.

"--ic," he finished, dropping his hands and straightening up a little. "Charlie?"

And then lifted his hands again slightly. It looked like Charlie, sure, but if he was dealing with wizards right now, it could be an illusion.

[wildgalegirl]

"Of course I'm Charlie," she said. "And I can do magic too, dude."

She looked at him carefully. "What's going on? Did someone try and hurt you? Where are they? I'll make them sorry they tried something like that!"

She shook her head, "Lots of weirdness happening on the island. People need to stick together."

[pun_king]

As Charlie spoke, Graham brought his hands together, rubbing them nervously and looking around and over his shoulder like a frightened bird. And then he nodded, reaching out for her hand

"Come on," he said, moving to lead her toward the cover of a nearby rock (was it actually Triumph's favorite rock? Yes, actually, it was, but this Graham knew nothing about that). "Quick! He may still be around!"

[wildgalegirl]

Charlie followed him, looking around for whomever this person might be. "What's going in, Graham? Who's after you?"

[pun_king]

Graham crouched down behind the rock, pulling Charlie gently down with him, and lifted a finger to his mouth to indicate that they should try and keep it quiet.

"I don't know!" he admitted, in a frantic whisper, and threw another glance over his shoulder before really leaning in. "I was just attacked by this man in a very cool outfit."

Even terrified, Graham had to respect the drip.

"I think...I think he might have something go do with Manannan, the wizard I just escaped from! He thought I was someone named Gwydion, though, and he wanted to seek out revenge, but then when I told him my name was Graham, he was so surprised he dropped me, so I got away,but he was saying something about me stealing princesses, and someone turning into a ca--? I'm so confused, Charlie! But I can't let him find me! I can't go back to Manannan! He'll kill me if I do! I just can't!!"

[wildgalegirl]

"You are not going anywhere and no one is going to so much as ruffle the hairs on your head," Charlie said fiercely. She might not understand what the hell Graham was talking about, but nobody was doing anything to him on her watch! Cool outfit or not!

"You just take a breath," she said more gently. "I'm right here now and even if it's something too much for me, we're in the woods and I can walk us right out of here throuhg the Wood and if they follow us there I'll lead them stright to the AUNTIES and I assure you that they will rue the day they were born!" Okay, maybe she'd gotten rather loud at the end there, but hey, this was Graham they were talking about!

[pun_king]

"Shh, shh, shhh!" Graham hurriedly tried to shush Charlie, especially as her words became more impassioned, flailing his hands at her desperately. He proceeded to do the exact opposite of what she suggested by holding his breath, so he could listen carefully for the tell-tale swishing of windbreaker.

"I'm glad you're willing to help," he told her. Quietly! "But I'd rather just not take any chances!"

[wildgalegirl]

"All right, all right," she said soothingly. And quietly. "Let's just sit quietly here together."

[pun_king]

Graham's head bobbed in agreement. "At least until we can be sure it's safe."

Maybe it might never be safe. Maybe he would just have to keep running from Manannan forever...

[wildgalegirl]

Charlie just held onto his hand and sat with him quietly, leaning into him as much as he'd allow. Maybe her presence would be at least a little comforting.