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

[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.