#interactions (graham)

[meisanimam]

The sun set high overhead, blue eyes squinting at the map that had been laid across the hood of his police car. The woman had damned near come from nowhere, a fact which left the sheriff more than a little perturbed... all that their town needed was for people to come sniffing around as all its denizens were still reeling from the curse. 

“I see the map, but I don’t understand your question.” Of course he did. She was inquisitive, too much so and it was with a drumming of fingers on sun warmed aluminum that Graham rolled his eyes, stepping back the slightest bit. Instinct screamed she wouldn’t be put off so easily, but still he had to try. “There are places I haven’t heard of before.. “ A deep sigh as he changed tactics, gaze dismissing both her and her damn map. “ .. we’re a small town. Literally in the middle of the nowhere. Are you really surprised that you hadn’t heard of us before now?”

@forte-somniare (for claudia!)

[meisanimam]

[ENOUGH]

Words fell silent at her sudden declaration, drink reddened eyes begging for some sort of mercy. The last thing any self respecting man wanted to do was chase a woman down the street, but Graham had left his self respect behind him at the bar - in fact, they had more than likely been disconnected for a few good hours by that point. “Emma - please.” Hands raised, palms outward in a gesture of supplication as he fought a war within himself, determined to make his feelings known, no matter what she might say. “I don’t feel anything.” 

Head shook sweat dampened bangs out of his eyes, blue shining all the brighter in the moonlight as he struggled to make her see, to make her understand. Someone had to understand. “You’re the first person whose made me think maybe there’s something real, that maybe I’m not crazy - “ Tentative fingers reached towards her, brushing the barest edge of her shoulder before returning to his side. “ - The stuff with Regina, it doesn’t mean anything. I don’t feel anything with her. With anyone.” Perhaps he should have stopped talking, perhaps he should have simply let her shouted command foretell the night before them - but once started, the sheriff found he couldn’t stop  .. words as soft and pleading as the night breeze around them. “Only with you.”

[meisanimam]

A calm collected exterior was what presented itself, sheriff casually leaning against the bar as fingers drummed a nervous rhythm on the table top - a rhythm which, if evident by her stares, the patron in question didn’t much care for. Giving up with a sigh, Graham turned on his heel, slipping slightly (no one saw that, right?) before one foot skated out from under him, length barely held up by the gripping of arm against one of the bar stools. Okay. People had definitely see that. 

Fingers readjust the black leather jacket that was more pelt, head held high despite any earlier signs of fractured ego. Blue eyes lit up at the sight of his latest quarry, fingers reaching upwards to scratch at messy hair as lips curved in what he hoped was his best smile. “Hey, Ruby.”

Yep. Very smooth.

@forte-somniare (for ruby!)

[meisanimam]

[ calm ]   your muse telling mine to  ‘ just breathe ‘ . Emma and Graham

There’s a spot on the ceiling he’s never noticed before - a stain left by some leak or other, perhaps a remnant of rain from days long past. Somewhere, as if from the next room, Emma is speaking - words dull and quiet, unable to get past the rushing in his own ears. 

Just breathe - Oh, he tries. Chest rising and falling with each struggled breath, pain sending spots to dance before his eyes. The pressure on his chest is unfailing, a grip around his heart as if someone were squeezing it, pressing it into nothing but dust. He wonders, briefly, if this is what dying feels like .. but at least he is whole, once again. He has found his wolf, his freedom .. and he has Emma Swan to thank for that. Fingers reach upwards, shaky and cautious lest this all be but some dream, and tug lightly on a lock of blonde hair, blue eyes lightning up for the barest of moments.

“Emma - “ Just breathe. He longs to tell her the curse is real, longs to plead with her to keep herself, and Henry, safe .. but the words won’t come, forced down between clenched and shuddering teeth. Every muscle is taut with expectation, body fighting the call to darkness. He has lived through much, survived when he should not .. but every animal senses its doom, and Graham is no different. His thanks dies on his lips, sweat beading along the swell of his throat. He can’t leave her, she needs him - but fingers clinging so desperately to her own don’t help. He’s slipping, slipping … and when the final image of her face fills his mind, lips curve upwards, allowing him to die with a smile upon his lips, final thought left unsaid.

Just breathe.

[meisanimam]

For a moment he can’t help but wish for the ground to swallow him whole, entire trees leaping as his imagination pictures them tumbling over and knocking him unconscious just to avoid whatever situation he had now found himself in. Called back to reality by the glint of sunlight along the lock of Charlotte’s hair, Graham shook his head, teeth grazing over rough bottom lip as he thought best how to avoid such a discussion. 

“It was something Sadie mentioned the other night. A joke, thats all.” Playful grin tugged at his lips, even as he did his best to ignore the clenching of his own heart. Red hair glinted like fire in the noon day sun, each burst of color enough to catch the breath stuttering in his chest. Pushing such feelings aside the sheriff shrugged his shoulders, false bravado firmly in place. “It was better than my own hair. Thats what she was originally after.” Head cocked to the side, blue eyes sparkling in amusement as he pretended to study Charlotte seriously. “I’d just look out for scissors if I were you. Especially the crafty kind.”

@empireburned cont.

[meisanimam]

‘ who is justice beaver? ’ nerissa for graham lmfao bye

The day had been slow, all together uneventful 24 hours that had led to nothing more than a once again drunk Leroy taken into custody for disturbing the peace. Regina’s words, not his. Graham would be hard pressed to explain why such an act warranted an arrest, but understanding or no, it was his job … one he couldn’t afford, and didn’t want, to lose.

Now, propped in his favorite booth, brown eyes studied the spotless surface. Plate of food forgotten as gaze stayed trained on the magazine someone had left behind. Loathe to read it, no matter how interested, in the off chance it was something of Ruby’s - the sheriff waited, teeth chewing on the edge of his bottom lip and fingers drumming an incessant rhythm on the booth’s table. Careful, quietly, he reached forwards … sliding the merest edge of the cover a bit closer. There was no harm in looking, right?

He was just getting to the part where he would found out what eye shadow would look best with his coloring when a sudden voice had him all but jumping in his seat, magazine slammed shut and weight shifting as he tried his best to lounge languidly across the seating. “Oh, Nerissa.” The name was a lilt on his tongue, words drawled out in accented tone as he shifted uncomfortably. Sheriffs weren’t supposed to be checking their coloring .. were they? 

“Justice…” Brows furrowed quizzically, eyes resting on the figure looming large on the glossy front page. Pages seventeen through twenty had been about him, so Graham had no trouble coming up with an answer. “Its Bieber, Nerissa. And I think this - “ Fingers held the book up daintily, passing it to his fellow denizen with smooth ease. “- belongs to Emma. But I doubt she’d care if we kept taking a look.”

[meisanimam]

‘ see , once in a while , once in a blue moon , people will surprise you . ’ - Emma to Graham

The rough brick of the station against his back is cold, bleeding through his vest and shirt in a cool caress that Graham finds he doesn’t seem to mind. Emma is there, standing in front of him - and for a moment thoughts falter, mind suddenly rushing to catch up to any meaning he might have missed. Things have been awkward since she caught his rendezvous with madame mayor, a myriad of excuses always threatening to fall between tightly clenched teeth.

Now, as she looks at him, Graham can’t help but flush, fingers pulling at the collar of his shirt as if its suddenly too hot in their shared space. It was nothing - The words are there on the tip of his tongue, another excuse he’s fairly certain his deputy won’t be interested in hearing … but he finds himself speaking them all the same, lips tumbling over themselves in an effort to speak. “They do, Emma. As long as you give them the chance. But we’re still - all of us- we’re still nothing more than human.”

[meisanimam]

The bell over the shop speaks more than just a welcome and its with a quick glance around that the sheriff steps inside, gaze studiously ignoring the trinkets that await within. Its not often he’s had a reason to go to such a place. Regina usually stays clear of the pawn broken - an agreement that up until now had gone unbroken .. and its with a hesitant step that he moves farther in, careful to not disturb anything lest its master demand he owe something in return.

Hands instinctively go to his side at the spotting of his quarry, moving the hem of his jacket the slightest bit so the star that signals his station is visible. Errand for the mayor or no, Graham has more than a basic understanding of what sort of deals Mr. Gold is after. “I’m here on behalf of the mayor .. “ He’s distracted for a moment by a pair of puppets, all to real in their resemblance of ones who had seen true fear .. and its with a clearing of throat that he continues. “She requests your .. presence.”

@misanthropicheartthrob s.c (mr gold!)