( you say that but everyone is still technically alive so maybe not? ??
it takes him a little while to make good on the promise. he had a pair of rainbow skates for Maya, but none for himself. it's not an enormously long wait, though, and it might be worth it for the free rollerskates.
when he does arrive, though, it isn't alone. it's not abnormal to be seen in the park with a dog, though perhaps the fact he's without a leash is a little suspect.
you try putting a collar on a wolf, though. )
I hope you weren't waiting too long. ( no 'hello there'. no 'oh yeah, I brought my wolf brother along, hope you don't mind'. just that, and Graham holds out the bag with Maya's skates for her to take.
like she's going to take the skates when Brother is looking up at her with that charming puppy smile and fluffy face. )
Hi Mr. Graham! Nah, I wasn't out here for too long. I-- [Please, like she minds!! He's giving her free stuff and also bringing a fuzzy friend? It's a great deal. Plus, she isn't comfortable enough around Graham to start teasing him yet. She bounces up excitedly over to him when he shows up, waving, then---]
[Notices Brother and then rushes past Graham to say hi. She's pretty enthusiastic, but she does hold her hand out first to let Brother okay her before petting. She has dog manners!!]
---I didn't know you had a doggy friend! He's soooooo cute! What's his name? Can I pet him?
[to be clear, Brother gets the final say, not Graham]
( luckily, as far as wolves go, Brother behaves more like a dog than the supposedly foreboding wild animal he's meant to be. he blends in perfectly well in the city with his fluffy disguise, a little better than Sunny does. when Maya holds out her hand, Brother helpfully gives her a paw, as if she were going for a shake instead of just trying to allow him to get a sense of her scent. )
That's up to him, not me. I call him Brother. ( Brother seems to be grinning from ear to ear, so it'd be pretty safe to assume he wouldn't mind being pet. the spoiled brat has gotten all too used to those, lately; Maya is surely not the first to want to pet him, and undoubtedly not the last, either. ) I told him he could stay home, but he's got a mind of his own.
( truly, the most wolf like part of Brother is his absolute refusal to do anything unless he wants to. that's the wildest streak he has left, thanks to living side-by-side with a human for most of his life. the Huntsman had made the wolf more human, just as living with wolves had made the Huntsman more like an animal. hard to say if it was a good thing, in either case... but it was likely too late to change either of them, at the same time. )
[Maya's delighted!! She shakes his paw, cooing over how good of a boy he is before getting right on the pets. If Graham was expecting her not to spoil him, he's going to be sorely disappointed]
[She's also operating under the assumption that Graham is his owner, and the kind of owner that lets the dog walk all over him. That sounds right, from what she knows of him]
So does that mean we just did a brofist? [technically no, but she's going to act like they did.]
He's a smart little guy, I bet he doesn't want to miss out on the fun. Too bad they don't make rollerskates for dogs.... The ones you have aren't paw-sized, right?
( if Graham was hoping to keep his brother from being spoiled, he's really dropped the ball, seeing as everyone does it. honestly, Graham is not that much better, and if pressed he'd confess that the wolf has a lot of catching up to do. Brother had to spend much of his life cursed and alone, just like the huntsman himself. he's only making up for lost time, if you think about it. )
A brofist? ( thanks to his accent, Graham nearly always sounds like he's confused, but in this instance it was a genuine question. he has no idea what that is.
he doesn't suspect the wolf would have any inclination to try rollerblading, though. ) If anything, he came to watch me fall over. ( that is indeed what good brothers do. Brother doesn't even have the decency to look guilty at the suggestion as Maya dotes on him, which makes it even more likely that it's true. )
( Maya holds out her fist and Graham stares at it for a moment before replicating the gesture, even though he has no idea what either of them are doing. apparently bro-fists involve fists, though. who would have guessed it? )
I'll certainly do my best. It can't be too hard. ( we'll see where that sort of talk gets you, Graham Cracker... not very far, I would wager. )
[It seems like Maya-sempai has a lot to teach Graham Cracker... she thinks it's pretty funny a so-called serious grownup is up to doing all this stuff. Nick would never go for anything, let alone buying her something of his own volition.]
Well... learn from the master! Just follow my lead.
[She bumps her fist against him and then does a 'whoooosh' motion, complete with sound effects]
( he seems oddly silent and passive as she instructs, as if he's carefully memorizing the process, or they'll be a test on technique later. it's more complicated than she really warned, not that she warned in the first place. he is silent for a moment after, considering... )
I think so.
( you sure there, Graham, bc you were thinking about it a lot there... Brother huffed at their feet, either unimpressed by their fistbumps or the lack of attention he was receiving. honestly, it could be either. )
( Brother shows his wolf side best in his general refusal to play by any rules but his own. it's not to say he's incapable of learning new things, it's just that he has to have the motivation to do so. apparently as far as fist bumps goes, the motivation is not currently present, because the wolf in pup's clothing simply stares at Maya's fist and then pointedly flops onto his side, stretching legs and sighing.
don't worry, Maya... chances are good he'll want to give it a go once he sees his human practicing it. )
Perhaps when he's being less lazy, ( Graham notes, mildly amused and reaching down to pat the wolf on the side. ) We ought leave him be, I believe we have rollerskating to do.
( Brother flattens his ears, not confirming nor denying, yet what those mismatched eyes hid was a truly jealous nature. if he saw everyone else getting on with a game he wasn't involved in, he'd probably want to take part on principle. Graham watches Maya put on her skates with a mild bit of concern — shouldn't she wear socks with her skates? — but doesn't correct, slowly toeing out of his serious boots to put on his skates instead. )
Have you any advice for using these things? I've never tried to rollerskate before.
Then that's what we gotta do! Then we can all brofist each other.
[What a big baby. She's not exactly the best person to ask for advice, though, considering how she kept slamming into the walls the last time she used these things]
[not that it's stopping her]
Don't lose your balance! Stick your butt out if you think you're gonna fall!
.... And don't crash into walls. I guess we can steady each other? [Once she's up, she reaches out her little noodle arms if he wants to take them (even if it's just to keep her from falling, herself)]
( she probably isn't the best source of advice, no, yet Graham seems to listen seriously anyway, nodding silently as he sets about putting his own skates on. when he does stand, he does pause with arms slung wide as he tries to get a sense of the new balance he must navigate.
he does take Maya's offered hands, though it's only after a beat he realizes, )
We can't skate like this. ( the skates are designed to move forward, they can't hold onto each other and skate sideways, it defeats the purpose. even if they are slightly more stable this way... it might be imagined security, tbh )
( if it's more likely that he will have to catch Maya than the other way around, Graham makes no note of it. he's a gentleman that way. instead, he nods slowly before releasing one of Maya's palms, letting both of them free to skate.
not too far away from them, Brother yawns. he still is extremely lacking in being impressed by their shenanigans. )
This is a strange way to move around, ( Graham states, taking on the role of Captain Obvious as he just barely starts to understand how to push his momentum forward. )
( if he's going to seriously pursue a potential drive-in rollergirl career, he's gonna have to get the basics down first. then he'll work on his killer twists and short-stops.
he releases one of her hands to test his balance on his own, and manages not to eat it instantly. nice, Mr. Cracker.
and maybe by the time this night is over, both of them can cruise around successfully. that's a good starting goal. )
[And thus, with little help from Maya, Graham learned an important new skill today. And the power of friendship. And the power of rollerskating]
[For her part, she's not bad at it, when her klutzy nature isn't sending her head down and legs up. But with Graham there to make sure she doesn't fall on her ass, she manages to do some twirls and moves]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
it takes him a little while to make good on the promise. he had a pair of rainbow skates for Maya, but none for himself. it's not an enormously long wait, though, and it might be worth it for the free rollerskates.
when he does arrive, though, it isn't alone. it's not abnormal to be seen in the park with a dog, though perhaps the fact he's without a leash is a little suspect.
you try putting a collar on a wolf, though. )
I hope you weren't waiting too long. ( no 'hello there'. no 'oh yeah, I brought my wolf brother along, hope you don't mind'. just that, and Graham holds out the bag with Maya's skates for her to take.
like she's going to take the skates when Brother is looking up at her with that charming puppy smile and fluffy face. )
no subject
[Notices Brother and then rushes past Graham to say hi. She's pretty enthusiastic, but she does hold her hand out first to let Brother okay her before petting. She has dog manners!!]
---I didn't know you had a doggy friend! He's soooooo cute! What's his name? Can I pet him?
[to be clear, Brother gets the final say, not Graham]
no subject
That's up to him, not me. I call him Brother. ( Brother seems to be grinning from ear to ear, so it'd be pretty safe to assume he wouldn't mind being pet. the spoiled brat has gotten all too used to those, lately; Maya is surely not the first to want to pet him, and undoubtedly not the last, either. ) I told him he could stay home, but he's got a mind of his own.
( truly, the most wolf like part of Brother is his absolute refusal to do anything unless he wants to. that's the wildest streak he has left, thanks to living side-by-side with a human for most of his life. the Huntsman had made the wolf more human, just as living with wolves had made the Huntsman more like an animal. hard to say if it was a good thing, in either case... but it was likely too late to change either of them, at the same time. )
no subject
[She's also operating under the assumption that Graham is his owner, and the kind of owner that lets the dog walk all over him. That sounds right, from what she knows of him]
So does that mean we just did a brofist? [technically no, but she's going to act like they did.]
He's a smart little guy, I bet he doesn't want to miss out on the fun. Too bad they don't make rollerskates for dogs.... The ones you have aren't paw-sized, right?
[They should make rollerskates for dogs...]
no subject
A brofist? ( thanks to his accent, Graham nearly always sounds like he's confused, but in this instance it was a genuine question. he has no idea what that is.
he doesn't suspect the wolf would have any inclination to try rollerblading, though. ) If anything, he came to watch me fall over. ( that is indeed what good brothers do. Brother doesn't even have the decency to look guilty at the suggestion as Maya dotes on him, which makes it even more likely that it's true. )
no subject
[--Because that's a true tragedy. If she has to teach him, she will. Hold out a paw, Graham!!]
Well, that's fun too. [Maya.... no....] But think positive! Maybe you'll be a natural and knock his furry socks off, too.
no subject
( Maya holds out her fist and Graham stares at it for a moment before replicating the gesture, even though he has no idea what either of them are doing. apparently bro-fists involve fists, though. who would have guessed it? )
I'll certainly do my best. It can't be too hard. ( we'll see where that sort of talk gets you, Graham Cracker... not very far, I would wager. )
no subject
Well... learn from the master! Just follow my lead.
[She bumps her fist against him and then does a 'whoooosh' motion, complete with sound effects]
Bam! Just like that. Got it?
no subject
I think so.
( you sure there, Graham, bc you were thinking about it a lot there... Brother huffed at their feet, either unimpressed by their fistbumps or the lack of attention he was receiving. honestly, it could be either. )
no subject
Think you can practice it with your fluffy friend, here?
[She puts out her hand again for Brother (she didn't forget him!!) and makes a fist]
[Time to earn that attention, Bro]
no subject
don't worry, Maya... chances are good he'll want to give it a go once he sees his human practicing it. )
Perhaps when he's being less lazy, ( Graham notes, mildly amused and reaching down to pat the wolf on the side. ) We ought leave him be, I believe we have rollerskating to do.
no subject
[he'll learn in time!!!]
We'll just have to brofist lots until he gets jelly and wants to learn for himself!
[But Graham's right, they do have rollerskating to do. She sits down to put her new skates on, kicking off her sandals. Wear socks, Maya!!]
We sure do. Something else I've gotta teach you to master, right?
no subject
( Brother flattens his ears, not confirming nor denying, yet what those mismatched eyes hid was a truly jealous nature. if he saw everyone else getting on with a game he wasn't involved in, he'd probably want to take part on principle. Graham watches Maya put on her skates with a mild bit of concern — shouldn't she wear socks with her skates? — but doesn't correct, slowly toeing out of his serious boots to put on his skates instead. )
Have you any advice for using these things? I've never tried to rollerskate before.
no subject
[What a big baby. She's not exactly the best person to ask for advice, though, considering how she kept slamming into the walls the last time she used these things]
[not that it's stopping her]
Don't lose your balance! Stick your butt out if you think you're gonna fall!
.... And don't crash into walls. I guess we can steady each other? [Once she's up, she reaches out her little noodle arms if he wants to take them (even if it's just to keep her from falling, herself)]
no subject
he does take Maya's offered hands, though it's only after a beat he realizes, )
We can't skate like this. ( the skates are designed to move forward, they can't hold onto each other and skate sideways, it defeats the purpose. even if they are slightly more stable this way... it might be imagined security, tbh )
no subject
[more like it'd be the other way around, but she does let go of one of his hands to skate around next to him instead]
I'm sure you'll get the hang of it. You're a pretty graceful guy, Mr. Graham.
[Unlike Klutzy McKlutz over here]
no subject
not too far away from them, Brother yawns. he still is extremely lacking in being impressed by their shenanigans. )
This is a strange way to move around, ( Graham states, taking on the role of Captain Obvious as he just barely starts to understand how to push his momentum forward. )
no subject
[Maya pushes forward eagerly, tugging on his hand to pull him along with her]
I think you mean an awesome and fun way to get around! Just wait until you get good enough to go up ramps and do flips and stuff!
[Not a thing that actually happens, but]
And wheelies!
wrap here maybe!
( if he's going to seriously pursue a potential drive-in rollergirl career, he's gonna have to get the basics down first. then he'll work on his killer twists and short-stops.
he releases one of her hands to test his balance on his own, and manages not to eat it instantly. nice, Mr. Cracker.
and maybe by the time this night is over, both of them can cruise around successfully. that's a good starting goal. )
wraps your face
[For her part, she's not bad at it, when her klutzy nature isn't sending her head down and legs up. But with Graham there to make sure she doesn't fall on her ass, she manages to do some twirls and moves]
You're really getting this!
[She has so much to teach him]