Graupel Canyon Undoing An Implosion

To say he left their FaceTime call disheartened would be an understatement, but at least Jordan was coming over here and that kept him from just wallowing the rest of the day. There was a lot of hope they could figure this out together, but if not, well, at least he wouldn’t be alone in the increasing panic. There had to be a cure to it all, even if it was time. Just knowing it wouldn’t be permanent would be great.

Finn more or less flopped towards the front door when he heard the sound of knocking at the apartment door. It wasn’t like his place was horribly dirty by any means, but there were items out of place, it was lived in without a hand given to clean up after wards as he’d been incredibly tired since coming home. Oh well.

Opening the door, he offered a tired smile.

It took a while to get from Alder Heights to Graupel Canyon by public transit. Like. A long time. She almost missed the bus twice on the way there. Part of her wondered if she should take an Uber, but that would be one expensive ride.

Eventually, she got to Finn's place and knocked on the door to be greeted with a very tired looking smile.

Jordan offered a sympathetic glance, eyebrows creased together in worry as she held out her arms. Hug?

Sympathy was easily read, body language at least wasn’t busted. Maybe, when things were all better he could actually logically take a step back and figure out how this all worked.

The arms offered out though had him stepping into them and hugging back tightly, grateful she’d made it and was here. With a moment to hold it, he eventually took a step back and would motion her inside the apartment.

The hug was accepted and returned with a tight squeeze before it ended and she was brought inside. She wanted to ask a million questions but it didn't seem like that was a possibility?

So she slipped off her shoes and waited for cues from Finn. Did he want to just hang out? Did he want to discuss what happened through more drawings? Jordan wasn't sure how to help. :(

He shut the door behind them, watching her getting situated before motioning her towards the couch. That seemed like the best bet for now, comfy and full of random study items that might come to be helpful like the pencils, highlighters, and paper.

Pulling a spiral notebook from the center of the coffee table, he’d begin tearing pages out with a ripping against the metal ring binding. A small collection of loose leaf pages would start to form between them. They had to start somewhere.

Finn looked towards Jordan with a worried brow as the pieces grew.

Jordan joined him on the couch and looked at some of the torn pages. She picked one up and a pencil and began to draw a heart! Just to show she was there and supported him.

What a terrible side effect to endure though. She hoped it would pass for him soon.

As the final pages ripped out of their cardboard enclosure, he watched as Jordan drew out a heart. What if he just started crying? Sad smile given in return, he put the spiraled leftovers to the table, offering a cardboard side for them both, opting for his own pencil.

A big sigh exhaled out.

He didn’t know what to start with.

Pencil to paper, a question mark appeared.

A question mark. Yeah. Jordan wished she had an answer for him or at least a way to draw side effects.

She decided to draw a clock, its hands at 12 and 6, though it didn't really matter what time it displayed. It would take time for the side effects to vanish, right? Hopefully, he understood the meaning of the drawing.

He followed her lines until a clock came into place. Finn looked towards the wall where a similar rounded face ticked away. Time. It’d been a while since everything. But. It would fade right? That’s what he’d hoped, but Finn was nowhere closer to things changing.

Finn did have a question though.

Turning back to Jordan, he tapped her and then drew a series of figures holding hands. Another tap at her and then a quick sketch with hair cut like hers. Jordan. Did she get that it was her? That the people were a pact?

It took her a second or two, but Jordan felt she understood what Finn was asking her.

Well. He was either asking her to join his pact or asking if she wanted to join a pact in general. That part she wasn't sure about.

So, she pointed at him with an inquisitive expression on her face.

She thoughtfully looked at the drawing and he waited expectantly. In response, a finger towards him from her.

Mmm, no? If she was asking about his pact that wasn’t right. Well, kind of. But, he was hoping simply for the concept of a pact which was entirely harder to do with pictures.

He shook his head and pointed towards her in reply.

Did she want to join one? Did this scare her? Questions hand in hand.

Oh.

Jordan thought she understood. She just didn't know if it was still possible. It had been a while since she'd been able to check in with Dom and Alexis was still out of town.

She shrugged her shoulders with a small smile. Maybe. One day.

There was a look of understanding washing over her. In return, a shrug for maybe. Maybeeee, she wanted to join one? And it was with a smile, so maybe she wasn’t worried then afterall.

He let a sigh of small relief out, glad this wasn’t really scaring her away from it. It wasn’t… permanent, right? Hopefully, not. Finn was really trying not to keep going back to that question because of the anxiety it brought up.

He sighed, seemingly relieved and she wondered why but didn't ask. Jordan would have to be patient and ask her follow-up questions another time when Finn was feeling better. God, what a crazy side effect to deal with.

She drew a glass-like shape on the paper with a line in the middle before drawing a question mark next to it. Drink? Did he want something?

A drawing was shown his way again and huff of a laugh came out, nodding.

Mouth moving out of routine, ”Hhh,” pushed out through teeth, but not much else. He dug, eyes sparking to yellow without knowing only to fade as that wall seemed to be blocking him from information Finn knew was there. Shaking his head, he tapped her drawing, pointed at her, before himself.

Whatever she got herself would be fine.

He nodded and laughed, then seemed to struggle with answering her. What a frustrating place to be. Jordan felt for him. She thought she understood what he gestured. He’d have what she’d have. What did he have though? Was it okay to awkwardly rummage through his cupboards for glasses? She figured it was okay.

Jordan stood and made her way over to the cupboards in question, searching them for glasses. Whenever she found two, she’d pour them each some water from the tap and bring them over, handing one to Finn.

Off she went and he watched her from his spot on the couch. Anything she found was up for dibs, he didn’t have an issue with it and would rather Jordan make herself at home than not.

A guest at home, he paused. There was a thought there. It was pinging an idea.

Back with water, he offered a smile and took a sip before placing it down.

The hyena, the magic had sensed him back, gone into his own head, terrified him in ways that still made him deeply uncomfortable. Maybe… maybe that was the problem?

Picking up the pad again, lines were given life quickly, a hyena barking, fire wafting off of it. A stick figure crouching, covering its ears was nearby. Him. A circle left in his head with a smaller hyena more stick in form than anything, an arrow pointing from the bigger detailed one to it. In his brain.

Jordan stared at the image he drew for a long moment, considering it. A hyena in fire, barking. A stick figure covering their ears. Finn? The rest was difficult to parse through. Jordan frowned and let out a small sigh, confusion apparent on her face.

"I don’t understand," She replied, then realized he likely wouldn’t understand her either. She felt bad about it. Shook her head.

He watched her trying to figure it out. Words were said his way and he no doubt mirrored her own confusion. Communication was hard when two spoke different languages.

Charades would be even harder with such a complex issue. Finn frowned in thought, trying to figure out how. A mix, maybe.

Finn pointed at the hyena and then his head, his brain.

He pointed at the hyena and then his head.

Wait.

Did he think he took on the hyena?!

Jordan’s eyebrows raised in her shock (and horror) as she tried to understand. Maybe he meant something else?

She pointed at him, then made a dog-like face and paws with her hands, then looked confused again.

She was shocked, he was… not sure if Jordan had gotten it. But, she gave him an imitation of a dog. Maybe, sort of, she got it.

He gave a nod, scratching his chin, offering a shrug. He made a grabbing motion near his head in turn, as if pulling something out.

Huh. That was. Well. That was really scary to think about? Like did pieces of the unturned shifter’s animal get left behind in the psychics who, what? Killed it? How did it work?

Jordan frowned and leaned her back against the couch, wishing she could do more to support her friend, Finn. Maybe just being present was enough.

It seemed she was sort of thinking about something and it was frustrating to not just say the words.

He needed to try out his hypothesis anyways. Okay. Sighing, he sat back too.

Closing his eyes, he tried to think inwardly even with some fear moving his stomach. It wasn’t going to be in here, right? But, if it was… nope!

Following the magic flow as it sluggishly seemed paralyzed, he realized something was up. Thinking of it, he pushed, yellow flashing under eyelids, but the flow went the wrong way. A flare of pain had him following it as he pressed, face grimacing.

And there was the brush of dread coming up as echoed whispers and the feeling of being watched suddenly hit him. His magic snagged and wouldn’t give no matter how much he pulled. It was knotted, held, broken, the similar aura around the shifter felt here. It was old. A shadow. Damage had been done.

Finn pushed hard, a shot of energy pulsing past the damage and what had been free floating slowly seemed to have direction. A tiny miniscule thread tied. It was slow. The gaps were a lot, but it didn’t feel permanent. Head piercing, Finn let go of a breath he wasn’t sure was even being held until breathing suddenly was the only need.

Sucking in air, eyes opened and held his head, using hands to cover his face. Ow. ”Ssss. low.”

Something was, uh, happening to Finn and it was alarming!

Jordan leaned forward, concerned and tried to make sense of what was happening.

Ssslow? Slow?

"Finn," She frowned. "What's, um, what's happening? Are you-" AHHH. This was awful. Like, so awful to watch and endure. Jordan could only imagine how he felt.

"Slow?"

Garbled noises with an intonation he recognized as his name had him peek through fingers. It was… well, it sounded like english at least this time. But, it was really fast. Parts were familiar, but it all ran together.

The last word matched his own and he gave a single nod. Slow.

Would additional magic help? Maybe. His had. But more… Jordan had magic, but he wasn’t sure if it would flow into his. But, maybe it was something to bring up with the pact.

”Blocked-ed-ed.” That didn’t seem to be how that word worked. Oh well.