[ Vasquez is suddenly keenly aware of what it's like being on the other side of a language he can't understand; unlike Spanish, however, he can't learn this one.
He can respond to Faraday's body language, the tension in the set of his shoulders. ]
[ The introduction is late, as far as Faraday is concerned, which is why he doesn't return the favor. Butch didn't ask, either, and given the line of questioning, Faraday doubts he's interested. ]
He— [ And the correction comes out as a sharp snarl. ] —ain't none of your concern.
Like I said, Butch. Keep goin' on your way, and we'll keep goin' on ours.
[ Faraday's reaction – that vicious snarl – is so sudden that Vasquez curls his fingers around his gun, though he doesn't draw it from his holster yet.
Butch hisses out another laugh. ]
Ah, but where is your way going? Not much time left before the moon is full; it might be hard to get far enough from each other.
[ Faraday has never had an even temper, even at the best of times, and his sense of patience has never been overly developed. He's not entirely sure why this Butch is rubbing him in exactly the wrong way, but he trusts his own instincts more than anything.
He glances back at Vasquez to catch his attention, gaze sliding past to indicate his intentions of getting the hell away from this conversation.
[ Vasquez catches Faraday's gesture easily, and though his hand doesn't move from his gun, he still readies himself to follow the wolf out. He makes a mental note to ask about what the hell just went down, but while they're still within range of Butch is far from the right time for it. ]
You do the same, stranger.
[ Vasquez's eyes flick from the other wolf to Faraday. ]
[ Faraday nods, though he doesn't make any move to lead the way, intent as he is on keep himself between Vasquez and the other wolf.
There's no doubt in his mind that Vasquez could probably handle himself well, considering he's already dealt with Faraday's wolf, but Faraday doesn't want to take that chance.
It's also not an instinct that he plans on examining closely.
He turns his back on Butch, then, jerking his head to signal Vasquez to head back toward where they made camp. ]
[ Vasquez doesn't need it spelled out for him, and maybe in another circumstance, he might try to brush off Faraday's odd streak of protectiveness. But, right now, he knows plenty well that could easily seem like the wrong shade of weakness in front of another – human or wolf, really.
Stepping forward, without truly drawing his focus from Butch, Vasquez moves to follow the path they'd been trekking back to their camp in the caves.
Butch waits until Vasquez turns, too, waits for both him and Faraday to take those first strides wherever they'd been headed. He still paces, lazily back and forth, for all of another heartbeat before his hind legs coil tight, and in one powerful leap, he propels himself towards Faraday. It's so sudden, so quick, Vasquez doesn't even have time to draw and catch Butch mid-jump; by the time he can react, he's too concerned about hitting Faraday with a stray bullet. ]
[ See, that's exactly the kind of underhanded shit Faraday had been expecting.
Expecting, however, doesn't always translate to preventing.
Butch barrels into Faraday, and for a second, Faraday thinks he might've just been hit by a train. Faraday's bad leg buckles a little in his effort to stay upright, but he manages it. Faraday snarls, whirling around to snap at the other wolf, teeth catching on dense fur as he tries to shove him off. ]
[ It's jarring how suddenly Vasquez feels the flash of concern for Faraday and his bad leg. That strange sense of protectiveness flashes through him, and though he doesn't fire, his gun is in his hand in a heartbeat. ]
Faraday!
[ Butch meets Faraday's vicious snarl with his own, knocked aside by the way Faraday thrashes, those teeth buried in fur. He rears back, trying to wrench away from Faraday as his jaws try to twist and latch onto the leg he saw buckle.
Vasquez curses under his breath, lifting his gun as he tries to find a clear shot between the masses of wrestling fur. ]
[ Faraday lashes out, teeth snapping and spittle flying as he gnashes at the other wolf, vicious and focused all at once.
Still, a handful of months out from Rose Creek means the effects of his injuries are still lingering. He doesn't move as quickly as he wants, and he miscalculates his reach a couple of times, held back by his old wounds.
It's a series of small mistakes, but more than enough for Butch to take advantage of. When his teeth finally clamp down on Faraday's bad leg, Faraday howls as Butch knocks him to the ground. ]
[ The risk of hitting Faraday is more than enough to stay Vasquez's hand. He's a hell of a shot, but he knows the kind of long-lasting effects a silver bullet could have on his traveling companion.
He's not about to roll those dice when he has other options.
Growling, fury building, Vasquez stuffs his gun back into its holster and quickly closes the distance between him and the raging, flying fur. Just as Butch latches onto Faraday's leg, as that howl pierces the night air, Vasquez grabs a fistful of Butch's scruff. His claws elongate instantly, piercing through layers of fur and flesh.
A startled yelp makes Butch release Faraday, and he immediately rounds on Vasquez with a wild flail. Sharp teeth graze Vasquez's thigh without finding purchase, and Vasquez bodily hauls Butch away from Faraday. Butch skids across the dusty sand, scrambling to get his paws back under him – but instead of leaping back at Vasquez or Faraday, he starts retreating, ears pinned to his skull, teeth bared and hackles raised without taking his eyes off of them. ]
[ Faraday pants heavily as Butch's weight is dragged off him, trying to roll back up onto his feet. His bad leg refuses to hold his weight, though, and he's sent right back to the sand.
It's just as well, though, considering Butch doesn't seem inclined to go on the offensive again – not with Vasquez standing between the two of them, his long, impossibly sharp claws still covered in Butch's blood. Faraday pushes himself up onto his two front paws, head hanging low as he tries to catch his breath.
Still, he catches Butch's gaze, his gold eyes flashing in threat and mischief. He lets out hissing sort of breath, something that might almost be a laugh. ]
[ Butch snarls with a vicious tinge of rage, but Vasquez's eyes bleed over black, his lips pulling away from the fine points of his fangs. The wolf doesn't cower, but he continues growling as he puts more distance between them, then finally turns tail and bolts across the dusty plain.
Vasquez is tempted to follow him, to run him down, but from the faint edge of his awareness, he can tell Faraday isn't getting right back up.
Going after a useless animal isn't worth the effort.
Vasquez waits until Butch disappears in the distance, then turns to Faraday, stepping closer and kneeling down beside him. ]
[ Faraday has rolled onto his good hip in the meantime, keeping his weight off his bad leg. He looks like a mess – with burrs still in his coat, and patches of his fur standing at odd angles from wrestling with the other wolf.
There's a relatively clean bite mark on his thigh, and though blood soaks into his fur, the wound seems superficial. The effort and exertion from the tussle are probably the main factors in his leg refusing to cooperate.
He licks at the wound on instinct, trying to clear up some of the blood. ]
[ Instinctively, Faraday rocks up into that little gesture of comfort. It's familiar enough by now that he hardly thinks about it – though whether he doesn't think about it is by choice or by ignorance is anyone's guess.
At Vasquez's question, Faraday nods, the movement subdued enough to avoid dislodging Vasquez's hand. Slowly, he gets his paws back under him, though he keeps his bad leg pulled up close to his body. ]
[ It's slow going returning to the network of caves, with Faraday hobbled as he is. All the while, Faraday keeps his ears perked for any telltale signs of pursuit, sniffing at the air for the scent of unfamiliar blood that might signal Butch's arrival.
Thankfully, Butch must've considered himself soundly beat – or at least, valued the idea of his skin remaining attached to his body – and they return without further incident. Faraday limps his way over to his bedroll and promptly collapses onto it. ]
[ Faraday's only response is a low, displeased rumble.
Aside from the nights where loses his mind entirely, it's been ages since he's been in a brawl – and wolf or otherwise, he's displeased to find how sorely out of practice he is, to find how badly his wounds have hindered him, mostly healed as they are.
[ After a moment of pause, Vasquez realizes: Faraday is sulking. It's almost funny – watching a wolf cling to a sour mood – but Vasquez is also distracted by the wound Faraday is nursing. After the fight with Bogue and all manner of other scuffles, Vasquez is more accustomed to things that don't even manage to break the wolf's skin (other than silver).
Butch bit right into Faraday's leg like it was as tender as a cooked chicken wing.
It makes sense, Vasquez reasons, that Faraday might be affected by his same kind, but that's no more a comfort than any other part of the encounter.
The fire sparks to life, and Vasquez tucks away his tinderbox. He pushes himself up to his feet, going over to drop next to Faraday on his bedroll. ]
So... [ Vasquez removes his hat, dusting is off. ]
[ At that bit of commentary, Faraday almost immediately lifts his head and starts snarling and barking, having apparently forgotten that Vasquez can't actually understand him. In another moment, it might've been a rant filled with the sort of curses that would blight an entire field.
Silly, how quickly that short time with Butch has apparently spoiled him. ]
[ Vasquez's brows progressively inch up his forehead the longer Faraday keeps barking out what would, to other ears, surely be a fully formed cursing-out.
It's probably impressive, in context.
He leans his elbow on his knee, propping up his cheek as he lets Faraday go on.
After Faraday seems to be trailing off, Vasquez finally supplies, ]
[ He snorts out a breath once he realizes how utterly lost that tirade was on Vasquez – though the tone of it is less chagrined and more conclusive, as if he means to tell the other man, "I said what I said." ]
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Don't see how that's any of your business, especially considerin' as how I hardly know you from Adam.
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[ Vasquez is suddenly keenly aware of what it's like being on the other side of a language he can't understand; unlike Spanish, however, he can't learn this one.
He can respond to Faraday's body language, the tension in the set of his shoulders. ]
So what is it? Smells like old blood.
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He— [ And the correction comes out as a sharp snarl. ] —ain't none of your concern.
Like I said, Butch. Keep goin' on your way, and we'll keep goin' on ours.
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Butch hisses out another laugh. ]
Ah, but where is your way going? Not much time left before the moon is full; it might be hard to get far enough from each other.
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[ Faraday has never had an even temper, even at the best of times, and his sense of patience has never been overly developed. He's not entirely sure why this Butch is rubbing him in exactly the wrong way, but he trusts his own instincts more than anything.
He glances back at Vasquez to catch his attention, gaze sliding past to indicate his intentions of getting the hell away from this conversation.
Then, a firm dismissal to the other wolf: ]
Enjoy your evenin', Butch.
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You do the same, stranger.
[ Vasquez's eyes flick from the other wolf to Faraday. ]
Ready?
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There's no doubt in his mind that Vasquez could probably handle himself well, considering he's already dealt with Faraday's wolf, but Faraday doesn't want to take that chance.
It's also not an instinct that he plans on examining closely.
He turns his back on Butch, then, jerking his head to signal Vasquez to head back toward where they made camp. ]
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Stepping forward, without truly drawing his focus from Butch, Vasquez moves to follow the path they'd been trekking back to their camp in the caves.
Butch waits until Vasquez turns, too, waits for both him and Faraday to take those first strides wherever they'd been headed. He still paces, lazily back and forth, for all of another heartbeat before his hind legs coil tight, and in one powerful leap, he propels himself towards Faraday. It's so sudden, so quick, Vasquez doesn't even have time to draw and catch Butch mid-jump; by the time he can react, he's too concerned about hitting Faraday with a stray bullet. ]
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Expecting, however, doesn't always translate to preventing.
Butch barrels into Faraday, and for a second, Faraday thinks he might've just been hit by a train. Faraday's bad leg buckles a little in his effort to stay upright, but he manages it. Faraday snarls, whirling around to snap at the other wolf, teeth catching on dense fur as he tries to shove him off. ]
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Faraday!
[ Butch meets Faraday's vicious snarl with his own, knocked aside by the way Faraday thrashes, those teeth buried in fur. He rears back, trying to wrench away from Faraday as his jaws try to twist and latch onto the leg he saw buckle.
Vasquez curses under his breath, lifting his gun as he tries to find a clear shot between the masses of wrestling fur. ]
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Still, a handful of months out from Rose Creek means the effects of his injuries are still lingering. He doesn't move as quickly as he wants, and he miscalculates his reach a couple of times, held back by his old wounds.
It's a series of small mistakes, but more than enough for Butch to take advantage of. When his teeth finally clamp down on Faraday's bad leg, Faraday howls as Butch knocks him to the ground. ]
no subject
He's not about to roll those dice when he has other options.
Growling, fury building, Vasquez stuffs his gun back into its holster and quickly closes the distance between him and the raging, flying fur. Just as Butch latches onto Faraday's leg, as that howl pierces the night air, Vasquez grabs a fistful of Butch's scruff. His claws elongate instantly, piercing through layers of fur and flesh.
A startled yelp makes Butch release Faraday, and he immediately rounds on Vasquez with a wild flail. Sharp teeth graze Vasquez's thigh without finding purchase, and Vasquez bodily hauls Butch away from Faraday. Butch skids across the dusty sand, scrambling to get his paws back under him – but instead of leaping back at Vasquez or Faraday, he starts retreating, ears pinned to his skull, teeth bared and hackles raised without taking his eyes off of them. ]
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It's just as well, though, considering Butch doesn't seem inclined to go on the offensive again – not with Vasquez standing between the two of them, his long, impossibly sharp claws still covered in Butch's blood. Faraday pushes himself up onto his two front paws, head hanging low as he tries to catch his breath.
Still, he catches Butch's gaze, his gold eyes flashing in threat and mischief. He lets out hissing sort of breath, something that might almost be a laugh. ]
You should probably start runnin'.
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Vasquez is tempted to follow him, to run him down, but from the faint edge of his awareness, he can tell Faraday isn't getting right back up.
Going after a useless animal isn't worth the effort.
Vasquez waits until Butch disappears in the distance, then turns to Faraday, stepping closer and kneeling down beside him. ]
How is the leg, perrito?
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There's a relatively clean bite mark on his thigh, and though blood soaks into his fur, the wound seems superficial. The effort and exertion from the tussle are probably the main factors in his leg refusing to cooperate.
He licks at the wound on instinct, trying to clear up some of the blood. ]
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Without even thinking about it, Vasquez reaches out to set his hand between Faraday's ears, rubbing gently through his fur. ]
You think you can walk back?
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At Vasquez's question, Faraday nods, the movement subdued enough to avoid dislodging Vasquez's hand. Slowly, he gets his paws back under him, though he keeps his bad leg pulled up close to his body. ]
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Come on. We get back and you can let it heal up, hm?
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Thankfully, Butch must've considered himself soundly beat – or at least, valued the idea of his skin remaining attached to his body – and they return without further incident. Faraday limps his way over to his bedroll and promptly collapses onto it. ]
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Mercifully, their slow trek goes uninterrupted, all the way back to the caves.
As Faraday goes to flop down, Vasquez heads over to get a fire started, glancing back at Faraday with a somewhat wry smile. ]
You still want help with those burrs, perro?
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Aside from the nights where loses his mind entirely, it's been ages since he's been in a brawl – and wolf or otherwise, he's displeased to find how sorely out of practice he is, to find how badly his wounds have hindered him, mostly healed as they are.
Faraday isn't used to losing, it seems. ]
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Butch bit right into Faraday's leg like it was as tender as a cooked chicken wing.
It makes sense, Vasquez reasons, that Faraday might be affected by his same kind, but that's no more a comfort than any other part of the encounter.
The fire sparks to life, and Vasquez tucks away his tinderbox. He pushes himself up to his feet, going over to drop next to Faraday on his bedroll. ]
So... [ Vasquez removes his hat, dusting is off. ]
Quite a bastard, no?
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Silly, how quickly that short time with Butch has apparently spoiled him. ]
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It's probably impressive, in context.
He leans his elbow on his knee, propping up his cheek as he lets Faraday go on.
After Faraday seems to be trailing off, Vasquez finally supplies, ]
I didn't get any of that, my friend.
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