[ With the amount of time Vasquez has spent with Faraday in this form, he understands the wordless gratitude for what it is. He scratches the top of Faraday's head, almost in acknowledgment, before his fingers shift down to rub under his jaw – the same absent affection as always. ]
[ He moves without a thought, head tilting upward to let Vasquez scratch at his chin.
At the question, though, he lets out a low, unhappy grunt. Vasquez surely means to ask after the chunk Butch tried to take out of his leg, but Faraday has always been a little touchy about his bad leg. It hasn't been the same since Rose Creek. He doubts it ever will be again. ]
[ Vasquez understands the general tetchy reactions Faraday has about whatever impairments he may have sustained, and he understands the usual complaints – but it's still not an answer. ]
Ay, perro, you know I mean the bite.
[ He rolls his eyes, but he continues scritching under Faraday's chin. ]
[ Faraday grumbles out another displeased noise, but he reluctantly pulls away from Vasquez's attentions to nose at the injury on his leg.
The wound still looks ugly, with his fur matted around the worst of it, but the bleeding has stopped. It still throbs, too. Faraday heals quicker than most, admittedly, but much like the aftermath of Vasquez and the wolf's fights during the full moon, he'll probably be sporting this wound for a few days, at least. ]
[ He lets out a low agreeing rumble, head tipping a little to one side.
That's something, at least.
Not much of something, considering Vasquez will almost certainly be contending with wolves tomorrow night; but maybe with Faraday's wolf already suffering from his old wounds, and with Butch's wolf dealing with the gouges in his back, it won't be so bad.
Maybe. Not very likely, though. But maybe.
He cranes his head around again, biting at a large burr still clinging to his side. He spits it out to the cave floor, and the rumble he lets out this time is far more disgruntled.
[ He turns to look at his sides, then noses at the side closest to Vasquez. His other side bears a decent number of the infernal things, though, and he sets to work on that while still growling quietly – a noise that's meant to stand in place of his usual grumbling. ]
[ All of the little grumbles are endearing, even if Vasquez has no idea why – nor would he ever admit it to Faraday, officially.
Vasquez sets in where Faraday directs him, careful about freeing the fur from the insidious little hooks of the burrs. He's content to work at the knots for a while, before breaking the silence. ]
... Was that the first of your kind you've met before?
[ Faraday keeps picking the burrs out of his coat, dropping them into a little pile beside his bedroll.
It's a good distraction from the what-ifs of tomorrow. He's worried, admittedly. After four full moons, Faraday had started to tentatively think that maybe they had gotten the hang of this – but Butch's arrival is a new complication in an already complicated mess.
At least Vasquez won't feel the need to be as judicious with his use of silver, as far as Butch is concerned. It's a huge advantage.
He pauses in his work at Vasquez's question before offering a slow nod of confirmation. ]
[ Rose Creek has spoiled him in a lot of ways, Faraday thinks. After he had been bitten, he weathered the nightly changes on his own, spent his evenings wandering dark woods. The change was painful, sure, and the fact that his evenings needed to be spent outside of civilization had been lonely – but aside from the full moons, Faraday had learned to live with.
It wasn't until Rose Creek that he started to so keenly miss being able to talk.
At Vasquez's suggestion, Faraday lets out a huff, frustrated that he can't speak his piece, but he resorts to offering his closest approximation to a shrug.
[ Often, when Vasquez strikes up conversation with Faraday like this, he doesn't expect full and detailed responses – partially because that's clearly impossible – but he tends to understand the gestures or sounds that come in this form. ]
[ He casts Vasquez an annoyed look. You gotta talk about this now?
Not because Faraday is trying to avoid the topic, but because he can't properly speak on it. And God knows he has things he can say about Butch's apparent cowardice and generally unpleasant disposition. A handful of minutes in Butch's presence, and Faraday has been wholly turned off of the prospect of ever meeting another werewolf.
After a heartbeat, and after a visible hesitation, Faraday makes the same approximation of a shrug, head tipping to one side as his shoulders shift.
[ It's harder to get everything out of that little shrug this time, and Vasquez knows enough to take what he's given. He drops a couple more burrs to the side, smoothing back Faraday's fur in slow strokes. ]
Can't all be like that, hm? There's you, after all, perro.
[ He lets out a small huff, though this time, it's closer to a laugh, and when he looks at Vasquez, there's something almost smug in the way he narrows his eyes.
Vasquez surely doesn't mean it as a compliment, but it still might be the nicest thing Vasquez has ever said in his favor. ]
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[ Vasquez reaches up to give one of Faraday's ears the faintest, barest of tugs before scratching behind it. ]
Him? I will pump him full of silver before he has a chance to get close.
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This, in place of a proper thank you. It seems the least he owes Vasquez for hauling Butch off him. ]
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Is the leg healing, perrito?
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At the question, though, he lets out a low, unhappy grunt. Vasquez surely means to ask after the chunk Butch tried to take out of his leg, but Faraday has always been a little touchy about his bad leg. It hasn't been the same since Rose Creek. He doubts it ever will be again. ]
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Ay, perro, you know I mean the bite.
[ He rolls his eyes, but he continues scritching under Faraday's chin. ]
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The wound still looks ugly, with his fur matted around the worst of it, but the bleeding has stopped. It still throbs, too. Faraday heals quicker than most, admittedly, but much like the aftermath of Vasquez and the wolf's fights during the full moon, he'll probably be sporting this wound for a few days, at least. ]
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Looks painful.
[ Probably a given – a stupid statement, really. ]
You think you'll be all right with the moon tomorrow?
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Do I have a choice? ]
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He doesn't prod at the bite (if only because he can't do much), so he just reassuringly pats Faraday's side. ]
Maybe this means I won't come through with so much fight from your wolf, eh?
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That's something, at least.
Not much of something, considering Vasquez will almost certainly be contending with wolves tomorrow night; but maybe with Faraday's wolf already suffering from his old wounds, and with Butch's wolf dealing with the gouges in his back, it won't be so bad.
Maybe. Not very likely, though. But maybe.
He cranes his head around again, biting at a large burr still clinging to his side. He spits it out to the cave floor, and the rumble he lets out this time is far more disgruntled.
Stupid things. ]
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Here, let me see. You can try to get some sleep when these things aren't poking you so much.
Where's the worst?
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Vasquez sets in where Faraday directs him, careful about freeing the fur from the insidious little hooks of the burrs. He's content to work at the knots for a while, before breaking the silence. ]
... Was that the first of your kind you've met before?
Other than the one who bit you.
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It's a good distraction from the what-ifs of tomorrow. He's worried, admittedly. After four full moons, Faraday had started to tentatively think that maybe they had gotten the hang of this – but Butch's arrival is a new complication in an already complicated mess.
At least Vasquez won't feel the need to be as judicious with his use of silver, as far as Butch is concerned. It's a huge advantage.
He pauses in his work at Vasquez's question before offering a slow nod of confirmation. ]
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I think maybe that wasn't how you expected that might go.
[ He pulls free another spiky ball, this time smoothing down Faraday's fur again, like he's trying to soothe away the discomfort. ]
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It wasn't until Rose Creek that he started to so keenly miss being able to talk.
At Vasquez's suggestion, Faraday lets out a huff, frustrated that he can't speak his piece, but he resorts to offering his closest approximation to a shrug.
That's about the long and short of it. ]
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... Does that bother you?
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Not because Faraday is trying to avoid the topic, but because he can't properly speak on it. And God knows he has things he can say about Butch's apparent cowardice and generally unpleasant disposition. A handful of minutes in Butch's presence, and Faraday has been wholly turned off of the prospect of ever meeting another werewolf.
After a heartbeat, and after a visible hesitation, Faraday makes the same approximation of a shrug, head tipping to one side as his shoulders shift.
Not sure what I was expecting. ]
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Can't all be like that, hm? There's you, after all, perro.
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Vasquez surely doesn't mean it as a compliment, but it still might be the nicest thing Vasquez has ever said in his favor. ]
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Don't look so pleased. You only try to eat me once a month, so you can't be all bad.
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