peacemakers: (004)

[personal profile] peacemakers 2016-10-31 05:02 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He scoots aside obligingly to admit her a better view, though he doesn’t do it with any level of hurry; evidently her proximity goes unnoticed, though he notices it all the same. A part of him tells him he should be entertained by this oncoming disaster, that the outcome of this conversation will surely leave him in stitches for months to come, but what he mostly feels is— angry. Annoyed. Some brilliant flare of heat that leaves a sour taste in his mouth.

(jealousy, though he doesn’t know it. envy.)

Faraday glances over his shoulder as she steps away, and though he smirks in his usual way, his heart isn’t exactly in it. Another flash, and he reappears at the table, gathering the cards into a neat deck. (Most folks don’t think it appropriate for ladies to have cards. He could at least spare Emma that little bit of embarrassment, should Emma admit the poor boy and he should take notice it.)

A quiet, nervous knock at the door, and Faraday’s mouth shapes itself into a grin as he shuffles the cards lazily. Even if Teddy can’t hear him, he still pitches his voice low. ]


We pretendin’ to be out?
peacemakers: (023)

[personal profile] peacemakers 2016-10-31 06:29 pm (UTC)(link)
[ His eyes narrow, still with that grin plastered on his face. ]

Now, that, Miss Emma, is an entirely undeserved rebuke on my character. A completely unwarranted besmirching.

When have I ever conducted myself in anything but a chivalrous manner?

[ Before she can offer any word to the contrary, he winks. A flash, there and gone again, as he tucks the deck of cards away onto a high shelf. Another blink, and he makes himself comfortable up against the far wall, leaning against it and crossing his arms. He clearly means to settle in and enjoy the show.

(even as that thing twists, barbed and acrid in his gut.) ]

peacemakers: (024)

[personal profile] peacemakers 2016-10-31 07:27 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Faraday finds himself grinning meanly at that split-second refusal, blurted out even before Teddy can utter more than a handful of words. He can feel it on his face, the sharp edge of his sneer, the heat in his own eyes. He’s terribly satisfied that Emma’s given the boy mitten so thoroughly, doesn’t even feel badly for him. In life, he never had much of an opinion on Teddy. Didn’t know or care about him well enough to form one, aside from thinking him a little green. Now, though, having seen the way he mooned after Emma, Faraday finds there’s at least a little to dislike about the boy.

So Faraday feels no pity. No sympathy. Teddy put himself out on his own hook, after all. Emma hadn’t so much as hinted at being interested – had even told Faraday she didn’t find the matching suitable.

Serves him right, Faraday thinks, for not leaving well enough alone.

(That dark twist again, still bitter and a little painful, but smoother this time. The wrong kind of soothing. This is certainly entertaining for Faraday, but not in the way either he or Emma probably expected.)

When she turns to him, Faraday struggles to soften his expression, offers a tiny shrug, flicks his hand encouragingly toward her as if to say, Go on. His gaze moves to Teddy again, watching as he leans to take a look into Emma’s home. Teddy is taller and manages to peek over her easily enough, though his gaze drifts right over where Faraday stands.

Faraday briefly considers making a rude gesture – one of the perks of being invisible and all. Decides better of it, in case Emma catches him in the act. Considers cracking some joke, too, but he had made a half-promise to behave himself. Any comment would distract her from putting Teddy in his place, anyway, though he has about a thousand choice things chambered and ready to spit. ]
peacemakers: (013)

[personal profile] peacemakers 2016-10-31 10:34 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Faraday watches the rest of the conversation unfold, a black humor twisting at his smile the entire time. Mean of him, he knows, to enjoy watching Teddy twist in the wind, but he’s always been a mean son of a bitch, hasn’t he? If death couldn’t stop that, then Faraday reckons nothing will.

He watches him fidget, watches his shoulders sink lower and lower toward the ground, bites back a laugh at how terribly distraught he looks—

Though the chuckle catches in his throat when Teddy asks after another man. He finds his gaze flicking to Emma as she responds in the negative – because of course she would; of course she must. What a ridiculous question. Given all the men in Rose Creek, who the hell else was there, really? Who could there be? And who could possibly compete with the memory of her late husband? A man she incited a war for?

… the thought stings.

Faraday’s turn to fidget, then, weight rocking from one leg to the other, fingers twitching restlessly against his arms – though he hardly knows he’s doing it. In any case, it goes unnoticed as Emma’s chat with Teddy continues on.

And then the boy goes and says that, and Faraday can feel the way the air flies out of the room.

Even Teddy seems to know it’s a mistake, even without the look on Emma’s face. Faraday can see the apologies forming in his mouth, the words stumbling and tripping to get out over one another and tying up his tongue. And Faraday still feels no sympathy – feels that fire in his chest flare, and he shoves away from the wall, taking a step forward.

Teddy stammers, tries to explain himself and offer his excuses, but Faraday speaks over him. ]


Say the word, and I’ll see him out.

[ Low, despite the fact Teddy still can’t hear him. Dangerous, for reasons Faraday doesn’t rightly know, himself. ]
peacemakers: (020)

[personal profile] peacemakers 2016-11-01 12:11 am (UTC)(link)
[ It doesn’t slip his notice when she bars him from stepping through the door. The thought flickers in his mind that he could just move past her. Step through the wall, if he really wanted, or even step through her, though he knows she would hate that. He could simply think and reappear at Teddy’s elbow, shove him away before he caused any more damage.

He doesn’t, though he’s sorely tempted. His temper has always been easily lit, and apparently well-meaning, love-struck, bumbling young men are able to incite his temper into an inferno.

The door slams shut, and his arms cross tightly over his chest. If he still had his guns, his hands would’ve twitched toward them, angry as he is. ]


Don’t matter whether he can see me or not. Wouldn't effect my efficiency none.

[ Still with that low, flinty edge in his voice, gaze fixed on the door, as if he could see straight through it and fling daggers with the sort of precision Billy Rocks would have envied. He grits his teeth, eyes still blazing. ]

He shouldn’t’a talked to you like that.

[ Which makes it clear that despite his warning look, he absolutely is thinking about it. Trailing after the heartbroken man and making the rest of his day a living hell. He’s angry – for Emma, certainly, and for other causes he can’t pin – and it licks inside his chest, threatens to spill out. ]
peacemakers: (021)

[personal profile] peacemakers 2016-11-01 03:43 am (UTC)(link)
[ He hears what she's saying, but still that fire burns inside him, something bitter and intense that wants for a target. Might as well be Teddy, right? Considering he's the one who caused it with those fool words of his. His eyes bore into the door, and he considers little ways to make him pay, things Faraday might do in the dead of night when Emma is none the wiser—

But then she steps in front of him, says his name in a grim voice, and his gaze snaps down to her, startled and annoyed. He wrangles back the flames – because this anger isn't meant for her, doesn't want to misdirect it on accident – and his lip pulls back from his teeth in distaste. ]


Why not? [ A brief flick to look at the door again, but his gaze falls back on her. ] Seems to me he deserves it.
peacemakers: (038)

[personal profile] peacemakers 2016-11-01 04:14 am (UTC)(link)
I—

[ ... well.

That's a damn fine question isn't it?

It's enough to make him falter, to douse some of those flames licking at the back of his sternum. He scowls a little as he bows his head, examining the floor as he puzzles out an answer. ]


I just— didn't like what he said, was all.
peacemakers: (025)

[personal profile] peacemakers 2016-11-01 04:25 am (UTC)(link)
[ He makes a scoffing noise, pulling away.

He doesn't have an answer for her, to be truthful, and that frustrates him. He masks it with annoyance, trudging over to where he had stashed his cards. ]


Haven't the faintest idea what you mean.

[ ... Faraday also apparently masks it with a bit of a lie, but it's the easiest response, for now. ]

I ain't all that upset. Not nearly as much as you seem to think I am.
peacemakers: (019)

[personal profile] peacemakers 2016-11-01 04:46 am (UTC)(link)
I did not.

[ ... actually, he probably looked exactly like that, now that he's thinking on it, but he would rather not admit it right now. This feeling, whatever the hell it is – he doesn't understand it. Just knows it's big, whatever the hell it is, by the shadow it casts.

He plucks the deck of cards off the shelf, flicks his thumb across the short edge of the pack. ]


Maybe I just didn't appreciate the goose down on his upper lip.
peacemakers: (014)

[personal profile] peacemakers 2016-11-01 06:06 am (UTC)(link)
[ He's glad when she finally leaves it off, steps away and lets him regather his thoughts.

... Well, that's what he tries to do, at any rate, but they scatter and skitter from his grasp, like fishing barehanded. He scowls down at his cards for lack of anything else to aim his annoyance at, before retaking his seat at the table. ]


Suppose it ain't an odd question.

[ Blandly, mildly, the paper snapping in his hands. ]

Easier pill to swallow than thinking he ain't good enough.
peacemakers: (048)

[personal profile] peacemakers 2016-11-01 06:19 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He agrees with the observation, but somehow, he still feels a bit of a twist in his gut, something clench in his chest. That shadow falls over him again, but Faraday has a bit of practice in these matters, hides it all away behind the face he used in life to play cards and gamble away his money.

Wryly, ]
No shortage of men in town who’d be interested, I expect.

The blacksmith, for instance. I think he’s taken a shinin’ to you, too. Maybe he’ll be shufflin’ up that path come next Sunday.
peacemakers: (033)

[personal profile] peacemakers 2016-11-01 11:00 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He offers a noncommittal sort of hum at that, glancing over to where she stands in the kitchen before he looks down at his cards again. He sets up that game of patience again, though he’s not interested in playing, so much as he is in doing something with his hands. ]

Not a one of them? [ He snorts out a laugh. ] Bless their hearts.

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