Faraday’s ability to keep a straight face is near infamous to anyone who’s played against him, and it’s a skill he puts to good use at all hours of the day, almost as often as he breathes or blinks.
But the instant Josiah offers that explanation, Faraday’s expression goes slack, eyes wide and lips parting with surprise. To anyone else, it might be funny how he suddenly looks as though he’s been struck – hell, if he saw anyone looking the way he does right now, Faraday would likely howl with laughter – but there’s hardly anything funny about this, he thinks.
The truth is, Faraday doesn’t know how he feels, except like the ground has suddenly opened beneath him, and he’s spinning and falling reeling with nothing to latch onto.
Even with Vasquez making his reentrance obvious, Faraday still jumps a little when he arrives, startled like a child caught stealing sweets. He ought to thank Josiah for his assistance, just for the sake of politeness, but Faraday has completely forgotten the bartender is even there, focused as he is on Vasquez.
For a long moment, Faraday gapes at Vasquez like he’s a complete stranger – and at this point, he might as well be, for as how thoroughly turned around as Faraday’s feeling. His request for the key goes unanswered for a long moment, the words sitting atop Faraday’s mind like oil on water. When the question finally sinks in, Faraday slowly reaches for the key in his pocket, fingers wrapping around the warmed metal in a near boneless grasp.
He starts to reach across the table to hand it over, but instead, he draws it close to himself, gripping it a little more tightly. He licks his lips, trying desperately to find his voice.
“I think I’ll go with you,” Faraday croaks out – apparently he found his voice in a brittle, hollow state, given how he sounds. But now that he’s made the decision, Faraday lurches to his feet, his chair’s legs squealing and clattering as they scrape across the wooden floor.
The noise startles him out of his stupor, at least a little, and when he comes back to himself, he stares hard at Vasquez. And in a tone that brooks no argument, he says, “You and me are overdue for a talk.”
And with that, he turns to head back to the inn, expecting Vasquez to follow.
no subject
But the instant Josiah offers that explanation, Faraday’s expression goes slack, eyes wide and lips parting with surprise. To anyone else, it might be funny how he suddenly looks as though he’s been struck – hell, if he saw anyone looking the way he does right now, Faraday would likely howl with laughter – but there’s hardly anything funny about this, he thinks.
The truth is, Faraday doesn’t know how he feels, except like the ground has suddenly opened beneath him, and he’s spinning and falling reeling with nothing to latch onto.
Even with Vasquez making his reentrance obvious, Faraday still jumps a little when he arrives, startled like a child caught stealing sweets. He ought to thank Josiah for his assistance, just for the sake of politeness, but Faraday has completely forgotten the bartender is even there, focused as he is on Vasquez.
For a long moment, Faraday gapes at Vasquez like he’s a complete stranger – and at this point, he might as well be, for as how thoroughly turned around as Faraday’s feeling. His request for the key goes unanswered for a long moment, the words sitting atop Faraday’s mind like oil on water. When the question finally sinks in, Faraday slowly reaches for the key in his pocket, fingers wrapping around the warmed metal in a near boneless grasp.
He starts to reach across the table to hand it over, but instead, he draws it close to himself, gripping it a little more tightly. He licks his lips, trying desperately to find his voice.
“I think I’ll go with you,” Faraday croaks out – apparently he found his voice in a brittle, hollow state, given how he sounds. But now that he’s made the decision, Faraday lurches to his feet, his chair’s legs squealing and clattering as they scrape across the wooden floor.
The noise startles him out of his stupor, at least a little, and when he comes back to himself, he stares hard at Vasquez. And in a tone that brooks no argument, he says, “You and me are overdue for a talk.”
And with that, he turns to head back to the inn, expecting Vasquez to follow.