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 Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2015 4:58 pm
"Oh please! Stop overreacting already!" Noah snapped, his voice still a low hiss as he tried to sober down, knowing that his brother was only feeding off upset feelings. Unfortunately, he was still too riled himself to act with a completely calm head, and his panicked mind raced to find some way to defuse the situation. He was about to continue persuading Frank before the servant behind him added his voice back to the conversation. Noah listened tensely as Kozel heaped more apologies onto what they'd already given, feeling a little disgusted that they had to do so at all. Was this the price he'd always pay for being playful? He grit his teeth as he silenced himself, glancing back at the Katchian with a concerned sort of gratefulness, though he had his doubts over how much it would help.
That doubt made it all the more surprising when Frank stopped to think, and the jockey's eyebrows lifted slightly as his brother seemed to finally consider their ridiculous position. Surely he would realize that there were more important and lucrative things to be doing, other than arguing in the street. That notion alone was usually enough to get him to pull his head out of his a**, and Noah almost found himself smiling as Frank made to reply...only for the smile to swiftly turn into an enraged sneer.
"What!? What the <********> are you talking about?? Of course he can come back!!" Noah's voice raised again, and he blustered in frustration, the adrenaline starting to rush once more, heart pounding in his temples. If anything was going to make him pick a true fight with his brother, it would be over that. "He didn't do anything! It was all me, you big b*****d!" The jockey growled as Frank continued to taunt, before stepping back, taking Kozel's side. He knew Frank was feeding off of it all, off of their reactions, but he couldn't bring himself to take a breath and back down. "He's one of the only things keeping that shithole together, you know! Stop toying with him like that!" Noah panted heavily, before turning to Kozel, his brown eyes manic with anger.
"Don't listen to him. He's just being a moron. You aren't going anywhere...you can work with me in the stables, if nothing else." He reassured, his breath puffing on the air as he glared back over at Frank challengingly. He wasn't about to allow his own stupid actions to put someone else out on the street, let alone one of their best and most loyal workers. His hands clenched into fists, he curled his lip over at Frank, daring him to say something else.
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Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2015 1:04 am
It was extremely difficult for Frank to keep from smiling, when such an expression would normally be unheard of on the stony-faced witch. And yet, the reaction he'd baited out of Noah was gold. There was no helping the smirk that wound its way onto his lips as he snorted at his brother's weak insult. "A big b*****d? Just what are you implying about Mum?" he mocked with false offense. "What would Dad think?" Frank could have continued indulging in Noah's fury with all the spiteful patience he would offer at no other time, but if that jab had fallen flat, the next thing Noah said had managed successfully to get under Frank's skin. His smile fell away instantly.
"The stables? I hope you don't mean the stables back at the inn—at my shithole." And just like that, Frank's own cool began to crumble again, his voice rising thunderous above his brother's. "Don't you ******** forget why you have those bloody stables in the first place, you ungrateful little s**t."
The mention of the stables earned a strong reaction from Kozel, as well. He'd been jolted out of his despair by Noah's abrupt offer, dropping his tear-streaked hands to regard the younger man with a look of split-second incredulity. At another time, the Katchian might have been touched. Certainly, there had been a spark of hope in the idea, though just as quickly extinguished once it hit him: the idea that Frank was, indeed, only toying with him. Of all the cruelty the innkeeper had displayed towards him, it hadn't even occurred to Kozel that it was only an attempt to frighten him into such a wretched and humiliating display. But who knew Frank better than his own brother?
He felt sick for having fallen so completely for the farce. "You two are deranged," Kozel spat, throat aching with the effort to choke back the weak sobs that had always seemed to come hand-in-hand with his anger. "Why would I want anything more to do with you? Either of you." He withdrew from Noah's presence, avoiding his gaze like a kicked and whimpering dog, hissing insults at the Varicks in his own language, vulgar words and hateful names he hardly dared ever use.
Frank might not have known what the Katchian was saying, but his insolent tone was enough enrage him further. These two had fallen way out of line. "I've given you both enough of my ******** resources, don't you ******** disrespect me." If Noah really was willing to pick a true fight with his brother over this, it was about time they got down to it, then, as the former boxer rushed him with a swing that had felled plenty of other men in the past.
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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2015 5:51 pm
"The only reason you're in charge of them is because you're older." Noah spat back, letting Frank's insults roll off of him, too angry to care and too interested in getting back at him. The mention of their father did sting, but it only pulled a growl from the jockey as he kept his eyes glued on Frank, waiting for the strike he knew would come, sooner or later. Noah got his own sick sort of reward when Frank's amusement melted away, pleased to hear his idiotic sibling's voice begin to lift, just as his had. It would have been easy to go on, to get in a dig about how Frank would never have been able to sustain their father's business without Noah's expertise, but Kozel's response distracted him for a moment. His expression fell into one of dismay as the Katchian began to withdraw and curse.
"See what you did!?" Noah barked at Frank, spinning around to face him again as Kozel slunk away. "He didn't even do anything!!!" He snarled, and by the time Frank was making his response, he was also making a swift advance. In a rare show of manic bravery, Noah moved to counter his brother's swing, rather than cowering or flinching away. His fist collided weakly with his brother's side, but the punch Frank delivered sent him straight to the ground with a sharp yelp. In moments he was writhing, bleeding...and a crowd had begun to form. What had started out as a small disagreement was turning into a public spectacle...
The short series of events that followed wouldn't help to diminish the stares they were receiving. From the direction of the inn, the crowds began to part, and voices lifted. All at once a large brown blurr was speeding toward the scuffling duo, only to reveal itself as Noah's guardian. Parader didn't stop until he was protectively positioned over his chosen, warding Frank back with a furious bellow and stomping hooves. The other deer stabled at the inn followed shortly after, lead by an incredibly concerned looking Zharkov astride an irritated-looking Atli.
"What is going on here?? The deer were working themselves into a frenzy..." Zharkov looked from Frank to Kozel with bewildered consternation. There didn't seem to be anything dangerous happening, but when he finally caught sight of a bloody-nosed Noah, he seemed to put two and two together. Heaving a sigh, he looked down to his Katchian friend, eyebrows knitting in unamused agitation. He could only imagine that some sort of argument had gone down. Had they pulled Kozel into it? "Kozel...are you alright? Petri nearly kicked down his stall door." He motioned to the smaller buck, who had indeed thrown quite a fit. Before Zharkov could dismount, Noah had risen to his feet with the help of Parader, and was addressing Frank again, ******** you, Frank! I'm finished with this!!" Noah didn't wait to see what happened as he scrambled up to swing himself into Parader's saddle. He didn't even wait for his brother to respond before Parader was darting down the street and out of sight. Willing his gaurdian forward, he bit back the tears and wiped his bloody nose on his sleeve, not intent on returning to the inn anytime soon.
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Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2015 12:10 am
While Frank often did try to goad Noah into a proper fight he had no chance in, it had been some time since their arguments had escalated to the opportunity. He hadn't expected the b*****d to land a punch of his own this time, and while it was little more than a glancing blow, the practiced prizefighter fell back instinctively, out of range and fists up, watching Noah go down and intending to keep him there should he try anything else. But just as soon as he'd gotten into stance, all business in the business he'd loved most, Parader made his abrupt appearance and dashed any thoughts of a proper bout between the Varicks.
As rare as it was to have Noah turned angry instead of irreverent, it was even rarer to see vainglorious Parader so aggressive. Frank sneered at the threatening display, looking about ready to snap the Guardian's antlers off, but he knew better. He backed off at once, but his voice betrayed no fear, only a burning desire to jump back into a fight. "Need your pony to come save you, huh?" Felt like the whole damn cavalry had arrived.
Kozel had been shocked by the fight between the two brothers. He had meant to leave them to their squabble, needing to get away before he really did quit, but Frank's bone-rattling blow was enough to rattle him into nearly jumping back into the fray to defend Noah, despite all good sense telling him just as strongly to just flee already. In the end, the Guardians made the decision for him, as he froze, startled by Parader's dramatic entrance. He hadn't even noticed Petrichor until the Guardian, still with a bleat like a fawn's, scrambled to meet him. He almost could have bowled his Chosen over, had he been any larger.
The Katchian tore his eyes away from Parader's frightful protectiveness, wrapping his arms around his own deer's scrawny neck. "You foolish beast, you were worried." It wasn't a question, of course. The relief he could feel from Petrichor was distinct from his own, even as they shared the sentiment. Petri, relieved to see his Chosen unharmed despite the mounting distress that had been plaguing him into finally throwing a fit, and Kozel, relieved to have one sane ally, even if that ally was an animal. No, one ally was inaccurate.
There was Zharkov, riding on up as gallantly as any knight, though Kozel wasn't one to usually indulge in such romantic imagery. And despite everything, he couldn't help the small smile alighting on his face. "Zharkov, thank goodness," he sighed in their shared language, moving towards him, but not too much. Atli would always intimidate him, but doubly so when he could see the fiery Guardian was agitated. The warm feelings of the reunion didn't last long, as Kozel snapped to attention at Noah's final outburst. Even Petri drew away from his Chosen to cry out after Noah and Parader's hasty retreat, as though calling them back to reconcile, please.
"He's probably off to drink himself silly, or perhaps he's visiting that churlish butcher again," Kozel scowled. For a moment, he did feel a pang of regret. The man had stood up for him, hadn't he? But he'd been the one to drag him into this mess into the first place, as well. Gazing back up at Zharkov, his voice picked up into that usual rapid-fire of words. If Kozel could muster up his righteous indignation enough to babble like that, it could only mean he was just fine. "You heard that vulgarity! And that is not even the worst of it! You would not believe the conduct of these two—"
The Katchian's fuming in that foreign babble was interrupted by Frank, sidling on up to the remaining men as calmly as could be, as thought the scene he had created meant nothing to him. Because it really didn't. As soon as Noah had left on Parader, literally turned tail and ran like the cowards they were, he knew he'd won. As far as he was concerned, that was the end of it. "All right, boys." In one hand was Erasmus, fussing impatiently for the thoroughly-pecked meat held in Frank's other hand, the hand that still stung deliciously with the strike he had dealt his brother. His ears still seemed to ring with Noah's parting words, too. But he'd return. In the meantime: "Back to inn. We've got work to do."
Petrichor returned quickly to Kozel's side, anxious to soothe that surge of humiliation or was that fury he felt?
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Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2015 3:50 pm
Zharkov watched the scene with confused concern, though he knew there was no need for any surprise. The Varicks seemed to cycle through their own issues constantly, and this certainly wouldn't be the first instance of turbulence he had witnessed. Parader had charged down the street and around a corner before anyone could get a word out, and Zharkov shifted in Atli's saddle, looking back down as Kozel finally spoke. Petri was calming down, at least, and as the dark blue guardian had his reunion, Atli seemed to ease up as well. Nothing life threatening, thank goodness...just a squabble that had escalated too far, Zharkov surmised. Nothing too out of the ordinary, really, but if it had managed to get dragged beyond the inn, somehow, he could see where Kozel's distress was coming from.
"I think I could believe it, actually." Zharkov responded with a hint of amusement in his voice, though his grave expression did not bely it. His dark brown eyes turned down to regard his friend, brow knitting slightly as he began to rant and vent. Atli turned to puff a soft breath into Kozel's face, and the Okrainan reached to pat his neck, and steer him away despite the reassuring nature of the deer's gesture. The most troubling part of the situation, in Zharkov's opinion, was that it would probably leave a fire lit under Kozel's a** for a while; when the Varicks quarreled, no one seemed to care but Kozel. Things always smoothed over anyway, and hadn't he been around long enough to know that it always would?
His gaze shifted over as Frank cut off Kozel's bantering, and he exhaled quietly, breath puffing out into the frigid morning air. "Should we do as he says, or did something happen? Will you ride Petri, or...?" He indicated the spot behind Atli's saddle, eyes softening sadly for the Katchian. He really did get too riled up by this sort of thing, and Zharkov was only interested in helping him regain his good mood. Kozel's riding was still shaky at best, but for all Zharkov cared, he could dismount and they could walk back. He kept his eyes away from Frank for the moment, even if it did feel rude to continue talking in their mother tongue.
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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2015 11:21 pm
Kozel did not give a damn about rudeness at this point. He wanted nothing more than to go off on Frank, to say everything he'd ever wanted to say, every insolent word bitten back, every argument withheld, all in his own language because even if the man did not understand the words themselves there'd be no doubt the venom would get across all the same. But it was a pointless endeavor, and the Katchian knew it. He exhaled the breath that would have carried his righteous anger -- though the red in his face would not leave quite as easily -- and simply turned away from the infuriating lout. His only comfort now was the thought that Zharkov would surely be on his side, once they returned and he explained everything. Facing his fellow foreigner now, something in the man's expression softened Kozel's anger. Petrichor could have sighed in relief, if Guardians were capable of such a thing, but the creature only shifted restlessly on ivory hooves, ears twisting this way and that as though to catch any stray note of discord his high-strung Chosen might have played.
"Of course we will do as he says," Kozel grumbled, though in a way, being able to say that was a relief. It meant he could stay at the inn, at his home. With Zharkov, though he liked to think his fellow foreigner would follow wherever he went. Anyway, that theory would not be tested today, as the reinstated servant wrinkled his nose at Atli. He trusted, as well, that Zharkov would not allow any harm to come to him from his wily Guardian. He answered in a tone he hoped sounded confident. "I will be riding with you, thank you," and before he could back out, Kozel scrabbled clumsily to join Zharkov on his perch, making good use of his own neglected Guardian as leverage.
Frank watched the two foreigners, feeling his irritation beginning to rise once more at the silent treatment, at Zharkov's compliance, at Kozel's attitude and Petrichor's passivity. He wouldn't treat Petri like that, if that were his Guardian, though the witch discarded that thought as quickly as it had manifested. There were claws tickling at his neck, as Erasmus tried to crawl across his shoulders for the meat, and that was enough to make Frank snap. "Hey, hey—alright, you can have it!" he barked, tossing the meat back down on the ground for his familiar to ravage. With Era fluttering greedily down, Frank turned his attention back onto the Wardens, speaking more forcefully this time. "Hurry it up. That snowman won't build itself."
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Posted: Sat May 16, 2015 10:45 pm
As much as he enjoyed Frank's company, Zharkov was most definitely on Kozel's side, unfortunately enough for the irate innkeeper. Tearing his attention away from the older Varick, he reached down to aid Kozel as he made his clumsy ascent, making sure he was secure behind the saddle before shifting around again. "If you say so...I hope you will be filling me in later..." He murmured, and patted Atli's neck. Hopefully a cup of tea and a little conversation would serve to soothe his high-strung friend's nerves. As worried as he was for Kozel, though, there was always that portion of concern dedicated to the quarreling brothers as well. He had never seen Noah get quite that upset, and he had certainly never seen him take off with such anger and finality. All of the spats Zharkov had witnessed between the two had ended with the younger backing down, usually, in one way or another, but he had never gone so far as to leave the inn.
Zharkov glanced back when Frank threw the meat down for his bird, heaving another long suffering sigh as he willed Atli forward. He tried to catch the man's eye with his own perplexed gaze, not interested in making an enemy of him, but also wishing to avoid ruffling Kozel's feathers any further. It was hard to gauge just how bad things had gotten this time, and as amusing as their little dramas could be, it was better for everyone if both Kozel and Frank were as placated as possible.
"Ehh...snowman?" Zharkov's brow furrowed as he thought back. "Is that what this is about?" He fought back a grin as he glanced between the two of them. It was an attempt at humor that he realized he was probably going to regret.
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