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 Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 12:33 pm
You're born what you're meant to be
If you're bad, then be bad the best The Journal of Frank Varick & Erasmus If you're good, stay away from me
We're a bad influence; we're the best
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Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 12:39 pm
The Hedge Witch Name: Franklin James Varick Nicknames: Frank, The Fox Sex: Male Age: 41 (4.30.1758 ) Occupation: Innkeeper Homeland: Sunderland Residence: Western Palisade Obligatory Man Man Song: Pyramids - Man Man AppearanceThe taller of the Varick brothers at a cool 5'11", it's hard to tell what's more imposing about him: the hard-packed musculature moving under his drab clothes (and they're always a drab brown), or the stony expression seemingly permanently etched onto his broad, sun-tanned face—and what a face it is!, all big features, with a nose jutting like a hawk's beak and eyebrows as expressive as they are bushy looming over dark, suspicious eyes. Frank's age shows a bit in his thinning blonde hair, so often lazily tousled, and his scruffy beard already lightening with grey. Well, he may be getting old, but at least he's not puny like a certain someone. Personality[+] sensible, decisive, business-minded [-] impatient, stubborn, greedy To get the obvious joke out of the way, no, Frank isn't actually very frank. Well, he is, if one counts his blunt honesty and shameless greed; he is sincerely terrible. With a one-track mind centered solely on making a profit, if someone doesn't appear useful to Frank, either as a business partner or as a sucker to swindle, then he's not likely to waste his time. In fact, he hates wasting time almost as much as he hates wasting money, not one to dawdle or entertain ridiculous fancies, either.
Though true, he's a gambling man, Frank is very methodical and refrains from jumping straight into things, preferring to think things through and go the most practical, profitable routes. Once he's made a decision, Frank is incredibly difficult to budge, as he trusts his judgement and rationales above all else. That being said, if he doesn't see immediate results, be it in business or in a new acquaintance, don't expect him to stick around—again, there's that impatience he's known for.
Because of his often very crooked means of making money, Frank tends to keep others at arm's length, never completely trusting anyone and only dealing with others at the absolute minimum. In fact, his strategy is to put in as little effort on his part and make the maximum profit possible. Not above betrayal, blackmail, or any other safety nets he deems necessary to keep going, Frank knows very well he's going to make enemies and doesn't seem to mind much, confident and collected in all his questionable, seedy glory. Let others think what they want; he's not easily riled by insults, countering with a dry, condescending wit if he bothers with detractors at all.
But, as with anyone, he has his limits. Should Frank's rage rear its ugly head, he is not afraid to get combative. He may try to pick his battles, but sometimes even his pride overrides his caution. Though not as outwardly arrogant as his brother, Frank does have a chip on his shoulder. He loathes to ask for help, only able to trust and rely on himself. Along those lines, Frank is not at all altruistic, only doing things for others if there's something in it for him. Perhaps his guarded and distrustful natures stems from the misguided view that everyone is as selfish as he is. Is it a lonely view? Sure, but maybe with all the money he makes with his crooked ways, he'll someday be able to buy happiness. MiscellaneousDespite having been taught all about the Old Ways from his mother and being a hedge witch himself, Frank doesn't adhere as strongly as one might assume. It's more out of obligation than anything, so while he acknowledges spirits (if only to scare others) and even makes the occasional offering, he doesn't put much stock into their supposed interventions.
Though it's hard to imagine Frank being very close with anyone, he holds some gruff affection for his (much) younger brother Noah, not that anyone could ever tell by how disparaging he can be of everything from his brother's choice of dress to his ridiculous obsession with horses. They may not have much in common, but even Frank seems to hold some loyalty to Noah, always trying to get him involved in his schemes. HistorySo what could have made such a miserable miser? Frank doesn't have a very sordid past, surprisingly enough. Born in a small town near Oldcastle to James Varick, a horse breeder who had high hopes in his son carrying on the family business, and Rebecca Varick, a hedge witch who hoped to see the potential for hedgecraft in her child, Frank would inevitably disappoint both. He was a quiet and (generally) obedient child, sure, helping out around the farm and his father's trade as much as was asked of him and not much more, listening carefully to his mother's instruction in healing and learning much of the Old Ways, but neither held much interest in Frank as a future he wanted to pursue. Instead, a rare trip into Palisade seemed to have left an impression in young Frank as just the place to make a fortune, and once he was old enough to travel on his own, he made frequent trips to the capital, taking longer and longer sojourns as he became involved in the many opportunities such a large city held. Surely, with a new child to coddle, his parents would not miss him much.
Though Frank dabbled in many odd jobs trying to find his niche, he became known in the lucrative, though questionable prizefighting circuit in western Palisade as a promising pugilist, catching the eye of a regular to these bouts, Edmund Blake. The two struck up a partnership, with Blake as his sponsor and manager at first, eventually growing to a more father-son relationship—sorry James, your eldest son was never very loyal—as Frank courted and eventually married Blake's daughter, Penelope. It was then that Frank left his family full-time, moving to Palisade to live out the life he decided he was very well pleased with. Which is why, when Frank heard of his father's untimely death and, more importantly, the inheritance he would receive because of it, the incorrigible Frank Varick did the unexpected: he compromised with his brother, allowing Noah to continue the family business, so long as Frank got a cut of the profits, the only thing he was ever interested in.
Life should have been smooth sailing after that for the two brothers, but a deeper tragedy struck Frank in the murder of his father-in-law and wife by highwaymen—that damn Blake always did put up a fight, didn't he? It happened while Frank was visiting his mother back near Oldcastle, and upon hearing the news at his return to Palisade, he seemed strangely accepting of the sudden loss, almost as though he knew it would happen. Now, Frank's rivals here would tell you he had set it up, the highwaymen being a gang he ran with and he was clearly after the inheritance all along, but the truth is simpler (if you can call magic simple). Frank did know it would happen, but only because he'd had a vision of it some time back, a manifestation of his previously subtle hedgecraft enhanced by the bond with his familiar.
He'd never said anything of it to Ed or Penny, of course. He hadn't wanted to frighten them, and he certainly hadn't wanted them thinking he had taken too many blows to the head. No, he disregarded it completely as a paranoid fantasy brought on by his fears of leaving them alone. It was a shame those fears had to be realized, but as is Frank's manner, he took it all in stride. New property, new inheritance, a new understanding that he wouldn't be able to escape that hedge nonsense after all. CurrentlyWith the Fox & Hounds Inn as his kingdom of sin, Frank reigns from his throne (that is, his office), occasionally tromping about his subjects looking to get in on some deals. He's also a frequent face in the shadier parts of town, but that's to be expected.
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Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 12:40 pm
The Details Hedgecraft
At first, Frank's craft was so low-key even he didn't realize it in himself. Both he and his mother had been expecting her gift in healing magic to pass down, so although he dutifully studied medicine with her, he showed no great talent in the craft and that was, presumably, that. In actuality, Frank has a gift in truth-seeing, an almost empathetic sense in detecting lies and picking up cues.
It isn't a very exact science. Frank can't detect every single lie a person may spew, and he can only call out lies that the other person is consciously lying about. For instance, say Noah gets blackout drunk, eats all of Frank's biscuits, passes out and doesn't remember a thing the next morning. Should Frank ask him if he ate his biscuits and Noah responds no, well, Noah doesn't know he's lying, so Frank wouldn't be able to pick up on that. He might still sock his brother, anyway.
Despite what the name "truth-seeing" might suggest, Frank can't actually see the immediate truth behind lies, either, only that they are false. He might bluff if he's feeling confident enough, but just being able to pick up on lies is enough to keep him from making bad investments, trusting the wrong person, or humiliating someone enough to his advantage. He never considered it might be magic; Frank just figured he was a good judge of character and followed his instincts.
With his familiar Erasmus now enhancing his craft, Frank has gained the ability of precognition, though even this skill is not as polished as he might like. It's not like he can bring up a convenient premonition to guide him in every decision, but in a sense, he can narrow his results by making offerings. He has to have a stake in something to draw up a vision for it: a regular horse he bets on, a contact he does business with, or maybe he'll offer someone a lucky coin to hold onto, no reason, just keep it. Then, he may see results and events before they happen. A bad vision? Time to pull out and lie low. A good vision? Hot damn, pile the money on and win big.
If Frank weren't so cautious, he might study it more, see if bigger stakes mean more immediate visions. As it is, he doesn't like to rely too much on his hedgecraft, though it does give him an advantage more often than not. He prefers to swindle others with his witch status, anyway, taking cash for phony visions or even lying about what other hedgecraft he's capable of. He's the country charlatan you've been warned about, though sometimes, even he might dispense solid advice or useful medicine. You feelin' lucky, punk?
Fox & Hounds Inn
If Frank were a more sentimental man, he might have actually put effort into keeping the Fox & Hounds Inn a respectable place, having inherited it after the untimely death of his wife and her father. As it is, profit overrides all else, and he's found a lucrative practice in making the inn a haven for underworld types to do their business.
The unspoken rule of Fox & Hounds is don't ask questions of Frank, and he won't ask questions of you, and it works out well enough. He doesn't usually meddle in the affairs of his guests, unless there's a danger it might blow the cover off all of the inn, but he's got regulars he's struck up partnerships with, offering a stable base of operations and keeping watch for the Hounds that might threaten their dirty, dirty livelihoods in exchange for an in on any particularly good schemes or a cut of the money.
WIP WIP how much more dare i write
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Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 12:41 pm
The Familiar Simply put, Erasmus is like the son Frank never had. No, really, he treats that bird better than he treats other people, coddling him and spoiling him and crooning over him in the most shameless, embarrassing display you'd never expect from such a harsh man. Likewise, Erasmus adores Frank, eager to do his bidding and obeying his word only, the most loyal familiar a witch could ever ask for. Anyone else might be terrorized by the playful bird, who often tries to get others' attention—and, more importantly, their voice—in order to expand his vocabulary. Yes, Erasmus is an incredibly noisy rook, repeating phrases he's learned and studying the different reactions they get him.
If Frank has no patience for others, it's because it all seems to go to putting up with Erasmus' babble. He seems unfazed by it most times, really, only noticing when others complain. Being very protective of his familiar, he doesn't like to put him in harm's way if he can help it, reigning the bird in when his obnoxious antics start to rile others up. When alone, he encourages the mimicking, answering the rook back and holding incomprehensible conversations with the creature, then abruptly stopping once Erasmus speaks in his wife's voice. But usually, usually it's good fun.
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Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 12:42 pm
The Companions  A bit odd seeing fairy wrens flitting about the city, isn't it? But sure enough, each winter finds a distinctive red pair returning to the Fox & Hounds Inn.
Darby and Joan, given to Frank by his mother some years ago, are a bit odd in that they don't stick around like Erasmus, but come and go as they please. They'll be found roosting in the stables during the winter, or maybe perched and preening on the sign outside as a lovely, out-of-place sight, rarely venturing into the building itself. The wrens allow only Frank to handle them, darting away from anyone else, and you can bet he gets smug about that.
Still like a pair of starry-eyed newlyweds despite year after year of companionship, D & J are affectionate and playful and mirthful and so sickly sweet one has to wonder how someone like Frank can stand to watch them for more than five minutes, much less for hours. Though, they're quick to chase Erasmus away when he tries to muscle his way in between them and act like the baby of the family.
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Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 12:43 pm
The Story Broken Curfew - Noah & Frank - OngoingKozel’s Sick, Frank’s a d**k - Zharkov, Kozel, & Frank - Ongoing[THIS WILL HAVE A BETTER NAME WHEN POSTED I SWEAR] Now Hiring - Prokhor, Kozel, & Frank - OngoingYou’re Snow Fun - Noah, Ferdinand, Kozel, Zharkov, & Frank - Ongoing
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Posted: Fri May 30, 2014 11:48 pm
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Posted: Fri May 30, 2014 11:50 pm
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