eachdraidh | video | open to both courts (yay non-locket devices)

I've been thinking.

[ John's sitting against the base of a tree somewhere, idly scratching a stray mutt behind the ears with one hand while holding his device with the other. ]

Seelie, Unseelie. Order, Chaos. Can't really have one without the other, can you? But that's the whole thing the courts want: one to win over the other. And that's with the queens being sisters.

Sort of seems like it won't work either way, in the long run. Not in a way anyone wants.

[ This would have been essentially blasphemy, once upon a time; treason of the highest order. But John has had no shard for eight months, has only the memory of a gold cloak to his name now. It's the Shuck he serves and the Red Hand he fights for, this world and its people and those he cares about. ]

But maybe that's just me.

[ He shrugs, pausing just long enough for the dog to look up at him and whine. A snort and he goes back to generously bestowing ear scratches. ]

Anyway, if any of you are looking for something to do, a way to make money, and aren't afraid of hard work -- the Red Hand's hiring. We're a mercenary group but we'll take all sorts; we can find a job for you, if you've got something to bring to the table. We have no court-attached contracts, are focusing more on what the natives to this world need, so no worries there -- and I'm a shardless son of a bitch, so no worries about getting spanked or whatever your court does for having conversations with the 'wrong people'.

Leave your prejudiced bullshit at the door, though; we've got all sorts of races and believers among the ranks. If you can't handle that, I'm more than willing to throw you out on your ass.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

If I hear one more person tell me that they're not going to kill someone even in self-defense, I'm going to throw something. And if I see one more person not killing people in battles then I'm going to throw them into the Void myself.

[ haha jaded what who ]

I should warn you: I've got a fondness for rare meat.

[ John barks a laugh, shaking his head. ]

But yeah, if that's what you're offering, we'll take a cook.

[ now that gets a low, but hearty laugh out of Flint. ]

What fool knowingly goes into battle with a flower bouquet instead of a sword?

[ he inclines his head. ]

Your love for rare meat has been duly noted, friend.

Actually, I'm a sailor. Specialized in the, ah ... transport and protection of rare goods and merchandise.

[ pirate, he feels, is a term with far too much negative baggage. ]

Pretty good with my fists and a sword, too.

I'm still surprised more haven't died. Probably been plenty of deaths because of them, though.

[ John has Opinions on this, clearly. ]

John Grimm, if you want to put a name on it.

If the Void weren't eating up the entire damn coast, we might take you up on the sailing part. Still... those are skills that can be used for a variety of things. Especially the part of the fists and the sword.

I suppose we should be thankful for that, at least. The less dead, the better.

[ he's a thief and a murderer — that doesn't mean he actually condones large scale massacre. especially when a majority of those involved seem so bloody young. ]

Yes, I've been apprised of the, ah ... ocean situation. Most fucking unfortunate. Though I understand there are some ... alternatives.

[ like flying ships.

but let us not get ahead of ourselves. ]

I like to think I'm adaptable.

[ John snorts a little. ]

You have a name?

[ toothy grin. ]

Call me Flint. Mister Flint or Captain, it's all the same.

[ no one's called him James in decades. ]

Flint, huh? Well, if you're in, we'll send someone around to get the little details squared away.

[ like who gets your pay if you die ]

[ Flint's actually rather impressed at how well-organized this, whole, ah ... enterprise seems to be.

and if he does ever bite it, he'll just let everything go back to the Red Hand tbh. all his friends are dead anyway. ]

Why, thank you. No need to prove myself beforehand, then?

We'll have you run a few drills, maybe a mission. But if you fuck up badly enough, then usually it means injury or death, so...

[ Those problems tend to take care of itself. ]

I can deal with the first, and am generally rather apt at avoiding the second. Comes with the instinct for self-preservation, usually.

[ Flint's pretty big on self-preservation. often at the expense of others' but he won't say that out loud. ]

Noted.

So. Shardless, eh? Interesting status.

There's a lot of that instinct lacking around here, too.

[ well u kno ]

Not really. Dead and brought back; there's loads of us still around, from before they really started bringing shardbearers in en masse.

Can't imagine why. It's a remarkably useful thing to have.

[ Flint just arches an eyebrow at "dead and brought back".

in his experience, death is ... well ... a rather permanent condition. ]

Dead and brought back. Just like that.

[ Man, sometimes he wishes. ]

Shardbearers are sometimes brought back by the monarchs as their last reward. Me- well, the Shuck wanted me to work for him. Hard to do that if I'm rotting in the ground.

Well ... I suppose that's a useful bit of knowledge to have, should I ever find myself in a situation too tight to get out of.

[ as, you know, an option of sorts. ]

I imagine it's a one time reward, no expecting a redux in the case of ... well. A second death.

I wouldn't bet on it either way, no.

Mmmyes, well. Can't hurt to ask.

And in any case, well met, John Grimm. It would be most appropriate, I feel, to meet face to face at some point, for a drink at the very least.

[ and so he can pick John's brain about this Drabwurld. being a nobody kind of sucks, in Flint's honest opinion. ]

I'd be up for that. They infuse some alcohol with magic here, it's a hell of a thing.

Now that would be something I would definitely be interested in trying out.

[ and possibly make a trade out of it — rum worked extremely well as a sort of currency where he comes from.

something worth considering. ]

Only way I can get drunk, personally. Definitely worth it; I can point you in the direction of some good ones, if and when we go.

Always useful to know where a man can properly wet his beak. Or wet another's — best business deals are concluded thus, I believe.

[ all the better to take advantage of, he means. ]

It sure doesn't hurt. And if business goes bad, at least you got drinks.

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