eachdraidh | Video: Open: Unseelie & Seelie

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Video: Open: Unseelie & Seelie

[House is standing outside, the Station in the background. He has a mildly puzzled expression on his face.]

Anyone seen Daud recently? Big guy, doesn't talk much, no sense of humor. Last I knew he was here at the station but since people seem to have been dropped into places they didn't intend to be lately, I suppose he could be anywhere. Or nowhere. I'm trying to figure out which.

If he is gone, I call dibs on his stuff. [Well, it's not like Daud's going to need his stuff if he's gone.]

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[Geez, it's all about allegiance with you guys, isn't it?]

You're a soldier. I'm a doctor. My enemy is disease and my responsibility is to my patient. [Doesn't that sound noble? It is, it really is. Unfortunately, in practice it's not so pretty and definitely not as selfless with House as it sounds.]

So while you're out defending queen and country, I'm fixing the people you're supposedly fighting for. And the people you're fighting against.

Wait...it is queen, right? I mean it's been a while since England had a king.

[ he grows all the more wary. the only profession sharpe hates as much as lawyers might yet be physicians. but could he be blamed? medicine was a cruel and uncertain thing in his day. ]

King. It's a queen we've been a long time without, doctor.

[If House knew Sharpe's feelings on the matter, he'd agree. Most doctors are little more than quacks after all. And lawyers? Total waste of space.]

So pre-Victorian then? Interesting. [Of course, if this man doesn't know who Victoria is/was/would be, that won't mean anything.] You do know the American colonies are free of British rule?

They damn well are trying to be. At war a-bloody-gain.

[ because the year is 1813 and it's apparently not enough to be fighting the french, they've got to fight the americans once more as well. ]

You started it. [Yes, he knows that sounds childish. He also knows the recurring conflict between the Americans and their former overlords was never so simple. However, arguing over something that for him is ancient history is kind of pointless.]

And for the record, we didn't just try. We won. At the time I'm from, the United States has been independent for more than 200 years. And England and the U.S. are allies.

So I've been told. [ he doesn't sound particularly put-out about this development. whatever dismay he feels about the war of 1812 stems mostly from how it diverts resources away from what really matters: napoleon. otherwise, he's not yet met an american he hasn't liked. but then again, they were more akin to underdogs in his time. and sharpe can never resist admiring an underdog. ]

I've no quarrel with the Americans. It's the French I'm worried about. [ and -- now -- the unseelie. ]

I wouldn't worry about the French too much if I was you. About the only time the Frogs win is when they're fighting themselves. [He's aware he's greatly oversimplifying not to mention dismissing the trauma Boney managed to do to both his enemies and his own people. It's easy for him--he's never had to experience war firsthand...until now.]

Aye. That's what happens when you fight with conscripted men.

[ was that a pointedly anti-unseelie comment? yes. absolutely. ]

Oh snap. [Score one to the Brit. Fortunately House has no allegiance to the unseelie court nor does he define himself by his ability to kill his enemies, so he doesn't take it personally.]

I wouldn't get too comfortable, though, with the French or the unseelie. They may not be ultimately victorious but that doesn't mean they can't hurt you in the meantime.

Not me, of course. I can't begin to convey the depth of my not caring about this fairy war, but I'm not exactly typical.

You're right. I know. [ simple unqualified agreement: the enemy, however doomed, could always turn its head and bite your arse. sharpe sighed. ]

You want to remain neutral?

I want to remain in control of my own life. [Control is a somewhat nebulous concept in this situation. Who really has full control over his life after all? House would love to believe he does but sometimes shit really does happen. And because it does, he wants as much control as he can get when he can get it.]

Look, if fighting Caer Glaem is necessary to save the universe, I'd at least consider plunging into the fray. But how do we know that's the case? We only have their word for it and personally, I figure any ruler willing to kidnap a man is probably not going to balk at lying to him.

[ it is true that sharpe's willingness to fight for coin and for social advancement made the matter much simpler to him: after all, he might have hated the idea of napoleon, but her had no real grudge against most of the french soldiers he cut down on the field. just as he imagined they had no grudge against him. in the eerie between-battle hours, he's known his men and himself to make friendly trade with the enemy. enemies were just that: enemies. they had a job to do. and so did he.

so he finds this man's strange mix of idealism (saving a universe!) and mercenary tactics (controlling his own life) a little bewildering. it makes him pause a moment longer. ] The Unseelies. They reward you, don't they?

[ maybe the conscripts don't get proper boons, like they did. that would explain a lot. ]

Reward? Sure but I'm not in this for the money. Actually, I wouldn't be in this at all if not for the aforementioned kidnapping but now that I'm here, dangling a few sparkly trinkets in front of me isn't going to make me join the war.

[House enjoys the benefits of having money and possessions. He certainly prefers it to the alternative. Still, wealth isn't what drives him. He's never been interested in having a bigger house or fancier car and he obviously doesn't spend money on personal grooming. He craves respect, not gold.]

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