Maybe, says his face. A cup is produced from under a discarded stack of reports.
"Someone should let Bastien and Lady Alexandrie know how successful their training regimen has proven to be," he says while searching for a second. A series of drawers near to hand are opened, then closed, followed by a pause in which the room is surveyed and the second cup is finally discarded as a lost cause. He settles on filling the former, setting it across the desk before Silver.
"For a time I was in the service alongside an officer with a knack for finding party invitations while at liberty. I believe you're acquainted with the practice of keeping strange company even when other options are made available."
John chuckles, tips his the cup towards Flint in a minor salute before taking a sip.
Is the huff of amusement at John's association with the Walrus crew, or whatever came before that? The long stretch of unexplored history that lays beyond the moment he'd been pulled from the hold of a doomed ship?
"And to think, we wasted your expertise by allowing you to remain here."
John's head tilts as he speaks, considering. Trying to picture this younger version of Flint at such a party. It's not the first time he's tried to distill what he knows of Flint into some clear vision, and come up short.
"I guarantee that, were he here, said aforementioned officer would swear otherwise."
He hadn't been good company. When one is dragging a friend along to parties, it's under the assumption that you're to be supported in some fashion - not made to dredge the poor bastard along, or (worse) abandoned outright.
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no subject
"Someone should let Bastien and Lady Alexandrie know how successful their training regimen has proven to be," he says while searching for a second. A series of drawers near to hand are opened, then closed, followed by a pause in which the room is surveyed and the second cup is finally discarded as a lost cause. He settles on filling the former, setting it across the desk before Silver.
"For a time I was in the service alongside an officer with a knack for finding party invitations while at liberty. I believe you're acquainted with the practice of keeping strange company even when other options are made available."
no subject
Is the huff of amusement at John's association with the Walrus crew, or whatever came before that? The long stretch of unexplored history that lays beyond the moment he'd been pulled from the hold of a doomed ship?
"And to think, we wasted your expertise by allowing you to remain here."
John's head tilts as he speaks, considering. Trying to picture this younger version of Flint at such a party. It's not the first time he's tried to distill what he knows of Flint into some clear vision, and come up short.
no subject
He hadn't been good company. When one is dragging a friend along to parties, it's under the assumption that you're to be supported in some fashion - not made to dredge the poor bastard along, or (worse) abandoned outright.
no subject
But what he settles on:
"It was hard to be a disaster. By comparison, you may have been one of the more charming prospects."
no subject
As if either of them is somehow excluded from the shade of that particular assessment.
no subject
"I did hear a few things that may be useful, but idle gossip from Ostwick isn't necessarily going to help us in our current ventures."