ataraxion | [Video]

[After a moment's fiddling where muted swearing can be heard but precious little seen the feed flicks on to display one terribly bored looking tanned elf. Between the set of his jaw and the twist of his lips the displeasure he's been feeling for the last however long is quite visible, though he does his best to put on a charming smile for the ship.]

I know when we arrive on this very fine vessel we are given, without our consent, a mark for purposes in keeping tally of who is on the ship, translation, so on and so forth. And while it is a nicely done tattoo it is not precisely to my taste, mm?

[He turns his cheek to the camera, tracing a line up the black curves marked up from jaw to temple.]

These now, I like a great deal more and it makes me wonder if there is anyone else that would rather regain just a little bit of themselves by choosing a tattoo of their own design and placement to make up for what was graciously given without asking. I've skill and experience in the art and would be willing to lend my services to anyone interested.

My supplies at the moment are somewhat limited but depending upon what you would like done I am certain we could come to some sort of arrangement.

[Please. Someone. Anyone. It'll be something to do, some sort of project, something to focus on and while his expression is not quite pleading it is eager for some manner conversation centered around something he can understand for once.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I might be interested.

[ He can at least see if new ink will take now; his old tattoo is fine, but... ]

Mmm. And I am certainly interested in offering you my services, Ser.

You have any specialties?

I have a great many, truthful. An Elf of all trades.

[He grins, cracking a low laugh.]

But my skills are focused around the more sanguine area of business, if you get my meaning.

[ John has the distinct feeling that he's being hit on again. ]

... I meant with tattoos.

Ah, I thought you meant in a general sense. The tattoos I am most familiar with making tend to be on the more abstract, as that is the mode preferred by the Crows. But I've experience enough with the more literal depiction of knives, women, heraldry, the odd Andrastian Sun or flaming sword of Andraste. If I am given time and an image or description to replicate I am certain I could design something that you would find satisfactory.

The Crows? [ Sounds like some sort of group. ]

I can give you a sketch of the basic idea. [ The RRTS insignia: gun and knife crossed, a fanged serpent twined around them. His unit may be dead, some of them initially worse than dead, but... a memorial's not a half bad idea. ]

An infamous guild of assassins in my world, of which I am a member. Or was. I think they may still wish me dead so I am not certain what my status is as a member.

[He shrugs. Life is so hard sometimes, yes?]

That should be more than enough.

[ Uh. ] That's rough.

[ Nailed it. ]

... Never did get your name.

[oh the concern, it burns. Or soothes. Or whatever it is such concern is meant to do.]

Zevran Arainai, but you may call me Zev. Might I have your name in turn?

John Grimm.

[ Bracing himself for the jokes. ]

That is a most peculiar name, John Grimm. I've not heard the like before. Is it a given name or a chosen one?

[Someone that knows nothing of Grimm and it's connotations. Oh Joy!]

Given.

... John's a pretty common first name, where I'm from. [ Since, well... elf. ]

Mm. I suppose your father had a similarly stern countenance to earn such a surname?

It goes way back.

[ Though his father was kind of a workaholic. ]

Ah, one of those lingering family names- or are such things done differently in your world?

No, you've got it. It's a family name. Not sure just how far it goes back, but it goes for a while.

Names tend to be simplified as time goes on. For it to be 'Grimm', short, sweet, simple, and terribly evocative for so long? It likely goes back for a good number of generations.

There are two famous authors, a pair of brothers, with the last name from about three centuries ago. I don't know if we're related, but it's definitely a name that's been around.

Stories written by brothers named Grimm? I suppose they were not very cheerful. Perhaps they are delightfully sanguine?

Not really, no. Most people nowadays are familiar with the happier versions, but the originals were actually pretty cool.

[ Slight smirk. ] They include some weird assassination attempts.

Between the two of us I think I might be a better judge of what makes an assassination attempt 'weird'. Until you have smuggled a rabid wombat into a wedding party through the use of a hollowed out cake, whilst dosing the wine with an herb that would render everyone several kinds of insane for about an hour, you cannot call an assassination attempt 'weird'.

... A rabid wombat.

...it was not my first plan, for the record. Plans One through Five failed miserably. When you hit plan six you start to think of the absurd, simply because it cannot be anticipated.

Where the hell did you even find a wombat?

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