Honestly, Laurence needs somebody that is actually pushy, or nothing would happen. He's too polite and reserved and all of that. He doesn't put up much protest at all when somebody else is making the offer, but until that point, I really don't think he'd ask. She's definitely not an unwelcome aggressor, but she gets him past the initial shock of "we're not married."
"Exactly! And then he goes so far as to not only acknowledge this privately but also to help Temeraire work to implementing changes in ENGLAND based on the "barbaric Chinese" practices... Very brave." Also a huge deal for somebody raised on "obviously we're the best." He even acknowledges that he was wrong about that.
"Interesting! It would make sense to at least have Legolas in the background. I've never read the Silmarillion beyond the first chapter or so which sets up the mythology... and I kind of lost interest. Granted, I was like, in grade 9 at the time, so maybe the worldbuilding was a bit beyond me. ;) I'll probably give it another shot this summer. I'm jealous of your arrangement. ;)"
I love my arrangement. My dad doesn't talk about the Silmarillion with many people, because very few people read it, but I like the stories and can remember the cool parts for later
"Exactly! He's outwardly polite and courteous at almost all times even if the person he's offended by is a dick or just doing something REALLY unusual... It gives him an in, an opening to change his mind. :)" He's adorable, and it didn't take long at all for his crew to decide they were going to follow his standards for a bit.
"<3 I know! It's really one long string of Temeraire references. ;) Super cute! Also, that author has written another Harry Potter/Temeraire crossover with timetravel and dragon!Harry which gets really kickass like three or four chapters in, after the setup. :3 You should check it out." Duly noted-- dragon!Harry makes a lot of sense, Laurence!Harry wouldn't.
I was just thinking I really wanted Girl Scout cookies and someone showed up selling them. I also terrified the poor girl when she got a good look at the huge tank just inside the apartment, but... can't have everything. The girl's terrified of snakes and was not happy to learn that there are seven of them inside.
"Exactly. :) That's what I was trying to go for. Their relationship would build over time, but Jane as a dragon captain is a big part of herself, so it really couldn't progress much further until Laurence knew that and respected it. It's only AFTER Laurence gets a dragon of his own that things might progress to be a bit more steamy. Or not. Could be either/or. They'd be friends either way." And either way, she's going to be the one to initiate steamy, and he'd be polite and awkward and adorable if he was going to turn her down.
"You're right, though, in that I think that in having Jane as a friend Laurence would be much more quick to integrate into the corps. He wouldn't be so inclined to take what Rankin says at face value, for instance, and he'd be more readily accepting of Harcourt and lil' Emily, so while he'd still be formal with them he wouldn't be AS stiff and formal as he was in canon. Holding himself at slightly less than arms length goes a long way when forging friendships in the corps. Also, with Jane to pave the way for him... she's seen the less stiffly formal side of him, and so I'm sure that she can convince the others that a nicer and more awesome side to him DOES exist. ;)"
Plus, he comes in with approval from a very respected captain that he's seen in battle, and he's had conversations with her dragon. When an egg does hatch on his ship, he's much more likely to treat Temeraire as a very smart creature from the very beginning. That wouldn't make much of a difference with the two of them, as Laurence is too polite for things to drag on no matter what, but it would keep Rankin from having any influence.
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Date: 2011-02-26 01:25 am (UTC)"Exactly! And then he goes so far as to not only acknowledge this privately but also to help Temeraire work to implementing changes in ENGLAND based on the "barbaric Chinese" practices... Very brave." Also a huge deal for somebody raised on "obviously we're the best." He even acknowledges that he was wrong about that.
"Interesting! It would make sense to at least have Legolas in the background. I've never read the Silmarillion beyond the first chapter or so which sets up the mythology... and I kind of lost interest. Granted, I was like, in grade 9 at the time, so maybe the worldbuilding was a bit beyond me. ;) I'll probably give it another shot this summer. I'm jealous of your arrangement. ;)"
I love my arrangement. My dad doesn't talk about the Silmarillion with many people, because very few people read it, but I like the stories and can remember the cool parts for later
"Exactly! He's outwardly polite and courteous at almost all times even if the person he's offended by is a dick or just doing something REALLY unusual... It gives him an in, an opening to change his mind. :)" He's adorable, and it didn't take long at all for his crew to decide they were going to follow his standards for a bit.
"<3 I know! It's really one long string of Temeraire references. ;) Super cute! Also, that author has written another Harry Potter/Temeraire crossover with timetravel and dragon!Harry which gets really kickass like three or four chapters in, after the setup. :3 You should check it out." Duly noted-- dragon!Harry makes a lot of sense, Laurence!Harry wouldn't.
I was just thinking I really wanted Girl Scout cookies and someone showed up selling them. I also terrified the poor girl when she got a good look at the huge tank just inside the apartment, but... can't have everything. The girl's terrified of snakes and was not happy to learn that there are seven of them inside.
"Exactly. :) That's what I was trying to go for. Their relationship would build over time, but Jane as a dragon captain is a big part of herself, so it really couldn't progress much further until Laurence knew that and respected it. It's only AFTER Laurence gets a dragon of his own that things might progress to be a bit more steamy. Or not. Could be either/or. They'd be friends either way." And either way, she's going to be the one to initiate steamy, and he'd be polite and awkward and adorable if he was going to turn her down.
"You're right, though, in that I think that in having Jane as a friend Laurence would be much more quick to integrate into the corps. He wouldn't be so inclined to take what Rankin says at face value, for instance, and he'd be more readily accepting of Harcourt and lil' Emily, so while he'd still be formal with them he wouldn't be AS stiff and formal as he was in canon. Holding himself at slightly less than arms length goes a long way when forging friendships in the corps. Also, with Jane to pave the way for him... she's seen the less stiffly formal side of him, and so I'm sure that she can convince the others that a nicer and more awesome side to him DOES exist. ;)"
Plus, he comes in with approval from a very respected captain that he's seen in battle, and he's had conversations with her dragon. When an egg does hatch on his ship, he's much more likely to treat Temeraire as a very smart creature from the very beginning. That wouldn't make much of a difference with the two of them, as Laurence is too polite for things to drag on no matter what, but it would keep Rankin from having any influence.