Found a spoiler. I just wanted a couple details, but... Jane WAS.
"Oh yes. I'm sure that someone will try at some point, probably because Temeraire and Laurence would both have firepower (divine wind and FLAMES respectively), and so by rights they should both be split up into different formations... but of course they won't have ANY of that. They fly surprisingly well together considering Laurence's messed up human instincts." Temeraire is brilliant at compensating for Laurence's odd behaviors, and Laurence knows just which ideas Tem will get in his head. They'd be much, much less effective if apart.
" Oh yes! (Although I'm sure that this isn't the first time this has happened to the captain of a Longwing, so perhaps they have a system of acting captains in place for maternity leave?)" I would imagine so, yes--Excidium will accept her lieutenant as acting captain, so long as all understand that he WILL be having his proper captain back in time. I'll still get Jane to meet his mother, even if I will have to name Lady Allendale unless she has a Christian name anywhere. Probably Margaret.
"Also, yeah, Laurence would be the only Flamme-de-Gloire in existence who can't really speak French. Or can only mangle it." OMG yes!! It pains Tem a little ("really, Laurence, this is one language that we should spend time on"), but Laurence simply has no interest in that sort of thing.
"XDD VERY long story. On the plus side, this kid will grow up believing in magic?" That kid has the oddest habit of checking through her meal as if there'll be something that isn't meat or vegetables, nobody gets it.
"EXACTLY. And like you said, now they have a check-and-balance system so the Rankins of the world will never again get near dragons." The dragons quite like this new plan, even the little ones like Volly agree to help enforce it.
"OR SQUASH THEM. I'M SURE THAT TEMERAIRE WOULD VOLUNTEER TO DO THE SQUASHING." THEN HE'D MAKE QUESTIONABLE-LOOKING OFFICERS CLEAN OFF HIS FOOT.
"VERY TRUE. Also, Flight Officers would get valuable experience in a possibly not-so-permanent position, so they're poised, like Granby, to take a dragon's egg." Right! They're used to changing companies, and later they'll be quite familiar with several types of dragons. (The older dragons have a conference about just which fellows are suitable for guiding a young dragon. Some should only be posted when the dragon is fully mature, some are fine at any age.)
"Oh yes, Laurence is just the type to martyr himself, but Temeraire and others work hard to break him of his harmful self-sacrificing tendencies. THEY HAVE TO STICK TO THEIR GUNS. NO CAPTAINS FOR THEM." Tem has it down, and Jane is quite sharp on the subject. 'Of course we shan't subject Captain Laurence to a demotion for circumstances quite beyond his control. Lieutenant Granby has quite correctly offered to continue his work as Laurence's superior officer, and you cannot deny they have been effective together. Now, let's spend our time finding someone suitable for Temeraire.'
"And sighing every so often. (Possibly his sighs involve some smoke, so you can see his melancholy in manifested physical form drifting above the treeline in the covert.) He needs to stop moping and take some action!" OMG YES, and he only does that when he thinks he's alone-- Jane says it. 'You were sighing again, Laurence, and it's... well, you exhale smoke as you do, so it's no use hiding about in the woods. Then we know that you're unhappy and too noble by half to inflict the emotion on us as a friend ought.'
"Woah, really? How far back does this kind of thing go? /morbidly curious." Um... not sure on the full history, but I'd bet they had it in the 1800s? /just checked. First recorded thing in Western history was in the 1400s. It was in medical literature in 1790, and we have a winner.
"Oh yes, they should stop being so silly. He does miss potatoes, a bit, because trying to actually cook up enough to actually give him more of a taste is a bit of a ridiculous undertaking." They'll do it back at the covert in an absolutely massive pot. It takes the better part of two days to heat that much water, but asking Laurence to do it would spoil the surprise.
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Re:
Date: 2011-02-28 12:10 am (UTC)"Oh yes. I'm sure that someone will try at some point, probably because Temeraire and Laurence would both have firepower (divine wind and FLAMES respectively), and so by rights they should both be split up into different formations... but of course they won't have ANY of that. They fly surprisingly well together considering Laurence's messed up human instincts." Temeraire is brilliant at compensating for Laurence's odd behaviors, and Laurence knows just which ideas Tem will get in his head. They'd be much, much less effective if apart.
" Oh yes! (Although I'm sure that this isn't the first time this has happened to the captain of a Longwing, so perhaps they have a system of acting captains in place for maternity leave?)" I would imagine so, yes--Excidium will accept her lieutenant as acting captain, so long as all understand that he WILL be having his proper captain back in time. I'll still get Jane to meet his mother, even if I will have to name Lady Allendale unless she has a Christian name anywhere. Probably Margaret.
"Also, yeah, Laurence would be the only Flamme-de-Gloire in existence who can't really speak French. Or can only mangle it." OMG yes!! It pains Tem a little ("really, Laurence, this is one language that we should spend time on"), but Laurence simply has no interest in that sort of thing.
"XDD VERY long story. On the plus side, this kid will grow up believing in magic?" That kid has the oddest habit of checking through her meal as if there'll be something that isn't meat or vegetables, nobody gets it.
"EXACTLY. And like you said, now they have a check-and-balance system so the Rankins of the world will never again get near dragons." The dragons quite like this new plan, even the little ones like Volly agree to help enforce it.
"OR SQUASH THEM. I'M SURE THAT TEMERAIRE WOULD VOLUNTEER TO DO THE SQUASHING." THEN HE'D MAKE QUESTIONABLE-LOOKING OFFICERS CLEAN OFF HIS FOOT.
"VERY TRUE. Also, Flight Officers would get valuable experience in a possibly not-so-permanent position, so they're poised, like Granby, to take a dragon's egg." Right! They're used to changing companies, and later they'll be quite familiar with several types of dragons. (The older dragons have a conference about just which fellows are suitable for guiding a young dragon. Some should only be posted when the dragon is fully mature, some are fine at any age.)
"Oh yes, Laurence is just the type to martyr himself, but Temeraire and others work hard to break him of his harmful self-sacrificing tendencies. THEY HAVE TO STICK TO THEIR GUNS. NO CAPTAINS FOR THEM." Tem has it down, and Jane is quite sharp on the subject. 'Of course we shan't subject Captain Laurence to a demotion for circumstances quite beyond his control. Lieutenant Granby has quite correctly offered to continue his work as Laurence's superior officer, and you cannot deny they have been effective together. Now, let's spend our time finding someone suitable for Temeraire.'
"And sighing every so often. (Possibly his sighs involve some smoke, so you can see his melancholy in manifested physical form drifting above the treeline in the covert.) He needs to stop moping and take some action!" OMG YES, and he only does that when he thinks he's alone-- Jane says it. 'You were sighing again, Laurence, and it's... well, you exhale smoke as you do, so it's no use hiding about in the woods. Then we know that you're unhappy and too noble by half to inflict the emotion on us as a friend ought.'
"Woah, really? How far back does this kind of thing go? /morbidly curious." Um... not sure on the full history, but I'd bet they had it in the 1800s? /just checked. First recorded thing in Western history was in the 1400s. It was in medical literature in 1790, and we have a winner.
"Oh yes, they should stop being so silly. He does miss potatoes, a bit, because trying to actually cook up enough to actually give him more of a taste is a bit of a ridiculous undertaking." They'll do it back at the covert in an absolutely massive pot. It takes the better part of two days to heat that much water, but asking Laurence to do it would spoil the surprise.