Valentines Day stuff! Also, BRAND NEW EXPERIMENTAL HISTORY MEME!

[beboots]

 Good evening, everyone! Happy Valentines day, for those of you who celebrate it! 

First, a brief link recommendation. If you've never heard of Postsecrets, you should definitely check them out: essentially, people send in anonymous postcards with their secrets on them. Some are sad, some are quirky, some are touching, and all are absolutely awesome. This week they have a Valentine-themed series of postcard secrets for you to look at. This one was my favourite: 


Furthermore, the Edmonton Journal (which, along with the National Post, I read almost every day to keep up with news about the world) apparently held a contest for the best Edmonton-themed Valentines cards, most of them poking fun at the city. This particular one was my absolute favourite, mostly because I had to cross that bridge five days a week to get to Fort Edmonton this past summer. It was murder during rush hour when it was down to one lane. >_<; It's been under construction for at least two and half years.

For more, see here!

As a side note, I did celebrate this Valentine's Day as a single person. Here's hoping that I shall find my true love in the coming year! :) I should mention that I mostly enjoy Valentine's Day because it also doubles as my dearest mother's birthday! We have flowers and chocolate about the house, then, regardless of the state of our personal lives. :) Happy birthday, mother mine! Now, tomorrow is the holiday I look forward to even more than the events of St. Valentine... Cheap Chocolate Day! Celebrated: wherever chocolate is sold!

On a final note... I actually began writing this post in response to the lovely surprise left for me at atla_valentine. I hadn't realized that people would leave me messages! :)  They made me smile. Therefore, my original plan had been, in response to people writing lovely flattering things about the history dorkery that goes on in this journal, to write a post about some of the crazy little tidbits I've been learning about in my History of Translation class... which just so happens to be what I'm studying for at the moment (even as I procrastinate reviewing for the midterm to write this post). I'll get around to that very soon! It will still happen!

I did, however, just have a thought. Maybe I could do something completely and utterly crazy and unprecedented. I could... do a history meme. I want to share the love with you guys. I love telling historical anecdotes; I like to think I got quite good at it while working at Fort Edmonton. Maybe no-one will want to play with me. I will still tell crazy history stories to the world! Just give me a direction, guys. :) What do you want to hear?

It shall be a shameless effort at trying to emulate the cool kids (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE), only instead of fanfic, it will be random history tidbits, in the style of the posts that have appeared in this journal before.

THEREFORE, what I resolve to do is ask you, the readers, for history prompts! Ask me a historical question: anything you like. For instance: "who is your favourite member of European royalty and what was the most interesting thing they ever did?" "What do you think is the silliest reason a war ever started?" "What is the most unusual historical artifact you have ever seen in person?" "What can you tell me about Canada's participation in such-and-such a war?" It can even be something like "tell me the craziest thing you know about the 17th century/the bubonic plague/aboriginal history/etc., etc., ad nauseam." I shall even search for an appropriate image to accompany the historical blather! 

If I don't know the answer to your question, I resolve to use my research skills and access to university databases to find the answer! You may get more coherent history squee if I've heard of the topic before, though. I have studied European history across the ages, some East Asian history, and lots of Canadian and American history, but still, don't let that limit your selection! I suspect that if you ask me something about the history of medicine or the French or English languages you will get extra-long anecdotes. Indulge your curiosity, and I will try to be interesting in return! :) 

Comments

[feral-shrew.livejournal.com]

DRAGONS!!!!!!!

In other words-- I couldn't sleep last night and wanted something good, I thought I'd read a chapter of "Napoleonic wars with dragons." Then I read the entire book overnight. (I found the first three books in one volume, with only one small chunk of pages falling out at the end-- I love my used-book store.) I was about to start crying when the one dragon died, and I'm too frazzled to even remember names that feel made-up. (Those take the second reading for me to get properly.)

All of it is PERFECT for the literary setup and follow-through. I can think "alright, that one's marked to get a dragon" and "yep, she has a reason for that" and "OMG WOMEN!" and it all comes through... eventually, and not exactly in the way I expected.

So yeah. Nerdgasms over all of the research, and I'm already planning how quickly I can read the next two books/find the third so that I can shove the trilogy-book at my dad and say "read this." He's just as much of a nerd as I am, and PETER JACKSON OPTIONED THE BOOKS. So he could feasibly go from The Hobbit to making a whole lot of people-and-dragons movies and even steal half of the Lord of the Rings cast just because he CAN and who the hell wouldn't fly dragons.

/don't mind me too much, I'm coming out of three weeks of insomnia by hitting the Emergency Reset button, luckily with no tests on the immediate horizon. I didn't sleep last night, I was too busy trying to study physiology and then happily imagining how dragons would appear, to the point that I realized on first glance at a picture that they have the details for the Chinese vs. European dragons wrong-- Chinese had 6 spines for the wings, but in the picture that breed had 5 and the others had 6, and the feet were all wrong besides.

Also, I am sending my address by message.

[beboots.livejournal.com]

OMG SQUEE! I HAVE CONVERTED YET ANOTHER PERSON TO THE GLORY THAT IS TEMERAIRE.

Yeah, as soon as Granby came around I was like RIGHT he will eventually get a dragon. ;) You may yet be surprised by someone who acquires one in the sixth book... several someones, in fact.

"Nerdgasms over all of the research" I KNOW, RIGHT? Slowly over the course of the books you get this strong anti-colonialism message, because adding dragons to the world makes things like colonialism a LOT harder, because they have dragons too. It's awesome.

I also love how Novik didn't cop out and go "well, it's set in the early 1800s, so that's why I don't have strong female characters". NO. She totally does the opposite! :D I mean, and the fact that they're not quite accepted by wider society makes them THAT MUCH MORE badass. <3

I ALSO TOTALLY HOPE THAT PETER JACKSON PULLS THROUGH AND DOES MAKE A MOVIE/MINI TV SERIES OF THE BOOKS. GODDAMN. People need a historically well-researched fandom to glee about. <3

[feral-shrew.livejournal.com]

I called "y'know, it'd be a lot easier if they just let Laurence get himself adopted or whatever they need to do, because there are a whole lot more books after this and it would also be hilarious" as soon as I saw the special repetition on "these are the only people to get Celestials."

Not only did Novik make strong lady characters, she didn't stereotype a race that they go and find later. She has good characters and bad characters, she addresses "odd" superstitions with respect... yeah, textbook case of what TO do.

Jackson will be coming off of The Hobbit and will have (BETTER have) proven to the world that he can make one badass dragon. What better continuation of his work than to make a whole BUNCH of badass dragons?

I am also absolutely convinced that Laurence has the best background possible. He understands flight in a very physical sense, from the way that sails work, he has that extra touch of manners and hyper-proper-ness that makes him an absolutely adorable co-worker, he knows tactics and actually can create new strategies... and he reads his dragon stories and buys jewelry and that story is such a romance with subtexts of "of course they can read, they are intelligent as well as being pretty."

Women couldn't vote in Switzerland until 1971. For local elections, it wasn't until 1990. Novik has a very interesting time period to play in.

I liked Serpent's Shadow for the gigantic historical context. The protagonist's father was an English doctor, her mother was a very high-class woman in India, she's a doctor dealing with shit before women could vote. She also has excellent taste in male companions-- she makes friends with a retired sea captain. Very charming man, much more likely than his fellow magicians to accept women as equals, and very, very well-mannered.

[beboots.livejournal.com]

"I called "y'know, it'd be a lot easier if they just let Laurence get himself adopted or whatever they need to do, because there are a whole lot more books after this and it would also be hilarious" as soon as I saw the special repetition on "these are the only people to get Celestials.""
Awesome. <3 For me, it came as a complete surprise, but... yeah. I loved the execution of that. <3

"Not only did Novik make strong lady characters, she didn't stereotype a race that they go and find later. She has good characters and bad characters, she addresses "odd" superstitions with respect... yeah, textbook case of what TO do." PRECISELY! <3 Yeah, there were some villainous Chinese people, but others were awesome. Like that old man who suggested the adoption thing in the first place. I loved his take on the traditional British dinner! :) I think that it's the fact that Novik treats these people with respect. When people are disagreeable, there's a reason for it, and they're not representative of everyone in their particular "category".

"Jackson will be coming off of The Hobbit and will have (BETTER have) proven to the world that he can make one badass dragon. What better continuation of his work than to make a whole BUNCH of badass dragons?"
Yes yes OMG. <3 I'm also really looking forward to the Hobbit. (I heard that they cast one of my favourite British actors, Martin Freemon, as Bilbo. <3 )

"He understands flight in a very physical sense, from the way that sails work, he has that extra touch of manners and hyper-proper-ness that makes him an absolutely adorable co-worker, he knows tactics and actually can create new strategies... and he reads his dragon stories and buys jewelry and that story is such a romance with subtexts of "of course they can read, they are intelligent as well as being pretty.""
EXACTLY. I like that he knows just enough to get by and then move on from there. He's all like "yeah, my dragon will bathe because he WANTS to. I won't stop him simply because it isn't done." Bitchin'. <3

I am definitely going to have to pick that book up! :D

Also, when you're done all six books in the Temeraire series... I have a bunch of fanfic recommendations for you. :) Speaking of which... the last fanfic I actually posted on fanfiction.net a while back was an alternate universe oneshot of the first book in the series. Would you like to take a look? http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4952506/1/Unconventional

[feral-shrew.livejournal.com]

OMG Jane and William-- it's perfect. He's so formal and scandalized and BRITISH, I think that's why I love him. (That is in the older generations, somehow. I probably know seven British people, three older and four younger, and somewhere between those two generations a lot of the stiff upper lip mentality disappeared.) It also would get him a very, very fast introduction to the aviators if he's "that friend of Jane's" that socialized during those horrible dinners.

I only called "get him adopted" because it was the neatest possible plot given all of the foreshadowing and previous information, and Novik is always quite elegant in plotting things out-- classic elements all over the place even within a very original plotline.

"PRECISELY! <3 Yeah, there were some villainous Chinese people, but others were awesome. Like that old man who suggested the adoption thing in the first place. I loved his take on the traditional British dinner! :) I think that it's the fact that Novik treats these people with respect. When people are disagreeable, there's a reason for it, and they're not representative of everyone in their particular "category"."

Right! There are very cool and very obnoxious people, but it's actually a personal choice. Not "all Chinese people are like this." I especially liked that Laurence had to realize that this other civilization was MORE civilized than the British Empire. That's quite hard for a man of this time period.

"Yes yes OMG. <3 I'm also really looking forward to the Hobbit. (I heard that they cast one of my favourite British actors, Martin Freemon, as Bilbo. <3 )"

They have Andy Serkis and Ian McKellan, which were two of my big concerns. They're also doing the leadup between the Hobbit and the Fellowship, and I've been saying for years that actors would do cameos-- they do have Orlando Bloom and Elijah Wood reprising their original roles. It really makes sense-- the dwarves get themselves caught by Legolas's dad, and Legolas has a pretty big part in the in-between stuff according to my dad. (He reads the Silmarillion, I get the interesting parts without reading it. I like that arrangement.)

"EXACTLY. I like that he knows just enough to get by and then move on from there. He's all like "yeah, my dragon will bathe because he WANTS to. I won't stop him simply because it isn't done." Bitchin'. <3"

He knows little enough to accidentally make some major changes. He does know that women-creatures have brains, he's just easily scandalized but still a gentleman about it.

"Also, when you're done all six books in the Temeraire series... I have a bunch of fanfic recommendations for you. :) Speaking of which... the last fanfic I actually posted on fanfiction.net a while back was an alternate universe oneshot of the first book in the series. Would you like to take a look?"

I read the Harry Potter/Temeraire crossover without finding the first book of the series, and on second reading it makes a lot more sense. I think my favorite part was when Harry decided the trio felt right, with Hermione spitting acid and Ron as Mr. Muscles-- so true!

I still think it's too perfect that Laurence is so befuddled by a woman with so much of a personality that he keeps forgetting to ask about her escort or any of the proper things. "Pants" would rank right up there with "on a dragon" and "sword wound to the face," dear man. And she was going to ask him advice for people in the Navy... just cool, and it only changes tiny pieces. He'd integrate into the corps more smoothly with her on his side, he's past his initial "eep!!!" reaction with figuring out that Lily's rider is a GIRL, and he can accidentally win even more points with Jane by letting the cute little "boy" help out with his dragon.

[beboots.livejournal.com]

I know! <3 I really love the Roland/Laurence pairing. Some other people are like "meh" or hate it because she's so pushy or something, or that she gets in the way of their favoured Laurence/Granby or Laurence/Tharkay pairing... but I can like all three, can't I? I really like that it's Jane who takes control of their relationship. It's awesome to see a strong female character do that without becoming a shrew or bitch stereotype. :P

"I especially liked that Laurence had to realize that this other civilization was MORE civilized than the British Empire. That's quite hard for a man of this time period." 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.

"They're also doing the leadup between the Hobbit and the Fellowship, and I've been saying for years that actors would do cameos-- they do have Orlando Bloom and Elijah Wood reprising their original roles. It really makes sense-- the dwarves get themselves caught by Legolas's dad, and Legolas has a pretty big part in the in-between stuff according to my dad."
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. ;)

"He knows little enough to accidentally make some major changes. He does know that women-creatures have brains, he's just easily scandalized but still a gentleman about it." 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. :)

"I read the Harry Potter/Temeraire crossover without finding the first book of the series, and on second reading it makes a lot more sense." <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.

""Pants" would rank right up there with "on a dragon" and "sword wound to the face," dear man." 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. 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. ;)

[feral-shrew.livejournal.com]

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.

[beboots.livejournal.com]

"Honestly, Laurence needs somebody that is actually pushy, or nothing would happen. He's too polite and reserved and all of that." Precisely! I think that they complement each other. :) Also, I'm betting his relationship with her helps him understand and respect female aviators much sooner. Also, Jane is awesome and deserves some happiness, especially as provided by Laurence, who is also awesome. And a bit of a woobie. :)

Speaking of... you should see this piece of fanart, commenting on Laurence's reaction to things:
http://demonbunny.deviantart.com/art/Laurence-D-Expression-78334699
Also, while we're on the subject, this is my favourite (and possibly the only good?) piece of Jane/Laurence fanart. <3
http://demonbunny.deviantart.com/art/Temeraire-Captaaaain-O-104069429
Also by the same (amazing) artist, a summary of the first half of the first book:
http://demonbunny.deviantart.com/art/Temeraire-Summary-I-and-II-110051483

AND NOW BACK TO YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING

"Also a huge deal for somebody raised on "obviously we're the best." He even acknowledges that he was wrong about that." Which really does show how much he develops as a character and how much his world views change upon actually seeing more of the world.

"Duly noted-- dragon!Harry makes a lot of sense, Laurence!Harry wouldn't." Oh no, you misunderstand: Harry (who has been changed into a dragon through complicated, voldemort-themed means) and a few others go back in time, screw it up, try to get back to their present, and end up in an alternate universe. Harry is a talking, firebreathing dragon, and is awesome. :3

"I was just thinking I really wanted Girl Scout cookies and someone showed up selling them." I used to sell those, way back when! :) I <3 the mint-chocolate kind... which I think are no longer sold. I seem to recall them switching companies because the one they'd used for several generations could no longer guarantee that the cookies wouldn't have some sort of passing contact with a nut product. :P

Also: YOU HAVE SNAKES? YOU ARE AUTOMATICALLY A+++ AWESOME IN MY BOOKS. :D

"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." Oh he'd try, but Jane can be VERY convincing... :3

"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."

Oh yes. :) I'm sure he'd have a BIT more of an idea for how to treat Temeraire, and by that point he'd have exchanged a few letters with Roland so she'd have probably complained to him about SOMETHING dragon-related (possibly how stupid the admiralty was in some respect) so he'd know a BIT more... Also, he'd be able to call Rankin on his shit almost right away, probably, as you said.

I'm also sure that having someone capable of introducing him to others would also help make him more comfortable. You don't really introduce YOURSELF in the Regency era: it's always a mutual acquaintance, right? Jane could blaze the trail for him so he doesn't have to break any of his deep-seated social conventions just to make friends. ;)

(Also, I totally need a Temeraire or dragon-related icon. For serious.)

[feral-shrew.livejournal.com]

"Precisely! I think that they complement each other. :) Also, I'm betting his relationship with her helps him understand and respect female aviators much sooner. Also, Jane is awesome and deserves some happiness, especially as provided by Laurence, who is also awesome. And a bit of a woobie. :)" He is such a woobie. I think half the characters I end up really liking are, they're just so much fun to WRITE-- they're quite used to things happening all around them.

Fanart is awesome stuff, and typically makes me wish again that I could draw the things I try describing.

OMG I looked at all of them. "Fanservice" indeed.

"Which really does show how much he develops as a character and how much his world views change upon actually seeing more of the world." He's so cute! I had a severe professor-crush on a British man, and it is the cutest thing in the world if you can get one to blush. (That was a pure accident, and it took the entire class reciting the title of one of his books at him without any pre-arranged signal, but it was hilarious.)

"Oh no, you misunderstand: Harry (who has been changed into a dragon through complicated, voldemort-themed means) and a few others go back in time, screw it up, try to get back to their present, and end up in an alternate universe. Harry is a talking, firebreathing dragon, and is awesome. :3" Right. That's time-travel, though-- for the other story, using Harry as Laurence would have been puzzling in the rebirth sense.

"I used to sell those, way back when! :) I <3 the mint-chocolate kind... which I think are no longer sold. I seem to recall them switching companies because the one they'd used for several generations could no longer guarantee that the cookies wouldn't have some sort of passing contact with a nut product. :P"

Thin Mints? Those are still sold, all the time, and are one of the few that haven't changed names every three years. They did switch companies, but not all that recently.

I OWN ONE SNAKE. HIS NAME IS NEVILLE AND HE IS A SWEETHEART. MY ROOMMATE OWNS SIX.

I walked into the apartment meeting her the first time, and hello giant snake tank on my right. (Giant. This is at least a 100-gallon tank.) It houses a 4.5 foot royal python. I told her she'd just gotten 10X cooler, she smiles and opens the door to the pantry-- it's a snake room that had 5 more inside. We also have a gecko, a cockatiel, a rabbit, and two fishtanks.

I might get a python later-- the royal python is a complete sweetheart, and /afraid of his food/. Cutest thing in the apartment. If the rat touches him, he won't eat it. He's also never even tried to strike at people, tends to hide at sudden movements, and blows bubbles when he drinks water.

I am going to have an animal named Temeraire. If I do end up getting an impressive enough snake, that would do it. I actually really like the blue-and-orange boa at the pet store, but don't want to start out with a big attitude problem snake. I forget the exact breed, but he's gorgeous and has been in that store way too long. (My mother is amazing and long ago reconciled herself to a herpephile daughter.)

"Oh he'd try, but Jane can be VERY convincing... :3" She could convince ME, I think. She's pretty damn awesome.

The scene where Laurence frog-marched Rankin over, and that was all his poor dragon ever wanted... I was really close to crying there. It was an absolutely beautifully written scene, and I loved that the officer's concern after was for the DRAGON, hang Laurence manhandling Rankin around.

It's rude to introduce himself, but Jane is a well-respected Captain and obviously quite fond of the Navy man. That will knock over a lot of the concerns about an outsider with a very impressive dragon.

"(Also, I totally need a Temeraire or dragon-related icon. For serious.)" Indubitably. Ask the dA author if you could use some of her/his artwork as an icon? Mention you'll credit them in a post, that might work out fast.

[beboots.livejournal.com]

One more piece of Temeraire fanart for you before I head off to bed: http://fav.me/d1j2a6d (Read the description, too)

"I had a severe professor-crush on a British man, and it is the cutest thing in the world if you can get one to blush. (That was a pure accident, and it took the entire class reciting the title of one of his books at him without any pre-arranged signal, but it was hilarious.)" <3! :D I currently have a crush on this amazing tour guide we had in York. We three girls went out drinking with him afterwards and oh my goodness word that came out of his mouth made me smile at him even more. (Also, his stories got more and more funny and badass as the hours passed.) I think North Americans are predisposed to think of British accents as being automatically more hot and more intelligent. :)

"for the other story, using Harry as Laurence would have been puzzling in the rebirth sense." Oh most definitely. I love the Temeraire!Harry that the author wrote. :3 Super cute!

"They did switch companies, but not all that recently." It would have been back when I actually was in girl guides, so that would have been... oh goodness, like ten years ago or more. D: I feel old.

"I OWN ONE SNAKE. HIS NAME IS NEVILLE AND HE IS A SWEETHEART. MY ROOMMATE OWNS SIX."
... I CAN HAS PHOTOGRAPHS?? He sounds adorable! :D What kind of snake is he?

" the royal python is a complete sweetheart, and /afraid of his food/. Cutest thing in the apartment. If the rat touches him, he won't eat it." THAT IS EVEN MORE ADORABLE. Seriously. Why do people hate snakes? :(( I've loved them for years, since I was a small child. My love for snakes was clinched when I visited a reptile house in Drumheller (the Dinosaur capital of Canada!) and my sister and I got to hold a ball python. :3 I loved it. Snakes have lovely soft scales to touch.

""Oh he'd try, but Jane can be VERY convincing... :3" She could convince ME, I think. She's pretty damn awesome." SHE COULD CONVINCE ANYONE! I've read fics that are Jane/Tharkay... and I think I remember reading one (crack?) crossover in which she seduced all of the heroines of the Jane Austen novels. >_> I also read one alternate universe in which Jane seduced a female!Laurence. Yeah. I don't think any of these fics were explicit, it was mostly for the lulz and to play with the character. JANE WOULD TOTALLY DO IT, TOO.

"The scene where Laurence frog-marched Rankin over, and that was all his poor dragon ever wanted... I was really close to crying there." I KNOW! ;_; I really hope that there's a scene in the series in which Rankin actually realizes what he did. >:(

"It's rude to introduce himself, but Jane is a well-respected Captain and obviously quite fond of the Navy man. That will knock over a lot of the concerns about an outsider with a very impressive dragon." That's exactly what I was thinking. Maybe Granby will stop being a dick sooner?

[feral-shrew.livejournal.com]

OMG SO LIKE LIEN. I actually love characters that are that up-front about being bitchy. Granby's original grumpiness wasn't nearly so in-your-face. "Yeah? I don't like any of y'all. Deal with it" is so, so much more fun in characters

I know!! But only certain types of Brit accent. The one we generally hear is the high-class version, and you almost never hear a good Yorkshire. It took me reading through the entire book with Mariel to work out what on earth the moles were saying, so I had to go all the way back through to pick out all the dialogue. I do plan to read those books out loud to kidlets-- I love doing accents. If I can work out how to do an Irish accent, I'll be happy.

I quit Girl Scouts when I was twelve. My troop didn't do anything, none of my friends were there anymore, and it stopped being fun. I worked at a Girl Scout camp later, though, so... I love that place. (I just met my roommate for next year, we talked online and just met in person. She went to that camp for years. We both know the same person-- she mentioned a girl, she was one of the most fun people at camp.)

"... I CAN HAS PHOTOGRAPHS?? He sounds adorable! :D What kind of snake is he?"

CORRECTION. MY ROOMMATE HAS SEVEN, WHICH IS FREAKING RIDICULOUS. I always, always, always forget Imriel in the count. Galileo is the other baby Columbian rainbow boa, and he's the favorite. Isis is the four-foot rainbow boa, Dante's the four-and-a-half foot royal (ball) python, there are two boa constrictors (Athena and Kratos), and I kept forgetting to add Dexter the king snake into her count.

I have Neville. He's a lavender-morph corn snake-- very pale markings, blue eyes. Genuinely blue eyes. He's a sweetheart, except for right now. He's shedding, which makes snakes very irritable, and the weather made me delay his meal two days. It's no huge deal, because snakes can be delayed a full week when they typically eat once a week, but it made him really cranky. He still didn't strike at me when I scooped him up. I'll go find pictures when I remember.

"THAT IS EVEN MORE ADORABLE. Seriously. Why do people hate snakes? :(( I've loved them for years, since I was a small child. My love for snakes was clinched when I visited a reptile house in Drumheller (the Dinosaur capital of Canada!) and my sister and I got to hold a ball python. :3 I loved it. Snakes have lovely soft scales to touch." They're so awesome!!! I am convinced that it's how dragons feel. People are always shocked when they realize how nice the scales feel, and the bellies are just cool.

"SHE COULD CONVINCE ANYONE! I've read fics that are Jane/Tharkay... and I think I remember reading one (crack?) crossover in which she seduced all of the heroines of the Jane Austen novels. >_>" OMG YES.

"I also read one alternate universe in which Jane seduced a female!Laurence. Yeah. I don't think any of these fics were explicit, it was mostly for the lulz and to play with the character. JANE WOULD TOTALLY DO IT, TOO." IT'S BECAUSE JANE IS AN AMAZON JEZEBEL AND SHE LIKES SUBVERTING THE PATRIARCHY FOR FUN AND DRAGON-RIDING BABIES.

"I KNOW! ;_; I really hope that there's a scene in the series in which Rankin actually realizes what he did. >:(" Same here! I hope he actually starts to miss the poor darling. He was probably trying to raise the dragon the way HE was raised, when I stepped back and thought about it. "Spare the rod and spoil the child," "children are seen and not heard"-- poor thing was still young, and Rankin was NOT raised with the dragons. He probably acted like the thing's father, or even like a husband to a wife. People in that era were not free with praise/coddling as a rule. So yeah, he sucks, but... it wasn't malicious neglect. I bet it was what he knew.

"That's exactly what I was thinking. Maybe Granby will stop being a dick sooner?" Granby might not have the chance to start. Jane would make him grow up and be a nice polite aviator for her boyfriend. BECAUSE NO ONE CONTRADICTS THE WILL OF JANE.

[beboots.livejournal.com]

Lien is awesome. Lien + Napoleon = EPIC. If you get a hold of the edition that's published the first three books in one giant, hardcover form, they have a short story at the very end about how Lien integrated herself into France and how Napoleon came to respect her. I've read it (sitting on a stool in my local bookstore for half an hour) and it was awesome. :)

I was in sparks, brownies, girl guides, and even in first year pathfinders, but in the latter our troop consisted of me, my twin sister, and only two or three other girls... and we did next to nothing. :( Not fun anymore. I like the institution, and it was great to meet other people when I was very young, but... yeah. Also, the older more historic uniforms were cooler. They actually looked like uniforms. ;)

Yaaay snake pictures! :D Awesome.

"I am convinced that it's how dragons feel. People are always shocked when they realize how nice the scales feel, and the bellies are just cool." OMG YES DRAGONS. <3 Snakes DO feel nice. You really just need the person to get over their irrational fears long enough to get close enough to touch, really... ;)

"IT'S BECAUSE JANE IS AN AMAZON JEZEBEL AND SHE LIKES SUBVERTING THE PATRIARCHY FOR FUN AND DRAGON-RIDING BABIES." YES YES AND YES. And Laurence is really just being dragged along for the ride (PUN NOT INTENDED) with Jane and Temeraire. Everyone deserves equal rights!

Pee Ess: which book have you finished? Where are you right now? (I don't want to spoil you!)

"He was probably trying to raise the dragon the way" !!! I never thought about it that way! That actually makes sense, though! Especially if it's combined with the fact that, well, it's not like he's HUMAN, so that would firmly squash any possible qualms that come to Rankin's mind...

"Granby might not have the chance to start. Jane would make him grow up and be a nice polite aviator for her boyfriend. BECAUSE NO ONE CONTRADICTS THE WILL OF JANE." NOT EVEN THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. Granby will stand no chance. If he tries to pull that "Sir" bullshit on Laurence, I'm sure that Jane would quickly suss Laurence out for why he was upset and she'd have a WORD or two with Granby. No disrespectin' the awesome navy guy! Or at least if you are then at least make it a joke we can all share.

[feral-shrew.livejournal.com]

My bookstore had the three-in-one version. (Used book store, best ever, constantly has fantasy and sci-fi books shifting through in the most easily-accessible aisle in the store). Quite tiny, locally owned... best bookstore ever. You can find awesome things in there, even if it can take half a year for someone to sell a book you want. (Nobody EVER sold their copy of Emperor Mage, but I'm not surprised. That book was probably the best of that series, and Immortals was a good series.)

Neville (corn snake) just shed! I could hear him doing it for two hours. He was still quite grumpy when I scooped most of the shed out (the tail broke off again), so I'll probably see if he'll let me handle him tomorrow, before feeding him. He's a growing snake, after all. I keep all of his shed skins, mostly because they're awesome. They also give an instant reference on how much bigger he is, even if he insists on breaking the tails off and not shedding all in one piece.

The guys at camp brought in a massive bit of snakeskin saying they found it behind their cabin. I said "that's nice, tell me where it was originally and THEN we'll talk." When they decided I wouldn't buy it at all, they admitted that Sunflower (he was a very chill person, quite secure enough to use the name well) had a friend that breeds snakes.

"OMG YES DRAGONS. <3 Snakes DO feel nice. You really just need the person to get over their irrational fears long enough to get close enough to touch, really... ;)" Right!!! That's what I did for two summers, coaxed girls into thinking reptiles were awesome. My proudest moments were the brave group of three Asian counselors who approached me asking about Sally (for Salazar). It was the most solemn introduction I've done, snake or otherwise, and afterward they drew me a big thank-you card saying "we love Sally" with a very cute pink bow drawn on card-Sally's head.

The other time-- little girl with Down's in a Brownie (grades 1-3) troop. She didn't like the big snake (I would always offer to hold the snake's head out of the way, with shy girls, to guarantee they would never be bitten), but King (she was a lady, odd story on the name that amounts to me not understanding Egyptian accents) had delivered twenty-one live babies that morning. Katelynn was about eight, the snakes were a little longer than an unsharpened pencil and right about that width... she held a baby snake, and she was the happiest damn kid I'd seen in weeks. (That troop rocked. They were all extremely conscientious of Katelynn without being condescending, full marks to troop leaders.)

"YES YES AND YES. And Laurence is really just being dragged along for the ride (PUN NOT INTENDED) with Jane and Temeraire. Everyone deserves equal rights!" PUN SHOULD BE INTENDED. EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL, BUT EVEN TEMERAIRE AGREES THAT IT IS RATHER AWKWARD TO EXTEND THAT TO SEX WITH DRAGONS.

I'm just moving into Black Powder war. I have classes and real life in the way of my book-time right now. AND OMG WELL-STRUCTURED PLOT -swoon-

"!!! I never thought about it that way! That actually makes sense, though! Especially if it's combined with the fact that, well, it's not like he's HUMAN, so that would firmly squash any possible qualms that come to Rankin's mind..." Rankin himself was a shit. His mommy coddled him from the sound of it, but his dad was probably sterner than Laurence's. Nobility were HARD on their kids, and generally sent them off to elite schools as soon as possible, seeing them rarely.

"NOT EVEN THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. Granby will stand no chance. If he tries to pull that "Sir" bullshit on Laurence, I'm sure that Jane would quickly suss Laurence out for why he was upset and she'd have a WORD or two with Granby. No disrespectin' the awesome navy guy! Or at least if you are then at least make it a joke we can all share."

Jane used WORD. It's SUPER EFFECTIVE. Granby has FAINTED from the shock of being rude and disrespectful to Jane's boytoy.

[beboots.livejournal.com]

Interesting! How many shed skins do you have? How noticeable is the size difference?

"It was the most solemn introduction I've done, snake or otherwise, and afterward they drew me a big thank-you card saying "we love Sally" with a very cute pink bow drawn on card-Sally's head." That sounds absolutely adorable. :)

"King (she was a lady, odd story on the name that amounts to me not understanding Egyptian accents)" That sounds like not only an odd but an AMAZING story. <3 (Also: BABY SNAKES HOW CUTE <3 <3 <3 )

"PUN SHOULD BE INTENDED. EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL, BUT EVEN TEMERAIRE AGREES THAT IT IS RATHER AWKWARD TO EXTEND THAT TO SEX WITH DRAGONS." OH YES, DEFINITELY. (Although you haven't yet read this amazing dragon-turned-human!Temeraire/Laurence fic, yet... :3 ) But yes, in general, I agree with that. ;)

OH YES WELL-STRUCTURED PLOT = <3! :D I love Novik for this (as I do Rowling) for being able to write books with their own self-contained plots and subplots and yet still manage to weave in a much larger plot throughout the entire series. :3 YOU ARE ONLY AT THE BEGINNING HOLY CRAP YOU ARE NOT PREPARED.

There are surprisingly few Temeraire fics out there with Rankin. I would have thought that there would have been a BRILLIANT amount of potential, there in fandom, for Laurence to smack more sense into the man. Or just smack him around. ;)

I did once think of a crazy idea for a Temeraire/Harry Potter crossover in which lil'Harry (age six or seven or so?) somehow gets sucked into the world of Temeraire and, being an orphan, is shipped off to the Aerial Corps, where he becomes a runner with Emily. Then stuff happens, ???, PROFIT! Because Harry knows what being neglected is like, he'd bond with Levitas and perhaps eventually save the dragon's life and then becomes his captain or something and then goes back to his original world with a DRAGON or something and... yeah. It was just a random idea. >_>

"Jane used WORD. It's SUPER EFFECTIVE. Granby has FAINTED from the shock of being rude and disrespectful to Jane's boytoy."
Laurence used BLUSH against Jane. It's SUPER EFFECTIVE. <3 <3 <3

[feral-shrew.livejournal.com]

I think I have five shed skins right now. Neville was born on July 29th of last year, so he's still a baby. Yesterday I had to help him out because the tail absolutely wouldn't come off. I thought he was being a grump, again, but he had a good four-inch section of old skin bothering him.

In retrospect, I feel quite silly. King was my charmer snake that never struck at or musked on me. (Snake-musk smells VILE, and I think skunks aren't bad at all.) She started eating ALL the time, she was quite irritable compared to her usual chill, and she was putting on a little weight. She was completely content after giving birth. I separated her from the snakelets, but they weren't in any danger from her. Garters don't usually eat other snakes, from what I've seen, and she had enough to eat.

"That sounds like not only an odd but an AMAZING story. <3 (Also: BABY SNAKES HOW CUTE <3 <3 <3 )" Ragy /said/ "Kingstar," after his backpack's brand. I didn't know that was a word, and it had an odd vowel motion, so I heard "Kingasaur" and got attached to the name. He found it, so he got to name it, but he let me keep the not-quite-right name.

"OH YES, DEFINITELY. (Although you haven't yet read this amazing dragon-turned-human!Temeraire/Laurence fic, yet... :3 ) But yes, in general, I agree with that. ;)" Nope, but I want to! Much easier than Laurence turning dragon. He'd be polite, and probably would take ages to confess any parts that made him unhappy, but he'd lose QUITE a few acquaintances.

"OH YES WELL-STRUCTURED PLOT = <3! :D I love Novik for this (as I do Rowling) for being able to write books with their own self-contained plots and subplots and yet still manage to weave in a much larger plot throughout the entire series. :3 YOU ARE ONLY AT THE BEGINNING HOLY CRAP YOU ARE NOT PREPARED. "

THEY PLAY CHEKHOV'S GUN PROPERLY. IF YOU SHOW SOMETHING, YOU //MUST// USE IT LATER. Also, self-referencing plotlines for the win.

"There are surprisingly few Temeraire fics out there with Rankin. I would have thought that there would have been a BRILLIANT amount of potential, there in fandom, for Laurence to smack more sense into the man. Or just smack him around. ;)" Or for somebody to steal the poor loyal dragon away.

"I did once think of a crazy idea for a Temeraire/Harry Potter crossover in which lil'Harry (age six or seven or so?) somehow gets sucked into the world of Temeraire and, being an orphan, is shipped off to the Aerial Corps, where he becomes a runner with Emily. Then stuff happens, ???, PROFIT! Because Harry knows what being neglected is like, he'd bond with Levitas and perhaps eventually save the dragon's life and then becomes his captain or something and then goes back to his original world with a DRAGON or something and... yeah. It was just a random idea. >_>"

Harry might have been there when Levitas was hatched. Rankin was the important one, of course, and just might have pushed Harry aside to be there. (Rankin was meant to get that dragon. He would push some foundling orphan that had such a bad hit to the head that he stared at horse-drawn coaches as much as the dragons.)

"Laurence used BLUSH against Jane. It's SUPER EFFECTIVE. <3 <3 <3" Jane has BLUSHED. Jane's attack-WORD is less effective. Jane uses BECOMING SMILE.

[beboots.livejournal.com]

I learned something new today! I didn't even know that snakes HAD musk!

So did you know that your snake was pregnant before she gave birth? Did you buy her pregnant?

HERE, YOU MUST READ IT. http://novembersmith.livejournal.com/36445.html This author's portrayal of human!Temeraire is adorable and incredibly in-character, in my opinion.

Oh man, human-turned-dragon!Laurence would be SO stoic. He's still be all about doing his duty to his country, but he'd miss opposable thumbs and the ability to write and being treated like a human being TERRIBLY, although he still has that stiff-upper-lip mentality...

"Harry might have been there when Levitas was hatched. Rankin was the important one, of course, and just might have pushed Harry aside to be there. (Rankin was meant to get that dragon. He would push some foundling orphan that had such a bad hit to the head that he stared at horse-drawn coaches as much as the dragons.)" OMG that would be a brilliant idea! VERY WELL-SUITED TO RANKIN'S PERSONALITY, Y/Y.

[feral-shrew.livejournal.com]

"So did you know that your snake was pregnant before she gave birth? Did you buy her pregnant?" My bad! That was at camp. I picked her up out of the woods. Garter snakes have live birth and a long gestation period, those babies come out ready to eat. My absolute favorite was named Severus Snake. He was a freaking newborn that lunged at my thumb when I was trying to release him in the woods. I set him down, he /chased me out of his woods/ by snapping at my tennis shoes. He was about the size of a pencil.

"HERE, YOU MUST READ IT. http://novembersmith.livejournal.com/36445.html This author's portrayal of human!Temeraire is adorable and incredibly in-character, in my opinion." READING NOW.

"Oh man, human-turned-dragon!Laurence would be SO stoic. He's still be all about doing his duty to his country, but he'd miss opposable thumbs and the ability to write and being treated like a human being TERRIBLY, although he still has that stiff-upper-lip mentality..." I think I just might write it. Laurence is too damn much of a woobie for it NOT to happen, now, and he'd be trying so hard to not upset Temeraire. I'd have to put it early, though, well before Granby has a dragon, but maybe after the trip to China. I think Laurence's crew instantly splits themselves between the two dragon, and Granby asks if he can still serve as lieutenant on /Laurence/. "You're my captain, sir" or something to that effect, and then Temeraire spoils the ecstasy of non-reactions by nuzzling them both. (Laurence is pretty numb to his father freaking out, and relieved when his mother immediately sends a letter asking permission to visit the covert, but the reaction to Jane would be hard. I think she'd get her arms around as much neck as she could and just stay there for a while, nobody else around.

Screw it, I have spring break. I might need to wait on the other books, though. My mom is SO damn happy when she can buy a book that she knew I wanted, and I wouldn't want to know precisely what was coming next, I could ask general questions and look up the history of the wars. Laurence is amazingly adept at flying, I'd think (he was giving lessons to Temeraire) and comes up with entirely revolutionary things. He also sprains ligaments a few times because certain motions are not possible with wings, but his crew quickly learns when to sing out a warning.

Laurence is all about duty, so he'll go to war the instant he can fight properly. He tries to brush it off as yet another change in duty. I can't decide just what type of dragon he'd be, but it's not a Longwing or a fire-breather or a Celestial. He might be an Imperial, to get the size in the right kind of range.

"OMG that would be a brilliant idea! VERY WELL-SUITED TO RANKIN'S PERSONALITY, Y/Y." Rankin's such an ass.

[beboots.livejournal.com]

"Severus Snake" - I AM IRRATIONALLY AMUSED BY PUNS! <3 "I set him down, he /chased me out of his woods/ by snapping at my tennis shoes. He was about the size of a pencil." He's a badass, straight up. He's probably out there intimidating something RIGHT NOW. ;)

PLEASE WRITE IT. THERE IS A SAD LACK OF DRAGON!LAURENCE OUT THERE.

"I think Laurence's crew instantly splits themselves between the two dragon, and Granby asks if he can still serve as lieutenant on /Laurence/. "You're my captain, sir" or something to that effect, and then Temeraire spoils the ecstasy of non-reactions by nuzzling them both." YES PLZ. And if anybody in the admiralty tries to assign Laurence a captain Temeraire will obviously have to get all indignant and they will both start thinking that it's a silly thing, really, to require a dragon to have a captain when they're fully sentient beings themselves... and hey, weren't there dragon generals in China? Couldn't they do the same in England? Etc., etc..

Also, maybe they could compromise and have Tharkay be acting captain. Or something. >_> Like how Granby is acting captain of Temeraire, because Temeraire will accept no substitute for Laurence.

...That idea you have for Jane and Laurence. ;_; TRAGIC. Gah. Please write it.

"He also sprains ligaments a few times because certain motions are not possible with wings, but his crew quickly learns when to sing out a warning." Oh yes. I imagine he has some dragony instincts but still thinks a LOT like the human he used to be and so sometimes the two sets of instincts don't really combine well. ;)

Also, now they HAVE to bring a Chinese cook along because there's NO WAY that Laurence will eat raw meat.

The only other fic I've read with dragon!Laurence (which was, admittedly, a dream sequence) had Laurence as a Flamme-de-Gloire because of his French ancestry. (In this one scribbled fic outline I wrote which involved dragon!Laurence I made him a Flamme-de-Gloire, too, because that involved additional misunderstandings in people thinking he was on the other side. Oh wait, come to think of it... I actually wrote out quite a bit of that one! ... Unfortunately, I can't send it to you yet because it contains spoilers of books three through five. >_> ) But yeah, I think that it would make more sense to have him be some sort of French or British dragon if you want his new body to reflect the old.

[feral-shrew.livejournal.com]

""Severus Snake" He's a badass, straight up. He's probably out there intimidating something RIGHT NOW. ;)" Oh yeah. I loved that little guy, he was too damn cute trying to lunge for me while balanced on my palm. I have tiny hands.

"PLEASE WRITE IT. THERE IS A SAD LACK OF DRAGON!LAURENCE OUT THERE." I'm trying to make it happen AFTER I study for my exam at 8am tomorrow. It's not working yet. Dragon!!Laurence is too damn noble and self-sacrificing and quiet and desperate to not inconvenience anybody else. I can work in a Chinese folk tale I skim off something real, Old Mysterious Magic-maker, Laurence was polite and the Magic-maker did it because (reason to be decided later). He spends all of the first day coiled in on himself in shock, with Temeraire wrapped all around him and Lily and Maximus bringing food to them--pre-killed, in deference to flying it over and people being squeamish about eating still-living things. (They'd start cooking food for Laurence, and Temeraire wants some too) Laurence ends up dictating a letter to his mother, and hang the rest of the world.

"YES PLZ. And if anybody in the admiralty tries to assign Laurence a captain Temeraire will obviously have to get all indignant and they will both start thinking that it's a silly thing, really, to require a dragon to have a captain when they're fully sentient beings themselves... and hey, weren't there dragon generals in China? Couldn't they do the same in England? Etc., etc.." Right! Temeraire stone-cold refuses to accept any captain but Laurence. He will accept a lieutenant, as Laurence has, and he will fight, but they will NOT give him a captain. He would even accept "principal rider." Several of Tem's reforms start up accidentally. Laurence is rather devastated that he can't read to Temeraire anymore, or buy him things, but Roland might volunteer herself for that. Laurence said she needed to pay more mind to her schooling. (Emily is aghast to realize she will be reading math books.)

"Also, maybe they could compromise and have Tharkay be acting captain. Or something. >_> Like how Granby is acting captain of Temeraire, because Temeraire will accept no substitute for Laurence." Right! I think Granby steps up as Laurence's acting captain, to keep the two of them together, but Temeraire decides that Laurence is well enough. If it sets up earlier than I thought, I'll find a good alternate.

[beboots.livejournal.com]

"! Temeraire stone-cold refuses to accept any captain but Laurence. He will accept a lieutenant, as Laurence has, and he will fight, but they will NOT give him a captain. He would even accept "principal rider." Several of Tem's reforms start up accidentally." OH YES. Necessity is the mother of invention.

Also, Laurence will totally still have some money in his accounts, y/y? So he's the first dragon to really own property aside from jewelry. They'll probably need to be property reforms in England based on the Chinese model... and I'm sure that Jane could help browbeat some politicians into that. ;) Maybe Lord Allendale (reluctantly, at his wife's behest) could help out too? It IS his son, after all, even if he's not his eldest...

[feral-shrew.livejournal.com]

Laurence does own property! They have some issues with that, but in the end, the aviators probably forge a few things with Laurence's full permission and let Granby run errands. Laurence never quite develops the taste for shiny things, I think, but somebody can make him a very, very happy dragon if they bring in a jeweler and let Laurence talk through exactly what they'll be making for Temeraire.

Lord Allendale is immensely reluctant to admit his son is still alive (and a dragon). His wife visits as often as she can, which is every two or three months, and her main concern is that they're looking after him and that he's eating enough and if he needs her to set the ladies of the town at their husbands' ears.

[feral-shrew.livejournal.com]

"...That idea you have for Jane and Laurence. ;_; TRAGIC. Gah. Please write it." I really wish I could draw it. She's out there with him for hours on end and neither has said a word, and finally she asks if it would be wrong to suggest that they can fly together. Excidium has already promised to not be jealous, and she'd rather not deal with the rest of the covert for a while. This story is turning LONG, but if I really wanted drama, then Jane is rather unexpectedly pregnant. (Again.) She would have told him if she'd stopped the herbs, but it seems that the last batch the aviator women bought up was ineffective. I'm not sure if that would be too much of a distraction, but it would take Jane out of the picture for a while in a way that battles alone couldn't. (Their kid eventually would end up on Temeraire, I think, quite happy to be Flight Officer or whatever title they like-- in charge of the men aboard the dragon and yelling the signals.)

Laurence sketches out adaptations to the battle plans with his claws in soft earth. His suggestions are MUCH better now that he can see for himself where the weak points develop.

"Oh yes. I imagine he has some dragony instincts but still thinks a LOT like the human he used to be and so sometimes the two sets of instincts don't really combine well. ;)" Oh yes. It takes half of forever for him to work out the dragon instincts for attraction--Temeraire is the only dragon he could ever feel that way about, and he wastes a few minutes fussing over ethics before realizing that Tem has NEVER had an issue with knowing what he wants.

"Also, now they HAVE to bring a Chinese cook along because there's NO WAY that Laurence will eat raw meat." I think it becomes necessary, at least once. It's harder than almost anything else--harder than missing thumbs, not as hard as losing Jane utterly. Granby would wipe him down personally, hang anybody that tried to help, and promise that Laurence is the most unnaturally neat dragon he's ever met. (At that point, all are quite used to Tem entirely curling around Laurence at night, and no one ventures close enough to eavesdrop when Tem's up at least two hours talking like Laurence used to do.) The crew is rather terrible cooks, but several manage to learn so that they can occasionally convince the Chinese fellow to cook for one so that Laurence can have a proper English meal.

It might even happen in China, just for the full "what do we do now?" effect, maybe as they're leaving. Lien could swing it, I think, and she's exactly the type of character to think that's a reasonable option to "the emperor adopted that creature? I'll show THEM."

"The only other fic I've read with dragon!Laurence (which was, admittedly, a dream sequence) had Laurence as a Flamme-de-Gloire because of his French ancestry. (In this one scribbled fic outline I wrote which involved dragon!Laurence I made him a Flamme-de-Gloire, too, because that involved additional misunderstandings in people thinking he was on the other side. Oh wait, come to think of it... I actually wrote out quite a bit of that one! ... Unfortunately, I can't send it to you yet because it contains spoilers of books three through five. >_> ) But yeah, I think that it would make more sense to have him be some sort of French or British dragon if you want his new body to reflect the old."

Any details I should know about Flamme-de-Gloire? I need to read through a second time for details, there's a whole lot to remember in this series. I'd like a midweight, definitely, and it would be nice if I had a shot at keeping Laurence's eyes and maybe a lighter tone--there's not much dark on or in the man.

[beboots.livejournal.com]

"and finally she asks if it would be wrong to suggest that they can fly together. Excidium has already promised to not be jealous." Aww... Yeah, this would make an excellent piece of fanart, too, but I really like the idea of Jane flying with him.

Also - another child? Laurence has a human son? ;_; (PROOF THAT HE ONCE WAS HUMAN) But yeah, I like this idea. A bit more drama, does take her conveniently out of the picture for a bit, and I like your idea of the kid captaining Temeraire. (You could even make the baby a girl? Because women should be able to captain badass dragons beyond the few breeds that only accept women?)

"Flight Officer or whatever title they like-- in charge of the men aboard the dragon and yelling the signals." Ooh... I like this idea! A compromise that Temeraire and Laurence come up with, because nobody will be captaining THEM...

"Laurence sketches out adaptations to the battle plans with his claws in soft earth. His suggestions are MUCH better now that he can see for himself where the weak points develop." Aww yeah. Perhaps he and Temeraire, both the only literate dragons in Europe, could also come up with an alternate writing system that works better with claws? It could just be a different alphabet "font" that is less curvy and more spiky and thus easier to write... and for other dragons to learn? They could teach the others! Literacy is a useful skill. ;)

"It takes half of forever for him to work out the dragon instincts for attraction--Temeraire is the only dragon he could ever feel that way about, and he wastes a few minutes fussing over ethics before realizing that Tem has NEVER had an issue with knowing what he wants." Aww... :D (Male dragons in a relationship! I'm sure that if anybody (human) objects, Temeraire could just squash them. What are you going to do? Laurence isn't really a part of society anymore ANYWAY, and I think that the vast majority of the aviators could be brought around to the idea...)

"I think it becomes necessary, at least once. It's harder than almost anything else--harder than missing thumbs, not as hard as losing Jane utterly. Granby would wipe him down personally, hang anybody that tried to help, and promise that Laurence is the most unnaturally neat dragon he's ever met." Aww, yes please... <3 I'm sure that when the transformation first occurred (presumably in China? Where there are more supplies?) and Laurence was still adapting, he ate cooked food, but I suppose once they have to make their way across Asia and Europe privations/lack of supplies/lack of ability to make a cook fire because they're in enemy territory will force Laurence to eat raw meat and I'm sure it's quite traumatizing for him because it's like giving up something that was still HUMAN, one of the few things he has left... It feels like a defeat.

"At that point, all are quite used to Tem entirely curling around Laurence at night" ;_; Aww, yes, please! That would ALSO make an excellent piece of fanart.

"The crew is rather terrible cooks, but several manage to learn so that they can occasionally convince the Chinese fellow to cook for one so that Laurence can have a proper English meal." YES PLZ. I'm sure that Laurence appreciates any efforts that they make.

[feral-shrew.livejournal.com]

It's an entirely unusual circumstance, and Excidium didn't seem quite so possessive of his captain. He's probably rather approving of the sailor-human that made Jane happy, and quite aware enough to know that it would be difficult to belatedly become a dragon. (New thought-- do NOT try separating Tem and Laurence in formations, Tem will NOT approve.)

Pregnant!Jane is also out of the war after a certain point, which means that it's all the more urgent that Laurence get trained up even faster than Temeraire-- Laurence has seen all the formations and has the general sense, and he was a captain of a ship. He can manage to be a very, very fast learner, even if he never will keep up with Tem's languages.

Plus, "your daddy is that dragon over there. It's a long story." I do think it would be freaking adorable if they had another little girl, and they could name her after Laurence's mum because the woman was awesome (and would again travel up with a proper escort to go visit son and grandchild.) Plus, if they have a girl, and Tem will only accept Laurence's child... they'll lose a Celestial if they don't give in, and Tem has already utterly destroyed the idea that seniority always means first shot. The dragons can mind the little one at first, and then the dragon will have an array of options that the human and dragon leadership approve of-- Rankin and his ilk will not be allowed near a dragon, hang the nobility.

The types to accept "Flight Officer" care about the DRAGON, not the rank. They're much better fighters. I think Laurence might have been able to force himself to take a captain (instant demotion, to the military mind), but Tem won't hear of it. (Tem because typing out the full name every time makes me run out of characters.)

"Perhaps he and Temeraire, both the only literate dragons in Europe, could also come up with an alternate writing system that works better with claws? It could just be a different alphabet "font" that is less curvy and more spiky and thus easier to write... and for other dragons to learn? They could teach the others! Literacy is a useful skill. ;)" I do think Tem will invent it, with frequent contributions from Laurence-- it starts as a rather fast plan to give Laurence SOMETHING to do besides sit quietly and try to not look unhappy.

The aviators are rather disappointed to not have eggs from either of them, I'd think, but... huh. Animal husbandry might kick up a few notches, if they could do a bit of artificial insemination. There are a few awkward points (the lucky human in charge of gathering the-er- sample from Tem, probably with Laurence right there, the lucky people in charge of inseminating the quite obliging female dragon), but... my friend's done AI with stallions, if I wanted to be way too accurate I could ask.

I do think he's changed in China, on his way out. Lien's revenge, she's cold enough for it to fit.

";_; Aww, yes, please! That would ALSO make an excellent piece of fanart." Nobody dares make a comment about it, even if Lily laughs when nobody's around to gossip about lovesick young ones.

"YES PLZ. I'm sure that Laurence appreciates any efforts that they make." Laurence tells them to not be silly, he can eat burned meat. He ate burned meat quite often as a human, thank you, and his digestion is much more hardy now.

[beboots.livejournal.com]

"It might even happen in China, just for the full "what do we do now?" effect, maybe as they're leaving. Lien could swing it, I think, and she's exactly the type of character to think that's a reasonable option to "the emperor adopted that creature? I'll show THEM."" How are you thinking of managing it? I had a thought - because it'll probably have to be some sort of magical object, perhaps that gift that Temeraire picks out for Laurence from among his mother's hoard? It could be a giant pearl, because Temeraire remembered that story told in canon about the human who was turned into a dragon by swallowing a pearl, only IT ACTUALLY IS THAT PEARL or something?

...And in this situation, of course, Temeraire could have the actual guilt of being the cause of his captain's distressful situation, and Laurence, KNOWING THIS, tries to act less miserable than he actually is, and, well, misunderstandings all around? Until someone like Jane smacks some sense into them both? (Because there are still a limited number of human beings in the world who would physically assault a dragon. Jane is one of the rare few.)

As for details about this particular breed... There is a Temeraire wiki, probably sanctioned by the author, because there's a link on her website). You can see the wiki here: http://temeraire.org/wiki/Main_Page
And the website here: http://temeraire.org/
There is a beautiful drawing of a Flamme-de-Gloire on its page (third one down): http://temeraire.org/wiki/Flamme-de-Gloire

The wiki does a good job at breaking down all of the breeds, with images, known members of the breed, etc. Be warned, though, because there will be spoilers on this site. Not on the page for this particular dragon breed, though. It only has a brief blurb on common tactics used by the French to disguise them because of their value.

The advantage of the Flamme-de-Gloire is that they are yellow (and Laurence is blond?) so there's a similarity there... and I'm sure you can just wave your hand and make his eyes blue. ;)