laurencesneckcloth

[kaarchin]

Reading Temeraire is so funny.

The well and proper Captain Laurence: Once again I am at a Crossroad in my Life. Where I am lacking a Purpose and a Place in respectable Society. Whatever shall I do?

Tenzing Tharkay stepping out of the shadows: Have you considered running away with me?

[pathsleadingaway]

[devongeorgeart]

A navy man about to leave the navy for his new dragon best friend.

[yellow-reaper]

I love the yellow reappers

Yellow reaper squad UNITE!

[elexuscal]

so i know we as a fandom (including myself) have a tendency to place Churki as the wise elder voice of reason

because yeah she is often the more sensible of the dragon gang! she's less likely to go haring off after violence, more inclined towards diplomacy, often with a different view of human-dragon relations than our mostly-European cast (for better or ill)

BUT

you have to remember two things

while she is still older than Tem, Iskerkie, et al., that's mostly because they are basically still baby. Tem's the oldest and he's like, what, five years old by the Inca adventure? Six? Being in her twenties, Churki is admittedly like double their age, but that's still young for a species that can get into their 200s.

yes she's a veteran. but then you remember that Incans put young dragons in the army because they see it as a way to get their youthful fighting spirits out of their system till tey mature and are ready to settle down and focus on sensible things, like playing the Sims with supervising their human allyu

with all this in mind, I think the Churki + Aerial corps gang is less "mature retired general taking twenty something soldiers under her wing"

and more "rich 22 year old who just graduated and can't quite decide what job she wants, so decides to go backpacking across Europe after the cute situationship she's crushing on (platonically, interspecies), while said crush keeps trying and failing to ditch her. meanwhile, a gaggle of 12-15 year olds are trailing behind her, listening to her every piece of relationship advice like it's gospel"

[elexuscal]

the Lien & Temeraire dynamic is so fascinating because like.

they're amazing foils. Lien, the conservative imperialist, who was raised within the palaces of China, in a nation that despised her for her white scales; against Temeraire, who was sent away as an egg and tainted by the foreign, and yet is beloved by China. the way they resent and despite and detest one another, over a situation which initially they each had like 15% of influence over, and coming to see the other as a symbol and encapsulation of the enemy. Genuine bitter rivals.

meanwhile their two associated humans are making lovey dovey eyes at one another over the map tables.

[elexuscal]

hey so these tags from @andro-beaurepaire are brilliant:

#that last bit made me laugh out loud#but yeah exactly this#Lien is hated for what she is in China but respected for her mind and wisdom#while Temeraire is respected for what he is (a very powerful dragon in their depleted ranks) but hated for his mind and wisdom in Britain#and they both find themselves bringing massive change for the dragons of their adoptive country#Lien from a position of high power because she chose to leave her native country to bind herself to another emperor#Tem from a position where he is denied all power because he was exiled from his native country and bound himself to an obedient soldier#Lien brings change for the dragons of France along with Napoleon because it serves both their imperialist vision#while Temeraire brings change for the dragons of Britain along with Laurence because he actively wants social justice#and he makes Laurence learn to want it as well out of love#and by the end both Lien and Temeraire have achieved the exact same thing because their actions set the other's into motion#in a constant cycle of emulation#(not entirely unlike Laurence and Napoleon in a way)#bitter rivals who hates each other but are also the faces of the very same coin#(Lien ending up as Napoleon's companion exactly like Tem was sent away to be)#(and Tem ending up bringing revolution to Britain's system exactly like China feared he would at home)#(and sent him away in the first place to prevent)#the poetic irony is genius

YEAH LIKE. mirrors!!

[chiropteracupola]

temrer :3

[sarcasticbeanie]

“…the guide was standing a little distance away, head bent, holding the small, still body of the eagle in his hands.”

[bichobolitach]

Good a time as any to start Temeraire posting. Who wants to talk Temeraire w me Im about to finish Blood of Tyrants

[chimaerakitten]

Twitter AU!Laurence writes incredibly informative and improbably clear work emails but unfortunately his life events make them all sound like that one “against my best wishes I have been shot” professor email meme at least 60% of the time:

From: William Laurence, [email protected]

To: Temeraire Flight Crew

7 minutes ago

Hello all,

Unfortunately, I have to reschedule the training exercises, and I will have to take leave on Thursday. Against my best wishes, I have been shot in a duel and am being treated in the ER. Temeraire also has the plague, and the court date for my high treason trial is set for Friday. Admin hours are still 11-12 on Mon/Wed, with your first lieutenant. If I am not hanged, the exercise will be moved to Monday of next week. Keep reviewing the maneuvers, and remember to maintain your harnesses.

Respectfully,

W. Laurence

[elexuscal]

Laurence, meeting Temeraire:

it is a beast, to be sure, and to be its captain shall be a hard burden... although one i will shoulder for love of my country, even as it shall consign me to misery

Laurence, meeting Granby:

what a miserable fellow of poor temperament, holding unfair grudges. he dislikes me quite intensely and the feeling is mutual.

Laurence, meeting Tharkay:

a rather unsavoury fellow who seems quite inclined to leave us for dead in the desert who seems to enjoy mocking me. i must be mindful that he does not double-cross us.

----

(anyway, my point is that someone isn't very good at recognising lifelong-companions-to-be)

[jannaphia]

Quick sketch of Iskierka!

She really came out of the egg and said 'when I grow up I wanna be a problem'

[wanderingmongoose]

Lawrence caves immediately

[guardianofenergy-art]

Gonna be posting doodles as well bc why not? Have this one of Temeraire, which I still can't believe it took me as long as it did to find this series that I thoroughly enjoyed!

[wanlingnic]

I'm 3 books into the Temeraire series, and wanted to revist my design of him. Temmy, our special boy.

[isvoc]

Lien and Temeraire from Naomi Novik's books!

[emily-e-draws]

thinking fond thoughts about Tenzing Tharkay