give me something to remember you by [CLOSED]

[iskierka_no]

[They'd come this far together, and he'd be damned that something as ridiculous as exile and treason. So it initially might have been Iskierka's crazy idea, and maybe (maybe) he couldn't have convinced her to change her course; but he hadn't done much to dissuade her either. Either way, they had successfully marooned themselves on a dragon transport bound for a wild land of convicts, with no land about and a seriously lack of space.]

[Yes, on the surface the Allegiance was enormous. But it was still a boat (or was it a ship?) and Granby found himself running into Laurence more often than he'd like. It was so contradictory, to try to avoid him when him and his dragon had made such a point to get to Laurence. Most of Granby's trepidation came from the fact that his former captain seemed to be absolutely oblivious to... to... everything. He'd dropped hints, made suggestions, had come close to saying it out right and still Laurence just. Didn't notice.]

[It was enough to drive a man to drink.]

[Thinking on drinking, that sounded like a wonderful way to pass another uneventful evening at sea. However this time he was determined not to do it alone. It wasn't hard to find Laurence, this time thankfully away from the far too insightful beasts laying out on deck.]

Mister Laurence. [The wine is cheap but the glasses are clean.] May I tempt you?

[A loaded question, to be sure, but at this point he doesn't have much to lose.]

Comments

[temeraire_no]

[ It was unjustly to his benefit that being Temeraire's captain was all that kept him from being thrown into chains and kept with the other prisoners that the Allegiance carried to exile in New South Wales. He knew without having to ask that if they had attempted to treat him like an ordinary prisoner that Temeraire would have torn the transport apart just to find him. As it was his dear partner was dissatisfied with the fact that Laurence couldn't simply stay upon the dragon deck with him constantly. Temeraire meant well but he still couldn't comprehend why Laurence was honor bound to accept the ruling of the admiralty. The colony wouldn't be ideal but it would be the best way to atone.

He'd retired to his cabin for the evening with the intention of passing the rest of the night quietly. Or as quietly as one could when they were placed so near to so many condemned men who did not rest easy in their chains. Granby's interruption was welcome and yet.

The Mr. Laurence still stung in spite of his logic telling him it was deserved. His heart wasn't as easily ruled as his head. The wine would be a ]

I may have to decline, John. [ He smiles self deprecatingly ] I doubt I would be any sort of suitable company for you.

[iskierka_no]

[He couldn't say he hadn't expected this reaction, or something very similar. Laurence's idea of dealing with problems at hand was to shut down and shut out everyone around him. He insisted on being noble and stoic out of some misguided sense of duty; Duty that had gotten him into this mess in the first place.]

[Damn Laurence for holding himself to such an outdated ideal. He supposed no one had bothered to tell him he was a century or two too late for knightly chivalry.]

Don't be ridiculous. [Granby took a spare chair that someone had the gracious foresight to add to the meager quarters. It was appalling, he really should have been housed with the rest of the crew, and yet even if that option was available Laurence probably would have refused it.] You're more than suitable company. Besides, shouldn't it be the other way around?

[Compared to Laurence, he's rather low-born as the son of a coal miner, and raised as an aviator he's an outsider to most genteel society. But he's never treated Granby as such, except for back in the beginning when he'd been an absolute ass to his new commanding officer. It's a marvel how far they've come since then.]

[He pours a not so modest amount of wine into the glasses and presses one upon Laurence regardless of any protests he might have.] It would be a sad sight if I had to drink the whole thing alone.

[temeraire_no]

[ He ought to have expected John to insist that he join him despite, or perhaps in spite of, Laurence's desire to be left alone with his thoughts. A part of him was absurdly grateful for the intrusion as it kept him from the most toxic of his thoughts, especially the ones that whispered quietly that he deserved to be in chains if only so he could feel wronged in some way. However it is difficult to say no to an aviator with his heels dug and Laurence finds himself with a generous glass of wine and the pleasure of Granby's company. ]

I am sure that Tenzing or perhaps the Captain would have been perfectly willing to oblige you. [ Once he says it he realizes how foolish that was. Riley had been withdrawn the entire journey, due in part to his own conflict with Laurence but also due to his difficulty with aviators in general. He'd barely performed his duties as host as it were.

Of course Laurence is as stubborn as any natural born aviator and wouldn't give in quite so easily. At the very least he could persuade his friend to see that there were other options to socialize with beyond the condemned man before him. Not that he expected much success on that. At the very least he could ease John into the idea of finding another companion once he was back to England. ]

I am sure there will be no shortage of people you might spend your evenings with once you've returned.

[iskierka_no]

I came here because I wanted your company, not theirs. [He was not going to abandon him under the weak pretense of better entertainment with the others. They where perfectly well off on their own.] Besides, I think Tharkay is sick of me by now.

[It wasn't true in the slightest. At least, he didn't think it was. Tharkay was always hard to read, but always forward in letting one know when they where bothering him. Either way, he's not letting Laurence win that easily.]

[The idea of returning to England without him was a dim one. There was probably no way around it, though that hadn't stopped him from trying to puzzle a way around it. But even if the could have convinced the stuffy and scared politicians that Temeraire was needed, they'd never let Laurence back into the country alive.]

[But the idea he presented Granby with finding someone new was far less pleasant than all of that.]

Yes, and they'll all be incredibly dull compared to you. You sell yourself too short.

[He'd never tried before to bolster someone's self worth and he could only pray he was doing it right.]

[temeraire_no]

I believe I sell myself the proper amount. A man condemned is no proper companion to keep if you wish to see your career properly advanced.

[ This would be so much the easier if John would simply accept the fact of things. He was only alive now because of Temeraire's worth and the destruction he might wreak if Laurence were executed for his crimes. He takes a sip of the wine, trying to savor it as best he can in spite of the circumstances. He has no illusions about what he might be able to find once they hit land in Sydney. ]

I appreciate the sentiment but you need to cultivate your ties with the other captains who will be assigned to Iskierka's formation. [ It was something sure to happen. Even if she was a wild thing age would surely temper her impulsive nature and she would be a keystone in Britain's defense. ]

I have seen you friendly with Captain Little, I am sure he would gladly bring Immortalis's experience to bear in whatever formation you are granted. Perhaps by the time you return Iskierka's rabble of brigands might have even been made slightly respectable.

[ He says it with a small smile, an olive branch to draw them away from the thought of Laurence not returning with him. The idea of Arkady becoming a respectable member of a formation was laughable at best. ]

[iskierka_no]

I have Iskierka, the rest of my "career" can go hang itself. [Because what more could he want than the best fire-breather in the world? A dragon was all he had ever wanted; no glory or lofty post could compare.] She gets into enough trouble as it is.

[She really needs to stop setting things on fire and capturing bounties before they're both so weighed down in gold and trophies that they sink to the bottom of the ocean.]

[He tries not to choke on his drink at the mention of Little, because god knows that Laurence doesn't know the full extent of their relationship. Sometimes in the wake of his former captain's extreme obliviousness there where small miracles. Granby is sure that if he had noticed, he would have already had a lengthy talk with a scandalized Laurence about the aviators and their loose moral code.]

[And of course he liked Little. If he hadn't, they they wouldn't have fallen in with one another whenever they where stationed at the same place. But he's not William Laurence.]

I'm sure they'll be placing Immortalis where his experience will be needed most. [As to hint, 'not with my bloodthirsty child of a dragon'.] Little and I have known each other for a long time, so of course we're on friendly terms.

[The idea of Arkady an the others being anything other that a barely controlled pack of ferals looking for cows was absurd. He tries not to laugh, he really does, but he fails completely.]

They day they join a proper formation, I'll let Iskierka outfit the whole unit in all the finery she's won!