Re: Mass Effect/Temeraire crossover: "Here we go Again" 7/?
anonymous
July 4 2014, 11:50:45 UTC
‘What in the Spirit’s names is the prisoner doing here?’ Growled Operatine Castus from where he stood off to the side with his Phaeston held loosely. ‘I’m here to stop you signing your own death-warrant in dragon blood.’ Jack snapped back. ‘And maybe ending this before it escalates into a xenocidal war of revenge.’ Castus just sneered at that but stopped as Victus growled a warning too high for the Human to hear, before issuing a brief order to back off, which the Operatine did, leaving Victus with Jack, Lameya and a few engineers who’s job it was to keep the heaters running. The egg that was the source of all this disruption was rocking back and forth and had already cracked somewhat. As Victus watched, a black wingtip could be observed scrabbling through a hole near the top of the egg and a talon through another near the bottom. Lameya stood to the side with a hastily fashioned harness made to Jack’s specifications as Jack had quickly outlined the now rarely-used ritual of harnessing, and the consequences of it, before he’d explained what would have happened if the Turians hadn’t attacked. Victus had to admit he felt guilty. Despite having no way of knowing prior to Jack’s revelation, he felt guilty for having essentially necessitated this infant to be emotionally bound to the Human until death parted them. It was however, Jack had said with undisguised accusation, the only way to ensure the hatchling’s compliance, a quick and hopefully relatively peaceful resolution to matters and Jack’s continued existence by his own reckoning. Victus was snapped from his musings as the egg split down the middle, spilling a black creature the size of a varren onto the padded cushion, it’s body hidden by suddenly up-thrown wings traced along the bottom edge by blue and grey markings. It looked more dignified than a varren and when it lowered it’s wings to flick away the fragments of eggshell stuck to its hide, Victus found himself staring into eyes the colour of a tropical sea. Jack suddenly looked quite stiff as he exhaled quite audibly and rolled his shoulders. The hatchling didn’t stay on its pillow for long, jumping down and wandering around the prefab warehouse, looking curiously at the other legs and occasionally rearing up to look at a monitor or display, batting at the haptic interfaces curiously, though at Jack’s frantic signalling he quietly ordered the personnel in the shed to act passive. Just in time as the hatchling had just waddled over to Opertine Fyodorus and reared onto its hind legs, wings spread for balance as it peered curiously at her face. The dragon lost interest quickly before it wandered back over to Jack and coiled around him before rubbing at his hand with it’s jowls. Jack slowly knelt and looked into the dragon’s eyes with a look of tender sadness that was at odds with his behaviour up until that point.
Re: Mass Effect/Temeraire crossover: "Here we go Again" 8/?
anonymous
July 4 2014, 12:49:52 UTC
He opened his mouth to speak but before he could, the hatchling was off again, making another lazy circuit of the room as it continued to explore. Victus chuckled at the sight, his mandibles fluttering in amusement. It reminded him of his own son when he learned to crawl. The movement caught the hatchling’s attention and it walked over and peered up at Victus curiously. ‘How did you do that?’ The hatchling asked in flawless Palavani The look on Jack’s face was plain to read: Shock. Absolute and utter shock had replaced sad patience. He looked at Victus, before he stood and cleared his throat. ‘Perhaps I could explain?’ He offered cautiously. The hatchling turned to him, before replying in English: ‘No, I want him to explain. And then he can find me some food.’ She,-the dragon’s voice was definitely female,-replied. Jack looked back to Victus desperately. Victus, for his part had just come to the unhappy realisation he was stuck: The harnessing was mostly ceremonial, Jack had said, but when a dragon imprinted, it took a great breach of trust or unspeakable cruelty to break that bond. And Jack had also been fairly insistent that the person a hatchling spoke to first was the almost always the one it imprinted on. ‘What’s your name?’ The hatchling asked. ‘Adrien Victus, might I enquire yours?’ Victus asked formally. Jack had been rather emphatic when he’d outlined this part of the ceremony. ‘I don’t have one.’ The hatchling said at last. ‘May I give you one?’ Victus asked. ‘Please?’ The dragon asked hopefully, looking up at him like one of his young nieces. And now he was at a loss, his mandibles gave a flutter as he thought desperately, before he blurted: ‘Verrikan!’ Thinking of the frigate he’d served on two tours ago. A fine ship. A damn fine ship. ‘Verrikan? Yes, I like that.’ Verrikan replied with a nod. ‘Now, if you would excuse me, Adrian.’ She said, turning to the meat. Victus wasn’t quite quick enough to step back before he was spattered with flying meat as the hatchling began to eat with ravenous hunger. ‘Well.’ Jack said, sounding quite strange as though he didn’t know what to feel. ‘This complicates things, but one way or another, you’re stuck with me, Captain.’ The last word held a great deal of mockery to it.
And I’m leaving this there. Anyone else wants to pick this up and run with it, feel free.
Re: Mass Effect/Temeraire crossover: "Here we go Again" 8/?
anonymous
July 5 2014, 14:16:58 UTC
And he's unwittingly channelling the spirit of William Laurence. And, like it or not, he's now stuck with a Human who's dragon who's death he's indirectly responsible for.
And to put the icing on the cake: The egg was Lien's. Jack Roland is a decendent of Emily Roland and Temeraire happens to have taken as much interest in her line as he has Laurence's.
Just some useful thoughts from the guy who posted the fill in case anyone was wondering where I would have gone or wanted questions answered.
‘I’m here to stop you signing your own death-warrant in dragon blood.’ Jack snapped back. ‘And maybe ending this before it escalates into a xenocidal war of revenge.’
Castus just sneered at that but stopped as Victus growled a warning too high for the Human to hear, before issuing a brief order to back off, which the Operatine did, leaving Victus with Jack, Lameya and a few engineers who’s job it was to keep the heaters running.
The egg that was the source of all this disruption was rocking back and forth and had already cracked somewhat.
As Victus watched, a black wingtip could be observed scrabbling through a hole near the top of the egg and a talon through another near the bottom.
Lameya stood to the side with a hastily fashioned harness made to Jack’s specifications as Jack had quickly outlined the now rarely-used ritual of harnessing, and the consequences of it, before he’d explained what would have happened if the Turians hadn’t attacked.
Victus had to admit he felt guilty. Despite having no way of knowing prior to Jack’s revelation, he felt guilty for having essentially necessitated this infant to be emotionally bound to the Human until death parted them.
It was however, Jack had said with undisguised accusation, the only way to ensure the hatchling’s compliance, a quick and hopefully relatively peaceful resolution to matters and Jack’s continued existence by his own reckoning.
Victus was snapped from his musings as the egg split down the middle, spilling a black creature the size of a varren onto the padded cushion, it’s body hidden by suddenly up-thrown wings traced along the bottom edge by blue and grey markings.
It looked more dignified than a varren and when it lowered it’s wings to flick away the fragments of eggshell stuck to its hide, Victus found himself staring into eyes the colour of a tropical sea.
Jack suddenly looked quite stiff as he exhaled quite audibly and rolled his shoulders.
The hatchling didn’t stay on its pillow for long, jumping down and wandering around the prefab warehouse, looking curiously at the other legs and occasionally rearing up to look at a monitor or display, batting at the haptic interfaces curiously, though at Jack’s frantic signalling he quietly ordered the personnel in the shed to act passive.
Just in time as the hatchling had just waddled over to Opertine Fyodorus and reared onto its hind legs, wings spread for balance as it peered curiously at her face.
The dragon lost interest quickly before it wandered back over to Jack and coiled around him before rubbing at his hand with it’s jowls.
Jack slowly knelt and looked into the dragon’s eyes with a look of tender sadness that was at odds with his behaviour up until that point.
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Victus chuckled at the sight, his mandibles fluttering in amusement. It reminded him of his own son when he learned to crawl.
The movement caught the hatchling’s attention and it walked over and peered up at Victus curiously.
‘How did you do that?’ The hatchling asked in flawless Palavani
The look on Jack’s face was plain to read:
Shock. Absolute and utter shock had replaced sad patience.
He looked at Victus, before he stood and cleared his throat.
‘Perhaps I could explain?’ He offered cautiously.
The hatchling turned to him, before replying in English: ‘No, I want him to explain. And then he can find me some food.’ She,-the dragon’s voice was definitely female,-replied.
Jack looked back to Victus desperately.
Victus, for his part had just come to the unhappy realisation he was stuck:
The harnessing was mostly ceremonial, Jack had said, but when a dragon imprinted, it took a great breach of trust or unspeakable cruelty to break that bond.
And Jack had also been fairly insistent that the person a hatchling spoke to first was the almost always the one it imprinted on.
‘What’s your name?’ The hatchling asked.
‘Adrien Victus, might I enquire yours?’ Victus asked formally. Jack had been rather emphatic when he’d outlined this part of the ceremony.
‘I don’t have one.’ The hatchling said at last.
‘May I give you one?’ Victus asked.
‘Please?’ The dragon asked hopefully, looking up at him like one of his young nieces.
And now he was at a loss, his mandibles gave a flutter as he thought desperately, before he blurted:
‘Verrikan!’
Thinking of the frigate he’d served on two tours ago. A fine ship. A damn fine ship.
‘Verrikan? Yes, I like that.’ Verrikan replied with a nod. ‘Now, if you would excuse me, Adrian.’ She said, turning to the meat.
Victus wasn’t quite quick enough to step back before he was spattered with flying meat as the hatchling began to eat with ravenous hunger.
‘Well.’ Jack said, sounding quite strange as though he didn’t know what to feel. ‘This complicates things, but one way or another, you’re stuck with me, Captain.’ The last word held a great deal of mockery to it.
And I’m leaving this there.
Anyone else wants to pick this up and run with it, feel free.
Reply
Reply
And, like it or not, he's now stuck with a Human who's dragon who's death he's indirectly responsible for.
And to put the icing on the cake:
The egg was Lien's.
Jack Roland is a decendent of Emily Roland and Temeraire happens to have taken as much interest in her line as he has Laurence's.
Just some useful thoughts from the guy who posted the fill in case anyone was wondering where I would have gone or wanted questions answered.
Reply
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