Nothing in the world like Tea [CLOSED]

[shendefeng]

Characters: Temeraire shendefeng, Dylan Sharp bellcaptain
Location: Death City's new tea shop.
Rating: PG
Time: January 18th (Late morning)
Description: It had been some time that Temeraire had meant to speak with Mr. Sharp, as they are both in their respective world's Aerial divisions; so as fellow Britishers, what more natural to do than to have a nice spot of tea?

Comments

[bellcaptain]

[Deryn was incredibly excited to have tea with Temeraire. Part of it was the novelty of meeting a dragon but mostly, it was because of the fact that he served in the Aerial corps of his Britain. Even if his Britain and hers were from completely different worlds, they were still, in a way, comrades.

She stepped inside the tea shop and spotted him right away. Carefully, she made her way over, grinning widely. He was much more impressive than the device showed. Deryn waved and greeted him in her practiced boy-voice.]

Good morning, sir!

[shendefeng]

[He saw young Sharp come in, and gave him a smile]

Mr. Sharp, good morning to you as well! Pray, do come and have a seat.

[As he said so, he did his best to serve some tea from the pot into the cup that was prepared for Sharp. It might have looked a little awkward, what with him using his sharp claws to handle something so delicate, yet he did a good job of it despite the apparent handicap.]

I do hope you do not mind my having ordered some tea; it has just come, and I do think it is still pleasantly hot enough for the weather we're having.

[bellcaptain]

[Deryn shrugged off her coat and swung it onto the back of her chair before taking a seat.]

Oh, no, I don't mind at all.

[She watched him as he poured the tea in interest. When he was finished, she reached for the cup and smiled her thanks. She dropped a lump of sugar in and stirred it thoughtfully.]

Though the weather here is certainly warmer than where I left it before coming to this city.

[shendefeng]

[He gave young Sharp a nod.]

It was actually quite colder before you came in, Mr. Sharp. I think you would be glad to not have gone through that, for it was even more colder than I ever remember it being in England. As for warm weather, I do think I should warn you that this city is actually in the middle of a vast and expansive desert. I have been told that it can get very hot to one's liking.

Thankfully, the technology that they have in this day and age is quite wondrous, and can regulate the temperature inside one's apartment as one desires.

[After having said that, he took to lapping off some tea with his forked tongue. Aaah, yes, that did indeed hit the spot. But... wait a moment.

He paused, and looked at young Sharp with interest.]

Pray pardon this thought of mine, but if you call this warm as we are right now, I do have to wonder what it was like where you came from.

[bellcaptain]

[Deryn was actually trying very hard not to let all her questions about Temeraire burst out so instead she sipped at her tea quietly as he spoke.]

My airship was actually passing through Siberia during a blizzard. I was in a glider outside to pick up supplies. A barking odd time to wake up elsewhere, I have to admit. And the city is in a desert? I'm afraid I don't know much about it yet.

[shendefeng]

[He most likely would not mind it, seeing as he is basically asking her about as much.

However, her words cause him a bit of consternation. Gliders? Airships?]

Pardon, but I do not know what you mean with airships, or gliders, depending on how you would define it.

I know that there is currently something in this world called a glider which is like one of these modern-day aeroplanes, except that it does not require a motor, and can only fly from where it is dropped, and land the one time after flying about for a while.

Somehow, I would not think that it would be the same in your world, would it?

[For that sort of knowledge, he is quite grateful for his hours of reading both history and science oriented books. Otherwise, he would have felt even more lost than what he currently does.]

And you mention Siberia -- Yes, I would imagine that was quite the ordeal if you were caught in a blizzard in such a cold place.

[bellcaptain]

Aye, the gliders are something like that. There are mechanisms that allow me to steer but it can't stay in the air by itself for too long. The airships, on the other hand, are completely different than any such here. This, I'm completely sure of.

[She taps her chin thoughtfully. Sure there are things different here than what she was used to but in a way, it was the same too. Only everything here is more machine reliant.]

I remember you saying something about Napoleon. I'm going to assume you don't have things like airships or gliders where you're from since even in my work things like that didn't exist at the time.

[shendefeng]

I will agree, we do not have anything like that back where and when I am from. I did not recognize anything here, much less the technologies available here. However, one does learn to cope and use them as well as one can.

As for gliders and the like, I do not think we ever had a need for it. We could carry humans if they ever wanted to go aloft, and I would do so for my Captain and my crew all the time. Duty of the Corps, I think my Captain would call it.

[And another pause to lap up some tea for a moment.]

[bellcaptain]

[Deryn's eyes widen a bit at his comment.]

Wait, you can carry an entire barking crew?

[He doesn't... really look like he's capable of that.]

[shendefeng]

[He continues on tasting his tea, and appears to be calm.

That is, because he is willing himself to stay calm, for he usually sees it as a personal slight about people looking at his size and assuming he was always so small.]

Not in this world, of course. BREW made me small so as to fit the dimensions of the city. Before coming here, the only time I was ever indoors were the days immediately after my hatching. Then, I was considered to be too big to stay inside the Captain's cabin in the ship.

If you must know, I was actually around one-hundred and fifty-five feet long, with a perfectly proportionate wingspan. I could personally carry around one-hundred men aside from my own crew that numbered in the thirties such as the ground crew, the bellmen and the topmen, not including the runners and look-outs.

But here... I am only around one-eighth of my original size, only able to carry two people at the most, or three children if the need arises.

[Here, he looks a bit sullen, for he certainly does miss being his own normal size.]

[bellcaptain]

[Well, that certainly did make sense. And the more Deryn listened to Temeraire's description, the more impressed she becomes.]

Barking spiders, that's bloody impressive! And you're right, from the sound of things I doubt airships or gliders would be very useful in your world, not when there are dragons that can do a much better job! You must be very strong too! To be able to carry that many men.

Though, I wouldn't mind seeing you in your original form, I must say BREW must have it's reasons for doing this. Besides, I wouldn't be able to have tea with you like this otherwise!

[shendefeng]

[It seemed that Sharp really liked to use the word "Barking." That was quite an interesting little fact, and was probably used instead of an expletive, which Temeraire appreciates.]

Oh, we all are. Then again, I am not the largest if truth be told. There is my wingmate named Maximus, who is a Regal Copper; he is larger in comparison, even amongst those of his own breed. He could carry even more men, and had a larger crew as well.

[As for his current size, that was true enough. It was a wonder, when dragons back home were not indoors, save for when they were still in the shell.]

I can say that I am quite glad I am able to do so, and it does let me be on equal footing with normal humans while I am here. The best one could hope for back home is to have a pavilion made in the Chinese style to have for oneself.

And you are quite right, BREW had a reason, though that does not stop me from begrudging the fact that I was made smaller, even if I stand on equal ground with everyone else.

sorry this took so long orz

[bellcaptain]

[The more Temeraire talked about his world, the more Deryn became fascinated by it. In a way, it was likes hers and even though she loved the Leviathan with all her heart, it just didn't seem to compare with something as intelligent and able as dragons.

She lets out a slow whistle.]

I wouldn't mind being able to visit your world at all. It sounds completely brilliant! And I agree that it would be unsettling to suddenly be changed like this. BREW does that to others though, doesn't it? Not necessarily the way it changed you but there are changes, right?

[Deryn's gaze wandered and settle on the table next to them. What ever they were having caught her eye and she decided she was hungry.]

Hm, have you eaten yet?

Mine took even longer, pray forgive this...

[shendefeng]

[He gives Sharp a nod.]

I have heard that there are others that state that they have their own special sorts of abilities in their own worlds, but have been taken from them. For example, there is Luna, who is a witch in her world, but cannot do magic in this one.

[He paused, and looked at Sharp's movements; then... at her question.]

Pray do not worry for myself, for I have already broken my fast this morning before the training session.

As for yourself, if you are hungry, pray ask for some biscuits or whatever would be most suitable for our mid-morning meeting.