InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "You taught him well..."

Will Laurence (withallmyheart) wrote in valloic,
@ 2023-11-19 17:43:00

Entry tags:

the untamed: lan xichen, ~plot: what if, ₴ inactive: temeraire, ₴ inactive: william laurence 2

Temeraire

Will you be home for dinner this evening? I received something today that I should like to show you.

Messages sent later to Lan Xichen and Emily

There's something wrong with Temeraire. I believe he's been affected by... whatever nonsense Vallo is throwing at us this time, but he does not know me. I'm going to fetch him home.

(Post a new comment)

	lungtienxiang 2023-11-19 11:49 pm UTC (link)
	Who are you? What is this? What is this place? (Reply to this) (Thread)

	withallmyheart 2023-11-20 12:04 am UTC (link)
	~~Oh blast.~~ [Ring ring ring, phone call, phone call] (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	lungtienxiang 2023-11-20 12:10 am UTC (link)
	"Kindly stop dinging, you were talking before. It is no good going 'ding ding' like I should know what you mean. Hello?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	withallmyheart 2023-11-20 12:15 am UTC (link)
	"Oh thank goodness. Temeraire, it's Laurence. Can you tell me where you are?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	lungtienxiang 2023-11-20 12:19 am UTC (link)
	"No, I cannot, I do not recognise anything at all and I do not know how I got here in the least. And I do not know any Laurence, or any Temeraire for that matter, so I think you must have me confused for someone else, whoever you are, dinging thing." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	withallmyheart 2023-11-20 12:32 am UTC (link)
	There's a long silence as Laurence digests the idea of Temeraire not knowing who he is. He clears his throat. "Can I ask your name?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	lungtienxiang 2023-11-20 12:36 am UTC (link)
	"I am Céleste. Where are you, are you on me somehow? You must be very small." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	withallmyheart 2023-11-20 12:46 am UTC (link)
	"No. No, I'm communicating to you through... through the dinging thing. If you can locate a landmark, I can come to you presently. "Are you... Do you... Temer -- Céleste, do you know Bonaparte?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

lungtienxiang
2023-11-20 01:04 am UTC (link)

"No, I have never heard of any dragon called Bonaparte either. Why do you insist on asking me all these names? It is quite tiresome, especially when I cannot see you. Hm. Well I have found the ocean, anyway, although there is no really good stretch of beach to sit on. There is some flat rock, which I suppose must do. I will wait for you, but pray be quick, I would like to go fishing."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	withallmyheart 2023-11-20 01:08 am UTC (link)
	"Good. That's... good." The relief in his voice is palpable. "Is there a stretch of... of class and metal buildings to your left?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	lungtienxiang 2023-11-20 01:14 am UTC (link)
	"There are some shiny buildings, but I could not say what they are made of unless I get closer, should I go and look?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	withallmyheart 2023-11-20 01:18 am UTC (link)
	"No! No, Te - dea -- Céleste, stay there. I know where you are. I will be there shortly." A beat. "Do you... have any companion at all? Do you know any men?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	lungtienxiang 2023-11-20 01:25 am UTC (link)
	"Oh, very well. I would not like to land on them anyway, they do not look at all sturdy. I do not know any men, at least not by name; they always try to attack us first before there is any conversation, so I have quite given up trying. Men are very rude, I find, although they do have the best treasures, and it is quite easy to take it from them as well." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	withallmyheart 2023-11-20 01:29 am UTC (link)
	"I... see." Laurence sounds a little faint at that. "I... we will discuss this in person." A muttering of "For God's sake--" can be heard as he hangs up (Reply to this) (Parent)

	Laurence/Emily/LXC text chain zewujun 2023-11-20 02:23 pm UTC (link)
	Do you require any help convincing him? How different is he? (Reply to this) (Thread)

Laurence/Emily/LXC text chain

withallmyheart
2023-11-20 03:32 pm UTC (link)

He does not know me, and goes by the name Céleste. I had worried, a little, that he had come from a reality where he had become Companion to Bonaparte, but it seems he knows no man and has hatched instead as a feral?

He's talked of being attacked by men, and stealing their treasures, which does not bode well, but I am confident that no matter what reality he comes from, he will be intelligent, clever and reasonable, and so I think I will be safe with him. It may be best if I meet him alone initially, so he does not feel as though he is being ambushed, but perhaps once I bring him home you can help me explain the concept of property.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	Laurence/Emily/LXC text chain zewujun 2023-11-20 03:35 pm UTC (link)
	I will do my best. It would not do to have him practicing theft and piracy in Vallo. It is lucky for us that he knows any human language, I suppose. Are you holding up well? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Laurence | LXC

withallmyheart
2023-11-20 03:47 pm UTC (link)

I know it is the height of folly, especially as I have never been one to believe in vague concepts such as fate or destiny.

But I suppose some part of me had thought that Temeraire and I would find our way to one another no matter what happened and it's... disquieting to have him not know me.

I suppose this must have been how you felt this spring when I was not myself.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	Laurence \| LXC zewujun 2023-11-20 04:04 pm UTC (link)
	It is unsettling to have those dearest to us be strangers, and I do hope I never again wake in a world where you do not know me. But the fact that there are worlds in which we have not met does not make our bond any weaker or our love less real. I may indeed appreciate what we have more for knowing that there are places where all is not as it should be. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	Laurence \| LXC withallmyheart 2023-11-20 04:56 pm UTC (link)
	You're right, of course, and in the grand scheme of things I suppose it would be rare that across all the large ocean, I should have found the ship that held Temeraire's egg. Thank you, dear heart. You can always help ease my mind. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	Laurence \| LXC zewujun 2023-11-20 05:28 pm UTC (link)
	Of course, my love. And take some comfort too in the fact that this will almost certainly pass quickly. Trouble in Vallo seldom remains for long. (Reply to this) (Parent)