LINKDING

<blockquote>Long before William Laurence lost his memory, before treason, and exile, and journeys across the face of the world, John Granby loved him.</blockquote>

<blockquote>Temeraire pushes to pass a law that lets dragons adopt human families. Issues with the paperwork lead to some unexpected, but not unpleasant, consequences.</blockquote>

<blockquote>Laurence awakens in 1804 during the moment of Temeraire's hatching. He weighs his knowledge and makes a choice.</blockquote> ➤ oh nooooooooo :(

<blockquote>Mr. Tharkay was entirely clever, entirely self-sufficient, and the Admiral was a true gentleman, respectful and warm towards the servants without being permissive, and they were both, Mary supposed, very great men in their own rights. It was only that, when they were together, she couldn't fail to think that they were not in their right mind. Tenzing Tharkay, William Laurence, and the servants that observe them.</blockquote>

<blockquote>There was a room, and a pallet inside it; a small torch burned low in a socket upon the wall. A man lay upon the cot, his face bruised and battered, his hands curled against his chest bloody, and Laurence did not know him. Or, a little part of Blood of Tyrants goes differently.</blockquote>

<blockquote>In which the instution of marriage is discussed, and the impediments therein are removed. ...mostly via the application of liberal amounts of alcohol, and maybe a smidgeon of actual use of words.</blockquote>

<blockquote>Tharkay is the only one on the Reliant who is not already tied to a position, and so he is the one chosen to harness the dragonet when it hatches. (Or: the one where Tharkay is a reluctant aviator, and Laurence is an outcast wanderer.)</blockquote> ➤ seems to be abandoned, but what does exist is amazing

<blockquote>Little suddenly turns away and throws himself down on the couch where Laurence previously sat, drunkenness making him stumble a little. He leans heavily against Tharkay, who doesn't mind, and tosses Granby a jaunty salute. “Now you must kiss him, John. I know how long you have wanted to; you will always regret it if you do not."</blockquote>

<blockquote>Maintaining a clandestine relationship with Granby is hard enough for Little without the war, a plague, multiple trips around the world and gossipy dragons in the mix, never mind Granby's ambiguously close friendship with William Laurence. Little does his best not to be jealous or uncertain as the years and continents separate him from his lover, but when Laurence returns from a shipwreck with his memories missing and old prejudices intact, Little finds he has something new to worry about.</blockquote>

<blockquote>Laurence is content living with Tharkay after the war, but he wishes their relationship could be more... defined.</blockquote>

<blockquote>Laurence and Tharkay, holed up together in the midst of a cold, snowy winter, pass the time by reading old letters. But there's more contained in those papers than either of them bargained for...</blockquote> ➤ the premise of this fic is INCREDIBLE, I love them going through Laurence's old letters in a cozily domestic wintry home, with the contents new to both of them

<blockquote>Laurence and Temeraire have been living with Tharkay for a scant two weeks when Laurence sends Granby a letter that essentially boils down to hi John how did you know you're gay also plz help I am in trouble.</blockquote>

<blockquote>The consolations of possession.</blockquote> ➤ it feels surprisingly innovative to come across a fic where Tharkay is NOT the long-term piner of the two

<blockquote>After the third year, Granby gave up all pretence and embraced it as a tradition: The final week of July, barring war, injury, or other disaster, was to be spent on Tharkay’s estate in Scotland.</blockquote>

<blockquote>In which Lady Kiyomizu is a big fan of Shakespeare, and also, alcohol.</blockquote>

<blockquote>The war with France has been oddly quiet of late, which is good (though frustrating) news for Temeraire, newly-trained and just learning to patrol the English coast. Meanwhile Laurence meets an amnesiac Frenchman in Dover and takes advantage of the covert's idleness.</blockquote> ➤ in which an amnesiac Napoleon ends up in England for a while

<blockquote>‘It is no good asking me,’ Laurence said at last, pushing the pattern-book away over breakfast, ‘I am not the one–’ Not the one who would be living with the result, he had been about to say. But they had hardly accepted Tharkay’s invitation as casual houseguests.</blockquote>

<blockquote>Napoleon sends a letter to the upstart sea-captain who stole his dragon, Laurence sends one back, and a correspondence begins under the uneasy eye of the admiralty. ------When Laurence had admitted the matter to Granby his lieutenant exclaimed, “God, does Boney want you drawn and quartered as a traitor?” which seems perfectly possible.</blockquote> ➤ the main plot turns out to be the dragon plague which means auuugh (the laurence/napoleon is not any kind of endgame relationship in this particular fic ftr)

<blockquote>Two dragons create a scandal in Britain, life with Tharkay is wonderful – and also a bit scandalous – and Laurence is apparently destined to be a political symbol for the rest of his life. What kind of symbol, though, is debatable.</blockquote>

<blockquote>After bringing the cure to France, Napoleon points out that the execution of a Chinese prince - even an adopted one - may well spark a war between China and England. Laurence grudgingly agrees to stay in France with the expectation that he and Temeraire will live a long and boring life away from any fighting, but he doesn't expect Napoleon's persistence.</blockquote> ➤ okay it's really disconcerting how this is very nearly believable, despite Laurence's Laurenceness. But also because of Laurence's Laurenceness this is like...SNEAKILY TRAGIC ENDING because like Laurence has a relationship he likes and a purpose in life and Temeraire by his side and yet....AUGH.

<blockquote>Temeraire is dead. The entire country knows his name after the Battle of Dover, and now Temeraire is dead. “Well,” says Admiral Croft, “At least you can join the navy again, eh, Captain?”</blockquote> ➤ gaaaaah this is so heartbreaking but also I am really mad that the author killed Tharkay off too

<blockquote>Laurence sees Tharkay for the first time since the end of the war at a crowded port in Macao, on a stifling summer afternoon nearly indistinguishable from the day they met in the very same city, more than a decade ago.</blockquote>

<blockquote>The request that resulted in these stories was "Long, plotty threesome fic with UST, manful British repression, and stuff with the dragons".</blockquote> ➤ series contains two stories: ➤ "Faithful in the Performance: <blockquote>On board the Allegiance, Laurence has a lot of time to think. Granby and Tharkay try to talk him out of it.</blockquote> ➤ "From, and To, and Why": <blockquote>Laurence's talent for repression, Tharkay's for self-denial, and Granby's for exploding when he just can't take it anymore finally come to a head. Also, Temeraire and Iskierka nearly get everyone killed.</blockquote> ➤ In which the characters are all extremely themselves, and I was strongly overcome with feelings about everything

<blockquote>SPOILERS for the entire series, 1-7, but ESPECIALLY for Crucible of Gold. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. Half a sentence from Iskierka, and a cup of grog, passed from hand to hand at a bonfire. That's all the canon gives us. An attempt to fill in the missing pieces. The story of Captain Little, John Granby, and William Laurence, through the years.</blockquote>

<blockquote>Three times William Laurence was oblivious on the journey to Australia.</blockquote> ➤ oh look, another of those "wait I was sure I'd bookmarked this before" fics. It's been a while!

➤ THREE CANDLES LIT HAS A (GREAT) PODFIC. I AM SO HAPPY. ➤ fic by novembersmith, podfic by dodificus

<blockquote> "Then I am glad we shall be shipmates," Laurence finally said, the faintest hint of color showing on his cheeks, but he appeared more pleased than horrified by the shock of having a familiar face onboard--so perhaps he didn't quite perceive what Tharkay meant by it.</blockquote> ➤ I seriously hadn't bookmarked this before? Sometimes my past self makes baffling decisions. Or - and more likely - I was totally intending to bookmark it and something got in the way of that happening. It certainly happens often enough today still that things don't get bookmarked when I fully intend them to. Sigh. I can but hope that one day I will be a fully responsible bookmarker.

<blockquote>There was a pianoforte in the officers' club; this was more of an oddity than Victrix's taste for Virgil, but perhaps less of one than Robbins' dresses or Leightley's flamboyant eyepatch.</blockquote> ➤ or: at the New South Wales covert

<blockquote>To be cowardly in this, to refuse to see it through, seemed more unmanly to Laurence than beginning it.</blockquote>

<blockquote>Okay, so basically I shoved the GK boys into 19th century Napoleonic England, added Naomi Novik's dragons, shook vigorously, and then RAN LIKE THE HELL</blockquote> ➤ also on ao3: http://archiveofourown.org/works/554685