Contubernals

[feroxargentea]

"Another misery of human life," remarked Stephen to the morning darkness, "is having a contubernal that snores like ten."
"I was not snoring," said Jack. "I was wide awake. What is a contubernal?"
"You are a contubernal."
"And you are another."

Stephen & Jack, The Nutmeg of Consolation Ch 2

Aiii, these guys, they are so cute. Sure, there are other fandoms, other OTPs, but none so sweet and funny and downright thesaurusy as these two.

(Also I am way behind with the Read, sorry. Trying to catch up, & posting this here to remind me.)

Cup of tea?

[feroxargentea]

"Boarding pikes and cutlasses have been served out, I am sure? [...] I do not think any truce is possible and you would be killed at once. In an encounter like this one side or the other has to be beaten entirely."
"Sure, you are in the right of it."
Killick put a tray on the earthwork and they sat either side of it, looking over the slip and the busy Dyaks below.
"How is the bosun?" asked Jack, putting down his cup.
"We have sewn him up," said Stephen, "and unless there is infection he will do; but he will never dance again. One of his wounds was a severed hamstring."

The Nutmeg of Consolation, chapter 2.

They already had a game of cricket (in the previous chapter), so here they have to content themselves with DRINKING A CUP OF CALMING TEA while the enemy hacks off their captives' heads on the beach below.
English people being English. It's beautiful.

p.s. Yes, technically it might be coffee. I'm going to believe it's tea, okay? :)