Volger was, for a lack of better words, bored.
After all, one finds that one does not have much to do aboard a Godless Darwinist airship when one is an Austrian Wildcount. Regardless, He strode through the Leviathan's halls with purpose; mindlessly stumbling about did not fall under his preferred hobbies.
He checks his pocket watch, and takes a moment to alleviate his perpetual scowl. Excellent. Mr. Sharp should be bringing afternoon tea at any moment. Taking a left turn, he finds himself a few doors down from his and Alek's shared cabin. The faint sound of a crash catches his attention.
Ah, that must be Mr. Sharp with the tea.
He opens the door, only to pause half way through the motion. Quirking an impressive eyebrow, he surveys the scene. Alek and Mr. Sharp disentangle themselves and the future heir of the Austro-Hungarian Empire nearly leaps away from where he had the midshipman pressed against the wall, slipping on the fallen tea tray. A pregnant pause, then, faces red:
"This isn't what it looks like!"
Of course not. It never is, is it?
Volger sighs heavily, examining the impressive volume of spilled tea. Earl gray, by the smell of it. Of course there have been emperors who have preferred the company of men, and while this development is rather unwelcome, Volger refuses to admit defeat. No, he will honour his promises to the late Archduke, Alek's peculiar preferences be damned.
Bovril, never one to be left out, decides to state the obvious,
"Mr. Sharp."
Giggling, it resumes inspecting the fallen teacup and promptly discovers that it makes a most fashionable hat.
His eye is twitching. Mr. Sharp, indeed.
AN
So this was actually written for a challenge I'm doing as part of VEDA (vlog every day in April) on my co-owned YouTube channel, BringBackMyHappy. Link will be in my profile!
Disclamer: I don't own the characters, only the plot of this small one-shot.