Well, due to all the positive reviews I got for chapter one, here's chapter two.
Seriously, you guys flatter me, so of course I had to continue it! I wish Scott Westerfeld would be so easily swayed to continuing the series with just kind words.
So, obviously you can see that changes have been made, the summary is different, and so is the name. I've decided to make this story full on continuation. Yay? So, that is why it took me a little bit longer to update this chapter, since this is a story loosely based off WWI, I obviously had to do some research so it doesn't sound like a pile of made up rubbish. But, never fear, the concept I had for this story is still standing, I've just expanded it in a way I think you guys will like.
Plus, there's always that lovely Deryn/Alek aspect, which I like to consider fluff that actually doesn't make you gag, because Deryn and Alek will never be the "I wuv you too honey bee" kind of couple.
But, if you need me I'll be reading the last five pages of Goliath over and over…you all know what I'm talking about.
Enjoy!
Kraken—Subject of Interest
There was a fuzzy heat tickling Alek's nose that he was sure was Bovril. Though his eyes hadn't opened yet, Alek found the mental willpower to lift his arm, pushing the fuzz away from him before he sneezed. But, the second he gave it a third little push, he was meant with a hard smack on his cheek.
That opened his eyes.
And he quickly discovered that it was the hair of Deryn Sharp that was the fuzzy culprit of his morning awakening.
He wanted to jump back, but the weight of his restlessness made his body lazy, heavy as a bag of sand, and rendered any quick movements his brain wanted to do useless. Deryn—on the other hand—didn't seem to budge from all the commotion, but Alek didn't find it odd that she had completely smacked him in her sleep, and a barking hard slap at that. He smiled to himself in an odd fondness, wondering if all of her abuses where as hard as her punches.
He still didn't move, though, and the more he relaxed back into his normal sleeping position the more he decided he didn't exactly mind the situation. It was certainly odd, though, waking up with his arms wrapped around her. He'd obviously turned over in his sleep, and her body was a shelter of warmth in the fidget London winter air, most likely due to the window they had left open. Alek knew he probably should've gotten up and closed the window, as well as taken the plates Deryn left on the kitchen counter back to the mess, but his body only seemed to register staying against Deryn's back, and going back to that fuzzy awakening that seemed less annoying at the moment.
"Either get up or go back to sleep," Deryn mumbled into the pillow a moment later, proving Alek's thought that she was still asleep a foolish assumption. Deryn was a middy, which meant she had to be ready to jump up at any given moment. And middies couldn't be heavy sleepers, whether they were on the Leviathan or not.
"Sorry," Alek replied in a groggy voice, the later part of the words being skipped with a morning hiccup he emitted. Deryn let out an exasperated sigh and kicked the covers off her with her good leg, sitting up and turning to face him.
"If you're going to be like this I'm going to kick you on the floor." She told him, but her threat was slightly dampened by her bed messed hair and ruffled shirt. Alek blinked, trying not to think too much that her night shirt hung over her shoulder a tad more, and looked over the cold wooden floor he had offered to sleep on the previous night. He shivered at the thought.
"I just hiccupped, Deryn." Alek rolled his eyes instead of trying to make peace, and turning over. She clearly wasn't one of those people with a cheery outlook on mornings, but then, he didn't know why he expected her to be.
Deryn didn't respond, she simply slipped out of bed and walked over to the window. Looking out she saw the London daytime. It was so different than the side of London her and Jaspert had stayed in when she was studying for her airman admissions test. She'd certainly seen enough of this side of London the previous day, though. It was pure dead high class boffin lands if she'd ever saw one. Nothing but fancy shops and even fancier people, all stuffed and tucked in their rich clothes. Even the beasties walking about were towing carriages behind them and others tall enough to have the carriages on their backs, tourists and fancy-boots occupying every one of them.
But there was something good in the air about being back in a Darwinist town, and Deryn smiled at the smell of the wind. There were no Clanker contraptions for miles. No engine grease and no loud rumbling to stir the bees in her knee. And oddly enough it was the thought of that that made her feel out of place somehow.
She looked back at Alek, who was trying to go back to sleep and enjoying the few days that Dr. Barlow gave them to sleep in before they started their duties with her each morning, a quick smile on her face. She knew Alek would feel out of place living in a beastie atmosphere, but he had been so in love with the Leviathan. Deryn unconsciously considered Alek to be half-Darwinist at heart, as she supposed being around him and his engines made her a little half Clanker as well.
She closed the window, taking one last inhale of air before climbing back into bed, nudging Alek over a bit so she could have more room, and adjusting her feet so she didn't kick Bovril, who had moved from its position between them at night to all the way near the footboard.
"Now who's moving too much?" Alek countered, and Deryn didn't need to see his face to know he had that daft smirk on his face.
"Get stuffed," Deryn kicked his leg and when he yelped she smiled. "That's what you get, you dafty." She told him when he sat up, glowering at her.
"The floor's starting to look pretty good right now." Alek muttered, only to be met with another kick.
But, instead of starting a kicking war between them, and probably waking up half their floor with all the thuds, he flopped back down, turning to his left and encircling his arms around her, feeling satisfied when she sucked in a deep breath of shock.
"What do you want to do for breakfast?" He whispered to her, almost trying to tease her. Deryn curled, almost shrinking against him and she lifted her hands to cover his.
"Well, eating food would be nice." She told him sarcastically, but her voice was small.
"Be serious," he laughed against her, and Deryn curled more, staying silent. "We could go out to breakfast, I'm sure London has some fine places to catch a morning meal."
"Don't be a Dummkopf, you know we're both penniless."
"Ah, yes," Alek sighed, relaxing his hold on her a bit. It was at times like these where he just felt so incredibly and daftly spoiled. In ways, he still wasn't used to knowing he didn't have any gold left to his name, and yet he was so quick to give away his last spec of gold to Dr. Azuela for his silence of Deryn's secret back in Mexico. "Then, the complex's dining it is."
"Aye, they do make good chicken."
A few moments of silence floating between them, with only Bovril's light snores filling their air. Alek held Deryn closer for a moment before turning her slowly so she was against the pillows, he lay on his side next to her, and odd longing in his eyes.
And then he leaned over and kissed her softly.
His hands were heavy on her shoulders while he steadied himself in the new position he was in, kissing her carefully and slowly while trying not to offend her—she still was wearing that barking night shirt, all thin and hanging off her shoulder.
Her chest was pressed against his again, and his breathing labored because of it. Even though Deryn hadn't pulled away there was something off with her response, she was timid, and almost shy. That is, before she shoved Alek off of her with one meaningful push.
"Alek…" She lingered over her words carefully.
"What..what's wrong?" Alek asked her breathlessly. Deryn wrapped her arms around herself, feeling cold and naked before him for some reason, and when she locked eyes with him, Alek could see the hurt in her eyes. His heart sank.
"What's wrong, Deryn?" He asked again, softer that time and placed a light hand on her shoulder, but she simply shrugged it off, not wanting the contact.
"Just because we're sharing a bed, doesn't mean we have to be all…" she breathed, not knowing how exactly to end the sentence, luckily, though, she didn't have to.
"Oh, I'm..sorry." Alek swallowed, there he had been, kissing her in bed like they were married, and even after he'd made such a fuss about them even sharing a bed in the first place the previous night. It wasn't hurt Alek had saw in Deryn's eyes, he realized, it was fear. Fear of going that far too fast.
He looked up at her, frowning. Kissing fully clothed in hidden corners of the Leviathan was one thing, but it was different when they were in the same bed in their night shirts. And he should've known that.
Deryn had kicked her legs over the edge of the bed once again, her back facing him. He watched the steady fall and rise of her shoulders while she contemplated whether to leave it silent between them, or to say something.
"What's propriety between us?" Bovril's voice sounded, and both Alek and Deryn head's snapped over to the loris. It almost had a mischievous look on its face, and the two blushed in wonder of whether the beastie had seen them kissing, shivering at the thought of what noises it might've been able to pick up.
Alek turned his attention back to Deryn and reached forward for her hand, giving it a squeeze for good measure.
"I really am sorry." He wanted to make that clear.
"It's not a big deal, you daft prince." Deryn shook her head, her voice still small but Alek could tell she was trying to lose the subject. Her hand was still cold, her stature frozen, and from what Alek could see, her cheeks were still red.
"You know dead well what you do to me." Bovril added and Deryn shot a warning glance at the loris, threatening to throw a pillow at the beastie.
"I'm going to go wash up." Deryn said, tugging her hand away from Alek's. He frowned.
"Alright," Alek answered calmly, but felt the urge to jump up and hug her, just to make sure everything was fine, but managed to resist, keeping his body at bay and merely watching her gather some fresh clothes from the closet and head into the washroom. The way she walked slower than normal, and how her legs were still so alluring to him, those unseen curves hidden beneath the fabric twisting as she walked….
Alek flung himself into the pillows, letting out a small scream after he heard Deryn close the door.
Another clicked entered his ears soon after, and he popped up, looking towards the washroom door and expecting Deryn, only to turn and see Dr. Barlow standing in the open front door, already dressed for the day and wearing her same peculiar glare. Alek sucked in a breath, feeling all the more nervous that he was still in his night shirt.
"Um, good morning, ma'am." He greeted wistfully.
"And good morning to you, as well, Aleksander." She nodded, making her way into the room with her loris on her shoulder. Tazza, on the other hand, was missing and Alek suspected that the lady boffin had someone out walking it yet again. Bovril snapped up as well, the two lorises going up to each other and exchanging quiet whispers of new words, chuckling all the same, like two school girls who had just heard a speck of new gossip. "I'd imagine you and Mr. Sharp are fairing well in your room."
"As well as we can." Alek shrugged. He certainly wasn't going to pull out all of their dirty laundry in front of her. "I'm pretty excited to see some of London; I've never been here before."
"Pity then," Dr. Barlow said with a thoughtful hum. "I know I promised you and Mr. Sharp a few leisure days, but the situation calls to start business today."
"Pity," one of the lorises called out, but Alek found it hard to figure whether it was Bovril or the lady boffin's loris. They sounded so identical when they were in close quarters.
Alek frowned at her words, though. He hadn't lied when he said he was excited to see what London had to offer. It would've finally given him and Deryn a chance for a proper outing as an item, even though they'd seem as two boys on the street rather than a young couple on a date, he'd take whatever he could get as long as he was with her.
"Well Deryn just went to wash up, so I could just tell her what we'll be doing." Alek sighed and answered. He supposed if he was going to make any more money to even take Deryn on an outing he'd have to abide to the lady boffin's wishes. Work was work, after all.
"No need," Dr. Barlow lifted her hand in silence. "Just tell Mr. Sharp for you two to meet me in the complex's mess in a half hour, we'll discuss your business for the day then." Alek opened his mouth to speak but the lady boffin turned her head the other way, no longer paying him any attention. She snapped for her loris, and the beastie immediately hopped from the floor, crawling up her arm and taking its position back on her shoulder. Looking at Alek with the same peculiar glare.
"Mr. Sharp," the loris cackled before Dr. Barlow closed the door behind her.
And Alek was left alone again, the empty room seemed somewhat hallow as he turned his gaze back to the washroom's door. He heard the steady let-out of water coming from behind the door, and Alek's mouth ran dry again. He was thinking too much about Deryn's more feminine features lately, and it was all messing with his head.
He finally stood from the bed, shaking any thoughts of Deryn in a washroom—or anywhere near water just to be safe—out of his head. It certainly wasn't proper. Deryn and him were together, that much was true, but the romantic aspect of their relationship only spanned a few days. He had to remember that if he was going to keep his head straight.
He turned to Bovril, expecting the beastie to chime in, but it sat on the bed, quietly going up to Alek and plopping down in his lap, nuzzling his stomach affectionately. Alek shook his head with a warm smile, stroking the beastie's fur. He often wondered what the nature of a loris was all about. They were so clever…dead cleaver even, and then on the drop of a hat it could act like a common house cat, fabricated or not.
He never knew what the exact point of him having a loris was, Deryn had informed him that the lady boffin did set up his and Bovril's meeting as no mistake, but what political good was having a perspicacious beastie that could repeat words? That is, unless it was secretly working for Barlow to exchange information…
"You wouldn't betray me would you Bovril?" He asked quietly, scratching the beastie's chin. "You'd never keep secrets from me, right?"
"No secrets," Bovril giggled and Alek could only smile.
"Feeling insecure again?" Deryn finally emerged from the washroom, her white button shirt on with a simple pair of brown pants and a matching oversized vest. A small towel wrapped around her neck and she held it up, capturing the last few bits of moisture from her hair. Alek stared at her a few moments, still amazed at how quickly she changed from a girl he could barely restrain himself from kissing in bed to Dylan Sharp once again. It was something interesting about being involved with her, but ever since Alek had learned Deryn was a girl, he had seen her sharp features as nothing but intriguing.
"Not as much as usual," Alek answered truthfully. "It's nice to be surrounded by allies lately." He added with a smile, and when she smiled back Alek felt a wave of relief flow through him.
"Who were you talking to?" Deryn asked.
Alek snapped out of his fog, remembering that they had a meeting with the lady boffin in very little time. "Oh, well, Dr. Barlow says we have to start work today." Alek explained. "And she wants us to have a meeting with her in a half hour."
"Aye, well then, you should get moving." Deryn said, throwing the towel at Alek and motioning towards the washroom. "I guess we'll be starting out first day of boffin work early."
0o0
The complex's mess was even more lively in the morning than it was at night. Long rows of cloth covered tables covering the center. A single row the only way to the buffets. It was all covered in a light dull gold of light, bouncing off the wine carpets in a stemming brilliance that made the room look so much bigger for some reason.
Alek and Deryn entered slowly, suddenly feeling undressed. The hall seemed so much more than it had when the scurried inside in the late hours of the night, grabbing quick plates and going back to their quarters.
Deryn looked over at Alek who was fixing his jacket a bit, probably wishing he'd at least worn a tie instead of a ruffled brown collared shirt. He looked over at her and Bovril mounted on her shoulder, knowing she was probably feeling a little bit of the same thing he was.
They both sat down when they located Dr. Barlow, the lady boffin sitting alone at the end of a table row near the middle. The bustling mills of other people's conversations and eating, covering her small slurps and the quiet whispers of her loris, sipping its own cup of tea.
"Ah, you finally decided to show up." The lady boffin huffed, putting down her cup, the peculiar glare returning. Deryn shot her own glare back, though, but took a seat alongside Alek all the same.
"You know how princes are with their washing and whatnot. No consideration for time management." Deryn said, casting a gaze over at Alek with a smirk, knowing it annoyed him a bit when she poked at his princeliness every once and a while. He just shook his head.
"Where's Volger?" Alek asked instead of getting egged on by Deryn's quips and she realized she'd always been wondering where the bum-rag was. Deryn expected, after his dinner with the lady boffin, that he'd be there. Although she—or even Alek for that matter—wasn't sure whether whatever Volger was doing was zoologically involved, but he and Dr. Barlow did seem politically close, for lack of any better word.
"Your wildcount had business elsewhere." The lady boffin answered Alek.
"Hmmm," Deryn hummed thoughtfully. "I would've thought you two would be joined at the hip by now."
"Please, Mr. Sharp, the relationship I share with Volger is strictly professional. Besides, I don't think my husband would approve." Dr. Barlow snuffed, taking a quick sip of tea.
"Husband's approval." Her loris said.
"Husband!" Both Deryn and Alek exclaimed, their eyes wide.
"Husband," both lorises repeated.
"I am married, it's true." The lady boffin replied simply, sipping some more tea. "A husband and two lovely children."
"Children!" Alek and Deryn exclaimed once more in unison.
The lady boffin just nodded at their second interjection, finding an odd amusement at their reaction. Deryn was simply stunned. The boffin always seemed so independent and too bossy, being tied down to a husband and children simply didn't seem like her style.
Barlow had every intention of continuing on with an explanation of the work they would be doing, but Deryn could tell she saw the curiosity in both her and Alek's eyes and rolled her own eyes in a silent defeat.
"Curious," Bovril said.
"Do you mind if I ask where exactly your husband is?" Alek asked calmly.
"He must be a boffin as well." Deryn muttered under her breath.
"My husband is a decorated baronet, he's currently in China working for our king to make sure the Chinese neutral status in the war stays neutral, or at least if they decide to join that they'll come to our side." She smiled into her tea cup. "But, he's conducting a bit of business there for me as well."
"And your children?" Deryn asked.
"Sadly my husband I have very demanding duties, so we let them stay with my mother and father slightly north of here." The lady boffin explained and Deryn swallowed. Dr. Barlow was the grander of the great fabricator, and her parents were the children of Darwin himself.
"But, enough personal questions," Dr. Barlow finally sat her cup down and geared a serious face. "I'm in need of assistance in an important informational trade."
"Meaning?" Bovril said, seeming to mirror Deryn and Alek's thoughts.
"Meaning," Barlow smiled. "That there's a bit of detective work involved for the time being."
"So who's our target of interest?" Alek leaned over the table, seeming more involved and almost excited at the news. Deryn just smiled, it was always nice to see him excited about something rather than downing himself for being born a useless heir.
"This man," the lady boffin reached into her tight coat pocket and placed a picture of a nicely kept older man in a stripped suit and fedora. He had a rather tall, intimating swagger about him that seem to resonate even in the blurry picture and Deryn was almost taken back by the darkness in his eyes even though he wasn't even staring at the camera. "Ferdinand Zeppelin."
Deryn saw the realization come over Alek's face, he obviously knew him, or had at least heard of him.
"I'd suppose you've heard of him," Barlow looked over at Alek.
"Yes, he used to serve for the German army, as far as I know, of course. I've never met him, but I know of him."
"Well, we do owe his thanks to the first working zeppelin." Dr. Barlow explained.
"Hmp," Deryn snorted. "The first working zeppelin, a Clanker contraption?" She had always considered air travel as a thing reserved for the beasties of the Darwinists. Beasts had soared he skies long before any bucket of bolts could even be operational on the ground. Certainly, though, the Clankers had their gadgets that could reach as tall as the buildings in New York and California, their propelled planes and machine gunned zeppelins, but nothing equated to being up thousands of feet in the air in a beastie that swayed with the wind.
"Truth be told, the first model it wasn't the most successful invention, but ground breaking to say the least." The lady boffin explained.
"And he's here in enemy territory?" Alek corked a brow. "How strange."
"Strange," Bovril repeated.
"Well, I seem to be his subject of interest. My short appearances in New York did prove business worthy, but there were plenty of German spies about, and I'm afraid this one is right at my throat."
"So he's got something you want?" Deryn decided to get to the point. He knew the lady boffin and Alek could spend all day exchanging their fancy words, but there was a certain level of annoyance that went with actually listening to them.
"Indeed," the lady boffin nodded. "And for the time being that's all you need to know."
"Then how do you suppose, ma'am, that we help if we don't even know what we're supposed to be barking getting!" Deryn slammed down on the table. She might've been the boffin's assistant, but she wasn't going to just blindingly go along with her 'need to know basis' attitude, even if she was paying her.
Dr. Barlow narrowed her eyes at Deryn, and reached up her right hand to fix her glove, pulling it a little more down over her wrist.
"I need you two to see if this Ferdinand Zeppelin knows anything about plans to the Kraken." She shot one more warning glance in Deryn's direction. "And that's all you need to know." She slid the picture further across the table, and Alek caught it, placing into his jacket slowly. Deryn simply blinked, trying to figure out if she had heard anything about this so called 'Kraken'. The only such thing she knew of was the kraken that was fabricated by the royal army. It had taken down the H.M.S Gorgon in her earlier days of serving on the Leviathan, so perhaps they were upgrading it?
"All you need to know, Mr. Sharp." Bovril chuckled.
"Fine," Deryn stood. "Then I suppose we'll start our spying."
"Not so fast, Mr. Sharp." Dr. Barlow silenced. "I can't have you two running the streets of London without a proper plan."
Deryn sighed, sitting back down in an exasperated huff.
"Since you two will be seen with me on a regular basis, I can't have you spying without a guise. Mr. Zeppelin is a very observant man."
"Do you suggest a powered wig, ma'am?" Deryn snipped and Bovril chuckled at her words.
"An idea, but not what I had in mind, Mr. Sharp." The lady boffin smirked. "Or should I say, for the occasion, Miss Sharp."
Both Deryn and Alek's eyes widened, and Alek quickly turned to look over at her.
"No…" Deryn trialed, already knowing what the boffin was hinting at.
"I did tell you dressing would be a part of the job. Mr. Sharp." Barlow explained.
"Mr. Sharp," her loris repeated.
"And for the next few days you and you-" she looked over at Alek, "-will be posing as young inventor Edward Scarborough and his fiancé Lideth." She looked up at them with entertained eyes. "I figured a young engaged couple would be quite suitable for the both of you."
"You've got to be as daft as they come!" Deryn said rather loudly, catching the eye of a few of the milling eaters in the dining area. Her cheeks still flushed in embarrassment and anger. As if it was odd enough that she'd have to be pretending to be engaged to a boy who didn't even know she was a girl a month ago, even worse, she had to do it all in a barking skirt!
"Daft or not, you knew the terms you signed up for, Mr. Sharp, unless you'd prefer Alek to be Lideth instead." The lady boffin replied coldly, standing before Deryn had a chance to excuse herself.
"Well good luck stuffing me into a skirt when I don't have one." She crossed her arms stubbornly over her chest, Bovril wistfully copying her movements.
"Are you suggesting I not be prepared for business?" the lady boffin smiled when Deryn's victory face immediately dropped into a defeated frown. "Come with me, I have just the daywear for you in my room."
Deryn stood from her seat in a slumped fashion, ignoring Alek's wide eyes staring at her with interest. No doubt trying to picture her in a skirt, let alone a whole lady's daywear.
"Barking boffins," Deryn muttered under her breath as she followed Dr. Barlow to her room.
0o0
Alek waited patiently in the room he shared with Deryn. He had long since been dressed for the spying and was simply swinging his feet off the edge of the bed. He looked down at his shoes, fancy, strapped, and perfectly shined and in ways, Alex hadn't missed dressing like that. He was perfectly content with throwing on a simple button shirt, trousers, and suspenders. And his boots seemed worn and threadbare, but they were comfortable. Comfortable enough that they looked almost as used as Deryn's middy boots; the thought alone made him smile, as he always did when he considered himself—for only a small moment, of course—a member of the Leviathan's crew.
He scratched Bovril's fur affectionately, the loris giving sounds of contentment and rolled over on his back, only to snap up a moment later. Alek looked towards the door, knowing the loris's movement well enough to realize that it heard footsteps. And the loud stomps Alek begin to hear himself moments later could only mean one thing.
Deryn was back from Dr. Barlow's room, and probably in no way happy.
Like clockwork, Deryn slammed open the door, her face flushed in the same embarrassment and anger she left Alek with, probably reddening even more now that she was back in his presence.
For a moment, all Alek looked at was her face, and realized that although she did have a natural blush, the pink on her cheeks and lips was…make up? And only when she closed the door behind her and made clumping steps across the room did Alek finally notice he was finally staring at Deryn Sharp for what she was…a girl.
"That boffin must be cracked in the attic if she thinks I'm going out in this barking getup." Deryn spat and swore extravagantly. Kicking the dresser by the washroom and finally silencing in a deep huff. "And these barking corsets," Deryn added in a soft fury, adjusting the hidden garment at her waist.
Alek simply stared at her wide eyes. She was in no way meeting his gaze, and Alek was sure she was doing on purpose. Anything to avoid seeing the daft look he was probably wearing. His mouth ran dry again while he looked at her. It wasn't the fanciest thing he had ever seen on a lady, but it was more than he'd ever expect to see on Deryn.
She wore an off-white collared shirt with brown stripes, the puffed sleeves stopping halfway to her elbow before fitting the contours of her thin arm. The skirt she wore rose to bunch tastefully under her small breasts, and hugged her waist with a tight sash before splaying onto the ground, ruffling fringes at the bottom. At the center of her chest was a large ruby pendent, the chain going lost under the collar of her shirt and the shortness of her hair was disguised by a simple brown, feathered felt hat, resting on the right side of her head.
He swallowed hard. She looked…
"Um, Deryn…" Alek trailed, shaking his head slowly.
"What!" She exclaimed, only to sigh moments later, still not turning to face him completely. "Aye…what is it?" She said in a softer tone.
"I," he started, standing from the bed. "Well, um, I…." he stuttered, taking two small steps towards her.
"Just spit it out," Deryn rolled her eyes, fist clenching at her sides, but Alek knew it was more from a nervous energy inside than annoyance.
"Beautiful," Bovril's voice said instead, and both Alek and Deryn looked over at the loris, blushing all the same. Deryn blinked before finally lifting her gaze to Alek, and he saw her smiling a tad when she saw his cheeks color.
"Thank you, beastie." Deryn nodded towards Bovril.
"It's true," Alex finally found his voice again, walking up to her and placing a gentle hands on her shoulders, turning her towards him just a little more. Her eyes were shining to him, up to this day Alek hadn't been able to picture Deryn in anything but her middy's uniform and gentlemanly day wear, but while he was looking at her, he realized he'd been quite foolish. He looked into her face, though fancier, he still saw the same Deryn. But now she looked…. He swallowed again, and it only made him want to kiss her, but he found an odd want to say the words himself beforehand. He might not get too many more chances to see her so dressed up.
"What are you talking about?" Deryn asked, playing daft.
"You look…lovely Deryn."
Her blush deepened.
"You look quite dashing yourself," Deryn said softly, looking him up and down in his fancy shoes and suit. She darted her eyes around, as if not knowing what to say. Only to finally come up with: "well, are you ready for some more skulking?"
"Only if this time it doesn't end with you punching me." Alek added for a bit of humor. Deryn only gave him a smirk.
"As long as you don't act like a dafty because I'm in a skirt, I think that can be arranged."
"You daft prince," Bovril said.
Alek smiled, seeing that Deryn seemed a bit more relaxed, though he could tell she was still terribly uncomfortable in the guise, at least she knew she didn't look like a dressed up ninny to him. Quite the opposite, in fact.
And for the first time, Alek could honestly say that Deryn Sharp looked….beautiful.
Awww, isn't that just adorable?
I definitely got this idea when it was mentioned that Deryn taking the job meant she might have to "disguise herself as a girl"…it just begged to be written about. Plus, I've always wondered what it would be like for Alek, seeing his girlfriend looking like an actual girl. It must be somewhat odd knowing that you're dating someone who 95% of the people you meet think you're the same gender.
And the bit about Dr. Barlow being married is true facts—even mentioned on Scott's website. Although, I do think the Barlow/Volger romance would be pretty interesting, I don't think Dr. Barlow is one to betray her husband. Also, Ferdinand Zeppelin is a real person as well, though his evil German spying purposes are all fiction, of course.
Anyways, I usually respond to all my reviews, but since I unexpectedly got so many, I'll just thank you all for reviewing. And also for the highest compliment I think I can get out of writing this story, which is that a lot of you said that I not only kept everyone in character, but that my writing style is similar to Scott's. So, a huge thank you to that!
Also, as a last odd add in, does reading the Leviathan series make anyone else think of the Kingdom Hearts song "Sanctuary"? Cause I subconsciously consider that the theme song.
Once again, reviews are still always welcomed!