Chapter Text
It hadn’t yet been three days aboard the Leviathan until Deryn shed her status as the unproven spare middy fished out of the sky. In the first hours of her unofficial career as an airman Deryn begged piteously to be allowed to take the midshipman’s test aboard, by the second evening a request had been dispatched to London. Only this morning had the letter arrived from the Scrubs approving her unconventional entrance into the Air Service, followed by Deryn’s soaring results sent back to the admiralty by midday. The swearing in was done in private with no particular fanfare, and the other middies didn’t react at all when she joined them for the evening lessons.
All was set in place, which meant Deryn didn’t even need to read the name on the envelope that was unceremoniously dropped in her lap where she sat in the middies mess before the evening meal. Only an official member of the crew for a few hours, all connections severed from home, a mother who refused to speak with her, there was only one person who’d bother to write Midshipman Dylan Sharp.
You did this on Purpose.
You think you’re so clever, pretending not to notice the sign of a storm coming. I was a wreck that whole morning but you can’t tell me you didn’t notice. And what did I say about keeping your bloody head down? First thing I see when I look over is your daft bum in the Huxley calling attention to yourself. You know you should have gone third at very earliest. Don’t even try to tell me you panicked up in the Huxley too! I know very well the rigger who strapped you in gave you a bit of yellow cloth to come down. You stayed up there because you knew that bloody storm was coming. And then I’m here, biting my nails thinking you’re some greasy stain in the country and I hear you’ve been picked up by the grandest bloody airship you haven’t shut up about for the past two years and are staying on board! I don’t know how you knew about the Leviathan’s course but I’m sure you planned that too.
And I saw that bloody request letter for your midshipman’s test. All but begged on your knees, it says!
You planned this. I don’t know how you managed it, but I know you planned this.
I won’t have it. I only helped you get that cozy position as a middie so you could stay with me on the Minotaur. We had a deal. I’m writing my own damn letter to the admiralty, there’s no way they’ll let a green airman onto such a famous airship permanently. You’re coming right back to London and when you do so help me I’ll chain you to my bloody ship myself!
Stay out of trouble. Don’t pick fights. Keep your damn head down.
-Jaspert