sliceitwithwind | Steampunk AU

"What I'm saying, Jerrig, is that you can't have her back." An older gentlemen paced through the door, paused to scan the people in the inn common, then continued. He was a gentleman of some note, his face rather unknown but the brass leg and left hand were common. An adventurer of the old school, prone to exploring little known areas such as the arctic or the ocean depths. The man behind him, looking a bit annoyed, was his friend in adventure, a photographer in fact.

"She's my daughter, Nevada, and she shouldn't be mucking about with your projects. She's of an age..."

"Yes, of an age to be bored silly by the idiots you send to meet her. Do you realize how much trouble she'd get into if you tried to slide her into society now?"

"Right behind you," said girl reminded the pair cheerfully. She was shorter than either man and had a heavy, pocketed apron over her skirt. "Who are we here to meet?"

"Who said we were meeting anyone?" Nevada glanced over his shoulder with a grin.

"Intuition." She smirked back, both ignoring her annoyed father.

"Pirates probably," Jerrig muttered.

Both men glanced over when the door opened...and then kept looking. Mmmm. Pretty. So pretty.

"Really, Dilan, you shouldn't have that many boilers going when you have something mobile in the lab."

"A table," Nevada requested quietly, making Aya nod, looking around for an available place for the men to be seated. Sadly, it was a crowded day at the inn. She was pretty sure he uncle just wanted a moment with her father alone though, so she didn't mind leaving them to look.

Hard not to gravitate toward the pirate and the scientist! They were interesting! Besides, she was still rather convinced Nevada was here to meet people. "Hello, would you mind sparing some room at your table? I believe my father may collapse in a fit soon," she asked with an amused smile.

"Oh, of course." the short pirate said, sweeping the scientists blueprints towards him with a smile. The scientist smiled at her, sweetly, "It would be a pleasure."

"If it will interrupt a planning session though I could just sweep away with one of your chairs..." she noted, watching the blueprint shuffling.

"No, this is the right table," Nevada remarked from behind her. "Sorry, I didn't see you were here when I entered."

"Yep, pirates." Jerrig sighed, sitting in the chair his daughter pulled out for him.

"Always a pleasure, Nevada." Braig said, standing up and offering a slight bow. Dilan rolled his papers up and said, "No, it's fine. Apparently we were waiting for you."

"As I recall when last we traveled together you swore you'd kick me..." he chuckled softly and also took a seat. "Glad it's back to pleasure. You know Jerrig, this is my niece Aya."

"Hello again," Jerrig offered a weak smile then scowled when Aya was introduced as well. "Nevada..."

"Hush or I'll send you home. I need transport and possibly back-up, Braig, are you up for it?"

Aya crossed her arms on the back of Nevada's chair and listened, curious. "What have you gotten us into uncle?"

"Yes, well, I still might." he said cheerfully enough, "Jerrig, Aya." a charming smile was offered to the young woman, "Of course we are. Dilan will need a few days to shut down the lab."

"I have experiments..."

"Shut down the lab, Dilan, they'll wait."

"Yes, Braig."

"I'm sure my niece will be rather upset with you if you kick me and upset her work," he noted. "We can allow a few days, but no more than a week. There is something of a deadline for this but there is some leeway."

"...kick his good leg if you must," Aya offered with a small smile. "The other leg is hard to recalibrate properly because he wiggles."

"No, a man of my age resettles himself dear." Nevada chuckled easily. "And Jerrig? I believe you may want to go home. you know you get airsick."

"As she says, I can kick the other leg, Nevada." Braig said mildly, "It took weeks to replace that crewman."

Dilan finished folding his papers and offered a hand to Aya, "I'm Dilan, this is Braig."

"That crewman," Nevada offered seriously, "Was feeding our location to the others." And it had been a dangerous situation all around. "You may forgive that but I could not. And I will do it again if any on your crew prove less than loyal to you." Or proved a threat to his charge!

"You are not taking my daughter onto his airship!" Jerrig spoke up. "She can stay right here!"

"No, I can't father, as you well know. Please calm yourself." Aya offered her hand over Nevada's shoulder, happy to take Dilan's. "Hello, it's a pleasure. I've heard stories about the pair of you."

"At this point we are crewed exclusively with Dilan's relatives." Braig said mildly, "And Katzu, as you know, are impossible to turn."

Dilan pressed a light, polite kiss on her hand. He was civilized! He was! "It will be perfectly safe." he offered.

"Exclusively?" Nevada asked mildly. "You've let that young engineer go? I thought he had a place for life with you."

"Of that I have no doubt, Nevada can simply be protective," Aya demurred with a soft smile. Was she a little charmed? Yes. It wasn't often a scientist kissed her hand after all. Her father was looking a little apoplectic over the whole thing though.

"Pierce got adopted last year." Dilan said mildly, "So technically he's a cousin. He's great-grand-uncle Sannish's kid now."

"It was a very, very strange ceremony." Braig said wryly.

Nevada chuckled at that and shook his head gently, mindful of Aya's arm near his ear, "Strange indeed. He's not katzu though. Incorruptible, yes, but not katzu." Just saying for the record there Braig. "But that does help some, yes." In the paranoia category anyway!

"To corrupt him you'd have to offer him better equipment than Dilan makes. That's damn incorruptable."

"I'm very good." Dilan explained to Aya.

"I did agree on the incorruptible part," Nevada laughed and leaned back just a little as a server brought drinks for them all.

"And so my uncle assures me in each story," Aya agreed lightly. "Brilliant is the term most often applied."

"Nearly blew us all up several times," Jerrig pointed out, latching onto his gin and tonic.

"I've never actually blown you up." Dilan said, wounded, "Any explosions have been well within tolerance levels for the ship."

"So what's the deal this time, Nevada?" Braig asked.

"Details are better discussed over dinner," safely on their ship he could hope. "Suffice it to say now I need swift travel for myself and Aya to India and then perhaps beyond that."

"Blast the ship, you had those boilers on the skiff tuned..." Jerrig was starting in but the blinked. "Yourself and Aya?"

"You're staying home Jerrig, we may need you to relay information of the events here."

"That only happened once." WOUNDED! HE WAS WOUNDED! The small pirate put a hand on his arm and Dilan heaved an aggravated sigh.

"Shall we move to the ship, then?" the little man asked.

"The once my father was there, naturally," Aya offered wryly to Dilan. "And he does badger on. He meant no offense."

"As I said we do have a little time, you can have a few days if you need them Braig and we can stay here in the inn, but if you are wanting to move quickly then certainly."

"Oh, he probably did mean it." Dilan said wryly, "But I'm used to it."

"You were the one who mentioned speed, Nevada." Braig said wryly.

"I did, and I did also mention we can delay upwards of a week as well." he sipped his drink and smiled. "We have an appointment to make in India, but I am well aware of how quickly your ship may travel and Dilan does need to close down the labs."

"Please forgive him," Aya asked of Dilan softly. "He will be heading home soon to rest."

"It'll take a day to do it safely." Dilan said, "I can leave to start getting things ready now."

"We would appreciate if you would," Nevada admitted,

"Thank you, I'm sorry for the rush."

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