Woman in disguise (closed)

[silvertongue217]

“Ah I love the smell of the docks!”

“I know Cap’n” Mr. Clean said a small smile flitting across his features as he watched the people moving about the hovering dock “But we have things to do and you can not keep dilly dawdling”

“You’re a spoil sport” Owen called back glancing at the large hulking black man. He snorted at his serious look back and jumped over the desk activating his steam boots. A burst of I powered steam pushed out slowing him down as he slowly dropped down onto the brass deck. He rolled to a stop and sighed clapping a few of his friends on the dock before sticking his hands in his black pinstripe pants. He was a striking feature among the lean dockworkers, with broad shoulders, muscular arms and dark tan skin. He had piercing green eyes and his hair was shaved short. The brown leather duster he wore flapped around him like a cape and his revolvers were clearly displayed on his black belt. He was a man that looked dangerous and he more than played that part.

He whistled to himself as he walked heading over to the bar/recruitment station. He was in need of a few more crew members some had left his crew during their last supply run. He quickly shouldered his way through the busy bar and reached the front ordering a drink before looking around and checking out some of the newer patrons.

 

[slut_in_white]

Cecilia Delamont was an unusual woman, largely in that, at the moment, she looked quite a lot like a man. Or rather, a boy. She was pretty, with large blue eyes and a button nose, and freckles dusted over her pale skin. She was short, too, even for a woman, and had a slight, petite frame. The was not a chance in heaven she could pass as a full-grown man... but a boy? Perhaps a teen who hadn't yet grown into himself? That she could do.

Once, her life had been dresses, jewelry, gold and suitors. Her parents were stiflingly wealthy and had somewhat traditional values. Her brothers had been valued as people. She had been valued as a womb to be sold to the highest bidder. And when that bidder had been a crude, disgusting man old enough to be her grandfather... well, she simply refused to be married to such a creature. She'd never wanted the life of a rich, provincial wife anyway. Corsets were too constricting, and feminine, delicate pursuits were too boring.

She wanted adventure. She wanted to learn. She wanted a life of her own.

As it happened, she was also highly talented with airship engines. She'd been building small fliers with her brothers since she was a child. Her parents had allowed it, then, thinking she'd eventually grow out of her desire for boyish pursuits, but she hadn't. So, when her parents had tried to sell her as a wife to that nasty Lord Frobisher, she stole her younger brother's clothes, cut her hair short, and ran away. It couldn't be too hard for someone with her talent to get work on an airship, right?

Wrong. Most captains immediately assumed she was too young to have any real skill or experience. Most of them laughed at her when she announced, indignantly, that she had ten year's experience with airship engines. None of them were willing to take on the risk of bringing a "child" on to the ship with them. Cecilia was 20, but she couldn't exactly tell them that. She knew what sort of things happened to lone women in sailor bars like these.

She was seated at the bar when a new man walked in, one she hadn't seen before. Her gaze followed him around the room, and when he mentioned he was looking for crew, she seized the chance. Someone was going to have to say yes to her eventually.

"Sir?" She approached slowly, deepening her voice into someone more akin to that of a boy going through puberty. "I heard you're looking for crew. I'm an airship engineer, if you happen to need one."

 

[silvertongue217]

He looked at her for several minute seizing her up. Finally he laughed ordering them both a drink with a wave of his hand and dragging her over to a booth.

“Alright lass” He said leaning in and smiling at her “No offense but that disguise isn’t really good enough to fool us higher gentleman your as female as they come and I would like to drop pretense after al if you are going to come onto my ship I don’t expect you to be hiding any thing from especially not your own gender” He remarked nodding thanks as the drinks came.

“So you say you’re a decent engineer?” Owen said raising an eyebrow “what makes you say that? Have you had any formal training or experience? A woman like you hasn’t gone to school for this sort of work I am sure which makes your abilities some what questionable” He said sipping his drink and watching her.

 

[slut_in_white]

Cecilia's heart leaped into her throat when he informed her that he already knew she was female. She frowned, suddenly uncertain... and then her eyes went wide. He was giving her a chance to prove herself? Even though she was a woman?!

Have you had any formal training or experience? A woman like you hasn’t gone to school for this sort of work I am sure which makes your abilities some what questionable

She shook her head, unable to hide her excited grin. "No formal training, but I've been building small fliers with my brothers since I was 7. I've read almost every major text on engine design." She drew herself up to her full height. "I probably know more about airships than most people with a formal education do."

 

[silvertongue217]

“uh huh do you know” He said watching her for several moments before getting up

“Alright lass lets see if your skills are up to par” He said hauling her up and escorting her out. He walked onto the dock with her and moved quickly making sure he could keep up as he went to his ship. It was mostly deserted so he walked her up nodding at some of the men working before bringing her down to the engine room.

“Alright lass tell me what engine this is and how you would fix it”

 

[slut_in_white]

Cecilia was caught in a whirlwind as she was hauled out of the bar and down to the docks. She barely understood where she was or what was happening until he plunked her down in front of the engine, presumably on his ship.

Alright lass tell me what engine this is and how you would fix it

Cecilia took a moment to catch her breath and orient herself. Then she started. "Oh, this is a Zephyr class! They're beautiful machines. It's a Z-25A." She looked up at him. "This is yours? It's a beautiful engine." A small smile flitted across her face before her expression turned serious and she started looking over it. "I mean, how to fix it depends on what's wrong with it, but I know it's easy to push them too hard and blow the hydraulic valve here." She pointed to one of them, then touched it. "Actually, you're going to blow soon if you're not careful." She stood, looked around the room for a moment, then spotted a wrench. "Keep it tight, or it'll run the life down on it a lot faster than it should." She used the wrench to tighten the valve, then tested her handiwork. "There, see? Much cleaner release!"

 

[silvertongue217]

He watched her work smiling to himself. When she was finally done he laughed clapping her back and leaning back to admire her.

“Well lass you have managed to impress me which isn’t some thing easily done” He said pulling a flask out of his pocket and taking a swig.

“So you want to explore the world huh” He said fixing her with an intense gaze “you know what kind of ship this is correct? We are pirates lass some of the best can you handle what that means?”

 

[slut_in_white]

"Means you won't cow to my father and send me home the moment he asks," Cecilia answered defiantly. She'd been afraid that, the moment her true identity was revealed, any legal ship captain would send her packing home. She had the impression that this crew didn't normally toe the line for nobility just because they said so.

She fixed the captain with a serious look. "If he finds me, if he knows I'm on your ship, he'll likely offer you money for my return. Can you promise me you won't take it? If I pull my weight, if I prove myself valuable, you have to swear you won't deliver me back home to him."

 

[silvertongue217]

“Depends on how much he asks for” He said before laughing “Lass if you join up your family you think you’re the first rich person who ever wanted to get away?” He shook his head and reached over clapping her shoulder.

“If you pull your weight on this crew then you wont be left off at the nearest port” He said leaning against the bulk head “so what do you say lass?

 

[slut_in_white]

Cecilia's eyes were wide with excitement. "Yes! Are you going to let me stay? Truly?! Thank you!" Before she could stop herself, she let out a bright, joyful laugh and pulled him into a hug. Her body pressed right against his, she realized quickly what she had done and pulled back, blushing. "I-I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me..."

 

[silvertongue217]

“Getting a hug from a pretty girl is nerve some thing to apologize about” He said laughing and scoping her up into another hug before letting her go. He patted her back fondly before looking around the engine room.

“Well then welcome aboard if its all the same though you might want to continue your little male persona for the time being some of the crew they might get a little antsy we ship off in a few hours so if you want to go back onto shore your more than welcome to” He said starting to head back over to the rungs leading up to the deck.

 

[slut_in_white]

Cecilia grinned excitedly, nodding. "I'll go get my stuff, won't be more than a few minutes!" She was about to rush out when she paused, considering. "Um. If I'm going to stick with my male persona... I suppose you can call me Tim, if you'd like." Tim was the name of her younger brother. She even looked like him, so it was likely the closest thing to a truth they were ever going to get. Then she smiled. "But my real name is Cecilia."

And with that, she ran off back out of the ship, down the road to the little inn where she'd been staying to collect her things. Most of it was stuff she'd bought since leaving, though some of it was still stuff that had belonged to Tim before she left. And buried deep in the bottom of her trunk, hidden carefully away, were the few things left of her female identity - a single, beautiful dress, a necklace that had been a gift from her grandmother, and a pressed flower that Tim had given her the night she ran away.

 

[silvertongue217]

He watched her go shaking his head

“What have I gotten my self into” He murmured joining the males on the deck and filling them in on the knew lass-lad that was joining them. He would tell them at one point he reasoned as he went back onto the station for a little bit of down time.

An hour later

He came back up nodding and clapping every ones back before going over to Mr. Clean

“Are we ready to get underway mate?” He said breathing in the air.

“Aye captain your new engineer is there as well” He said before leaning in

“You realize it’s a female right”

“For now it is to be our secret” Owen said shaking his head “she has a natural talent one I plan on using”

“If you say so captain”

 

[slut_in_white]

Cecilia, meanwhile, was in heaven down in the engine room. It had a wide variety of tools, and the engine was humming away beautifully. Since there weren't any glaring issues, she was working on tuning it up, overjoyed to be working uninterrupted on such a gorgeous engine.

By the time the captain came down to see her, she was smudged in oil and grinning from ear to ear. "Everything is tuned up and running perfectly! We're ready to go!"

 

[silvertongue217]

He laughed nodding his head at her “See our young lad here is already proving himself in multitude” He said clapping Mr. Clean back who gave her a funny look before going off to check the sails an engine.

“Dont mind him Lass” Owen said patting her on the back “what say you join me on the wheel I bet you never seen a ship cast off have you?” He said leading her up to the deck and letting her try out the wheel.

 

[slut_in_white]

Cecilia followed him eagerly up to the helm, anxious to see such a large ship cast off. She'd seen fliers before, of course, but never anything this size. "It's magnificent!" she exclaimed, grinning as she took the helm from him for a moment. "All the ship's power, all under your control, right here. It's an amazing feeling."

 

[silvertongue217]

“Only with my crews help” He reminded her nodding at every one moving around and going about their business “It is a team effort I just am the one who operates the team” He said punching a few buttons and activating the solar furls. He double and triple checked the instruments and then powered up the giant engines.

“Time to go” He said punching forward the throttle it rose out of the clouds moving across the sky and cutting through the very air itself.

 

[slut_in_white]

Cecilia watched, enraptured, as the solar sails unfurled and they set off. She'd never seen anything like it in her life, much less against the stunning backdrop of a setting sun. She stood in silence for a long while, watching the clouds parting for them. "It's beautiful..."

 

[silvertongue217]

“Ah it’s a sight isn’t it” Owen said looking around and smiling “I have spent ten years doing this and I still cant get over it” He said shaking his head and looking out at the sky.

“So lass you must have some kind of grand adventure in your mind” He said elbowing her “where would you like to go and see? If you could go any where that is?”

 

[slut_in_white]

Cecilia blushed at his ribbing, and scratched the back of her neck. "I... Actually I hadn't considered much beyond getting away. When I first came out here, I thought I was going to end up on a merchant vessel, where I wouldn't really have a say in where we'd be going." She took a deep breath, looking out over the clouds. "I don't know where I want to go. Maybe that's part of the adventure. The mystery of not knowing."

 

[silvertongue217]

“An excellent answer”
Mr. Clean appeared on the deck nodding “All hands on deck captain we are awaiting your destination”

“Just keep us heading into the skies I am sure some cargo will present it self sooner rather than later” He said smiling over at her before tapping the navigational HUD built into the steering wheel.

“We collect cargo” He said a mischievous grin on his face “well we steal it that is this little device scans for ships in our vicinity we tail them and assess whether or not they are worth the trouble”

 

[slut_in_white]

Cecilia immediately turned her attention to the machine on the wheel, finding it fascinating. "What a novel little machine!" Taking a look, she frowned. "This can't be all of it. A scanner like this has to be bigger. Where's the rest?" Then the grinned sheepishly. "I'll admit, I kind of want to go take a look."

 

[silvertongue217]

“Look up there lass” He said pointing up at the big antenna that was on the top mast “sonic mapping and since we got such a big space of air its scary accurate it sends out a pule you se and bounces off any thing solid which would be other ships” He explained.

“Give it a few days and we can teach you to climb the rope” He said taking a shine to the girl “then I will take you up there and show it to you in better detail

 

[slut_in_white]

Cecilia grinned, nodding vigorously. She couldn't wait to see everything the ship had to offer. "So, when you find a ship to attack, how do you go about taking it?" She wanted to learn all she could about every detail of her new life.

 

[silvertongue217]

“Depends on the ship lass” He said laughing and keeping his voice down as some of the crew kept going back and forth on the deck “You will see it soon enough but for the most part we aim to disable and make dead in the water before they can really mount an attack”

He pointed to their guns big hulking things stationed all over the deck “these things shot out heavy chains that draw the beasts in from there we board them aiming to scare the crew into surrendering I like to leave as little blood shed as possible in these things” He said lighting a cigar as he gestured around the ship.