timewasting | OPEN POST 2020.

You still disappear. [ He bumps her shoulder gently, smiling a bit. Maybe she'd honed those skills from the trick. It would make sense. ]

What else did you do? I know you mentioned the high wire. [ And with how her balance was on rooftops– almost unnatural– it made it easy to believe she'd grown up with that thin rope under her feet. ]

[ well, true enough, and she sways with the motion as she thinks to herself. ]

When I was young, I helped on the ground. I sold tickets or I was the volunteer, the subject of the trick. But I always wanted to go high.

[ she can't remember a time that she didn't want to climb the pole to the top of the tent. ]

So once I learned how, I did trapeze. Routines with the ribbons and hoops. Like dancing in the air. And once I learned high wire, I mostly did that. [ and, her tone shifting back to being rueful: ] I was never good at the card tricks. I had no idea how to do that until you showed me. My uncle gave up on teaching me.

[ now, inej is quite the accomplished pick-pocket and thief, but she never really bothered to learn, when she was younger. ]

[ So daring while so young. He feels like he can relate; even in Lij he'd always wanted to do the things he wasn't able to yet. When his father had finally let him atop one of the horses, he'd been ecstatic. It'd been like he was on top of the world so high up.

That had been shortly before the accident. Suffice to say, he didn't learn much riding after that. ]

Ribbons? [ He's having a hard time forming a picture of what she means. ] Some of the tricks are harder to show off to other people. The muscle memory makes you want to do it quickly. If I go too slow, I miss a step.

You still taught me.

[ read: inej is pretty sure her uncle (who inej loves very much) was not a very good teacher.

but at the subject of ribbons, inej wrinkles her nose, trying to figure out the best way to explain. ]

They are giant ribbons, that hang from the ceiling. Thick pieces of fabric, almost like rope, but harder to grip. And you wrap them around your legs, mostly, to swing through the air. You can spin around really quickly if you use your weight the right way.

[ all of that said: ]

It will make more sense once you see it in person.

[ Frankly, he's taught her a bunch of things. He'd seen it as practical; if she were going to survive in the Barrel, she needed to know certain things. And while he'd made so many mistakes, had bled and scraped to learn all those skills, he wasn't such a selfish asshole as to not pass them onto someone who had desperately needed it.

The last thing he had wanted for Inej was to buy her indenture and throw her to the wolves. It had never even crossed his mind. A lucky thing that Per Haskell had made her his problem and not anyone else's. ]

You think they'll have something like that, then? [ Her description gives him a slightly better idea of what she means. Now he's just thinking of her hanging upside down expertly– something a little harder to do on the rooftops of Ketterdam. ]

They might.

[ with a shrug, guiding Kaz along the street, mostly aimless in their wandering. she’s sort of aiming back for the hotel to drop off their purchases of the day, but she’s in no clear rush to get there.

And, somewhat thoughtful: ]

Maybe they’ll let me use it after the show.

[ As usual, he's considering what it might look like, trying to get a picture in his head. The ribbon in his imagination vacillates between actual ribbon and something like a sheet. Or maybe a scarf? ]

I'd like to see that. [ First her working her magic to convince them to let her borrow it. And also watching her do the thing. If it's anything like her normal flexible acrobatics, it sure would be something to watch. ]

[ goal in mind, the rest of the day passes by fairly quickly. they drop off the books in their room, find lunch to eat, and soon they're ready to make their way to the outskirts of the city, just as the sky is beginning to darken.

the tent on the outskirts of the city reminds her of the caravan, but this specific population of suli aren't related to her. from the information she's collected, it looks like the majority of her specific group are further north, likely biding time before hitting one of the port cities.

but judging from how the ticket people greet inej when they see her, you certainly wouldn't know that they didn't know one another. the young man selling tickets greets her with a warm laugh and a brief hug, once inej greets him in suli.

the hug is returned by inej loosely, arms barely grazing the man's sides, as she speaks in suli. and after a few moments, the man nods in understanding, and a suspiciously large amount of coin exchanges hands for more than two tickets before inej reaches back to take kaz by the hand, tugging him into the tent.

it's . . . crowded. but inej bypasses all of that to move to the very top, picking a bench against the back wall. it's some stairs, which inej faintly feels sorry for . . . but once they get to their seats, it's a whole bench that's suspiciously empty. ]

Sit.

[ a bit breathless; she's excited, and she gestures to the seats. ]

I'll go get the food.

[ best to avoid kaz going up and down too many flights of stairs. ]

[ They get back to the hotel to drop off the books and then it's an elongated lunch—most of which is him asking more questions about Ravkan and trying to learn more words that aren't swears. Eventually, they start heading towards the outskirts of the city, where the Suli have set up their show tents.

It's an impressive looking thing. Sturdy as well, for how tall and wide it is. He's curiously watching the bustle of people—both the crowd and performers alike—only to be pulled from his observations by the sudden excited greeting Inej receives from the ticket counter. As she's pulled into a hug, he can't help feeling two ways about it. Nervous, since she had mentioned it in the past that sometimes it made her want to disappear. There's also a fragment of happiness, seeing her get to speak her native language.

Of course, he doesn't understand a lick of it but he supposes it doesn't matter. Coins exchange hands and he follows her tugging towards the top bench. It's a bit of a walk but it does have a great view. Up here there aren't as many people either; an entire bench to themselves. ]

You sure you don't want help? [ It's a long walk up here but it's not too bad. ]

I'm positive.

[ easily, as she shrugs out of her jacket to drape it on the bench next to him, though she keeps the bag attached to her hip on her person. truthfully, she knows kaz would probably like to see the different stalls and people-watch at a closer level, but there's also a lot of people. and it will be all-but impossible to move through the crowd of folks trying to find seats without touching.

she keeps that to herself, though, instead blaming it on something far easier to talk about and way less injurous to kaz's ego: his leg. ]

I won't be very long. And I can't carry you home if you trip.

[ but she touches his cheek briefly, with a warm smile, before she quickly moves down the stairs, to buy . . . damn near everything at the concession stand.

it's been a long time, since she's had the chance to eat these specific treats. ]

[ Well, that's a fair point. The stairs leading up to their seats are a bit narrow. With the stream of people, it had been difficult enough just getting up here. Especially since some people had decided to block the way or didn't know how to move aside for others.

Not that he had been surprised. Crowds were so bad and generally people didn't have great spatial awareness.

So he watches Inej go and disappear into the thick of things. Angling his body, he finds he has enough room to stretch out his leg—another perk of being up here without anyone else. While she's gone, he takes in the surroundings, the general chatter of the crowd, and then lets his mind drift towards the conversation he had with Inej the previous night. About the slavers. He starts mentally lining up the things he was probably going to have to do in order to get a location, neatly arranging it in order of priority.

Probably not what he should be thinking of in a more joyous atmosphere, but he thrives on solving problems. Distraction will come soon enough. ]

[ she waits patiently to get to the various food stands, and is again greeted warmly and with much excitement once she offers a slight wave. there's such familiarity and warmth, in being able to interact with her people . . . it's truly a massive family. no matter how disconnected she is from home, they're always with her.

when inej eventually returns, it's with a bag looped over her arm, plus a tray full of . . . a wide assortment of food. there's salted popcorn, which is fairly universal, but also handheld stuffed peppers that smell delicious. there's also some type of fried dough (with sugar, and without), along with some sort of candied apple, and what looks like some sort of fried bread. and some type of juice in cups.

it's honestly miraculous how she managed to get all the way up here without spilling anything, but her balance is perfect. ]

Here.

[ as she sets down the tray next to him, divvying up the food. some of it looks like common entertainment fare, like the popcorn. some of it does not. but as inej hands him some dishes, she explains what they are, slipping back and forth between suli and kerch with ease. ]

There is ardei umpluți, it is like a stuffed pepper with meat. And xaritsa, that is a fried bread with cornmeal, it's a little sweet. And this is a juice made out of pumpkin -- and candied apples.

[ as she settles next to him with a grin, settling the bag next to her. ]

And I got souvenirs.

[ He's deep enough in thought that his brows have furrowed—he's gone from considering all his angles to reviewing the small bit of vocabulary he's learned, realizing he would need to step it up if he's going to be any real assistance. The slavers likely spike Kerch but they operated all throughout Ravka (probably) and getting information was going to require Ravkan.

Not just passing Ravkan either, since he's pretty sure "slave routes" and other related vocabulary was in the beginner books.

In his periphery, he knows Inej has come back a half second before she says something, and his expression lightens a bit when he turns to look at her. And the tray she's brought, which he's guessing has one of everything. Honestly, he can't blame her, it's probably been a while since she's had this kind of food. ]

Pumpkin juice? [ That's a new one. He leans over a bit once she settles, getting a better look at everything. Ultimately, he picks out the xaritsa, deeming it the least adventurous. Aside from the popcorn, of course. Eventually he'll get around to the rest. ]

What kind of souvenirs?

[ she can tell, that he's deep in thought when she sits down. his scheming face, loud and clear for only her, in this space. and she nearly asks what has him so deep in thought when he shifts his attention to the food, inspecting each item before picking (indeed) the safest option.

she looks amused, before sipping her juice, shoulder to shoulder with him as she watches the crowd file in. ]

You make what you have with what you have.

[ easily enough. but the juice isn't super sweet, and has cinnamon in it. he might like it yet.

the souvenirs, though, have her setting her cup down to collect the bag, rifling through it. ]

I bought tarot cards. [ as she pulls up a set, fanning them easily with a flick of her wrist. they're beautifully illustrated, with different portraits of various gods and images. ] And a set of regular cards. [ as she puts the tarot cards back into their specific bag, rifling through the rest of the gifts. ] I also bought some jewelry from one of the artisans. Necklaces, for Nina.

[ they looked like they suited her, at any rate. ]

I can understand that. [ Really, he's not knocking it. Just such a strange combination of things he'd never considered.

He takes a bite of his snack as she pulls out the cards– which are some of the most beautiful ones he's ever seen. They go back into the soft velvet bag and he knows he'll want to take a closer look when the lighting is better since there's a lot of the detail that's getting lost. ] Jewelry only for Nina?

[ Kaz can't recall ever seeing her with earrings or bangles or anything. It made sense not to have anything dangling while in the Barrel, it made one for an easy mark. And ripped out earrings were not a great injury to have to deal with. ]

[ and she shrugs, at his question. ]

I would never wear it.

[ she's nothing but practical. she honestly can't remember the last time she wore jewelry . . . part of her disguise as a member of haleen's troupe, maybe. or the menagerie itself. but jewelry isn't really practical, and while it is pretty, she would never really wear it.

but she collects up one of the stuffed peppers and a wooden fork, prodding it slightly before digging up a bite, savoring it. and while she eats, she scoots a little closer to kaz. just enough to rest her head on his shoulder, as she watches the crowd begin to settle. ]

I also took a program for the show, but it is in Ravkan. So I can translate it for you, if you want to see.

[ as she prods another bite out of her stuffed pepper with the fork. ]

[ If that's what makes her comfortable, he isn't going to argue it. After all, he can't really say he disagrees with the practicality of it. The only things he has on his person that could be considered "flashy" were his cane top and his watch. People don't necessarily see a cane as a valuable asset and his watch is usually hidden under a sleeve—he's not about to make himself a target for pickpockets.

Not that anyone's tried in at least five years. Still.

He leans slightly towards her as she slides closer, making it easier for her to rest her head. This is what he'll miss when he goes back to Ketterdam and business as usual. The little touches, stuff that's become easy enough for them to do without as much fear of dredging up the past. ]

Sure, can you— [ His question is cut off as someone steps out into the main ring, voice loud enough to project. The slowly hushes as the person—leader? Captain? What's the appropriate word here?—welcomes them to the show. ]

[ the show begins, and kaz's question is silenced. inej will just have to ask him about it later. instead, she watches the ringmaster welcome everyone to the show, his voice booming easily across the crowd. behind him, a box is rolled out by a few assistants, and a second individual graces the stage. the magician, along with a young girl who waves energetically.

while that is being set up, it's clear the other acts are preparing in the wings -- acrobats hanging out by the poles, watching for their cue.

as the ringmaster talks, inej tilts her head back just enough to whisper, so kaz can be clued in to what he's saying: ]

He says welcome, and that the first spectacle you will see tonight is lighting the box on fire, and hoping that the girl inside is protected by the spell that the magician is going to cast on her.

[ she pauses, as the ringmaster gestures a bit, and inej's lips twitch, amused. ]

He says to look away if you're squeamish.

[ The stage goes through a setup process and he watches curiously as a long box is rolled out. Right after a man in a flashy looking outfit comes out; he looks a bit like the street performers and magicians in Kerch. Something about the cut of the coat. Towards the wings, he can see some other performers stretching or simply waiting and watching.

Thankfully Inej translates, because he's pretty sure a box being set ablaze would've been a huge surprise. Granted, it still will be but it'll be more about the suspense of whether the person was protected by the spell. ]

Good disclaimer. [ He says, amused, but with attention rapt on the stage as the magician seems to wave his hands about and then helps the girl into the box. ]

[ as the girl ducks into the box, inej finishes her stuffed pepper, setting aside the leftover wrapping to lean against kaz properly, slinking her arms around the arm closest to her, hugging his arm loosely as she watches.

the magician makes several grand gestures, continuing to speak in ravkan, and the box is covered in a black velvet cloth that drapes nearly to the ground. the lights dim as acrobats in the ceiling extinguish some torches. ]

"May the Saints guide you on your journey."

[ inej translates, watching the box, her lips twitching into a faint smile.

and just like that, the box bursts into flames. it's quick, and immediate, smoke wafting to the rafters of the tent. a few people in the front row scream in shock as the magician quickly waves his arms over the box, stepping back a few feet, shielding his eyes. and for a few minutes, it looks like the box is going to burn to a crisp.

another performer races out to dump water on it, and the fire begins to peter out with a hiss . . . the charred remains of the box collapsing to reveal that the girl is gone. the magician exclaims, but soon, someone in the audience shouts, and a burst of flame on top of a high pole in the right corner of the tent reveals the girl, sitting on top of the pole (that is a good twenty-ish feet from the ground) with a bright wave.

the audience is both relieved and awed, and there's instant applause, as inej (roughly) translates: ]

He is saying that the spell worked, and tips are appreciated at the end of the show.

[ well. close enough to what he said, anyway. ]

Edited 2020-06-30 22:41 (UTC)

[ He's glad he finishes his snack right before the box goes up in flames, feeling the same shock that the entire crowd seems to react with. There's no gentle kindling. It simply goes from not on fire to almost completely consumed in a heartbeat and as he isn't familiar with the trick, he's genuinely concerned the young girl hadn't made it out.

When the box collapses to reveal only ashes and no body, he does scanning the edges of the stage, looking for a slight shadow. Instead, the girl shows up in a burst of flame at the top of a pole, grinning toothily and waving.

There's a second where he replays it in his head, brow furrowed as he tries to sort out the seams. Every trick has seams and little things to distract the eye so the viewer wouldn't take notice. This one is elaborate, though, involving so much motion that they'd somehow missed. ]

How? [ Seriously what. ]

[ she can feel him tense at the sudden explosion of fire, and inej turns to grin slightly into his shoulder, hiding the laugh. but she can't quite keep the laugh to herself at his question, amused as she watches the girl balance herself on the pole to take a bow. ]

It's magic.

[ obviously, as she turns her attention back to the show.

there is a hoop attached to a cord, about seven or eight feet away from the pole -- and the young girl (after her bow) leaps to it, stretching impossibly far before just barely catching it (or, at least, that's how it looks to the naked eye), swinging her legs up and over her own head to flip herself into sitting neatly on the steel ring, kicking her legs as she waves to the crowd.

the remnants of the box are cleared away to make room for firebreathers, now, and dancing along the floor to prepare for the next act. but the audiences eyes are on the girl as she swings the hoop back and forth, watching the preparation from above. ]

[ She laughs and he's torn between sighing at her lack of explanation and smiling—because he always does like that sound. In the end, he settles for a fondly exasperated sound, mouth curling up at the corners. ]

Alright, I'll get the details later. [ For now, he's watching the girl swing herself into a hoop that seems dangerously far. Though he doesn't feel quite the same suspense as everyone else. After all, he's seen Inej clear rooftops he'd thought impossible to leap across. Not as confused by how she's managed it, he picks up the stuffed pepper and fork from the tray, cutting off a small portion to try.

By now the next group has come onto the stage, the remnants of the box swept away. The performers are wearing matching bright red costumes and he's not exactly sure what they'll be doing. ]

Acrobats? [ One has a medium sized piece of wood in hand, akin to a stick. Something for a trick? ]

You'll see.

[ she responds, adjusting her weight slightly so he has free range of motion of his arm. it means no longer properly hugging it to her, but kaz should probably eat his dinner.

kaz is mostly right. the stick has a bit of a flat edge on one side, just narrow enough to maybe put a few fingers on. one acrobat holds the stick in his hand, and the other boosts the third acrobat onto the shoulders of the first. the second acrobat then climbs up the first and third to carefully begin to balance herself on the wooden stick, as the the third acrobat removes himself from the equation, leaving just a single acrobat balancing another on a slim pole.

but the magician returns to the stage, calling out: ]

He says that he's going to make one of them disappear.

[ inej translates, glancing toward kaz and his stuffed pepper, arching her eyebrows. ]

Do you like it?

[ Honestly, he'd been...managing to eat his pepper with limited use of one arm. But he supposes the extra range of motion is helpful. As with most things in this country it's a flavorful thing, even though it's supposed to serve as a snack. It's not bad, though he thinks he liked the curry better. ]

Not bad. Which is your favorite one? [ Obviously she has to like everything she'd brought back, but he's curious. He finishes his pepper as the last acrobat balances on the pole and he sets the wrapper on the tray, folded over. ]

Did you ever do that?

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