timewasting | OPEN POST 2020.

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?

The fried dough is good.

[ she says with a soft hum, resuming her position as looping her arms back around his arm, resting her cheek on his shoulder. ]

I think that's what reminds me most of home . . . my mother would make it for us after every show. With sugar sprinkled on top. We normally only had the peppers on special occasions.

[ it's better to turn on a profit on them than eat them for yourself. and she, too, turns her attention toward the acrobats. the magician is working up the crowd, waving his hands in broad swipes toward the acrobats. ]

Mhm.

[ but inej's eyes flicker upward, because the girl from the first act swings along the top of the tent from her hoop . . . and she hang upside down, dropping a velvet sheet over the two balancing acrobats . . . and once the girl swings away with the sheet in hand, the top acrobat is gone, leaving nothing behind but a stick. ]

I can balance on top of the pole; not carry it.

[ she continues, as if a whole ass human being didn't just disappear, amidst the audience clapping. ]

Once I was old enough to do the high wire, I mostly stayed there.

[ Mentally, he makes a note to see where else they could find the fried dough in the city. Just so she has a chance to have it more before they go—he's not sure when else she'll get a break like this to enjoy herself in somewhat familiar surroundings.

At least he knows he'd like to come back to do this again sometime, when she can spare the days. And maybe next time he'll be further along in Ravkan than simply being able to say "hello" or "fuck off".

His attention goes back to the acrobats as the girl from the hoop hangs down, draping the cloth over them. There's a pause and it seems like the same nature audience is waiting with bated breath to see the results. When the sheet is tugged away, the top acrobat has disappeared. ]

It would be a lot of upper body strength. [ Pim could maybe do it. Maybe. ] Just wanted to fly when you got your wings?

[ At this point, he's going to ask about all the tricks so he'll save it for later. The leftover acrobats bow to the audience and out come two women, carrying several props with them. From the shape of the props, he guesses some kind of balancing or even juggling. ]

Something like that.

[ wryly, as she watches the balancing act begin. there doesn't appear to be any magic in this act; just standard fare. or, at least, standard fare to them, with inej being capable of doing it, and kaz watching her defy gravity for so many years.

she shifts slightly to pick up the popcorn, though she still hasn't unlooped her arms from kaz's own. comfortable to hold it while leaning against him, popping a piece into her mouth. ]

I used to be more social, I think. [ after a moment, watching the acrobats balance on top of one another easily. it's hard to remember what she was like before the slavers took her, but she remembers being a relatively normal little girl. ] So I never really minded being part of the show, but I was more comfortable higher up. It felt like less pressure.

[ despite being so high up, and a mistake could kill you. but she couldn't see the faces of the people, from being so high up. and so she couldn't see whether they were interested, or not. ]

[ Inej goes for the popcorn and he picks up the pumpkin juice, curiosity finally getting to him. The cup is chilled on the edges and the juice itself smells faintly like a spice. Cinnamon? It's not too sweet when he takes a cautious sip, so he takes another right after while he watches the next act set up. ]

I'd wager plenty of people in the Barrel used to be more social. [ Himself included. But perhaps not the ones who'd been born into it and grown up there. Just the ones who'd been plucked or stolen. Outsiders who had to find their own way. ]

I used to climb trees, for the quiet. Our house was noisy. [ Jordie had always been a chatty one. And while his father hadn't been the most talkative, he could be found making some kind of noise—chopping wood, banging around in the kitchen to put things away, calling the chickens to feed. Their small amount of animals made their sounds and never truly went silent until night fell. ]

[ the image of kaz climbing a tree causes a slight upward twitch of her mouth, into a smile, as she watches the acrobats. kaz has never really struck her as shy -- the opposite, really. he carries himself with such a confidence and purposeful arrogance that inej can't really envision him being unable to talk his way out of anything.

she guesses it's a learned skilled. ]

You still climb trees for the quiet.

[ after a moment, tilting her head up to look at him, with a knowing expression, and a genuine smile.

he has his completely unnecessary and stupid third floor office for a reason. ]

The closest Ketterdam has to one, anyway. [ He mirrors the quirks of her smile, seeing where she'd been going with this. It's not like she's wrong—the third floor is a good spot to get away from the distractions and noise of the downstairs.

Also: ] It proves a point.

[ A stubborn one. But he wasn't about to let people think he couldn't do it just because he had a bad leg. He was just as capable, if not moreso in some ways.

The act has fully set up and they're balancing on a beam as well as juggling, doing some interesting passes back and forth. They make it look so easy as they walk past each other, perfectly in step. ]

OPEN POST 2020.

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