timewasting | OPEN POST 2020.

[ Ah. So yes, they still consider the Wraith to be with him, in some way. She wasn't in the employ of the Dregs, but she did occasionally help out. Which meant clearly they kept up the association.

It seemed like they'd never be completely separated on the business front. Not that it particularly bothers him. ]

Ousting Pekka did most of that work. [ He finishes off his piece of pie, fastidiously gathering the crumbled bits with his fork. ] They don't know the whole story but they know enough. Or they've made up their own versions.

[ Either way, it's worked in his favor. And maybe he's encouraged specific stories to circulate. ]

It would be easier for those slavers if they just gave up at this point. [ Wouldn't that be nice? They're a stubborn and vile lot, though, and it would take more than a simple rumor that the Wraith was going to nip at their heels for them to give in. Even if she weren't as successful as she was, he'd be proud of her for making the attempt. It's difficult, taxing work, with slavers inventing new ways to get around dealing with her. ]

[ she hums in agreement, at the last bit. it would be easier for them if they quit ... but inej wasn’t going anywhere, anytime soon. and as she finishes her pie, she sets down her fork, watching him thoughtfully.

her own place in the city is still being forged, but inej doesn’t mind, really, being associated. it just means that whenever people consider attempting to harm kaz, they have to figure out how to get through her, first. and vice verse, really. they keep each other safe, and inej isn’t too concerned about letting anybody think otherwise anytime soon.

so she gets to her feet to circle the table, gently circling her arms around his shoulders from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder. contemplative. ]

Do you still want your present?

[ it’s a genuine question, because he had had difficulty with his demons, earlier. if he just wants to go to sleep and cuddle, she doesn’t really blame him. ]

[ He sees her get up but doesn't quite pay attention, thinking she's just about to put her plate away. Instead, her arms loop around his shoulders and he quirks a smile, tilting his head a fraction to address her. ]

Of course.

[ His curiosity piques again, knowing whatever it was, it would beat out his imagination. As her surprises tended to do. He reaches up to run his fingers along her forearm and takes hold of her hand gently, pressing his cheek to the back of it. ]

I can clean up here.

[ well. he seems to be fine, especially as he takes her hand and presses it to his cheek. he doesn’t feel anxious or tense or stressed—the opposite, really. he seems to be pretty relaxed, underneath her arms, which reassures inej that whatever bothered him earlier is truly gone.

( inej and kaz both have learned the hard way that when either of them says “I’m fine,” it’s probably worth another look. )

so she squeezes him gently before unwrapping her arms from around him, though she does dip down to kiss his cheek before properly separating herself from him. ]

It is my turn to wash the dishes, so just leave them in the sink.

[ he hates doing it anyway. and even if he ignores her, she’ll just pay extra attention to his reactions tonight. just in case. and with that, she leaves to go change.

she had deliberately picked something that was far removed from the menagerie. she never wore black or lace or anything like this, instead forced to dress up in some bastardization of her culture that heleen thought was appropriate. but as inej takes the time to change in their bathroom and undo her hair, she’s struck by the fact that she looks like . . . Well, herself, in the long sheer robe and lace underthings and stockings. not a caricature, but inej.

that’s enough to squash any anxiety or misgivings, as she shakes out her hair, frowning to herself in thought in the mirror. she’s always really had difficulty seeing herself as attractive, though she knows people see her like that. or, at least, kaz does. Which is really all that matters anyway.

still, she waits, not really wanting to just be sitting on the bed when he gets back, brushing out her hair (uselessly) until she hears him come back in. ]

[ She kisses his cheek and his smile lingers, feeling that small spark of happiness that such things have become so casual. And then she heads off to the bedroom, presumably to change or unbraid her hair. Or whatever it is she's going to do.

In the meantime, he gathers up their plates and silverware, as well as the dinner leftovers. The pie is wrapped back in its packaging and put away. And while she had told him to leave the dishes, he ends up doing them. They're scraped pretty clean so he doesn't have to worry about strange textures making his skin crawl. He sets them out on the drying rack and dries his hands off thoroughly, not wanting to touch Inej with damp fingers.

(Once, he's done that once. Never again).

Soon enough, he heads towards the bedroom, setting his cane aside and then putting his vest and tie away. Untucking his shirt, he sits on the bed and leans back against the pillows, letting out a long sigh. ]

[ she's beginning to realize she really has no exit strategy if this goes horribly wrong. but, you know. that's how most of these things are. besides, it's not as if this is new. she's wearing clothes, just . . . different ones.

she is overthinking it, inej decides, as she frowns to herself in the mirror. the long sheer robe covers most of her body. she still has control over when it comes off and on. and if anything bothers her, she can always just stop it.

so eventually, she peers into the bedroom to see kaz relaxing on the bed, relatively relaxed. and she steels her nerve with a quiet inhale before moving into the room, leaning over him slightly with arched eyebrows.

. . . and then slightly narrowed eyes as she scans him once more, to see his sleeves are rolled up, tiny (almost imperceptible) flicks of dampness on his shirt. backsplash from washing a plate, probably. all signs pointing to the fact that: ]

You washed the dishes.

[ rude. ]

[ As usual, his mind floats to some kind of scheme in the interim. This time, it's organizing his thoughts about Visser; what he knows and what he's going to need to know. What he can use for leverage and where to start if he doesn't have quite enough. It needs to be as airtight as possible. He doesn't want the councilman to squirm away somehow.

Of course, all of those thoughts get put out of mind when he sees Inej step out of the bathroom. Clad in—what is that, lace? His gaze is intent as she walks over, watching the delicate swish of fabric along her legs.

And, uh. Right. Dishes? He'd put those out of his head almost immediately. ]

I figured you needed time, it didn't bother me. [ He says distractedly, reaching over to touch the edge of the robe, the backs of his fingers brushing her thigh. The stitching is soft and he bites the inside of his cheek, momentarily resisting the urge to touch anywhere else. Because seriously, holy shit. ]

You—this looks good. [ More than, really. ]

[ ... well, it hasn’t backfired. but there’s still the matter of: ]

I told you it was my turn.

[ it’s more gentle chiding than anything else, as she moves closer, to gently take his face in her hands, frowning to herself. but her (admittedly mild) annoyance melts into a slight grin, running her thumbs over his cheeks. ]

I thought the color was nice.

[ black, that is. ]

It's usually your turn. [ They've struck a balance, mostly. She washes them off and he dries them to be put away. Occasionally—like today—he'll take up her part when he thinks it'll be safe. Usually when the plates are mostly clean to begin with.

But whatever, there's other more important things taking up his attention. ]

You were right. It's very— [ His gaze sweeps down and back up, as he settles a hand on her waist. The lace has warmed through, keeping him from making complete contact with her skin. Which is somehow even more tempting than usual, the cut of the garment accentuating her curves well. ] —dramatic.

[ There are some other words that come to mind, but he's still processing all of this. Sitting up, he tugs her down for a kiss, palm slowly running down her side, feeling out the stitched patterns. ]

[ she's tugged into a kiss, and she grins a little at his description. dramatic. she supposes that's true, as she returns the kiss, her hands still on his face as she shifts to straddle his hips, resting her knees on either side of him as she sits on his lap.

she then moves her hands, to press her lips against his cheek, murmuring: ]

The fact that it's usually my turn means you should know better.

[ should she probably let this go and focus on the task at hand, probably, but inej ghafa has never once surrendered an argument to kaz brekker that she felt had merit, and she doesn't intend to start now.

but she shifts to kiss his temple, then shifts to his neck. the movements all slow and purposeful, to give him time to let his hands wander, if he so chooses. the robe itself comes off pretty easily, but inej hasn't made a move to remove it, yet.

he seems to like how it feels, anyway.

but as she hums to herself, beginning to undo the buttons on his shirt: ]

For someone who claims to like following orders, you're terrible at actually doing it.

I've done a lot of things I should've known better about.

[ Does that stop him? Absolutely not. Half of his schemes were borne from the question of whether something was viewed as impossible. Or at the very least, difficult. Most of the time, he's found a way through it.

Dishes were simple in comparison. Even if he senses that she isn't going to let it go.

Still, it's hard to concentrate on the argument when she's sitting in his lap and kissing his neck. He slides his hands up her thighs, fingers finding the strap of her stockings and tracing along the edge of it. Grinning to himself, he pulls it up and lets go, giving it a little playful snap. ]

Kitchen orders are different. [ It can't compare to her telling him to keep his hands to himself until she gives him permission. Or when she tells him exactly where to put his fingers. ]

[ oh, so it's like that.

she finishes unbuttoning his shirt as he begins to play with the straps of her stockings, and the snap against her skin doesn't hurt, but it does alert her to the fact that (1) his hands are wandering and (2) he's an annoying brat.

so she settles back a little on her heels, to undo the loose tie of the robe, shrugging out of it easily to reveal the actual outfit as the robe slips to the floor, tossed aside for another day. and she takes his face in her hands to gently press her lips against his, before murmuring: ]

I am just as capable of ending your life in the kitchen as I am here, so I wouldn't assume orders are different.

[ fool!!!! ]

[ She shrugs they robe off and while he misses the drape of it across their laps, the underlying result is. A lot.

His eyebrows go up incrementally as he takes in the sight. Because it really is a sight, black lace clinging to her curves, and part of the fabric cut out from her panties. He swallows hard, letting out a soft breath against her mouth, feeling suddenly flush all over. ]

Okay. [ It's definitely a weak response, any energy he had for an argument fleeing him as quickly as it had taken her to throw off the robe. ]

[ there's a chuckle, at his response, and she settles back slightly to look at him, her hands still on his face. amused, at his reaction. and she runs her thumbs over his cheeks again, head tilted. ]

Kaz Brekker, speechless.

[ she sounds positively satisfied, at that. ]

I don't think anyone in the Barrel would ever believe me.

[ though she is counting this as a win, over the dishes. because he clearly agreed that she was correct. ]

[ He leans into her touch, much like a cat about to purr. The swipe of her fingers is soothing, her palms warm, and it's something that settles the flush under his skin.

Well, not totally. It couldn't, with her still sitting in his lap. ]

They might, the Wraith's not known to be a liar. [ His hands come to her waist and he tugs her a little closer, giving her a crooked smile. Okay, fine, she won that argument. And he knows why she's adamant about it, because she's saved him from some pretty severe reactions in the past. His relationship with water is a tenuous one.

Sometimes, he can't help but push a little. Just to see if he can. Which has occasionally been very stupid. ]

True.

[ as she’s tugged closer, humming to herself as she runs her thumbs along his cheeks again. she still hasn’t heard that she’s right... but she’ll deal with that later.

she lowers herself to give him a kiss, murmuring against his lips: ]

I take it you like your gift.

[ amused, brushing his hair out of his eyes as she pulls away a little. ]

I had to have it custom made.

[ He returns her kiss gently, the stroke of her thumbs across his cheeks doing enough to take the immediate edge off. There's still a part of him that would gladly stop here and cuddle instead of doing anything else. Once he'd gotten used to touch and being pressed close to Inej, the desire to simply be close had surprised him.

But then, it probably wouldn't be very comfortable to spoon. Not in her outfit and not while he still had dress slacks on. ]

I do. [ Kaz traces the frilly edge of her bra with his fingers. ]

Well, you are... tiny. [ Just. In general. He finds it incredibly cute. ] I can't imagine they'd have something your size lying about.

[ It does go to show how good she is with secrets, since this had taken some planning. Getting sized and fitted is a process, after all. Leaning in, he brushes his lips across hers once and then again, a bit more insistent. ]

[ she’s a little curious how the moment is going to go. these types of excursions could end quickly, but kaz presses forward to kiss her, and she hums in approval, circling her arms around his neck to return it eagerly.

she should let him up so he can finish getting undressed, but instead she presses herself against him instead, sighing at the feeling. and she shifts to kissing his cheek, then his jaw, murmuring: ]

We should lay down.

[ but she doesn’t seem too inclined to do that. ]

[ It would be more satisfying, if he could get his pants off. But he does the same as her for a moment, pressing close despite the clothing in the way. Both his hands slide to skim down her back to her ass, giving it a little squeeze as he lazily rolls his hips up. ]

I suppose. [ He tilts his head, intent on capturing her mouth for another kiss. Or maybe a few.

By the time he pulls away, he's slightly out of breath, shifting just enough to trace his fingers up the inside of one of her thighs. Those same fingers lightly sweep between her legs, a soft groan working its way out of him as he feels along her folds. ]

[ his hands dip between her legs and she grins a little against his cheek, shifting her legs a little before dragging her lips along his jaw. ]

I thought you would like that.

[ whispered, as she catches him another kiss, though she catches his lip briefly between her teeth before pulling away to rest her forehead against his, dipping her hips against him. ]

[ There's always more to learn about a person. It's part of what interests him when they find themselves outside during meals. Watching the people go by, guessing what their personality was like based on what they wore, how they carried themselves.

But even more interesting is watching the people he's close to change. Grow up, in a lot of ways—it's almost hard to believe they'd been teenagers when they broke into the Ice Court. A dark humored mark against the Fjerdan security, if a bunch of teens from the Barrel could get past them.

Of course, he's been the most invested in seeing Inej come out of her shell. They both have, naturally, to have gotten this far at all. But she'd struggled more with intimacy, understandably. It's why he'd given her knives, why he'd shown her how to incapacitate a man in as few strokes as possible. So, he feels a little surge of... pride? Affection? When she goes out of her way to try something new. When she embraces being vulnerable like this.

Especially as she's clearly put some extra thought into it. Which doesn't really surprise him. And does, in the same breath. ]

Creative choice. [ He says, voice low and clearly affected. His fingers stop their teasing, petting in long strokes instead, licking his lower lip when she pulls her mouth away. After a few moments, he lets go of her, patting her thigh affectionately. ]

Let me get these off. [ Not only are his pants restrictive but now it's entirely too warm. ]

[ there's a soft noise, at the feeling of his fingers, and inej exhales into his hair, allowing her eyes to close to focus on the feeling . . . but just when she's beginning to really feel it, the sensation stops, his fingers absent, and a pat on her thigh indicating she should shift.

there is definitely something of a sigh (of the petulant nature) as inej carefully moves her legs to sit next to him properly, crossing her legs as she does so, resting her hands a bit behind her as she leans on the bed.

shamelessly just. watching. ]

Not as creative as you would think.

[ it's a Thing. ]

[ Her quiet noise definitely sends a small thrill through him. And he intends to get her to make more of them. Just...in a little bit.

Before he gets off of the bed, he skims his fingers along the length of her stocking, noting with amusement that she's crossed her legs. Watching intently.

So he does get up, shrugging his shirt off and dropping it to the floor. He leans one hand on the dresser to pull his socks off and then straightens, undoing his pants and carefully working them and his underwear both down his hips. Those get kicked away, to be dealt with later.

Then he's rejoining her on the bed, raking a hand through his hair before circled her ankle with his fingers, slowly massaging as they trail up. ]

[ his fingers begin to gently massage her leg and inej hums to herself softly, adjusting herself to unfold her legs, turning to drape her legs over his lap, watching him, amused. ]

I’ve always loved that.

[ murmurs; massaging her legs. mostly for practical reasons; it feels divine after a day or skipping over the rooftops of ketterdam.

and, a little more wryly: ]

Talented fingers.

[ Her legs come to rest across his lap and he doesn't skip a beat, strong hands working their way up in increments. He comes across a particularly stiff muscle right above her knee, fingers digging in to loosen the tension. ]

I don't know how you manage to get this tense after a day. [ Well, he does, really. Somehow it's still surprising how quickly it happens. Then again, the rooftops of Ketterdam were usually steep, so as not to collect rain or snow. And with that still being her preferred mode of transport, it ends with stiff muscles.

And a lap full of Inej, which he can't complain about in the least.

His thumbs hook under the stocking straps as he gets to her thighs, switching from massaging to simply touching as his palms run up to her hips. He leans over, kissing her jaw and then her neck, concentrating on sucking a mark onto her skin. ]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject