timewasting | OPEN POST 2020.

[ well, she supposes that much is true -- in that it's a rare event, that someone gets close enough to actually punch kaz in the face. he typically breaks their arm before someone gets the better of him.

she remains where she is, sitting on the desk, gesturing him to come a bit closer to sit on the chair near her, so he can rest his leg. and she gently begins to clean, careful not to touch skin with her own fingers, but using the wet cloth instead. ]

Are they going to retaliate?

[ after a few moments of focus, shifting to grab at the new roll of bandages, to get to work. ]

The Black Tips.

[ He takes the seat, stretching his leg out with some relief. Today had been a long and busy day and his knee had been giving him pangs since the morning.

One of the first swipes of the cloth has him exhaling a hiss, the cool touch of it not as expected. Her motions are gentle, though, and he feels almost relaxed by the time she puts the cloth down. ]

Inevitably. Not right away, though, they don't have the numbers for that. [ Which is possibly why there had been mercenaries. But... ] Nor the coin to hire out, as far as I'm aware.

[ Unless they'd come into a windfall and kept suspiciously quiet over it. He hasn't heard a peep about something like that and money always talks in the Barrel. ]

Anything is possible.

[ it's said absently, as she focuses on wrapping a gash on his arm. nobody really expected them to claw their way out from the bottom and become richer than ever imagined, but here they were, on top, and there van eck was, in prison, somewhere.

she moves on to the next wound, careful in her ministrations. ]

They certainly seemed to hate you.

[ in a rueful tone, as she works. ]

At least one of them complained about removing your hands.

[ until inej silenced that talk, at any rate. ]

[ Anything is possible. That much is true, because here they both are, still in mostly one piece after the Ice Court. After Van Eck. And richer than either of them ever thought they could be. ]

It's the rule here, hate whoever is at the top. [ Well, it's not like he'd gone out of his way to make friends in the Barrel, either. He's pissed off a lot of people. Outsmarted them or beaten them at their own games. Or just plain beaten them, depending on whether it had come to blows. It's why he has to stay sharp, because they're a pack of ravenous wolves, always looking to see whose neck they can bite through next. ]

They just wish they were as light-fingered. [ Jealousy sure is an ugly thing. ]

Something tells me that is not the reason they want to remove your hands.

[ dryly, as she ties off the next bandage, smoothing it with a light touch of her fingers. she examines her work for a moment before she slides forward on the desk, balancing herself with a foot against the chair that kaz is sitting on so she can get a closer look at his face.

overall, a good face. no black eye. maybe a glancing scratch. most of the wounds seem to be around his arms, which inej has, by now, bandaged up.

so, she puts the cloth back in the wash bin before turning back to face kaz, a smile in place. ]

Done.

I'm sure they have a list of grievances as long as West Stave.

[ Though no one has pushed him enough as of late. With Rollins out of the picture, there's been a consolidation of power, mostly landing with the Dregs. The Dime Lions are in disarray, slowly but surely picked up by other gangs. There's rumor they're attempting a comeback under another name, but nothing's shown yet.

Well, whatever. He'll worry about that later. When he doesn't have Inej so close, her gaze concentrated as it sweeps over his face. At this angle, he has to tilt his head a bit to look up at her—something that sparks a familiar but odd sensation down his spine. Maybe now isn't the time to consider that too deeply.

He holds his hand out for hers, expression softening. ] Do I pass muster?

At least as long, if not longer.

[ faintly amused. inej is certain that the other bosses in the barrel would not shed a single tear, if kaz brekker vanished from existence, and never saw the light of day again.

or, well. maybe they would. because if someone removed kaz from this earth, they would have to worry about her knife to their throat. a far scarier prospect, to cowards like van eck.

she eyes him for a moment before she places his hand in his, the movement easy and light, a soft hmmmm escaping as she considers him. ]

And I think so. As much as you ever do.

[ he did argue with her earlier!! so minus ten points from slytherin for that. ]

You nearly fail for losing the coat, but I think escaping without much injury grants you the pass.

[ She takes his hand and he curls his fingers around hers, still glad when he can actually do it. When his mind doesn't conjure up all of the worst images and just lets him have this. Lets them both have this, after all they've been through.

Of course, he wants to keep trying to push the boundary. Just a little. So he brings her hand to his uninjured cheek, tilting his face towards the touch. ]

What would I do without your critical feedback? [ He says it wryly, though there's a grain of something genuine under it. ] Someone grabbed the coat, it was faster to shrug it off than to shake him.

Not be the boss of the Barrel, most likely.

[ just as wry, though she gently runs her thumb over his cheekbone, her expression melting into something a bit more soft. ]

Would you like more? Critical feedback.

[ she clearly doesn't mean it. or maybe she does. she has a solid four years of critical feedback to go through when it comes to kaz, thanks. ]

Very likely.

[ Her input and her knives have been major assets. She looked for things he would miss and wasn't afraid to point them out.

Which had occasionally been frustrating. But he had never regretted taking her thoughts into account, since she was normally right. ]

Let me get a shirt on before you give me the laundry list. [ Reluctantly, he pulls himself away from her touch, noting it's another step forward. Last time, he hadn't been able to handle her palm on his cheek with any regularity. This time, he hadn't even felt the pull of the harbor at the back of his mind.

When he stands, he offers her a hand down from the desk before going to pull a sleeping shirt on, the bandages she'd carefully applied making sure the cloth doesn't catch on the cuts. ]

It is not that long a list.

[ a slight protest, but she does take his hand to allow herself to be pulled up, landing lightly on her feet. she needs to get dressed into pajamas herself, but pulling off her boots seems to be the first step. and so she moves to her own space, to sit down on the bed to begin work on those.

i didn't even have a chance to put on my climbing shoes, inej thought ruefully, undoing the laces quickly so she could pull them off. at least she had had the foresight to bring her things with her, this time, so she did not have to return to the ship for a set of clothes. ]

It is actually fairly small. Comparatively.

[ compared to other people's lists of kaz brekker's flaws, anyway. ]

[ He lets her go after she's hopped off the desk, the two of them going their own ways to get ready for bed. This time, there's no awkward start—he'd gotten used to having her upstairs with him enough that they'd fallen into a routine.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he unlaces his shoes and tucks them under, so he won't trip on them in the morning. Changes out of trousers into more comfortable pants to sleep in and flops back onto his pillows with his eyes closed. What a long day. ]

Comparatively. [ Well, he figures someone like Van Eck would have a longer list. Or the leader of the Black Tips, who is probably furiously scribbling more reasons down due to tonight. ]

[ she changes into sleeping clothes easily, and once she tugs a looser shirt over her head, she exhales slowly. the tiredness is catching up to her, but she still has to undo her hair.

she glances toward kaz, amused that he already looks like he's ten seconds from passing out himself. everything had gone relatively well . . . so what's pushing one more boundary. just a little one.

she crosses the the room, untying her hair with her hands as she speaks, before she sits on the edge of his bed, at his hip, slowly undoing the plait of her braid. ]

You are stubborn. [ mildly, as she combs her fingers through the bottom part of her braid. ] Lack a sense of humor, on a good day. [ she glances toward him, amused. ] The cane is a bit much.

[ ostentatious. ]

[ The bed dips and he doesn't expect it, eyes opening to find her sitting close to his hip. Immediately his gaze drops to her fingers as they unwind her braid, the motion mesmerizing.

And as always, making him want to touch her hair. He doesn't though, crossing his arms over his middle instead. ]

Does the Barrel even make people who aren't? [ Stubbornness is a way of life, here. Perhaps he's more strong headed than most, but that's what's gotten him to this point. With no Per Haskell leading the gang, with Pekka Rollins regretting the day he ever came into contact with the two Rietveld boys. ]

I have a sense of humor. [ He says, with a frown. Okay maybe not much of one. ] The cane is exactly what it needs to be.

[ Iconic. A warning to anyone seeing him walk down the street. There's no mistaking the shape of it for anyone else's. And it has the added benefit of inflicting that much more damage, with the silver beak. ]

An inability to either take a joke or accept criticism.

[ lightly, as she finishes unbraiding her hair, shaking it out lightly so it falls over her shoulders, and she tosses him half a grin.

chill tf out, kaz. ]

[ He wants to protest but then she's grinning at him, clearly not intending for her comments to be so pointed. So instead of annoyance, he huffs out a sigh. Maybe he really does need to relax.

There's just—so much to worry about at any given time. ]

Alright, alright, you've made your point. [ And there's the smallest curl of amusement as he looks at her, finally reaching over to twirl a lock of hair around his finger. ] With Rollins gone it's been...different.

[ An adjustment. He isn't nearly as angry in the day to day, but some things are hard to change. ]

[ she nearly adds oversensitive to the list, but he begins to play with her hair, and inej's expression shifts into a softer smile, pulling one of her legs onto the bed properly, her leg resting against his side as she tucks her foot underneath her. her right leg remains hanging off the bed, her toes barely touching the ground.

she knows he's getting used to this new life. and he wears it well, if she's honest. but it's a bit like watching a child wade into water for the first time . . . kaz is figuring out how to live without the ghost of his past hanging over him, and it will take time, before he really adjusts to his new reality. ]

Do you want to hear your good qualities?

[ amused, as she continues to work her fingers through her hair, to untangle what little knots exist. ]

[ In the past, he's thought about this before. About her just leaning against him in some way, like how her leg is pressed to his side. Touching without expectation and without either of them dredging up ghosts. It's almost surreal to see it happening, to know they've made it this far.

He likes this more than he's ready to admit out loud. ]

Let's hear it, Captain. [ Maybe he can muster up enough courage to do the same for her. The words are already on his tongue, a jumbled mess of feelings from how positively he views her. Even when she's being stubborn.

Or maybe especially when she's being stubborn, with that tilt of determination to her chin and a flash behind her dark eyes. It's usually on the heels of her doing something seemingly impossible, like taking down men three times her size. ]

[ the willingness to hear his good qualities versus the delay to hear his bad ones causes a soft laugh to escape, but as promised, inej continues to comb out her hair with her fingers, and she thinks to herself. where to start . . . ]

You are willing to do what is necessary, even if it is hard. [ it's not her favorite thing about kaz, but it is likely the one she admires most. she moves to another section of her hair, to continue combing it out. ] You are brave, and smart.

[ a genius, really, with his stupid scheming face. ]

You see potential in people that they may not see in themselves.

[ like herself, and jesper, and wylan, and -- well, really, all of them. ]

[ The first few are simply a result of living in the Barrel, he thinks. And from his sheer determination to get Rollins back after what he'd done. It takes a certain kind of person to get far in this city and he had't intended to ever go back to being a sheep that could be so easily fleeced.

That's why he no longer went by Rietveld– that part of him is gone, drowned in the harbor and never seen again. Her comment about potential is not exactly surprising, though looking back he does wonder if that had been the only reason he'd reached out to the people he did. To her, Jesper, Wylan, Nina. To any of the younger Dregs he'd pulled into the fold. His intentions then had felt clear as day and now he's not so sure they had been the only motivations.

Because at least for her, he remembers the silence of her steps, how she'd managed to sneak up on him so well. But also the visceral recoil at quiet pleading he'd seen in her face. He knew what damage looked like and her gaze had stuck with him the entire way back to Per Haskell's office. ]

Potential doesn't mean anything if it isn't sharpened. [ And isn't that what she'd done? He handed her a knife and she'd become a wraith, another monster in Ketterdam that the other ones feared. ] How you still see the good in people after everything, I'll never understand.

[ the last part causes an upward curve to her lips, as she puts her hands in her lap, leaning a tiny bit more against him. her hair is now fully combed out (at least, with her fingers), and hanging around past her shoulders.

the menagerie was hell. dehumanizing, humiliating. if the men did not beat her, haleen did -- if inej cried, or if she voiced her doubt, or if she earned less money on any given day of the week, or if she existed. she eventually lost hope that she would ever break out of it, until kaz brekker found her in a foyer.

potential does have to be sharpened, but there was no guarantee inej would be able to do anything that kaz needed. she was small, and terrified, and willing to sell her soul to a gang to escape. she could have cracked, or died, or not been worth the effort. but kaz had decided that she was.

no one else had.

so she watches him, thoughtful, with a quiet sort of look, before she shrugs a shoulder. ]

You are the reason why I can.

[ it's said easily, as she brushes a piece of hair out of her eyes. ]

You came back.

[ Over time, he's gotten a fair idea of what she went through, without asking. He'd decided from the outset that she didn't need to tell him, because what was the past in a gang? So many of them had joined up to leave it all behind, to start fresh in some way and she hadn't been any different.

Well, aside from not wearing the tattoo. Per Haskell had heckled him for giving her an out, but he'd seen the peacock feather on her forearm. And had been around when she got it cut out of her skin, an ugly scar left in its wake. It didn't matter to him if she didn't want the crow and cup; some marks went deeper. ]

No one's ever snuck up on me like that. [ Not to mention the bells tied to her ankles. It was like they hadn't even existed for how quiet she'd been. Gently, he brushes his palm down her arm, fingers landing on where her scar is under the sleeve of her shirt. ]

I wish I'd known sooner.

So you say.

[ but that does not explain the amount of money paid for her, or kaz becoming her protector in the dregs, teaching her how to fight, making certain that she could defend herself... he had done all of that on what, a hunch?

perhaps. but Inej didn’t really believe that, and as she watches him run a hand along her arm, and rest his fingers against her forearm... ]

I wish I had met you sooner, too.

[ but she smiles — and it’s soft, but no less genuine. ]

But we met when we met, for a reason. And you gave me hope. Which I think is my favorite thing about you. [ and she nudges her leg against his side, her smile becoming a small grin. ] When you are not an aggravation, anyway.

[ It really isn't the whole story, to simply say she was silent and that she'd impressed him. Nor is it fair to even consider her an investment, not when he'd done so much to make sure she survived Ketterdam. To make sure she had ways of getting out, when everything had started going downhill and the likelihood of ending up in a noose had crept so close.

She hadn't taken him up on it, but the offer had been made. Because he'd found himself caring about this girl and her saints, her willingness to challenge him, the effortless flash of her knives.

It goes beyond just caring, though, when he thinks about her smiling towards the sun or laughing so brightly, suddenly. He's still afraid to put a word to it. ]

I did warn you I'm a bastard. [ He returns her grin, amused at her little jab. His hand settles on the knee she has nudged against him, halfway to an affectionate pat. ] I'm glad you stopped me in that hallway. Every day.

[ Is he admitting to thinking about her that much? Seems like. ]

[ the hand on her knee is new, but a nice weighted warmth. and she watches him, peaceful and comfortable, a free hand playing with a loose thread on his shirt. ]

You have a very specific face when you think someone is repulsive. You are not as good at hiding it as you think.

[ and she stops playing with the thread, instead resting her hand against his chest, the movement lazy and light. ]

I knew you were my only chance after I listened to your conversations with Haleen. You looked bored. Or you tried to, but you hated her.

[ no man who walked into that place hates haleen. ]

I would have died there, if you had not visited on that day.

OPEN POST 2020.

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