timewasting | OPEN POST 2020.

YOUR CHOICE:
- her first time back after sailing
- pre-canon/adjusting time life in the dregs???
- immediately post canon
- idk undefined cute fluff/smooching whathaveyou
- wildcard

[ kaz brekker was a fucking idiot.

she had been back in ketterdam after months of being away, and she had arrived at a bad time. the gang violence in the barrel had come to a head, and inej truly arrived in the midst of mayhem. she had no problems crossing ketterdam to slip into kaz's office, but had been greeted with something of a predicament.

she had expected a hug, an excited grin, or an ask on how the seas were, but none of those things happened, because kaz was on his way to deal with a threat. something he apparently had to do personally. and when inej had volunteered her services (because of course she would), she had been refused.

then, they had gotten into an argument. it was a pointless argument, one that was was full of vitriol for the sake of being vitriolic. he didn't want her to go because she didn't need to go, and inej pointed out that no one had to know she was going because no one would be able to see her, and it had ended with inej telling him fine, do what you feel is best, and slipping right back out the window, vanishing from sight into the dark skies of ketterdam.

she then, naturally, flipped herself up easily onto the roof, and waited. to follow kaz wherever he was going, picking her way along the rooftops silently, to make sure the moron didn't get himself killed.

she did not spend four months at sea to return to a dead kaz brekker because he was too stubborn to accept help out of some maligned attempt to protect her. ]

[ there had been whispers of someone with powerful illusion tech, holing up somewhere in london. so, naturally, tony was volun-told that he needed to go check it out. steve had volunteered to tag along, but tony had waved it off. it was probably someone stupid, and it probably wasn't even that big of a deal.

so he had elected to check it out on his own. natasha had told him he was an idiot, and tony was fairly certain she was tagging along somewhere in the shadows, unbeknownst to him (supposedly). but tony stark could take care of himself.

obviously. he was iron man.

which is why he was hanging out at a cafe, with coffee, scrolling through his phone . . . or, at least, pretending to scroll through his phone, which in actuality was hacking into cctv to scan the city for anything weird. ]

C'mon, FRIDAY.

[ it's muttered to himself, glancing out the window at the odd honk of a car. ]

I haven't got all day, I've got things to do that don't involve being here.

[ he was supposed to have gone on vacation at least a year ago. ]

[ She's here for two and a half weeks, which is slightly longer than her first visit. After the chaotic night of her arrival, things mostly smooth out. She shows up to a few meetings with the Dregs, perched in the rafters as usual. Her presence is comforting and her occasional comments insightful as always.

Aside from some usual business, he finds his schedule suspiciously free. Or perhaps not suspicious, as Anika practically shoves him out of his office at the beginning of the second week. Part of him is annoyed by it, but he can't put his whole heart into it, especially not when he can do this.

This being: taking an evening walk with Inej, showing her a new building in the university district that has a great view of the square– by design. No scaling the wall necessary. It has a garden attached which is mostly fresh turned earth, things planted for the autumn bloom. Mostly, he likes it because there's relative quiet and being recently constructed, the bricks are laid evenly. Less likely to trip. ]

I didn't get to ask– how's your family?

[ It's only been a day on the ship and he's spent most of it silently fretting over the Dregs. All the questions he'd asked himself as he worked on something airtight as possible for leaving them on their own come to the forefront of his mind. Every passing minute aboard and watching the sea go by makes him feel vaguely panicked. Really, he should breathe easy. He'd gone over everything with a fine comb, checking every detail and rolling it out over the course of six months.

The weeks leading up to his (tentative) departure had seen him doing almost nothing. Working together with Anika, he'd gotten a group together to handle the paperwork and at least two bright minds—Frey and Sixes—to make sure they kept the books in order. Pim was in charge of keeping the club running and successful. Anika herself had stepped in as acting leader. Both had seen him off at the harbor along with Jesper and Wylan.

So, it would be fine. He wasn't going to come back with the entire gang in shambles. Except he worries and brings that worry with him belowdeck as most of the crew starts to retire for the night. He's not sure he's going to get much sleep but he'll have to make an attempt. When he gets to Inej's room, he pokes his head into the open doorway, rapping once on the frame. ]

Still working?

[ If there's one thing he's known for, it's his general cautiousness when dealing with money, with investments. The windfall after the Van Eck job does wonders to springboard some things he had in mind to improve the club and Slat with, alongside making it easy to start expanding.

Which he does, progressively, over a few years.

Gaining the ground in the Barrel hadn't exactly been easy, not even with the success of the dregs in combination with his reputation. Gangs here were possessive and mistrustful, tended towards violence at the slightest provocation. He spends plenty of time putting out fires (as well as starting them, in response to disrespect), though he hasn't been chained to his work nearly as much as he used to be as a lieutenant. Ever since that time he visited Ravka with Inej, he's made sure to step away and reset where he could. Sometimes, he takes a couple days even when she isn't visiting.

Mostly to turn some of those investments into something a bit more personal. Perhaps more permanent. Ketterdam likely won't forget the Dregs anytime soon, but gangs are an impermanent structure, rising and falling like a tide. It's even possible it'll happen while he's around (not likely, but still). Whatever the case ends up being, he does his research and eventually, he buys a house. Near the Church of Barter, which wouldn't have been his first pick but it fit what he'd been looking for: enough space, a specific view, generally quieter. There's also the matter that the house isn't exactly complete, originally belonging to a merchant who had plans to move and then never did. Kaz has all the information in a file somewhere.

Mostly it's an allowance to customize some things without having to knock down too many walls.

He spends the better part of a year getting the details correct, occasionally hiring people to do the more difficult jobs and handling the rest himself. Jesper wrangles it out of him when he catches Kaz coming back to the Slat with paint all down one pant leg and Kaz threatens him with exquisite pain should he say a thing to Inej.

It seems to work, though he suspects Wylan knows. At almost exactly a year later, Inej sails back in and he waits three days before subjecting her to the travel out to the house. Manor. Whatever. He's sure he's being frustratingly vague, his expression placid even as they come to a stop in front of it. ]

[ her parents were coming to ketterdam, which was exciting. for one, inej thinks they should just stay, and maybe this time she can actually convince them to do it. for another, they haven't seen the house . . . which, after about six months, actually looks like a home. complete with furnished rooms, a library, and a sun-filled guest room for her parents.

however, life has still been . . . well, life. working to unseat the slavers in ketterdam has been hard work, which has gotten her into her fair share of scraps. heleen still hasn't shown her face, but there are rumors flitting about that the menagerie is about to be posted for sale . . . and inej has the coin ready to bid, if necessary. the barrel remains as violent as ever, and kaz and inej both have been responsible for smacking down people who try to challenge their peace. sometimes, though, people forget who they are.

all of this to say, sometimes, fights happen. and the night before her parents are supposed to arrive in port, inej is in their bathroom, frowning at a bruise on her arm, trying to figure out the best way to hide it from her parents. two nights ago, she had been at the white rose, trying to find information, when she had heard a customer getting violent. which obviously would not do.

he had gone out the window into the trash heap below. but not before digging his gross fingers into her arm. he won't have use of that hand (or, honestly, much of his body) for a good six months, but he had still left a mark. which didn't bother her other than the fact that now she had to hide it.

( hiding it from kaz had been a lost cause. taking off her shirt had resulted in a litany of death threats before inej could put a word in edge-wise that the person who did it was already unconscious in the hospital. )

still. the house was clean, and ready. and food was bought. the rooms were prepared. and she could feel the nervous energy edging throughout the house, because: ]

You have nothing to be nervous over.

[ she says to herself, prodding her arm as she runs cold water over it, almost willing the bruise to just go away. she can always hear kaz when he moves, but the pacing (or, well, movement or checking something or whatever he's doing in there, but really, it sounds like pacing) around their bedroom is punctuated by his cane, which makes it even more obvious. and she raises her voice a little, to call into the bedrooom: ]

It isn't as if they haven't met you.

Edited 2020-07-23 14:31 (UTC)

[ It takes them two years and five months to track down the slaver ring that had stolen Inej away to Ketterdam. The entire thing is a long and frequently frustrating venture—these people didn't want to be found. For good reason, but it makes it even harder on top of the usual difficulty of catching slavers. They're not always land bound, for one. And for two, they move around quite often. Like a band of predatory animals, always looking for the easy prey. For the people on the outskirts.

In that time, Kaz learns Ravkan well enough to speak passably. He also learns enough about slaver tactics that it turns even his stomach, the queasiness fueling his determination to help Inej find the ones responsible.

When they do, it's almost a total surprise. They had gone to investigate where the trail had gone off and nearly walked straight into the encampment. Inej's reflexes had saved them both from losing the upper hand. From there, it had been a brutal little fight. No one made it out.

But they hadn't been able to relax just yet. The next couple weeks had been spent returning the handful of children they'd found back to their homes. He'd written Anika the morning after dispatching the slaver ring to warn her that he'd be gone longer. And it'd been worth it; every last child made it back to their parents. Hopefully to stay permanently until they were older and could defend themselves.

Now it's back to just him and Inej. They'd put up in a hotel near Os Kervo, intent on resting for the next few days at the very least. She needed it most—this entire trip had been taxing. There were dark circles under her eyes and an exhausted strain around the line of her mouth. He sits next to her on the bed and carefully strokes his hand down her back. ]

Inej? You should get some rest.

[ Kaz had been badgering her for two days straight, to go see a doctor. she had been feeling sick, and inej had written it off as a stomach virus or something of the sort. but eventually, inej decided that arguing with kaz was expending more energy than just going, and so she went.

the appointment only lasted a few minutes, after a test was administered despite inej’s reluctance. it had been over a year of trying, and failing, and inej had written off the lack of baby as just a sign that her body couldn’t handle the process. it had been a heartbreaking year of tests, and visits, and nights spent crying because of how invasive it all was. and so when this doctor suggested a test, inej had just sighed and agreed absently. it would just be another disappointment, and she would get some medication for nausea, and be sent home.

that isn’t exactly what happened, though. and inej walks home in something of a daze, letting herself into their home. and inej rests her back against the door for a moment before she sets off in search of kaz, assuming he’s in their room, or office. sulking, likely, because she told him she could go by herself.

she actually finds him in the foyer on the couch, reading something, and inej decides promptly to cross over and sit in his lap, tucking her head underneath his chin, a sudden warm feeling spreading through her chest as she closes her eyes.

(the nausea medication the doctor gave her was kicking in, quickly replaced by a quiet elation. )]

Hi.

[ warmly. ]

[ In another life, were they any other people, he would've proposed to Inej when they were both eighteen; adults, legally. Jesper and Wylan had pretty much done that, though they had the luck of a much more traditional engagement. Walking out. Whatever the hell that was considered.

(Then again, he thinks it had something to do with securing the Van Eck estate. Not that reasoning lessened how much they clearly adored each other).

Neither he nor Inej had a normal life though. He was busy with running the Dregs and she was out on the ocean, pursuing her dreams. And coincidentally, taking down slavers at the same time. It hadn't left them with much time together in the same spot. And certainly hadn't given them time to even consider a wedding, no matter how small the actual ceremony would be.

That, of course, did not stop him from thinking about it. Or planning meticulously, because that's what he was good at. He ends up making a list to sort through, something he uses to kill his idle time. Or whenever work is particularly frustrating. Or more often than not: when he misses her too much. It helps to think about something other than the possibility of her ship crashing and sinking.

Ultimately, part of those plans are put aside as he gets the house ready. And then after that, there's making sure her semi-permanent stay in Ketterdam is set up correctly. Her parents also come and go, her mother inquiring almost immediately about when he was going to actually marry her daughter. He ends up putting it off for another six weeks, mostly revising his ideas and finally settling on a day.

Because he's had the ring for...far too long. And it currently feels like it's burning a hole in his pocket. He'd kept it at his desk, knowing Inej rarely if ever went in there. The times she did, it was if he asked her to a grab something when his leg was protesting. She didn't seem to find it or even make any note, though he's still filled with nerves. It's illogical.

Hopefully none of it is showing on his face as he walks with her out towards the Fifth Harbor. They'd spent some time looking for an import spice shop (which they found) and another spot that had Ravkan coffee before deciding to take a walk out towards the docks. It was, after all, one of the busier harbors, ships of all sorts coming in with their bright white sails. The dock posts themselves were decorated for end of summer, ribbons and flowers fluttering in the breeze coming off the water.

Maybe one of the other harbors would've been (technically) safer. Or perhaps more quiet. But this was where they'd started; there was something satisfying in bringing it full circle. ]

I thought that couple was going to try and adopt you on the spot. [ The ones who ran the spice shop were two wives, one Shu and the other Suli. They'd clearly adored the Wraith for a multitude of reasons. ]

[ Inej comes back to a relatively quiet Ketterdam. It's as though the city has decided to behave itself in hearing that she'd be arriving; like children knowing the parents are coming home soon. He's adjusted to not having her around but there are some things that are still tricky without her particular skill set and input. Thankfully, that only seems to be noticed by some of the older Dregs and not really anyone outside of that. Or if they've noticed, none of the rival gangs have done anything to exploit those loopholes.

Frankly, he's betting they haven't figured it out. Neither the Black Tips nor the Razorgulls has much kicking around in their heads.

Either way, Inej is back and the streets aren't a complete riot for at least a couple days. She's able to get some rest upon immediate arrival, having come in with the late tide, and the two of them got to spend some time together just yesterday. Today, she'd finally gone out to visit Jesper and Wylan, knowing at any moment they were going to start banging Kaz's door down for keeping her solely to himself.

Of course, almost as soon as she's likely gotten to their house, the Barrel turns upside down. The Razorgulls finally gain the guts to make a move on some territory, claiming it wasn't technically part of Fifth Harbor. Unfortunately, the maps of the city are conflicting, so they're right, depending on which one is read. Trying to solve it through logic or getting the city to care about an area dispute isn't worth it. So he goes out to dissuade them by force.

The thing about the Razorgulls is they've gotten better fighters as of late. And he feels that, personally, when a couple of them manage to tackle him to the ground. By the time the Dregs drag themselves back to the Slat—triumphant, of course—he's bruised and bleeding and his leg is complaining fiercely. He'd kept most of the hits away from his face, but someone managed to nick his cheek with a knife. He's sprawled in a chair in his room, door open just in case someone shouted for something. There's a whole first aid kit dumped out across his desk; he's currently cleaning off any cuts, the front of his shirt open as he does. ]

[ Ella is, quite often, a very good baby. As far as babies go– at least, that's what he's told by Asena, who had warned them both after the first week that she foresaw a very headstrong individual. Really, it makes sense. Neither he nor Inej are the type to back down easily. It seems to have been passed on through genetics, rather than any sort of nurturing of a personality trait.

The thing is, alongside a stubbornness, Ella seems to have inherited a fussiness about bedtime. She's more active than any child has a right to be the later in the day it gets. Except her tiny body doesn't have the stamina to keep going and she quickly gets cranky close to evening.

And then hates every second of being put down for a nap.

Honestly, he can relate. He hates that he can relate. It has to be some sort of karma for how much he's driven everyone in this damn city nuts with his general crankiness. Considering all of that, he tends to be the one who takes over getting the poor thing to bed. Especially since she's been going through a particularly grabby period– Inej's hair is a prime target. She's also associated her with mealtime, which doesn't help in getting her to sleep.

Today is a particularly rough day for it and Kaz barely registers when Inej ducks out of the house to get some time and peace. Eventually, he gives in and lies down with Ella on their bed, intending to put his leg up and soothe her to sleep.

She ends up on his chest, one small round cheek pressed against it, her tiny (but strong) hand clinging to his shirt. There's no doing anything like this. And truthfully, he doesn't want to go through the whole process of accidentally waking her up just so he can read or something. Instead, he ends up drifting off, both hands laid across her legs and back, to keep her in place. ]

[ The past few months have been particularly stressful and difficult. Inej had chased down a record number of slaver ships, catching one every two weeks for three months, and it leaves her looking a bit ragged when she finally sails back into Ketterdam. Frankly, the entire crew looks like they could use a rest.

He isn't in too much better of shape, having just dealt with the Black Tips and Razorgulls forming a temporary alliance to try and tip the scales of power in the Barrel. It isn't quite the same level of stress of the Ice Court or Van Eck, but it definitely fits into the top five. The complicated nature of it had him asking Jesper and Wylan for a hand. A rarity, as he tries to let them live their relatively normal lives away from the chaos of his.

They were both, perhaps, a bit more enthusiastic about it than he expected.

With the gang nonsense resolved and Inej proclaiming at least two weeks of being land bound, he doesn't hesitate to suggest they go get some space away. It's been some time since their last vacation, work pulling them in their respective directions without much mercy. Being so last minute, they can't go terribly far, but as usual he has a plan.

Which is how they end up in the countryside of Kerch. In Zwel, a town just outside of Belendt. Close enough that the Dregs or Inej's crew could shout, just in case. But also, like most country towns, having plenty of space and quiet. The hotel is more of a bed and breakfast, with sturdy walls and modest decoration. Something about it is immediately soothing. Whether that's the relative silence or the nostalgia, he isn't sure.

Either way, they've been here for a couple days now, keeping mostly to themselves and catching up on some needed rest. Their room has a small balcony overlooking the neat rows of laden fruit trees. It lends a sweet smell to the occasional breeze. He spent a better part of the day reading out there and is paying a bit for it, his nose and cheeks pink from the sun.

At least now it's evening and no one will really notice. Aside from Inej, of course. Who apparently has some surprise cooked up, because she's shut herself into the bathroom before dinner. He hasn't heard anything—which he rarely does, she is quiet with most things—not even a splash of water, so he knocks. ]

Have you fallen asleep?

[ the months leading up to the wedding had been nauseating. not because inej didn't want to marry kaz (obviously, she did), but because the entire thing just seemed to be . . . a lot. a lot of plans and inviting people and figuring out who sits where at dinner. she had wondered more than once if all of the pomp and circumstance was going to be worth it.

at the end of the evening, inej can safely say it was.

all of their friends were in attendance -- even nina, who had made the trip and promised to stay to celebrate. her parents were thrilled, and her mother cried. and it had been a fun night, with a lot of wine and music and talking and general . . . merriment, really. which isn't something they all get to have.

so it's roughly three in the morning, when they eventually get back to their home. she is still wearing the long lace dress she had picked out what feels like forever ago, with kaz's suit jacket draped around her -- it had gotten chilly, later in the night. and nothing sounds more delightful than getting into bed, honestly. inej had put her parents and nina in a lovely hotel, mostly so she could have peace and quiet at her own home after a chaotic day. as much as she loves and adores her family (both blood and not), she needs calm, every once in awhile. even if her mother had been miffed.

she's exceptionally grateful for her decision now, as it's taken about three times to get the stupid key into the lock of their front door. maybe the last glass of wine had been a mistake. ]

I think we need to replace -- ah. [ success, as she manages to unlock the stupid door, because it's clearly the door's fault, and not her's, and inej opens the door triumphantly. ] There we go.

[ sometimes she forgets she's about a hundred pounds soaking wet. and, incidentally, jesper does too, who is definitely responsible for filling inej's glass so frequently. ]

[ the last thirty-nine weeks or so had been something of a blur, now that she was at the end of it. but she didn't feel panicked or anxious, as she thought she would. no, she felt relieved -- relieved that soon, she will no longer be mostly bedridden, or run out of energy moving from one room to the next. and, of course, her child would be here, finally, but most of all, inej was sick of the miracle of carrying a child.

roughly twelve hours ago, the irregular contractions had grown a bit more regular, and a bit more painful -- to the point that inej was fairly certain it was time. but she had long been lectured by her mother and several different midwives that the process could take days. and, really, worrying kaz at the outset seemed like a pointless decision. he would only fret, and not sleep, and that would only serve to annoy her further.

so she said nothing, instead choosing to (gently) bully kaz into taking a bath with her. the hot water felt incredible on her back, and the uncomfortabe pain was somehow more tolerable, in the bath. she felt relaxed to the point of nearly taking a nap, but instead sighed lazily, resting the back of her head against kaz's chest. ]

Why didn't we invent time travel.

[ tiredly, her tone rueful. ]

We could jump ahead and have this be over with by now.

inej

( kaz. )