modern au kanej.

[wraithes]

a cute gif will go here eventually.

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[ketterdamn]

[ Greedy as he is, he steals a kiss right before she pulls away. Really, it's just an answering one to what she gave him. Mostly.

Reluctantly he lets her go so she can get up and disentangle herself from the blanket nest she'd built around the both of them. He follows suit, draping the blanket over the back of the couch before he pushes himself up, taking hold of his cane once he's on his feet. ]

We can go tomorrow, if you want to join my parents near the University district.

[ Sofia had told him of her plans to restock on certain ingredients she couldn't get at the local market. He remembers plenty of trips out there on the weekends as she attempted to find out what he liked to eat.

Making his way into the kitchen, he takes care of pulling out the cutting board, pan, and knives. He pulls down a couple plates as well, setting them off to the side. ]

[wraithes]

[ she trails after him into the kitchen, letting him take care of pulling down the pots and pans while she busies herself with the refrigerator. tugging out some onions and papers comes first, followed by the package of chicken she had picked up the day before. she sets them down on opposite counters -- for one, to keep the raw meat away from the vegetables, and two, to keep it away from kaz.

she's learned that dealing with the meat will have to be her job, for better or for worse. not that she minds much. he can certainly do other things.

at the offer of going with his parents, inej brightens. they were lovely people, aside from both of them helping her with her current legal predicament with heleen. she still isn't entirely sure how they wound up with kaz, other than sheer dumb luck. but she supposes that's how she ended up with kaz, too. sometimes, fate works in mysterious ways. and, at any rate: ]

I will need to make dessert, then, to bring.

[ she muses, as she tugs a cutting board closer to her, to deal with the chicken. ]

I own Tomassen some cakes.

[ketterdamn]

[ Inej separates the vegetables from the meat, setting the onions and peppers off to the side. He lets her take care of the chicken, not daring to try his hand at cutting it up. After he moved out and before Inej, dealing with raw meat had always been a challenge. Either he ended up picking an alternative or used dish washing gloves to force his way through it.

That was not the most dexterous way. He'd been reluctant to let Inej handle it all but now he's simply relieved. Besides, he can chop the onions without tearing up too much.

(He's teased her that it's a matter of how close she was to the counter and therefore, the onions themselves). ]

What kind? [ Not that Tomassen is picky. The only other person he's ever met that loved baked goods as much as his father was Nina.

Peeling the onion, he uses a separate board to dice it. This was something he never thought he'd end up liking—cooking alongside someone else. Growing up, he'd helped Sofia sometimes, but her kitchen wasn't really meant for two people to be in. Or maybe she just shooed him out a lot. ]

[wraithes]

He told me that there was some type of little cake in Ravka, when he last went, that he missed. So I am going to make my mother's recipe for sweet cakes and hope that it's the same thing.

[ she arranges the chicken on her own cutting board, making quick work of slicing it into strips before turning to wash her hands so she could add different spices. she never really had time to cook for herself, before living with kaz. most food she had was cheap and easy to heat up, constantly on the move with being in debt to heleen. but she finds it soothing, now, to spend time making dinner, and enjoying it with him.

the thought causes her lips to twitch into a faint smile as she dries her hands, turning back to the counter -- but before she does so, she loops her arms around his waist from behind, tucking her face into his back for a brief hug. ]

You can help, if you want.

[ she murmurs, squeezing him once before sliding her arms back. just wanting a tiny touch of comfort before turning back to the work at hand. ]

[ketterdamn]

Even if it isn't the same, he won't say no.

[ For one, his love for pastries knows basically no bounds. And for two: it would be coming from Inej. He wouldn't be able to refuse even if the cakes ended up subpar.

(Which he doubts they will, nothing Inej does is subpar).

He gathers up the chopped onions, dumping them into a bowl to make room for the peppers. These he carefully cuts off the stems and scoops out the seeds, plopping them into a separate bowl for now. About halfway through, he hears Inej washing and drying her hands off. Which ends up with her hugging him from behind. Her body is a comforting and warm line against his back and he stops his cutting, using his clean hand to give her forearm a squeeze.

Another thing he never thought he'd end up liking—this much casual touch. But as soon as she leaves, he wants to turn and return the gesture.

Later, that'll be for later. ]

Sofia called me a passable helper. [ So yes, he wants to. Especially if it's more of this; easy chatter and time spent with Inej. ]

[wraithes]

[ the mental image of a younger kaz helping in the kitchen is an adorable one, made more so by the fact (or so inej assumes) that said help was requested by gentle force. she, obviously, didn't know kaz when he was younger, but she's heard enough (affectionate) stories from tomassen to know that he was something of a handful.

it only makes sofia and tomassen more remarkable, really. that they had bothered to care. and inej smiles to herself as she seasons the chicken, using a nearby set of tongs to turn it over, so she can avoid touching it again, to season the other side. ]

I am sure she didn't call you passable. [ inej has never heard that woman utter one negative word about kaz. and even when acknowledging his flaws, sofia always follows up with a glowing review of his strengths.

chicken finished, inej turns her attention to setting the wok on the stove, adding a dollop of oil to begin heating. ] I think every time I see her, she spends half of the conversation telling me how amazing you are.

[ which, of course, inej doesn't mind. she's more than happy to partake. ]

[ketterdamn]

She wouldn't have. [ He resumes his cleaning of the peppers, meticulously ensuring all the seeds have been cleared out. Once satisfied, he slices them up, adding them to the same bowl as the onions to mix. ] But I was definitely passable at best.

[ Though, he thinks some of the memories have been colored by how rough of a time it had been then. The years had helped but when he'd been young enough to be less in the way, he hadn't been convinced Sofia and Tomassen would be his forever parents. ]

I wish she wouldn't, but— [ A bit of onion spills out of the bowl and he spends a moment clearing it off the counter. ] —most of it is her doing.

[ She'd been patient and determined, two things his other "homes" had been missing ever since he and Jordie ended up on the streets. One couple had been older, with plenty of patience, but they had been at a complete loss on what to do with him.

So he'd run, too overwhelmed by the too big house and silence.

Plenty of times he'd been tempted to run from Sofia and her gentle prying words. He just never could do it. ]

[wraithes]

[ he's so careful in his motions, delicately cleaning the counter from the offending onion that had freed itself from the bowl. or maybe focusing on something mundane, in lieu of focusing on what he was talking about.

she sort of understands. most of the quiet bragging comes from her father, in the family. but her mother deeply loved her, in her own way. she simply demonstrates it differently, than her father does. or even sofia. asena ghafa was no less adoring of her only child, but inej was also certain that she didn't haplessly brag to anyone who listened about her achievements.

though, really, that may be because inej hadn't been there, for most of the typical teenage milestones. she imagines asena has plenty of time to catch up and be overbearingly sweet.

that being said: ]

I think that is the way, with mothers and sons. [ she wouldn't know, given she's the only child. but she shrugs with a faint smile. ] But I also think her type of love is even more special, because she chose you.

[ most parents have little choice. saints knows her own don't. but sofia and tomassen had decided to love kaz in spite of all the difficulty. that was a beautiful thing, to her. ]

Did she teach you how to cook?

kaz kicking in tomassen's door with a phonebook of evidence

[ketterdamn]

[ If he knows his father at all, it's with a surety that Tomassen suspects something is up. Over the Rollins case, Kaz had become familiar with the laws and arguments that had been cited on both sides. Had read so many books on the subjects so he could never have someone pull the wool over his eyes again. Both of his parents had been extremely patient in their explanations and through his several hundred questions.

Since Inej's particular situation calls on a separate branch of laws and rulings, especially because of her being a Ravkan national, he's been sending Tomassen inquiries here and there, getting a better understanding of the contract's wording. As well as doing his own research on everything that stemmed into it; housing, indenture, all the various business Heleen Van Houden owned and operated throughout Ketterdam. Each new discovery fueled the already stoked anger in him. By the time he finishes what he considers his preliminary findings, the word document is nearing fifty pages. He saves it, encrypted, prints everything off, and then carefully wipes all trace of his search, the print job, and disconnects from the VPN he'd set up for it.

Just in case.

He manages to send a message at a normal hour, asking if his dad will be free for lunch the next day, relieved when it's an agreement. Nothing is set in stone, not yet, but he intends to get Heleen in some way. After all, Inej seemed resolute in her desire to get her justice–which is rightfully deserved. Tomassen and Sofia had supported and seen him through his own hell; it was karmic balance to help Inej through hers however he could.

So, on a beautiful but brisk Wednesday, fifteen minutes before noon, he's let into Tomassen's office by the receptionist, Maia. She'd looked startled but glad to see him, having gotten familiar with his comings and goings over the years the Rollins case had dragged on. Kaz takes his seat across from his dad, stretching out his bad leg. The paperwork laden leather bag gets set in the chair next to his so he wouldn't have to bend to collect it. ]

For the record, I did text mom back separately about dinner on Friday.

[motioning]

[ it isn't as if lunch with kaz was unusual, but there was usually a reason. a birthday, a celebration, or sofia had requested his presence. it was rarely initiated by him, which tomassen had long since stopped taking personally. he just wasn't a social person, which on most days, was fine.

so when kaz reached out for lunch after asking some inquiries about suspicious activity, he had a feeling his son was not coming to his firm for a casual lunch. his suspicions were confirmed at the sight of the briefcase laden with paperwork, and as kaz sinks into the chair across from his, tomassen arches his eyebrows.

(he may have a text or three from his dearest wife, telling tomassen to remind kaz to text her concerning dinner on friday, so tomassen is glad he doesn't need to get involved.) ]

She's concerned you're starving to death. [ obviously. he folds his hands in his lap, his elbows resting on the arms of his chair, surveying kaz. he looks tired, as if he hasn't slept very well recently. not stressed, necessarily, but determined despite the lack of sleep. ] Do most people bring an encyclopedia to lunch, or is that just a special trait you carry?

[ketterdamn]

[ Kaz doesn't miss the sideways glance Tomassen spares for the heavy looking briefcase. Knows he'll have to answer for it, because it is a bit of strange sight. Even if they both know he works probably too much for someone his age—there's no way it's just his own work.

His expression softens minutely, at the mention of Sofia's worry over his appetite. ]

I know, I know. I assured her I have been eating. [ That said: ] I'll be there Friday, so at least she knows I ate once this week.

[ Otherwise, he knows she's going to get increasingly anxious. It's better to set all that to rest or she's going to show up at his doorstep. Well. Maybe not, since she's always been very observant of his boundaries. But it's still a possibility, if he remained too silent.

Besides, it's not like it's a trial to see his parents. Even if one of them is currently giving him shit. That's just how they communicate though, so he dishes the same cheekiness back. ]

Your choice, Tom, do you want lunch first or the encyclopedia first?

[motioning]

I’ve got one better, actually.

[ because while Sofia generally respects kaz’s boundaries, tomassen is nosy. so when his wife frets over their son’s radio silence, he does the obvious thing and asks kaz’s friends. namely, Jesper, who could not keep his mouth shut to save his life. and Jesper had told him some very interesting details. namely: ]

Who is Inej? [ with an innocent tone, before he unfolds his arms, gesturing with a hand toward the stack of paperwork tucked in kaz’s bag. ] And you had best have a good story, given she’s landed herself in hot water with Tante Heleen, and you currently have her sheltered at your home.

[ looking up the property card of inej’s building had taken little effort, though digging through who was actually responsible for owning the shell corporation had been some effort. he’s not exactly thrilled that Kaz has put himself in the middle of yet another mess, and tomassen sighs to himself before saying wearily. ]

You’re buying, by the way.

[ketterdamn]

[ It doesn't surprise him that Tomassen is at least one step ahead. They're both too familiar with how the other operates at this point. Their similarities meant their relationship had way more friction, even if Kaz knows he would do basically anything his father asked of him.

Still, he sighs and passes a hand over his face, making a mental note to message Jesper about what he divulges to other people. There couldn't possibly be another source for Tomassen's information, after all. ]

No objections. [ To buying lunch. A small price to pay. ] First question: how serious were you when you said you'd never take another case like mine? Relatedly, how familiar are you with Tante Heleen?

[ He'll answer the other questions, promise, but these are the most pressing. None of the rest will make much sense to get into, otherwise. ]

[motioning]

[ he makes a soft noise at the query, but while he mulls it over, he reaches over to the phone on his desk, pressing a button to connect to his secretary. ]

Maia, my darling, would you mind calling in lunch from the Zemeni establishment down the street? Numbers three and fourteen, if you would, with espresso.

[ there was a cheerful of course! on the other end, and tomassen cut the line with another press of the button before settling back into his chair with a sigh, allowing his expression to drop into a sign of weariness. ]

Heleen van Houdon owns near-every pleasure house along the Stave, and deals in fine jewelry and silks to boot. She's been investigated by the Watch before, but the victims always recant. She has quite the grip on local immigration, and the girls who complain tend to disappear. Either deported or worse.

[ he still hasn't answered kaz's first question, because he isn't quite sure how to answer it. pekka rollins had been hell, and he has the scars to prove it. he doesn't think either he or sofia slept for the duration of the trial longer than a few hours at a time. but heleen... ]

I've met her a few times. She made a point to introduce herself after Pekka was sentenced. Gave me her card, and asked if I was looking for new clients. I said I was busy enough for the next decade, and left it at that.

[ there's a pause. ]

That girl you picked up in a bar is in some serious shit, Kaz, if she defaulted on Heleen.

[ketterdamn]

[ The order of lunch brings back an odd feeling. He'd spent a lot of time in and out of this office during his case. Then, it'd been a particular kind of hell, for the both of them. But he cherished his time here; Tomassen had been the first adult in his life, after his father's death, who had actually listened. For that brief moment, he's transported back to that time, albeit without the fear. He's older now. And Rollins would never be able crawl back into the light of day.

That said, he does notice his first question goes unanswered. At least, in the moment. It'll come back around.

In a grim way, it's heartening to know how much Tomassen does know, about Tante Heleen. At least the basics are covered. It isn't the worst of it, but that wasn't the question he asked. Hardly a topic to bring up before lunch, at any rate. ]

She didn't. [ At this, he reaches over to procure the slim set of papers that proves it, sliding them onto Tomassen's desk. ] I paid off the contract. Whatever noise she's making about defaults is just noise.

[ Leaning back in his chair once more, he folds his hands across his stomach, eyes bright but determined. ] I asked Inej if she wanted justice, she said yes.

[ Really a summary of their ongoing conversation the last few days. ]

Heleen made her sign that contract when she didn't even understand Kerch.

[motioning]

[ tomassen leans forward to pick up the paperwork that kaz procures, unfolding it swiftly to read it over. his brow furrows, a low whistle escaping at the amount of debt. why heleen would be furious over receiving that amount of money, tomassen has no idea.

more importantly: ]

A normal first date is dinner and a movie, not paying out hundreds of thousands of kruge for someone you barely know. Must be a pretty girl.

[ he folds the paperwork back up, tossing it onto his desk. ]

Signing a contract you don't understand isn't necessarily illegal, so long as you understand what the end goal is. Inej signed this knowing she had to pay back a debt; certainly nauseating, but not necessarily illegal. What else have you got?

[ketterdamn]

[ Kaz barely restrains himself from rolling his eyes at the comment about what a date should look like. He should know by now that Kaz views that as a pipe dream. Almost unwanted, even, considering his circumstances.

Sofia has been trying her best to get him over his crippling fear of human contact and...to her credit, he can stomach more than he could, in the past. But it was an enormous leap from being able to hug his mother to actively dating someone, no matter if they'd been introduced by Jesper.

He does make a face at Tomassen's explanation, a general exasperation at the Kerch and their views on contracts. ]

Funny you should ask. [ Remember that encyclopedia? Yeah, now he places it on his father's desk, expression looking strangely hollowed out. ]

I wouldn't read that without a glass of something strong nearby.

[motioning]

[ the weight of the paperwork makes a soft 'thud' as kaz places it down, and tomassen eyes it warily before pulling it toward him, flipping to the first page in the first folder. a summary, but tomassen shifts it to the side to get to the contract itself. he scans it quickly, making comments to himself under his breath as he flips through the pages. but at the last page, when he looks at inej's signature, he tilts his head a little, frowning to himself. ]

How old is your friend?

[ he flips through a few more pages to look at initials at different provisions. the signatures are as neat as possible, but there's almost a child-like emphasis on the loops, the letters and accents not fitting of someone who speaks kerch as a native language. ]

[ketterdamn]

[ Tomassen starts to check over the papers and Kaz drops his gaze, staring at the stack. There's a vague queasiness working its way up in his throat, as he remembers what exactly is in there. There's no way it's the entire picture—he feels like he barely scratched the surface. But what he had found had been enough to turn his stomach.

He's seen a lot of bad in his life, even in the brief time he'd been on the street. People bled out, the casual violence, the lying and cheating and stealing to get ahead. And certainly, was not naive to what happened behind closed doors in the seedier brothels.

It was entirely another thing to get more details in his search. To know the debt Inej had been in and just exactly how Heleen expected her to "work it off". How she'd been put in that position when she should've been attending secondary school. ]

She's nineteen. [ He'll let Tomassen do the math, the dates are there. Thinking about it again makes the nausea crawl further up. ]

[motioning]

[ tomassen makes a soft noise of acknowledgement as he flips to the last page of the contract again, landing on the date. he does some quick math in his head before his expression falls, a slow exhale as he lets the folder fall closed. ]

She wants justice, but at what cost?

[ he asks finally, settling back into his chair, his expression level. ]

She will need medical examinations, physical and mental. Depositions, testimony, interrogatories about her experiences. She will need to be poked and prodded by dozens of people in order to substantiate ... this.

[ with a wave of his hand at the pile of paperwork. ]

And Heleen will hardly go down without a fight. Pekka had something to leverage against him; Heleen has none. No husband, wife, child. She has her gold and diamonds, and nothing else. Which will make her five times as likely to fight to the last breath, given she has nothing to protect except what we are trying to take away from her. And --

[ he taps his fingers on top of the folder. ]

We cannot paper the file like we could in your case. She will need to tell a jury what happened to her. Name names. String up powerful people. You think she's ready to do that?

[ketterdamn]

[ He sees it, the moment the puzzle piece clicks into place. Kaz frowns, pushing the reality, the enormity of it, away to focus on Tomassen's question. On the follow up facts, laid out. More damage to add on top of what's already been done. It would be invasive, dredging everything to the surface. Anything she thought buried would be brought up, used as a weapon, used to cast doubt on her experience.

His own experience had been full of similar things. Reliving his father's gruesome passing, the fever blur of Jordie's; his grief raked over coals to prove the truth.

For a moment, he shuts his eyes, thinking of his conversation with Inej just a day before. Her dark gaze full of steel, not a single waver of conviction in her voice or her stance. ]

She said she would do whatever it takes to bring her to hell. [ Kaz finally replies, re-opening his eyes and glancing up at Tomassen. ] But, you can ask her again.

[ He doesn't think the answer will change. But perhaps it will. Perhaps she will have thought on it more, off of the wave of elation she'd initially answered him on. ]

[motioning]

[ he makes a soft noise of approval at that before sighing to himself, stretching his arms over his head in a long groan. it has merit. annoyingly, the case has merit. but... ]

I'll talk to her.

[ that's it!!!! ]

And if it has merit... if Sofia gives her blessing... [ he lets out a long exhale, his cheeks puffing out. ] I am moderately behind on my pro bono hours for the year.

[ a lie. he looks at the stack of paperwork with another sigh. ]

Where is she right now?

[ketterdamn]

[ Slowly, Kaz nods, not having necessarily expected a yes or no right now. There was still too much information to look through.

And, well, his mother to ask. The both of them had dealt with the hell of the Rollins case with more grace and fire than he thinks anyone ever expected of them. He knows this case is likely to bring similar attention. It's just as Tomassen said: Heleen was going to fight tooth and nail to keep her empire. She wouldn't be cowed by threats to her legacy–she had no heir to pass anything onto. While he's unwilling to bend to any return threat, he can't demand it of either of his parents to do again.

(There is a flicker of fear there, buried deep. The what if of Heleen being successful where Rollins hadn't. That possible phone call from the emergency room that would bring only worse news.) ]

Alright. [ Carefully, he buries the paranoia, swallows around it. ] So you say. You've never been behind on your hours the entire time I've known you, Tom.

[ As if that stack of papers is slim. ]

Likely still at my flat. [ Kaz gives a half-shrug, as if it doesn't mean anything. It doesn't really, not to him. She needed a place with heat and then, away from Heleen. His was as good as any. Not like Heleen would go looking there. ]

[motioning]

[ well, that much is true. he is something of a bleeding heart, but he had kept to his word to not take anything too dramatic since the rollins case. bringing him down had brought in a significant amount of business, which has been nice, but things have been delightfully boring for some time. enough to recover, physically and mentally. he had even been able to take vacations.

so, really, it was up to sofia. she hadn't exactly been happy at the call from the emergency room letting her know he had been shot, even if he had helpfully informed her that the moron had missed. his shoulder still bothers him a bit, but the story is cool. he thinks. ]

Suppose it's as safe a place as any. [ kaz's flat, that is, though tomassen is surprised kaz is allowing someone in his space at all. he considers that for a moment before rising to his feet, from behind his desk toward his door. squeezing kaz's shoulder on the way past, in reassurance. he hadn't missed that subtle shift in energy, the minor panic. ] Lunch should be here by now, I'll get it. Stay here, and don't look through anything or I'll have to kill you.

[ pleasantly enough. ]

[ketterdamn]

Doubt Heleen will come sniffing around that area.

[ No, she's more likely to focus her attention on boarding houses, hotels, or shelters, watching to see where Inej checks in.

Tomassen stands then, crossing towards the door, presumably to get the lunch he'd ordered earlier. Kaz glances down at the hand on his shoulder, swallowing another wave of anxiety, before meeting his father's gaze with a fractional smile. ]

I can keep my hands to myself. [ Now, anyway. There'd been a time, when he was younger, where he'd be tempted to look through the files in here. ]