[ 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.
[ 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. ]
[ 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. ]
[ 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?
[ 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. ]
[ 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. ]
[ 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. ]
[ 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.
[ 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. ]
[ with a small shake of kaz's shoulder, before he leaves the office to move down the hall, collecting the bag of food and the tray of espresso. juggling both in one hand, he sends a quick text to sofia letting her know he's going to be home late before asking his secretary to send a dozen roses to the school where sofia works. softening the blow of what he's about to do, tomassen thinks.
and, of course, it was wednesday. a perfect day for flowers.
that done, he re-enters the office, closing his door with a nudge of his foot before setting the bags on his desk. ]
So.
[ as he sets the americano down in front of kaz, made to his specifications. ]
Jesper told me Inej was rather taken with you at that bar.
[ now that he has kaz trapped by the prospect of perhaps taking up this case, he can now fully interrogate. ]
[ Tomassen gives his shoulder a friendly (teasing) shake and Kaz sighs, annoyed. But only just a bit. There's a faint, private, more genuine smile at the jab as his father exits the room, leaving him alone with his thoughts for a bit.
The Rollins case had not been easy by any means, for either of them. But, he'd made it out of it with parents who cared. Who patiently supported him through the absolute worst of his meltdowns. And while it had frightened him to let the vulnerability shine through, to be known again, he's ultimately glad they have this. That he can be jibed about his bad habits, his odd tics, with a good humor.
He's shaken from his swirling thoughts as Tomassen comes back in, takeout bag rustling before they're set on a clearer spot of his desk. Kaz appreciatively takes the americano, sipping it before setting it off to the side so he could help dig their order out of the bags, utensils and sauces getting doled out. ]
You should know by now that Jes exaggerates everything. [ Rather taken? She'd been friendly enough and hadn't decided to lose his number. Nothing more, nothing less. ]
Just because we met in a bar like you and mom did doesn't mean we're destined.
First of all, your mother took pity upon me in a bar when I was at my most pathetic and granted me the blessing of her presence.
[ as he settled into his chair, tugging his own food closer to him to begin mixing in the requisite sauces. unlike sofia, his penchant for spicy food is pathetic, and so he's a little lighter than what's probably normal. ]
Second, a bar is a perfectly lovely place to meet someone, and third, it doesn't need to be destined, it can simply be fun. In summation --
That's funny, her side of the story is very different.
[ He says, knowingly amused, as he opens his food container and dumps more sauce on than Tomassen did. Having grown up with Jesper as a friend, his tolerance is much higher for the spicier flavor profiles of Zemeni fare.
That aside, he knows his father is joking about being pitied. Somewhat. After all, he continues to look at Sofia like she'd hung the moon and the stars in the sky. Not that he blames him; Sofia had held a patient hand out, repeatedly, even when Kaz had aggressively batted it away. She'd told him she wanted him to be happy and eventually, he'd believed her. Had let her coax him into hugs when he'd simultaneously craved nothing more and felt the choking nausea that came from it.
So, he knows how much his parents would do anything for each other, showing it in their everyday interactions. Whatever pity there may or may not have been...he hasn't been privy to. ]
Or, more likely, she felt completely neutral and forgot about deleting my number.
[ At this, he shrugs, not wholly bothered. He's aware of what he's like—being friendly and charismatic is Jesper's role. When left to his own devices, he's too intense, too severe, too harsh. His sharp tongue has been curbed a bit, but it's still there. ]
Women don't bother putting your number into their phone in the first place if they don't like you.
[ wisely, as he takes a bite of his dumplings. he doesn't recall if sofia got his cell phone number before or after they got married. but he supposes they were a different case. ]
It's not a bad thing; at the very least, you've made a new friend. [ of which kaz has few and far between. he has his little cohort, but he's glad to see it expand a little, even if it is just one person. ] She sounds like a lovely girl. Have you set up a bedroom for her, or is she moving to a hotel?
[ Maybe she did, to appease Jesper. Or maybe she'd felt the social lubrication enough to do so in the moment. There's a handful of other reasons he can think of, all of them beyond because she liked him.
Jes has said that kind of thinking is depressing but, Kaz disagrees. It's just realistic. Things rarely went optimistically. And it isn't as if he's interested in her that way. Inej is a friend, albeit a new one that he'd gotten along with faster than anticipated.
Besides, even if he were: it's not like she would return those feelings. Nor does he think they'd even be welcomed. She is, after all, dealing with having run from Heleen. From the touch of unwanted hands of disgusting men.
No, he thinks their relationship will remain as it is. ]
I suppose. [ Inej is oddly tolerant of his quirks, taking them in stride with the same ease Jesper does. ] She's flat broke and has a bird, I doubt a hotel would be suitable.
[ He gives his food a stir, letting it cool a bit. ] And if Heleen is anything like Rollins, she'll be watching the hotel check-ins.
[ Annoyingly, she seems resourceful. And spiteful enough to do so, contract paid or not. ]
I'd planned on asking her what she wanted to do; she's only been staying for the past few nights. [ When they both thought this would be a more temporary thing. ] If it comes to it, I could clear out the room my office is in.
[ he repeats, looking amused, fishing out another dumpling from his container. kaz had always taken to the menagerie that lived at the manor better than most human beings, so he isn't too surprised that he's allowed a bird into the apartment too. ]
Well, I doubt Sofia would mind giving her a room if she needs one. Or if you get sick from having a roommate, but clearing out your office sounds like a plan. It would be a safe place for her to stay while she gets on her feet, assuming you aren't too bothered by it.
[ He confirms, with a shrug. ] It's not mom's iguana, at least.
[ Not that Kaz had a problem with Biscuit, though he knows Tomassen's relationship with the reptile is tenuous. As if Biscuit senses his hesitation and fucks with him because of it. ]
Might not be a bad idea; I'll ask how she feels about it. [ His mom would know better how to reassure Inej, after all. To his father's gentle inquiry though: ] So far, not really. She's quiet, her bird rarely shrieks, and she doesn't ask me annoying questions about the cane.
[ god, biscuit. sofia was lucky that she was the perfect woman, because he wouldn't be caught dead within fifty square miles of biscuit otherwise. he considers that for a moment as he dips a dumpling further into the sauce collected at the bottom of his container, filing that away for later. ]
She's Ravkan?
[ curious. ravkan girls aren't unheard of in the sex trade in ketterdam, but most of them don't fall into the seedier brothels like heleen's. much less ones religious enough to know more than a handful of the ravkan saints. ]
Far from home. [ wheels are turning. she must be on register with the immigration office, but those papers are likely fabricated. something else to fix once he sinks his teeth into the file. ] Poor girl.
[ he heaves a sigh before he sets his container on his desk. ]
She need to get back into her apartment? I can have a court order to open it by tomorrow morning.
[ As Tomassen seems to contemplate, he digs into his food, spooning the saucy rice and meat mixture onto the spiced bread. Jesper would make fun of him, for being such a neat freak–the bread was meant to be the spoon, on this dish. Mostly, he doesn't want to drip on himself or his father's desk when there's not overmuch space.
(Ok and maybe he is a neat freak). ]
Suli. [ Kaz corrects, knowing there's a distinction. The Suli live in Ravka and are technically considered citizens. But, they aren't typically viewed as such, culturally or in law. Ravka's new king, Nikolai, had made a particular point of mentioning that being something he would rectify. Whether that would happen...well, they would see. It's not as though the Ravkan throne has ever had enough stability to make promises like that.
Hence why a missing Suli girl, trapped in a shady contract, all the way out in Kerch, hadn't set off any alarm bells within the nation she'd come from. He makes a face at this, mouth pressing into a thin, unhappy line. ]
I can ask. Don't know how much she still needs from it. [ And if she did, he'd volunteer to go with. At the very least, send Jesper with her. Heleen might comply just to look like the picture of a rational landlord but, who knows what she would do to toe that line. ]
[ catching up took a bit longer than he had thought, but it was a good talk. enough information to pass on to sofia. given it was so cold and beginning to snow, tomassen (gently) bullied kaz into letting him drive him home. and once that was done, tomassen settled in to read through the file.
it was sickening. enough to turn anyone's stomach, and tomassen had read through hundreds of pages of autopsy reports and torture techniques for kaz's trial. poor inej, a thirteen year old girl, in a place like the menagerie? it was enough to want to burn the building to the ground.
it was a bit past dinner when tomassen entered through the front door of the manor, exhaling a long sigh as he shook the snow out of his hair. the bag of documents is quickly deposited on the couch of the front foyer as he shrugs off his coat and scarf, hanging them up in due course. he can smell food in the kitchen, and after taking off his shoes to ensure snow doesn't track through the house, he meanders his way there.
seeing sofia heating up some type of leftovers is enough to make some of the stress of the deal vanish instantly. he's about to ask what she ordered when he instead chooses to slide his arms around her waist from behind, pressing a kiss to her neck in greeting, sighing to himself.
[ Having heard back from Kaz earlier in the day about dinner, she's blissfully unaware of his meeting with Tomassen.
Well, mostly. She knew they were having lunch, but hadn't really heard anything about it beyond that. Something niggled in the back of her mind, as if sensing an important event was coming down the line. With a half a day still to teach, she put it from her mind. Tomassen would tell her, if it were important.
So, she goes on with her classes. And when those finish up, she packs up, heads home, and grades a stack of papers. By the time she gets through the work she wanted to finish, it's encroaching on dinner. As well as when Tomassen usually steps through the door. She stretches and goes to reheat leftovers–hutspot and some bread that just goes straight in the oven.
While she's idly stirring the contents of the pot, she hears the front door open and close, the muffled sounds of Tomassen setting his things down. Which is very soon followed by the circle of his arms, snug around her waist. Sofia smiles at this and the kiss at the back of her neck, momentarily pausing her motion. ]
My son? What has he done now? [ After all, Kaz only typically gets lumped onto her lap in such a way when he's done something quite frustrating or aggravating to his father. As though to soothe the annoyance, she places a hand over one of his, thumb slowly drawn across his knuckles. She would kiss him but, he does have her quite stuck in place at the moment. It would be remiss to deprive him of holding her as he is. ]
[ her touch is soothing, and tomassen tucks his face into her hair a final time before he decides he needs to stop being a menace. so he sighs and straightens up, giving her a final squeeze before pulling away enough to settle his hip against the nearby counter. ]
Met a girl in a bar.
[ dryly, letting his eyes rove up and down sofia. something he does every time he sees her, and he makes a noise of approval as he reaches out to tug loosely on the sweater she's wearing. ]
I like this one. [ it hugs her in the right places. ] -- anyway, he met a girl in a bar, and wants me to play hero, again. Said girl might be coming to dinner this week.
[ Truthfully, he's not being so much a menace as to completely stop her from stirring the hutspot. Even with one hand occupied, she still has freedom of motion with the other. So, she lets him continue holding her, enjoying the warm press of him along her back, something inside her relaxing. She's sorely tempted to lean into the embrace—there will be time for that later. Soon enough, he lets her go to settle with a hip against the counter. ]
Did he now? [ Her eyebrows go up, both surprised and delighted by this news. Sure, she knows there's more beyond that. There usually is, with Kaz. Their son is a very complicated young man and always has been.
Still, she's glad he's meeting people. Just a few years ago, he would've adamantly opposed any attempt.
At the touch to her sweater, she smiles, casting him a sidelong look that clearly says I know. ]
Hm, I see. [ There's a bit of a warning bell going off in her mind, with how he's phrased that. She goes quiet, slowly stirring the stew, mentally fitting some puzzle pieces together. ]
How bad is it, Tom?
[ Girl or no girl, Kaz never does anything by halves. Nor has he ever asked something like this of them flippantly. ]
[ he grins a little, at sofia's expression, but is soon melts into something somber as sofia begins to piece together the puzzle. he mulls it over a bit before reaching over to gently take the spoon out of sofia's hand, reaching around her to turn off the heat so he can push the stew to the side. it looks about done, anyway. ]
I, ah -- [ he begins, as he collects a potholder from the counter to open the oven with, collecting the bread sofia had thrown in there to warm up. ] I was thinking this afternoon about -- [ placing the loaf on a nearby cutting board to cool enough to cut into, tomassen sets the potholder back on the counter, closing the oven door. ] I always wanted a daughter.
[ he's already been through this grieving process -- with sofia, without sofia, what the plague robbed them off, etc. so it's not said with any real sadness or despair, just a simple statement of fact, as he dusts off his hands. ]
I wanted one, and I've always had this lingering thought of what she would be like, if she existed, but -- Sofia, reading that. [ and he gestures vaguely toward where he had deposited his things in the foyer, lips pursing together into a thin line. ] Reading what that girl -- scraping the surface of what that girl went through, I'm glad I have a son, because I would be in prison. I might still wind up in prison, because --
[ he's getting ahead of himself, and he stops before exhaling slowly, resting his hands on the counter. ]
She was bought by Heleen van Houdon when she was thirteen. Contract was signed by a child who couldn't understand Kerch.
[ he drums his fingers against the countertop, frowning. deep in thought. ]
Currently living on Kaz's couch, nineteen, now. Was left to freeze to death after she refused a client at the Menagerie and couldn't pay her rent.
[ His expression sobers up relatively quickly and she gets out of his way as he turns the stove off, moving the pot off the burner. He's fussing, in order to formulate his thoughts. She lets him, stepping over to the nearby cabinet to pull out the plates and bowls, setting those at their respective spots at the table. As the clatter of silverware stills, he speaks up again and she's now the one to lean on the counter, listening intently.
It's no surprise when he admits to having wanted a daughter. In the intervening years since she'd found out about her inability to bear children, they've gotten better at saying such things out loud. As if exorcising the grief it had caused them. And now, a decade into having raised their very unruly and unexpected son, the pain's easier to let go of.
Still, her brow furrows as he continues, expounding on that particular thought. That having a daughter would've come with a whole slew of other worries. She's aware, of course, the differences in what she'd worried about growing up even in the relative safety of Shu Han as compared to her brothers. There's been a reason she'd pursued self-defense courses. Why she'd gone so far as to get her black belt, unwilling to be unprepared should anything ever happen.
But, as he digs in deeper, clearly upset, she knows not every girl has had her fortune. She has eyes and ears, has known that terrible things can happen to the most vulnerable—young girls, especially. Yet, it's one thing to be aware of and quite another to be confronted with the disgusting details. Her own stomach twists at hearing the age; thirteen. Thirteen, an age where she should have been at home, having sleepovers with her friends and dreaming of all the things she could be when she was older. Instead, she'd been bought by a cruel woman and grew up in a place where she didn't understand the language. Which was just the start of the horrifying tale she understands is beyond what he's telling her.
Reaching over, she sets a hand on Tomassen's shoulder, slowly and gently running her palm along his upper arm. ]
If you end up in prison, I would be right on your heels. [ After all, Tomassen would successfully murder Heleen for her crimes and she would make sure her empire burned. For having the audacity to exist and for making him go to such lengths. ]
You're taking the case.
[ It's not quite an inquiry, nor quite a demand. She knows why he's bringing this up, though. ]
I'm not afraid of Tante Heleen. She is a coward who preys on young people; I doubt she knows how to handle competent adults.
Edited (Hanging html tag oops) Date: 2024-09-03 05:24 pm (UTC)
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no subject
Date: 2024-08-18 09:08 pm (UTC)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.
no subject
Date: 2024-08-18 09:44 pm (UTC)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. ]
no subject
Date: 2024-08-18 10:02 pm (UTC)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. ]
no subject
Date: 2024-08-18 10:45 pm (UTC)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?
no subject
Date: 2024-08-18 11:22 pm (UTC)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. ]
no subject
Date: 2024-08-18 11:45 pm (UTC)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?
no subject
Date: 2024-08-19 12:44 am (UTC)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. ]
no subject
Date: 2024-08-19 01:27 am (UTC)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. ]
no subject
Date: 2024-08-19 02:39 am (UTC)[ 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. ]
no subject
Date: 2024-08-19 01:48 pm (UTC)[ with a small shake of kaz's shoulder, before he leaves the office to move down the hall, collecting the bag of food and the tray of espresso. juggling both in one hand, he sends a quick text to sofia letting her know he's going to be home late before asking his secretary to send a dozen roses to the school where sofia works. softening the blow of what he's about to do, tomassen thinks.
and, of course, it was wednesday. a perfect day for flowers.
that done, he re-enters the office, closing his door with a nudge of his foot before setting the bags on his desk. ]
So.
[ as he sets the americano down in front of kaz, made to his specifications. ]
Jesper told me Inej was rather taken with you at that bar.
[ now that he has kaz trapped by the prospect of perhaps taking up this case, he can now fully interrogate. ]
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Date: 2024-08-20 03:35 am (UTC)The Rollins case had not been easy by any means, for either of them. But, he'd made it out of it with parents who cared. Who patiently supported him through the absolute worst of his meltdowns. And while it had frightened him to let the vulnerability shine through, to be known again, he's ultimately glad they have this. That he can be jibed about his bad habits, his odd tics, with a good humor.
He's shaken from his swirling thoughts as Tomassen comes back in, takeout bag rustling before they're set on a clearer spot of his desk. Kaz appreciatively takes the americano, sipping it before setting it off to the side so he could help dig their order out of the bags, utensils and sauces getting doled out. ]
You should know by now that Jes exaggerates everything. [ Rather taken? She'd been friendly enough and hadn't decided to lose his number. Nothing more, nothing less. ]
Just because we met in a bar like you and mom did doesn't mean we're destined.
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Date: 2024-08-20 03:52 pm (UTC)[ as he settled into his chair, tugging his own food closer to him to begin mixing in the requisite sauces. unlike sofia, his penchant for spicy food is pathetic, and so he's a little lighter than what's probably normal. ]
Second, a bar is a perfectly lovely place to meet someone, and third, it doesn't need to be destined, it can simply be fun. In summation --
[ he points at kaz with his fork. ]
She kept your phone number. She likes you.
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Date: 2024-08-20 08:42 pm (UTC)[ He says, knowingly amused, as he opens his food container and dumps more sauce on than Tomassen did. Having grown up with Jesper as a friend, his tolerance is much higher for the spicier flavor profiles of Zemeni fare.
That aside, he knows his father is joking about being pitied. Somewhat. After all, he continues to look at Sofia like she'd hung the moon and the stars in the sky. Not that he blames him; Sofia had held a patient hand out, repeatedly, even when Kaz had aggressively batted it away. She'd told him she wanted him to be happy and eventually, he'd believed her. Had let her coax him into hugs when he'd simultaneously craved nothing more and felt the choking nausea that came from it.
So, he knows how much his parents would do anything for each other, showing it in their everyday interactions. Whatever pity there may or may not have been...he hasn't been privy to. ]
Or, more likely, she felt completely neutral and forgot about deleting my number.
[ At this, he shrugs, not wholly bothered. He's aware of what he's like—being friendly and charismatic is Jesper's role. When left to his own devices, he's too intense, too severe, too harsh. His sharp tongue has been curbed a bit, but it's still there. ]
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Date: 2024-08-21 12:25 am (UTC)[ wisely, as he takes a bite of his dumplings. he doesn't recall if sofia got his cell phone number before or after they got married. but he supposes they were a different case. ]
It's not a bad thing; at the very least, you've made a new friend. [ of which kaz has few and far between. he has his little cohort, but he's glad to see it expand a little, even if it is just one person. ] She sounds like a lovely girl. Have you set up a bedroom for her, or is she moving to a hotel?
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Date: 2024-08-21 01:28 am (UTC)[ Maybe she did, to appease Jesper. Or maybe she'd felt the social lubrication enough to do so in the moment. There's a handful of other reasons he can think of, all of them beyond because she liked him.
Jes has said that kind of thinking is depressing but, Kaz disagrees. It's just realistic. Things rarely went optimistically. And it isn't as if he's interested in her that way. Inej is a friend, albeit a new one that he'd gotten along with faster than anticipated.
Besides, even if he were: it's not like she would return those feelings. Nor does he think they'd even be welcomed. She is, after all, dealing with having run from Heleen. From the touch of unwanted hands of disgusting men.
No, he thinks their relationship will remain as it is. ]
I suppose. [ Inej is oddly tolerant of his quirks, taking them in stride with the same ease Jesper does. ] She's flat broke and has a bird, I doubt a hotel would be suitable.
[ He gives his food a stir, letting it cool a bit. ] And if Heleen is anything like Rollins, she'll be watching the hotel check-ins.
[ Annoyingly, she seems resourceful. And spiteful enough to do so, contract paid or not. ]
I'd planned on asking her what she wanted to do; she's only been staying for the past few nights. [ When they both thought this would be a more temporary thing. ] If it comes to it, I could clear out the room my office is in.
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Date: 2024-08-21 10:34 pm (UTC)[ he repeats, looking amused, fishing out another dumpling from his container. kaz had always taken to the menagerie that lived at the manor better than most human beings, so he isn't too surprised that he's allowed a bird into the apartment too. ]
Well, I doubt Sofia would mind giving her a room if she needs one. Or if you get sick from having a roommate, but clearing out your office sounds like a plan. It would be a safe place for her to stay while she gets on her feet, assuming you aren't too bothered by it.
[ baby steps, as it were. ]
What's the bird's name?
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Date: 2024-08-22 01:18 am (UTC)[ He confirms, with a shrug. ] It's not mom's iguana, at least.
[ Not that Kaz had a problem with Biscuit, though he knows Tomassen's relationship with the reptile is tenuous. As if Biscuit senses his hesitation and fucks with him because of it. ]
Might not be a bad idea; I'll ask how she feels about it. [ His mom would know better how to reassure Inej, after all. To his father's gentle inquiry though: ] So far, not really. She's quiet, her bird rarely shrieks, and she doesn't ask me annoying questions about the cane.
[ Baby steps. ]
Lizabeta, like the Ravkan Saint.
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Date: 2024-08-30 01:28 am (UTC)She's Ravkan?
[ curious. ravkan girls aren't unheard of in the sex trade in ketterdam, but most of them don't fall into the seedier brothels like heleen's. much less ones religious enough to know more than a handful of the ravkan saints. ]
Far from home. [ wheels are turning. she must be on register with the immigration office, but those papers are likely fabricated. something else to fix once he sinks his teeth into the file. ] Poor girl.
[ he heaves a sigh before he sets his container on his desk. ]
She need to get back into her apartment? I can have a court order to open it by tomorrow morning.
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Date: 2024-08-31 01:03 am (UTC)(Ok and maybe he is a neat freak). ]
Suli. [ Kaz corrects, knowing there's a distinction. The Suli live in Ravka and are technically considered citizens. But, they aren't typically viewed as such, culturally or in law. Ravka's new king, Nikolai, had made a particular point of mentioning that being something he would rectify. Whether that would happen...well, they would see. It's not as though the Ravkan throne has ever had enough stability to make promises like that.
Hence why a missing Suli girl, trapped in a shady contract, all the way out in Kerch, hadn't set off any alarm bells within the nation she'd come from. He makes a face at this, mouth pressing into a thin, unhappy line. ]
I can ask. Don't know how much she still needs from it. [ And if she did, he'd volunteer to go with. At the very least, send Jesper with her. Heleen might comply just to look like the picture of a rational landlord but, who knows what she would do to toe that line. ]
[ a few hours later ]
Date: 2024-09-02 01:05 am (UTC)it was sickening. enough to turn anyone's stomach, and tomassen had read through hundreds of pages of autopsy reports and torture techniques for kaz's trial. poor inej, a thirteen year old girl, in a place like the menagerie? it was enough to want to burn the building to the ground.
it was a bit past dinner when tomassen entered through the front door of the manor, exhaling a long sigh as he shook the snow out of his hair. the bag of documents is quickly deposited on the couch of the front foyer as he shrugs off his coat and scarf, hanging them up in due course. he can smell food in the kitchen, and after taking off his shoes to ensure snow doesn't track through the house, he meanders his way there.
seeing sofia heating up some type of leftovers is enough to make some of the stress of the deal vanish instantly. he's about to ask what she ordered when he instead chooses to slide his arms around her waist from behind, pressing a kiss to her neck in greeting, sighing to himself.
home, finally. ]
Your son asked me to do something stupid.
[ it's a bit muffled, speaking into her hair. ]
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Date: 2024-09-02 02:08 am (UTC)Well, mostly. She knew they were having lunch, but hadn't really heard anything about it beyond that. Something niggled in the back of her mind, as if sensing an important event was coming down the line. With a half a day still to teach, she put it from her mind. Tomassen would tell her, if it were important.
So, she goes on with her classes. And when those finish up, she packs up, heads home, and grades a stack of papers. By the time she gets through the work she wanted to finish, it's encroaching on dinner. As well as when Tomassen usually steps through the door. She stretches and goes to reheat leftovers–hutspot and some bread that just goes straight in the oven.
While she's idly stirring the contents of the pot, she hears the front door open and close, the muffled sounds of Tomassen setting his things down. Which is very soon followed by the circle of his arms, snug around her waist. Sofia smiles at this and the kiss at the back of her neck, momentarily pausing her motion. ]
My son? What has he done now? [ After all, Kaz only typically gets lumped onto her lap in such a way when he's done something quite frustrating or aggravating to his father. As though to soothe the annoyance, she places a hand over one of his, thumb slowly drawn across his knuckles. She would kiss him but, he does have her quite stuck in place at the moment. It would be remiss to deprive him of holding her as he is. ]
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Date: 2024-09-02 09:57 pm (UTC)Met a girl in a bar.
[ dryly, letting his eyes rove up and down sofia. something he does every time he sees her, and he makes a noise of approval as he reaches out to tug loosely on the sweater she's wearing. ]
I like this one. [ it hugs her in the right places. ] -- anyway, he met a girl in a bar, and wants me to play hero, again. Said girl might be coming to dinner this week.
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Date: 2024-09-03 02:44 pm (UTC)Did he now? [ Her eyebrows go up, both surprised and delighted by this news. Sure, she knows there's more beyond that. There usually is, with Kaz. Their son is a very complicated young man and always has been.
Still, she's glad he's meeting people. Just a few years ago, he would've adamantly opposed any attempt.
At the touch to her sweater, she smiles, casting him a sidelong look that clearly says I know. ]
Hm, I see. [ There's a bit of a warning bell going off in her mind, with how he's phrased that. She goes quiet, slowly stirring the stew, mentally fitting some puzzle pieces together. ]
How bad is it, Tom?
[ Girl or no girl, Kaz never does anything by halves. Nor has he ever asked something like this of them flippantly. ]
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Date: 2024-09-03 04:33 pm (UTC)I, ah -- [ he begins, as he collects a potholder from the counter to open the oven with, collecting the bread sofia had thrown in there to warm up. ] I was thinking this afternoon about -- [ placing the loaf on a nearby cutting board to cool enough to cut into, tomassen sets the potholder back on the counter, closing the oven door. ] I always wanted a daughter.
[ he's already been through this grieving process -- with sofia, without sofia, what the plague robbed them off, etc. so it's not said with any real sadness or despair, just a simple statement of fact, as he dusts off his hands. ]
I wanted one, and I've always had this lingering thought of what she would be like, if she existed, but -- Sofia, reading that. [ and he gestures vaguely toward where he had deposited his things in the foyer, lips pursing together into a thin line. ] Reading what that girl -- scraping the surface of what that girl went through, I'm glad I have a son, because I would be in prison. I might still wind up in prison, because --
[ he's getting ahead of himself, and he stops before exhaling slowly, resting his hands on the counter. ]
She was bought by Heleen van Houdon when she was thirteen. Contract was signed by a child who couldn't understand Kerch.
[ he drums his fingers against the countertop, frowning. deep in thought. ]
Currently living on Kaz's couch, nineteen, now. Was left to freeze to death after she refused a client at the Menagerie and couldn't pay her rent.
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Date: 2024-09-03 05:23 pm (UTC)It's no surprise when he admits to having wanted a daughter. In the intervening years since she'd found out about her inability to bear children, they've gotten better at saying such things out loud. As if exorcising the grief it had caused them. And now, a decade into having raised their very unruly and unexpected son, the pain's easier to let go of.
Still, her brow furrows as he continues, expounding on that particular thought. That having a daughter would've come with a whole slew of other worries. She's aware, of course, the differences in what she'd worried about growing up even in the relative safety of Shu Han as compared to her brothers. There's been a reason she'd pursued self-defense courses. Why she'd gone so far as to get her black belt, unwilling to be unprepared should anything ever happen.
But, as he digs in deeper, clearly upset, she knows not every girl has had her fortune. She has eyes and ears, has known that terrible things can happen to the most vulnerable—young girls, especially. Yet, it's one thing to be aware of and quite another to be confronted with the disgusting details. Her own stomach twists at hearing the age; thirteen. Thirteen, an age where she should have been at home, having sleepovers with her friends and dreaming of all the things she could be when she was older. Instead, she'd been bought by a cruel woman and grew up in a place where she didn't understand the language. Which was just the start of the horrifying tale she understands is beyond what he's telling her.
Reaching over, she sets a hand on Tomassen's shoulder, slowly and gently running her palm along his upper arm. ]
If you end up in prison, I would be right on your heels. [ After all, Tomassen would successfully murder Heleen for her crimes and she would make sure her empire burned. For having the audacity to exist and for making him go to such lengths. ]
You're taking the case.
[ It's not quite an inquiry, nor quite a demand. She knows why he's bringing this up, though. ]
I'm not afraid of Tante Heleen. She is a coward who preys on young people; I doubt she knows how to handle competent adults.
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