[ mostly, which means no. and inej's eyes scan his face in a moment before she returns to the paper, turning the page to the second list of the police blotter. it had been a big bust, apparently. the watch had clearly staked out geels' mark before the black tips struck. ]
Do you.
[ she says, tone uninterested as she takes another sip of her coffee. ]
I assume it must be an important one, if it's worth you being up before noon.
[ Clearly she's being wary of his plans. Probably because he is up earlier than usual—that typically means it'll be a plan they argue over for a while.
Still, he isn't dissuaded. When is he ever? ]
It's big. And satisfying. I worked out the last of the planning last night.
[ How good it had felt to fit the final piece of the puzzle together. ]
Van Eck acquired a certain painting recently, as I'm sure you heard. He's been crowing about it for days. We're going to relieve him of his newest security burden.
[ the moment inej hears the words van eck, she knows exactly what he is talking about. the dekappel painting that jan van eck had plastered all over the city, bragging about how this priceless piece of art would never be stolen by the barrel rats of the city. challenging the thieves of ketterdam to steal into his precious vault to take it.
she had heard whispers, throughout the city. idle plans to steal it, from the dime lions. pekka rollins liked to put his hands on anything worth value, including, but not limited to, art. inej was certain he could just buy the damn thing outright, but not even pekka had the skill to break into a home without making a sound.
after all, pekka didn't have a wraith.
her eyes flicker upward, meeting kaz's gaze. for half a moment, it almost seems like she's going to agree. and then, her tone dipping into incredulity: ]
Absolutely not.
[ as she settles back into her chair, setting down her coffee cup to cross her arms over her chest, clearly preparing for battle. and just in case kaz brekker wanted to hear her exact reasoning, she adds: ]
[ Her expression goes thoughtful for a bit, clearly thinking about the details and putting the pieces together. It's clear when she does, since it's rather immediate, but she seems to be considering her answer.
Well, it's not a fast "no", but it's a no all the same. He leans forward a bit in his seat, clearly ready to argue his case. ]
Inej. Think about it, the payout. Split between just the two of us would be immense.
[ That much is true. He leans back in his chair again, stretching his bad leg out. ]
I've thought it all through—the safe, the dogs, the locks. You're the only person I could do this with.
[ something in her tugs a bit, at you're the only person i could do this with. which is probably true. no one else can steal in and out of places like she can. and while kaz can break into any lock and slip through any shadow, he isn't silent. the cane, as much as it is a symbol, often ruins any hope of true stealth if kaz needs to use it.
he looks so earnest, as he leans forward. there's a tiny crack in her resolve, though the skeptical knit of her brow is still present as kaz leans back. ]
And if we get caught?
[ narrowing her eyes a little, watching his expression carefully. ]
Van Eck will have us hung in the Barrel as a warning with no trial.
If anyone gets caught, it's me. And they haven't figured out a lock to keep me in or out yet.
[ Well, there is one. Mostly because it requires simultaneous picking to work and he only has two hands. It's an expensive piece of equipment, though, and not something he sees the stadwatch investing in. Their budget this year is already strained.
In the end what really matters is that it won't be Inej who gets caught. They'll never be able to find her. ]
I've got an escape route planned, just in case it goes south.
[ saints, he's actually thought about this. it's enough that an agreement is on the tip of her tongue, because while kaz is arrogant, and selfish, and occasionally cruel, he is smart. and his plans (usually) do not fail.
still. letting him get off easy seems pointless. so: ]
What is going to guarantee that Van Eck will not figure out it's you?
[ with a tilt of her head, watching him carefully, a frown emerging on her lips. ]
Plenty of people are thinking about stealing it, but if it's true - that no one else can do this but us - then Van Eck will figure it out. He's not stupid. And he hears the stories just like everyone else who has one foot in the sewers.
[ which means sparking ire with someone very powerful. ]
His pride. We're going to leave it enormously injured—even if he manages to come to terms that some Barrel scum got one over on him, it's going to leave him reeling.
[ That will buy them time in the immediate aftermath. But more importantly: ]
Besides, he might have heard our names but merchers can't tell the difference between a Dime Lion or a crow. He'll be floundering about trying to sniff the information out.
[ Kaz's name has certainly stuck out, but if this goes off like how he has planned, Van Eck won't have anything to go on aside from his speculation. And speculation doesn't hold in the court or with the law enforcement. ]
That's why it's just us. We hold onto it in the immediate aftermath, until the fire goes out. Then I'll fence it when he isn't looking with scrutiny.
[ inej bites her lower lip in thought, letting her eyes wander over kaz's shoulder toward the door, watching a few dregs come in and out from their shifts. kaz can break in and out of any lock set in front of him, and there hasn't been a room that inej hasn't been able to slip into yet. the only real concern in her mind are the dogs . . . because while she may be silent, she hasn't quite figured out how to eradicate a hound's sense of smell.
she turns it over in her mind a few times, trying to find holes in the plan. aside from the fact that it is monumentally stupid and foolish, but then, most of kaz's outlandish schemes are. ]
He may yet blame the Dime Lions.
[ her eyes flicker back toward him, still unimpressed, but it's clear that inej is turning over the plan in her head, too. taking it a little more seriously. warmed up a bit more, to the idea of doing it. ]
Pekka Rollins' men have been talking about stealing it, though I doubt they're seriously going to do it.
[ pekka has a strong hold, in ketterdam. pissing off the council doesn't exactly fall in line with his goals. but talk is talk. ]
They've been loudest about it. We can silently encourage them to talk about it some more.
[ Pekka certainly makes a bigger target than him. At least, in the mercher's eyes. Kaz's reputation is moderately frightening, but he isn't a Barrel boss.
There's a bit of satisfaction that curls in his gut at inconveniencing Rollins. It won't set him back much, but it's something to make his day worse. ]
Then we steal it out from under all their noses while they put their two brain cells together to form a plan.
[ she mulls that over, in the back of her mind. the promise of a big payout is encouraging, another chip away in her debt. she purses her lips together, thinking it over. wheels turning in her mind as she surveys the (excited, eager, arrogant, charming) boy sitting across from her. ]
If I agree.
[ she says slowly, though it's clear kaz's battle has already been won, if only so he won't try to do something stupid without her in the eaves watching his back. ]
[ He repeats, with a bit of a grin. Because it certainly sounds like she's verging on when she agrees. ]
Ideally, in a couple days. He's trained those dogs of his to respond to a whistle, something I have to acquire.
[ For the past few days, he's been listening, researching the security measures and just how he had them configured. The part with the dogs had taken the longest, purely because he had needed to know the pattern of whistling. ]
A stupid way to go about it. Anyone can get a whistle—it's just a high pitched piece of tin.
his grin really lights up his face, and makes him look his age. not that he looks old, really, but the teenage boy that he's supposed to be. or was once, before ketterdam sunk her hooks into him. much like the rest of them.
but what's most annoying is that inej can feel herself buying into the plot. of course it would be as easy as obtaining a whistle. it would go off without a hitch. inej can almost hear kaz's raspy, arrogant voice after they've pulled it off, all i told you it would be fine, inej and when are you going to trust my judgment, inej on their way back to the slat.
and as annoying as it is, inej knows that it's the truth. if kaz says he can do something, then he will. he hasn't steered her wrong yet. though, she thinks to herself ruefully, there is still time.
overall, though, it seems like a good plan, from what she's heard of it. he's thought of everything, which is annoying. and she watches him for a long moment, searching his features a final time, before she says: ]
Does Haskell know you have spent the last two days listening to dog whistles?
[ she did say if, after all, and has zero intentions on allowing him to feel smug over his success at winning her over. ]
[ He can practically feel her starting to agree more and more with every second that passes. Though she's always been good at holding out, weighing her options and the plan that's been laid in front of her.
Which is why it always feels like a particularly satisfying win when she finally agrees to one of his plans. Even better when it's a relatively quick agreement, without hours of heated back and forth as they've occasionally done.
He'd count this one as a fast one. For them. ]
No, and he doesn't need to. I've spent significant time cooking up three more schemes for him to run with. He'll get his money with or without the painting as a bonus.
I asked for an answer to my question, not your attitude.
[ her tone is mild, as she unfolds her arms from her chest, moving to fold her newspaper in half and collect the dishes from her long-eaten breakfast. she places her cup on top of her plate. ]
You owe me dinner.
[ she says, tossing him a pointed look as she rises to her feet, dishes in hand, newspaper tucked under her arm. she hasn't yet agreed, but the statement is as good as. she'll be wherever he needs her to be, ready and waiting in the shadows. ]
And I refuse to do anything this reckless with you unless you sleep more than five hours, so I suggest you go do that.
[ Inej pls. Give him more credit here. Even if he did give you an attitude. ]
Ketterdam's your oyster. [ Within reason, but she's never been one to go outrageous. Besides, paying for dinner is a small price for doing this job with him. With that demand, she's agreed without saying she agrees—this is how it is with them. Reading between the lines. Or sometimes, not even having to talk aloud at all.
It's begun to make him wonder about the words scrawled across his wrist. I can help you. How many times has he heard someone say that? At least a dozen, all said in different ways. Some tremulous, others wheedling. She'd said it with such surety, despite having the expression of someone caged.
He'll never forget that. And he thinks maybe he should just up and ask her what's on her wrist. Just to clear the air. But part of him likes not knowing, afraid of what it might mean if it's a yes.
Or what it might mean if it's a no. If someone else is her future. He's never been possessive, exactly, but he's certainly protective. Especially in this instance, where she's already been through enough. ]
Fine, I won't plan anything strenuous for a couple days.
[ it's said easily, as she pauses by the side of the table, frowning slightly to herself at the clear irritable nature of the response. he's upset because . . . what, she doubted him? it had been a joke.
but, then, kaz brekker doesn't exactly have a sense of humor. something she's learned the hard way, on more than one occasion. ]
Lucky you, then. Forced boredom for a day or two.
[ she says after a moment, tone shifting back into something a little dry, as she leans her hip against the table, taking a moment before she disposes of her dishes.
she supposes she could poke a little less fun at him. but only a little. because he's being an infant, and someone around here has to tell him so. seeing as everyone else is petrified of him. ]
I suppose I'll owe you dinner in the interim, seeing as I'm forcing you to undergo something cruel and unusual.
[ with a slight roll of her eyes toward the staircase, which, three flights up, leads to kaz's lair. (and, to be fair, her own.) ]
[ Something about her saying she knows puts him—not exactly at ease. But less tense, certainly. He doesn't know why he took it to heart so much, it's not like she truly doubts whether he's capable.
It just always means more. Means anything, coming from her than from anyone else. Everyone else's opinion, save for Jesper's, occasionally, he doesn't give a fuck about. ]
Oh no, I'll have to slum it doing dealer shifts at the club. How horrible.
[ It's not like he stops showing his face there, but he's usually doing other things. Things that make Haskell and the Dregs more money, so they can keep the roof over their heads. And make improvements, when there's opportunity. ]
Cruel and unusual, my dear Inej, would be asking me to climb up from the outside. That— [ He waves his hand in the direction of the stairs. ] —is just an inconvenience.
[ Well, some days it's more than that. Today isn't so bad though. ]
If that's what you like. [ He won't say no to her company. ]
[ ah, there he is. and while, usually, his irritating comments and pet names causes a roll of her eyes, this time it prompts a soft upward tug of her lips, into a slight smile.
whatever had been tugging at his mood is now gone, if he's back to being a general annoyance. inej would rather suffer that than one of his darker moods any day of the week. ]
You can keep my half of the profit if you can make it, my dear.
[ by the sound of her voice, inej is fairly certain that kruge is going to be hers. and she casts a meaningful look at his cane before tilting her head. ]
Are you coming?
[ she can walk back up with him, if he is. she can always slip out the window to get whatever she needs. ]
[ She gives him a little smile and notices it has a slightly different effect than usual. Recently, it's changed, leaving him with a small curl of warmth in his gut. He's been telling himself to ignore it, to try not to get used to it. What does it matter if she smiles at him every now and again?
(And yet, somehow, it does). ]
You can keep your half, not interested. [ Seems nearly sacrilegious to say, considering how much he loves kruge. But he also loves the idea of using the stairs rather than climbing a sheer wall. He's climbed up to rooftops before, to join her on occasional surveys, but there's usually a stack of crates or low windowsills for him to use. The Slat isn't built with those, especially not going all the way up to the third floor and attic. ]
Suddenly so impatient.
[ He does pull himself up out of his seat, joining up with her so they can go upstairs. ]
I've got a layout of the house, on my desk. Compiled it from the descriptions in the papers. Altogether, they were really specific.
[ not interested. ah well, it would have been funny to watch, at least. she keeps pace with him, though she does pause to deposit the dishes. and they spend the rest of the evening pouring over maps, trying to determine the best entry point. inej manages to change kaz's mind on at least two points of the plan, which she feels some sense of achievement over.
the heist itself is pulled off, as kaz predicts, in two days. it goes off relatively without a hitch, inej stealing over the bodies of sleeping dogs to ensure the pathway to the vault where the painting is being held is safe. the guards are easy to distract, a carefully dropped rock off the rooftops, and silently knocking one unconscious who is a bit too smart to fall for such a simple trick.
inej never really likes to kill unnecessarily. besides, it's better the guard lives to tell the tale.
picking the locks takes a hair longer than inej would have liked, but kaz (as always) gets in. and before she really knows it, kaz has the painting (sans frame, which they leave for posterity) rolled up underneath his arm, and they go their respective ways. inej takes to the rooftops, to make sure the way is clear, and kaz out a window, to head back to the slat.
soon, though, she drops down into the safe house that they have designated as their rendezvous point, an empty shuttered restaurant a few blocks away from the crow club. dingy and abandoned, perfect for laying low while the watch tear apart the barrel, until they can get home safe. and once she's slipped into the window, she says, a bit breathless: ]
They've got no idea.
[ as easy as picking a pocket of a tourist fresh off the boat in the harbor. ]
[ They solidify the plan, with Inej pointing out two very specific details he'd glossed over. It becomes...not an argument, but definitely a heated discussion. One she ultimately wins out on, her acrobat logic taking precedence. He is a little irritated by it, but ultimately, it ends up panning out.
Because two days go by, a dog whistle is acquired, and it's the two of them sneaking onto the Van Eck grounds in the middle of the night. Much of the estate is surrounded by grass and curated gardens, so he doesn't have to worry about hobbling along without his cane for a large portion. Inej makes her way in over the rooftop, as usual. He has to make do with carefully prying up a window. After the initial break in, it goes as smooth as butter. The dogs follow the whistle commands without a peep and Inej materializes soon after, footsteps soundless as she meets him at the vault. The lock is a complicated one, the pins on the inside so new they stick a bit, rather than sliding out of place on ones that see more use. So it's an uncomfortable delay, one that he ultimately triumphs over. The painting is slid from its frame and into a carrying tube he'd gotten just for this—couldn't have something so pricey ending up with water damage or something so inane.
Everything is locked back in place, the window shut how he'd seen it when he first came in, and Inej disappears back to the roof.
The guards she had taken care of eventually come to and raise the alarm, but not without the two of them having made significant headway back into the Staves. Kaz navigates the twisting alleys with practiced ease, knowing Inej is somewhere in the vicinity, just on her own path.
He posts up near a boarded window at their rendezvous point—it has a narrow slit between boards to look through. All the better to see the hurried lanterns of the stadwatch as they look for someone they won't ever catch. ]
Absolutely none. Not that it's hard to pull one over on. They can be an exceptionally stupid hive of bees.
[ Following one stream of thought in neat and orderly lines. That's always been the watch's problem.
Still, there's a grin in his voice as he turns to look over at her, the barest of light limning her outline. ]
[ she can tell he's grinning, which causes an odd twist in her chest. a pleasant one, and inej makes her way over toward the window, to lean forward and peer through the slit, seeing the watch on the streets. ]
Hmmm . . .
[ her tone is thoughtful, before she tilts her head up at him, with a slight grin, her face illuminated by the lamplights outside, the light peeking through the cracks in the dusty boards. ]
Something about 'Unbreakable Vault Broken Into; Thieves Unknown' or something like that. Just vague enough to count, but scathing enough to make Van Eck grind his teeth.
[ she shifts her feet, turning to push herself up onto the crate that kaz has situated himself on so he can look out the window a bit easier, settling next to him with half a laugh. ]
[ Her steps are still silent as she comes over, shadows peeling back as she peeks out the window. There's enough light coming in from the street lamps that he catches sight of her grin full on, teeth flashing bright and eyes curving with her amusement. It's brief, but he feels his pulse hiccup, leaving him lightheaded.
Normally, there'd be a sinking anxiety at such a reaction. He recognizes it, after all. Remembers Imogen and the gap in her teeth, her slow smile and the way she'd touched his sleeve. It's been a long time since he'd even let someone get under his skin enough for this.
In the aftermath of such a heist, though, the drag of fear is a pin drop. There's still adrenaline kicking through his system, delight in pulling something so technically difficult off. And of course, in fleecing a major pigeon. Van Eck had needed some humbling and they'd delivered on it. ]
Apoplectic. [ He lets out a huffed laugh, thinking about how furious Jan Van Eck must feel right now. ]
Those dogs of his didn't even twitch when you walked past.
[ In part because of the whistle. But mostly because she's the Wraith. So. Praise. Sort of? ]
[ the laugh sparks an instant brightness in her eyes, and she settles back against the wall, brushing back her hood so she can see him properly. she hasn't seen or heard him so happy in . . . well, ever. pulling off such a thing has clearly made him believe he's on cloud nine.
maybe it was alright, then, if she loved him. it's hard to feel otherwise, in moments like this. ]
Of course they didn't.
[ obviously!! as she gently swings her feet, the crane high enough off the ground that her toes don't quite scuff the floor boards. rubber soles hardly make a noise, padding her steps to avoid any disgruntled dogs. ]
You really can break into every lock.
[ she says with no small amount of warmth, glancing in his direction, arching her eyebrows a little. a compliment for a compliment. ]
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no subject
Do you.
[ she says, tone uninterested as she takes another sip of her coffee. ]
I assume it must be an important one, if it's worth you being up before noon.
no subject
Still, he isn't dissuaded. When is he ever? ]
It's big. And satisfying. I worked out the last of the planning last night.
[ How good it had felt to fit the final piece of the puzzle together. ]
Van Eck acquired a certain painting recently, as I'm sure you heard. He's been crowing about it for days. We're going to relieve him of his newest security burden.
no subject
she had heard whispers, throughout the city. idle plans to steal it, from the dime lions. pekka rollins liked to put his hands on anything worth value, including, but not limited to, art. inej was certain he could just buy the damn thing outright, but not even pekka had the skill to break into a home without making a sound.
after all, pekka didn't have a wraith.
her eyes flicker upward, meeting kaz's gaze. for half a moment, it almost seems like she's going to agree. and then, her tone dipping into incredulity: ]
Absolutely not.
[ as she settles back into her chair, setting down her coffee cup to cross her arms over her chest, clearly preparing for battle. and just in case kaz brekker wanted to hear her exact reasoning, she adds: ]
That is a stupid idea.
[ xo ]
no subject
Well, it's not a fast "no", but it's a no all the same. He leans forward a bit in his seat, clearly ready to argue his case. ]
Inej. Think about it, the payout. Split between just the two of us would be immense.
[ That much is true. He leans back in his chair again, stretching his bad leg out. ]
I've thought it all through—the safe, the dogs, the locks. You're the only person I could do this with.
no subject
he looks so earnest, as he leans forward. there's a tiny crack in her resolve, though the skeptical knit of her brow is still present as kaz leans back. ]
And if we get caught?
[ narrowing her eyes a little, watching his expression carefully. ]
Van Eck will have us hung in the Barrel as a warning with no trial.
no subject
[ Well, there is one. Mostly because it requires simultaneous picking to work and he only has two hands. It's an expensive piece of equipment, though, and not something he sees the stadwatch investing in. Their budget this year is already strained.
In the end what really matters is that it won't be Inej who gets caught. They'll never be able to find her. ]
I've got an escape route planned, just in case it goes south.
no subject
[ saints, he's actually thought about this. it's enough that an agreement is on the tip of her tongue, because while kaz is arrogant, and selfish, and occasionally cruel, he is smart. and his plans (usually) do not fail.
still. letting him get off easy seems pointless. so: ]
What is going to guarantee that Van Eck will not figure out it's you?
[ with a tilt of her head, watching him carefully, a frown emerging on her lips. ]
Plenty of people are thinking about stealing it, but if it's true - that no one else can do this but us - then Van Eck will figure it out. He's not stupid. And he hears the stories just like everyone else who has one foot in the sewers.
[ which means sparking ire with someone very powerful. ]
no subject
[ That will buy them time in the immediate aftermath. But more importantly: ]
Besides, he might have heard our names but merchers can't tell the difference between a Dime Lion or a crow. He'll be floundering about trying to sniff the information out.
[ Kaz's name has certainly stuck out, but if this goes off like how he has planned, Van Eck won't have anything to go on aside from his speculation. And speculation doesn't hold in the court or with the law enforcement. ]
That's why it's just us. We hold onto it in the immediate aftermath, until the fire goes out. Then I'll fence it when he isn't looking with scrutiny.
no subject
she turns it over in her mind a few times, trying to find holes in the plan. aside from the fact that it is monumentally stupid and foolish, but then, most of kaz's outlandish schemes are. ]
He may yet blame the Dime Lions.
[ her eyes flicker back toward him, still unimpressed, but it's clear that inej is turning over the plan in her head, too. taking it a little more seriously. warmed up a bit more, to the idea of doing it. ]
Pekka Rollins' men have been talking about stealing it, though I doubt they're seriously going to do it.
[ pekka has a strong hold, in ketterdam. pissing off the council doesn't exactly fall in line with his goals. but talk is talk. ]
no subject
[ Pekka certainly makes a bigger target than him. At least, in the mercher's eyes. Kaz's reputation is moderately frightening, but he isn't a Barrel boss.
There's a bit of satisfaction that curls in his gut at inconveniencing Rollins. It won't set him back much, but it's something to make his day worse. ]
Then we steal it out from under all their noses while they put their two brain cells together to form a plan.
no subject
If I agree.
[ she says slowly, though it's clear kaz's battle has already been won, if only so he won't try to do something stupid without her in the eaves watching his back. ]
When would this hypothetical heist take place?
no subject
[ He repeats, with a bit of a grin. Because it certainly sounds like she's verging on when she agrees. ]
Ideally, in a couple days. He's trained those dogs of his to respond to a whistle, something I have to acquire.
[ For the past few days, he's been listening, researching the security measures and just how he had them configured. The part with the dogs had taken the longest, purely because he had needed to know the pattern of whistling. ]
A stupid way to go about it. Anyone can get a whistle—it's just a high pitched piece of tin.
no subject
his grin really lights up his face, and makes him look his age. not that he looks old, really, but the teenage boy that he's supposed to be. or was once, before ketterdam sunk her hooks into him. much like the rest of them.
but what's most annoying is that inej can feel herself buying into the plot. of course it would be as easy as obtaining a whistle. it would go off without a hitch. inej can almost hear kaz's raspy, arrogant voice after they've pulled it off, all i told you it would be fine, inej and when are you going to trust my judgment, inej on their way back to the slat.
and as annoying as it is, inej knows that it's the truth. if kaz says he can do something, then he will. he hasn't steered her wrong yet. though, she thinks to herself ruefully, there is still time.
overall, though, it seems like a good plan, from what she's heard of it. he's thought of everything, which is annoying. and she watches him for a long moment, searching his features a final time, before she says: ]
Does Haskell know you have spent the last two days listening to dog whistles?
[ she did say if, after all, and has zero intentions on allowing him to feel smug over his success at winning her over. ]
no subject
Which is why it always feels like a particularly satisfying win when she finally agrees to one of his plans. Even better when it's a relatively quick agreement, without hours of heated back and forth as they've occasionally done.
He'd count this one as a fast one. For them. ]
No, and he doesn't need to. I've spent significant time cooking up three more schemes for him to run with. He'll get his money with or without the painting as a bonus.
no subject
[ her tone is mild, as she unfolds her arms from her chest, moving to fold her newspaper in half and collect the dishes from her long-eaten breakfast. she places her cup on top of her plate. ]
You owe me dinner.
[ she says, tossing him a pointed look as she rises to her feet, dishes in hand, newspaper tucked under her arm. she hasn't yet agreed, but the statement is as good as. she'll be wherever he needs her to be, ready and waiting in the shadows. ]
And I refuse to do anything this reckless with you unless you sleep more than five hours, so I suggest you go do that.
no subject
[ Inej pls. Give him more credit here. Even if he did give you an attitude. ]
Ketterdam's your oyster. [ Within reason, but she's never been one to go outrageous. Besides, paying for dinner is a small price for doing this job with him. With that demand, she's agreed without saying she agrees—this is how it is with them. Reading between the lines. Or sometimes, not even having to talk aloud at all.
It's begun to make him wonder about the words scrawled across his wrist. I can help you. How many times has he heard someone say that? At least a dozen, all said in different ways. Some tremulous, others wheedling. She'd said it with such surety, despite having the expression of someone caged.
He'll never forget that. And he thinks maybe he should just up and ask her what's on her wrist. Just to clear the air. But part of him likes not knowing, afraid of what it might mean if it's a yes.
Or what it might mean if it's a no. If someone else is her future. He's never been possessive, exactly, but he's certainly protective. Especially in this instance, where she's already been through enough. ]
Fine, I won't plan anything strenuous for a couple days.
no subject
[ it's said easily, as she pauses by the side of the table, frowning slightly to herself at the clear irritable nature of the response. he's upset because . . . what, she doubted him? it had been a joke.
but, then, kaz brekker doesn't exactly have a sense of humor. something she's learned the hard way, on more than one occasion. ]
Lucky you, then. Forced boredom for a day or two.
[ she says after a moment, tone shifting back into something a little dry, as she leans her hip against the table, taking a moment before she disposes of her dishes.
she supposes she could poke a little less fun at him. but only a little. because he's being an infant, and someone around here has to tell him so. seeing as everyone else is petrified of him. ]
I suppose I'll owe you dinner in the interim, seeing as I'm forcing you to undergo something cruel and unusual.
[ with a slight roll of her eyes toward the staircase, which, three flights up, leads to kaz's lair. (and, to be fair, her own.) ]
Want company in stealing that whistle?
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It just always means more. Means anything, coming from her than from anyone else. Everyone else's opinion, save for Jesper's, occasionally, he doesn't give a fuck about. ]
Oh no, I'll have to slum it doing dealer shifts at the club. How horrible.
[ It's not like he stops showing his face there, but he's usually doing other things. Things that make Haskell and the Dregs more money, so they can keep the roof over their heads. And make improvements, when there's opportunity. ]
Cruel and unusual, my dear Inej, would be asking me to climb up from the outside. That— [ He waves his hand in the direction of the stairs. ] —is just an inconvenience.
[ Well, some days it's more than that. Today isn't so bad though. ]
If that's what you like. [ He won't say no to her company. ]
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whatever had been tugging at his mood is now gone, if he's back to being a general annoyance. inej would rather suffer that than one of his darker moods any day of the week. ]
You can keep my half of the profit if you can make it, my dear.
[ by the sound of her voice, inej is fairly certain that kruge is going to be hers. and she casts a meaningful look at his cane before tilting her head. ]
Are you coming?
[ she can walk back up with him, if he is. she can always slip out the window to get whatever she needs. ]
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(And yet, somehow, it does). ]
You can keep your half, not interested. [ Seems nearly sacrilegious to say, considering how much he loves kruge. But he also loves the idea of using the stairs rather than climbing a sheer wall. He's climbed up to rooftops before, to join her on occasional surveys, but there's usually a stack of crates or low windowsills for him to use. The Slat isn't built with those, especially not going all the way up to the third floor and attic. ]
Suddenly so impatient.
[ He does pull himself up out of his seat, joining up with her so they can go upstairs. ]
I've got a layout of the house, on my desk. Compiled it from the descriptions in the papers. Altogether, they were really specific.
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the heist itself is pulled off, as kaz predicts, in two days. it goes off relatively without a hitch, inej stealing over the bodies of sleeping dogs to ensure the pathway to the vault where the painting is being held is safe. the guards are easy to distract, a carefully dropped rock off the rooftops, and silently knocking one unconscious who is a bit too smart to fall for such a simple trick.
inej never really likes to kill unnecessarily. besides, it's better the guard lives to tell the tale.
picking the locks takes a hair longer than inej would have liked, but kaz (as always) gets in. and before she really knows it, kaz has the painting (sans frame, which they leave for posterity) rolled up underneath his arm, and they go their respective ways. inej takes to the rooftops, to make sure the way is clear, and kaz out a window, to head back to the slat.
soon, though, she drops down into the safe house that they have designated as their rendezvous point, an empty shuttered restaurant a few blocks away from the crow club. dingy and abandoned, perfect for laying low while the watch tear apart the barrel, until they can get home safe. and once she's slipped into the window, she says, a bit breathless: ]
They've got no idea.
[ as easy as picking a pocket of a tourist fresh off the boat in the harbor. ]
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Because two days go by, a dog whistle is acquired, and it's the two of them sneaking onto the Van Eck grounds in the middle of the night. Much of the estate is surrounded by grass and curated gardens, so he doesn't have to worry about hobbling along without his cane for a large portion. Inej makes her way in over the rooftop, as usual. He has to make do with carefully prying up a window. After the initial break in, it goes as smooth as butter. The dogs follow the whistle commands without a peep and Inej materializes soon after, footsteps soundless as she meets him at the vault. The lock is a complicated one, the pins on the inside so new they stick a bit, rather than sliding out of place on ones that see more use. So it's an uncomfortable delay, one that he ultimately triumphs over. The painting is slid from its frame and into a carrying tube he'd gotten just for this—couldn't have something so pricey ending up with water damage or something so inane.
Everything is locked back in place, the window shut how he'd seen it when he first came in, and Inej disappears back to the roof.
The guards she had taken care of eventually come to and raise the alarm, but not without the two of them having made significant headway back into the Staves. Kaz navigates the twisting alleys with practiced ease, knowing Inej is somewhere in the vicinity, just on her own path.
He posts up near a boarded window at their rendezvous point—it has a narrow slit between boards to look through. All the better to see the hurried lanterns of the stadwatch as they look for someone they won't ever catch. ]
Absolutely none. Not that it's hard to pull one over on. They can be an exceptionally stupid hive of bees.
[ Following one stream of thought in neat and orderly lines. That's always been the watch's problem.
Still, there's a grin in his voice as he turns to look over at her, the barest of light limning her outline. ]
What's your guess for the headline?
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Hmmm . . .
[ her tone is thoughtful, before she tilts her head up at him, with a slight grin, her face illuminated by the lamplights outside, the light peeking through the cracks in the dusty boards. ]
Something about 'Unbreakable Vault Broken Into; Thieves Unknown' or something like that. Just vague enough to count, but scathing enough to make Van Eck grind his teeth.
[ she shifts her feet, turning to push herself up onto the crate that kaz has situated himself on so he can look out the window a bit easier, settling next to him with half a laugh. ]
He will be furious.
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Normally, there'd be a sinking anxiety at such a reaction. He recognizes it, after all. Remembers Imogen and the gap in her teeth, her slow smile and the way she'd touched his sleeve. It's been a long time since he'd even let someone get under his skin enough for this.
In the aftermath of such a heist, though, the drag of fear is a pin drop. There's still adrenaline kicking through his system, delight in pulling something so technically difficult off. And of course, in fleecing a major pigeon. Van Eck had needed some humbling and they'd delivered on it. ]
Apoplectic. [ He lets out a huffed laugh, thinking about how furious Jan Van Eck must feel right now. ]
Those dogs of his didn't even twitch when you walked past.
[ In part because of the whistle. But mostly because she's the Wraith. So. Praise. Sort of? ]
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maybe it was alright, then, if she loved him. it's hard to feel otherwise, in moments like this. ]
Of course they didn't.
[ obviously!! as she gently swings her feet, the crane high enough off the ground that her toes don't quite scuff the floor boards. rubber soles hardly make a noise, padding her steps to avoid any disgruntled dogs. ]
You really can break into every lock.
[ she says with no small amount of warmth, glancing in his direction, arching her eyebrows a little. a compliment for a compliment. ]
Even if it does take you forever.
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