[ he looks briefly confused, at being asked the question. she imagines someone with the nickname 'dirtyhands' doesn't exactly have a lot of friends. being in charge of a portion of the barrel doesn't extend itself to making friends. or living in the barrel at all, really.
still, he offers to come with her, which makes her feel a little better. it bothers her, that she feels comforted by his presence, but she's far safer with him around than by her own. at least with kaz with her, people will leave her alone. which she sorely needs. ]
I've suffered worse.
[ with a slight shrug of her shoulders, though she won't turn down ice. the quicker the swelling goes down, the faster she can continue to learn. and as she stoops to collect her loose jacket to shrug back into, she nods her head toward the stairs. ]
After you.
[ she dislikes having anyone at her back. even someone she (sort of) trusts. ]
[ While he doesn't exactly want to encourage people to think he plays favorites—which exerting this much effort for Inej will certainly get the gossips talking—he also doesn't think it's quite safe to leave her on her own yet. Even if they did just spend the last hour and a half going over how she can defend herself. She seems to tentatively trust him and his presence can ensure even the nosiest of the Dregs will stay away.
He gathers his suit coat and pulls it on, going first up the stairs. It's weird to, since he normally goes slower and therefore last. Nor is he keen on having someone he doesn't know too well at his back.
But if worst came to worst, he thinks he could best her.
Once upstairs, he swipes a kitchen towel and some ice from the freezer box, handing them over to Inej as they go to sit down. It's lunch and the hall is loud as usual, Dregs coming and going, some just passing through before heading out to work.
After they've settled down with their own meals: ]
You can trust Jesper. [ That might not mean terribly much right now, regardless. She'll really have to see for herself. ] He can't lie worth a damn.
[ settling in to eat with kaz at a table in the corner certainly attracts some level of staring. but inej does her best to ignore it, instead focusing on putting the bag of ice on one of her hands. she's about to risk a look around the room to see how many people are still staring when kaz speaks again, which causes inej's eyes to flicker toward him. ]
And that is a bad thing?
[ she asks, almost incredulous. being able to lie is a necessary skill, but knowing that someone can't lie seems . . . safer, at any rate. valuing the ability to be deceitful seems backwards, to her. the barrel hasn't quite robbed her of her sense of morality yet, anyway.
still, she lets her eyes glance toward the corner, where jesper is telling some story that is causing quite a few laughs. and he seems to notice inej's glance, as he offers her a slight wave.
she returns it, entirely half-heartedly and a little hesitantly, but it clearly has an effect -- the bright grin in her direction seems worth the ounce of kindness she's just expended. ]
How did he get here?
[ she asks, casting kaz a sidelong look. the added comment is entirely silent, but seems to be communicated just as easily with her dubious expression. jesper seems too kind to be a member of a gang. ]
[ So yes. It isn't ideal that Jesper is entirely too honest for his own good. For one, it puts him in a tough spot on what information to give him, just in case. And for another, it marks him as Not From Around Here. That's worn off a bit since he's been with the Dregs but anyone really looking would know better. He doesn't come across as a mercher but he certainly isn't someone who's spent a while in the worst parts this city has to offer.
Sometimes, Kaz envies that enough to feel sick. And then he hates it, because that carefree attitude is too familiar; echoes of Jordie when he least expects it. ]
Gambling debts.
[ The thing that's hooked so many people in. Too many unlucky hands and not all of them are sharpshooters like Jes, whose skill got him out of being left to completely fend for himself on the street. ]
[ ah, that makes sense. not in jesper, specifically, but gambling debts. she nearly asks why jesper is so frequently in the crow club offering security or support if he has a gambling problem, but that feels to cross a line. if jesper wants to tell inej, he can.
she hardly wants anyone to ask why she's here, though inej suspects most of them have figured it out.
she sets the ice aside on the table to pick up a spoon, picking through her stew before taking a bite. she hadn't realized how underweight she was and how little she was fed by heleen until she got here. it's not fancy, but it's food.
so she tucks in, focusing her attention on that. ]
You have answered a lot of questions.
[ she says after a moment, stirring her stew a bit. ]
Do you have any for me?
[ it's a tentative ask, an offer of trust. and as she takes another bite of her stew, inej adds: ]
[ She doesn't push that line of questioning about Jesper. Though he supposed if she had, he would've just told her to ask Jesper himself. Perhaps that would be too blunt for them both. It isn't that he has no interest in people's pasts—it can be useful information. But he's more keen on looking ahead, to the next job, the next step that will get him closer to crushing Rollins.
He stirs his stew, saying nothing and seeing no reason to fill the silence. Inej breaks it though, with some attempt at equity. ]
How do you feel about spying?
[ With the balance he's seen and her unnatural silence, there's no better role. ]
[ the question surprises her. she expected something personal, about her. she isn't entirely sure why. but the question causes her to arch her eyebrows a little bit, resting the spoon against the edge of her bowl. ]
It has caused more than one revolution in Ravka.
[ evenly enough, her tone dry. ]
So I could take it or leave it, depending on the day.
[ It's definitely not the question she'd been expecting. There are more personal questions he could ask, but he feels like that's opening up a can of worms. Somehow, she ended up at the Menagerie and now she's here. That's about all he wants to know about her past.
(He might also be a little nervous that asking will mean she asks even more back to him and there's so much he doesn't want to talk about). ]
Someone insulting another's hat seems to start a revolution there.
[ Poor Ravka, in a perpetual state of turmoil. ]
How about if the spying is to knock the merchers down a peg?
[ he isn't wrong, about her home country, and inej makes a soft noise of agreement, to show it. she's about to return to her stew when he asks the next question, and her eyes flicker upward to meet his gaze, her brow furrowing.
she knows what he's asking. the clients who visited the menagerie are full of coin and power, and inej remembers most of the names who requested her specifically.
ruining their lives doesn't sound like a problem to her. though, as inej scoops up a piece of potato from her bowl, she responds: ]
Barrel bosses own slaves, too.
[ as she takes a bite of her food, giving an idle shrug. pekka rollins and tante heleen were hand-in-hand, most days, though pekka considers her a competitor. or, at least, that was what heleen whined about in the halls, when she thought inej wasn't lurking around the corner. the sweet shop, after all, was right down the street. ]
You seem to be alone, in that regard.
[ she's certain per haskell views her as a piece of property and a thing to be ordered about. so he can be included with all the rest. ]
[ He didn't get this far in the Barrel without noticing. Or without forming a plan so he didn't end up in those shoes, when he was first starting out. Though he doubts anyone would've tolerated his mouth for too long.
But he also has plans for at least one Barrel boss, the name insinuated between the lines. Pekka Rollins has no idea what's coming to him. Neither does Per Haskell, for that matter. All he has to do is play his long game and wait it out. Gather enough pieces to sway in his favor. There's still too many Dregs who resent his quick ascent here, people who'd rather see him dead than being in any kind of leadership position.
Even though he's the reason their profits have turned in the past couple years. And that the Slat hasn't fallen down around their ears.
No use in being mirroring their resentment, they'll see soon enough. ]
I'm not a boss, just a Lieutenant.
[ And if there's a subtle "for now" wavering in the air, well, that's for her to pick up. ]
Haskell generally lets me do what I want, as long as it's profitable. So, spying?
[ she says in a slight quip, as she takes another bite of her food, in response to his repeated question. how impatient. but she files away much of what he says without comment.
he's ambitious. he wants out of this place just as badly as the rest of them. and he's certainly worked hard to do so, given how many people in this place fear him. he couldn't be much older than she is.
maybe there was some truth to the rumors, about his hands being so bloody he couldn't wash them clean.
still, as she finishes off her bowl of stew (far ahead of kaz, she notices), before she sets her spoon back in her empty bowl, inej returns the ice to her hand, fixing him with her gaze. ]
Starving on the streets was better than what I was doing before I came here.
[ She doesn't answer him, firing back that she'd mentioned earlier she might not answer his questions. Kaz leaves her to her thoughts, slightly annoyed but mollified for now. He picks at his lunch, turning some plans over in his head that he's been muddling through over the past week. It feels like he's close to knitting all the seams together and making it viable.
When she finishes her food, the clink of her spoon gets his attention and he returns her gaze steadily. ]
Good. [ He isn't exactly giddy, but he is clearly pleased. This opens a lot of possibilities. And maybe they can finally get a real advantage against the other gangs. Time would tell. ]
I'll pull some briefs together, so you have an idea of what's to be done.
[ he does seem . . . not happy, necessarily, but her response clearly lightens his face, which prompts a slight upward curve of her mouth. it feels like eons, since she shared a meal with someone and enjoyed conversation. even if it revolves around spying. or something else equally morally ambiguous.
but as she settles the ice back over her knuckles, she asks: ]
Do you not eat very much?
[ with a slight inclination of her head toward the bowl, which is still mostly full. ]
[ Likewise, it feels like it's been a while since he's sat down and had a meal with someone. Or rather, that he's wanted to stick around for an extended period. Occasionally he catches meals with Jesper, but Jes is chatty and either Kaz excused himself or Jes gets pulled away by other friends in the Dregs. He's charismatic; making friends was easy for him.
Inej is different, mostly in that she doesn't seem bothered by silence. ]
Not really. [ Either he's too busy or just simply not hungry. Also: ]
[ she looks amused, at that, shifting the ice pack to her other hand. how he manages to work up so much energy with the bad leg and picking at his food is a mystery to her.
still, she feels less . . . unmoored, than she had when she first got here. at least now she has a friend. or the beginnings of having a friend, if kaz brekker makes friends. which inej doubts he does.
at any rate, he hasn't tried to touch her or force her to do anything she doesn't want to do, which is a massive improvement over her last position in ketterdam. not that that one was hard to beat. ]
Fair enough.
[ as she picks up her cup with her spare hand, to take a sip of water. she considers just ending lunch there, but she really has no other prospects on what to do with her time, here. other than continue to recover, and build strength, and learn how to fight. all of those things necessary, but not necessarily helpful in learning how this place works.
the person sitting across from her, though, is the person she needs to learn from. so: ]
[ With business settled, there's not much he's willing to ask of her. She really just needs more time to recover—square meals, rest, and a distinct lack of Heleen making her life hell. He remembers when he came to the Dregs equally undernourished, though he'd done his best to scrape meals together on the street. It didn't beat knowing there was going to be something available at a particular time of day.
Granted, the food has vastly improved since he joined. Another adjustment when their profits started to go up. ]
Numbers, mostly. Haskell has me dealing at tables later, though.
[ interesting. so he's not below the menial grunt work of operating the club. there must be a reason why; kaz must be good at handling cards. ]
Do you mind if I go with you?
[ she doesn't specify which - watching the numbers, or the tables. she's unwilling to stray far from the club, and risk running into heleen or any of her unsavory types. but she also doesn't want to sit here and twiddle her thumbs, either. rest or not, remaining idle only causes her mind to wander. which wouldn't do, on most days. ]
If I am going to live here, I am going to have to know how this place works.
[ Admittedly, it'll be strange to have someone following him about. He's given some of the newcomers their initial tours or helped get them settled, but this is different.
Then again, Inej is different altogether. Until she does get more settled, he doesn't trust the rest of the Dregs will leave her be.
So he shrugs his assent. ]
It won't be thrilling, but you can ask questions if you want.
[ Unlike most, he can talk and do numbers at the same time. They come to him easily. He goes to stand, taking his bowl with him as he usually does—he'll pick at it through the afternoon, at least, so it won't go to waste. ]
Come on, then. [ He's got three flights of stairs to tackle. It's a good day for his leg, so it's mostly just annoying instead of painful. ]
[ he seems willing to tolerate her a bit longer, and so she rises to her feet when he does. inej deposits her dirty bowl in the kitchen on the way past, quickly catching up with kaz after she does so. and so they begin the climb.
she remains quiet, as she moves up the stairs, feet avoiding the creaks in the wood as she walks. they pass the area where her room is, and enter the attic space of the slat.
it's neat and orderly, which makes sense. her eyes take in the room in a glance, remaining still as she lets kaz find his way in the room first. she gravitates toward the window near his desk, peering outside. there's an even better view of the city, from here. ]
Why the attic?
[ she asks, her eyes still out the window, ice pack still resting in her hands. it can't be comfortable, with his leg the way it is. and surely he could have any room in this place without a question.
a crow flutters to greet inej, resting in the windowsill, and tapping the glass in greeting. seemingly looking for food.
inej makes a mental note to bring up stale bread later, when kaz is out. ]
[ It's a long way up, as usual. But his leg remains as good as it gets, no particularly awful complaints and barely any twinges. When they make it to his room, he lets them in and allows Inej to look around. He doesn't have anything out that he wouldn't want her to see.
She floats over to the big window as he pulls his coat off and takes his seat, setting his cane against the edge of the desk. A crow taps on the glass as he pulls the book with the club's numbers out, flipping it open to the marked page. ]
It's quieter, I don't have neighbors next to or above me, and it has the most space.
[ He answers as he dips his pen in ink, sleeves rolled back so he doesn't get it on the fabric by mistake. ]
Per Haskell also has to come up here to get me or send someone and he's usually too lazy to do either.
[ it is quiet, and inej muses over the thought as she watches the crow out the window. it taps again, and inej places the ice pack down on the window sill before opening the window a tiny little bit, so she can say hello to the crow properly. ]
You don't think very much of him.
[ it's an observation, not a question, as inej holds out her hand toward the crow, who inspects her carefully. as inej doesn't have any food in her palm, the bird doesn't come closer, but it also doesn't move away.
she withdraws her hand, to allow the bird the space to move, and the crow seems content to chatter before settling itself on the sill, watching inej with black eyes and glossy feathers fluffing slightly. ]
I suppose I have to speak to him, eventually.
[ she isn't looking forward to it, judging from her weary tone. her deal now might be fair, but it's still a debt. and as long as per haskell holds that debt, she isn't free. it's just another holder of her life, as far as she's concerned. ]
[ That Kaz has to acknowledge. It wasn't as though Per Haskell waltzed through the Barrel without any problems. He scraped and fought his way to the top like the rest of them. ]
But he's gotten complacent. [ Resting on his laurels and the glory of his former escapades instead of trying to do anything ambitious. He plays it safe, which comes with estimable pros and cons.
Because of it though, the Dregs had been bottom rung of the gangs, ceding territory and respect like a shore eroded by the ocean. ]
I'm thankful he let me in, in the beginning. [ Thankfulness can only go so far. ] Pick your battles, he's still the boss.
[ Kaz has learned just enough flattery to keep him appeased. It's aggravating and it chafes, having to essentially nod and smile sometimes.
One day, he thinks as he stretches his arms out before resuming his calculations, one day he won't have to. ]
[ the warning is heard loud and clear, and inej purses her lips together. there is a pecking order, in this life, and inej has no problem lying through her teeth in order to survive. she's done so until today, and she'll likely continue to do so tomorrow. but she has little patience, for people who take credit for things that aren't their own.
it's clear, even after a week, that the dregs see kaz as the one in charge. haskell is the one who signs the checks, which carries its own power. but they don't fear him, like they fear kaz. and fear can sometimes turn into respect.
she lets her eyes flicker toward kaz as he stretches, lost in thought at his statement. her eyes land on his rolled up sleeves, showing a tattoo - the symbol of the dregs, she assumes. the thought of getting another tattoo turns her stomach, an icy feeling working its way through her veins.
she had had to be held down, for the peacock feather on her forearm. it still turns her stomach, whenever she looks at it.
but, more importantly, are the words along his wrist that peak through as the leather of his gloves shift. plain as day, i can help you. a confirmation of what she already knew, and she self-consciously tugs her sleeve straighter on her arm, to make sure her wrist is covered.
she had prayed for a way out, and the saints provided. it must be fate, her being here. and her destiny is intertwined with the boy at the desk filling in a spreadsheet of his own design, keeping track of profit margins that made absolutely no sense to her.
was this the entire reason why she was stolen? to wind up here, to meet him? was there really a purpose to the nightmare of the menagerie, or was she just lucky? ]
Most people don't notice that I exist.
[ she says finally, letting her eyes move back toward the crow in the window. ignore it, inej. ]
I doubt he'll remember my name, just the total at the end of the bill.
[ She goes silent for a bit and he leaves her to her thoughts, working on getting the ledgers all straightened out. The information is there, so it's not like he has to go look for missing data, but it's also a scribbled mess. He has half a mind to find out who was keeping tabs last night to tell them to stop rushing through their numbers.
Questionable legibility aside, it's all resolving neatly. Not rare, really, but still nice to see. ]
He'll remember—you're tied to me now. [ For good and for bad. ] Might act like he doesn't remember to get a rise out, though.
[ An infuriating trait. ]
Do you want to be noticed? [ Kaz glances up from his work, pen paused over the next line. The thought occurs that despite how thin she is and how much she's gone through, she still sits straight. There's grace, under it all. ]
[ saints, she needs to change the subject from them into literally anything else, because her heart skips a beat that tied to me now. and per haskell pretending not to know otherwise. how could haskell know? kaz doesn't strike her as the person to really share that type of thing, unless --
does he seriously not know? how could he not know. was he that unobservant? did he just not remember? or was he actually an idiot?
thankfully, kaz asks a question, and inej blinks, refocusing herself on the conversation, the question giving her pause. it's a decent question, given how quiet she is and how out of the way she tends to make herself.
despite that, inej finds that no isn't the answer to his question. ]
I would like people to notice Inej, not the body standing there.
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2020-12-27 11:29 pm (UTC)still, he offers to come with her, which makes her feel a little better. it bothers her, that she feels comforted by his presence, but she's far safer with him around than by her own. at least with kaz with her, people will leave her alone. which she sorely needs. ]
I've suffered worse.
[ with a slight shrug of her shoulders, though she won't turn down ice. the quicker the swelling goes down, the faster she can continue to learn. and as she stoops to collect her loose jacket to shrug back into, she nods her head toward the stairs. ]
After you.
[ she dislikes having anyone at her back. even someone she (sort of) trusts. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-12-27 11:47 pm (UTC)He gathers his suit coat and pulls it on, going first up the stairs. It's weird to, since he normally goes slower and therefore last. Nor is he keen on having someone he doesn't know too well at his back.
But if worst came to worst, he thinks he could best her.
Once upstairs, he swipes a kitchen towel and some ice from the freezer box, handing them over to Inej as they go to sit down. It's lunch and the hall is loud as usual, Dregs coming and going, some just passing through before heading out to work.
After they've settled down with their own meals: ]
You can trust Jesper. [ That might not mean terribly much right now, regardless. She'll really have to see for herself. ] He can't lie worth a damn.
no subject
Date: 2020-12-27 11:59 pm (UTC)And that is a bad thing?
[ she asks, almost incredulous. being able to lie is a necessary skill, but knowing that someone can't lie seems . . . safer, at any rate. valuing the ability to be deceitful seems backwards, to her. the barrel hasn't quite robbed her of her sense of morality yet, anyway.
still, she lets her eyes glance toward the corner, where jesper is telling some story that is causing quite a few laughs. and he seems to notice inej's glance, as he offers her a slight wave.
she returns it, entirely half-heartedly and a little hesitantly, but it clearly has an effect -- the bright grin in her direction seems worth the ounce of kindness she's just expended. ]
How did he get here?
[ she asks, casting kaz a sidelong look. the added comment is entirely silent, but seems to be communicated just as easily with her dubious expression. jesper seems too kind to be a member of a gang. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-12-28 12:47 am (UTC)[ So yes. It isn't ideal that Jesper is entirely too honest for his own good. For one, it puts him in a tough spot on what information to give him, just in case. And for another, it marks him as Not From Around Here. That's worn off a bit since he's been with the Dregs but anyone really looking would know better. He doesn't come across as a mercher but he certainly isn't someone who's spent a while in the worst parts this city has to offer.
Sometimes, Kaz envies that enough to feel sick. And then he hates it, because that carefree attitude is too familiar; echoes of Jordie when he least expects it. ]
Gambling debts.
[ The thing that's hooked so many people in. Too many unlucky hands and not all of them are sharpshooters like Jes, whose skill got him out of being left to completely fend for himself on the street. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-12-28 01:01 am (UTC)she hardly wants anyone to ask why she's here, though inej suspects most of them have figured it out.
she sets the ice aside on the table to pick up a spoon, picking through her stew before taking a bite. she hadn't realized how underweight she was and how little she was fed by heleen until she got here. it's not fancy, but it's food.
so she tucks in, focusing her attention on that. ]
You have answered a lot of questions.
[ she says after a moment, stirring her stew a bit. ]
Do you have any for me?
[ it's a tentative ask, an offer of trust. and as she takes another bite of her stew, inej adds: ]
I might not answer it, but fair is fair.
no subject
Date: 2020-12-28 01:10 am (UTC)He stirs his stew, saying nothing and seeing no reason to fill the silence. Inej breaks it though, with some attempt at equity. ]
How do you feel about spying?
[ With the balance he's seen and her unnatural silence, there's no better role. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-12-28 01:16 am (UTC)It has caused more than one revolution in Ravka.
[ evenly enough, her tone dry. ]
So I could take it or leave it, depending on the day.
no subject
Date: 2020-12-28 01:34 am (UTC)(He might also be a little nervous that asking will mean she asks even more back to him and there's so much he doesn't want to talk about). ]
Someone insulting another's hat seems to start a revolution there.
[ Poor Ravka, in a perpetual state of turmoil. ]
How about if the spying is to knock the merchers down a peg?
no subject
Date: 2020-12-28 01:44 am (UTC)she knows what he's asking. the clients who visited the menagerie are full of coin and power, and inej remembers most of the names who requested her specifically.
ruining their lives doesn't sound like a problem to her. though, as inej scoops up a piece of potato from her bowl, she responds: ]
Barrel bosses own slaves, too.
[ as she takes a bite of her food, giving an idle shrug. pekka rollins and tante heleen were hand-in-hand, most days, though pekka considers her a competitor. or, at least, that was what heleen whined about in the halls, when she thought inej wasn't lurking around the corner. the sweet shop, after all, was right down the street. ]
You seem to be alone, in that regard.
[ she's certain per haskell views her as a piece of property and a thing to be ordered about. so he can be included with all the rest. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-12-28 02:00 am (UTC)[ He didn't get this far in the Barrel without noticing. Or without forming a plan so he didn't end up in those shoes, when he was first starting out. Though he doubts anyone would've tolerated his mouth for too long.
But he also has plans for at least one Barrel boss, the name insinuated between the lines. Pekka Rollins has no idea what's coming to him. Neither does Per Haskell, for that matter. All he has to do is play his long game and wait it out. Gather enough pieces to sway in his favor. There's still too many Dregs who resent his quick ascent here, people who'd rather see him dead than being in any kind of leadership position.
Even though he's the reason their profits have turned in the past couple years. And that the Slat hasn't fallen down around their ears.
No use in being mirroring their resentment, they'll see soon enough. ]
I'm not a boss, just a Lieutenant.
[ And if there's a subtle "for now" wavering in the air, well, that's for her to pick up. ]
Haskell generally lets me do what I want, as long as it's profitable. So, spying?
no subject
Date: 2020-12-28 02:08 am (UTC)[ she says in a slight quip, as she takes another bite of her food, in response to his repeated question. how impatient. but she files away much of what he says without comment.
he's ambitious. he wants out of this place just as badly as the rest of them. and he's certainly worked hard to do so, given how many people in this place fear him. he couldn't be much older than she is.
maybe there was some truth to the rumors, about his hands being so bloody he couldn't wash them clean.
still, as she finishes off her bowl of stew (far ahead of kaz, she notices), before she sets her spoon back in her empty bowl, inej returns the ice to her hand, fixing him with her gaze. ]
Starving on the streets was better than what I was doing before I came here.
[ evenly enough. ]
Spying would be easy, in comparison.
no subject
Date: 2020-12-28 02:34 am (UTC)When she finishes her food, the clink of her spoon gets his attention and he returns her gaze steadily. ]
Good. [ He isn't exactly giddy, but he is clearly pleased. This opens a lot of possibilities. And maybe they can finally get a real advantage against the other gangs. Time would tell. ]
I'll pull some briefs together, so you have an idea of what's to be done.
no subject
Date: 2020-12-28 03:11 am (UTC)but as she settles the ice back over her knuckles, she asks: ]
Do you not eat very much?
[ with a slight inclination of her head toward the bowl, which is still mostly full. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-12-28 03:24 am (UTC)Inej is different, mostly in that she doesn't seem bothered by silence. ]
Not really. [ Either he's too busy or just simply not hungry. Also: ]
I had breakfast later than you.
no subject
Date: 2020-12-28 04:36 pm (UTC)still, she feels less . . . unmoored, than she had when she first got here. at least now she has a friend. or the beginnings of having a friend, if kaz brekker makes friends. which inej doubts he does.
at any rate, he hasn't tried to touch her or force her to do anything she doesn't want to do, which is a massive improvement over her last position in ketterdam. not that that one was hard to beat. ]
Fair enough.
[ as she picks up her cup with her spare hand, to take a sip of water. she considers just ending lunch there, but she really has no other prospects on what to do with her time, here. other than continue to recover, and build strength, and learn how to fight. all of those things necessary, but not necessarily helpful in learning how this place works.
the person sitting across from her, though, is the person she needs to learn from. so: ]
What are you doing for the rest of the day?
no subject
Date: 2020-12-28 06:43 pm (UTC)Granted, the food has vastly improved since he joined. Another adjustment when their profits started to go up. ]
Numbers, mostly. Haskell has me dealing at tables later, though.
[ Because he is still the best one they have. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-12-28 07:35 pm (UTC)Do you mind if I go with you?
[ she doesn't specify which - watching the numbers, or the tables. she's unwilling to stray far from the club, and risk running into heleen or any of her unsavory types. but she also doesn't want to sit here and twiddle her thumbs, either. rest or not, remaining idle only causes her mind to wander. which wouldn't do, on most days. ]
If I am going to live here, I am going to have to know how this place works.
[ she adds, with a slight shrug. ]
I won't be in your way.
no subject
Date: 2020-12-28 07:59 pm (UTC)Then again, Inej is different altogether. Until she does get more settled, he doesn't trust the rest of the Dregs will leave her be.
So he shrugs his assent. ]
It won't be thrilling, but you can ask questions if you want.
[ Unlike most, he can talk and do numbers at the same time. They come to him easily. He goes to stand, taking his bowl with him as he usually does—he'll pick at it through the afternoon, at least, so it won't go to waste. ]
Come on, then. [ He's got three flights of stairs to tackle. It's a good day for his leg, so it's mostly just annoying instead of painful. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-12-28 10:21 pm (UTC)she remains quiet, as she moves up the stairs, feet avoiding the creaks in the wood as she walks. they pass the area where her room is, and enter the attic space of the slat.
it's neat and orderly, which makes sense. her eyes take in the room in a glance, remaining still as she lets kaz find his way in the room first. she gravitates toward the window near his desk, peering outside. there's an even better view of the city, from here. ]
Why the attic?
[ she asks, her eyes still out the window, ice pack still resting in her hands. it can't be comfortable, with his leg the way it is. and surely he could have any room in this place without a question.
a crow flutters to greet inej, resting in the windowsill, and tapping the glass in greeting. seemingly looking for food.
inej makes a mental note to bring up stale bread later, when kaz is out. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-12-28 10:43 pm (UTC)She floats over to the big window as he pulls his coat off and takes his seat, setting his cane against the edge of the desk. A crow taps on the glass as he pulls the book with the club's numbers out, flipping it open to the marked page. ]
It's quieter, I don't have neighbors next to or above me, and it has the most space.
[ He answers as he dips his pen in ink, sleeves rolled back so he doesn't get it on the fabric by mistake. ]
Per Haskell also has to come up here to get me or send someone and he's usually too lazy to do either.
no subject
Date: 2020-12-28 11:03 pm (UTC)You don't think very much of him.
[ it's an observation, not a question, as inej holds out her hand toward the crow, who inspects her carefully. as inej doesn't have any food in her palm, the bird doesn't come closer, but it also doesn't move away.
she withdraws her hand, to allow the bird the space to move, and the crow seems content to chatter before settling itself on the sill, watching inej with black eyes and glossy feathers fluffing slightly. ]
I suppose I have to speak to him, eventually.
[ she isn't looking forward to it, judging from her weary tone. her deal now might be fair, but it's still a debt. and as long as per haskell holds that debt, she isn't free. it's just another holder of her life, as far as she's concerned. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-12-28 11:19 pm (UTC)[ That Kaz has to acknowledge. It wasn't as though Per Haskell waltzed through the Barrel without any problems. He scraped and fought his way to the top like the rest of them. ]
But he's gotten complacent. [ Resting on his laurels and the glory of his former escapades instead of trying to do anything ambitious. He plays it safe, which comes with estimable pros and cons.
Because of it though, the Dregs had been bottom rung of the gangs, ceding territory and respect like a shore eroded by the ocean. ]
I'm thankful he let me in, in the beginning. [ Thankfulness can only go so far. ] Pick your battles, he's still the boss.
[ Kaz has learned just enough flattery to keep him appeased. It's aggravating and it chafes, having to essentially nod and smile sometimes.
One day, he thinks as he stretches his arms out before resuming his calculations, one day he won't have to. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-12-28 11:31 pm (UTC)it's clear, even after a week, that the dregs see kaz as the one in charge. haskell is the one who signs the checks, which carries its own power. but they don't fear him, like they fear kaz. and fear can sometimes turn into respect.
she lets her eyes flicker toward kaz as he stretches, lost in thought at his statement. her eyes land on his rolled up sleeves, showing a tattoo - the symbol of the dregs, she assumes. the thought of getting another tattoo turns her stomach, an icy feeling working its way through her veins.
she had had to be held down, for the peacock feather on her forearm. it still turns her stomach, whenever she looks at it.
but, more importantly, are the words along his wrist that peak through as the leather of his gloves shift. plain as day, i can help you. a confirmation of what she already knew, and she self-consciously tugs her sleeve straighter on her arm, to make sure her wrist is covered.
she had prayed for a way out, and the saints provided. it must be fate, her being here. and her destiny is intertwined with the boy at the desk filling in a spreadsheet of his own design, keeping track of profit margins that made absolutely no sense to her.
was this the entire reason why she was stolen? to wind up here, to meet him? was there really a purpose to the nightmare of the menagerie, or was she just lucky? ]
Most people don't notice that I exist.
[ she says finally, letting her eyes move back toward the crow in the window. ignore it, inej. ]
I doubt he'll remember my name, just the total at the end of the bill.
[ which suits her just fine. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-12-28 11:57 pm (UTC)Questionable legibility aside, it's all resolving neatly. Not rare, really, but still nice to see. ]
He'll remember—you're tied to me now. [ For good and for bad. ] Might act like he doesn't remember to get a rise out, though.
[ An infuriating trait. ]
Do you want to be noticed? [ Kaz glances up from his work, pen paused over the next line. The thought occurs that despite how thin she is and how much she's gone through, she still sits straight. There's grace, under it all. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-12-29 12:09 am (UTC)does he seriously not know? how could he not know. was he that unobservant? did he just not remember? or was he actually an idiot?
thankfully, kaz asks a question, and inej blinks, refocusing herself on the conversation, the question giving her pause. it's a decent question, given how quiet she is and how out of the way she tends to make herself.
despite that, inej finds that no isn't the answer to his question. ]
I would like people to notice Inej, not the body standing there.
[ with a shrug of her thin shoulders. ]
So knowing my name would be a decent start.
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From: