[ He can tell he's surprised her, though it does make him frown a bit that he's done so. Surely she was expecting anger rather than reason. Considering his reputation, it would stand to logic that he'd be disappointed or ticked off.
But he just can't bring himself to be, not when he has even the barest idea of how she's been treated. Even simply knowing and talking to Heleen had been enough to drive that point home.
As for her question: ]
No.
[ Slavery was illegal in Kerch. And while he's flouted some other laws, there are others he would be hard pressed to cross. Basically anything that would give the stadwatch reason to come breathing down his neck. Those auctions, he knows they happen, because the Barrel is notorious for finding anything a person might want to entertain themselves. But he also knows they can be subject to raids, if the organizers weren't careful.
There's also the matter of: he's not interested in seeing people be sold. ]
I'll talk to Haskell. I know how to piss him off, so his ire will redirect.
[ well, the fact that he hasn't been is a plus. and she believes him, though she scoffs to herself, shifting her gaze back toward the city skyline, toward the harbor. ]
I know how people like him view people like me.
[ the barrel bosses frequent the pleasure houses and buy and sell girls frequently. pekka rollins is the worst of them, but he isn't alone. girls like inej are commodities. she is only as good as she is worth, in terms of skill, or her body, or her time. haskell may not be whoring her out to the highest bidder, but she knows full well that he only cares about her so much as how much coin she can bring in. the stupid tattoo is only proof that he sees her as a pile of kruge that he needs to spend.
at kaz's offer, though, she shakes her head, her eyes still fixed on the harbor. ]
I bear my own consequences. I am not afraid of him.
[ she seems almost ready to leave it at that, when she adds: ]
Nothing he can do to me is worse than what I have already experienced.
[ And it wasn't so much an offer as it was him telling her what he was going to do about the situation. Because it's only a couple weeks in and still so precarious, no matter how much her skill has been talked up. Sure, she can climb buildings or step in silence, but she hasn't yet brought money or information in that they can use.
Haskell wants to see the results of him sinking money into buying an expensive indenture. Kaz had promised him it would be worth it. So far, all he's gotten is someone willing to argue about a tattoo.
(For good reason, but he won't see it that way). ]
I told him this would pay off; I have to remind him of the potential. Or he can hand you back to that monster.
[ Or she could drown. He feels another uncomfortable twinge at the idea.
This is just another option, one that he's fairly sure will work. ]
And I have a choice in what happens to me while I am here. I do not belong to you, either.
[ her retort is sharp, as her eyes narrow, her fingers curling into the fabric of her pants, her arms still wrapped around her knees. she knows, distantly, that he's trying to help. and that if she fails, it's his head in addition to hers. but something rubs the wrong way, at i wasn't asking.
but once the biting comment is out of her system, she exhales, dipping her head to rest her forehead against her knees, to try and think. there really is only one option here, which is to let kaz fix it. but she loathes the idea of being further in his debt. and, more importantly, she doesn't want to have him get in trouble for her own actions. ]
What will happen to you?
[ she asks, lifting her head to look at him, the frown still etched into her features. the defensive hardness is still present in her posture, but she seems willing to listen, now. at the very least. ]
[ Which in a worst case scenario, he can understand a bit of wanting. The part of him that scraped and survived balks, though. He didn't leave nearly all his morals in the harbor just to pitch himself back into it.
But he's also never been under Tante Heleen's thumb. At least he had the choice, in a way, to steal or cheat or kill. ]
Chances are he'll make me do the most unpleasant or tedious work. Dawn shifts, fetching things, refilling his cups.
[ All meant to sting his ego and show his displeasure. ] If I'm right, he'll relent after a couple weeks. No one makes him money like I do.
[ oh. that . . . is a lot less bad than what she was imagining. though she supposes that doing something degrading like that would annoy kaz the most.
the thought still grates, an uncomfortable feeling working underneath her skin. but she owes the debt, and she can't just leave kaz with the proverbial bag. she needs to settle it, and make it right. getting kicked out would harm kaz more than just letting him take the fall.
so she draws in a breath, exhaling slowly as she looks back toward the city again. she can see the menagerie, from here.
it makes her sick. ]
I am not going to be held down and branded like an animal again.
[ she says after a long moment of silence, voice quiet. a soft agreement, to his offer, without saying the words. ]
[ Some of the defensive tension goes out of her posture. Not all of it, of course, but enough that it seems she's considering his words.
It is possible Haskell will give him a steeper punishment but it seems unlikely. There's too many factors for them both. If he were anyone else, he might have his fingers broken or one taken for pushing his luck. But they both know his hands make them a lot of kruge, even if he's not dealing.
Besides, Haskell knows well enough by now that Kaz always has a plan. Inej now being included. ]
Do you want it gone?
[ The peacock feather. It wouldn't be painless, not by a long shot, but it wouldn't be staring her in the face any longer. ]
[ it takes half a moment, to place what he's talking about. but she unfolds her arms to tug down on the sleeve of her shirt self-consciously, to make sure that the peacock tattoo is covered. ]
Of course I do, it's humiliating.
[ every time she looks at it, she thinks about what she was forced to do, and what was taken from her. she thinks about ravka, and home, and her parents, and little orange cakes in white paper, and her father tucking flowers into her hair. and how disgusted they would be, to know what became of their daughter.
she supposes being in a gang is no better, in terms of parental pride. ]
I would have cut it out of my skin myself, but Heleen wouldn't trust me with a knife.
[ Though admittedly, it is a bit hard to take a knife to oneself with any accuracy or swiftness. He wouldn't be in a rush to cut out the crow and cup from his arm on his own, though he'd prefer it to someone potentially touching him. ]
There's a sharp enough knife somewhere among the Dregs.
[ His first choice would be the medik, but that meant spending coin. And with Haskell already heated, he wasn't going to push further.
It had to be someone who kept their knives both clean and sharp on the regular. Couldn't be a little boot knife, like the one he carried. ]
[ telling her to try the kitchens draws her gaze, brow furrowing slightly at the suggestion. she can't tell if he's joking or not, but then - kaz doesn't seem like the type of person who would joke. and given she has no money, and the boss currently finds her useless, a kitchen knife is probably the only way she's getting this brand removed in the near future.
horrifically painful, probably. but she's endured worse.
she makes a mental note to sweet talk the cook in the morning, when she goes to breakfast, to gauge what it would take for them to help her cut it out. ]
Alright.
[ evenly enough, before inej unfolds her arms and rises to her feet, graceful as always. and she considers saying thank you, or telling him how grateful she is to have his company in this hellish place. and that he seems to be her friend.
all of that feels like crossing a line, for some reason. so, instead: ]
[ The furrow in her brow indicates that she seems to think he's joking or messing around. That he isn't taking her want seriously. He is, though, wanting to give her the best option she has at the current moment. While the kitchen staff aren't his most trusted—that number is extremely small, mainly just Jesper and that changes—they also haven't poisoned anyone or pocketed food when they shouldn't have. So, decent enough.
And importantly: they keep their utensils clean. The kitchens were probably the cleanest spot in the Slat at any given time. No one wanted to invite a hoard of rats or insects, after all.
After a beat, she seems to understand he isn't pulling her leg and relaxes. Though her question surprises him a bit. ]
A walk. [ His leg could use the stretch, he's been standing still around the club for most of the afternoon. ] And waffles.
[ ah, he's offering to come with her. she had been planning on jumping the roof tops - something she's discovered is faster than the streets, and avoids people like heleen, who will have no idea where she is. walking with kaz means they have to take the long way, but she'll be safe regardless, because he's with her.
or, at least, that's what inej keeps telling herself. ]
The long way it is.
[ she says after a moment, holding out a hand to give him a pull up onto his feet, if he wants to have it. she won't be offended if he refuses it - she's noticed that kaz brekker tends to keep a wide berth, with most people. she hasn't even seen him shake hands. ]
[ It wouldn't be as fast, going street side. He's timed it, how quickly she can make it somewhere and back, when she uses the rooftops. Astonishing quickness, not only cutting out the foot traffic but also in just how assured she is in leaping to the next spot. If he didn't know better, he'd think she could fly.
At any rate, he could really use that walk, long way or not. A welcome stretch for his leg and a way to burn some of the energy under his skin. He waves off her hand, using his cane to help lever himself back to standing. Her balance is near impeccable so he isn't worried about tugging her off it.
More that he just doesn't want to touch. Gloves or not. A familiar wariness that warns him away unless absolutely necessary. ]
We'll take a different route. There's one that cuts behind the dress shop.
[ Because he's slowly teaching her the map of Ketterdam, something she didn't get with Heleen. It didn't hurt to know several ways to get to the same place.
When they get down from the roof and the three flights of stairs, he notes that Haskell's office door is closed—lucky them. He'll deal with that after dinner. ]
You should have something to protect yourself. [ He says, once they're headed in the direction of the waffle place. ]
[ he waves off her hand, and she withdraws it without complaint. the journey off the roof is uneventful, and inej feels a sense of relief at haskell's door being closed. she sticks close to kaz's heels on the way out, resolutely not looking at anyone else once they get to the door.
she slides her hands into the pocket of her coat, keeping pace with him relatively easily. even though kaz walks with a limp, his legs are so long that she often has to walk quickly to keep up. his gait is just much longer than hers. but she doesn't complain, falling into step at his side easily enough. ]
Jesper let me shoot one of his guns.
[ she says after a moment of consideration, letting her eyes wander to take note of where they were going. memorizing the map of the city forming in her mind.
but before kaz can suggest that she got one of her own, she adds, her tone a little rueful: ]
He had to catch me after I pulled the trigger.
[ she hadn't been expecting the recoil, and after shooting it once, inej decided that (1) she disliked guns and (2) she really disliked her hands smelling like gunpowder for two days. it had taken her ages to scrub the residue off her fingers. ]
[ In the couple weeks she's been shadowing him, she's gotten used to keeping pace with him. Just fast enough to stay by his side without slowing or having to speed up from lagging behind. Admittedly, it's strange having someone at his side, rather than sticking behind him—most of the Dregs do that, whether from respect or fear. But a growing part of him is finding he likes that she's not most Dregs and probably never will be. ]
That's big, for him. [ Those pearl handled revolvers of his were extremely cherished. The fact he had entrusted them to Inej, even for a few moments, says a lot.
Though perhaps something similar would be out of the question for her, as she goes on to say the kickback had nearly knocked her off her feet. A flicker of a smile curls the corner of his mouth as he pictures it. ]
Not exactly subtle weapons. Won't do for a spider.
[ She's supposed to be quiet, not making a racket. Besides, Jesper is the only person he's ever seen hit anything accurately. ]
Something less bulky; there's brass knuckles. Or knives.
[ at least seventeen times, which inej had sworn to do. she could barely pull the trigger, with how the guns were set up. but she had kept to her word, and not dropped it. and had made jesper laugh, which felt worth it, in the end.
(nor does she miss the flicker of a smile, on kaz's features. seems he's still keeping her in his good graces, after all.)
at her options, though, inej hums to herself, letting her eyes wander again to the streetlamps, flickering and casting shadows along the alleyways. ]
I've never used either.
[ the troupe had hardly a need for knives, and heleen certainly wouldn't allow her to have a weapon. she couldn't be sure that inej wouldn't use it on the clients, or herself. ]
[ Specifically to Jesper. He doesn't know the story but he has a feeling it has to do with family. An heirloom or something. It occasionally makes him wish he had something from his family.
But then, it wouldn't do to have something so prized, so easily snatched. ]
The brass fits over your fingers as interconnected rings. And the tops will have reinforced metal.
[ But, that might prove a challenge: ]
Your hands are probably too small for anything other than a custom fit.
[ Those rings are usually pretty wide, it wouldn't be comfortable to wear. Or be effective. ]
Knives are more easily hidden and wielded.
[ He casts a sidelong glance at her as they pass under a lantern, scrutinizing and seeming to be satisfied after a moment. Yes, knives will do nicely for a spider. She's quick enough and it won't be difficult to jab under someone's guard. ]
[ she blinks, at the last statement, casting him a sidelong glance in return, almost trying to judge if he was serious. or stupid. or both. ]
You are going to give me a knife.
[ almost a little incredulously, as inej steps over a small pothole in the street, the motion smooth and effortless as she continues to walk. she's beginning to learn the different streets. ]
I just threatened your boss' tongue, and you want to give me something sharp?
[ Any of the Dregs could probably stick Per Haskell if they tried hard enough. ]
But neither of us will. [ Most likely, anyway. At least for him: not yet. Maybe one day, if the time comes up and it fits into his plans. And if Haskell gets in his way.
For Inej, he has doubts that she'll stab Haskell or try and take his tongue out. It would have her sent back to Heleen so fast if she didn't manage to kill him.
And then her choices would go back to Heleen or the harbor. ]
[ well, that inej could believe. haskell isn't exactly fast, and while inej hasn't seen kaz in a proper fight, she's heard the stories. and she's witnessed him whip around to strike someone with his cane more than once, since she began her stay at the slat. the crow's head is more than capable of drawing blood. or breaking an arm.
what he says next is also true - neither of them will. kaz, because . . . well, inej isn't entirely sure why. and inej, because she really has no choice but to play the game until she proves herself useful.
so she shrugs her thin shoulders, burying her hands a bit deeper into the pockets of her coat. ]
Knives it is, then.
[ what she's expected to do with them, inej has no idea. defend herself, he had said. she can't say that the thought of being able to do so with a bit more than her fists isn't appealing. or that removing the hands of anyone who attempted to touch her without her permission didn't tug a bit of interest at the back of her mind.
she lets herself fall into silence, at that, letting her mind wander. which typically is a bad thing, she's found, as of late. in the menagerie, it had been about survival. and in the dregs, it was much the same. but with no one forcing her to work as frequently as she was able, she had time to think. but instead of focusing on the bad memories, inej's mind drifts to the boy walking next to her. idly considering the words on her wrist. ]
Is this your favorite waffle stand?
[ she asks, glancing toward him, a little curious. and maybe seeking information from him that isn't necessarily related to money or murder. hard to come by, in the barrel. ]
[ Maybe it is ill advised to hand her a knife so soon after arguing with Haskell. But he had intended to have her be a spider and any good one doesn't run about unarmed. Not to mention that walking around in the Barrel without some protection is a laughable concept. He's not going to have her survive the Menagerie only to have something similar happen in the street because she couldn't defend herself.
They lapse into silence after she agrees and he starts thinking about what she'll need to know in the upcoming days. Where to hide one, how to easily take it out if needed, keeping them clean and sharp. How to disable versus how to kill. Though how she'll react to actually killing someone is—well, he sympathizes with that future moment. It's a shock. ]
No, there's one in the Lid. [ But it's out of the way and a long walk. He doesn't usually end up over there, most schemes being involved in the Barrel or fleecing rich merchers in their own territory. ]
Next door is a bakery Jesper swears by.
[ He's not sure why he's telling her this, but it seems innocuous enough. ]
[ ah, useful to know. maybe a trip to the lid is in order, after she has something to defend herself. it would be easy enough to go her way; not so much, for kaz with his leg. a waffle stand next to a bakery that jesper swears by . . . easy enough to get jesper to tell her the name of the bakery, and thereby finding kaz's favorite stand. ]
Ravka doesn't have waffles.
[ after a moment, tone a little thoughtful as she takes note of the nearing dress shop, with frilly petticoats inside the windows. the waffle stand is nearby; the one kaz and jesper had taken her to last week, in insistence that living in kerch and not having a waffle was sacrilegious.
inej doubts very much that the saints gave half a damn about waffles, but she didn't want to ruin their excitement at sharing it with her. even kaz had been in a good mood, or what passed as a good mood for him. annoyingly, the boys had been right - waffles were pretty delicious, though inej was certain the saints would take them or leave them. ]
I haven't found any food that tastes like home, yet.
[ she supposes there are ravkan restaurants or stands around here somewhere, but inej hasn't bothered to track them down. tasting home would just make the ache worse. or maybe a little better. she wishes she could have blini for breakfast, but she supposes a waffle will do. ]
[ There's likely something similar, right? Jesper had told him about these griddle cakes they had in Zemeni. They were flatter than the ones he's heard about, nearly paper thin and stuffed with fruit and cream.
Hearing about it had made him nostalgic for his father's apple tarts. Despite Ketterdam having a bevy of dessert shops and bakeries, he still hasn't found any that replicated that same tart.
So maybe he understands Inej, just a little. Even if he doesn't count Lij as home. ]
Little Ravka will have it. Out by the Ravkan embassy, in the Zelvar district.
[ There's a cluster of embassies, just catacorner from the Church of Barter. He almost never needs to go over there; stadwatch tends to be more vigilant in those areas. ]
Remember the Church from last week? Close to there. You can see the government flags flying.
[ the ravkan word slides off her tongue much easier and naturally than kerch. but she doesn't really know how to explain what blini is, without describing it in ravkan or suli. ]
It has more fruit and cream, than your waffles.
[ at least, the waffles that kaz orders. he tends to pick less sweet toppings, much to her disgruntlement. she tends to just order whatever he does to make the process easier. learning how to read kerch is still a work in progress. ]
My people eat different foods, I doubt I'll find it here. [ her mother's cooking has been a painful absence, the warm aroma of sweet cakes that used to wake her up at early hours of the morning. ] But I will look in the Ravkan sector for blini.
Plenty of Ravkans sought asylum here when the war broke out.
[ So she may very well find something Suli near the embassy. He can't imagine the Suli were too keen to stay in the war zones, especially not when there were grisha involved.
Then again, Ravka is a big country, they might've been able to travel around certain spots and avoid most of it. Something like that wouldn't be possible in Kerch; it's why their navy is as strong as it is, preventing landfall should the Tidemakers fail to prevent an invasion.
No one's attempted anything in a long time, though. Whether it was because they didn't want to tangle with the Kerch, who also controlled a large portion of trade, or they simply had no interest in expanding borders. Though, the only two it would make sense for would be Ravka or Shu Han, whose land percentage already tripled—at the very least—that of Kerch's. Ravka also didn't have the infrastructure to keep itself together, let alone attempt to annex a neighbor. And Shu Han, well, they tended to keep to themselves. ]
We can pay a visit in a few days. [ Tomorrow will be too busy, after spending time teaching her. But he knows he has something approximating a day off coming up, if Haskell doesn't decide to revoke it out of displeasure. ]
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no subject
Date: 2020-12-30 04:44 pm (UTC)But he just can't bring himself to be, not when he has even the barest idea of how she's been treated. Even simply knowing and talking to Heleen had been enough to drive that point home.
As for her question: ]
No.
[ Slavery was illegal in Kerch. And while he's flouted some other laws, there are others he would be hard pressed to cross. Basically anything that would give the stadwatch reason to come breathing down his neck. Those auctions, he knows they happen, because the Barrel is notorious for finding anything a person might want to entertain themselves. But he also knows they can be subject to raids, if the organizers weren't careful.
There's also the matter of: he's not interested in seeing people be sold. ]
I'll talk to Haskell. I know how to piss him off, so his ire will redirect.
no subject
Date: 2020-12-30 05:03 pm (UTC)I know how people like him view people like me.
[ the barrel bosses frequent the pleasure houses and buy and sell girls frequently. pekka rollins is the worst of them, but he isn't alone. girls like inej are commodities. she is only as good as she is worth, in terms of skill, or her body, or her time. haskell may not be whoring her out to the highest bidder, but she knows full well that he only cares about her so much as how much coin she can bring in. the stupid tattoo is only proof that he sees her as a pile of kruge that he needs to spend.
at kaz's offer, though, she shakes her head, her eyes still fixed on the harbor. ]
I bear my own consequences. I am not afraid of him.
[ she seems almost ready to leave it at that, when she adds: ]
Nothing he can do to me is worse than what I have already experienced.
no subject
Date: 2020-12-30 05:29 pm (UTC)[ And it wasn't so much an offer as it was him telling her what he was going to do about the situation. Because it's only a couple weeks in and still so precarious, no matter how much her skill has been talked up. Sure, she can climb buildings or step in silence, but she hasn't yet brought money or information in that they can use.
Haskell wants to see the results of him sinking money into buying an expensive indenture. Kaz had promised him it would be worth it. So far, all he's gotten is someone willing to argue about a tattoo.
(For good reason, but he won't see it that way). ]
I told him this would pay off; I have to remind him of the potential. Or he can hand you back to that monster.
[ Or she could drown. He feels another uncomfortable twinge at the idea.
This is just another option, one that he's fairly sure will work. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-12-30 05:52 pm (UTC)[ her retort is sharp, as her eyes narrow, her fingers curling into the fabric of her pants, her arms still wrapped around her knees. she knows, distantly, that he's trying to help. and that if she fails, it's his head in addition to hers. but something rubs the wrong way, at i wasn't asking.
but once the biting comment is out of her system, she exhales, dipping her head to rest her forehead against her knees, to try and think. there really is only one option here, which is to let kaz fix it. but she loathes the idea of being further in his debt. and, more importantly, she doesn't want to have him get in trouble for her own actions. ]
What will happen to you?
[ she asks, lifting her head to look at him, the frown still etched into her features. the defensive hardness is still present in her posture, but she seems willing to listen, now. at the very least. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-12-30 06:09 pm (UTC)[ Which in a worst case scenario, he can understand a bit of wanting. The part of him that scraped and survived balks, though. He didn't leave nearly all his morals in the harbor just to pitch himself back into it.
But he's also never been under Tante Heleen's thumb. At least he had the choice, in a way, to steal or cheat or kill. ]
Chances are he'll make me do the most unpleasant or tedious work. Dawn shifts, fetching things, refilling his cups.
[ All meant to sting his ego and show his displeasure. ] If I'm right, he'll relent after a couple weeks. No one makes him money like I do.
no subject
Date: 2020-12-30 06:23 pm (UTC)the thought still grates, an uncomfortable feeling working underneath her skin. but she owes the debt, and she can't just leave kaz with the proverbial bag. she needs to settle it, and make it right. getting kicked out would harm kaz more than just letting him take the fall.
so she draws in a breath, exhaling slowly as she looks back toward the city again. she can see the menagerie, from here.
it makes her sick. ]
I am not going to be held down and branded like an animal again.
[ she says after a long moment of silence, voice quiet. a soft agreement, to his offer, without saying the words. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-12-30 07:11 pm (UTC)It is possible Haskell will give him a steeper punishment but it seems unlikely. There's too many factors for them both. If he were anyone else, he might have his fingers broken or one taken for pushing his luck. But they both know his hands make them a lot of kruge, even if he's not dealing.
Besides, Haskell knows well enough by now that Kaz always has a plan. Inej now being included. ]
Do you want it gone?
[ The peacock feather. It wouldn't be painless, not by a long shot, but it wouldn't be staring her in the face any longer. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-12-30 07:37 pm (UTC)Of course I do, it's humiliating.
[ every time she looks at it, she thinks about what she was forced to do, and what was taken from her. she thinks about ravka, and home, and her parents, and little orange cakes in white paper, and her father tucking flowers into her hair. and how disgusted they would be, to know what became of their daughter.
she supposes being in a gang is no better, in terms of parental pride. ]
I would have cut it out of my skin myself, but Heleen wouldn't trust me with a knife.
no subject
Date: 2020-12-30 08:10 pm (UTC)[ Though admittedly, it is a bit hard to take a knife to oneself with any accuracy or swiftness. He wouldn't be in a rush to cut out the crow and cup from his arm on his own, though he'd prefer it to someone potentially touching him. ]
There's a sharp enough knife somewhere among the Dregs.
[ His first choice would be the medik, but that meant spending coin. And with Haskell already heated, he wasn't going to push further.
It had to be someone who kept their knives both clean and sharp on the regular. Couldn't be a little boot knife, like the one he carried. ]
Try the kitchens.
no subject
Date: 2020-12-30 10:37 pm (UTC)horrifically painful, probably. but she's endured worse.
she makes a mental note to sweet talk the cook in the morning, when she goes to breakfast, to gauge what it would take for them to help her cut it out. ]
Alright.
[ evenly enough, before inej unfolds her arms and rises to her feet, graceful as always. and she considers saying thank you, or telling him how grateful she is to have his company in this hellish place. and that he seems to be her friend.
all of that feels like crossing a line, for some reason. so, instead: ]
What do you want for dinner?
no subject
Date: 2020-12-31 04:30 pm (UTC)And importantly: they keep their utensils clean. The kitchens were probably the cleanest spot in the Slat at any given time. No one wanted to invite a hoard of rats or insects, after all.
After a beat, she seems to understand he isn't pulling her leg and relaxes. Though her question surprises him a bit. ]
A walk. [ His leg could use the stretch, he's been standing still around the club for most of the afternoon. ] And waffles.
no subject
Date: 2020-12-31 05:23 pm (UTC)or, at least, that's what inej keeps telling herself. ]
The long way it is.
[ she says after a moment, holding out a hand to give him a pull up onto his feet, if he wants to have it. she won't be offended if he refuses it - she's noticed that kaz brekker tends to keep a wide berth, with most people. she hasn't even seen him shake hands. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-12-31 05:53 pm (UTC)At any rate, he could really use that walk, long way or not. A welcome stretch for his leg and a way to burn some of the energy under his skin. He waves off her hand, using his cane to help lever himself back to standing. Her balance is near impeccable so he isn't worried about tugging her off it.
More that he just doesn't want to touch. Gloves or not. A familiar wariness that warns him away unless absolutely necessary. ]
We'll take a different route. There's one that cuts behind the dress shop.
[ Because he's slowly teaching her the map of Ketterdam, something she didn't get with Heleen. It didn't hurt to know several ways to get to the same place.
When they get down from the roof and the three flights of stairs, he notes that Haskell's office door is closed—lucky them. He'll deal with that after dinner. ]
You should have something to protect yourself. [ He says, once they're headed in the direction of the waffle place. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-12-31 06:37 pm (UTC)she slides her hands into the pocket of her coat, keeping pace with him relatively easily. even though kaz walks with a limp, his legs are so long that she often has to walk quickly to keep up. his gait is just much longer than hers. but she doesn't complain, falling into step at his side easily enough. ]
Jesper let me shoot one of his guns.
[ she says after a moment of consideration, letting her eyes wander to take note of where they were going. memorizing the map of the city forming in her mind.
but before kaz can suggest that she got one of her own, she adds, her tone a little rueful: ]
He had to catch me after I pulled the trigger.
[ she hadn't been expecting the recoil, and after shooting it once, inej decided that (1) she disliked guns and (2) she really disliked her hands smelling like gunpowder for two days. it had taken her ages to scrub the residue off her fingers. ]
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Date: 2020-12-31 09:06 pm (UTC)That's big, for him. [ Those pearl handled revolvers of his were extremely cherished. The fact he had entrusted them to Inej, even for a few moments, says a lot.
Though perhaps something similar would be out of the question for her, as she goes on to say the kickback had nearly knocked her off her feet. A flicker of a smile curls the corner of his mouth as he pictures it. ]
Not exactly subtle weapons. Won't do for a spider.
[ She's supposed to be quiet, not making a racket. Besides, Jesper is the only person he's ever seen hit anything accurately. ]
Something less bulky; there's brass knuckles. Or knives.
[ Both easily tucked away. ]
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Date: 2020-12-31 10:49 pm (UTC)[ at least seventeen times, which inej had sworn to do. she could barely pull the trigger, with how the guns were set up. but she had kept to her word, and not dropped it. and had made jesper laugh, which felt worth it, in the end.
(nor does she miss the flicker of a smile, on kaz's features. seems he's still keeping her in his good graces, after all.)
at her options, though, inej hums to herself, letting her eyes wander again to the streetlamps, flickering and casting shadows along the alleyways. ]
I've never used either.
[ the troupe had hardly a need for knives, and heleen certainly wouldn't allow her to have a weapon. she couldn't be sure that inej wouldn't use it on the clients, or herself. ]
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Date: 2021-01-01 01:31 am (UTC)[ Specifically to Jesper. He doesn't know the story but he has a feeling it has to do with family. An heirloom or something. It occasionally makes him wish he had something from his family.
But then, it wouldn't do to have something so prized, so easily snatched. ]
The brass fits over your fingers as interconnected rings. And the tops will have reinforced metal.
[ But, that might prove a challenge: ]
Your hands are probably too small for anything other than a custom fit.
[ Those rings are usually pretty wide, it wouldn't be comfortable to wear. Or be effective. ]
Knives are more easily hidden and wielded.
[ He casts a sidelong glance at her as they pass under a lantern, scrutinizing and seeming to be satisfied after a moment. Yes, knives will do nicely for a spider. She's quick enough and it won't be difficult to jab under someone's guard. ]
I'll have you try a pocket knife, tomorrow.
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Date: 2021-01-01 03:09 am (UTC)You are going to give me a knife.
[ almost a little incredulously, as inej steps over a small pothole in the street, the motion smooth and effortless as she continues to walk. she's beginning to learn the different streets. ]
I just threatened your boss' tongue, and you want to give me something sharp?
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Date: 2021-01-01 04:28 am (UTC)[ Any of the Dregs could probably stick Per Haskell if they tried hard enough. ]
But neither of us will. [ Most likely, anyway. At least for him: not yet. Maybe one day, if the time comes up and it fits into his plans. And if Haskell gets in his way.
For Inej, he has doubts that she'll stab Haskell or try and take his tongue out. It would have her sent back to Heleen so fast if she didn't manage to kill him.
And then her choices would go back to Heleen or the harbor. ]
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Date: 2021-01-01 03:51 pm (UTC)what he says next is also true - neither of them will. kaz, because . . . well, inej isn't entirely sure why. and inej, because she really has no choice but to play the game until she proves herself useful.
so she shrugs her thin shoulders, burying her hands a bit deeper into the pockets of her coat. ]
Knives it is, then.
[ what she's expected to do with them, inej has no idea. defend herself, he had said. she can't say that the thought of being able to do so with a bit more than her fists isn't appealing. or that removing the hands of anyone who attempted to touch her without her permission didn't tug a bit of interest at the back of her mind.
she lets herself fall into silence, at that, letting her mind wander. which typically is a bad thing, she's found, as of late. in the menagerie, it had been about survival. and in the dregs, it was much the same. but with no one forcing her to work as frequently as she was able, she had time to think. but instead of focusing on the bad memories, inej's mind drifts to the boy walking next to her. idly considering the words on her wrist. ]
Is this your favorite waffle stand?
[ she asks, glancing toward him, a little curious. and maybe seeking information from him that isn't necessarily related to money or murder. hard to come by, in the barrel. ]
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Date: 2021-01-01 04:17 pm (UTC)They lapse into silence after she agrees and he starts thinking about what she'll need to know in the upcoming days. Where to hide one, how to easily take it out if needed, keeping them clean and sharp. How to disable versus how to kill. Though how she'll react to actually killing someone is—well, he sympathizes with that future moment. It's a shock. ]
No, there's one in the Lid. [ But it's out of the way and a long walk. He doesn't usually end up over there, most schemes being involved in the Barrel or fleecing rich merchers in their own territory. ]
Next door is a bakery Jesper swears by.
[ He's not sure why he's telling her this, but it seems innocuous enough. ]
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Date: 2021-01-01 04:56 pm (UTC)Ravka doesn't have waffles.
[ after a moment, tone a little thoughtful as she takes note of the nearing dress shop, with frilly petticoats inside the windows. the waffle stand is nearby; the one kaz and jesper had taken her to last week, in insistence that living in kerch and not having a waffle was sacrilegious.
inej doubts very much that the saints gave half a damn about waffles, but she didn't want to ruin their excitement at sharing it with her. even kaz had been in a good mood, or what passed as a good mood for him. annoyingly, the boys had been right - waffles were pretty delicious, though inej was certain the saints would take them or leave them. ]
I haven't found any food that tastes like home, yet.
[ she supposes there are ravkan restaurants or stands around here somewhere, but inej hasn't bothered to track them down. tasting home would just make the ache worse. or maybe a little better. she wishes she could have blini for breakfast, but she supposes a waffle will do. ]
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Date: 2021-01-01 09:19 pm (UTC)[ There's likely something similar, right? Jesper had told him about these griddle cakes they had in Zemeni. They were flatter than the ones he's heard about, nearly paper thin and stuffed with fruit and cream.
Hearing about it had made him nostalgic for his father's apple tarts. Despite Ketterdam having a bevy of dessert shops and bakeries, he still hasn't found any that replicated that same tart.
So maybe he understands Inej, just a little. Even if he doesn't count Lij as home. ]
Little Ravka will have it. Out by the Ravkan embassy, in the Zelvar district.
[ There's a cluster of embassies, just catacorner from the Church of Barter. He almost never needs to go over there; stadwatch tends to be more vigilant in those areas. ]
Remember the Church from last week? Close to there. You can see the government flags flying.
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Date: 2021-01-02 12:22 am (UTC)[ the ravkan word slides off her tongue much easier and naturally than kerch. but she doesn't really know how to explain what blini is, without describing it in ravkan or suli. ]
It has more fruit and cream, than your waffles.
[ at least, the waffles that kaz orders. he tends to pick less sweet toppings, much to her disgruntlement. she tends to just order whatever he does to make the process easier. learning how to read kerch is still a work in progress. ]
My people eat different foods, I doubt I'll find it here. [ her mother's cooking has been a painful absence, the warm aroma of sweet cakes that used to wake her up at early hours of the morning. ] But I will look in the Ravkan sector for blini.
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Date: 2021-01-02 01:46 am (UTC)[ So she may very well find something Suli near the embassy. He can't imagine the Suli were too keen to stay in the war zones, especially not when there were grisha involved.
Then again, Ravka is a big country, they might've been able to travel around certain spots and avoid most of it. Something like that wouldn't be possible in Kerch; it's why their navy is as strong as it is, preventing landfall should the Tidemakers fail to prevent an invasion.
No one's attempted anything in a long time, though. Whether it was because they didn't want to tangle with the Kerch, who also controlled a large portion of trade, or they simply had no interest in expanding borders. Though, the only two it would make sense for would be Ravka or Shu Han, whose land percentage already tripled—at the very least—that of Kerch's. Ravka also didn't have the infrastructure to keep itself together, let alone attempt to annex a neighbor. And Shu Han, well, they tended to keep to themselves. ]
We can pay a visit in a few days. [ Tomorrow will be too busy, after spending time teaching her. But he knows he has something approximating a day off coming up, if Haskell doesn't decide to revoke it out of displeasure. ]
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