OPEN POST ▪ PIC PROMPTS ✔ ▪ BODY HEAT/SNOWED IN ✔ ▪
HURT/COMFORT ✔ ▪ WORD ASSOCIATION ✔ ▪ SMUT ✔ ▪
TEXTING ✔ ▪
RANDOM STARTERS ✔ ▪
BOOK AND SHOW UNIVERSES ✔
[ If Jesper asked if Inej was excited to return home, she'd of course tell him the truth: she was. She is. She's excited to come back, to see if Ketterdam has remained the same dark shadow that she remembers it being. But she's also excited to see how it's changed beneath their hands. Does the sunlight filter in differently now? Is the air lighter? Has the filth been cleaned from the streets?
Inej sends a letter via raven when she's a fortnight out from docking at Fifth Harbor. She doesn't send another, although she writes. She writes of how she misses them all, with personalised letters to Jesper, Wylan, Nina, Kaz, and even Matthias. She knows she'll give her letters to Jesper and Wylan to see the bursting smile on Jesper's face and Wylan's delicate blush. She'll save her letters for Nina when she meets with her later in the year. But Kaz… Perhaps some things are better left unsaid.
When she docks at berth twenty-two, Inej isn't quite sure when she had started to hold her breath. Was it a fortnight ago? Or back when she had told Kaz she had left Sankt Vladimir at the Geldrunner? Was it even before that, when he had stood between her legs in the Geldrunner's bathroom? It hardly matters; all that matters now is that she can breathe again in a city that had threatened to smother her over and over. It won't now. She won't let it; she knows he won't, either.
She works quickly, a little more clumsily as she sets The Wraith to anchor. If Specht notices how frazzled she is from her spike of adrenaline, he's kind enough to say nothing.
But there's a figure at berth twenty-two, a silhouette she'd seen standing there before The Wraith was even close enough to slow and dock. She knows who it is. She's always known that once she chose to return to Ketterdam, he'd be waiting.
With her crew bustling around her, Inej finally takes her leave along the gangway. She can't help but smile at him, dressed in all his shadowy blacks. He's always been a commanding presence to her; handsome in a way that isn't overly arrogant. She likes how bright his eyes are. ]
[ Kaz doesn't want to admit that he is anxious for her return.
The letters they exchanged had been enough for him for some time, appreciating the fact that she had needed her freedom, to spread her wings and enjoy the world. Kaz couldn't possibly fault her for that - the fact that he is anchored to a single place should not mean that should be here with him, especially now that her contract was over. She had no need to stay at his side, only... He wished...
He wished for a lot of things that would never happen, could never happen.
There's no denying that he has become more settled and more comfortable since she had left, embracing the strength that comes with being as successful as they had become. Kaz had solidified his grip on his assets, he had proven himself more than capable of running things as he wanted them to be run, and he was as feared as he had been before.
Kaz is stronger, more powerful, authority bleeding from him. But that didn't mean he was completely happy.
When he gets to the harbour, commanding Jesper and Wylan to wait elsewhere to greet Inej, he tries not to appear so out of place. Leaning on his cane, he lifts his head, watching the anchor sink down, the plank roll out, the crew making all the proper preparations. No one seems different, which is good - no deaths? A lucky thing, from being at sea.
He doesn't smile when he sees Inej, but he's not frowning any longer either. His head tilts, and he drinks her in - happy, healthy, eating well? He hopes so. Strong. Proud.
Stepping forward, he rolls his shoulders, as if trying to prove that he doesn't care as much as he really does. ]
I happened to be in the area.
[ And then he finally smiles, a twitch of his mouth, barely there before its gone. ]
[ If he was Jesper, she'd hug him. Instead, she stands in front of him, shifting on her feet, and curling her fingers into her palms. Smiling at him and holding his gaze is as much of a hug as she'll give him, although she lets her gaze linger on the shape of his mouth and how it looks as though it's daring to lift up into something of a smile. ]
It's good to be back.
[ And she means it. Letting out a breath, she drops her shoulders and glances over the top of his head with happiness. There's no point in hiding it. She's pleased she's back; she's more than happy that he's here. She'd expected some of the city to change, for the sharp points of some of the buildings' tops to be shaved down. But it's still the same city as it had been before, except it seems to breathe easier now.
All thanks to him.
Although, she's having some difficulty calming the wild racing of her heart. ]
I'm glad you were in the area. [ Inej returns her gaze to his. I'm glad that you were waiting for me. He'd be able to read between the lines. Kaz has always been best at reading her.
Shuffling her feet purposefully loudly, she glances down. ]
I was hoping you'd be the first I see. I have a lot of hats for Jesper and I wanted it to be a surprise. The look on his face is something I don't want anyone to miss.
[ Jesper's always a great shield to hide behind. ]
[ Kaz wants to hug her. It's one of the first things that comes to mind as she steps closer, because he knows if it was any of the others, anyone else in their strange, little family they'd be wrapped around one another already. It's been a few steps forward and then a few back, and Kaz knows his own limits are not where either of them would like them to be. It makes him feel...
Well, nothing that he wants to admit to.
Shaking his head, he glances away, looking around the harbour absently, trying to maintain that air of unconcern as he listens to her. He hears every single word she says, of course, despite how it might appear, and eventually his dark eyes flick back to her and drinks her in all over again.
It feels as though a weight has been lifted off his chest. ]
It was a happy coincidence.
[ He's happy to be here.
Kaz lifts his head to look at the ship, some of the crew already unloading things here and there, probably checking inventory and seeing what they'll need to restock for their next journey, whenever that'll be.
If she looks closely, she'll see the almost there twitch of a smile. The reserved soft things that are just for her, and no one else. ]
Do you need hands to carry things? I can make arrangements.
[ Of course, she's looking. While she recalls every inch of his face, she wants to ensure she doesn't misremember this moment. He's handsome; it's not a new thought to her, although it always manages to knock her off her feet.
Glancing over her shoulder at the ship, she considers accepting his offer before determining that the crew have a decent handle on it for now. If she accepts, will he disappear? She decidedly can't risk that. She's been looking forward to seeing him since the moment she and Specht decided that they'd return to Ketterdam. If it wasn't for her desire to play it cool, she'd be bouncing on the balls of her feet to rid herself of her restless energy and adrenaline.
Turning back to him, she smiles and shakes her head. ]
I think they have it handled. But you'll walk with me? [ She furrows her brows as she regards him. ] I want to make sure I have a friendly face with me if I see anything that's new. For moral support.
[ It's all a tease. Inej may be the fiercest woman in the Barrel and Kaz may be the deadliest man in Ketterdam, but she's utterly too afraid to ask the man she likes to simply exist with her elsewhere without some sort of flimsy excuse. Her mother would enjoy this entirely too much. ]
[ The silences never feel endless or too long when it's Inej around - Kaz can stand beside her and not have to worry about the discomfort, the awkwardness, in a way he might with other people, the kind that need to have a voice in quiet. They understand each other on a level that doesn't require further explanation, and he takes that in his stride, enjoying it for what it is.
Her smile makes the sharp edges of him soften, just a little, leaning on his cane and trying not to let it show. They're still in too public a situation, and he can't risk letting his guard down too much, even if it's just the crew and her. ]
I'll walk. [ He doesn't offer his arm, even if he would like to; he turns and motions for her to start before they begin walking together. His movements aren't as bad as they have been in the past, when he's worn down from exhaustion and fighting and running, so he can keep a decent pace. ]
[ Inej is mindful of her pace. Her adrenaline spikes, and all she wants to do is flutter around hurriedly without a care, but she leaves those childish impulses for when she sees Jesper. For now, she gets to slow down. She gets to ground herself on solid land with Kaz.
She imagines he wouldn't be bored with the most mundane of stories, like how Specht had tried to trick her into singing a silly pirate song because he had a bet that she would, or how there were quiet nights where the night sky seemed endless. But what she wants to share with him is something that makes her smile, and when it had happened, she'd wanted to turn to him immediately. ]
It rained for almost two weeks straight. Everything was wet. It got to the point where I considered I hated being wet more than I hated being hot. But when it stopped raining… you wouldn't believe it, Kaz. There were dolphins in the water.
[ Inej smiles brightly, shaking her head incredulously. She gazes forward as though she can see the dolphins leap from the waves of the stone path. ]
We were out in the middle of the True Sea and they were just there. I've never seen anything quite like it before.
[ Kaz isn't anywhere near stupid enough to imagine that this is Inej's pace, were she alone: he can read between the lines enough to know that she is trying to stay with him, adjusting as she has always done to the slow gait he can offer. It might have frustrated him once upon a time, left him annoyed and snappish, but he tries to take the gestures as they are meant from the people he cares for.
It's dangerous, but he feels as though he needs to do it, to grow, to find his own peace. Inej seems happier for it. ]
Dolphins.
[ He would raise his eyebrow, but he feels like smiling too much. ]
Was it worth the cost of being damp for days on end?
[ He would say no, of course, because the idea of being wet for more than a handful of moments makes his skin crawl. ]
Inej sits on the windowsill with one leg pulled up to her chest. Ketterdam hasn't changed from this angle, even if she can sense that it's lighter now. The shadows are still where she remembers them, and the crows she'd fed almost every day return to her as though they knew she was coming back to them.
She'd docked hours earlier at berth twenty-two at Fifth Harbour with the sun beginning to rise from its slumber in greeting. There'd been very little time for any pleasantries; despite being on land, she still had a job to complete and people to settle into their new lives, a luxury she owed to Kaz. After spending most of the morning escorting the handful of people she had saved from slavers into the city with Specht preparing their documentation, Inej had simply wanted to be. She'd wanted to exist in the bubble of home and see how much it stretched to accomodate her new shape. She'd let her crew go about the city as they pleased with the expectation that they'd board The Wraith in five days' time to set sail again.
Rather than go to a waffle house and eat in Nina's stead or go to one of the food establishments she'd been dreaming of for the past week, Inej returned to the Slat. Despite missing the Dregs, she'd slipped inside and up the creaking staircase and tiptoed inside of his room knowing that he'd know where to find her.
He's the one she's desperate to see, even though Inej will never let anyone, not even the True Sea, know that's what she's desired since she wrote to him to let him know she was returning home for a few days.
When the staircase creaks beneath his familiar weight, Inej ignores the fluttering in her chest. Sitting up straighter, she doesn't look toward the door. He must know she's already here. Where else would she go, if not to one of her favourite perches in one of her favourite open-door cages?
"The crows look fat," she says, not looking up at him. She ignores the way her skin prickles and her senses hone in on him. She's missed him terribly, from his scowl to his frowns to the way he sometimes lets himself smile. "Someone's been overfeeding them."
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
— @trogat; I CAN'T SEEM TO SAY GOODBYE.
[ If Jesper asked if Inej was excited to return home, she'd of course tell him the truth: she was. She is. She's excited to come back, to see if Ketterdam has remained the same dark shadow that she remembers it being. But she's also excited to see how it's changed beneath their hands. Does the sunlight filter in differently now? Is the air lighter? Has the filth been cleaned from the streets?
Inej sends a letter via raven when she's a fortnight out from docking at Fifth Harbor. She doesn't send another, although she writes. She writes of how she misses them all, with personalised letters to Jesper, Wylan, Nina, Kaz, and even Matthias. She knows she'll give her letters to Jesper and Wylan to see the bursting smile on Jesper's face and Wylan's delicate blush. She'll save her letters for Nina when she meets with her later in the year. But Kaz… Perhaps some things are better left unsaid.
When she docks at berth twenty-two, Inej isn't quite sure when she had started to hold her breath. Was it a fortnight ago? Or back when she had told Kaz she had left Sankt Vladimir at the Geldrunner? Was it even before that, when he had stood between her legs in the Geldrunner's bathroom? It hardly matters; all that matters now is that she can breathe again in a city that had threatened to smother her over and over. It won't now. She won't let it; she knows he won't, either.
She works quickly, a little more clumsily as she sets The Wraith to anchor. If Specht notices how frazzled she is from her spike of adrenaline, he's kind enough to say nothing.
But there's a figure at berth twenty-two, a silhouette she'd seen standing there before The Wraith was even close enough to slow and dock. She knows who it is. She's always known that once she chose to return to Ketterdam, he'd be waiting.
With her crew bustling around her, Inej finally takes her leave along the gangway. She can't help but smile at him, dressed in all his shadowy blacks. He's always been a commanding presence to her; handsome in a way that isn't overly arrogant. She likes how bright his eyes are. ]
Were you out for a morning walk?
no subject
The letters they exchanged had been enough for him for some time, appreciating the fact that she had needed her freedom, to spread her wings and enjoy the world. Kaz couldn't possibly fault her for that - the fact that he is anchored to a single place should not mean that should be here with him, especially now that her contract was over. She had no need to stay at his side, only... He wished...
He wished for a lot of things that would never happen, could never happen.
There's no denying that he has become more settled and more comfortable since she had left, embracing the strength that comes with being as successful as they had become. Kaz had solidified his grip on his assets, he had proven himself more than capable of running things as he wanted them to be run, and he was as feared as he had been before.
Kaz is stronger, more powerful, authority bleeding from him. But that didn't mean he was completely happy.
When he gets to the harbour, commanding Jesper and Wylan to wait elsewhere to greet Inej, he tries not to appear so out of place. Leaning on his cane, he lifts his head, watching the anchor sink down, the plank roll out, the crew making all the proper preparations. No one seems different, which is good - no deaths? A lucky thing, from being at sea.
He doesn't smile when he sees Inej, but he's not frowning any longer either. His head tilts, and he drinks her in - happy, healthy, eating well? He hopes so. Strong. Proud.
Stepping forward, he rolls his shoulders, as if trying to prove that he doesn't care as much as he really does. ]
I happened to be in the area.
[ And then he finally smiles, a twitch of his mouth, barely there before its gone. ]
Welcome back.
no subject
It's good to be back.
[ And she means it. Letting out a breath, she drops her shoulders and glances over the top of his head with happiness. There's no point in hiding it. She's pleased she's back; she's more than happy that he's here. She'd expected some of the city to change, for the sharp points of some of the buildings' tops to be shaved down. But it's still the same city as it had been before, except it seems to breathe easier now.
All thanks to him.
Although, she's having some difficulty calming the wild racing of her heart. ]
I'm glad you were in the area. [ Inej returns her gaze to his. I'm glad that you were waiting for me. He'd be able to read between the lines. Kaz has always been best at reading her.
Shuffling her feet purposefully loudly, she glances down. ]
I was hoping you'd be the first I see. I have a lot of hats for Jesper and I wanted it to be a surprise. The look on his face is something I don't want anyone to miss.
[ Jesper's always a great shield to hide behind. ]
no subject
Well, nothing that he wants to admit to.
Shaking his head, he glances away, looking around the harbour absently, trying to maintain that air of unconcern as he listens to her. He hears every single word she says, of course, despite how it might appear, and eventually his dark eyes flick back to her and drinks her in all over again.
It feels as though a weight has been lifted off his chest. ]
It was a happy coincidence.
[ He's happy to be here.
Kaz lifts his head to look at the ship, some of the crew already unloading things here and there, probably checking inventory and seeing what they'll need to restock for their next journey, whenever that'll be.
If she looks closely, she'll see the almost there twitch of a smile. The reserved soft things that are just for her, and no one else. ]
Do you need hands to carry things? I can make arrangements.
no subject
Glancing over her shoulder at the ship, she considers accepting his offer before determining that the crew have a decent handle on it for now. If she accepts, will he disappear? She decidedly can't risk that. She's been looking forward to seeing him since the moment she and Specht decided that they'd return to Ketterdam. If it wasn't for her desire to play it cool, she'd be bouncing on the balls of her feet to rid herself of her restless energy and adrenaline.
Turning back to him, she smiles and shakes her head. ]
I think they have it handled. But you'll walk with me? [ She furrows her brows as she regards him. ] I want to make sure I have a friendly face with me if I see anything that's new. For moral support.
[ It's all a tease. Inej may be the fiercest woman in the Barrel and Kaz may be the deadliest man in Ketterdam, but she's utterly too afraid to ask the man she likes to simply exist with her elsewhere without some sort of flimsy excuse. Her mother would enjoy this entirely too much. ]
no subject
Her smile makes the sharp edges of him soften, just a little, leaning on his cane and trying not to let it show. They're still in too public a situation, and he can't risk letting his guard down too much, even if it's just the crew and her. ]
I'll walk. [ He doesn't offer his arm, even if he would like to; he turns and motions for her to start before they begin walking together. His movements aren't as bad as they have been in the past, when he's worn down from exhaustion and fighting and running, so he can keep a decent pace. ]
Tell me about your travels, then.
no subject
She imagines he wouldn't be bored with the most mundane of stories, like how Specht had tried to trick her into singing a silly pirate song because he had a bet that she would, or how there were quiet nights where the night sky seemed endless. But what she wants to share with him is something that makes her smile, and when it had happened, she'd wanted to turn to him immediately. ]
It rained for almost two weeks straight. Everything was wet. It got to the point where I considered I hated being wet more than I hated being hot. But when it stopped raining… you wouldn't believe it, Kaz. There were dolphins in the water.
[ Inej smiles brightly, shaking her head incredulously. She gazes forward as though she can see the dolphins leap from the waves of the stone path. ]
We were out in the middle of the True Sea and they were just there. I've never seen anything quite like it before.
no subject
It's dangerous, but he feels as though he needs to do it, to grow, to find his own peace. Inej seems happier for it. ]
Dolphins.
[ He would raise his eyebrow, but he feels like smiling too much. ]
Was it worth the cost of being damp for days on end?
[ He would say no, of course, because the idea of being wet for more than a handful of moments makes his skin crawl. ]
— @greedbowstome; FEEL THE WEIGHT ON YOUR SKIN.
She'd docked hours earlier at berth twenty-two at Fifth Harbour with the sun beginning to rise from its slumber in greeting. There'd been very little time for any pleasantries; despite being on land, she still had a job to complete and people to settle into their new lives, a luxury she owed to Kaz. After spending most of the morning escorting the handful of people she had saved from slavers into the city with Specht preparing their documentation, Inej had simply wanted to be. She'd wanted to exist in the bubble of home and see how much it stretched to accomodate her new shape. She'd let her crew go about the city as they pleased with the expectation that they'd board The Wraith in five days' time to set sail again.
Rather than go to a waffle house and eat in Nina's stead or go to one of the food establishments she'd been dreaming of for the past week, Inej returned to the Slat. Despite missing the Dregs, she'd slipped inside and up the creaking staircase and tiptoed inside of his room knowing that he'd know where to find her.
He's the one she's desperate to see, even though Inej will never let anyone, not even the True Sea, know that's what she's desired since she wrote to him to let him know she was returning home for a few days.
When the staircase creaks beneath his familiar weight, Inej ignores the fluttering in her chest. Sitting up straighter, she doesn't look toward the door. He must know she's already here. Where else would she go, if not to one of her favourite perches in one of her favourite open-door cages?
"The crows look fat," she says, not looking up at him. She ignores the way her skin prickles and her senses hone in on him. She's missed him terribly, from his scowl to his frowns to the way he sometimes lets himself smile. "Someone's been overfeeding them."