Brick by Brick

   Their movements had almost felt synchronized, like an act they had practiced many times to perfect. Except... They hadn’t. They’d fought together once, briefly, and that was it. If they had more time, he might’ve spent it trying to decipher the way it made him feel.

      @THIEFOFCROWS & @FEILIEN

                     Private, selective, mutually exclusive. 21+ only. KAZ BREKKER from the Grishaverse & 劉 LIU 'MATT' 龙之 LONG ZHI, fandomless crime OC. Written by MARS & J.

                                I will not bow, I will not break. 劉 Liu 'MATT' 龙之 Long Zhi; fandomless crime-based OC Loved by J. they/them, 21+; private, selective, mutuals-only. Est. 2014, rebooted May 2023

Carrd || Thread tracker

“Over - ?” Kay followed his pointed direction and then gave a squeak of surprise as the blanket was taken from her shoulders. “Ahhhey!” It passed over her head and rubbed against it, frizzing her long hair and making it static, and stick up a little at odd places. The moment she was free from the lengthy fabric, she straightened her hair a bit and watched as he placed the blanket down and got settled on it.

Heading over to the spot he’d chosen, she paused before getting on the blanket and pulled out the pocket watch. As she claimed a seat beside Kaz, she set the watch down on the other side of her, out of sight from him. Fingers lightly brushed across the engraving of her dad’s name, stirring the pain she felt without him there. A couple sparks ran between her fingers and she pulled her hand back quickly. With a shaky breath, she tried to calm herself and was suddenly distracted by a flicker of little light in the grass by edge of the blanket. Leaning closer to get a better look, she then glanced down at her hand and got an idea.

With her back still turned from Kaz, she reached her hand out toward the light in the grass and focused on a memory that made her happy. A flicker of electricity ran bright blue through the veins in her hand but went no further before dying out. Two more lights ignited in the grass, and Kay concentrated hard to repeat what she’d just done as the lightning bugs began to respond to her. One landed on her finger, its abdomen flickering a yellow glow.

“Kaz! Look! Look!” Very carefully she turned to face him and held her hand up for him to see the small bug that glowed there. Then she pointed with her free hand to the others that were appearing by the edge of the blanket. Her bright eyes glinted, smile widening as she looked away from him to the bare field, and she had another idea.

Focusing all her attention on that happy memory, she blew gently at the lightning bug on her hand and it flew to land on Kaz’s shoulder. Getting up from the blanket she ran out toward the field, arms outstretched, hands glowing off and on. Almost in response to her, little orbs of yellow light began to appear in the grass, blinking and taking flight. Reaching as far as she wanted to go, not out of sight of him, she turned and spun around, giggling loudly as the bugs flew all about. After a little while she felt dizzy and fell back against the soft grass, her giddy laughter filling the air.

 Kaz watched from the corner of his eye as she pulled out the pocket watch, and noted the way she set it down next to her. He didn't need it spelled out — he knew what she was thinking, perhaps even feeling. And he once again felt that pang of guilt. He knew he had to tell her eventually; he couldn't keep it from her forever, but, for some reason, he just couldn't bring himself to do so. Which wasn't like him at all. When had Kaz Brekker, Dirtyhands, ever shied away from telling someone the blatant truth, no matter how painful?

 It was different with Kay, though, wasn't it? She was nothing more than a child, and one he cared for, no less. Perhaps he was starting to grow a heart, after all. 

 His thoughts were interrupted when Kay suddenly called out his name, and his head snapped around to see why she was calling him. His hand, instinctively, grabbed his cane in case it was needed, only to be faced with a beaming kid and a glowing bug. Letting out a relieved sigh, Kaz relaxed his hand and instead nodded his head approvingly. "Looks like they're starting to come out now." She seemed to have the exact same thought, as she got up seconds after and went barreling towards the field. 

 Equal parts surprised and amused, Kaz just remained sitting where he was and instead watched as she seemed to enjoy herself. It was.. heartwarming, if he was honest. And for a brief moment, he was reminded of himself when he was younger, doing the very same thing as Jordie watched him. Except... He never felt the disappointment he could see written all over her face as she looked back at him. Unlike her, Kaz hardly remembered his father, and it wasn't just because he'd died while he'd been so young. He'd always been working, leaving Jordie and Kaz to take care of each other.

 Hesitating for a moment, Kaz decided he didn't want to ruin the moment — or the weekend, for that matter — any more than necessary, and nodded his head in the end. "I'm sure you will. Don't think the lightning bugs are going to go anywhere any time soon. You can probably do this ten times over, if you feel like it." Ignoring his guild, he gently nudged her shoulder with his own (or, well, with his arm, really), then stretched out his hand to pick up one of the lightning bugs himself. "Fascinating little creatures, I must admit. I'd almost call them magical if I didn't know any better."

 Resting the palms of his hands behind him on the blanket, he leaned back and looked up at the darkening sky for a moment. "Well... We're out here now. So are the lightning bugs. What's your plan? You know.. Other than running through the field?"

Wylan didn’t always agree with Kaz’s decisions — there had been a few moments where he backed off, swearing that he wouldn’t help with certain schemes. These were often linked to choices that might potentially harm children. However, it had fortunately never come to that due to the way Kaz operated; he didn’t always tell them the full plan, which caused problems in itself, so they were able to avoid atrocities that Wylan knew he would never be able to overlook.

He returned Kaz’s watchful stare, wondering just how often that brain of his ticked. Did it ever switch off? It wouldn't come as a surprise if Kaz had somehow found a way to best biology and force his mind to devise intricate plans even when asleep. After a long pause, Wylan nodded once. He’d once battled with his need to belong in the gang and his desire to escape to a new life far from danger. The former had eventually won out; the Crows was where he was meant to be and he’d fight with everything he had to keep his spot among their ranks.

“If it protects us going forward, I’ll do it.” Because these people were his family now and Wylan couldn’t lose that. In order to survive and keep on top of those who wanted to stamp them out like vermin, he understood the need to turn towards more brutal methods. It was something he’d managed to accept even when every part of him had tried to reject it.

“I don’t think I’d still be with the gang if you didn’t think I’d be ready for it at some point.” It was just that he needed to be ready for it now rather than later. “I won’t back out or screw up the plan. I know what I’m getting myself into.”

 Despite Wylan's answer, Kaz didn't immediately react or reply. Instead, he continued to study him. There was a good chance that Wylan said what Kaz wanted to hear, just for the sake of getting his way; or, perhaps, for the sake of getting revenge. That didn't necessarily mean that he truly was ready. But... The merchling didn't cave underneath Kaz's intense stare, nor could he find any doubt or hesitation in neither expression, nor body language. If there was any, Wylan was doing an exceptional job hiding it. 

 "Alright," Kaz finally said, shrugging his shoulders. He could probably pull the whole thing off himself, but who was he to stand in Wylan's way if he felt he was ready? He was sure the personal motivation behind it helped, as well. Might even push Wylan past boundaries he'd otherwise hesitate to cross. 

 "I managed to figure out their routine. All three of our esteemed assailants are terrible creatures of habit. They go drinking at the same tavern every night, and usually leave together unless one of them managed to pay a girl enough to make it worth her time. They take the same streets, and the same alleyways. Some of them are almost entirely abandoned that time of night. We can lay low nearby, wait for them to leave, and then use one of those abandoned alleyways to conduct a two-pronged surprise attack. I have no doubt they're all armed, so we'll need one of your smoke bombs to keep us obscured enough until I've managed to alleviate them of their weapons. They'll be drunk, so it shouldn't be too much of a challenge. After that..." Kaz trailed off, contemplating for a moment. 

 "After that, you'll choose one of them. He'll be the one to pass along our message. And I want you to be the one to deliver it." He didn't feel the need to point out that he wasn't talking about a few pleasant words. "I'll take care of the other two while you do that. Now, I'll ask you one last time, Wylan. You're sure you're up to the task?"

   Inej could imagine every scenario he brought forth and, honestly, any of them would be brilliant—and, she had to admit, a couple of those instances would be amusing to watch. Kaz had crafted himself into someone legendary and terrifying, both of which he absolutely was ( not that she'd tell him the former in fear that it could inflate his ego a little too much ), so she could see the appeal of having the added quality of a crow lurking on his shoulder. However, in these moments, seeing him a little lighter, where it was just the two of them without any other prying eyes … Inej knew he was capable of softness, no matter how much he tried to deny it.

   She glanced up at Kaz without tilting her head, glancing at him through her lashes and catching sight of that smug grin of his. They both knew that she had no choice but to agree, especially after hearing the endearing sound Greed made when he gobbled down his food. However, with his answering words, a long, heavy sigh escaped her and she lifted her head, tilting her chin up and slightly to the side to gaze up at him. ❝And here I thought you were capable of saying something sweet and, dare I say, sentimental.❞

   Inej couldn't help but notice the small amount of space that separated them and how easy it would be to close it. She imagined herself reaching out and curling her fingers into the fabric of his shirt, dragging him closer — but then her eyes dropped, sweeping back over to regard the little crow as a wavering exhale escaped her. ❝Who else is going to tell Dirtyhands when he overstays his welcome? ❞ She said instead, once again reaching out to smooth her fingers along Greed's feathers. ❝I think you appreciate my counsel more than you're willing to admit.❞

 “What, the Bastard of the Barrel saying something sweet and sentimental? Now that'll be the bloody day, won't it? My reputation would be in shambles, and dare I say, could never recover from it. No, that’s no good at all.“ Good thing, then, that she couldn’t read his thoughts. There’d been plenty of times he’d thought things so sweet and sentimental that it nearly made himself gag. But no matter how hard he tried, those thoughts never stopped. He wanted them to, he really did, but…

 Her words were only met with a shrug, and it was his turn to turn around and lean against the edge of his desk, before crossing his arms in front of his chest. “I do appreciate your counsel. At least when it’s convenient.” There was no need to let Inej know just how loud her voice had indeed grown in the back of his mind. It made him pause and reconsider things he most likely wouldn’t have before the Wraith had become a permanent fixture in his life. It didn’t stop him from doing what needed to be done, but it at least made him consider alternatives.

 “Well…” Kaz started, stretching his arms with a yawn. “Since we seem to have come to an agreement, does that mean you’ll take care of him for a while so I can go back to bed now?”

As Kaz studied the drawings, Nikolai was busy studying him. Let me be the judge of that. Brekker was never one to display much emotion, but the way his eyes flitted over the papers and the simple fact that he hadn't already been sent packing back to the Ravkan Embassy was as much indication as he needed.

"Of course it was a complete accident," Nikolai responds with a sly smile. "I would never attempt to sabotage Ravka's neighbors. No matter how unneighborly they behave sometimes." He does wonder if, when Kaz says it may have happened to him once or twice before, if it'd been a similar situation. Where information falling into someone else's hands could possibly be to their detriment. The king smiles when Brekker begins pouring two drinks and then beams when Kaz speaks again. "I do admit I did have an excellent time pretending to forget those prints or allowing for them to fall out of my pocket, but you must be wondering where you come in."

 If Kaz hadn’t already paused what he was doing, he certainly would’ve done so now. And if he wasn’t so skilled in hiding his thoughts and therefore reactions, he might’ve even dropped the decanter and glass out of surprise altogether. Though perhaps what Nikolai was suggesting shouldn’t really come as a surprise at all; it only made sense. There was no better way to convince someone that something was worth a lot than going through the trouble of stealing said thing back.

 However, while Dirtyhands in no way, shape or form doubted his own abilities to rob anyone blind, breaking into the heavily guarded embassies was quite another matter. The lack of a competent crew certainly didn’t help, and pulling it off by himself would prove quite difficult. Difficult, but not impossible.

 Finally pouring the liquid into the glass, Kaz held it out for Nikolai to take and raised his eyebrows as he met the other’s gaze. “So, let me get this straight. Not only are you asking me to risk my neck by breaking into those embassies, you’re also asking me to not succeed and therefore risk my carefully created and lovingly nurtured reputation? I can deal with the former, but I’m not so sure about the latter.” He cocked his head to the side, while filling his own glass. “Unless, of course, you’re willing to properly compensate me for the emotional damage I will no doubt have to endure in the aftermath of your grand plan.”

And he couldn't help but be suspicious of his luck. Nodding once in response to Kaz's words, knowing not to speak unless he needed to, he made his way into the office.

Taking a step into the room, he moved carefully, checking his step before he fully shifted his weight, making sure to not accidentally land on any creaking floorboard. Aiming for the desk first, he wasted a breath on the scattered papers. There had to be something interesting inside them, right? But he knew he didn't have time to read them over. He needed to find the safe, so his fingers began working around the desk, feeling underneath the wooden surface for any hidden buttons, looking for locked drawers or spaces where a safe might be hidden.

His heart beat rapidly in his chest, reminding him exactly what he was doing as the minutes ticked by. Somewhere distantly in the house, Nico thought he heard a clock chiming the hour. That meant they hadn't been there for long but every second was precious.

 While Nico started his search, Kaz allowed himself to rest his back against the wall next to the door. In part, because it offered the best view of the entire room, and in part because it was easier to listen for any noise that didn't originate in this room. So far, everything remained quiet. Just as it should.

 His eyes, however, never left his new recruit as he seemed to struggle to find what they were looking for. Nico was careful, very thorough, but he was so careful and thorough that he completely missed the obvious. He made his own job a whole lot harder than it had to be. Apparently, that was a lesson he had yet to learn: sometimes, things were simply simple. Merchants in these parts of the city didn't feel the need to hide things like safes; that's what they had their guards for, all of their security measures. They were comfortable, complacent. Easy prey. At least if you were willing to put in the work beforehand. 

 Whenever Nico asked for his help, Kaz cocked his head to one side, something akin to amusement on his face. "You're so caught up in the details, you're missing the obvious that staring you right in the face." He paused, lifting his hand to gesture across the room. "Did you even take the time to take a proper look at the room? At your surroundings? If not for the safe, at least for entry and exit points? Viable places to hide?" 

 Of course, Nico hadn't. He was goal-oriented, but what good was achieving the goal if you ended up in a dank cell in jail because you hadn't secured your escape route beforehand? Unfortunately, Kaz spoke out of experience on the matter. He'd made the same mistakes when he had been younger, and he'd paid for them more than once. 

 "Go on—" Kaz stopped abruptly, and pressed his ear against the door. He could hear footsteps, hushed voices. They were no longer alone. "Hide."

“Is there anyone to protect you?”

“Was there no one to protect you?”

kaz brekker was doing her a favour. she would alert the presses of ketterdamn, since those phony gossip mags always seemed greedy for any scraps of information-- no matter how vague or fabricated. but losing kaz's favour would be akin to slitting her own neck. she isn't fool enough to risk it (and perhaps it feels rather nice, to be taken into his confidence, to have earned some semblance of respect with a man that most would never dare to cross). " i'll give you my eternal gratitude as thanks. and i'll keep myself out of the local alleyways-- i wouldn't want you to think i go around, saving just about anyone. "

 "Save your eternal gratitude for someone who deserves it. All I need is for you to listen to me and I'll be as happy as I can be. And if you do decide to go around saving just about anyone, at least make sure you don't get yourself killed in the process. Above all, don't expect everyone to be as grateful as I am." His words were another little jab as much as they were the truth. The Barrel was dangerous and ruthless, no matter how noble your intentions. Trying to help or save someone could easily put you in their shoes instead. 

 The laughter only earned her a raise of his eyebrows in response, and he instead busied himself with scrutinizing the crow's head of his cane. It could use some cleaning, if he was honest. "I don't generally give anyone a chance to make that proposal." His voice might've been cool, calm, and collected, but he was all too aware that he was wading into territory he knew nothing about. So he cleared his throat and stood up instead. "I doubt I know you well enough to guess your type, do I?" Resting the cane back on the ground, as if getting ready to leave, Kaz shrugged his shoulders. "I don't generally have enough time to spend the night somewhere else. I can offer to post up two of my men in front of your place, if it'll make you feel at ease. Or a temporary spot in the Slat."

FIFTH HARBOR ;

The Wraith is out this night, as she is every night, patrolling the harbor by rooftop. Her feet weightless against the shingles that send Ketterdam's rains falling down to the street. This night is exceptionally quiet, so quiet that even the rains have stilled for it. It raises the hairs on the Wraith's neck. She pulls her hood up and begins moving in a hurried pace, leaping across rooftops and ducking behind chimney stacks. There's no tip, no whisper to tell her where to go. All there is is a gut feeling, and the knowledge that trouble has been brewing around Fifth Harbor for quite some time now.

The Wraith catches her breath behind the cover of one of those chimney stacks. Voices can be heard down below, multiple, and it doesn't sound like a late night kicked out of a bar kind of ruckus. The Wraith looks around the corner of the chimney. Her gut was right, and they were circling upon someone like hounds. Crouching, the Wraith takes a closer look, moving away from her cover. The figure - she recognizes that shadow even in the darkest nights with the dimmest lamp to light it.

Kaz Brekker. Dirtyhands. Bastard of the Barrel.

She picks up her steps. Feet leaping her body to another rooftop without sound. Her attention remains focused on the vultures attempting to best him. The Wraith positions herself behind the group, assessing for late joiners before floating down to the stony path without sound.

The Wraith ducks into a small alleyway, concealing her body entirely in the comfort of the shadows. She whistles and two lackies come to check it out. Just like calling dogs the Wraith thinks with a smirk. She plucks out two knives from her waist. One hand wraps around the mouth of one, knife firmly stuck into the man's liver. He yelps and tries to bite at her hand. His efforts met with a twist of the blade in his body until shock and suffocated oxygen sends him down. The Wraith attacks the other man with less grace, the bloodied knife making a blunt attack for the femoral artery in his thigh. The blood starts pooling down his leg, but he shows no signs of being slowed down. The Wraith throws a knife against his chest that locks between ribs and muscle. He yelps out his pain. Quickly, the Wraith plucks her knife out and vanishes across the street and into another alleyway.

She climbs her way back up and re-asses the situation. Bloodied knife still firm in her hands, she throws it at the head of one of the men to Kaz's right and ignores those distracted by the cries of their mates. The Wraith races her way across the rooftop. Sainkt Petyr is thrown at the back of the head of the man closest to her. Body jumping down and removing it from his body, fallen quickly to the floor.

"You thought Dirtyhands was the only monster you had to worry about at night?" she snarls.

 The past few weeks had been a strain, to say the least. Of course, Kaz didn't let it show, but he was starting to grow weary. Betrayal in the Barrel was always a possibility, but usually, he knew who he could trust. Now, however? Everyone was a possible mole, a possible enemy. The only one he could trust was himself, and his Wraith. So it was no surprise that he was growing more and more paranoid by the minute, constantly looking over his shoulder and perhaps making decisions he otherwise wouldn't. Rash decisions, stupid decisions. Decisions completely out of character for the Bastard of the Barrel.

 Like following a lead by himself without telling anyone else. Without having a proper backup plan. Without having a safety net. In his defense — it had been a split-second decision. He'd been at one of Fifth Harbor's berths, receiving an important shipment. And given that he didn't trust anyone at the moment, he'd taken stock of it himself. That's when he'd spotted one of the Dregs' newer grunts in the shadows of an alleyway, deep in conversation with a handful of guys he recognized from a previous encounter.

 Usually so very careful when considering his options, Kaz, this time, didn't spend much time thinking. Instead, he sprung into action and followed them, hoping they'd lead him right to the head of the snake. The only thing he was led to, however, was a trap. Before he realized it, Dirtyhands found himself at a dead end, facing the men he'd been following, while his only escape route was cut off by others he hadn't seen or noticed before. 

 The grip around his cane tightened, and he flicked his wrist until he felt the comforting weight of a blade in his hand. Not that it would do him any good. He might be able to take down two, maybe even three of them, but he was entirely outmanned. There was no way to retreat, and he knew not to expect any help. Usually, he had his Wraith to rely on, to have his back from the rooftops, but she was off doing her own thing, not knowing where he was or what he was doing. 

 Kaz Brekker was all alone, and he was as good as dead. 

 But that didn't mean he was going to go down without a fight. He spun around in a circle as they drew closer, pinning him down like some wounded prey before they finally decided to take him down for good. As soon as one of them got close enough, Kaz threw his cane up and caught the bottom of the stick, before driving the beak of the crow's head into his neck. Kaz yanked the cane back, pulling the body along with it, before flinging it at the men approaching from the back. It gave him enough of a window to take another one down with his knife, but by the time he spotted another one approaching from his right side, it was too late. He felt the knife between his ribs before he saw it. Not giving himself time to react to the pain, Kaz grabbed the arm that held the knife and pulled it close, returning the favor shortly after, before pushing the body away. 

 But for every threat he eliminated, it seemed two more drew closer. Panting now, Kaz's movements started to grow more sluggish, both from pain and exhaustion and several more slashes joined his throbbing stab wound. He was sure that this was it, when a whistle rang out between the fighting noise. Both their and his own attention was drawn to the source, and he allowed himself a glimmer of hope. Inej. 

 It gave him a second wind, another surge of adrenaline that drowned out the pain in favour of strength. Dirtyhands might fight to live another day just yet. He couldn't see the Wraith from where he was, but he knew she was there, and he knew she had his back. That was all he needed. 

 The person closest to him was brought down with a knife to his heart, another one brought to his knees after the cane smashed one of his kneecaps. Another sank to the ground shortly after with a knife sticking out of the back of his head, but that one wasn't Kaz's own doing. Only a few left now. Gathering his last remaining bits of strength, Kaz took down the last guy within his reach; though the kill was far less graceful than any of the others, and a whole lot messier, too. Still, the body ended up sinking to the floor, and the Bastard of the Barrel right along with it.