the heart is an arrow.

(early) BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

Stumbling into the apartment building, Kaz managed to only make his head spin more, narrowly missing smacking into the wall. This wasn’t supposed to be the outcome of the night, but then, he supposed this was what he got for walking into an ambush, like an idiot. 

It had seemed like an uneventful night until a few members of a smaller gang, trying to make their way up, attacked him. Three, but they were just kids, not even fourteen. If he hadn’t been this, he might’ve even pitied them. One had had a large glass bottle that he’d smacked over Kaz’s head in a foolish attack. He’d heard them coming, but hadn’t expected such a messy attack.

She had finished a couple of chapters when she heard commotion in the hallway. It wasn’t uncommon to hear commotion, but this was different. Her senses perked up immediately the moment she heard something akin to a cane hitting the floor. Could it be Kaz? What if he was in trouble? He’d seek her out if he was, right? Inej didn’t know how to answer the last question. 

but still my heart is heavy with the hate of some other man’s beliefs

Kaz Brekker did not do frazzled. 

Anxious, furious, smug, all of these were emotions that he commonly felt. Even if he didn’t admit to them all, he certainly was capable of emotions. But this kind of frantic energy that he felt was more common for a schoolboy with a crush than a man having someone who was ostensibly a coworker come for dinner.

It was just - well.

The kitchen looked like a hurricane had come through it. He’d ended up using three cutting boards, and had spent a good ten minutes pissed at himself for crying over the onions. He could cut a man’s throat with ease, but apparently not vegetables. There was flour on his shirt, and he’d forgotten to put back on his gloves after taking them off to cut up the beef. Mercifully, the stew tasted good, as did the potatoes. It was just everything else that was a mess - his hair in his face, his tie thrown across the room, no gloves, and nothing was clean. It was Inej’s birthday, and he’d had plans. Had gotten candles. A bottle of wine. 

Instead, he hadn’t even removed the scattered paperwork from the dinner table. 

He had been about to try and start cleaning when he heard the knock at the door. Kaz swore - it was her, fuck. The place was a mess and he was a mess. How come his plans for theft worked well and his plans for dinner did not? Maybe he really was only meant for the life of the Dregs and nothing more. 

He opened the door, slightly out of breath, unaware of the smudge of sauce on his cheek. “Good evening.” He said, trying for casual.

Kaz Brekker - of course - had other plans. Inej had woken up to the files on her table and quite literally lost her breath. The names of her parents. It wasn’t a guarantee that they were safe, but it was a possibility that they could be found. Eventually. 

It was a gesture that Inej hadn’t expected. Things between the two of them had shifted and she was unsure where it had left them. She expected for Kaz to be distant. To push her away and make excuses like he usually did. Instead, he’d invited her to dinner. He’d remembered her birthday. He was looking for her parents. 

Kaz didn’t leave a time, so Inej merely guessed, hoping that she wouldn’t be intruding too early. The dark haired woman dressed in her usual clothes, but kept her hair loose around her shoulders. She ignored the fluttering in the pit of her stomach as she crossed the hall to knock upon his door. 

send one for my muses reaction!

send in a symbol i’ll answer the corresponding question about my muse!

[ 🏃‍♂️ ] does your muse have escapist tendencies?

[ 💄 ] does your muse have an aesthetic? do they adhere strictly to it?

[ 👥 ] does your muse have many friends? do people feel they can rely on your muse?

[ 📚 ] what is your muse’s favourite genre of books, tv, movies, etc.?

[ 💐 ] what is your muse like in relationships?

[ 💍 ] how dedicated is your muse to their job?

[ 🍺 ] does your muse have any addictions?

[ 🍀 ] does your muse believe in luck? do they have a good luck charm or rituals they follow to avoid bad luck?

[ 🎀 ] does your muse have any childhood friends or people that are important to them?

[ 💕 ] does your muse believe in true love? do they believe in love at all?

[ 🧸 ] does your muse have any guilty pleasures or hobbies that make them embarrassed?

[ 🌟 ] is your muse comfortable in their identity? are they insecure or confident?

[ 🧭 ] does your muse know what they want? how well can they advocate for themselves?

[ 🎈 ] does your muse have many regrets? what are they?

[ 🏆 ] is your muse afraid of failure? what do they do when they fail?

[ 💭 ] does your muse have imaginary friends? did they have any as a child?

[ 🩹 ] what does your muse do to de-stress?

[ 🚓 ] would your muse break the law?

[ 🧲 ] is your muse generally flirty, or are they more reserved?

[ 🗾 ] how self-sufficient is your muse? are they more independent, or do they need others around them?

[ 🙏 ] is your muse religious? what do they believe in, if anything?

[ 👻 ] if your muse were a fantasy creature, what kind would they be? why?

[ ⚖️ ] what is your muse’s moral code? what kind of morality do they have?

[ 💥 ] is your muse determined, or do they give up easily?

[ 🃏 ] how does your muse handle being lied to?

[ 🥀 ] would your muse betray someone they love?

[ 🥊 ] how strong is your muse’s survival instinct?

[ 🌼 ] what kind of first impression does your muse leave?

[ 🐣 ] does your muse have anyone they look up to?