noreasonneeded | IC/Overflow Post

I think people recognize positions of power more than a misplaced freckle, and seeing someone looking like him out and about before the body was discovered could have confused the supposed time of death.

[Scraping the bottom of the Barrel for new possible angles comes easily to one who lives in it. Truly it never even enters Kaz's mind to stop such ruminations, or that he's being his weird self in thinking it an appropriate conversation starter with her.]

Of course, if we push back the time of death then, we could bring previously ruled out suspects back into consideration.

[Everyone has their hobbies, right?]

[ He'd make a fantastic detective if he wanted to work on the other side of the law.

Inej can't believe she's going to humour him, but she misses him and she can't sleep, and this is a much better way to occupy her time than staring at a map or venturing out to the deck with the light drizzle of rain. ]

Alright.

So there's a body double. After he's dead, we'd have to assume the body double walks around without interacting with anyone else, but he's seen enough to jumble the timeline. You might not notice a misplaced freckle, but surely someone would notice a facial feature is different. A thin nose suddenly becoming wider? A confident walk suddenly looking insecure? Not everyone is oblivious, especially regarding someone was prestigious as him.

They might not notice if he kept his distance and was just out briefly. People would be more drawn to the outfit than anything, and they often see what they expect to find rather than assuming deception.

It's possible, is what I'm saying.

[Who else is he going to talk to about these things if not her?]

I'm glad you've finally started listening to Jesper.

[ Isn't he always saying that the outfit makes or breaks how seriously one takes you? While Inej expects Kaz to roll his eyes and push the implication he takes Jesper's rambles about fashion seriously, she can see their friend's influence even if Kaz doesn't.

And it's nice to think that Kaz listens to him, even when he walks away mid-sentence. ]

There are some people who look beyond outfits, Kaz.

Besides, if there was a body double who was involved, how would you even identify who that person is? They could have been Tailored to look different now. I feel it's a dead end either way.

I’ve always known the importance of appearances.

[From how he dresses like a merch to spite them to helping legends grow around wearing his gloves, Kaz has known for a very long time now the power that how one presents themselves is valuable provided one could control the narrative.]

By changing the time of death, it opens up other previously discounted players from being involved. Tie it to one of them and there’s your trail then to the body double. I’m going to go back over those who were cleared based upon the time of death, and I reserve the right to get smug when I solve it.

[Fine though, he accepts that not all share his obsessive need to solve this crime and lets the topic go for now.]

Do you have a cat on board your ship?

I look forward to hearing just how smug you are about it from Jesper. Be sure to be incredibly insufferable for me.

[ He truly is a dog without a bone, but that's why she's always felt safe with him. He never gives up and never accepts what he's told if his gut is telling him otherwise. She assumes he'll solve it before she docks at Fifth Habor, and if he doesn't, perhaps he'll discuss his findings with her over waffles. ]

Is this your way of saying you've picked up a stray and need a home for it?

I don't think Jesper's even aware the case exists.

[Is that sharing too much? Did she think that Kaz wiled away hours with others on these topics, where there isn't a clear profit to be had from it? That he's claimed it's to hone his mind, rather than fulfilling a childhood need to always figure things out? Or is this her saying he should pass on the baton to someone else?

No. That would be cruel to put like that if that's what she meant, and that's something Inej never is with him.]

You can read about it in the papers, I'll make sure you get a good headline sent your way.

[Best to just make light of it all and move right along.]

I've picked up nothing. There's a raggedy cat whose taken to eating our mice, which is fair enough, but I did point out that they should just wait until it finds it's way into Wylan's supplies.

Before it finds its way to Wylan's supplies, Anika will insist on it becoming a Crow. You know she's fond of fluffy things.

[ And Inej thinks it'll be amusing to come back to Ketterdam to greet the newest member of the Dregs. ]

Is someone feeding it? Other than the mice. Cats need something else to feast on from time to time.

[ Not that she knows much about cats, but there had been one that had travelled with her caravan to a few cities before finding greener pastures. The thought of Kaz feeding a stray cat is amusing, and something she'd believe fully in without question. She knows firsthand his fondness for strays. ]

She'll be fond of singed things, the cat is as rubbish at self-preservation. Though it may have learned that from several that reside here.

... someone's feeding it.

[Don't make him say it's him, Inej.]

[ He's feeding it, isn't he? Sometimes he's so transparent. ]

I hope that someone is good at self-preservation so the cat can learn how to stop being so rubbish at survival.

Have you named it yet?

I thought about spraying Wylan with noxious odors to be avoided but he took umbrage at the prospect of acting as a training deterrent.

The flea carrier responds equally to 'you cat' and 'tenth life' if you're holding foods so I'm thinking it responds to reward rather than wordage. You can name it what you like if you want it, so long as you know it's insubordinate, cares predominately for it's own notion of profit, and is equally likely to bring mice to you because you're too dumb a human to survive without the assistance as it is to eating a mouse in front of you for the audience of gluttonously not sharing.

[ She hasn't laughed this hard in a while. ]

The cat sounds like someone I know.

[ A very particular someone, although Inej doubts she needs to state the obvious. ]

I think I'd like to call it Kazzle. My dearest, daring and darling Kazzle.

[ Perhaps that's revealing more of her hand than she'd like, but Inej thinks she can easily sidestep away from any claims that she wants to bring Kaz to the True Sea. She'll name it something different, but "Kaz" is its middle name. ]

And when I take it on the True Sea, I'll at least have a little bit of home with me.

And a mouse deterrent.

Nina does have questionably effusive sentiments towards her meals, doesn't she.

[He is not going to admit he and the cat have gotten that close even though he comforts it when there's gunfire. Though there's a little flip flop in his stomach at her next statement. Funny how he'd be on the defensive only at any other acknowledging his softness, though he's still gruff now because he knows no other way to receive a compliment that isn't about his brutal nature.]

Yes, Ketterdam feasts on the rodents that civilized society pretends wouldn't eat them whole otherwise.

[It's not what she meant. He knows it. She knows this life, he's lived it. It's a knee-jerk reaction to her admitting she'll carry parts of him while he knows and appreciates she won't wait for him forever to get himelf together.]

That.. wasn't at you. It was at others we're dealing with. [He wouldn't normally explain but for her, he will since she's not around to also scoff at those he means.] I trust you to handle a mouse assassin and rations thief, you've some practice at it.

I didn't mean you, Inej.

I know.

[ He needs to stop worrying so much. If he's going to criticise her, he'll do so directly. That's something that she had once feared with him, having been fresh out of the Menagerie and Tante Heleen's sharp criticisms, but she soon realised that Kaz Brekker only gave critique to see someone grow stronger. He never did so to make anyone feel weaker.

And he thinks entirely too kindly of her. She pretends to be strong enough to handle mice, but she'll gladly hide behind the likes of Jesper and Specht if one so much as appears. ]

But sometimes it's nice to have help. And I wouldn't mind a fluffy friend as long as it doesn't mind being wet most of the time.

But I am surprised you don't have an issue with its name. Do I spy someone who you've finally deemed worthy of your name, Kaz Brekker?

It lives in Ketterdam so it's probably used to being wet most of the time. I can hear it raining even now.

Or… silence speaks volumes.

Kazzle sounds like some sort of kitchen tool.

Kazzle sounds like a ferocious sea monster slayer.

[ Excuse you, Kaz! She won't allow her newest crew member to be slandered in such a manner.

Besides, being a little ridiculous is fun. She imagines Kaz rolling his eyes at her Jesper-like antics. ]

No monster ever gets away from him. They all quiver in fear when they hear his meows.

I'm assuming it's a him?

It sounds like a fruit peeler that might also juice. Which could come in handy on a boat. Staving off scurvy and all.

[She’s lucky he misses her.]

It’s a he. If there’s a female to match she’s still keeping to the shadows.

Also, how long have you had that nickname you’ve been wanting to use?

[Technically, Kaz isn’t his full name either, but he doesn’t think she seriously considers Kazzle in the running as a real option.]

A couple of years. Jesper and I were workshopping nicknames for me and then we realized you have a very un-nicknameable name.

[ "Kaz" is just so short! Inej doesn't wish to tell him that Jesper did suggest "Breakfast" as one. It'd been one of his more uninspired nicknames. ]

We're still workshopping, in case that wasn't obvious.

I might suggest "Juicer" or "Fruit Peeler".

It wouldn't be satisfying if it was easy, would it?

What did you two come up with for you?

[Really, only Jesper has an easy nickname now that he thinks on it.]

I don't think 'Juicer' would bring fruit to most people's minds. Kaz is fine.

In. Ej. Knife Girl. Hey, you!

You can see why we're still brainstorming. Although, I do prefer "Hey, you!" It feels incredibly personal.

[ They're all such horrible nicknames. ]

You're right. I feel like Jesper would be very jealous that you got to be "Juicy" while he didn't.

We were considering calling you "Eyebrows". You do have the best eyebrows out of all of us.

I'm just glad to know you're all so productive when left to your own devices.

[Yes, that is definitely sarcasm.]

I don't want to know what he'd do with such a nickname.

I have large ones and I'm not afraid to scowl with them, is what you mean.

I could just start numbering you all. You and Jesper could battle over who gets to be Crow One and Crow Two.

Your eyebrows are expressive, Kaz. Why do you always have to look at everything as though the glass is half empty?

[ And yes… they're large, but they're long and he's emotive with them even if he doesn't realise he is. It's one of the pieces of him that she feels isn't so stoic and trapped beneath his facade of being untouchable. She likes that about him, his stupid eyebrows. ]

I'm clearly Crow Two. Perhaps Three, now that Wylan is around to ensure that Jesper behaves. That surely must've earned him a promotion in the ranks.

There are some things I don't look at like that.

[Someone's at least.]

Mm, it's sometimes a toss up on which of them is influencing the other.

They seem happy, though.

They are to a nauseating degree.

[ Jesper deserves that kind of happiness, and so does Wylan. He's sweeter than any of them could ever be, and yet she doubts he'll grow jaded during his time with the Dregs. ]

I did notice that you count yourself the leader of the Crows. Maybe you're actually Crow #6?

Jesper keeps giving me third wheel invites when they go out.

[He knows it's Jesper trying to look out for him since Inej is gone. Kaz gets it. Chewing his own arm off is still more appealing, even if he can appreciate the motivation.]

If higher numbers indicate having brought in better scores, then sure.

[Plus, he's the first one to start making their little band, and he knows he'll be the last one, too. That thought is too depressing to ponder though so he shoves it aside.]

I hope you stocked up on rations so you're not left just eating fish these days. It would be awkward if you returned and started growing scales.

Edited (In a battle of word options, one choice must lose.) 2023-04-12 10:13 (UTC)

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