noreasonneeded | IC/Overflow Post

Yeah, I don't expect you'd defer to anyone except maybe your on conscience. The kind of guidance and safety there is with our Sisters, even with deference, is incredibly helpful. A lot of Kindred don't have that kind of support. Some don't even have their Sires stick around to help them.

Thankfully right now you can't even see my face, unless you're snooping on me.

Don't think she does pay much attention to all that. She's old enough to have her own stash of personal wealth to work with. If you manage to impress her at all, though, she might invest in one of your businesses.

[Jesper’s father is the only person who’s been able to make Kaz look ashamed in well over a decade when he stopped Kaz and Jesper brawling, so she’s mostly right.] It would have to be an extraordinary circumstance, like me letting my conscience out of the basement, yeah. More to the point though, I don’t fault you for doing what you had to in order to survive. That you found a group you genuinely enjoy belonging to and who didn’t abandon you is an added bonus.

Just applying my powers of deduction to envision it.

I’ll keep that in mind. I usually prefer to rely on impressing people rather than manners to secure deals, anyway.

[ Parents do have unique skills in that department. Luckily for Kaz, neither of Birdie's are going to be coming around to shame him. ] Don't worry, I'm keeping it good company down there. And I'm lucky to have had them over the years. They might not always be helpful in every situation, but they never take a side against any of us.

Can you envision the face I'm making now? [ She does, for a moment after sending the text, sit there with her tongue stuck out as if that will impact his answer. ]

You are pretty impressive. I'm sure they'd all enjoy your company as much as I do.

Lots of charades and singalongs to pass the time down there? I don’t know if anyone is helpful in every situation, so that would be a high bar to meet, anyway. That level of loyalty though does go far. There’s little I can think of that’s worse than betrayal.

It’s something cheeky and irreverent and meant to show me I’m being absurd. Crossed eyes or a stuck out tongue may be involved. Am I close?

For you I would be on my relative best behavior. No immediate stealing out of pockets and replacing items with turnips.

We've taken to playing Old Maid lately, actually. Betrayal, in any form, is uniquely painful. Wouldn't wish it on anyone, least not anyone I liked.

Oh shit. You're good.

Thank you for that, though I'll be sure to point out which ones would be more amused than offended by the turnips.

I’ve never actually played that card game. Heard the name, but don’t know the rules. Not that rules are the most important part of a game, anyway. And I wouldn’t wish that on someone I liked, either.

There’s only so many ways to show disapproval through the face, but I’ll take the credit still.

Well, if they want a stealing show, I can certainly provide one. Just want to ensure I won’t be driven crazy first for it. Or cause problems for you.

It's a lot of pairs and trying to avoid the one Queen still in the deck. I always end up feeling bad for her in the end.

Gonna have to come up with some new ones, then. Not because I disapprove of you but so you've got some variety to guess at.

We could probably make a challenge out of it. Some of them might ask for lessons. But thank you for not wanting to make trouble for me. I do tend to make enough for myself.

Feel bad because everyone’s trying to avoid her? Did you come up with stories or songs to explain her sad state?

You know I like a good challenge.

Speaking of which, I’ve taught a fair number of people how to steal by now, so I probably could if they were interested. Stocks and stealing, the two lessons go hand in hand. I buy that you’re a troublemaker, but they seem to find you worth keeping around, anyway. Can’t blame them.

Maybe. When I was a kid. Or last week.

You're gonna have to get real intricate with that guesswork, Kaz, just you wait.

I can already think of a few that would. Not all of them Sisters, but a few of the ghouls, too. And they tolerate my trouble for the most part because I try to keep them out of it much as I can.

Still a child at heart?

It’s almost like you’re trying to sweet talk me.

Not wanting to drag others into your mess is considerate. Not a choice I’ve always prioritized, but it's a consideration I'm sure they appreciate.

Happens sometimes when you stop aging, I think. To keep from getting crotchedy.

Am I not always trying to sweet talk you?

Given that the worst trouble I've been in was Denver, I figure it was in everyone's best interest. I'm young, comparatively, and Edward was older than any of our Elders. If I was a catch for his stage, I don't want to imagine what he'd do if he'd got his hands on more of us.

Probably. Some people just seem inclined to be more lighthearted like that in general, too.

I don't have the ego to think anyone is always trying to sweet talk me.

I get it. It's even worse when people like that target your own.

True. And a few of them seem to like hanging out with you in particular.

Your lack of ego doesn't make it less real. For the record.

An unfortunately common issue among Kindred that don't care about their reputations outside their domains.

Opposites attract?

Fair enough. I guess it’s something I’m still getting used to then, outside of Nina doing it as a form of shit talking.

By and large it seems like quite an insular existence.

Something like that. Or that every good jokester needs a straight-man to play off.

I mean, I can shit talk you, too, if that'll put you at ease.

Definitely can be, but it depends a lot on where you're at, how healthy the community is. Whole mood of a place changes if you walk in to old clan grudges and unpaid favors.

I’m going to tell Jesper very sincerely that he needs me in order to be funny.

No. I like how you talk.

I can’t blame them for getting uppity over unpaid favors.

Could you wait until I'm around to do it? I wanna see how that plays out.

Good. I like how you listen.

Right? Though some of them go unpaid for a reason, usually because they're waiting to cash in with a better ask, if Kindred are refusing to help or hoarding boons it's a bad sign.

I can, sure. I welcome further heckling from the audience. It might rival the reaction he has each time I give him a new passport.

[Something about Jesper just invites Kaz to regress to a stage where prank playing feels pragmatic. He doesn’t question it so he can’t talk himself out of it. Birdie too has become someone who helps sand off his old man edges at times.]

It works out nicely, doesn’t it? Were you ever quiet growing up?

I can’t pretend I haven’t done some hoarding of favors myself, so yeah, I get the concern.

Oooh, can I see you do that, too? I don't think I've had the privilege yet, and the way you bring it up makes it sound fun.

[ She's happy to sand. After growing up around planing mills and sawdust, it's like second nature. ]

Only on a rare occasion, usually when I was in trouble.

The system works pretty well for the most part. Usually there's a Harpy around to keep track of who owes what, and whether a debt can be considered repaid or not. Without that, some will try to get out of favors by doing the least possible.

The next time I need one made, sure. I’d offer to make you one as well but by now I’m sure you have a source for them of your own.

So, often actually?

The did pick the right being to harp on the details, I suppose.

I do, actually. In a few different places, if you ever need additional forged documents help.

You assume I got caught more than I got away with things.

Oh, Harpy is just a title. Like Prince and Seneschal and Primogen.

I never say no to additional contacts that are reliable. I trust meeting those you send my way.

Maybe a few more times at the start than later on as you figured out newer and more creative ways to evade your troublemaking evidence.

I just meant based on the wordplay of harping on things, nothing mystical about it, anyway. I just enjoy a good word application.

Some of them might be more... Unconventional, in appearance, but I trust you won't let that come between you and business.

You'd have me to rights if you don't take into consideration that I had three brothers less adept at hiding their own shenanigans.

True! Nobody loves a pun that I've seen like an Elder.

I’m not exactly a shining beacon of physical appeal myself by most standards. I don’t care at all what someone looks like as long as they make good on their end of bargains.

Learned from their mistakes? A good habit to pick up.

They’ve probably seen language change so much in their time.

Good to hear. Some of us choose transformation, like my crab friend. Others, it's a natural extension of their Embrace and they don't get to decide what it looks like. And they're usually the ones with the best information and document skills around.

I was a very observant child when it came to how to not get grounded.

They really have. That's where some of those dead language codes come from, they're old enough to have learned the language while it was still alive.

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