❝ 𝘾𝙍𝙔 𝙈𝙀 𝘼 𝙍𝙄𝙑𝙀𝙍 𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝙈𝘼𝙆𝙀 𝙄𝙏 𝙁𝙇𝙊𝙊𝘿. ❞
They say that Kaz Brekker is the worst in the Barrel. Only ignorance or naivety could have someone refuting that claim.
But as for the rest of Ketterdam? Well, they also say the city is...
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ACT&ABIDE
Before I started university,
I wanted to be an artist.
Now I just paint in my free time
Chapter Six
Jesper
Blueprints rolled up and tucked under Kaz's arm, the man had turned to Jesper with a look he couldn't quite make out the meaning of. And Jesper was usually quite apt at figuring out what Kaz wanted from him, what with being the whole 'right hand man' and such. So when Kaz opened his mouth to say, "Carmen isn't who she says she is," Jesper was, albeit, a little confused.
"Uhh, Carmen did say she wanted to be an artist to me, once. I found that odd since she's taking all these business classes. But I'm pretty sure I would know if my own University friend, who I met at University, wasn't a University student?"
Kaz almost rolled his eyes, "That part might be true, but she's definitely hiding something. I can tell."
Jesper sighed, "Might I remind you that we were the ones to drag her onto this little trip? If she was some kind of underworld boss, why would she let herself be knocked out and tied up at the Crow Club?" Surely, if Carmen was hiding something, he would have picked up on it earlier? He had known her for over a year, and he didn't pick up on any huge red flags, or think that she wasn't honest with her life in Ketterdam. "Besides," he continued, "she didn't even know I was part of a gang until you showed up at our table the other day."
Kaz queried a brow, "How close were you, exactly? If you were able to withhold that from her without suspicion, (being as outspoken as you are) just imagine all that she could've hidden from you."
"Well–" Jesper started, unsure of what to say. It's not like they were attached at the hip. Back when he was actually taking classes, they used to go play the spare poker game after a big exam; and the tradition continued even after he had dropped out. They had definitely met more often back when they were both newer to the city and shared a more similar lifestyle. Now they had met once, twice a month?
Inej joined in the conversation now, noticing how Jesper had gone quiet. "I know you both saw it when we passed through the Fold. When the volcra," she paused, "When Carmen passed out."
"It's perfectly fine to be scared of the Fold, Inej. Might I remind you that we almost all died in there if the damn thing would've stalled?" Jesper piped up, trying to defend his friend. Carmen did still consider him a friend, right? Though he did have to admit, he wasn't the most perceptive, especially when people were actively trying to hide things from him. And especially not the most perceptive when there were better, more enticing things in front of him, like a game of blackjack or a pile of kruge to focus on.
"Exaclty," Kaz stated. "It looked like more than just a simple fear of the dark." Kaz's eyes darkened, and Jesper wondered, what would the Kaz Brekker know of fear?
