Kaz has been sat in his office in The Slat pouring over the books for long enough that it's all starting to look like nonsense. He sighs and closes the ledger, setting it aside as he scrubs a hand over his face. It's late, but he knows he won't be sleeping just yet. His body would like to sleep, but his mind isn't quite there yet, still spinning.
And it would seem, the night is not yet over, anyway.
He hears the familiar, two-stairs-at-a-time thump of Jesper on his way up the stairs. And something he didn't listen closely enough to catch being shouted back down the stairs at someone. Some joke or other, Kaz is sure. The knock that comes confirms he was right– Jesper is the only one that taps out that particular rhythm on his door. He's fine with it, he likes being able to know who's on the other side before the door is ever opened.
"Come in," he calls out, though in his impatience, he could hear Jesper already turning the knob before he did. A smirk touches his lips for a brief second before he schools his face before the hyperactive sharpshooter comes in.
Jesper's already turning the handle before he hears the muffled welcome behind the door. He backs into the office, laughter still falling from his mouth as he shouts back in the direction of the stairs--a string of curses directed at one of the Dregs, half in jest. And then the door is closed and he's spinning around with a grin firmly in place as he faces Kaz.
"Not still busy with the books?" A raised brow and a thoughtful frown slide in to replace his grin when he takes note of the closed ledger. He isn't quite sure, but he thinks there's a shadow of weariness hanging around Kaz's shoulders. He thinks because with Kaz trying to read him is a game in futility half the time.
But that isn't why he's here, and that's all too obvious as he takes to make a round about the room with the ease of someone that's been in here one too many times as it was. "Half the lot downstairs is convinced I can somehow manage to drag you down for a drink or two. I told them they were half-mad to think you'd come down for that mess."
Kaz arches one eyebrow at him when Jesper finally turns his attention to him finally, closing the door and leaning against for a moment. He's all long, sweeping lines and loose limbs, as ever, as he floats around the room like it's his and not his boss'.
"Not now," he admits with a slight shake of his head. Jesper isn't wrong, there is a bit of a weariness hanging around him right now, the sort of thing that sits at the periphery all the time, but only rarely does he let actually become visible.
He scoffs softly at that. "It's like they don't know me at all." He shakes his head. He's never been social for the sake of being social, how anyone that's been around The Dregs for longer than five minutes could think otherwise, he's not sure. "Where did they find so much faith in your ability to make me curb to your, or anyone else's, whims?" He sounds more amused than anything at that.
"It's not like you really let them know you." Jesper tosses out with a laugh. Kaz had his walls, and they weren't easy to scale or take down. He's managed to find cracks, and even that was sometimes a surprise to him. "I think they believe you'll somehow cave to my devilish charms."
A comment accompanied with a grin to match. He doubted any of them actually expected him to come back down those stairs with Kaz in tow, but he couldn't resist an opportunity to push his buttons where he could.
"They know what they need to. And that should be enough to know I'm not coming for a drink with the lot of them." But he really does not hate the laugh he'd earned for it.It's not the worst sound in the world.
He lifts his eyebrows, a smirk hanging at the edges of his lips. "Oh, and you didn't help that along at all, did you? Telling tall tales about how you've talked into things in the past?" He can only imagine what sort of thing Jesper might say to spin a point off the fly. Rumors were part of the legend of Dirtyhands, though, so it really didn't matter too much.
"I don't care if they do or not." He replies cooly, shrugging. "What are you really doing up here, Jesper?" Because he doesn't buy he isn't only using that as an excuse to slip away, and he has some ulterior motive or other under his sleeve.
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slot this into whatever timeline point you want, and lmk if it doesn't work <3
Date: 2021-07-28 02:43 am (UTC)And it would seem, the night is not yet over, anyway.
He hears the familiar, two-stairs-at-a-time thump of Jesper on his way up the stairs. And something he didn't listen closely enough to catch being shouted back down the stairs at someone. Some joke or other, Kaz is sure. The knock that comes confirms he was right– Jesper is the only one that taps out that particular rhythm on his door. He's fine with it, he likes being able to know who's on the other side before the door is ever opened.
"Come in," he calls out, though in his impatience, he could hear Jesper already turning the knob before he did. A smirk touches his lips for a brief second before he schools his face before the hyperactive sharpshooter comes in.
<3 Time is nebulous. This is whereever and whenever we want it lol.
Date: 2021-07-28 06:39 pm (UTC)"Not still busy with the books?" A raised brow and a thoughtful frown slide in to replace his grin when he takes note of the closed ledger. He isn't quite sure, but he thinks there's a shadow of weariness hanging around Kaz's shoulders. He thinks because with Kaz trying to read him is a game in futility half the time.
But that isn't why he's here, and that's all too obvious as he takes to make a round about the room with the ease of someone that's been in here one too many times as it was. "Half the lot downstairs is convinced I can somehow manage to drag you down for a drink or two. I told them they were half-mad to think you'd come down for that mess."
no subject
Date: 2021-07-28 09:06 pm (UTC)"Not now," he admits with a slight shake of his head. Jesper isn't wrong, there is a bit of a weariness hanging around him right now, the sort of thing that sits at the periphery all the time, but only rarely does he let actually become visible.
He scoffs softly at that. "It's like they don't know me at all." He shakes his head. He's never been social for the sake of being social, how anyone that's been around The Dregs for longer than five minutes could think otherwise, he's not sure. "Where did they find so much faith in your ability to make me curb to your, or anyone else's, whims?" He sounds more amused than anything at that.
no subject
Date: 2021-07-30 07:53 pm (UTC)A comment accompanied with a grin to match. He doubted any of them actually expected him to come back down those stairs with Kaz in tow, but he couldn't resist an opportunity to push his buttons where he could.
"They'll get over the disappointment eventually."
no subject
Date: 2021-07-30 08:18 pm (UTC)He lifts his eyebrows, a smirk hanging at the edges of his lips. "Oh, and you didn't help that along at all, did you? Telling tall tales about how you've talked into things in the past?" He can only imagine what sort of thing Jesper might say to spin a point off the fly. Rumors were part of the legend of Dirtyhands, though, so it really didn't matter too much.
"I don't care if they do or not." He replies cooly, shrugging. "What are you really doing up here, Jesper?" Because he doesn't buy he isn't only using that as an excuse to slip away, and he has some ulterior motive or other under his sleeve.