Kaz Brekker Imagines

Apologies

The Crow Club is busy this time of night. The streets are alight with a rush of pigeons in from the harbor, ready to waste all their hard-earned kruge on a few rounds of Makker's Wheel. The tables are packed, the earnings flowing in from every corner of the room. Kaz should be proud. However, your smile comes not from the sight of so many people in the club, but the fact that one person isn't there at all. If Jesper Fahey isn't out gambling during peak hours, that means Kaz has sent him out or brought him in to talk. And, if they're talking, that means a heist.

You've been running with the Dregs for a while now, one of Kaz's first recruits. At first, he couldn't decide whether you were rivals or associates, but you're glad he made the choice to give you a spot on his team. Now, instead of competing for jobs, you work together. This means that you've had plenty of time to figure out just how Kaz Brekker's mind works, and right now, all signs point to a heist. You can't wait.

You take one last glance around the crowded club, then spin back out the doors, walking briskly through the streets. The cobblestones click underneath your feet, the air still salty from the tides of Fifth Harbor rolling in, bringing ship after ship of pigeons to your doorsteps. It's a good day to be a Dreg. No wonder Kaz is ready to move once more.

The Slat looms before you soon enough, imposing to anyone who hasn't spent the last few years of their lives residing inside it. The wooden stairs, once seeming to go on impossibly, now creak comfortingly beneath the soles of your shoes. The Slat is only at half occupancy right now- while some Dregs have chosen to stay inside and talk with fellow gang members, most are out on the streets, either bringing in more bills or losing all they have. It's the perfect blend.

All the same, you're careful not to let anyone see you ascend the stairs all the way to the top, where you pause once by the door to Kaz's office before heading inside. Kaz prefers to at least pretend to have an alibi before he embarks on his heists; you can't blow the whole thing now by letting someone see you. Kaz doesn't usually bring together his key Dregs all on one night, and suspicions would be raised in anyone watching. And, seeing as this is the Barrel, it's safe to assume that someone is always watching. This is a place where spiders crawl the walls of every building, listening through hoods and masks to report back to their bosses. Dirtyhands may be well feared throughout the city, but that only means more ears wanting to pick up any scrap of information on him.

You knock once before entering. Kaz's back is turned, but he still greets you by name before his eyes even land on you. You'd asked once how he was able to do that, and he'd given you a half answer about knowing all of his Dregs. Truth be told, it's likely a little more than that, the way that you learn to recognize the sighs and footsteps of the few people you trust in this city. He knows the faint rap of your knuckles through his door just as you know his uneven steps, even when he tries to hide his limp. This is Ketterdam; all are known to those who look, even Kaz Brekker. Even you.

Kaz finally turns around once the door is closed firmly behind you. His eyes wash over you, searching for some sign of why you're here. "Is there any reason for this appointment, Y/N?" You can't seem to stop the corner of your lips from twitching up into a smile. "I have reason to believe that you're plotting another heist, Kaz. I was hoping to make the team."

Kaz focuses his full attention on you, bank balances forgotten in front of him. "Why would you believe that? Not everyone on the street corners is to be trusted, you know." You give him a pointed look. "I'm no pigeon, Kaz, I know that. I didn't hear anything from the outside, so you don't have to worry about that." Kaz arches an eyebrow. "Then why are you here?" You fold your arms across your chest. "Jesper isn't at the Crow Club."

Kaz does his best to look bemused, although you can tell that a spark of pride is glinting behind the stony gaze. "And?" You sigh in irritation. "Are you really going to make me drag out this whole explanation? Jesper wouldn't miss gambling at this hour of the night unless you asked him to stay away. He isn't watching the doors, so you've brought him up for something. I just want to be a part of whatever that something is, because I have a feeling that it's good."