Dreaming.
That's what the two girls thought was the farthest they could do, until they found themselves in the gnarly old streets of Ketterdam.
With book characters coming to life and illicit secrets at deadly stakes, Jan Van Eck is back, stronger t...
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︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶
They both slept better than ever that night, tired from all the training, waking the next morning with sores and aches everywhere.
Kaz woke them up poking them with his cane, startling them with his stare and then simply saying "tea's ready".
That day they trained with Jesper, it being more rigourous than ever.
Gunwork was not easy, one had to be cautious at every move. Though they practiced shooting with glass bottles, There was at least twice that they accidentally almost killed themselves, earning frowns from Jesper.
"Its not fair for us" Vivienne wailed "You're a grisha who can sense the metal in the bullets"
"And you're both peculiar fellows with the intelligence of a chicken" he shot back.
That day Jesper taught them all about the bullets, and gave them their guns, pistols and revolvers.
He taught them how to identify a hidden gun on a man, about how they specifically take short strides and the way their arms swing. He taught them how to treat a gunshot wound and the intensity of the different types of bullets.
"Short Colts and ACPs are easier to treat. Pray that you don't get Magnums or FNs" he'd said.
Slowly but steadily, the two girls learnt more and more.
Kaz taught them how to pick a lock, and how to hide things up your sleeve. He taught them about the value of different coins and kruge, and bonked them on the head with his cane each time they made a mistake. That made them learn faster.
Inej taught them how to climb buildings with ropes, and climbing trees walls, there were a couple of the times the girls fell, spraining an ankle or pulling a muscle. They learnt daggers and knife work, and much to their surprise, Vivienne could now block a blow, and she knew how to strike a Rib with her karambit. Lynn could do a flip with her Balisong, and they had even started learning The Haladie.
Zephyr would simply observe them, sitting beside Kaz, and would come and say hi at times. Often times Vivienne caught herself looking at them, quickly looking away in embarassment. She didn't even know them that well, she thought.
Sometimes Zephyr would come over with Inej or Wylan and help them. They were infact the one who taught Vivienne how to avoid a flinch response, and how to strike a landing without hurting her ankles.
Without realising, Zephyr found themself drawing closer to Vivi, liked seeing her laugh and when their eyes met, they felt like their heart skipped a beat. And he despised that.
Daphne would stroll along with Matthias or Inej, talking around or sitting on the soft grass watching the girls practice.
He often helped Inej in cleaning her knives and sharpened them. He helped Matthias plan out little surprises for Nina. He would talk about books with Vivienne, and would help Nina in doing her makeup. Kaz even let him play around with his crow cane once, quickly snatching it away as Jes walked in. He bought new chemicals for Wylan and Jesper and once even braided Lynn's hair, much to her yelling about how tight the braid was.
They would all gather around at night, drinking hot chocolate. Vivi would tease Kaz when she caught him looking at Inej, and run once he lifted his cane. Wylan and Lynn would gush on about different paintings his mum made. Matthias and Daphne would just grumble around and laugh at unfunny jokes, and Jesper and Nina would constantly flirt with everyone around, much to their annoyance. The girls felt homely for the first time in so long.
