{ crow club ♠ soc au }

Sorry? ♠

"I must say Brekker, you do fit in quite nicely with this place," Nina chirped as she fell into step beside him, "Never would have guessed the smell of death and sanitiser could bring out the brown in your eyes."

The pale boy didn't so much as smirk, quickening his strides as he said, "Tease all you want, Nina dear, I'm here on strict business."

"I take it then that this has nothing to do with feeling guilty about Wylan?" Inej prodded.

Kaz snorted. "Now what on earth would make you think that?"

"What else could it be?" Inej bit out, temper flaring at Kaz's indifference.

"There's no shame in having a conscience, demjin," Matthias said, stepping in front of him, causing the raven-haired boy to halt.

With an impressive level of blasé, Kaz swot him out of the way with his cane and swiftly stepped round the big Fjerdan. "I thought you lot would know by now that I'm not in the business of emotions."

Dirtyhands continued on down the long pristine hallway, with the others following close behind in simmering silence. Nina contemplated setting down her waffle boxes just to strangle him but thought better of it.

Once stood in front of room 24, Kaz knocked briskly with one gloved hand and Jesper was opening the door within seconds. The Zemeni boy's smile fell once he saw the severe, angular face before him.

"Don't look so excited, Jesper," Kaz said, stepping passed him, "It's not you I'm here to see."

Jesper immediately whirled on the rest of the group, hissing, "I thought you said he wasn't coming!"

Before anyone could answer, his eyes caught a pair of golden ones. Jesper's features harden, "And I thought I told you to stay the fuck away from here."

Kuwei shrugged, "Save the threats. Your friend already beat you to it."

Kaz smirked, "And if you were smart you'd keep my words at the forefront of your pretty little head for the rest of this visit."

Jesper could have sworn he saw Kuwei actually shudder at the words, probably remembering what Dirtyhands had said to him earlier on. The Shu boy was instantly silent, submissive.

Wylan, who had by now sat up in his bed, only stared at the small crowd forming in his room. Kaz took the seat Jesper had set up beside the bed and rested his cane against the armrest.

"What are you doing here?" Wylan asked Kaz rather sharply.

"Am I not allowed to be here?" he countered.

"You're the reason he's here!" Jesper seethed, "You broke his wrist-"

"-In two places and shattered one bone in his forearm," Kaz finished. "Yes, I'm aware. I read his medical records on the way in."

"How...?" Jesper began but the question quickly faded from his lips. Of course Kaz would do such a thing. It's not as though it was beneath him to invade a person's privacy.

Wylan's jaw clenched, "So what? Are you here to gloat?"

Kaz cocked his head, "Gloating isn't really my style."

"Get to the point, Kaz," Jesper warned.

Kaz rolled his eyes, not paying the sharpshooter any mind as he kept his eyes on Wylan. "Merchling, how's about you tell your guard dog to step out for a bit?"

Jesper blustered, lips parted to say something more but then the anger seemed to dissipate from his eyes. Sadness crept into its' place and a single nod from Wylan sent him storming out the room.

"You're cruel, Kaz. An absolute brute," Nina said, tossing her boxes of waffles down furiously on a nearby table before marching out to follow Jesper.

Matthias, with a disgusted grunt also exited the room, seeing no reason to stay. Then Kuwei, feeling awkward, did the same, leaving Inej as the only crow left standing in the small room.

Without turning, Kaz rasped, "You too, Wraith. I want to talk to the kid alone."

Inej eyes narrowed into lethal slits. Arms crossed. "If you so much as lay a finger on-"

"It's okay, Inej," Wylan smiled softly, pleadingly, "I'll be alright."

The Suli girl paused, unmoving. She hesitated for a second but then turned, walking out the room soundlessly.

Once the door was shut and a dense silence descended, Kaz shifted forward in his seat, resting his elbows on his knees and lacing his fingers.

"I'm told you'll be wrapped up for 3 months or so," he stated.

Wylan didn't so much as glance at him, opting to stare at the wall instead. "Why are you here, Kaz?"

"To assess the damage."

"You make me sound like a broken asset," Wylan scoffed bitterly, "Too bad you don't have insurance."

Kaz almost smirked at the snide remark. Almost. "I suppose I'll have to get around to it."

There was a long pause.

"I'm sorry about what I said," Wylan blurted, glancing sidelong at him.

Kaz raised an eyebrow in what seemed a silent question. Wylan cleared his throat. "About Inej," he clarified.

Kaz looked away, nodded once. Another awkward silence followed and Wylan thought he might spontaneously combust from the sheer discomfort of the situation, when Kaz suddenly reached into his coat pocket. Then in the palm of his gloved hand Wylan saw a tattered deck of cards.

Kaz began to shuffle them quietly. "This was my first deck," he explained in that low rasp of his, "It's one of the first things I used to practise sleight of hand in the Barrel."

Suddenly he swiped his hand over the cards and they vanished, Wylan tried to contain his awe but it was useless. A small gasp escaped him. Kaz then stood, pocketing his one gloved hand and taking his cane in the other.

"I want you to have them," he said and nodded down at the corner of Wylan's bedside table where the deck had suddenly appeared with a note attached.

Wylan took the stack in his hand and looked back over at Kaz to find the raven haired boy already striding out the doorway.

"You'd better still be able to make explosives when that thing comes off," he called over his shoulder.

//

*Runaway_Wy & Zem_Bachelor Chat*

Runaway_Wy: where are you?

Zem_Bachelor: Sulking, eating waffles with Nina down stairs.

Zem_Bachelor: is he still with you?

Runaway_Wy: No, he left.

Zem_Bachelor: he didn't hurt you again did he? stg he'll catch these hands if he so much as tried to!

Runaway_Wy: No! Listen! He did the exact opposite, I can't believe it but he was actually nice and kinda even apologised in his Kaz-sorta way!?

Zem_Bachelor: You're kidding right?

Runaway_Wy: I swear! He even left a note with this gift he gave me

Zem_Bachelor: wtaf?!? He gave you a giFTt?!!?! He's never given me anything but a headache

Zem_Bachelor: what does it say??!! the note? what's it say!?

Runaway_Wy: "You and I are brains, Wylan and brains will get you anywhere you want to go. Don't ever envy brawn.
P.S. Tell anyone about this and I will break your other arm. - Kaz"

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