"It's the son."

Staying at the Slat was alot more...different than what Yvaine had slowly become used to back at the Inn that had always smelled like warm vanilla, like something comforting. And perhaps if the slanted building had been the first one she'd happened upon all those weeks ago when she'd first appeared through the shadows like a dark phantom, she would of thought better of it. Because she still had a bed here, she still had a pillow to rest her weary head after whatever job she'd be forced to do through Brekker's indifferent tongue and still had somewhere to be sheltered away from the pouring rain.

Which was a lot more than she could of said about her rather depressing life thus far, going from sleeping on the rough ground of the world outside, always chilled to the bone and the stones and dirt unforgiving to her fragile flesh. To being with Deverous who had swore to her that the only bed she'd ever sleep in under his so called care was his own, which had forced her to take to the floor once more, though this time blessed with a blanket...which had eventually been taken away when she'd been moved to her cage like a tortured little song bird.

So yes, there was some part of her that still longed for the comfort of the Inn, and most specially from the comfort of the old lady who ran it instead of the rather depressing atmosphere of the Barrel and its battle worn inhabitants. Missing the sweet porridge Mrs. Vallel would make in the mornings that always had just the right amount of sugar hidden in its depth, settling in her empty stomach and giving her a certain energy that she'd never felt before as she'd set about her day to cause whatever mischief she could by slipping her shadow-stained fingers into pockets without so much as a backward glance just to head back later in the evening to warm food and sweetened tea.

But now it seemed that she didn't have the need for such simple comforts anymore...such as silent nights not ruined with voices and groans that would echo through the thin walls from downstairs or the thumping of a cane above her as Brekker paced through his room like a starving monster with a need for blood shed, planning his next heist until the early hours of the morning and keeping her beady eyed and weary while her body trembled on high alert, practically able to feel his frustration as it bled through the floorboards and awaiting the moment he would storm down the stairs separating them to take it out upon her.

...And yet he never did, at least not yet anyway because the week was still young or whatever that expression was...but there was plenty of time for it to start happening and the moment it did, she'd find a way to disappear once more. She would not simply be reduced to another mans plaything again, his shadow, his killer or their 'love-sick' protector in return for the simplest acts of what she'd believed to be human decency. She wouldn't, she couldn't do it again, she'd rather die before she'd let another man make her his slave or attempt to make her his whore.

However, between her cautious regard for her new boss and her rather uncomfortable living arrangements, there was one small mercy she'd found in the dreary atmosphere, and that was Jesper, because somehow becoming his friend was simpler than breathing.

Which of course, lead her to where she was in that exact moment, cradling some form of buttery drink that absolutely tasted foul upon her tongue and sent an ache down her throat but made her giddy and kept her cheek flushed as they sat in the corner of the Crow Club, giggling amongst each other like children as he taught her how to play a card game, or, better yet how to cheat in the card game which they'd long since stopped paying attention to the moment he'd managed to snag their drinks, losing themselves in the company of each other and ignoring everyone around them, perfectly content in their own little bubble of mischief that grew louder by the second.

"So, wait a moment love, you're saying that you've just lived on the streets? Since what- since you could walk?" His voice was barely louder than a whisper as he rested his elbows against the slightly sticky table, the warm glow of the club bathing him in a hue of orange light that made him look somehow far prettier than usual as the warm flames of the candle danced over his festures with whispered shadows, white teeth peeking out from his perfect smile and for a moment, she was almost jealous of how effortlessly beautiful he managed to be.

"Hey it wasn't that bad, I didn't have a bedtime...and I didn't have to eat my veggies." Yvaine winked as he snorted, rubbing his palm down his boiling hot cheeks in an effort to conceal his laughter at her words with a fond shake of his head, and the shadow summoner waited until he'd lifted his glass back up to his lips for a drink to continue, her dark eyes glistening with some form of mischief that made her shallow depths seem to glow. "Though the first time I got my period I thought I was dying."

Jesper laughed a startled laugh into his drink, spilling it over the table as it trickled from his mouth in an abrupt spray that sprinkled over her skin as the two leaned towards each other, shoulders brushing together with their heads bent low and giggling loudly in the rowdy bar with their cheeks flushed and eyes unfocused...before being cruelly interrupted as cane was suddenly slammed down onto their table with a hammering bang! Causing them both to jump, the sharpshooter almost falling out of his chair while Yvaine was half a second away from a heart attack as she blinked at the dark cane in shock.

"Jesper...Shouldn't you be on the doors?" Brekker's rough voice washed over her like a bucket of ice cold water, her spine going ridged where it lay under her prison of flesh as she sat just a bit straighter, glaring down at the floor in an effort not to look up at him, eyes flickering over the various stains that had come with the night and then over to the bastard of the Barrel's black shoes, somewhat suprised to see that there was no blood on them considering she was pretty sure he tortured people in his spare time, he most definitely had the looks for it anyway.

"Traded shifts with Rotty, boss, just helping our lovely Yvaine get used to everything."

"Don't bring me into this." She muttered into her drink as she lifted it to her lips, ignoring the betrayed look he shot her in return as she went to take a sip from the vile drink that was somehow tasting better and better with every second that passed them by, only to be interrupted once more when Brekker suddenly moved and pressed the bottom of his cane against the glass to force it back down onto the table in front of her with a dark glimmer in his eyes, leaning forward towards her like a looming shadow with a slow shake of his head.

"I think you've had enough, pick-pocket. Upstairs...both of you." He snapped, lifting his cane and passing it over into his other hand, the black gloves catching the glare of the overhead light before he turned around and left the two staring off after him in indignation, Yvaine finding herself unable to tear her gaze away with a barely noticeable tremor in her fingers as he limped up the stairs, and it was like the moment he disappeared from view, the room suddenly began to gain back the lively energy that she hadn't even noticed left in the first place.

"Are we about to get punished or something?"

"Why on earth would you think that, love? Nah, think the boss has something different in mind." Jesper chuckled as if he knew something she didn't, finally standing up on slightly unsteady legs to tug his tan coat back over his ridiculously lanky body, long fingers dancing over his hips where he checked his revolvers still lay, and then offering his hand down to Yvaine who took it, allowing him to gently haul her up and then use her as an armrest as he wrapped said limb around her shoulders to begin leading her away, casting a mournful look over towards the gambling tables as he did so.

"Like what?"

"Well I do believe it's time for a heist."
_________________________________________________

As it turns out, her favourite sharpshooter had been right...which she felt like was a rare occurrence indeed, because the moment the two had stepped a foot in Brekker's office with Inej already there leaning against the window and sending the shadow summoner a soft smile as she stumbled in, he was telling them of his latest schemes and the roles they would inevitably play in his plot to steal some kind of extremely valuable tiara from a merchant called Vernon...though he hadn't found it amusing in the slightest when Yvaine made a joke that she had a dress he could borrow that could match the blue jewels perfectly.

In fact, he looked like he was ready to cave her skull in with that cane of his, but in truth, that seemed to be his usual look when it came to the pick pocket, so she wasn't half as scared as she probably should of been.

But thankfully, the plan was relatively simple, or at least simple enough for her slightly tipsy mind to understand...and compared to his usual chaotic schemes, it almost seemed dull in comparison. Because while she'd be dressing up as a servant, Inej would be watching like a silent saint from her place along a rooftop as some kind of look out, while finally, Jesper and Brekker would be dressed as rich merchants sons that would be snuck in by her when she's steal the keys so they, in turn, could steal the tiara that was apparantly worth alot of kruge...so as she'd said, relatively easy.

And later on during the night when the plan had begun to take place, she found out that the targets mansion was stunningly beautiful, so much so that it had almost taken her breath away when she'd stepped inside with a small smile curling at her lips. The walls freshly painted in colours of champagne and gold with the chandelier lights casting a warm glow from the sun dipping over the horizon, and there was just something about the whole decor of the place, the energy that felt almost ethereal even if it was absolutely freezing.

But it felt like the moment she'd stepped foot on the white marble floors underneath her, she'd damned the whole place with her cursed presence as the darkness in the room grew stronger for a moment, feeling her rotting presence like maggots to a corpse which she desperately ignored.

However, while she found the mansion in itself to be pretty, the clothing choice of the evening she felt looked totally abysmal in comparison, with the dress she wore looking like some sort of skinned bear which definitely should of felt alot warmer, like many of the other girls wore in an effort not to dull the voluptuous and rich merchants wives that turned their noses up at everything and anything while their husband were dressed in some of the most hideous suits she'd ever seen that made her have a new appreciation for Brekker's black ones...though he didn't have such comforts now considering he'd been forced to wear the same thing as all the others, and she almost felt sorry for the poor bastard.

But all in all, she had actually thought that she had played her part as the dutiful servant quite well, because after sneaking Jesper and the current bane of her existence inside while Inej kept her place hidden on the roof, Yvaine been forced into work, carrying around little trays full of glasses of some expensive smelling wine that yes, she may of took a sip of, or two...or three. And between making sure that she didn't drop anything as she made her way around the large room and keeping her tongue and shadows in check at the rather patronising and rude merchants around her, she felt like she deserved some form of constellation prize.

Of course, that being said, she really didn't know how long she could keep this up, and she was starting to get more and more stressed out by the moment. And the shadow summoner knew from experience that the more stressed she happened to get, the more loose her morals and her control became...however, she thankfully didn't have to worry for much longer as she finally saw Jesper moving through the crowd with Brekker limping behind him with a face like thunder, his lips pulled in a thin line and eyes dangerous.

"What's with his face?" She whispered with a frown when she met them in the middle, placing the tray down on the table as quietly as she could when she noticed the nervous look on the Zemeni boys usually charming face as he pulled to a stop in front of her, his hand reaching forward to pull her closer as he bent his head low, his lips brushing over the shell of her ear to make sure that he couldn't be heard as he shot a suspicious look towards a waiter walking past them.

"It was gone, the tiara wasn't there, love."

"What do you mean it wasn't there? I thought you said that you knew where it was?" Of course she hadn't actually been told where it was or what room they were going to be stealing it from, hell, it was a miracle she even knew what they were taking, but in truth she had become used to not knowing the good majority of his plans due to the dark-haired boy keeping his cards close to his chest, but that didn't stop her question as Yvaine turned her head over towards Brekker, but of course, he didn't do her the courtesy of gracing her with his answer as his upper lip curled into a snarl.

"We don't know, we got in and it was gone! Like it had disappeared or something."

Yvaine paused for a second, her eyes flickering back over to Brekker as soon as Jesper had finished his rough explanation of few words, watching the way his sharp jaw jumped in frustration, the pale skin pulled taunt over the sinful bone that it looked ready to snap with his eyes dark and dangerous, his hand clenching over his cane to the point she could literally hear the leather of his glove squeaking through the voices echoing through the ballroom, the beak of the crow-head half a second away from cutting into the skin of his palm if he clutched it any tighter.

Anger was a good look on him she decided with an unfortunate heat blossoming at the back of her neck and tips of her ears, and yet it was such a shame that that handsome face belonged to such a massive asshole.

"It can't just be gone, Jesper. We were the only ones who knew where it was." He hissed through gritted teeth as if the two hadn't already had this argument on their way to Yvaine, looking around the room sharply as if someone had heard him...but the merchants were far too busy talking amongst themselves in their loud and fake voices, talking about their incredible wealth in an effort to show off in a game called who'd dick is bigger than who's that had her trying and failing to fight the effort to yawn, rolling her eyes as she glanced over the room almost with idle boredom that had Kaz wanting to slap her with his cane.

"Well someone must of been a very good guesser because it wasn't there or were you seeing something that I didn't?"

She could hear the two arguing behind her, squabbling like a pair of children over their own blame and greed and if it were anyone else she'd probably make the very stupid decision to call them idiots and tell them that the longer they lingered here the longer they'd start looking suspicious...but as she'd recently found out through sleeping just under his own room and hearing his muttering and pacing with rifling papers was that the Bastard of the Barrel was very particular about these sorts of things, his little heists, everything had to go his exact way, he'd make plan upon plan that was scrutinised down to the last detail and if something went wrong he usually had another one planned just behind it.

It was impressive just as much as it was annoying because the last thing she actually wanted to do was admire him, the person blackmailing her with her own freedom, which really should of been a right and not something to be goaded about, something to be held over her head like a threat.

But because it was Brekker, and because it was her freedom on the line, Yvaine found her eyes flickering around the room slowly, glancing from face to face with practiced nonchalance, the shadows beginning to dance through the crevices of the walls as she looked at the big dresses, the fancy shoes and hair pieces of the women and then the crisp and clean suit pieces that every man seemed to be wearing that looked like they were worth more than whatever she'd be able to afford...before her gaze stopped on someone in the distance, and whatever she seen caused a small smirk to curl over her painted lips.

"It's the son."

Jesper's baffled face snapped towards her so fast that she was afraid he was going to get whiplash as the two crows ceased their argument at her confident accusation, his mouth hanging open in confusion while Brekker looked her up and down with calculated scrutiny before switching his gaze to search through the crowd of people to look for the son, his right brow lightly quirked with his ever present look of superiority as she doubled down on her observation. "Vernon's son. He's the one that took it."

"Why would he-"

"Look at him. Look at what he's wearing." Yvaine said, rolling her eyes in exasperation at his obvious blindness to the things around him, rubbing the heel of her palm over the make-up covered scar on her jaw with a huff of breath leaving her lips. Observation was something that came easy to her, it came easy to most pick pockets she assumed, because it could be the difference between having your hands full and having them empty...for example some men liked to dress rich while being poor, and some liked to dress poor while being rich, and it took a certain kind of eye to be able to tell the difference, and when it could very well be your life hanging in the balance, you learned quick or you died quicker.

"He's wearing the same thing as every man here! Including us, by the way."

"No, no he's not. All of theirs are new, recently bought, expensive probably to flash off their wealth but his? His is older, it's got frayed edges at the sleeve, the colour is duller and it looks about two sizes two big for him, probably because it's about two years old and because he doesn't have enough money to buy a new one...and obviously because he's been spending his inheritance on his substance abuse." She said, leaning closer with a manic look in her dark eyes that closely resembled Kaz when he was holding onto a lead with everything he had, and Jesper had to fight off the sudden to shiver in horror as he scoffed in disbelief

"Oh come on, you're making this up now."

And yet it seemed that Brekker was actually thinking about it as he kept his gaze firmly on the merchants son, knowing an addict when he saw one, glancing down at the dirty nails, the tremors in his too thin fingers, and the way his body seemed to roll with occasional shivers...and it was Yvaine's groan that brought his attention back over to her as he stared at her with new eyes. "He's sweating Jes, why would he be sweating? Even you said that this place is freezing! It could be because of the fact he's got a hefty tiara in his pocket but no, he's definitely done this before or he wouldn't be sticking around, he knew exactly where to go and exactly how to take it."

"He's not sweating because he's nervous, he's sweating because he's going through withdrawals." She finally finished her assessment of the boy probably just a few years older then they were, and when Jesper grimaced at her with that look of disbelief still on his face, she found herself ready to explode with frustration. "Look, I may not be good at...well alot of thing really, no point in making a list...but what I am good at is observing people and knowing when they have something valuable for me to take. Pick-pocket, remember?"

"And if you're wrong about this?" Brekker finally broke his ominous silence, the familar rough drawl heavy on her ears as he glanced down at her idly only to see her already smirking up at him with a spark of chaos that looked almost sinful.

"If I'm wrong about this, I'll eat your hat."

He held her gaze for a few moments, each second that passed them by feeling like a lifetime as they both tried to search the others eyes as the world around them faded into nothing more than background noises and blurs of colour...but searching for what however? Neither actually knew, before he finally moved to the side, cane tapping against smooth marble and then gestured her forward with a tip of his head and twitch of his thin lips. "Let's hope you're not then, I'm quite fond of that hat pick-pocket."

Yvaine snorted as she walked past him without so much as a backward glance, eyes already on the prize as she moved through the masses with her head bent low to her chest, already slipping into her part of a meek servant girl as she slipped through their bodies, almost choking on their strong perfumes and aftershaves that rushed to her senses like a punch to the stomach, making her feel somewhat dizzy as she scrunched her nose up in displeasure.

Honestly, she had no idea how people did this, any of this really. The too-tight corsets that ripped the breath from your lungs all in the name of beauty, of vanity, in their efforts to look the best of the best but just looking shallow and worn out, a shambled image of wealth that made the poor salivate at the mouth. The experience suits that always seemed so perfectly fitted, bought with the bloodied labour of underpaid Barell rats that no one cared for, no one spared a second look at until it was too late and they were robbed blind or worse.

And of course, the extravagant parties that they used to show off, unknowingly leaving their valuables ripe for the taking from greedy hands like her own as she moved in behind Vernon's son, twisting her hand to feel the shadows reach back towards her like dogs called to their master before they sunk into his pocket...where the sight of the tiara greeted her far too quickly for anyone else to notice before it slipped into her hand and the shadows seeped back into their crevices.

She shot Brekker a triumphant smirk from over her shoulder, pushing the crown into her dress but making sure that for just a moment it caught the glare of the chandelier up above her, the sparkle of the embedded jewels glistening for half a second which was just enough time for him to see it...and he didn't quite smile, no, she wasn't actually sure his face knew how to do that, but his lips give a sudden twitch and the constant dip in his brow eased, and Yvaine thought that he looked almost ten years younger without that calculated severity.

But before she could move towards the two and make their escape, a hand appeared out of seemingly nowhere and latched tight around her wrist and yanked her back, sharp nails digging into her skin than made her hiss, turning her head with a dark sheen flashing through her gaze that most would take as a warning, and out of the corner of her eye she could see Jesper suddenly lurch forward as if to rush towards her, his hand hovering over his hips where she knew he'd hidden his revolvers but before he could get to her, a cane was suddenly blocking his way and ensuring that he didn't take a step further.

And obviously on the end of the cane was Brekker as he quickly snapped something at the sharpshooter, shaking his head with a scowl...but when he glanced over to her once more, she could see the scheming look on his face as he meet her eyes, only for Yvaine to give him a short nod, trying to tell him that she could handle it, that she could handle anything, before she turned her head to the side to find Vernon's son staring at her, sweat gathered at the top of his lip and dripping down his chin like drool as he licked at his own mouth like a starving animal.

"Get me a drink sweetheart, and make it quick I've got places to be." He said patronisingly down at her, glancing over his shoulder with a kind of nervous and restless energy pouring out of him at the seams as he grimaced, showing a flash of his decaying teeth that only proved her point to be even more true as she narrowed her eyes, feeling the shadows hidden in the deep corners of the room as they began to flicker, feeling her rising frustration and reacting in kind...but instead of wreaking destruction at the absolute disrespect like she desperately wanted to, she instead chose to smile sweetly.

"Of course, Sir. That's what I'm here for." Her voice was high-pitched and fake, grating against her own ears like nails scraping across chalk but he obviously didn't seem to care if that leechy smile that twisted his already grotesque features were any indication, and yet the moment she turned away, turned her back and took a single step towards the direction where the boys had been, she heard a whoosh of air before she felt the slap, sharp and rough on her backside which caused her to freeze, jaw clenching tightly as she took a shaky breath and began to walk with a certain tension in her bones, hearing his laughter behind her threatening to swallow her whole.

She tried to keep her anger in check, tried to keep that blossoming rage that churned under her skin like a vengeful promise calm and sated, eyes drifting through the crowd to find Brekker's once more just to find him already looking at her as she danced through the merchants and their wives and servants, the reassuring scratch of the tiara heavy against her hip as it dug into her skin until she was finally standing in front of him with her hands clenched into tight fists in an effort to stop their trembling, breath hitched and eyes almost wild.

"Where's Jesper?"

"Outside, he was starting to look rather trigger-happy and this job called for a more...subtle approach." He said slowly, before he gestured his head down towards the skirt of her dress where she quickly caught onto the hint, reaching into the brown mess to pull the tiara out for half a second, and then slipping it back inside the moment she knew he'd seen it with his own eyes, her gaze flitting around the room with a certain anxiety begining to blossom inside her at the way the room had darkened just slightly, just enough for her to notice.

"I don't think he has a subtle bone in his body." Yvaine whispered tightly, a slight tremor in her voice that made it shake as she tried to keep control but finding it harder and harder as the pressure mounted inside her like a bomb waiting to blow, memories flashing to callous hand that hurt, that wounded and scarred for no other reason except that they could and because she allowed it, allowed herself to be nothing and feeling like that young girl all over again as she struggled to breathe, unaware of the way Brekker seemed to be watching her closely.

Looking at the way she held herself, drawn in like she was cowering away from something monstrous with her eyes that were so dark that even he struggled to find where her pupil ended and iris began as they constantly moved, shifting around like a skittish bird. And after a minute of just watching her, he finally tore his gaze away and clenched his hand over his cane, glancing towards the exist with a slight nod of his head, already limping towards it. "Come along pick-pocket, I have other things I need to do tonight."

"As long as you don't call on me to do any of them, I couldn't care less." The shadow summoner muttered, following behind him like a stray dog as he moved through the crowds, unable to help the small hint of admiration that simmered in her gut at the way he commanded a certain presence in a room, so much so to the point people were seemingly creating a path for him without even realising it, and she had to fight off the small, almost amused curl of her lips as she stared at his ridged back that constantly seemed tense as they finally made their escape.

And the moment her feet touched the gravel outside, feeling the air wrap around her body like a calm embrace and cooling that boiling rage that had flushed her cheeks and made her shadows flicker with hatred, she was suddenly lifted up from the ground with a shocked squeal and spun around in a circle, her hands grappling for purchase of broad shoulders and only calming when she heard Jesper's laughter. "You were incredible in there, love! I never doubted you for a moment!"

"Right, of course you didn't." Yvaine giggled, feeling all sorts or dizzy as he dropped her back onto her feet, shaking her head in an effort to stop the metathorial birds swirling around it, fingers instantly skimming down her side to make sure the tiara was still there only to startle when she touched only air, eyes going wide as she quickly glanced around herself, just to spot Brekker with it in his hands, looking over it with a hum and she barely even had time to wonder when he'd managed to take it from her without her knowing before her attention was grabbed by the sharpshooter once more.

"Come on, you've got to teach me that little trick, that could come quite handy on the tables you know?" He grinned, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and tapping his index finger against her nose causing it to scrunch unconsciously as she quickly shoved him away with a scoff slipping through her throat, not really wanting to start laughing in his face but rather close to it at the mere suggestion observation was something that could be taught.

"Well that's definitely not happening."

"Why not?" Jesper whined loudly, looking half a second away from actually pouting at her as Yvaine laughed, opening her mouth to answer only to feel a sudden shiver at it crept up her spine and made its home there, the shadows whispering around her like startled pets and when she happened to glance up towards the roof, she easily found their cause for alarm as a familar figure danced across the rooftops, almost blended into the darkness around them and found herself smiling slightly, lifting her hand in a quick wave before moving back to the conversation at hand.

"Because you'd only end up using it for evil. And I can't force that onto the poor souls of Ketterdam, in good conscience of course."

She smiled at him over her shoulder, watching the way he gasped at her in dramatic annoyance with his hand splayed across his chest as if absolutely wounded by her words, but the illusion was quickly shattered when he grinned and shoved his shoulders nonchalantly. "Well then, the least you could do is buy me a drink then."

"Honestly Jesper darling, I'll be going straight to bed the moment we reach the Slat tonight...but for now I'm just glad it's over." Yvaine yawned, scratching her nose with her index finger and was so focused on fighting the familar urge of finding the nearest dry patch to fall asleep, she managed to miss the way Jesper almost fell over his own two feet at the nonchalant term of endearment that had slipped from her lips, a cheeky grin crossing over his features soon after as he saddled back up beside her, opening his mouth to do what he did best and flirt only to be interrupted relatively quickly.

"Not quite."

They both turned their heads at the familar rough drawl to see the Brekker boy looking down at the tiara held gently between his gloved grip as he limped beside them, the bright blue of the diamonds shining in the pale moonlight that was nothing short of enchanting...but even Yvaine could see the greedy sheen that had settled in those dark eyes of bleak coal, before he raised his head to meet the shadow summoner gaze with a slight quirk to his brow that had something unpleasant stirring in her stomach as his lips twitched.

"This is part of a matching set, after all."