Who: Kaz, Jes, Nina What: running a scheme Where: the Muppet portal When: Apri. 21st Warnings: TBD Status: g-doc
Nina heard about a portal and immediately messaged both Kaz and Jesper. Yes, she wanted to go explore, but maybe they could run a con and get more money in one of the portals. The Grisha really wanted the three of them to get a place together once they all turned eighteen. None of them should be living under the roofs of grownups. Not after they’d all been on their own for years.
When she saw the city list, though, Nina felt overwhelmed. Not being from this world, they meant nothing to her. Nina started researching the place names on her phone. Should they go to a place known for gambling? Security might be tighter.
She looked at Kaz, because he’d make the final say. Nina did read out pros and cons of some of the cities, but there were too many to know immediately. “Should…should we pick somewhere where transportation services goes in case we want to return or somewhere we might never see again?”
Kaz listened to Nina read out the pros and cons of some of the designated destinations. He was unsure how it worked. Would people remember them once they left that city? Or would they forget? Madison Valley worked in mysterious ways and Kaz hated it. He was all about strategizing and planning and this town had a habit of flipping everything upside down on a whim. Kaz was not a fan. He liked control and it was difficult to plan something when you weren’t sure of the rules because there were barely any to follow.
So, he had to rely on instinct. If the people in those cities remembered those who traveled there, if they pulled a job and something went sideways, they could never return. Plus, those locations were always available. This portal? It was temporary and there was a chance it would never open again here. It felt like the better option. Even if they screwed something up, they didn’t really have to worry about any lasting consequences.
“Somewhere we might never see again,” Kaz answered, turning to look at Nina and Jesper. “The portal is only open for a limited time. There is a good chance it will never open here again after this time period. I say we take advantage of it. If something happens to go bad, we don’t have to worry about the consequences.” And Kaz wanted a practice run before they decided to use the transportation services. It sounded better to have that test run in a place they may never see again. Making decisions like this was Kaz’s job, and Jesper would happily go along with whatever Kaz decided. So for the few moments of indecision, as it was decided where they would go, Jesper sat backwards in a chair, playing poker on his phone. Thankfully, he hadn’t discovered apps that actually gambled real money, yet.
When Kaz finally spoke, he put his phone in his pocket and shifted his attention to Kaz and Nina.
“Okay, so, this portal. What’s in it? What kind of place is it?” He looked between them for an answer, since he hadn’t bothered to look into it at all. It hadn’t seemed important, since they hadn’t even decided what they were going to do yet. “Who’s our mark?”
All important things for all of them to know before they went forward.
Nina nodded at Kaz’s opinion, finding it made sense to her. This way they’d be less likely to run into problems in the future. Hopefully. Finally she read something on her phone and, without thinking, announced, “Vatican City or Rome? They seem to have plundered a lot from other places in the world. We’d just be…rehoming it again.” She found a clip on YouTube where she could hear Italian and her eyes lit up. “I…think I can speak this language. Our target could be something called the Vatican museum or…one of the thousands of galleries in Rome.” The Grisah didn’t understand how a City State existed in connection to a city in a country.
She read what was posted about the Portal again and found a Muppet clip on her phone. “I think it’s a city only with…felt like creatures who talk?” Nina passed her phone to her friends to look.
It would not be a specific person. Unfortunately, they were unfamiliar with any important people in this world. Kaz had not had time to research every wealthy person in existence. Hence why Nina was researching locations within this Vatican City or Rome to find them a place to hit. It would still require plenty of planning, but hopefully, with so many others visiting a certain place, the Crows could slip in and out without being detected.
“Will do a gallery in Rome,” Kaz stated, gaze shifting from Nina to Jesper. “The Vatican museum is bound to have tighter security.” And Kaz did not have Inej to help eliminate some of those security threats.
Nina proceeded to check the portal information. Kaz already had it memorized and he’d checked up on what a Muppet was. So, when Nina showed them her phone with a clip of those creatures, he wasn’t shocked at the sight.
“Which should hopefully make this job all the more easier to pull off.”
“What the hell is that?” Jesper exclaimed rather loudly when he saw the video on Nina’s phone. He got up from his chair and took the phone from her, staring at the creatures that looked like puppets but…weren’t. “That’s one of the creepiest things I’ve ever seen,” he said, handing back Nina’s phone. “We’re going to rob those?” He looked from Kaz to Nina and back again, before returning to his chair. “Okay. Right. A gallery.” Not robbing the creepy puppet…people directly. “Question, though. What happens if we - meaning I - shoot one of those things? Will it be effective? Will they die? Or will it just lose…stuffing and keep coming at me?” He shuddered at the thought. So creepy.
His attention shifted to Kaz. “So how are we going to do this? What do you need us to do?”
He assumed it would probably be Kaz actually lifting the art. What Kaz would have him do would probably have something to do with how much he trusted Jesper, and if he’d forgiven him for his fuck-up back home.
Nina didn’t like the idea that her powers might not work as usual in this world, but zombies were zombies. But a gallery in Rome sounded good. The Grisha flipped through her phone and finally settled on one with pieces they could easily carry. No way did Nina want to try and steal or carry a damn sculpture. That sounded terrible.
“We are going to rob those, creepy or not.” Nina assumed Kaz would send her into the museum first to scope out the art and charm, since they didn’t have their wraith. Although, Jes’s questions did cause a sense of uneasiness. She planned on waiting for Kaz’s opinion. He might decide to call off the robbery altogether.
“They are creepy and it is disturbing to think there is a world in which they are in charge.” But that didn’t particularly matter to Kaz. What mattered was the fact that they could steal from them and get away with it. “But we will be stealing from them and yes, if needed you will shoot them. I imagine stuffing may come out, but to avoid things getting too messy, just wound them.” Kaz hoped to avoid casualties, even of the creepy muppet variety.
Kaz lifted the phone from Nina’s hand so he could get a better look at the piece she’d stopped on. It was a small painting, minor compared to some of the others, but still worth a pretty penny on the market if they played their cards right. He handed the phone back to Nina and settled both hands on the Crow’s head of his cane.
If he wasn’t missing Inej, the plan would look much different. However, because they were down by three, Kaz would have to place Jesper in a more prominent role than he wanted to. Kaz had slowly started to move past Jesper's screw up, but it didn't mean all was forgiven. The situation forced his hand.
"Nina goes in first. She'll do recon for us and gather as much information as possible on security. In the meantime, you and I will get a layout of the museum. We figure out the best exit routes. I'm thinking we are going to need a distraction to clear out the gallery." Which could fall on any of them really. But he needed to hear more information about security which was where Nina came in. She could flirty with the guard and hopefully out a rotation.
"I'm thinking of something like setting off an alarm of some sort. Something that will attract all the guards' attention."
Kaz still didn’t trust him on his own, apparently. That was disappointing, but all he could do was his best and maybe eventually he’d work his way back into Kaz’s good graces. He’d screwed up, and he knew that. He was doing everything he could back home - and here - to change things, but it was going to take time. It had been almost a month since he’d gambled, so that was something. But he knew very well that it wasn’t enough something for Kaz. Not yet. At least he hadn’t done to him what he did to Big Bolliger. Which was good, right?
“Sure thing, boss,” he nodded. “I can pull an alarm easy enough if you need that.” He also could have volunteered to help Nina with the flirting, but he didn’t know if he could flirt with the creepy puppets. Again, shudder.
“I can do whatever you need me to, really,” he said hopefully. “Except flirting with muppets. I’m not flirting with muppets.”
*** Nina nodded. She’d never excel at recon like Inej, but thankfully her habit of charming people helped. The Grisha had an idea. After being here for almost six weeks, the Corpsewitch understood how much information could be gleaned from phones. Not guard’s schedules, but definite layouts of places.
She typed in some things and handed her phone back to Kaz. “Here’s the blueprints for the gallery. It’s not all of the information we need, but I think it’s a start.” Kaz would want to see things with his own eyes, for which the Grisha didn’t blame him.
“Uh, no, I think there are also humans, because I’m much better at charming them.” At least, Nina assumed so. But, she’d flirt with a pair of shoes if it got the trio what they wanted.
Forgiveness from Kaz could be a slow (and sometimes) painful process. However, he did care about Jesper. Which was part of the reason he went off on him the way he did. He would have rather placed Jesper in more of a sedentary role for this job, but they were limited on people. He knew or hoped rather that the gunslinger could manage to pull an alarm without screwing up.
“If we decide on the alarm as a distraction, you can be the one to pull it. And the only one doing any potential flirting with muppets is Nina.” And he knew Nina would do it too. Why? Because she’d flirt with anything to get a job done. There may have been a faint trace of amusement in his eyes as he accepted the phone from Nina and started skimming through the plans. He memorized the exits and made note of where the alarms were placed.
The best bet they had was to pull the alarm. It would send all the guards fleeing from the building and hopefully, give Kaz time to steal the painting. He would have to locate a place to lay low until Jesper pulled the alarm, but that shouldn’t be a problem. Hell, he might even be able to locate a security uniform for Jesper if humans did exist in the world. He could play a janitor. It depended on what roles humans played in that world, if any, but it was worth considering all the same.
He held the phone out to Jesper. “We should be able to make it in and out without a problem. We’ll set off the alarm furthest from the painting. If humans do exist in that world, perhaps we can find some uniforms for the two of us to blend in.”
He took the phone from Kaz, looking at it closely. He’d done enough jobs with Kaz that he knew what to look for, and spotted the alarm right away. It was opposite the painting, down another hallway. He could easily pull that and get out…as long as there weren’t a lot of other guards. In that case, he could still get out, it might just be a little…louder.
“Do we know how many guards they have?” he asked, handing back the phone. “And is this a…quiet job?” He much preferred the ones where he could use his revolvers, since he was good at that. “Also, how much do you think that painting’s worth? And do you have a Fence?” He’d never consider asking this stuff in Ketterdam, where he knew Kaz was completely on top of everything. But Madison Valley…wasn’t Ketterdam and everything was different here.
He threw up his hands.
“Just asking! I’m too greedy to do a job without knowing I’m getting paid.”
*** Nina had no idea about most of this, but at least she’d told Kaz of a possible fence. She’d met Karl through Kaz and spoke to him a few times, which she assumed Kaz had as well. “Karl mentioned a possible fence.”
“I’m hoping to figure out the amount of guards once I’m inside.” Usually Inej’s job, but beggars and all that noise. Without warning, Chessie appeared on top of Kaz’s shoulder and…seemed intent to just hang out. Of course, Kaz’s guardian had a companion too smart for his own good.
Unless. And an idea formed in Nina’s head.
“I know this sounds crazy, but…what if he checks on the guards for us?”
“As Nina said, it is her job to scope out the guards.” Again, normally Inej could handle anything regarding recon, but being that she wasn’t present, they would have to make do with what they had. Kaz had every confidence Nina could pull it off. He’d seen her acting at the Ice Court. Her charm, along with her Grisha talents, was her meal ticket as much as it was theirs.
Kaz accepted the phone back then passed it to Nina before turning his attention back to Jesper. “Outside of the alarm, it will be a quiet job. No shooting unless necessary.” He knew Jesper liked to use his revolvers and they very well may need him to, but Kaz was hoping it wouldn’t come to violence.
Thanks to Karl, they had a possible Fence, but Kaz wasn’t making any promises. “We have a potential Fence. In the meantime, you just have to focus on not fucking up your part of the plan.” And in that instant, Chessie decided to appear on Kaz’s shoulder. The Bastard of the Barrel turned and glared at the being on his shoulder. He’d have to tell Alyssa to keep her pet on a tighter leash. He didn’t like being followed unless the stalker looked like Inej.
At Nina’s suggestion, Kaz sighed. “How do we know we can trust him to do what he is told? The answer is we can’t. He has a mind of his own and if he decides he doesn’t like what is going on, he’ll just disappear as surely as he just reappeared on my shoulder.” In other words, Chessie was unreliable.
“Ouch,” Jesper said, looking from Kaz to Nina and back again. “Seriously, ouch.” Maybe, just maybe he also deserved that, but he was doing everything in his power to make amends. Apparently he still had a long way to go. Surely, though, he could manage to pull an alarm without everything turning to shit. “Guess I should be glad I’m not guarding the door.”
Chastised, he rested his hands on the back of the chair and rested his chin on top of them. He was still paying attention, but he was just listening for the moment. Well, that was, until the creature appeared on Kaz’s shoulder and he jumped back, almost bringing the chair with him. He had his hands on his revolvers before he realized it was something that Nina and Kaz knew…somehow.
Standing now, he crossed his arms over his chest and watched the two of them and the weird disappearing cat creature.
“I’m with Kaz on this. I don’t really trust anyone but us.”
*** Nina watched as the creature turned upside down, so his smile turned into a frown. “Sorry, but majority rules.” Also Nina agreed with the other two, mostly. Chessie vanished, although Nina worried just what he might say after not being allowed to join the trio.
To Jes, she added, “You won’t fuck up.” The Grisha could see the words got to Jesper, even if she understood why Kaz mentioned them.
“Alright. Are we ready to do this?”
“You’re not guarding the door because there is yet to be a door for you to guard,” Kaz pointed out. Kaz wanted his own place desperately. Unfortunately, minors could not own businesses here and even if he could, Kaz did not have the funds to make it happen anyway. Not yet. Once they sold this painting, he would at least have a starting point. Maybe he’d end up with enough to open the doors to a new Crow Club here. After all, how hard could it be to forge a few papers, making him older than he was? However, they had to pull off this job first.
Kaz wouldn’t lie; it was funny when Jesper almost fell out of his chair. Him drawing his revolvers? Not so much. Thankfully, he relaxed when he realized that both Kaz and Nina knew who Chessie was.The guns were tucked safely away and his arms folded on his chest. Kaz knew Chessie could have handled himself, but he was still relieved the situation hadn’t escalated to involving bullets. Kaz was also secretly pleased Jesper agreed with him about Chessie.
The Netherling didn’t look pleased when Nina basically told him ‘no.’ However, he didn’t push it and disappeared. Yes, Kaz was a little worried about what he would say to Alyssa, but also he didn’t much care. This was who he was and he wasn’t going to let anyone, including Alyssa, change that. Besides, he doubted she’d go and call the cops on him. He didn’t see her as a snitch.
Kaz let Nina do the reassuring. That wasn’t his job. Jesper knew Kaz meant every single syllable of that statement and with good reason.
“Let’s go. We’re as ready as we are going to be.” Kaz started for the door.