Who: Kaz and Nina What: A con at the casino. When: backdated to Sat. night Where: The Iron Pepper Casino Status: Closed; Completed G-doc Rating: lowish
Kaz was seated on a bar stool at the large, full bar located in the center of the casino. An arm rested on the counter top, a hat beside it, and a gloved hand cupped a half-full glass of whiskey, while keen, gray eyes took in the hustling, bustle environment around him. His ears peeled for any talk, any secrets slipped past tongues loosed by suffocating amounts of vice and temptation around him. Occasionally, it would pause on one of the Black Jack tables located conveniently across from his place at the bar and on one young woman in particular.
He’d time himself, counting out only a few seconds, before he shifted it back to his drink, his phone, and then to the other patrons once more. Anyone who noticed would simply think Kaz was admiring the blond seated at the table. Perhaps even wager he was considering asking her for a drink after another round of cards. It was precisely what Kaz wanted them to think. That his interest in that woman was purely attraction and nothing more.
Though, it could not have been farther from the truth. Kaz had never, would never see Nina Zenik that way. If anything she was like a sister to him. Not that he would ever admit that to her face. To anyone. But he wasn’t foolish enough to think Nina didn’t already know it. Someone with the ability to spy, blend in, and disappear in a sea of faces knew a thing or two about reading people. She wouldn’t be as good at her job if she was clueless to the inner workings of those whose eyes she attempted to pull wool over. With her shameless flirting and well-placed touches, effortless smiles, Nina was a master at being a spy. The perfect actress.
At least, she had been. Kaz had set up this con precisely to ensure she still possessed such skills. Nina, for her part, was excited at the prospect of utilizing her skillset once more. Given the latest antics of the Dome, Kaz was also inclined to have a distraction and a casino con seemed the perfect way to cross two things off his list with minimal effort. Normally, Kaz would be at the table too or at a nearby table, but tonight, he wanted to see what Nina could do so he set her loose on the casino alone.
Saints help her if she fucked it up.
Nina did not plan on fucking up, thank you very much. She knew this particular play and pretended she didn’t notice the attractive young man checking her out, when she walked away from the bar. Even while she and Kaz were more like chaotic siblings than anything else. Maybe he wouldn’t say so out loud, but Nina knew he thought of her like a sister. Thankfully for the pair, Nina wouldn’t say so out loud. Her time in Fjerda caused Nina to read people even better, while allowing ever fewer people to read her. Kaz, Inej, Eve, Nikolai, and Zoya could read her better than most, but she’d almost forgotten how to be herself, unhelped by seeing this face in the mirror.
But, she could still flirt and charm like no other. Right now she’d found a middle-aged man who kept checking out her cleavage. When he asked her to blow on dice for him, she did, eyes gazing up at his. Which worked out well for her, because he didn’t notice her pilfering some chips. Not as many as usual, but tonight was more about ensuring she still could Nina wanted to try cloning a phone, eventually, but she still needed time to read more and try it with a burner phone first.
“I need to go get a drink. I’ll return shortly.” Nina walked away into the washroom, changing into a wig and slightly different dress so the man wouldn’t recognize her. She needed to try her hand at cards again.
Kaz took another sip of his whiskey, his gaze once more landing on Nina just as she leaned down, cleavage on full display, and blew on the dice clenched in the hands of a balding, sweaty middle-aged coot. She held his gaze with her now icy blue eyes and only Kaz noticed the subtle shift in her position as she pilfered a few chips. Unsurprisingly, the man was oblivious to the gesture. If this had been a normal night, Kaz would have found himself annoyed that Nina hadn’t taken more, but tonight, he knew, as well as she did, that it wasn’t about the money. It was about proving to Kaz and, really, not so much really him, but herself, that she could still pull off a con. Still be a Crow.
He shifted his gaze down to his drink, but caught sight of Nina out of the corner of his eye, making her way to the bathroom. She was on to phase two of the plan. In the bathroom, she’d switch her dress and don a wig, moving onto the next table. Her destination? Cards. Kaz polished off his alcohol, threw a few bills on the bar, and slid from his bar stool. Casually, he made his way to the bathrooms, walking slow enough that he arrived just as the Grisha was emerging from the ladies’ room. He made it look as if he’d nearly collided with her, though their bodies didn’t make contact. Kaz managed to even take her arm in an attempt to make it look as if he was steadying her. Progress.
“Not bad, Nina dear.” Kaz kept his voice low as he addressed her. “Moving on to cards, I hope.”
A little extra money would be lovely, but tonight Nina needed to prove to both of them that she could still be an asset to the Crows; that she was still a Crow. Living in Fjerda, working as a spy, Nina used different skills than as a Crow and like anything else, skills could rust without use.
After double checking nobody else was in the washroom, the Grisha looked at herself in the mirror and quietly spoke. “You are Nina Zenik.” She’d changed into jeans and a sweater, a brunette wig, and tucked her dress into a small bag she could set somewhere to grab later.
Exiting, Kaz was right where she expected him, and swayed slightly, playing right into the role. “Of course, Kaz darling,” she commented with a smile, sound ever so slightly drunk. A slight pause as she noticed the man looking around for her. “Here goes nothing,” she commented, giving her friend a quick smile.
She breezed right by the man who barely glanced at the brunette. Nina settled herself at a card table, smiling at the dealer. As the cards were dealt, the Corpsewitch methodically recalled everything Kaz taught her.
The touch was brief, simply enough to steady a ‘tipsy’ girl on her feet and nothing more. He didn’t want to appear as if he was getting ‘handsy’ lest they draw the attention of security or possibly a rather frumpy, middle-aged man from the table Nina had recently vacated. Though the wig and change of clothes should dissuade the latter. Seemingly satisfied at her response, Kaz straightened and released her.
“Good. Stay on your guard and if you require assistance, you know what to do,” he replied in a tone only Nina could hear. Kaz rarely smiled, but, to play the role of kind, potentially flirty stranger, he forced a smile to his lips, one that quickly faded when she stepped away. Again, an attempt to make it seem as if he’d failed to get ‘lucky.’ It was, like everything, part of the scheme Kaz had concocted in advance of tonight’s con.
He allowed his gaze to linger on Nina (again, to make it seem as if he still held interest despite her refusal of him), watching as she breezed past the stranger she’d been flirting with moments before and settled at a card table. On cue, she flashed the dealer that disarming smile and the cards were dealt. Kaz turned away and stepped into the men’s room.
Kaz despised public bathrooms, so his trip inside was quick and to the point. He washed his hands and spared only a quick glance in the mirror as he did so. Nothing was amiss with his outfit and he steeled his expression once more, tugging on his gloves and retrieving his cane from where it was hooked on the edge of the counter. Another game and the two would be through for the night. So far, everything was going smoothly and Nina seemed to have settled back into her role as a Crow easily enough. Still, cards would prove to be the more difficult task because it involved everything Kaz had shown her with slight of hand.
The buzz of the casino greeted his ears as he exited the bathroom and headed to a card table himself. It was two down from the one Nina currently occupied and Kaz spared only a single glance at her table before settling into a seat at his own. Cards dealt, Kaz’s focus shifted to the cards held in a gloved hand and away from everything else, including Nina. He would still be keeping an eye on her, but it would be far less frequent. He was, in a sense, trusting her to handle herself. Before her trip home, Kaz never would have doubted Nina’s ability, but she’d been in Fjerda for a while now and things changed. There was a plan in place to extract her if things fell apart, but Kaz wouldn’t be pleased if he had to use it.
Nina didn’t do any sleight of hand at first. She needed a few hands to remind herself how to play the game, which turned out to be the thing she should have studied. Kaz might kill her if she lost another hand. Thankfully, by hand four (which would probably be the last one before Kaz pulled her), she remembered every step of the game. She won.
Hand five, her three 7s lost to 3 10s. Hand six, the Grisha began her sleight of hand, knowing Kaz was nearby. As strange as it sounded to someone else, the presence of her friend helped her anxiety, even while he kept an eye on her. He’d done a good job acting, pretending he wanted to take her home with him. Neither of them would ever feel that way about the other. Thankfully the damn Dome hadn’t messed with them in that manner.
Three hands later and Nina realized she hadn’t lost her touch. One more hand, one more successful sleight of hand, and she smiled and excused herself, walking to the bar. The middle aged man from earlier could be heard cursing her which certainly meant Nina couldn’t flirt with him in the future…ah well. New mark.
At the bar, she waited for her friend.
And Kaz was indeed about to pull her when she managed to win with her fourth hand. Good. Kaz’s attention returned to his own game where, for the moment, he was winning. Oh he recognized the need to lose once or twice to make it seem less suspicious, but anything past four hands and one was trailing into Jesper territory. A place no one wanted to be in gambling. A place where you lost everything unless you had someone like Kaz to pull you out of it.
The goal was to keep others from believing you were cheating, to distract them in other ways so that when you did utilize the tricks of Kaz’s trade, no one knew you did. Kaz had long ago mastered the art of being the dealer and the player. He’d shown Nina the latter before she’d been sent home, but would she still recall it? Kaz shot a quick glance to Nina’s table, pleased and possibly even a little relieved to see he was in time to catch her utilizing one of the tricks he’d taught her. She hadn’t forgotten and, despite her earlier losses, was clearly redeeming herself.
While Nina finished up, Kaz remained at his table and played a few more hands. Again, it was all intended to keep the suspicion of others at bay. Despite the bustling and loudness of the casino, Kaz did pick up on the sound of that middle-aged gentleman cursing Nina. Hopefully, his humiliation at being played would be enough to ensure his silence. Kaz tossed down his hand, allowing himself to lose the last game, giving the illusion that he didn’t want to risk anymore tonight. He’d won himself a decent profit; that was all that mattered. Picking up his hat, Kaz took his leave, offering a nod to his fellow card players before making his way to the bar.
It was timed perfectly to coincide with a new bartender starting their shift and Nina followed the plan, settling herself at a seat farther away from the tables they’d previously occupied. Kaz slid into the barstool beside her and set his hat down on the counter between them. The Bastard of the Barrel glanced over at her and gave a nod of approval.
“You were not terrible on your first day back on the job,” Kaz said. It was as close to a compliment as you were going to get with him, but the words held no malice.
Knowing Kaz as well as she did, Nina wouldn’t be shocked if he had pulled her sooner. Thankfully he gave her the space to recall the game and she succeeded rather well at the sleight of hand. While losing happened from time to time, Nina did not need to start giving Jesper a run for his running. No matter how much she loved her friend, he did not gamble well.
Nina used her talents and skills. She could distract well and not just with her cleavage. People tended to enjoy her friendliness, no matter that she had to force it a bit more these days. If you offered a smile and a few polite words, nobody paid attention to whether or not the smile reached your eyes.
She’d slowed her walk just enough to arrive right after the shift change. The bartender poured her a glass of whiskey while she waited. While she hadn’t made the normal amount of money, she’d done better at cards and had a little to show for her efforts. Next time, she could start sooner, now remembering the game.
A smile at Kaz’s words. He did not compliment, but Nina knew she gained his approval and the Grisha felt a sense of relief. She nodded. “Thanks for not pulling me right away.” Nina kept her voice low.
“If you would have lost one more hand, I would have.” Neither of them could afford to lose that much money. Though Kaz had plenty of funds now, he didn’t relish losing more than he needed to and, considering Nina had only just returned, he knew she didn’t particularly like the idea either. Still, it had been worth what was lost to know Nina could still handle the stress and potentially issues that came with being a Crow. That Fjerdan hadn’t changed her that much.
The bartender came by to inquire if Nina wanted to be topped off and Kaz took the opportunity to order himself a whiskey too. Thankfully, this was a different bartender than the one that had served Kaz earlier. Waiting until the shift changed ensured they avoided questions and hopefully also cast off any suspicions too. “We made a decent profit tonight,” Kaz said, keeping his voice low. The bartender set down his drink in front of him and Kaz picked it up in a gloved hand. He took a small sip; it was more for show than anything else. “Between this and your position at the jewelry store, you should be in good shape financially.”
“I wouldn’t have blamed you, because I didn’t foresee the actual game being the sticking point, but I know for next time.” Again, the Grisha used a very quiet voice. Nina already planned on visiting the library and borrowing a couple books on some of the other card games and varieties of poker.
She offered the bartender a grin, and nodded a thanks. A small sip, because a woman didn’t gulp it quickly. Once in a while, her role in Fjerda took over which she hated, and so she forced herself a few more sips.
“I think you’re right. I’ll be able to pay for things again.” She offered him a flirtatious grin for show. “Want to get out of here?” After she ducked into the broom closet to nab the bag she hid.