#never finished Chapter 2

[quibbs126]

You know, I really like the Deltarune battle setup

Kind of wish I could have it in a game where I can fight things

Yeah, I know you can fight things in Deltarune, but the game kind of actively encourages you to ACT instead, particularly in Chapter 2 with Snowgrave

Nothing against Deltarune in that aspect, I’m aware that’s part of the point, and I like the game regardless, I just would also in addition like a similar setup in a game where I can fight things

[cozylittleartblog]

whip you into shape!!

print on my etsy

[buwheal]

If it has a pen and a canvas spamton will be drawn‼️

Never finished the neo XP piece </3

Plus also my DS case !!!

Get turned into a sticker idiot (he looks weird though its been a month or two)

[forgettable-au]

New pages today <3

Maybe a little later than usual, but today!

[lexosaurus]

I think, genuinely, the coolest part about being in this phandom for so long and semi-consistently putting creative projects out there is that I can look back over the years and see how much growth I've made in all areas of my creativity.

Like, I'm writing things now I wouldn't have even dreamed of years ago, and I'm composing music that past me would have been shell-shocked to hear. And I can see with each new fic I put out, each new song I make, how much better I'm getting. And it's not to say that I've mastered the art of writing and composition, but I've certainly improved a fuckton since like 2017 or whenever the hell I made this account.

Damn, y'all. It turns out that all the experts were right and skill is just a LOT of practice over a long period of time.

[carpisuns]

chapters: 20/21

Summary: Adrien’s favorite color used to be orange. Until Marinette.

An Adrinette fic with short, drabble-y chapters all involving the color pink

20. magic

It’s always the sewers, somehow.

Adrien drops through the manhole and reaches up to help Ladybug down.

“Home sweet home, right?” He wrinkles his nose. “We should bring some scented candles down here next time.”

She shoves him lightly while their miraculous chime together, a beat off from perfect unison. “No time for jokes. Go.”

They hurry toward a split in the tunnel, where a wall can stand safely between them as their transformations fall.

Adrien’s eyes slip closed while the tingling rush of magic travels from his toes to his head, stripping the protective layer of his suit away. The air on his skin feels cold and damp.

“That was close,” Ladybug says breathlessly. Her voice echoes slightly against the stone. “I’m not sure we can beat Renaissance Man on our own.”

“Do you need to call in reinforcements?” Adrien asks. “I think I can distract him for at least a few minutes.”

Plagg dives into his pocket for a wedge of cheese. On the other side of the wall, Ladybug is silent for a moment.

“I—maybe. But I don’t like the idea of leaving you out there alone.”

“You don’t think I can handle it?” He leans against the wall with an easy smile. “Milady, I’m wounded. I thought you trusted me.”

“Of course I do.”

“Well—”

Plagg flits in front of his face. “We’re out of camembert.”

Adrien blinks. “What?”

“We’re out.”

He scoffs. “What do you mean, ‘we’re out’? I know I had some earlier today. It got squished all over my phone screen during algebra class.”

“But then I very nicely cleaned it off for you,” Plagg says. “And then I very nicely cleaned up the rest of your pocket.”

“You mean we don’t have any?” He desperately pats down his pockets. “What were you thinking? You know it’s for emergencies. Like this one, for example!”

“It’s not my fault!” Plagg protests. “Math makes me snack-y.”

“Everything makes you snack-y.”

“Uh, Chat Noir?” comes Ladybug’s voice. “I have extra. Do you need it?”

Adrien sighs. “Yes. Thank you. And I apologize that my kwami is such a pig.”

“Ha! Daizzi wishes he were me.”

“Shut up, Plagg.” Adrien edges around the wall, keeping his eyes squeezed shut. “Milady?”

“Here. Reach out your hand.”

Fingers brush his, and something smooth and round nestles into his palm.

He turns around and looks down at it. A macaron, pink with white polka dots.

Everything in him freezes.

“Kid, I’m starving!” Plagg whines. “Give it here.”

“Wait,” he says absently. He stares down at the macaron, at the careful arrangement of white dots stamped against the blushing pink.

He knows this pattern. He’s seen it before.

Behind glass, standing in neat rows, while the rain tapped against the bakery window.

On a plate on his desk at school, surrounded by balloons and streamers and stars.

In his own hands, catching the crumbs before they scatter on the bedspread.

“Come on!” Plagg darts toward the macaron, but Adrien holds it out of reach.

It’s the same pattern she always uses. Her signature.

The lining of her favorite jacket.

The cuffs of her favorite jeans.

“Chat Noir?” Ladybug asks.

Her backpack. Her handbag. The skirt she made herself two weeks ago.

Polka dots.

Spots.

“What flavor is it?” he asks softly.

“Wha—why?” Ladybug’s voice is a thin sort of red, the kind that goes pink in the middle when the light shines through. It cracks like bubble gum, urgent and sharp. “Chat Noir, we need to hurry.”

“Is it strawberry?” he insists.

“I could tell you if you’d let me eat it.” Plagg dives again toward the macaron, and this time, Adrien isn’t fast enough. It’s gone in a single bite.

“Tikki, are you ready?” Ladybug asks.

Her arm brushes against his. Soft. Like cotton candy.

“Ready!” says a small, high-pitched voice.

“What about you, Chat Noir?”

She smells like cherry blossoms.

“Yeah,” he whispers.

“Spots on.”

He squeezes his eyes shut, but he can see the light through his eyelids.

Sparkling, dazzling pink.

_____

They don’t need reinforcements. Within minutes, Ladybug is armed with another lucky charm and one of her signature crazy-but-brilliant plans. Then, just like that, Renaissance Man has surrendered his magical paintbrush into Adrien’s crackling glove.

Adrien helps the man to his feet. Across the street, Ladybug raises her lucky charm—a spotted pencil, shaped just like the orange one tucked into his book bag. The one Marinette saved for him on that day at school, months ago.

She throws the pencil into the air, and magic swirls around them.

It’s pink.

Her favorite color.

“Chat Noir!” Ladybug calls. Her arm is extended for their ritual fist bump, but he can’t look away from her face.

She’s pink. Just like her magic. Her cheeks are pink and her smile is pink and underneath her raspberry-colored suit, he knows her heart is pink too.

His own heart resounds inside his chest. He can feel it through his whole body, every beat drawing him closer to her. She blinks as he steps into her space without raising a fist in return.

“True or false,” he whispers. “You get those macarons from the Dupain-Cheng bakery.”

Her mask scrunches in confusion, gaze flickering over his face.

(Her eyes. They’re exactly the same. How did he never see?)

“Um … true,” she replies carefully. “Why?”

Adrien nods nonchalantly. “Good choice. They’re the best in the city.”

“Yeah …” She shakes her slightly. “Why—”

“And those are the best macarons too,” he goes on, leaning in a little. “They’re called Marinette macarons—did you know that?”

Her eyes (the same eyes—star bright, ocean blue) go wide. “W-what?”

He straightens. “You know, next time you’re there, you should try the raspberry mousse cake. I got a professional recommendation for it, and it’s really good. In fact—”

She grabs him by the wrists.

“True or false,” she breathes. “You’re Adrien.”

He smiles and whispers her name, soft and pink.

[johnslittlespoon]

okay well tough and sweet ch2 is gonna be longer than ch1 by a landslide bc it's at 9.2k words already and i've still got ~2k words to go lol whoops (help) but i'm hoping to finish it today >:)

little snippet for ur patience w my inactivity tyyy <3

[corvid-ghost]

Songs that remind me of the losers

Reddie:

"And i wanted nothing more than for you to understand the pain of longing for you day and night"

"I wish the best friends to lovers pipe line was real"

Hanbrough:

"If nobody likes you I still do"

"If nobody likes me you still do"

"If nobody likes me I still do"

"I'd dig my own grave, so your garden could grow"

Benverly:

"Lonely girl you are my world"

"You got me stuck me where I'm sitting, looking at your eyes, and I know I'm so pathetic. I wouldn't move to save my life. They tell me that your lonely, it's no surprise when you walk around all day wearing those lonely, lonely, lonely eyes"

Mike:

"This goes out to my friends in West Virginia"

"Love of my life gone forever, love of my life gone for good"

"Would anyone listen to this, ramblings of a lunatic" or whatever it says

Richie:

"So I'll give myself a name, something stupid and pretentious like Mawce with a C, and I'll hope all the cool kids who graduated but stay judgemental will finally accept me"

"Cause everything I thought I knew has proven to be wrong. And I'm so desperate to the point of flying straight into. The overdrinking nights that leave you feeling torn."

"this is the life that almost killed me. This life, it made me walk away. But you know how life moves in circles. This is a character I play"

"This I the theatre I was born into. Some of my stuff still in there today. Always only doing it for the room, like I was born to entertain."

"Batman covers his face when I take the picture, he doesn't want anyone to know he was here"

"I've always been an embarrassment"

[moyazaika]

will you appear again before Christmas?🥲

YES HI!!!! WOWEE sorry for being away longer than i intended! estranged family member showed up on my front door after 18 yeARS of no contact?!?!? went to bali and lost my pasSPORT?!?!?! failed my driver's TEST!?!?!?!

#life

[ode2rin]

to all the lovely ppl asking to be added to the kaiser mini-series taglist, jus wanna say that i see youuu and you've been added dw !!! and that i apologize for not replying i almost slapped myself for typing a "this is noted" and nearly sending it as a reply ._. i fear i brought home the horrors of capitalism that day ._.

[nomsfaultau]

Writing advice

Writing Mandatory Family Reunion has gotten to the point of emotionally convoluted that I'm making scene roller coaster charts and color coding parts of the text by topic. Which, I highly recommend these writing tools. A roller coaster map is something I picked up from theater, and is useful for structuring emotions. A quick example below:

Its where you plot a timeline oscillating between positive and negative emotions, and how quickly they're switched between. It helps to know where you want the emotional peak/pit for a scene/chapter/story, so you can arrange plot beats accordingly. Many stories try to have escalating conflict, so you can use this method to gauge the intensity of reactions to crisis in order to achieve this. The problem I had with my chapter was whiplash between emotions, so by charting it out I could see where transitions needed to smooth jarring flips between emotional extremes. Flooring the gas pedal can also be bad, so the roller coaster method lets you see how quickly you switch between major emotions, and where breathing room may be helpful.

There is a problem with the axis being positive to negative. While capturing the intensity goes alright, it's hard to distinguish different types of emotions. Anger, fear, and sorrow are all negative, but also feel very different to a reader. So at peaks/plummets I made little notes about the majority emotion there. I found the roller coaster method made it easier to understand how my character's would react based off their accumulating emotional/mental state, and you can multiple to track the journeys of multiple characters.

As for the color coding method, I use it for structuring ideas. I took sections of the text in a scene and colored them based on the topic. Using comment options can also be super useful. A following example, redacted so I don't spoil my readers lol:

This helped with tracking the development of an idea in a scene where many interweaving subjects were being covered. I first focused on just how that idea changed over the course of the scene, and the next and next. Then, I looked at the transitions between each colored block, mostly the last/first two sentences between the concepts. That way I could see if there was a clear flow of logic between one topic to the next. Then, I started rearranging the parts into a way that structured a more solid scene. The scene felt a little bit like a puzzle, trying to get transitions to line up, switching around colored paragraphs into an order that made sense both for the individual argument angle as well as how it contributed to the other topics. I personally was using this for an internal monologue heavy scene, but I imagine it could also work pretty well for conversations.

Anyway, these are just some tools I use when I dislike a scene but can't figure out why. Visualizing the story can really help when trying to structure the ideas and emotions. Happy writing!

[soup-for-ghosts]

dumping a bunch of octopath (mostly 2 cause that’s the one I actually beat) doodles here cause I feel like it

aaaaand lastly this one from a while back

[aluminia]

Highlights from all the years I have been playing my brother's minecraft map:

He had to make a baby creeper an actual character in the story because I found it by accident and didn't want to leave it

The player character has two twin brothers. Both are named Joe. Since Player Character has amnesia (long story) we spent half the story debating if they were actually two different people or not. PC's twin sister's name is just the anagram of PC's name

One of the main villains is a god who states that pronouns and gender are beneath him. They just use whatever. He also gaslit his brother's kids into thinking she's their parent in other to use them in a ritual but that's a separate story.

PC dies and goes to superhell for being gay. I am not kidding. There is context but it's funnier if I don't give it

Freddy Fazbear accidentally became a returning character.

Every single character has father issues EXCEPT the one who's father is a floating skeleton head

We accidentally reinvented William Afton

[1tbls]

whining

[formula-fun]

.

[she-posts-nerdy-stuff]

Thanks for all the love on the episode one intro for my fan-written Six of Crows Spin Off script! I’ve decided to post each episode broken down into parts since they’re looking pretty long when they’re all strung together, so welcome to episode one part 2! If anyone hasn’t seen the intro yet and wants to then let me know and I can tag you, and I have been wondering whether I should make an AO3 account so I can put my fics up and it’s easier to find all the chapters so if anyone thinks that would be better then let me know (it wouldn’t stop me from putting them up here too) ❤️

Be warned I've taken a little artisitc licence (eg inserting a reference to my personal Anya headcanon in the previous part) but most of this is direct quotes/takes on direct quotes - and also I've never written a script before so my formatting is my own made up method I hope it makes sense. This section more than the previous is one where I’ve had to start making strides away from the book in order to match Show!canon but I’m trying to remain as true as possible. Hope you enjoy! ❤️

Episode One Part 2

[TITLE CARDS]

[Open on the Barrel. The camera moves into the city from the harbours, through shadows across the rooftops of East and West Stave. We are seeing the city through someone's eyes. We travel past several pleasure houses, but we do not see the Menagerie. West Stave is alive and kicking; the streets are overflowing with the colourful Komedie Brute costumes of pleasure seekers, girls in silks wave from high windows to prospective clients on the street below, acrobats hang from swings over the canal as people watch them whooping and cheering. As we leave West Stave behind and head south, we pass the Crow Club with heavy crowds outside it, and arrive on the rooftop of the Slat. The camera pans down to the street below, and the clacking of a cane is heard against the cobbles. The camera switches to street level to watch KAZ BREKKER enter the Slat, heads in the busy building quickly turning towards him. The room seems to come more alert as he walks through it.

A group of people - ROTTY, ANNIKA, PIM, and ROETTER - stand near the stairs talking. The room is still loud and they don't appear to have noticed KAZ]

ROTTY: I'm just sayin', Wraith's been scarce. Worth a mention, innit?

ROETTER: So he can set that shark's glare on me? Sign me up to the gallows first

ANNIKA: C'mon, he knows your gunning to be his new spider. Everyone knows. You actually mention it, maybe you'll get jobs comin' your way.

[Someone begins to reply but the conversation dies quickly and nervously as KAZ approaches. He clearly knows what they're talking about, but he does not acknowledge it.]

KAZ: Annika, fetch Jesper and Big Bolliger. I want them as my seconds tonight

ANNIKA: Big Bol? You sure you just want a bouncer tonight Kaz? Could be tr-

[KAZ glares at ANNIKA and she quiets, before turning to leave. The group disperses and Kaz marches up the stairs to the attic. Behind him, ROTTY can be heard expressing agreement on ROETER's point about the shark's glare. KAZ opens his window and wafts away a group of crows that have gathered there, then walks to the sink and removes his gloves. Behind him, the crows return to their perch. The camera focuses on KAZ's hands as he begins to wash them, until he straightens and sighs]

KAZ: You shouldn't feed crows

[Kaz turns and the camera follows his gaze. INEJ GHAFA sits on the window sill, reaching out to the birds]

INEJ: Why not?

[INEJ closes her eyes to feel the last of the evening sun on her cheeks. KAZ watches her intently, whatever he was going to say dying on his lips. His jaw ticks]

INEJ: Why not, Kaz?

[KAZ hesitates, breath catching]

KAZ: They have no manners

[INEJ laughs. The sun is soft and glowing on her face, her eyes are still closed. KAZ cannot stop watching her, and it terrifies him]

INEJ: Neither do you, Kaz. You didn't even say hello

KAZ: You didn't say goodbye

[There is a brief pause. INEJ looks at KAZ, then out the window]

INEJ, softly: I should have KAZ: Why are you here?

[INEJ looks out the window]

KAZ: You still hear things

INEJ: You can’t train a falcon and expect it not to hunt.

[She looks up at him]

INEJ: Heleen Van Houden.

[KAZ nods]

INEJ: Wandering into the Barrel like she wasn’t the victim in a murder investigation that nearly tore the city to shreds. And what? Having immediate claim to the house she left in the hands of Pekka Rollins?

KAZ: He’s out. When your supposed victim’s sticking her fingers back into the pocket of every magistrate in city, you find your murder charges dropping pretty quickly.

INEJ: So that’s that?

KAZ: That’s that. Everything we did, for nothing:

[INEJ runs her fingers across the scar from her Menagerie tattoo]

INEJ: For everything.

[For a moment, the silence is fraught. The pair cannot quite bring themselves to make eye contact. By the time KAZ speaks, it seems as though he is forcing himself to say it aloud]

KAZ: I have a job tonight

[INEJ looks up at KAZ, expectantly]

KAZ: We need you. I... I need you

[INEJ smiles as she climbs through the window and into the room]

INEJ: What are we doing?

KAZ: Parely, with the Black Tips. I'll need anything you can tell me on Geels' seconds - Oomen and []

[As KAZ speaks the scene dissolves into him, JESPER FAHEY, ANNIKA, PIM, ROTTY, BIG BOLLIGER, MUZZEN, and several other Dregs members standing outside the wall of the exchange later that night. KAZ's explanation of the plan continues on voiceover as we see the group arrive, talking to each other loudly]

KAZ: They've been eating away at my business on Fifth Harbour for weeks, and now they've intercepted a jurda shipment. Tonight, we discuss. And tonight, someone pays.

[INEJ stands on the roof of the exchange, looking down at the group below. As she slips down through the shadows, touching her hands to her knives and silently mouthing their names, she looks at the carvings in the stone arch entrance to the exchange: Industry, Integrity, Prosperity. She frowns. She slips to the ground a little farther down the street so she can approach the group at ground level, pausing for a moment to watch them from a darkened storefront. KAZ stands a little back from the others, leaning against his cane in the shadow of the arch. His eyes find Inej, then keep moving.]

JESPER: Three ships! The Shu sent them. Just sitting in the harbour - cannons out, red flags flying. And stuffed to the sails with gold.

BIG BOLLIGER: Would've liked to see that

JESPER: Would've like to steal that. Half the Merchant Council was down there flapping and squawking, trying to figure out what to do

BIG BOLLIGER: Don't they want the Shu paying their debts?

[KAZ steps forward into the slice of light where the others are standing, cane hitting the cobble stones loudly]

KAZ: Yes and no. It's always nice to have a country in debt to you. Makes for... friendlier negotiations

[KAZ looks specifically at BIG BOLLIGER as he speaks, wearing a crocodile's smile. JESPER shrugs]

JESPER: Maybe the Shu are done being friendly. They didn't have to send all that treasure at once. You reckon they stuck that trade ambassador?

[KAZ lifts his gaze again and this time his and INEJ's eyes meet directly. They are both thinking the same thing; brief flashback to KAZ's office. INEJ sits cross-legged on the window sill as KAZ paces slowly, and they list theories for each other about how the Trade Ambassador was murdered]

INEJ: We have to be missing something. Men don’t just walk into washrooms and find knives in their backs.

KAZ: Broad daylight, no windows, no vents. No-one in or out. Not even you could've squeezed through the plumbing

INEJ: So what? Ghosts?

[KAZ raises an eyebrow]

KAZ: Don't tell me you believe in ghosts now

INEJ: I believe in lots of things, Kaz. But perhaps wraiths aren't one of them

[The challenge is clear in her eyes and it makes KAZ uncomfortable. Return to the present]

KAZ: It won't matter what actually happened, just what everyone thinks did. The Zemeni blame the Kerch, the Kerch suspect the Shu, and no-one gets their satisfying answer before all the guns come out. It's nearly time

[KAZ gestures for JESPER and BIG BOLLIGER to remove their weapons. JESPER unslings his gun belt unhappily, and bestows a kiss on each revolver before handing them to ROTTY]

JESPER: Take good care of my babies. If I see a single scratch on them, I'll spell 'forgive me' across your chest in bullets

ROTTY: You wouldn't waste the ammo

BIG BOLLIGER: And he'd die before you finished 'forgive'

JESPER: It's about sending a message - what's the point of a dead guy with 'FORG' written on his chest?

KAZ: So, compromise. 'SORRY' does the trick - and uses fewer bullets.

[BIG BOLLIGER hands over all of his weapons, and KAZ hands over three knives]

JESPER, pointing to Kaz's cane: What about that?

KAZ: Who'd deny a poor cripple his cane?

JESPER: If it's you, any man with sense

KAZ: Then it's a good job we're meeting Geels tonight. Neutral territory, Jesper, give up the rifle

INEJ: This is a mistake

[INEJ is suddenly visible from the shadows. BIG BOLLIGER flinches away from her as the others all jump in surprise, except KAZ, and a whisper of 'the Wraith' goes through the crowd.]

INEJ: This doesn't feel neutral. Geels is up to something

KAZ: Of course he is.

INEJ: Then why come here tonight?

KAZ: Street law is street law, Inej. There's a way to do things

INEJ: You’re going to get us all killed

[JESPER smiles, stretching]

JESPER: Statistically, Inej, he's probably only going to get some of us killed

INEJ: It's not a joke

KAZ: He's not joking - he's playing the odds.

BIG BOLLIGER: Well I have a pint of lager waiting for me at the Couperron, so I can’t be the one to die tonight.

JESPER, grinning: Care to place a wager?

BIG BOLLIGER: I'm not going to bet on my own death

KAZ, running his fingers over the rim of his hat: Why not, Bolliger? We do it every day

[The church bell chimes for midnight]

KAZ: Remember: No matter what you hear, you don’t whether the fray without my say so. Stay sharp, and stay hidden

[There is a murmur of acknowledgment and agreement from the Dregs. INEJ turns towards the shadows and Kaz catches her arm to stop her. The camera focuses on her gloves and her sleeve]

KAZ: Keep an eye on the rooftop guards. Geels may have them in his pocket

[INEJ frowns but nods. She backs away slightly as Kaz releases her arm. There is tension in coming so close to touch and neither of them have missed it]

JESPER: No mourners

ALL: No funerals

[The trio enter the exchange. INEJ climbs the canal-facing wall]

INEJ, muttering to self: Street law. A relic. How would you fair if I obeyed street law, Kaz?

[She swings herself up capably and smiles]

INEJ, to self: How would you fair if I obeyed the law of gravity?

[As she climbs and the first look at the scene unfolds, KAZ and INEJ discuss the plan on voiceover; the conversation they had earlier this evening continued]

KAZ, voiceover: They’re sure precaution against you

[INEJ finds the drainpipe she reaches for slick with oil and a rim she runs her fingers over to test covered in ground glass. She smiles with grim pleasure at the knowledge she is expected]

INEJ, voiceover: They’re sure to try

[She picks the lock of a window and sneaks inside, crossing to a balcony to stand over the exchange. She watches KAZ, JESPER, and BIG BOLLIGER enter from the Eastern side of the exchange as the Black Tips - GEELS, OOMEN, and ELSINGER - enter from the Western. INEJ’s voiceover returns to tell KAZ the information she gathered about the Black Tips, and the camera focuses on each of them as she speaks]

INEJ, voiceover: Geels and Elsinger came up the ranks of the Black Tips together. There’s trust there, not exploitable. There’s little to say about Elsinger that you can’t tell by looking at him. He’s a bruiser, and he’s good at it

KAZ, voiceover: At least with Bolliger there one of us will be tall enough to look him in the eye

INEJ, voicover: If there’s any potential problem, it’s Oomen.

KAZ: Oomen, Really? He’s built like a scarecrow

INEJ: He might not look so much of a threat, but he makes me nervous. He’s violent, and he’s unafraid. They say he once crushed a man’s skull with his bare hands, wiped the blood off on his shirt, and went on drinking

[The opposing gang members pat each other down to check for weapons. JESPER finds a small knife on ELSINGER and tosses it to the corner of the Exchange]

JESPER: Naughty, naughty

[BIG BOLLIGER finishes patting down GEELS]

BIG BOLLIGER: He’s clean

[GEELS spreads his arms to indicate the start of the negotiations. He is noticeably older than KAZ and the others, but it doesn’t look like he’s weaker. He seems more confident, possibly even more commanding]

GEELS: Let’s be fair, eh? It’s not fair for you to cull every spend-happy tourist stepping off a boat in fifth harbour. We all got bills to pay

KAZ: Fifth harbour is ours. We get first crack at all the pigeons we want

GEELS: You’re young, lad, you’re fresh. Maybe you don’t know how these things work yet. Harbours belong to the city, we all have as much right to them as anyone else

KAZ: Not fifth. Maybe you don’t know how these things work, but I own majority shares in that harbour. It was all but useless to this city until I had it dredged, and built out the docks. Fifth harbour is mine.

[GEELS sniffs in disagreement, but has no counterargument]

KAZ: You’ve been interrupting our traffic, and you intercepted a jurda shipment that should have docked two nights ago

GEELS: I don’t know what you’re talking about

KAZ: I know it comes easy, Geels, but try not to play dumb with me

[GEELS steps forwards but KAZ stands his ground]

GEELS: Quit flexing, boy. We all know Per Haskell doesn’t have the stomach for a real brawl

[KAZ laughs roughly]

KAZ: But I’m the one at your table. Haskell’s out of the game - has been for a while now. Maybe you should start second guessing your sources of information

[GEELS shifts uncomfortably]

KAZ: The Dregs are my operation, and I’m not here for a taste. You want a war? I’ll make sure you eat your fill

GEELS: And if you vanish, Brekker? We all know you’re the spine of the operation - whether it’s Haskell behind the scenes or someone else. Snap it, and the Dregs collapse.

[JESPER laughs and incurs glares from everyone else]

JESPER: Stomach, spine. What’s next - spleen?

ELSINGER: Shut it

KAZ: Follow the damn rules, Jesper.

[JESPER mouths “sorry” and pantomimes locking his lips. KAZ rolls his eyes before turning back to his conversation]

KAZ: I’m fairly sure you’re threatening me, Geels. But I want to be certain before I decide what time do about it

GEELS: Then what if I told you there are two guards with city issue rifles pointed at you right now?

[INEJ tenses, eyes quickly searching the roof for the guards’ silhouettes. KAZ glances casually upwards]

KAZ: Hiring city guards to do your killing? I’d say that’s an expensive proposition for a gang like the Black Tips

[INEJ climbs up to the roof and hurries across it, ignoring the walkway that is clearly there to be used by the guards. She hides behind the gables to watch for the guards and listen to the conversation]

KAZ: I’m flattered you’d do so much just for me

GEELS: The Dregs won’t last a week without you

KAZ: I’d give them a month on sheer momentum

GEELS: Should we find out, you smug little slum rat?

KAZ: Do it

[INEJ cannot find the guards and she is panicking. KAZ is very calm]

GEELS: Should I have them shoot you in the good leg?

KAZ: Stop talking and do it. Shoot

Jesper: … Kaz?

KAZ: Go on

INEJ, to self: What game are you playing, Kaz?

GEELS: Fire!

[There’s a loud gunshot and a sudden flash. BIG BOLLIGER screams as he collapses to the floor of the exchange and JESPER runs towards him and applied pressure to the wound. KAZ raises an eyebrow]

JESPER: You worthless podge, Geels! You’ve violated neutral territory

GEELS, hiding the panic in his voice: Nothing to say you didn’t shoot first. And anyway, who’s going to know? None of you are walking out of here

KAZ: You don’t look well, Geels. Things aren’t going quite to plan, are they?

JESPER: Kaz, Bolliger’s bleeding bad

KAZ: Good.

JESPER: He needs a Medik

KAZ: He needs to stop his bellyaching and be glad I didn’t have Holst take him down with a headshot.

[GEELS flinches]

KAZ: That’s the guard’s name, right? Willem Holst and Bert Van Daal. The guards you emptied the Black Tips’ coffers to bribe. Holst likes to gamble almost as much as Jesper does, so your money held a lot of appeal. But he has bigger problems. Let’s call them… urges. I won’t go into detail - secrets aren’t like coin. They don’t keep their value in the spending. You’ll just have to take my word for it when I say that this one would turn even your rotten stomach.

[Another shot is fired, springing against the cobbles near GEELS’ feet. He jumps back in panic. INEJ tracks the source of the shot with her eyes, and heads in the opposite direction to find the other guard - VAN DAAL.]

GEELS: Just shoot him, Holst! Your secret dies with him

KAZ, snorting: You think I’m that foolish? Go on Holst, put a bullet in my skull! My messengers will reach your wife and your watch captain before I hit the ground. Are you worrying about the other guard, Geels? Maybe I got to him too. Maybe he’s getting ready to blow a hole in your chest.

[INEJ is hurrying across the rooftops towards VAN DAAL at top speed. It’s unclear if she’s going to make it in time]

KAZ: Why not give Van Daal the order and find out?

[GEELS hesitates for a moment]

GEELS: Van Daal?

[VAN DAAL opens his mouth but before he can reply a blade appears at his throat and he is forced backwards. INEJ stands behind him.]

INEJ: Hush, now

[She jabs him gently in the side; he knows there is another knife at his kidney.]

VAN DAAL: Please

INEJ: I like it when men beg. But this isn’t the time for it