@drkcr // starter for kaz & wylan
It was only the end of October, and it was already shaping up to be the coldest winter anyone could remember. The wind off the water was brutal, lashing through Ketterdam like it had a personal vendetta against the people. Even the Slat wasn't immune to the cold, as little by little, every chink and bolt hole was being stuffed with rags to keep the drafts out.
It was a damp, bitter cold that seemed to cut straight to the bone. But the upside was that business was booming-- the weather driving the pigeons into the gambling houses in miserable, shivering droves.
Cradling a steaming bowl, his sleeves wrapped around his hands, Wylan made his way up... up... up... To the top floor of the Slat. The rich, salty smell of hutspot wafted ahead of him, filled with potato and smoked sausage, and little slivers of carrot and cabbage.
Kerch comfort food, Nina called it. Just the thing to stick to your ribs and keep you warm.
Wylan knocked on Kaz's office door with his elbow, since his hands were full. "Nina sent me up to make sure you ate, on pain of death. Or worse." He ventured a smile, and held out the bowl, "And I don't want to know what 'worse' would be from a Heartrender."
He looked a bit rumpled, curly hair sticking out at wild angles, like he'd been running his hands through it while he worked. "We could call it a trade? While you eat, I can tell you what I overheard at the Exchange today."