Smart men are always looking for loopholes.

[itookashot]

WHO: Jesper Fahey and you!
WHAT: Catch-all for October
WHERE: Cadens, Nocwich, Horizon
WHEN: Throughout October (may add event things)
WARNINGS: Nothing right now.





[ooc: feel free to wildcard below or ask me for a custom starter on plurk]

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[restingstitchface]

People never act without reason. There are intents and motives - different between one and another - that follow a pattern. Crimes of passion, crimes of opportunity. Crimes driven by strong impulses and sheer excitement. Crimes of necessity that involve everything from stealing to murder. He travels around the square, from one corner to another, between one merchant and another, playing a game inside his mind.

Others cannot tell they are playing. Those who know they are are few. He knows where they are. He knows who is local. He knows who is not. He knows he is being tracked and hardly looks bothered. He has been under a more stern and watchful gaze for half his life.

He continues on until their paths come close.

[itookashot]

Usually when it comes to the Crows, crime is first and foremost the most likely thing on their minds. They may have gone legit here, through forced necessity, but there are other ways to stay themselves while generally following the rules. Their current project is mapping out all the areas they can in Abraxas. Most of the Free Cities is covered, and they have to rely on other people for the other factions, but Nocwich is in their jurisdiction too.

Any and all mapping is done in the mind though, they don't risk the chance of drawing it down and it raising suspicions. Jesper has a sharp mind so he's on foot memorizing where he can. Ikorr is still unknown though. Frustrating. As he's wandering, he spots Crane from a distance. He notices when someone he knows shows up, and while most people would get an immediate wave, Jesper simply watches him for a time.

Crane is a snitch, there is no question about that. Generally, he doesn't have a problem with it, it's not like he has much loyalty to the people here, although he doesn't like giving the army anything special. But it's the vibe.

"Now why is your pretty face looking like it's casing the joint, Crane?" He says when they finally cross paths. Yes he still sees the pretty face. It's just a distrustful one.

[restingstitchface]

His pretty face is partnered with a gentle and pleasant tone: a sharp contrast against his coldness and control. He is not easily intimidated. He knows what this man thinks of him. He speaks in bored monotone and looks disconnected from their discussion.

"Perhaps because you are staring in the mirror."

One should not cast the first stone, sir.

[itookashot]

Crane reminds him of Jan van Eck which is probably where his instinctive vitriol comes from. The man being the worst person he's ever met, but gentle and pleasant and sharp as a tack, vicious in executing his plans. The man was made of ice, happy to murder his own son with a polite smile. It may be unfair to project someone like that on another, but it's a consistent feeling of his.

"Are you calling me pretty? How sweet." It's funny how with most people his flirtatious tone is used in fun, and with Crane it's almost like poison, because he knows it annoys him. "I think your crush is misplaced though, Doctor."

[restingstitchface]

Rachel Dawes compares him to a snake: cunning, slippery and venomous. She holds him responsible for poisoning Gotham but people polluted the city themselves. He is not responsible for creating a market for drugs and contraband - yet she faults him for taking advantage same as any other? One might believe he is a scapegoat for her anger towards another person or problem.

Here is a similiar feeling. Words oozing familiarity, dripping with dislike after only one conversation. But he remains disinterested. Rachel's comparison was a poor one. He prefers the mongoose. Independent, resourceful and most importantly able to adapt.

"Well, can you blame me? You need to stop sending mixed signals."

[itookashot]

Jesper doesn't know that he would compare Crane to anyone other than Jan van Eck, but that is the worst person to be compared to. It might be a little unfair, he barely knows him, but maybe he's too used to sleek and slimy merchant types. Doctors in Ketterdam were rarely the kind that helped, at least not the put together ones like Crane. Everyone was on the take.

Really, the Crows would fit in perfectly with Gotham. They already know all about trusting nothing and no one, and they're champion criminals. But Jesper prefers the criminals who are fine with being criminals, the thugs who are just trying to make a living in a bad situation.

"I should have expected you'd be into hate sex. It's always the prudish ones."

Jesper's amused, relaxing his otherwise aggressive stance because flirting, liked or not, warms him up. "I know why I'm giving scheming face, why are you giving scheming face?"

[restingstitchface]

Hate. Sex. Prudish.

Only one is correct. He detests those unwilling to fight their tormentors. He hates insolence. And he loathes people who take themselves too seriously.

"It might surprise you but my face naturally looks like this."

Such is the truth. But now there is a spark behind his eyes, one missing when he does act prim and proper.

[itookashot]

"So you have resting scheming face? You and my boss have that in common."

Kaz is the kind of scheming face though, he's pretty certain he would beat Crane in that competition. You have to be a schemer to be the baddest criminal boss in Ketterdam. There are a lot of expectations that go with that. It is strange to refer to Kaz as his boss like old times, but amusing all the same.

"Don't snitch too much on Nocwich, Crane. They also have eyes and ears everywhere these days." Now that they're blending a little more often, he has no doubt that the spies have started to move into those spaces. Is that a warning though, for Crane's sake? Probably.

[restingstitchface]

"I'll take your advice on notice."

It is a bland and evasive statement - polite without proper acknowledgement - designed to bounce off his ego. He keeps his hands behind his back and looks across the selection of wares. Wherever that statement lands is nobody's business.

Is this man trying to draw him into an argument? Probably.

But it will take more for him to bite.

[itookashot]

"You should. I've been here a long time. I know what I'm talking about. One of the Summoned getting into serious trouble is bad for all of us." Like being shanked by Nocwich. Or getting sucked into whatever drama begins with the war. Jesper doesn't think about people individually, he thinks about the whole. Crane may be an ass, but he's still one of them.

"We had a Summoned in the Free Cities before who was warmongering, he enjoyed creating conflict and pushing violence. He seemed decently liked by the military because of it. Just be smart."