"Do you understand who I am do you wanna know, can you really see through me, now I have got to go"

— Just Tonight, The Pretty Reckless.

After laughing and mocking the younger boy, it was revealed that Kaz had kept him around purely for a hostage situation in the future. Trixie had to admit it was cruel but she was greatly amused as she watched the argument once again play out. One fact about Trixie, she loved drama, whether she was apart it or not. Being around the Crows meant there was never a shortage of drama and she seemed to thrive here, it was like she belonged here in this tense atmosphere, as if it fuelled her.

Sadly, the argument came to an end and they got down to business. Wylan began to map out what he could remember about the Ice Court while Matthias pitched in helpful ideas every now and again as they explained the layout to the group. It seems the only one barely paying attention was Trixie, the girl sat on her chair, upside down as her blonde locks laid against the floor while she stared at the ceiling with a look of contemplation.

It was humorous to see the perfect little rich girl just acting like a normal teenager, messing about by herself as if she was free of all life's problems. She chimed in every now and again with helpful insight she could recall from her mother's conversations but other than that she remained silent, observing and watching everyone's behaviour and their mannerisms. Only when did she hear something that peaked her interest did she focus back into what they were talking about.

"What's the easiest way to steal a man's wallet?" Kaz called out, suddenly interesting Trixie.

"Knife to the throat?" Inej spoke first, her brow raised as she messed around with the knife in her palm.

"Gun to the back?" Jesper quipped happily, his eyes flashing down to his own set.

"Poison his glass when he's too busy looking at your cleavage?" Trixie chimed in with a wide grin on her lips.

"You're all horrible." Matthias shook his head, watching the group with a look of pure horror etched on his features, mostly disturbed from the detailed offer Trixie had stated a few moments prior.

An eye roll followed from the Brekker boy. "The easiest way to steal a man's wallet is to tell him you're going to steal his watch." Kaz corrected the group on their wrong assumptions. "You take his attention and direct it where you want it to go. Hringkälla is going to do that job for us. The Ice Court will have to divert resources to monitoring guests and protecting the royal family. They can't be looking everywhere at once. It's the perfect opportunity to spring Bo Yul-Bayur."

"I still think seducing and poisoning them would've been easier but all right." Trixie sighed, slouching further in the chair to the point she was laid in an odd position.

"Remember what I told you at Hellgate, Nina?" Kaz questioned, opting to ignore Trixie's prior comment.

"It's hard to keep track of all your wisdom." Nina spoke sarcastically and Trixie snickered, subtly high fiving the girl.

"At the prison, they won't care about who's coming in," Kaz explained to his group of criminals, "just anyone trying to get out." His gloved finger slid sideways to the next sector as he spoke. "At the embassy they won't care who's going out, they'll just be focused on who's trying to get in. We enter through the prison, leave through the embassy. Helvar, is the Elderclock functional?"

"It chimes every quarter hour." Matthias confirmed with a slow nod of his head. "It's also how the alarm protocols are sounded."

"It's accurate?"

"Of course."

"Quality Fjerdan engineering." Nina chimed into the conversation rather sourly while Kaz opted for ignoring her.

"Then we'll use the Elderclock to coordinate our movements." Kaz continued, adding onto his prior explanation.

While he spoke, Trixie found herself zoning out, focusing on the dark spots that had started to cloud her vision from the way she'd been sat. Shifting her position, she tried to sit up but slipped, landing on the floor silently. Thankfully, only Nina had seen and had to stifle her laugh as the blonde rubbed her head tiredly, the blood rushing throughout her body.

"We're done here." Kaz announced suddenly, snapping all attention back to him and Trixie felt idiotic, she'd just missed the entire plan. "I'll send word to each of you after I find us a ship, but be ready to sail by tomorrow night."

"So soon?" Trixie quizzed, furrowing her brows as he turned to face her.

"We don't know what kind of weather we'll hit, and there's a long journey ahead of us. Hringkälla is our best shot at Bo Yul-Bayur. I'm not going to risk losing it." Kaz nodded as he explained to her what he was planning. "Try and bring anything useful and small, easily hidden."

"Anything else you want me to do for you, Brekker, like book you an appointment for a new haircut?" Trixie quipped, sending him an innocent smile as Jesper sniggered.

"Get out of my sight, Van Der Woodsen." Kaz rolled his eyes as the sound of her laughter followed her exit, bouncing off the walls and haunting his thoughts. Shaking it off, he moved attention to Jesper as the others were dismissed. "Keep Wylan out of trouble."

Arriving home, Trixie headed to her bedroom, and immediately got changed as her mind buzzed for tomorrow. It was practically a suicide mission, yet the thought of death enticed her and she found herself feeling exhilarated as opposed to crippling with fear about the possibility of being succumbed to the unknown. She gained nothing from going on this trip other than a bit of excitement which was very selfish considering the stakes of the others.

This job meant freedom, safety, a new start for the others, for her it was just a way to cure her boredom. Trixie wasn't like them, she didn't struggle for money, she didn't know the hardships they faced in the barrel. In a way she was helpful, she helped them out without anything in return. Yet, in a group of people with raging trust issues, they never knew if they could quite trust her as she was scheming and unpredictable, none of them could fully vouch for her and say no she would never poison us. They knew it was always a possibility.

Unpredictability in itself is insanely dangerous, unpredictability in a powerful woman was fatal. Which is why it was good the group were all on her good side as they assumed they'd be six feet under by now. In her defence, she wasn't all that bad, she provided humour in a time of suffering and she was insanely helpful for them with her vast connections. Anytime they'd offer her money she earned from a job she'd decline it and despite their protests, they'd always find the money returned to them, situated in a bag that had been wrapped in pink ribbon.

That very ribbon that always sat in her hair, keeping it out of her eyes so she could focus. Like right now, where she sat in her mother's office, seeing if there was anything useful in there to help her with the job. However, she almost threw up as she found a file that had the symbol on it, a symbol that brought a rush of anger in her veins, fuelling her hatred for the woman. All this time she'd denied it, refusing to accept it as the truth, merely false rumours used to make the family look bad.

Trixie could no longer defend it, clearly written in her mother's handwriting was a contract agreement with Tante Heleen. She felt nauseous as she read through it, unable to continue as she reached the second page. Slamming it close, she placed it back in her mother's drawer and left the room quickly and silently, as if she'd never been there in the first place.

Only when she arrived back to her room did she allow the feelings she had begun to feel swallow her, emptying the contents of her stomach in her toilet. The woman who had raised her and forced her to be her best self had been involved in that, something so inhumane and disgusting that she felt disgust even thinking of her mother. She'd defend her all those times, telling people it was merely rumours and there was no truth to it, yet, clearly there was.

Trixie felt stupid and idiotic for believing her mother was better than this.

Words~1458.
{edited:no}