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open post.
text messages, brackets, prose, anything goes!
text messages, brackets, prose, anything goes!
No.
( even as she says it, an ounce of embarassment creeps up her spine and spreads warmth in her cheeks. merlin is a hardass, but not an unreasonable sadist anymore. he's not their trainer anymore — just their handler, their coworker — he'd probably be understanding, especially if he thought her emotionally fraught enough to compromise her field integrity.
but that's an insulting insinuation. and while it's not (at all) exactly what eggsy was getting at, roxy's still bristling in defense of her morals and raw emotions. )
And I don't intend to.
( merlin is their coworker, but eggsy is her friend. and dammit, she'd just wanted tea and maybe a comforting squeeze of the shoulder. )
( even as she says it, an ounce of embarassment creeps up her spine and spreads warmth in her cheeks. merlin is a hardass, but not an unreasonable sadist anymore. he's not their trainer anymore — just their handler, their coworker — he'd probably be understanding, especially if he thought her emotionally fraught enough to compromise her field integrity.
but that's an insulting insinuation. and while it's not (at all) exactly what eggsy was getting at, roxy's still bristling in defense of her morals and raw emotions. )
And I don't intend to.
( merlin is their coworker, but eggsy is her friend. and dammit, she'd just wanted tea and maybe a comforting squeeze of the shoulder. )
[Eggsy will want to talk about Costa Rica after he's had a twelve hour long sleep and a hot meal and some alcohol, but until then he's uninterested. He'd much rather focus on London's welcoming (if soggy) arms and the sound of Roxy's voice, so missed for so long.
At her question, one of his eyes opens and he glances over at her in the driver's seat. He shakes his head slowly. Hearing about something that happened to another Knight doesn't require a lot of energy on his part, so he bites.
Besides, judging by Roxy's tone, whatever happened to Kay hadn't been so disastrous that it had led to serious injury or death. She wouldn't have dropped that kind of news on Eggsy right now, after just picking him up.]
What happened?
At her question, one of his eyes opens and he glances over at her in the driver's seat. He shakes his head slowly. Hearing about something that happened to another Knight doesn't require a lot of energy on his part, so he bites.
Besides, judging by Roxy's tone, whatever happened to Kay hadn't been so disastrous that it had led to serious injury or death. She wouldn't have dropped that kind of news on Eggsy right now, after just picking him up.]
What happened?
[Eggsy wishes that Roxy didn't remember it. It had been a traumatizing experience for both of them and it would probably be easier on her if she'd just blacked out and woken up in a hospital bed -- in a lot of pain but without that memory of thinking she was absolutely going to die.]
fine fine
i know i've said this a hundred times already but i am so glad you're alive
fine fine
i know i've said this a hundred times already but i am so glad you're alive
He was freefalling into the jungle to recover highly classified stolen documents from a displaced Russian militia.
( it'd been an easy mission, but top secret. the only reason she knows all the details now is because merlin hadn't been able to stop smirking like a mad man after he and kay debriefed over holograms teleconference, and she'd looked at him sideways for long enough that he caved and offered her his clipboard.
the playback had been hilarious. she'd have to see if her retelling could have the same effect. and so roxy tapers down her own bemusement, very casually continues: )
And got stuck in a tree. A really, really tall tree where he couldn't cut himself down from. And rather far out on the branches too, so he couldn't climb to the trunk. In the end, Gawain had to been flown in from Alaska to finish the mission and help Kay down.
( it'd been an easy mission, but top secret. the only reason she knows all the details now is because merlin hadn't been able to stop smirking like a mad man after he and kay debriefed over holograms teleconference, and she'd looked at him sideways for long enough that he caved and offered her his clipboard.
the playback had been hilarious. she'd have to see if her retelling could have the same effect. and so roxy tapers down her own bemusement, very casually continues: )
And got stuck in a tree. A really, really tall tree where he couldn't cut himself down from. And rather far out on the branches too, so he couldn't climb to the trunk. In the end, Gawain had to been flown in from Alaska to finish the mission and help Kay down.
[The other good thing about taking JB for this particular mission is that he's an extremely friendly dog, the sort that doesn't consider the possible danger before padding up to a stranger with his tongue lolling and a nonthreatening bark. It means that when they take him out on walks, it would be all too easy to fall into conversation with their next door neighbors.
While Eggsy does help some with picking out the furniture and their respective wardrobes, he leaves most of that to Roxy, instead reading up on the process of grief and what sort of advice is given to parents who have lost a child, when it comes to coping and moving on. He takes a few of the books with him, figuring that Roxy might want to have a look and it would make the whole thing more authentic if they have those lying around.
Suffice to say, they have both done their homework by the time that moving day arrives, and Eggsy is feeling a lot less nervous than he had on that night when they'd shared a bottle of wine in Roxy's flat.] Hello, sweetheart. [He speaks the words with a crooked smile, and while it might not be convincingly sincere yet, he'll get it down.
They drive into the neighborhood and Eggsy begins to catalog everything around them. He wants to know who lives where, he wants to know which houses have pets and which have children and which have both. He takes note of where an elderly couple is living, and notices which homes get JB more riled up, figuring they probably have animals of some sort.
He's preparing to get out and stride over to speak to the movers when Roxy stops him. It's one last remark before they have to put their masks on and play pretend for a month (though they should have some kind of privacy within their own "home," where they could drop character, he would imagine). He turns to her, gives her a long look, and nods with an easy smile.] Of course, Rox. I know how this works.
[He pats her on the shoulder and then gets out on the driver's side, then opens up the back door for JB first and foremost. The pug rockets out of the car and Eggsy laughs. If there's any time that he can be genuine, it's with animals and children.] I know, we're going to a new home! You're going to get to meet all the other dogs around here! Let's get you in the house for now, though. [Eggsy falls into the posh accent with no hesitation, having perfected it by now.
He snaps, a signal for JB to follow him which the dog responds to immediately, and then heads for the front door, digging into his pocket for the keys.]
While Eggsy does help some with picking out the furniture and their respective wardrobes, he leaves most of that to Roxy, instead reading up on the process of grief and what sort of advice is given to parents who have lost a child, when it comes to coping and moving on. He takes a few of the books with him, figuring that Roxy might want to have a look and it would make the whole thing more authentic if they have those lying around.
Suffice to say, they have both done their homework by the time that moving day arrives, and Eggsy is feeling a lot less nervous than he had on that night when they'd shared a bottle of wine in Roxy's flat.] Hello, sweetheart. [He speaks the words with a crooked smile, and while it might not be convincingly sincere yet, he'll get it down.
They drive into the neighborhood and Eggsy begins to catalog everything around them. He wants to know who lives where, he wants to know which houses have pets and which have children and which have both. He takes note of where an elderly couple is living, and notices which homes get JB more riled up, figuring they probably have animals of some sort.
He's preparing to get out and stride over to speak to the movers when Roxy stops him. It's one last remark before they have to put their masks on and play pretend for a month (though they should have some kind of privacy within their own "home," where they could drop character, he would imagine). He turns to her, gives her a long look, and nods with an easy smile.] Of course, Rox. I know how this works.
[He pats her on the shoulder and then gets out on the driver's side, then opens up the back door for JB first and foremost. The pug rockets out of the car and Eggsy laughs. If there's any time that he can be genuine, it's with animals and children.] I know, we're going to a new home! You're going to get to meet all the other dogs around here! Let's get you in the house for now, though. [Eggsy falls into the posh accent with no hesitation, having perfected it by now.
He snaps, a signal for JB to follow him which the dog responds to immediately, and then heads for the front door, digging into his pocket for the keys.]
[Given that it involves another Knight being in hospital, Eggsy figures that this goes well beyond a personal issue. Merlin must already know the situation, had probably arranged the accommodations for Percival, so chances are that Roxy will be talking to him about it at one point or another.
Merlin had been a hardass toward them during training, but a lot of that has changed now that they've made the cut (in Eggsy's case, in an unorthodox way) and become Kingsmen. Even during that training, Merlin had been kind to Eggsy when Harry had been in his coma, and now that Harry is gone, he's done what he can to be supportive as Eggsy works through his grief.
Still, if Roxy wants to bury her head in the sand and be stubborn about this, then there's not much that Eggsy can do about it.] ... All right.
[She came to him for support and so he doesn't disappoint in the end, pushing away from the counter to stride over to her and wrap his arms tight around her shoulders.]
Merlin had been a hardass toward them during training, but a lot of that has changed now that they've made the cut (in Eggsy's case, in an unorthodox way) and become Kingsmen. Even during that training, Merlin had been kind to Eggsy when Harry had been in his coma, and now that Harry is gone, he's done what he can to be supportive as Eggsy works through his grief.
Still, if Roxy wants to bury her head in the sand and be stubborn about this, then there's not much that Eggsy can do about it.] ... All right.
[She came to him for support and so he doesn't disappoint in the end, pushing away from the counter to stride over to her and wrap his arms tight around her shoulders.]
Edited 2015-06-09 15:22 (UTC)
[Freefalling into a jungle sounds a lot more fun than what Eggsy had to do for the past month, although his moment of being jealous passes as soon as Roxy offers up the rest of the story.
Stuck in a tree? What, like Katniss in the The Hunger Games except he hadn't actually been able to get himself down? Eggsy feels as he shoulders begin to shake with laughter and while it comes out a bit raw, Roxy is still doing a spectacular job of cheering him up.]
Oh my god. He's never gonna live that one down. [He glances at her. Tired though he may be, his eyes still flash with amusement.] How long was he stuck in there?
Stuck in a tree? What, like Katniss in the The Hunger Games except he hadn't actually been able to get himself down? Eggsy feels as he shoulders begin to shake with laughter and while it comes out a bit raw, Roxy is still doing a spectacular job of cheering him up.]
Oh my god. He's never gonna live that one down. [He glances at her. Tired though he may be, his eyes still flash with amusement.] How long was he stuck in there?
( ah yes here is the real kicker, delivered with an easy drawl and a casual shrug as they get up to highway speed — )
Six and a half hours.
( and it is incredibly doubtful he — or whomever replaces him upon his retirement — will live down this misadventure. )
Six and a half hours.
( and it is incredibly doubtful he — or whomever replaces him upon his retirement — will live down this misadventure. )
( they could hope for privacy — later in the evening, when everyone in the neighborhood should be asleep and they're in their bed (singular — or on the couches, plural) with the blinds drawn and lights off. but who knows. that may not be enough. there was truth to the remors that surrounded rich, close knit communities, everyone was in everyones business and gossip was a very valuable form of currency. and what was more, they were supposed to be making themselves emotionally avalible; and to nosy neighbors that might mean leaving the blinds open and lights on while they — stiltedly — interacted like a married couple at odds.
speaking of married and at odds, roxy twiddles the ring on her finger. it's expensive and gorgeous and fits her perfectly, but is really little more than a jewel encrusted metrognome as she counts the seconds and carefully calculates how long it is before she follows him. every microexpression and every little twitch is carefully choreographed — from the quiet way she shuts her car door and pulls her sweater a little closer to her body, to the delay before she smiles at eggsy and jb.
they head for the door and she joins the movers to deliver canned directions on how she wanted her furniture handled. they're all various kingsman employees, they know how this is going to go.
but standing out on the lawn for ten minutes proves quite beneficial for their mission, and by the time she joins him in the entryway it's to report — )
I've seen movement in their upstairs window. ( and to theorize openly: ) What sort of baked goods do you think they'll bring us?
( there's only two small windows by the door in the little entryway, and their front door isn't remotely oriented towards richard and petra justice's house. but there's calculation in how intimately familiar and awkardly distant she holds herself in relation to him; like she feels she should be in his personal space but doesn't want to be. )
speaking of married and at odds, roxy twiddles the ring on her finger. it's expensive and gorgeous and fits her perfectly, but is really little more than a jewel encrusted metrognome as she counts the seconds and carefully calculates how long it is before she follows him. every microexpression and every little twitch is carefully choreographed — from the quiet way she shuts her car door and pulls her sweater a little closer to her body, to the delay before she smiles at eggsy and jb.
they head for the door and she joins the movers to deliver canned directions on how she wanted her furniture handled. they're all various kingsman employees, they know how this is going to go.
but standing out on the lawn for ten minutes proves quite beneficial for their mission, and by the time she joins him in the entryway it's to report — )
I've seen movement in their upstairs window. ( and to theorize openly: ) What sort of baked goods do you think they'll bring us?
( there's only two small windows by the door in the little entryway, and their front door isn't remotely oriented towards richard and petra justice's house. but there's calculation in how intimately familiar and awkardly distant she holds herself in relation to him; like she feels she should be in his personal space but doesn't want to be. )
( the hug could undo her. could be the final bit of emotion that brought forth the — angry, scared, sad — tears that'd been a constant pressure behind her eyes for hours now; could be the breaking point if she allowd it.
but she won't. doesn't.
there's maybe one pitiful sniff, and all of the defensive fight goes out of her shoulders. but roxy holds herself together fairly well, all things considered. and after a brief pause, wraps her arms around his waist and squeezes back in turn; a silent thank you before she mumbles into his shoulder — )
Your water is boiling.
but she won't. doesn't.
there's maybe one pitiful sniff, and all of the defensive fight goes out of her shoulders. but roxy holds herself together fairly well, all things considered. and after a brief pause, wraps her arms around his waist and squeezes back in turn; a silent thank you before she mumbles into his shoulder — )
Your water is boiling.
[It's so much better than Eggsy could have expected, and he bursts out into laughter that shakes its way through him and does its job of healing up some of that fatigue that had set into his bones.]
That's brilliant. I'm gonna give him the hardest time when I see him again.
[Hilarious stories aside, Eggsy is curious about what Roxy's life has been like the past few months, and he thinks he has the energy to ask her now. He glances over at her in the driver's seat.]
So how 'bout you? How's the job been treatin' you?
That's brilliant. I'm gonna give him the hardest time when I see him again.
[Hilarious stories aside, Eggsy is curious about what Roxy's life has been like the past few months, and he thinks he has the energy to ask her now. He glances over at her in the driver's seat.]
So how 'bout you? How's the job been treatin' you?
[Whereas Eggsy has broken down into tears a few times since he's joined the Kingsman organization, he's always been the weaker of the two of them. It's why Roxy got the Lancelot spot fair and square while he'd been let in on a technicality (or rather, because no one was going to argue with Merlin on the decision when Eggsy had saved the world).
So while he'd been half expecting Roxy to cry when he'd offered her that physical support, he also isn't that surprised when she holds strong. Though Eggsy can't help but wonder if bottling it all up is going to do Roxy some serious harm someday. Maybe she waits until she's alone before she lets herself cry.
He moves his hand up to the back of her head, running his fingers through her hair, at least until she says those words.]
Shit! [He yanks away from her and rushes over to the stove, turning it off and then sliding on a glove so that he can grab the kettle's handle and pour out the steaming water into the two mugs.] All right, some steaming hot tea, it'll put you right as rain -- least that's what my mum always says.
So while he'd been half expecting Roxy to cry when he'd offered her that physical support, he also isn't that surprised when she holds strong. Though Eggsy can't help but wonder if bottling it all up is going to do Roxy some serious harm someday. Maybe she waits until she's alone before she lets herself cry.
He moves his hand up to the back of her head, running his fingers through her hair, at least until she says those words.]
Shit! [He yanks away from her and rushes over to the stove, turning it off and then sliding on a glove so that he can grab the kettle's handle and pour out the steaming water into the two mugs.] All right, some steaming hot tea, it'll put you right as rain -- least that's what my mum always says.
[It's probably for the best if they both assume that the moments when they'll get to drop character will be few and far between. That way they can prepare themselves for keeping their masks on permanently. This is a big test for both of them, one that they can't fail now that they're no longer trainees. But neither Roxy nor Eggsy has gone undercover for this long before.
JB makes a quick circuit of the first floor of the cozy little home that's going to be theirs for the foreseeable future. There's no furniture in place yet, so the dog has full reign of the place, and is quickly making himself at home. Much more quickly than Eggsy and Roxy will, in any case. But no, he should be thinking of them as Gary and Roxanne. God, he was never fond of his birth name. Still, Gary is better than Chester.
By the time that he and JB have done some exploring (of the backyard as well, which isn't huge but provides more than enough space for a pug) and Eggsy's making his way back to the front door, Roxy's on her way in.
The way she describes it, movement in the upstairs window, is a little too clinical for any normal person with a white picket fence. (This house has one of those. It's ridiculous.) Eggsy makes a note to warn her about it later, when it's safe to do so, and instead focuses on her question.]
Well, we probably shouldn't get our hopes up. They may not be the baking sort.
[Still, given the kind of neighborhood that they're in, he wouldn't be surprised if they did end up with some kind of housewarming gift. This is all so bizarre, a snapshot of a life that Eggsy never had, and he has to fling off that feeling that he doesn't belong here. That someone will see him for what he is and label him an impostor.
That's not going to happen, he tells himself.] Where should we wait while they're moving everything in? I don't want to get in the way.
JB makes a quick circuit of the first floor of the cozy little home that's going to be theirs for the foreseeable future. There's no furniture in place yet, so the dog has full reign of the place, and is quickly making himself at home. Much more quickly than Eggsy and Roxy will, in any case. But no, he should be thinking of them as Gary and Roxanne. God, he was never fond of his birth name. Still, Gary is better than Chester.
By the time that he and JB have done some exploring (of the backyard as well, which isn't huge but provides more than enough space for a pug) and Eggsy's making his way back to the front door, Roxy's on her way in.
The way she describes it, movement in the upstairs window, is a little too clinical for any normal person with a white picket fence. (This house has one of those. It's ridiculous.) Eggsy makes a note to warn her about it later, when it's safe to do so, and instead focuses on her question.]
Well, we probably shouldn't get our hopes up. They may not be the baking sort.
[Still, given the kind of neighborhood that they're in, he wouldn't be surprised if they did end up with some kind of housewarming gift. This is all so bizarre, a snapshot of a life that Eggsy never had, and he has to fling off that feeling that he doesn't belong here. That someone will see him for what he is and label him an impostor.
That's not going to happen, he tells himself.] Where should we wait while they're moving everything in? I don't want to get in the way.
( oh good, he's laughing. that's always a good sound, and something of a relief to hear when he'd looked so bedraggled on the airstrip. she allows herself a smile, too, at kay's preemptive expense, and keeps the lighthearted atmosphere between them with a casual shrug in response to his inquiry. )
Much of the same, really. Nothing all that new or exciting. ( which isn't a bad thing. but when you start your career floating to the edge of the earths atmosphere to shoot a missile out of orbit in an ancient personal space craft, it's easy to expect more out of kingsman than the realistic mountains of paperwork that followed every mission and filled their off hours.
and she wasn't about to rub in his face how successful her last mission had been; gone off without a hitch, unlike costa rica which had included many hitches from her understanding. onto safe subjects: dogs. ) I saw all the puppies Merlin's gathered for the next round of new recruits. I think JB's made quite an impression on the establishment, there's three pugs this time.
Much of the same, really. Nothing all that new or exciting. ( which isn't a bad thing. but when you start your career floating to the edge of the earths atmosphere to shoot a missile out of orbit in an ancient personal space craft, it's easy to expect more out of kingsman than the realistic mountains of paperwork that followed every mission and filled their off hours.
and she wasn't about to rub in his face how successful her last mission had been; gone off without a hitch, unlike costa rica which had included many hitches from her understanding. onto safe subjects: dogs. ) I saw all the puppies Merlin's gathered for the next round of new recruits. I think JB's made quite an impression on the establishment, there's three pugs this time.
( even dried eyed and trying to fake composure, she resents the loss of his hand in her hair when eggsy peels away to deal with the kettle and tea. there's the tiniest of sniffs when his back is turned to her, and roxy tosses social graces to the side, choosing to rub her hand under her nose instead of rooting around for the handkerchief she may or may not have on her person.
but the tea is poured and the hug — while she wishes it was a little longer — helped. roxy cautiously takes her cup when he offers it, mindful about how the heat has seeped through the ceramic. the steam rolling off the top smells good, comforting like familiar smells and routine are, and she nods at eggsy after a deep inhale. )
Your mother is a very intelligent woman.
but the tea is poured and the hug — while she wishes it was a little longer — helped. roxy cautiously takes her cup when he offers it, mindful about how the heat has seeped through the ceramic. the steam rolling off the top smells good, comforting like familiar smells and routine are, and she nods at eggsy after a deep inhale. )
Your mother is a very intelligent woman.
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