[ well, it’s just too bad that james went know about that whole spy life, isn’t it? that he doesn’t know how loaded the question is? hmm. hmmmmmmm. ]
you don’t warm up to that you’re in it or you’re not and you’re in it and did a bang up job so don’t be too hard on yourself
[ oh. OH. he sees. this makes things a bit different, don’t they? because james has certainly seen some interesting things on the network, and has heard some interesting things from friends. a proper L lady. ]
well well well you’re a right courtier aren’t you? lady margaery better do right to impress her especially with a knightly brother watching your every move
oh come off it you just like having me around to ooh and aah
[ but he very much appreciates the reassurance. it's sorely needed, when he suddenly feels out of his depth again. ]
think the word you're looking for is right tramp bit of rough, maybe charming scoundrel on a good day look, if i don't get my head lopped off, i'm calling it success
you are a skilled and perceptive peanut gallery as always but don't belittle yourself you've got plenty of skills you just get too spooked by dragons. they're just like giant cats, after all
[ life is being out of your depth, eggsy. c'mon now. that's what's so exciting about it. you've only got so many hours to live (and some less than others). ]
charming scoundrel seems about right unnecessarily charismatic, overtly talented, etc etc etc if you need any backup im not certain of my capabilities against a legitimate knight but ~magic~ and all that
[ yeah, spooked is the right word. he'd nearly frozen before his instincts kicked in. funnily enough, his most suspicious skillset (the lethal combination of his background in gymnastics and freerunning hobby) has entirely normal origins. james has been kind enough not to question him, but eggsy wonders how long that can last. he knows peggy carter has been piecing things together, even if that's more harry's fault than his own (for once). ]
you're an absolute nutter, jaz definitely brilliant but mad as anything
[ giant cats. jesus christ. even wizards are human-sized and should tread carefully with dragons.]
actually i never asked, but are there rules for magic? other than the one about not telling average blokes like me about it not that it really matters here
[ so kingsman shouldn't matter, either, but eggsy still struggles to justify revealing the information. ]
[ yes, well, james is also from a world where there is a particular class he's sure lily took specifically on dragons. porpentina goldstein, who later becomes porpentina scamander, is here. and is the future wife of newt scamander, tamer of dragons.
now. james may be mostly bravado, here, but his sense of danger is entirely skewed and also any kind logical or reasonably voice in his life is officially gone.
so dragon hunting it is. with eggsy. who has a pretty special skillset himself, and has proven himself incredibly helpful, and useful, on top of being just a fun person to be around. ]
its a thin line between madness and brilliance. a thin thin line
[ they are! and james isn't even one of those crazy 'protect dragons' loons either. is he more prepared to give 'dangerous creatures' second chances? maybe. ]
sorta? bans on killing curses and all that. not that it works for shit when we've got a war on our hands. you'd prolly call them laws more than rules? and laws are specific to places. and also broken even when they're not supposed to be. because a good half of them are useless attempts to limit fun but yeah.
[ he contemplates the information for a long moment before responding. killing curses stands out to him, as frightening as it sounds. eggsy is a spy, after all, though he was paranoid long before harry hart selected him for the service. ]
guess that makes sense
[ laws are, ah, flexible in his experience as well. ]
can i see you do more offensive stuff? cause it seems like that's what we'll be up against around here and i'm feeling pretty mortal i can show you some of my moves at the shooting range too
[ training with harry is helpful, but the supernatural nature of threats on this bonkers planet concerns him. ]
[ it hits him a second later what eggsy is talking about. what james just opened up for him. there's a cold sort of understanding that settles over him with it. ]
there's not a whole lot to do against most curses unless youve got magic yourself and even then
[ james might not have lived through it, but he saw the look in lily's eyes. he can imagine what's happened, he's seen enough killing curses being cast. ]
but we can see what we can do there've got to be ways to disarm a wizard without magic trade for trade?
[ after becoming galahad, eggsy felt assured. for the first time in his life, he could handle whatever came: killing arthur, taking charlie out, fighting dean and his gang of tossers.]
good thing i'm not your typical muggle
[ even saying that feels like he's pushing a boundary. he ought to be underplaying his abilities — conforming to the unflattering stereotypes that easily obscures his talents — but he won't vocalise the feeling of helplessness surging in his stomach. he can't think like that.
[ james is just eyeing you, friend. he knows, but he doesn't know what he knows. but he knows something. has, honestly, since they first met. that curling in his gut.
but eggsy feels unsafe. eggsy feels worried. james understands that - it's been a constant state of his since his sixth year at school - so of course he can help. ]
[ he has seen a gun in real life once. ever. and it was a grand old time. but it had also involved sirius, and a motorcycle, and probably wasn't in any way legal.
he also didn't touch it. so. yeah. ]
you there now? im not doing anything so i could head over
[ his gratitude for the good company, warm reassurances, reliable back-up — he hadn't thought he'd ever have relationships like this. even harry, he hardly knew before death separated them. only roxy comes to mind before now. his mates from home are great, but they haven't seen the things that he has, especially now that his life has switched from genres action thriller to fantasy sci-fi. ]
then ill see ya in a bit and hey dont worry about it were in all this shit together anyway.
[ because it's haunting, in a way. to be around this place, to be so incredibly out of his depth in a place he doesn't really understand. he's had sirius, sure, but eggsy was a different kind of comfort. a kind of comfort that doesn't come with extra baggage. that doesn't come with those looks, that he catches, just every now and then.
james misses home, more than he ever really thought he could, but in spending time with people like eggsy he can get a footing to actually move forward. and that's what he does - move forward - right on out of what he was doing and immediately in the direction of the shooting range. he'd been more hesitant to use his apparation on myver if only because he wasn't yet sure how magic reacted in a place like this, so it takes him a bit. maybe more than a bit. he definitely does not get lost. ]
[ it's a ramshackle range, with paper and steel targets at various distances, visibly dinged from frequent use. eggsy leans against the dingy exterior wall of the reception. the man at the desk knows his face and that he never borrows one of the weapons on site. eggsy always has his gun — the kingsman issue pistol, a tokarev tt-30 semi-automatic — holstered in his backpack.
he steps forward to meet james, greeting him with a brief hug. ]
Broomstick struggling against the wind?
[ referencing the delay. the wizard thing is hysterical in some ways, innit? when eggsy pulls back, he turns to enter the range (waving at the clerk along the way). best to keep moving before he loses his nerve. ]
You ever fired a gun?
[ said casually, like it's nothing. he knows it isn't. ]
[ james really...has no idea what a shooting range is supposed to look like. so when he approaches and sees the pieces of paper in the distance, the dingy building, and he has to be honest at least with himself. this is. a little underwhelming.
but still, he's here, and he's here to see eggsy, so when eggsy approaches, james moves to meet him, returning the hug. ]
Tried to start prepping early. Figured the muggle route would me more appropriate.
[ but james is following eggsy all the same, still eyeing the rest of the range. ]
Oh, uh, that'd be. An absolutely not. Had one pointed at me before, though.
[ as eggsy's learning from this sojourn in the jungle, being a spy ain't half as glamorous as it seems in the films. he swings his bag around, lifting his kingsman pistol from within it. there's no insignia to hint at its origins, but the shotgun attachment is a unique modification. ]
Alright. Well, I have. Wouldn't carry this [ the gun. ] otherwise. I enlisted in the Royal Marines, yeah? [ a fact that he will have told james before. ] That's where I learned how to shoot — [ he extends his free arm, blocking james from stepping farther forward. it's a request for him to stay back for the moment. ] — but it ain't where I learned to do this.
[ another thirty seconds to ensure james is listening and watching. then, eggsy shifts entirely. every part of him, normally soft and relaxed in james company, tenses. his eyes sharpen on the targets, intensely focused. he flicks the safety off and slides his finger over the trigger. the pistol fires faster and quieter than the typical model, though someone unfamiliar with firearms might not notice. he fires five of the ten rounds in his magazine. each strikes a different steel target dead center.
with peggy, he had been restrained. smart. with james, he can show off a bit. ]
[ well, as far as james is concerned, he looked pretty damn graceful for a kid from england dealing with dragons for the first time. though maybe if he knew the spy bit eggsy would look a little less (though probably more?) impressive. he'll just have to wait and see.
either way, he walks up to where eggsy has settled - stopping a safe distance away to watch him unpack and set up a monstrously impressive weapon. james is hardly familiar with muggle weaponry, but he's seen enough movies to know a shotgun when he sees one. even sleek, understated, powerful things like the one eggsy is holding. ]
Yeah. [ he does remember eggsy talking about his time in the marines, a little fact that explains some of it. enough of it. james, for now, just takes to watching eggsy in full - no details, no assumptions, just a bystander seeing the way he sets his feet and creates his space and - incredibly - shoots.
james' eyes are pretty damn quick (quidditch and magic and general, natural abilities all helping out with that) which means he does see just how impressive each shot is, bullets settling into the steel target like they were always meant to be there. showing off or no, james' brows shoot up, and a low whistle escapes as eggsy makes it to the end of the magazine. ]
Holy hell mate, if the marines didn't teach you that, what did?
[ click. the safety's back on. as much as he's playing things up for james (as he always does, invariably performing with extra flair and mirth at the slightest encouragement from his dear friend), he knows that a gun is not a toy. he felt its deadliness acutely since arthur asked him to shoot his dog — since he used it to blow his way through valentine's base, like a first-person shooter playing out with real people. he feels hyper-aware of his pulse thumping through his skin, of the trusted eyes on him now.
it takes him longer than it should to answer. every word is a choice and impossible to recant. he hazards a sideways glance at james. of course he won't have figured it. eggsy has been doing so well, leaving few hints (even for the trained spies that he suspects are in his company). ]
You ever get the chance to watch films, or is it all brewing potions for you?
[ james' eyes hover a bit more pointedly over eggsy's hands for the following moments, watching the care and attention and ease and experience that comes with them. it chews away at him, that feeling in the back of his head he's had since that first night, the almost-knowledge that he's clung to despite how his trust has already, fully, been handed over.
it's not so much he doesn't know - he knows something. he just doesn't know what that something is, specifically. he isn't going to be surprised if he's told, though. he'll definitely lean more heavily on that he knew rather than the 'something'.
still, eggsy is hesitating over something. hazarding him a sideways glance with the kind of extra weight that comes with a secret. james would know, most of his life has been spent in one, though his isn't exactly equatable. ]
I've seen muggle films, I'm not a bloody hermit. [ there is a kind of mock offense there, as james slides his hands into his pockets, fingers of his right sliding loosely over his wand. ] Why?
[ the mock offense makes him laugh. and perhaps it should concern him — how simply james puts him at ease with a few words, but he doesn't even consider it. the intimacy that they fell into upon meeting has permanently coloured their relationship.
his mouth curves downward into a frown, more in thought than worry. he glances at the gun tight his hand, then skips over his shoes, and finally brings his gaze back up to james. he tips his chin, jaw set in determination. ]
[ eggsy laughs, and james feels a bit better for it, noticing the seriousness to eggsy's stance before anything else. he has a feeling about what will happen, has a vague idea of what the whole point to eggsy's sudden shift, and james just lets it happen. feels no need to force it, but also doesn't mind. if eggsy wants to tell him, whatever this is, whether he's some kind of killer or super soldier or whatever.
or whatever apparently is closer to the truth, judging by the way eggsy's jaw sets. bond films? he can't help but snort lightly at the question, his head tilting off to the side as he shifts around with his accent, a throwback to the first time they really bonded, one brow arched. ]
Bond, James Bond? [ said with the thick, thick connery accent. but then the expression and accent are dropped, james' free hand pulled back out of his pocket as he waves it around dismissively. ] I'd be more worried if someone hasn't seen one, really.
[ honestly, he's just waiting for eggsy to say it at this point. because that partial knowledge is slowly piecing together into an actual theory. ]
[ another laugh, though he cuts this one short. he can't vocalise it, but he remains grateful for james' approach to this conversation — to all the moments where he suspected something, even if he didn't know what. the space allows eggsy time to choose again and again. is it any wonder that he chooses james? james who died and then almost died once more, who could return to stasis without warning, who saw him utterly wrecked within days of meeting him).
a part of him considers saying something stupid and leaving it at that. i prefer jack bauer, bruv. ]
Yeah, well — [ he hesitates because his next words are everything, even if he couches them in jokes and pop culture references. just a little more. his expression shifts, a touch sheepish. ] — might be that I've got a higher clearance level than him.
[ despite the nerves, he watches closely for any tell of alarm written in james' face. ]
[ he can tell they're getting closer, by the way eggsy's laugh is cut off. by the tension that doesn't quite leave the air. james can be patient, if he needs to be. especially with friends. especially with friends with secrets.
the fact that a 12 year old james could figure out one of his best friends was a werewolf and he's not 100% sure what eggsy is kind of bugs him a little bit, but he'll deal with that later, choosing instead to wait - standing with that distance still between them - as eggsy pushes himself to words. as eggsy hesitates, and then smiles, and james just. watches him, that unsure smile of his own still lingering.
higher clearance. alright. james just needs a second or two to process, to decide that that was enough of an answer for him, before he lets out a breath and just sort of shrugs. ]
Sure. [ because you know what. why the fuck not. ] That makes the most sense, honestly.
[ he makes a startled noise, not quite a laugh or sigh. that makes the most sense. as if, james, but eggsy likes the sound of it. the response conveys an easy acceptance, far greater than he expected. suddenly, relief floods him, making him relax even in this serious space.
after a long moment, he musters a reply. it's meant to be teasing, really, but it's too fond. ]
[ eggsy' startled noise makes james grin, finally moving to close the gap between them so he can get a closer look at the gun, actually fairly curious about the way it looks, the way it all is supposed to come together. no magic, he gets that, but?
and it's about then that eggsy musters up his response and james snorts, reaching out to set a hand on eggsy's shoulder. ]
Mate, you're fucking suave, of course you're a spy. It's the only thing that makes sense. [ he gives eggsy's shoulder a squeeze, his smile bright, before he finally drops his hand. ] So you going to teach me how to use this thing or what?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
you don’t warm up to that
you’re in it or you’re not
and you’re in it
and did a bang up job
so don’t be too hard on yourself
[ oh. OH. he sees. this makes things a bit different, don’t they? because james has certainly seen some interesting things on the network, and has heard some interesting things from friends. a proper L lady. ]
well well well
you’re a right courtier aren’t you?
lady margaery
better do right to impress her
especially with a knightly brother watching your every move
no subject
oh come off it
you just like having me around to ooh and aah
[ but he very much appreciates the reassurance. it's sorely needed, when he suddenly feels out of his depth again. ]
think the word you're looking for is right tramp
bit of rough, maybe
charming scoundrel on a good day
look, if i don't get my head lopped off, i'm calling it success
[ wheezes. ]
no subject
but don't belittle yourself you've got plenty of skills
you just get too spooked by dragons.
they're just like giant cats, after all
[ life is being out of your depth, eggsy. c'mon now. that's what's so exciting about it. you've only got so many hours to live (and some less than others). ]
charming scoundrel seems about right
unnecessarily charismatic, overtly talented, etc etc etc
if you need any backup
im not certain of my capabilities against a legitimate knight but
~magic~ and all that
no subject
you're an absolute nutter, jaz
definitely brilliant
but mad as anything
[ giant cats. jesus christ. even wizards are human-sized and should tread carefully with dragons.]
actually i never asked, but are there rules for magic?
other than the one about not telling average blokes like me about it
not that it really matters here
[ so kingsman shouldn't matter, either, but eggsy still struggles to justify revealing the information. ]
no subject
now. james may be mostly bravado, here, but his sense of danger is entirely skewed and also any kind logical or reasonably voice in his life is officially gone.
so dragon hunting it is. with eggsy. who has a pretty special skillset himself, and has proven himself incredibly helpful, and useful, on top of being just a fun person to be around. ]
its a thin line between madness and brilliance.
a thin thin line
[ they are! and james isn't even one of those crazy 'protect dragons' loons either. is he more prepared to give 'dangerous creatures' second chances? maybe. ]
sorta?
bans on killing curses and all that.
not that it works for shit when we've got a war on our hands.
you'd prolly call them laws more than rules?
and laws are specific to places.
and also broken even when they're not supposed to be.
because a good half of them are useless attempts to limit fun but
yeah.
no subject
guess that makes sense
[ laws are, ah, flexible in his experience as well. ]
can i see you do more offensive stuff?
cause it seems like that's what we'll be up against around here
and i'm feeling pretty mortal
i can show you some of my moves at the shooting range too
[ training with harry is helpful, but the supernatural nature of threats on this bonkers planet concerns him. ]
no subject
there's not a whole lot to do against most curses
unless youve got magic yourself
and even then
[ james might not have lived through it, but he saw the look in lily's eyes. he can imagine what's happened, he's seen enough killing curses being cast. ]
but we can see what we can do
there've got to be ways to disarm a wizard without magic
trade for trade?
no subject
good thing i'm not your typical muggle
[ even saying that feels like he's pushing a boundary. he ought to be underplaying his abilities — conforming to the unflattering stereotypes that easily obscures his talents — but he won't vocalise the feeling of helplessness surging in his stomach. he can't think like that.
magic, like anything else, has its limits. ]
trade for trade
only seems fair
no subject
well
this might just work then
[ james is just eyeing you, friend. he knows, but he doesn't know what he knows. but he knows something. has, honestly, since they first met. that curling in his gut.
but eggsy feels unsafe. eggsy feels worried. james understands that - it's been a constant state of his since his sixth year at school - so of course he can help. ]
time and place and ill be there
no subject
there's a shooting range i like
[ he sends the GPS pin. ]
i'll be around there
no subject
he also didn't touch it. so. yeah. ]
you there now?
im not doing anything so i could head over
no subject
[ he'd been messaging james en route. ]
thanks james
[ his gratitude for the good company, warm reassurances, reliable back-up — he hadn't thought he'd ever have relationships like this. even harry, he hardly knew before death separated them. only roxy comes to mind before now. his mates from home are great, but they haven't seen the things that he has, especially now that his life has switched from genres action thriller to fantasy sci-fi. ]
no subject
and hey
dont worry about it
were in all this shit together anyway.
[ because it's haunting, in a way. to be around this place, to be so incredibly out of his depth in a place he doesn't really understand. he's had sirius, sure, but eggsy was a different kind of comfort. a kind of comfort that doesn't come with extra baggage. that doesn't come with those looks, that he catches, just every now and then.
james misses home, more than he ever really thought he could, but in spending time with people like eggsy he can get a footing to actually move forward. and that's what he does - move forward - right on out of what he was doing and immediately in the direction of the shooting range. he'd been more hesitant to use his apparation on myver if only because he wasn't yet sure how magic reacted in a place like this, so it takes him a bit. maybe more than a bit. he definitely does not get lost. ]
Oi! Eggsy!
no subject
he steps forward to meet james, greeting him with a brief hug. ]
Broomstick struggling against the wind?
[ referencing the delay. the wizard thing is hysterical in some ways, innit? when eggsy pulls back, he turns to enter the range (waving at the clerk along the way). best to keep moving before he loses his nerve. ]
You ever fired a gun?
[ said casually, like it's nothing. he knows it isn't. ]
no subject
but still, he's here, and he's here to see eggsy, so when eggsy approaches, james moves to meet him, returning the hug. ]
Tried to start prepping early. Figured the muggle route would me more appropriate.
[ but james is following eggsy all the same, still eyeing the rest of the range. ]
Oh, uh, that'd be. An absolutely not. Had one pointed at me before, though.
[ also said casually, like it's nothing. ]
no subject
Alright. Well, I have. Wouldn't carry this [ the gun. ] otherwise. I enlisted in the Royal Marines, yeah? [ a fact that he will have told james before. ] That's where I learned how to shoot — [ he extends his free arm, blocking james from stepping farther forward. it's a request for him to stay back for the moment. ] — but it ain't where I learned to do this.
[ another thirty seconds to ensure james is listening and watching. then, eggsy shifts entirely. every part of him, normally soft and relaxed in james company, tenses. his eyes sharpen on the targets, intensely focused. he flicks the safety off and slides his finger over the trigger. the pistol fires faster and quieter than the typical model, though someone unfamiliar with firearms might not notice. he fires five of the ten rounds in his magazine. each strikes a different steel target dead center.
with peggy, he had been restrained. smart. with james, he can show off a bit. ]
no subject
either way, he walks up to where eggsy has settled - stopping a safe distance away to watch him unpack and set up a monstrously impressive weapon. james is hardly familiar with muggle weaponry, but he's seen enough movies to know a shotgun when he sees one. even sleek, understated, powerful things like the one eggsy is holding. ]
Yeah. [ he does remember eggsy talking about his time in the marines, a little fact that explains some of it. enough of it. james, for now, just takes to watching eggsy in full - no details, no assumptions, just a bystander seeing the way he sets his feet and creates his space and - incredibly - shoots.
james' eyes are pretty damn quick (quidditch and magic and general, natural abilities all helping out with that) which means he does see just how impressive each shot is, bullets settling into the steel target like they were always meant to be there. showing off or no, james' brows shoot up, and a low whistle escapes as eggsy makes it to the end of the magazine. ]
Holy hell mate, if the marines didn't teach you that, what did?
no subject
it takes him longer than it should to answer. every word is a choice and impossible to recant. he hazards a sideways glance at james. of course he won't have figured it. eggsy has been doing so well, leaving few hints (even for the trained spies that he suspects are in his company). ]
You ever get the chance to watch films, or is it all brewing potions for you?
[ he's going somewhere with this. promise. ]
no subject
it's not so much he doesn't know - he knows something. he just doesn't know what that something is, specifically. he isn't going to be surprised if he's told, though. he'll definitely lean more heavily on that he knew rather than the 'something'.
still, eggsy is hesitating over something. hazarding him a sideways glance with the kind of extra weight that comes with a secret. james would know, most of his life has been spent in one, though his isn't exactly equatable. ]
I've seen muggle films, I'm not a bloody hermit. [ there is a kind of mock offense there, as james slides his hands into his pockets, fingers of his right sliding loosely over his wand. ] Why?
no subject
[ the mock offense makes him laugh. and perhaps it should concern him — how simply james puts him at ease with a few words, but he doesn't even consider it. the intimacy that they fell into upon meeting has permanently coloured their relationship.
his mouth curves downward into a frown, more in thought than worry. he glances at the gun tight his hand, then skips over his shoes, and finally brings his gaze back up to james. he tips his chin, jaw set in determination. ]
You ever seen a Bond film?
no subject
or whatever apparently is closer to the truth, judging by the way eggsy's jaw sets. bond films? he can't help but snort lightly at the question, his head tilting off to the side as he shifts around with his accent, a throwback to the first time they really bonded, one brow arched. ]
Bond, James Bond? [ said with the thick, thick connery accent. but then the expression and accent are dropped, james' free hand pulled back out of his pocket as he waves it around dismissively. ] I'd be more worried if someone hasn't seen one, really.
[ honestly, he's just waiting for eggsy to say it at this point. because that partial knowledge is slowly piecing together into an actual theory. ]
no subject
james who died and then almost died once more, who could return to stasis without warning, who saw him utterly wrecked within days of meeting him).
a part of him considers saying something stupid and leaving it at that. i prefer jack bauer, bruv. ]
Yeah, well — [ he hesitates because his next words are everything, even if he couches them in jokes and pop culture references. just a little more. his expression shifts, a touch sheepish. ] — might be that I've got a higher clearance level than him.
[ despite the nerves, he watches closely for any tell of alarm written in james' face. ]
no subject
the fact that a 12 year old james could figure out one of his best friends was a werewolf and he's not 100% sure what eggsy is kind of bugs him a little bit, but he'll deal with that later, choosing instead to wait - standing with that distance still between them - as eggsy pushes himself to words. as eggsy hesitates, and then smiles, and james just. watches him, that unsure smile of his own still lingering.
higher clearance. alright. james just needs a second or two to process, to decide that that was enough of an answer for him, before he lets out a breath and just sort of shrugs. ]
Sure. [ because you know what. why the fuck not. ] That makes the most sense, honestly.
no subject
after a long moment, he musters a reply. it's meant to be teasing, really, but it's too fond. ]
'Cause I'm so suave, yeah?
no subject
and it's about then that eggsy musters up his response and james snorts, reaching out to set a hand on eggsy's shoulder. ]
Mate, you're fucking suave, of course you're a spy. It's the only thing that makes sense. [ he gives eggsy's shoulder a squeeze, his smile bright, before he finally drops his hand. ] So you going to teach me how to use this thing or what?
sorry for the delay!! computer problems etc etc
YOU ARE ALWAYS OKAY BBY
♥ keywords tbh
truer keywords have never been spoken ♥