ic inbox: tlv

[rickitikitarr]

Comments

[formerself]

his name is solomons, he's a "baker". does business like 20mins from my estate.

talked to him for 5 fucking minutes and he asked me what happens if you cut someone's arms and legs off after you've killed them

actually I'm only assuming after.

[rickitikitarr]

creepy

wait, what does happen?

but honestly, do you think people are going to mistake him for me?

[formerself]

i have no fucking idea but i told him the admiral sorts it.

reckon you're safe so long as you don't fancy growing a beard any time soon

max kicked off a bit but he's ok now.

[rickitikitarr]

oh no. poor fellow, that's the last thing he needs. how about you? no knocks?

[formerself]

yeah i'm fine. might need a fuckin rabies jab or something since he spat blood all over me.

solomons, not max.

[rickitikitarr]

tell me this over a cup of tea, I'm coming over

[formerself]

alright, kettle's on. bring your posh tea if you don't fancy mine.

[rickitikitarr]

[He knocks, short seconds later, tea-less but upbeat; the best he's felt in weeks, honestly.]

Hello hello.

[formerself]

Alright.

[Eggsy smiles and steps back to let him in. He's showered recently, and with his jacket off there's a couple of visible defensive bruises on his forearms, but he's looking chipper enough. He turns and heads back into the kitchen, where the kettle's just started whistling.]

...Not much under the headlines, to be honest. It's him who mugged Hornblower but that don't take a genius, does it.

[rickitikitarr]

I have a pound says you catch Omar wandering the halls and whistling happily. He loves gangsters.

[And there may be a little violence, but Ricki trusts it will all be therapeutic and contained to the two of them.]

[formerself]

This the kind of 'love' that's gonna get anyone in the Infirmary?

[So long as 'anyone' is actually Solomons, he's...absolutely fine with that.]

[rickitikitarr]

They're grown ups. And, I'm about to propose doing something to you that was invented in a secret building in Moscow.

[So who are they to judge, honestly.]

[formerself]

[Eggsy blinks several times. Oh, that's why he's round.]

......Yeah. Glass houses, eh.

[He fills a pot with leaves and hot water, then goes rummaging for mugs and milk.]

So, uh, you got any more detail there?

[rickitikitarr]

Eh- part of why it works is the fear.

[A light shrug of his shoulders.]

But we should talk about how it's going to work. I thought I might set you up- it's slow-building, like, very gradual. Give you the spoken lecture as it sinks in, and stop when you've gone as far as you can.

[formerself]

[He nods, and if there's a little bit of a straighter set to his shoulders - well, he is nervous about this. Training didn't really cover 'enhanced interrogation technique', if only because the vast majority of them were always destined to be sent home; he supposes there's a limit on how much you can teach some Oxbridge brat you're going to send on their way with nary a by-your-leave.]

Okay. That makes sense. Where would we...?

[rickitikitarr]

Yours.

[He decides, and reaches for his cigarettes.]

[formerself]

Alright. Here's good.

[Makes sense. It's private, and it stays out of Ricki's space.]

I - I'm fine to start whenever you are.

[rickitikitarr]

Not today. I did just come over here to get the dirt on Solomons- my point is I'm not going to lift my eyebrows too high if he and Omar get going with one another.

[He fully expects it.]

[formerself]

[Eggsy nods, and passes Ricki a teacup.]

What the two of 'em get into? It's none of my business.

[rickitikitarr]

I'll tell you if it gets good.

[Reaching for the milk.]

Anyways, you keep safe now.

[formerself]

[He can't help but be more concerned about Ricki. Given the reception Solomons got from one bloke with his face, he might be slightly less inclined to be friendly with the other one.]

'Round Solomons? I think I'm alright. He knows what it's like in his day, there's bits of it left in mine, so. Gave the impression I wouldn't start a fight or finish one.

[Just drag a friend away from one, now.]

[rickitikitarr]

You know how to handle a case like his.

[Ricki interprets, giving him a slightly shrewd.]

Are you going to be all right?

[formerself]

[The look Eggsy replies with is perfectly blank.]

Nothin' to not be alright about, Ricki.

[rickitikitarr]

If he's really peeved with Max-

[Max thought it, naturally, and so does Ricki.]

-well, you'll probably wipe the floor with him.

[formerself]

Yep.

[That's all she wrote, folks. He relents after a moment, shrugs.]

Dunno how peeved he is. When I got into it, he didn't care enough to keep at him, so -- anyway, if I've got so rusty he can get the drop on me then I'm basically askin' for it.

[In which case he will get his treatment as inobtrusively as possible and then not tell Max.]