#he's supposed to be 'raising' roxy now and he's struggling with how often she comes back needing to be patched up

[monty-glasses-roxy]

So do the girls ever gain the title of "sisters"? Like imagine someone making Roxy cry and Cassie squares up to them like "Leave my little sister ALONE" Plus Roxy would totally do the same thing for Cass

They are sisters, yeah!! And I'm glad you referred to Roxy as the little sister too because she kinda is lmao

They start calling eachother sister's very early on after Roxy starts living with Cassie and her dad (who I'm calling Eddie). A little more context here, is that this version of Meteors is set after my Ruin Aftermath fic that I... haven't written anything for yet. (I wouldn't need to though, I could integrate it fairly well with Meteors I'd say. Maybe.) But basically, in the aftermath of Ruin, Roxy and some of the reactivated Minis that came to her aid, find a very injured Cassie underground, and the group have to navigate the basements of the old Pizza Place, avoiding the Mimic the best they can, to try and find a way to stop it for good. Because until then? They can't leave without letting the Mimic out.

All this to say that even before Meteors, Roxy and Cassie are thick as thieves. They're a team! The Minis love Cassie and Cassie loves them! Cassie comes back to see Roxy regularly, even convincing her dad to come and meet her in the lobby after some pestering! Cassie already saw Roxy as an older sister figure and a best friend, and Roxy always adored Cassie, but could never describe it outside of 'like family' before due to not really thinking about it too much. She loves Cassie like family and that's all she needs to know!

Now that things are different though, and Roxy is a new flesh and blood version of herself, they see each other a bit differently now.

Cassie feels like Roxy is a little sister sometimes, and a big sister other times, but most of the time they're just sisters. Roxy's a bit confused (not offended, just confused) the first time Cassie calls her the little sister, but after some thinking about it and a conversation, Roxy feels the same way with Cassie. Neither of them are strictly the older or the younger sister, but they're always sisters, and even Eddie refers to them as such from the moment they proudly announce it to him.

Sure, they didn't immediately start calling each other that. Cassie's always felt it, and Roxy just never thought about it before. As with a lot of things now, Roxy just needs to figure some stuff out before she knows where she stands, and Cassie is beyond happy to answer any questions she has about it. When she understands it, Cassie is the first to know and the two celebrate being sisters with a sleepover in Cassie's room! The pair of them make a mess trying to do all the things Cassie had always wanted to do if she'd had a sibling before and it's a blast. But yeah uh... neither of them know what they're doing for a lot of these things but because they're both fucking it up together, it's probably the most they've ever laughed in their lives

And yeah, Cassie defending Roxy? Sticking up for her when she's upset and doesn't know what to do? Cassie is the one saying, "Excuse me, she asked for NO pickles." while Roxy looks awkward and nervous behind her lmao. Cassie will not let anyone treat Roxy badly, and won't let Roxy get walked on because someone decided to take advantage of her lack of information. She's the big sister in these scenarios and she's damn proud of it too!

... But Cassie isn't a fighter. She'll defend Roxy with confidence, words and is not afraid to be a 'tattletail' if it makes someone back off. You know who is a fighter? Roxy.

If anything happens to Cassie, especially when Cassie is defending her? She stands behind her, ears back, fur a little fluffed up, growling up a storm with her sharp, canine teeth on full display. She is not letting Cassie get hurt you can bet on that. Roxy has the intimidation of her wolf characteristics and that's usually enough to scare anyone that dare upset Cassie away, but if it doesn't work? She will throw hands! She will claw! She will bite! And she will win! .......... And get lectured by Eddie later lmao

And I like to think, much to Eddie's dismay, that this rubs off on Cassie a bit too. While Roxy starts to learn from Cassie how to use words to de-escalate a situation, Cassie is learning from Roxy how to defend herself should she ever get in a fight. This is great for both of them until Eddie gets called into Cassie's school because she punched someone that was picking on her. Yeah... thats a fun conversation lmao. This post is getting long, and I could think about how that goes now, but yeah. Long post lmao gonna wrap this up

Tl;dr: Yes! Roxy and Cassie are officially sisters not long after Roxy starts to settle in her new place at Cassie and her dad's flat! They are the 'She asked for NO pickles' meme with Cassie asserting herself while Roxy doesn't know what to do. And of course, Roxy will throw down for Cassie.

They're sisters and they love each other as such!

[bladekindeyewear]

Boots Reads Homestuck Epilogue(s) Part 13 - Candy Page 23

==>

This is going well, despite all the weirdness... it might not be so bad by the time I get to the end of all this.  Maybe my stomach can stop clenching as much from the Meat poisoning.

Then again, that’s what I thought when I was up to four-fifths through Meat and thought things were going to be resolved before the end.

So.

Anyway.  Reading.

In fact, all she did was tip her head at him and blink a few times, her long eyelashes catching the light, making her eyes look like mirrors. It was disconcerting for reasons that he couldn’t put his finger on. It’s not like Roxy had ever been argumentative, exactly. He just seems to remember someone from his youth who was somewhat more contrarian in spirit than this person he’s married to now.

God damnit... hypnotized, basically dead Roxy is worst Roxy.  I need that fucking explanation soon.

If she doesn’t get upset after what he’s about to pull today, then...

John doesn’t know what he’ll do.

Gosh that’s horrible.  I wish I didn’t have to go back to Meat if I ever wanted any more Real Roxy again... please, PLEASE, if NOTHING ELSE gets fixed in this stupid fucking Candy arc, PLEASE HAVE ROXY BACK TO NORMAL BEFORE THE END

That... that would be just the fucking icing on the cake, wouldn’t it?  I was already upset about Dirk not getting his due.  I was traumatized over how Jane, Jade, and Rose were left.  But ROXY was fine.  Roxy, pretty much my favorite character next to maybe Jade, or a good number of the others.  If this timeline gives me an alternate cliffhanger to lean on that spares the others to leave HER to shit, then I’d basically be left with nothing to stand on!  It’d be fucking worthless almost.

My stomach isn’t clenching YET, but I’m starting to fill with dread.

JOHN: harry anderson, don’t tell your mother but... JOHN: we’re getting a new addition to the family today!

Pfffff

serious kidnapping

And who said John was just a blank slate with no will of his own?? Fuck you, Dirk.  You knew about this timeline and you STILL said it.

Dave and Jade materialize behind everyone, he in a pressed red suit, she in a glittering Space dress. They’re both holding gifts wrapped in spare printer paper.

Look, you two looking cute is just rubbing salt in the wound of the relationship you fucked over, Jade.  You should have waited to make sure Dave and Karkat FINALLY ACCEPTED THEIR FUCKING RELATIONSHIP before moving in and potentially pushing one of them out, WHICH HAPPENED.

Oooh, smart human babby Tavvy.  ...He isn’t going to want to leave his family situation, is he.  John’s off the mark isn’t he.

Dave ruffles Harry Anderson’s hair. It’s nice that Dave is so woke and great with kids, but that really does invite the question of why he and Jade don’t have any yet. There’s still something sad and wistful about Dave at the moment, as he pointedly avoids letting Jade take his hand while they’re led into the game room.

GAAAAHHHHH

Could we at least BE ALLOWED TO PRETEND THERE’S A POSSIBLE FUTURE WHERE THESE PEOPLE’S RELATIONSHIPS ARENT THOROUGHLY FUCKING MESSED UP?????

I KNOW THESE CHARACTERS ARE MESSED UP BUT YOU HAVE TO AT LEAST GIVE US HOPE

AND WHERE’S THE HAPPY POTENTIAL PAIRING FOR JADE??? IT SEEMS LIKE THERE’S NO POTENTIAL FOR REAL MUTUAL HAPPINESS FOR HER BESIDES JADE X COMA!!!!!!!!!!

X(

God damn it Jane can be creepy.

She gained his affection the same way she gains everyone’s affection: she fucking bought it.

UUuuuuuuggghhhhh

...pff stars vs enemies of the state

John, stop making this so stranger-danger.

JOHN: are you ACTUALLY happy about it? JOHN: about... everything going on here? TAVROS: I suppose,,, TAVROS: My mother tends to get displeased when i’m unhappy, so,,,

uuuugughghghuhh

TAVROS: It just seems like a thing that would eventually happen to me, does it not?

D:

Oh wow, callback to Dirkbro abuse.  THAT’S gonna set John off.

Oh wow, Tavros knows his situation is bad enough that he’s willing to GO for it. All he’s worried about is the security.  YEAH John!!  Do your Breathy thing and get him out of here!!!

Tavros takes in a sharp breath before spinning on his heel and stumbling toward his closet. John catches the ghost of a smile on his face before he turns and that’s all it takes to turn the pounding of his heart from terrified to thrilled.

AAaaaaAAAAAH THIS IS ADORABLE SOMEHOW

She twitches her dog-ears and raises her face. Her mouth is a neutral line, but her eyes are burning furiously.

OH NOOOOOOO

FUCK, Jade don’t stop it!!! She’s... she’s gonna put her foot down and stop this just so everything can be all candy-coated and good on the SURFACE without hurting people OPENLY even if she and Jane and all the others are DEEPLY hurting everyone else under the surface!!!! D:

JOHN: jade, i don’t know where you’ve been these past few years, but i don’t think things CAN get any worse!

Yes exactly

JOHN: but there isn’t one, because everyone’s been all... brainwashed by marriage, or whatever the hell happened over the last few years that made things be this way!

Hmmmmmm

JOHN: well, you’re nothing like the jade i used to know either!

D:

Alright, huge blowup. Let’s air out some feelings.

JANE: I let go! I was actually RELIEVED to hear he died!!! ROXY: uhh ROXY: janey wut

HAhahahaah YES let’s get all that dirty laundry OUT IN THE OPEN

......Okay that didn’t end as well as expected.  Or... well I guess I KNEW it wouldn’t end well, but I’d hoped otherwise.

==>

Wait, so Terezi and John’s conversation is “in the dream bubbles”? Is that just because he’s talking to her while she’s skirting the edge of the storm in the Void rocketways, or because John’s from a somehow doomed/irrelevant/side timeline?

(Why does Terezi always have to be dying.  She figured herself out and how awesome she is.  Stop dying.  And I don’t mean like the sad walking off in Meat, though I guess that kind of counts.)

JOHN: if she cared about you as much as you care about her, she wouldn’t have fucked off like this forever.

YES JOHN

LAY

ON

THE

TRUTH

(Ghost!Vriska is the only one who really deserves to matter anymore.  This “alpha” Vriska just sank deeper into her problems and delusions beyond being able to really redeem herself or recognize them.  That diatribe she gave her ghost self was horrible back when.)

Wait, wait hold on

JOHN: if she cared about you as much as you care about her, she wouldn’t have fucked off like this forever. JOHN: driving you crazy with doubt and uncertainty, making you chase her through infinite nothingness until you almost starve to death... JOHN: she would have at least given you the courtesy of closure!

Is... is Andrew talking about the comic here and his relationship with the readers

is this some sort of apology for not giving this closure, like, as if he were the vriska that launched himself into the sun over his own artistic ideals or

hmm

JADE: doomed is not a word i would use to describe the condition of those on this world. JADE: even if my work is unsuccessful, the stakes for everyone here have nothing to do with the issue of mortality. JADE: to frame the matter that way would be misleading. JADE: to the extent that it is my naturally endowed duty to defend the innocent from wanton acts of destruction, from degradation and dissolution, JADE: it is also my duty to tell the truth to those i protect. JADE: and the simplest statement of truth for all of you to know is this: JADE: we are the lucky ones.

Calliope lets out a long, thin sigh from between the teeth of Jade’s corpse. It’s more for effect than anything, as corpses don’t actually need to breathe.

JADE: we are the ones fortunate enough to live in a reality that is beyond the influence of the prince.

Geez, it’s like escape from Lord English’s influence all over again.

They won only for everything to just fucking start over, everything they struggled to stop?  That sucks!!!  >:(

Anyway, still reading... god damnit Terezi don’t fly off and die for no fucking reason.

JOHN: then what DID you want?! TEREZI: L3TS S4Y... TEREZI: 1 JUST W4NT3D TO G1V3 YOU TH3 COURT3SY OF CLOSUR3

Fuck.  Yeah, let’s just keep fucking over Terezi, another one of my favorite characters.  Yes she lives and goes to fuck off somewhere in Meat with the villain of the week, but FUCK, couldn’t we get a SLIGHTLY clearer picture of her potential happiness than just THAT?????

It’s like the whole purpose of these epilogues was just to remind us that these characters were too fucked up to ever be happy!!!!

Couldn’t we have at least been left to IMAGINE OTHERWISE?!?????

JADE: not until i am able to deal with the prince myself. ARADIA: and when will that be

The meteor is passing beyond the fall of night. Dead-Jade, standing half in light, half in darkness, looks up at the sky.

JADE: not soon enough.

Ahh.  I’m getting an idea of the Postscript’s circumstances, then.  That was alt!Callie in this black-hole-powered Jade body going from THIS Candy timeline to go chase after Dirk and help stop him like everyone else, giving her a more powerful card to play than just the adult Jade she was having guide the others. (Maybe she could have that adult Jade FUCKING WAKE UP AND ABLE TO HELP instead of keeping her in a coma. That would be a pretty fucking nice change of pace.  Too bad we have to just IMAGINE IT without any reassurance that she’ll be awake or okay for YEARS TO COME, HUH.)

Also that means that resistance fighting is gonna break out with artillery and stuff because Jane is apparently a dunpass in both timelines.  Fuck.

==>

Swifer, can you stop swifing?

KARKAT: HOW THE HELL DO YOU TWO TOLERATE EACH OTHER? KANAYA: Quite Thoroughly Enthusiastically And Often

Pffffff :D

...Oh my God MEENAH landed here???  All ring-of-lifeways from the other timeline?  I guess the Furthest Ring was outside the scope of those timeilnes so she could’ve fallen in any of them... huh.  Heck, maybe the same Terezi who experienced those conversations eventually met the John from the Meat side of the timeline too.  And she said John smelled younger than she thought he was, oh my GOD, it WAS that.  It was that exactly.  The Terezi we’re hearing was the same across both Epilogue-halves.  That’s actually fucking fantastic!!!

MEENAH: capisces?

Fuck that pun

(Also Meenah is talking about how they lost, but she was knocked away before she saw the conclusion of the fight, so.)

...Holy SHIT Meenah is really taking to this!!! This is adorable.  :D

==>

John’s having some canon/existential ditherthoughts, hm.

He’s been contemplating this melodramatically for maybe ten minutes when the sky rips opens above him and flashes violent waves of red and green across the landscape.

Hm.  So do the black hole wormholes have some tie to the cherubic portal device from Hiveswap?

It’s his father’s car.

Mhmm, that confirms all of it, really.  Same Terezi in both stories.

A vast cry of sorts.  :(

Heading out for a while; gonna start from Page 27 in the next post.  I feel pretty good, somehow.  The way these two timelines tied together with Terezi outside them makes it feel like it all may have ultimately meant something.

[okimargarvez]

CUPID ROXY

Original title: Cupid Roxy.

Prompt: humor, fantasy, dogs talking.

Warning: talking animal.

Genre: romantic, comedy, supernatural, humor, friendship.

Characters: Roxy, Penelope Garcia, Luke Alvez, new dog (Dina), Lisa Douglas.  

Pairing: Garvez.

Note: oneshot 31 in Garvez collection.

Legend: 💏😘🐶🎈.

Song mentioned: Quiero vivir con vos, Tiziano Ferro.

Note: this ff is based on true story. It was born from a phrase of my boyfriend. My dog love him so hard, and, I’m a bit jelous. So, we were talking about the case that we would break up. And he said: “If you start dating someone else, I’m sure that Pippo would run towards me, if he would notices me at the other side of the street.” So, this what came out of it.

GARVEZ STORIES

CUPID ROXY

Things had changed in the last two months. The blond lady who answered the name of Garcia, or even Penelope, had never visited her again. Her disappearance coincided with the appearance of another human of a female gender, which her human, Luke, called Lisa. She, unlike Penelope, never devoted her any attention, indeed, seemed to want to keep away even Luke, keep him all for herself. She had managed to convince him that Roxy could easily survive alone, without a dog sitter or worse, Garcia. It was obvious to the dog that she was jealous of other women, just as it happened to her when Luke ate something that said it was not suited to her diet, but she longed for it.

She had brought a lot of patience, she had endured so much, but now Roxy had grown tired. The last evening spent with Garcia they had seen a movie, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, with many dogs among the protagonists. At the beginning Pongo and the female dog were able to find a way to be together making fall in love their two humans. For a whole day Roxy ponders how to use this information to her advantage, and in the end she gets the so-called flash of genius.

 -Luke! Come, soon!- a terrifying cry resounds throughout the house. The man rushes, stumbling and almost pulling his ankle, cursing himself for not having taken the gun, who is still in a drawer in the living room. The worst scenarios come to his mind. That's why he stays almost a good minute in silence, watching her girlfriend holding shreds of clothes and others scattered on the floor and on the bed. He is undecided whether to get angry or burst out laughing and he chooses the latter path. - There's nothing funny! It was her, your dog!- she says the last three words as if she were naming the devil itself.

-Roxy?- he can hardly believe it. Roxy is a dog trained for the worst war zones, she has never given a single problem, is a perfect daughter. -Why was she supposed to do it? - feeling that she was named, the dog reaches them, sitting on the threshold of the room, looking innocently at Lisa. But inside himself he thinks of something else. Do not you like change? Not even me. Luke crouches and puts a hand on the animal's head. -Hey, girl, you didn't do it, right?- Roxy barks, keeping her gaze fixed on that of her human. He caresses her and she moans, satisfied.

-What are you doing? Is it obvious that it was she, who else has access to this house?- the woman has no intention of letting go. And for a moment Luke feels the need to remind her that the apartment is his and she is an occasional guest. But fortunately something holds him back.

-Well, Lisa, if she did it. She had a reason. Maybe a squirrel came in through the window. She always loved running after the squirrels.- he gives her another caress. Roxy pleasure whistle. -I'm sure she's sorry for her gesture, is not so, Rox?- this time the dog is still, squinting slightly her eyes in the direction of Lisa.

-No, she hates me, but do not you see? She is looking at me in a threatening way!- Luke is tired. He's been back from just an hour, after a bad case in Kansas. The last thing he needs is get stressing for superficial and minimal matters like this.

He makes to get closer. -Come on, Roxy menacing?- the animal gives a gentle glance to the master, but as soon as Luke gives her back, she raises her lips, showing her teeth, without growling.

-You defend her! You prefer her to me! Your girlfriend!- the woman dodges it and leaves the room and then from the house, after taking her bag. He doesn’t even try to stop her.

-It will pass, right Rox?- he sits on the bed and she is getting ready to reach him, resting her head on his legs and sitting on her stomach, allowing him to scratch her belly.

 -Yes, the unsub has rented an apartment in a residential area... you are the closest. I send you the coordinates.- the person on the other side of the phone didn’t do any of her usual jokes, but he finds himself smiling anyway. Just hear her voice, regardless of what she says, makes him happy.

-Ok, Garcia, thank you- a double beep sounds in the ears of both. -Damn, I have a call waiting, can you wait a second?- he wonders who it may be. None of the team, otherwise Garcia would have say it to him.

-Don’t worry, I'm multitasking.- he laughs, pressing the call acceptance button.

-Luke, damn it, who were you talking to? Why did it take you so long to answer?- Lisa. He sighs. He begins to bear no more than to hear her say his name, pulls the u too much.

-We're trying to solve a case, Lisa. What is it?- he doesn’t try to hide his annoyance.

-Change tone, ok? It's her again, your dog.- he'll give her one more minute.

-What did she do this time?- forty seconds.

-She urinated on my bag! There were important documents. Luke, are you listening to me?- again. The man passes a hand through his hair and takes a breath.

-I'm sorry, but now I can’t take care of it. Send it to the laundry and check the bill for me, ok?- he notices that she tries to protest. -Seriously, Lisa. I have no time. I'm going to get the unsub. We'll talk later.- and he hangs up without adding anything else. -Are you still there, Garcia?- the machine's display is already set to the address she sent him.

-Sure. Rossi and Prentiss are going there. I'll put you in line with them.- feeling the clear voice of Penelope, after that rough of his girlfriend, is like a refreshing breeze.

 -So, what do you think?- Luke watches the woman lying on her bed. She wears the bare minimum. There is no room for imagination. The lace bra is so tight that he can’t understand how the hook has not already broken. And the combined garment is so transparent... and yet, despite the show that certainly doesn’t leave him indifferent, a yawn escapes him. Very serious mistake.

-Sorry.- he tries to say, but it's too late.

-Maybe if you had not gone to O'Keef, before you came to me, you wouldn’t be so tired.-there's a bottom of truth in what she says, but he doesn’t want to give her any reason, nor fight. In fact, he just wants to be able to rest. Lisa is tempting, but the pillow more. His eyes are closing on their own... she then tries another tactic. He feels her hand work on his trousers, first on the strings of the boots, then on the zipper, the button. She massages him, snatching some moans from him.

-Lisa...- he says, with the intention of stopping her and postponing the next morning, but the woman interprets it as a sign of pleasure and continues.

-Relax, love, I do everything...- he takes a bit 'too literally her. After a moment, he is blissfully snoring and dreaming of something similar, but with a different female actress. Luckily Roxy enters, barking and waking him up, otherwise he would have risked doing much worse. Like saying the other woman's name like an ecstatic moan.

 He walks with his hands in his pockets, his head down, pensive. He feels extremely lonely. It's the first time, he can remember, that Roxy is not with him running. What's happening to her? He hopes the vets can find the answer. When he left her there, just an hour before, he felt the need to cry, and it's not that he happens to do it very often.

-Dina, hey, stop!- he is so on the clouds that doesn’t immediately recognize the voice. A small brown and black stain touches his legs, darting like a rocket, in pursuit of no one knows what. A few steps back, a blonde woman arrives, breathless, who instead ends up on him. -Excuse me...- she says, then recognizes him. -Luke!- the same shocked look of when he gave her the anti-stress kitty. -Is not that... could you help me get her back?- he nods, immediately understanding the situation. -She is Dina.- they are walking fast, together, calling her in unison.

-It's a hell of a dachshund.- and she is comfortably sprawled on the shore of one of the many artificial lakes. Luke smiles, seeing his partner's shoulders relax and hearing her breath of relief.

-She managed to take off her bib by herself.- she explains. -If I had lost her, Kathrine would never forgive me...- noticing the man's interest, she continues. -I missed the evenings with Roxy- she confesses, blushing in such a genuine way that she can snatch another smile from him. -and some of my friends needed help, so...- she shrugs. She doesn’t look him in the eye anymore.

- Well, it's a very nice thing. You're perfect as a dog sitter. When you're with animals, it's like when you're in front of a computer. It's your element.- he also let himself go more than usual. Maybe he thought too much and now struggles to hold his tongue. Penelope finds the strength to lift her gaze up to the male one and so she notices his sweet expression, but at the same time worried.

-Hey, it’s happen something?- after having reset Dina, she puts a hand on Luke's shoulder, which feels a jolt. -You seem... weird- he doesn’t answer, then she starts to talk rambling as usual. -Well, after all, it's none of my business. I'm sorry if I bothered you and... thank you for helping me to recover Dina...- she tries to get away, but he stops her with a few cold fingers on her arm.

-No, Penelope, I'm sorry. Yes, something happened... I had to take Roxy to the vet.- she opens her eyes wide, alarmed.

-Roxy? What? What's wrong? Is she better now?- she floods him with questions. The dog barks, as if to participate in their conversation.

-I don’t know, what is it, she behaves strangely. I hope they can tell me...- he sighs, looks towards the grass, where he meets Dina's gaze, who jumps, trying to set in his arms. He helps her to reach her goal and Penelope is breathless in watching him while the dog as if she were a child, and she reciprocates by licking his entire face.

-Wow, dogs like you a lot, no?- she jokes, trying to lighten the atmosphere. Luke is grateful to her. He gives her a wink.

-And not only.- but he is referring to when, in the evening organized by Garcia in her apartment, after overcoming the trauma of the case of Ferrell, he met Sergio. -But you too, all animals love you.- even those human, he only adds in his head. She gives him one of her giggles. Then the phone in the pocket of his jeans rings. It's the vet. -Hello? Already? Sure, I'll be right there.- he gently lays down Dina and gives her a caress. -It’s the vets. Roxy's analysis is over, but they want to talk to me in person...- he's anxious. It is clearly seen. It's normal.

-Hey, come on, you'll see that everything will be all right.- looking at those dark eyes behind those lenses and that smile just mentioned, it is difficult to believe otherwise. He would like to have a shred of her positivity.

-I hope so.- he sighs. Doubt is stirred inside him. But eventually it yields. -Do you want to... accompany me?- he regrets suddenly. He hates looking pretentious. But she was the first person to come to his mind when he thought of making that surprise to Phil. He can’t imagine anyone else in her place. -If you don’t have any other commitments, I mean...- he tries to downplay the proposal.

-No, I mean... I just have to bring Dina back home. I would willingly, but...- here it is the but, it must have been there. -But would not it be better if you went with Lisa? I don’t know if she would be happy to know that...- she shuts up, because Luke starts laughing. -I said something funny without realizing? Sometimes it happens to me...- he is about to reassure her, shaking his head.

-No, no. It's just that... Lisa dropped me last night.- he doesn’t seem particularly desperate. And she is not able to come out with a partially fake "I'm sorry".

-Oh, great.- she says instead. Luke widens his eyes, surprised. -I mean ... great, in this way, at least she will not take it to know that I accompany you...- her delirium is the cry of a castaway without life vest. Fortunately, he has mercy on her. He accompanies her to Dina's house, where Katherine glances at her friend, forcing her to promise she will tell everything later, perhaps thinking that he is a suitor of hers. If she were alone, Penelope would laugh at the idea. On the man's truck, they both feel the need to fill the silence with anything.

-Do you think that maybe Roxy is jealous of not being your only girl? It would be the simplest explanation.- she speaks looking out the window.

-Yes, but... when she was with you she never behaved like that, right?- he asks for confirmation while his eyes remaining fixed on the road. They are ending up in rough terrain. He would not even look at her if he could.

-Sure, but I've never been a threat... I mean, she never saw me in this way. Even those evenings in which we were all three together, is not that...- he can feel her face turn red even without seeing it. He imagines her swallowing and biting his lips. -... that we were hugging each other or... things like that. Indeed, the third wheel, if anything, it was you! – she finds a way to out of it, with one of her jokes. In fact, more than half of the nights he'd returned after a case had been brilliantly solved, he'd caught them hugging each other and sleeping on the couch. Roxy loves Penelope and, obviously, hates Lisa. Not that she has ever done anything to establish any kind of relationship with his dog, even before the problems emerged.

Fortunately, after a few minutes they arrived. He always imagined opening her the door, but Garcia is too quick and self-assured. She is more agitated than he is. She loves Roxy, like any other living creature. Of course, having a girlfriend to shake hands, at a time like this, it would not be bad. But he can’t even demand this, from the blonde, as he is convinced that in a moment like this, she would give it to him. As soon as the secretary sees them, she directs them to the doctor's office.

-Good morning, Mr. Alvez.- they shake hands. -We have done all the possible investigations. From a physical point of view, Roxy is fit as a fiddle.- good news. -While from the mental one... we don’t know. She behaves in a strange way, as you said.- he pauses and stares at Penelope. -This is your girlfriend, the one that your dog doesn’t seem to bear?- both blush and hurry to deny.

-No, she's a friend.- Garcia is glad that he didn’t present her only as a colleague. The doctor nods.

-Would you like to do an experiment? I would like to see Roxy's reaction when she sees her. Maybe, Mr. Alvez, you could pretend to hug her, or something. Many don’t know it, but animals also develop jealousy and possessiveness, like us.- Penelope mentally exults, telling him with a single glance, I was right. They stand up and follow him. Roxy is in a cage too small for her size. The veterinarian stays at a distance, after having activated the automatic opening.

-Hey, Rox.- Luke says. But he lets the blonde approach first.

-Sweetheart, how are you? You made me worry so much, and Dad was anxious too. Penelope's voice would melt an iceberg in Greenland. She lowers, for nothing scared at all for a possible ferocious reaction of the animal. Roxy runs towards her, throwing her almost to the ground with joy. You came! I knew Luke would have to call you. I sent that other one away, it's no longer a problem. She barks, wagging her tail. Penelope, with difficulty, lets her go, standing up, for the second part of the experiment. Like a teenager on a first date, Luke puts his arm around the hips of Penelope and hugs her. Roxy emits some whine and beats her paws on the floor, leaning forward. Yes, like this! With her you are always happy, Luke, smile and laugh, with the other one you only occasionally yelling and doing strange sounds... The woman bows her head on the male shoulder and he puts a kiss on her hair. How long did he want to take off this whim? Roxy still jumps.

-Well, that's enough.- the doctor decrees the curtain falls. The show is over. Like robots, the two feds move away. Luke made her wear the bib as they move into the office. -I'll be frank. I think your girlfriend…- but the Latin interrupts him.

-Ex-girlfriend.- he is keen to specify. The vet holds a laugh. He studies non-human animals, but it is also evident in his eyes that there is something between these two or that there has been. And Roxy wants them to be together.

-Good, ex-girlfriend. I think she did something wrong with Roxy. With your... friend, she behaved in a balanced and perfectly normal way. She has no problem with the female figures, but only with that woman. If you don’t intend to come back with her, I would say that the problem can be said to be solved.- he notes how imperceptibly the blond woman is tending, waiting for the answer.

-No, there is not this possibility.- a hint of a smile. Then the men stand up, exchanging another handshake. -So, thank you, doctor. Really.- after paying the parcel, they go out. One of the two much more serene. The other, however, breaks out without warning to cry. He has never managed to bear to see her feel bad and he has already wasted too many opportunities to console her. -Hey, what's up? Penelope?- she keeps her face hidden in her hands. Roxy also emits some sounds of complaint to keep her company. Neither of them understands the reason. He brings the dog into the back seats and reaches her. -Penelope?- he tries again, hoping for more result.

-Go, Luke, leave me alone, it's nothing. Go ahead, I can go home on foot, or in a taxi...- why should she always try to drive him away? Why she doesn’t want to accept his help? Yet, did she forget what he said that evening? He takes her hands away from her face. Here, under his nose. Glasses’ lenses covered with salty drops.

-Penelope, it's me. You must not be afraid of being human. I'm here. Don’t deal with everything alone.- he has that puppy expression again, that on that face, on that body... She surrenders, throwing herself into his arms. With his free hand, he strokes her back. He doesn’t say anything, because nothing seems appropriate to him. When the sobs increase, he squeezes her harder. And not even an erotic thought touches his mind, although he can feel for the first time all those inviting shapes pressed against his body. He is too focused on her pain.

When she calms down, the first thing she does is to apologize. And then, she gets lost in an explanation only partly necessary. -It's just that... when we entered that clinic... I felt like going back in time, when... when Clooney... Morgan's dog... when they told us that the best thing we could do for him was accept that he was asleep. And... I was so scared that the same thing could happen with Roxy... and Clooney was old, but Rox... she's so young and fit...- she looks at the mirror, where the dog seems to look at her too. -I kept everything, but when we left, I couldn’t do it anymore...- she tries to calm one's breath. -I told you I'm a sensitive person...- she even tries a joke.

-Penelope, I told you, you don’t have to apologize for anything. I just hope I was able to make you feel a little better...- she hurries to nod. -So... do you want that I pick you home?- the woman nods, and goes back in the car. Once again, they remain silent, each lost to relive that scene that has just vanished. He parks, but this time he's faster and after opening the door, he accompanies her to the threshold. -Uh, then... good night.- the embarrassment is so obvious between them. They are not just colleagues, but they are not even friends.

-Night, Luke. And thank you.- she repeats, without specifying what she is thanking him for.

-You’re welcome.- he smiles at her. Then there is a commotion, and both turn around. It is Roxy, who has managed to open the car door and runs towards them. She doesn’t stop, crashing into the master, who loses his balance, clinging to Penelope. Only then, the dog sits, satisfied with her work. -Sorry, I don’t know what she does.- she shakes her head.

-There's no problem, nobody's hurt.- but the man' weight is crushing her against the wall by the door. And their faces are too close. This time he feels perfectly the breasts of Garcia pressed against his chest. He hurries to detach himself.

-Yeah. Night, Penelope.- and he goes away, before reacting in an indecorous way.

 -Hello, Garcia, what are you doing tonight?- extrapolated from the context the sentence may seem what is not. Like a gallant invitation. But in the tone of man there is the same embarrassment.

-Uh, no.- she remains a few seconds perplexed, turning the phone from one hand to another. -Why? Does it concern Roxy? Did something else happen?- maybe he wants to tell her that he's back with Lisa and now they are in love even more. She feels selfish to hope that it is not so. She should want Luke's happiness, she loves him, after all.

-Yes, it's about Roxy. She behaves strangely again, but... you should come here yourself to see, I don’t know how to explain it...- he glares at the dog, who hides innocently in front of her work of art.

-All right. Indian food?- a smile is painted on the lips of the man. She always keeps him on his toes, but in a second she knows how to simplify everything.

When she reaches him, a few hours later, the situation has remained unchanged. -Look.- he says, leading her into the living room. Tiny pieces of paper are scattered throughout the floor. Approaching and looking better, she understands that these are fragments of photographs. All portray the same person. Lisa. From her place, Roxy barks, greeting her. I am happy that you are here. What do you think? Luke didn’t use this stuff, I only did him a favor. It seems to her to grasp a certain complicity in the dog's gaze.

-But they're all...- she laughs, but holds back, wondering what Luke would think.

-Yes, but it doesn’t end here.- gently taking her by the arm, he makes her way to the bedroom. Roxy also follows them, curious to see what Penelope thinks. On the mattress are placed other photographs, this time perfectly intact. And the subject, indeed, the subjects, this time are...

-It's you and me!- she can’t just shut up this time. In some there is only her (and this raises the question: but when Luke took these photographs, without she realizing it?), in others they are together, alone or with the team.

-Yes.- the man sighs. -I think she wanted to see you and didn’t know how to make me understand. While, Lisa’ photos...- he shrugs. -This is a closed case.- Penelope nods, still curious about those images that portray her, but without the courage to ask for explanations. -Let's eat?-

Later, with full bellies, they both wonder why she is still here, but they don’t find one reason for which she should leave. Seeing that the situation is a little too static, Roxy decides that her intervention is still needed. These two don’t really want to decide to takes a step that they would be perfect together. Luke always smiles when he is with Penelope, and she looks at him as she looks at me. Without being seen, she can turn on the radio and start the CD that has been there since the last time it was turned on. She remembers that evening perfectly, one of the last ones spent with Garcia. The blond woman sang those strange words with a melancholy expression, and she listened to her voice happily, occasionally whining to accompany her. Feeling the music start, they both jump on the sofa, sitting at a safe distance. Roxy barks, forcing them to stand up to see what she is doing. Penelope instantly recognizes the song, it comes from a jazz record that Rossi gave her and that she forgot at Luke's home.

Quiero vivir vos, with all the honesty of the people at the front, I really feel that I will live with you...

-Your dog is really...- she can’t find a suitable adjective. Roxy seems to look at them innocently.

I want to give you everything and it will stay that way, because for you, if everything is now varied, it will never be the opposite again...

Luke nods. It seems that Roxy is doing everything to bring him in that direction to Penelope. Sure, for a year and a half she has bear his monologues on how many spells she had done, how much he wanted to find the courage to make a move... and his dog is different from the others, it's special (this is the thought of any master about his animal). But even act as Cupid? Roxy barks, as if to confirm his doubts, and gives him a paw, pushing him towards the blonde.

It's cold, it's so, so cold, so hold me tight and don’t talk if, I tell you that I know, in a couple of years or three, that I will live with you...

-So that is absurd, but it seems that she wants... that we...- he feels ridiculous. But on the other side there's her, Garcia, Penelope, and something has changed between them, out of that ambulatory.

-Let's dance, Luke?- she's not less scared or less embarrassed, but she says it anyway. He swallows, clears the distance between their bodies and positions one arm on her waist, and the other hand is intertwined with the female one. She does the same, resting her head in the hollow of his shoulder, where it fits perfectly, like a missing piece of puzzle. At one point, he seems to hear something, and sharpens his ears. Yes, Penelope is singing, in a low voice.

...but did you understand it or not? Quiero vivir con vos... con vos... ah...

And the strangest thing is to hear her speak in Spanish. But he don’t miss this opportunity, focusing on the nuances of that voice that had already bewitched him, like the sirens of Odysseus, but without deception. They sway, embrace and exist only them in the world.

Quiero vivir con vos, with the simplicity, of strong people who really are not simple...

Even the text of the song is not so random but fits perfectly between them. Roxy is good, perfectly silent, crouched in her place, enjoying the show in turn. This is the good time, meditates, beating the tail only occasionally, staying almost in time with the song.

I want to get everything wrong, if anything I will remedy and I want to lose you if I need to understand how important you are...

He was wrong. He had chosen Lisa, hoping to forget Penelope and it was useless. Even his dog had realized how futile that attempt had been. How different, how many smiles, laughter spent in the company of the blonde IT, between teasing and vegetarian dinners, yet, neither of them had never managed to take the first step and couldn’t even define themselves as friends.

Cold, it's so cold, so cold, so keep me tight and do not talk if, I tell you that I know, in a couple of years or three, that I will live with you ... but did you understand it or not? Quiero vivir con vos... con vos... ah...

And he follows the words of the song, squeezes her harder against him, he inhales the scent of her hair, which slightly tickles his neck. It saddens to think that soon all this will end, they will return to reality and... he would live forever at that moment, even if it means never discovering what it means to put his lips on the red ones of Penelope and then, make love with her...

I try not to think about it, but I miss you... I read you between the looks and... I miss you... and, irony helps me, but I miss you, a petal among others, that I will not forget...

How many times would he want to tell her, how often had he bitten his tongue? It was not enough to hear her talking through a telephone or a computer screen. He cursed the fact that she was never on the field at least as much as he blessed it. And if she were in danger, what would he do? He would lose his head, he, always cold and unperturbed. It is certain.

I need you... not only if I do not have you... ah... cold, it's so cold, so cold, so hold me tight and do not talk if I tell you that I know, in a couple of years or three, that I will live with you... but did you understand it or not? Quiero vivir con vos...

They both know that the record is making its last turn. For the last stanza she raises her head, and sings looking into his eyes. Luke doesn’t know how to interpret this gesture. But as expected, as soon as the music disappears, the blonde apologizes, grabs her purse and runs out, without even wishing him a good night. With his heart in turmoil, the man looks at Roxy and feels he has let slip a really important opportunity.

-So, girl, have you decided to play Cupid?- he sits on the bed, with the words of the song that still echo in the head. She reaches him. -But you know that your arrows are fake, because it didn’t work. You know what I feel for Penelope, but you can’t force her to feel the same. I know you love her too. Anyway, thank you. Lisa wasn’t the right person and... these moments with Penelope were...- he sighs and shakes his head. -Unfortunately, Rox, we must resign ourselves that not everything goes the way we want.-

 It's been over a week, and Garcia acts with him as if nothing had happened. Not only that evening that they danced a slow together, but also the outburst outside the vet. She's professional, kind, but nothing more. And he doesn’t even take it around anymore. One day he decides to take advantage one last time of his dog, informing her that now she is fine. In return he receives a light but sincere smile. Nothing more.

 But Roxy, unlike him, didn’t resign herself. Luke can also believe that the blonde doesn’t love back him, but he has never understood much about feelings and women. So, one evening while they are running in the park, she sees Penelope with another dog, small than her, but forgives the betrayal. She moves away from his master and barks in her direction. Hey, you don’t know me, but I know Penelope. She and my owner love each other, but they are stupid and don’t want to declare themselves. Would you like to help me? Dina loves looking at the telenovelas with her blonde dog sitter and responds enthusiastically. Sure! She is easily released from the socket, giving a tug on the leash, which escapes through the woman's fingers and runs towards Roxy. What do you have in mind? Both Luke and Penelope run to their dogs, but they are both much faster than they are. Have you ever seen a movie called One Hundred and One Dalmatians? We have to weave our leashes, running around them, so that they are forced to stay close. It will certainly work! In the eyes of all the people present, they are two dogs that are barking, but without growl. A child laughs, looking at them, and pointing them to his mother. So, did you understand? Now let's start again, and at the right time... Here are the two feds.

-Dina, bad dog, why do you keep running away?- the dog willingly accepts the lecture.

-I see you don’t seem to be able to stay close to me, you'll have to get used to a leash, like any other normal dog.- it's a fair price to pay for having Penelope in her house, and Roxy stops, while Luke hooks up her to one of the many gifts of IT. Are you ready? Now! Before they can even speak, the two dogs start again, each in a different direction, making them collide, and then, as established, run around them, so that the leashes intertwine around their legs and arms, preventing them from moving or step away.

-It seems that Roxy doesn’t want to give up, eh?- Penelope tries to joke. He gives a little laugh. These two are able to stay here until nightfall, without concluding anything, Dina says. You are right. They need... a push. The Belgian shepherd stands up on her hind legs and presses with both of the front ones on the back of the woman, who, unprepared and unable to restrain herself with her arms, ends up with her mouth on the man's. Less than a second, or almost, she comes off immediately. -Uh, sorry, I didn’t want to, really, I slipped...- why the hell she is apologizing? It was nothing and yet it was Paradise.

-Do not... do not worry.- why he don’t tell her that he really wants a lot, but a lot more? Why is he standing there, impaled, staring at her with that usual idiotic look? Again, they end up unbalanced, this time it is Dina's work. And neither of them moves away, indeed, they deepen the kiss, the eyelids are lowered, and the hands wander, to wander from the neck, shoulders, hair... when they come off, smiles reign and here, the eternal embarrassment. -Hey, Rox, you got what you wanted. Can you free us now?- the Belgian shepherd and the dachshund get ready to perform, running backwards. -So... now... what are we going to do?- what he would like to ask is what they are now, but it's already something that has been able to open his mouth.

-Uh, I don’t know... maybe we could...- he no need for his dog to give him another thrust, this time he takes the courage with his hands.

-Eat something and watching a movie on the sofa?- he proposes, fearing then that she is disappointed, maybe she would prefer a restaurant and a trendy place, but he is one of couch in the soul... and then he remember that she is Penelope.

-Yes, it's perfect.- and she's smiling at him like that...

-Really?– he needs confirmation. Although he seems ridiculous.

-Really.- they smile like two idiots. -So... see you later, Luke. I take Dina to her house and I'll join you?- and he likes the idea that she hasn’t asked him to accompany her, even if he would willingly, because a little bit of waiting will give him time to assimilate what could happen. Meanwhile, Roxy thanks Dina for the collaboration.

-Well, see ya.- she starts to walk, but hasn’t made three steps yet, when he calls her. -Ah, Penelope!- she turns, wondering what he wants to say to her. -I think it is better to avoid One Hundred and One Dalmatians or similar. It’s better an action movie, like Fast and furios?- both laugh, then Penelope comes back serious.

-We’ll see.- how beautiful is the melody of the future.

TAGS: @theshamelessmanatee @itsdawnashlie @talesoffairies  @kiki-krakatoa  @gcchic @arses21434 @jarmin @kathy5654 @martinab26 @thisonekid @thenibblets @perfectly-penelope @ambrosiaswhispers @reidskitty13 @jenf42 @gracieeelizabeth27 @silviajajaja @smalliemichelle99 @charchampagne14 @thinitta  @skisun  @myhollyhanna23 @thenorthernlytes @garvezz @mercedes-maldonado

[agentdagonet]

Echoes, Ch. 9

Find it here on AO3

Find it here on tumblr:  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Fic Summary: Feet dangling off the edge of the bed, hands still resting on the earpieces of his glasses, Eggsy opened his eyes.

       And promptly shut them again, screwing them shut like a child who had the distinct misfortune of biting into a raw lemon. Breathing harshly in his nose and out his mouth, trying to stave off whatever delusional panic had befallen him, Eggsy reopened his eyes.

‘Harry?’

Or: The Hologram Story Nobody Asked For

I can’t believe it’s been over a year. I am so bloody sorry for the wait, guys- I obviously got caught up in other projects, and then I got a full time job that’s completely eaten all of my energy. I’m honestly doing not much besides eating, sleeping, and working, but I’ve managed a little bit here and there and now I actually have something to show for it! I hope it was worth the wait :)

         Eggsy started small. He wore his glasses around the house and tried not to flinch every time he saw Harry. It took a while to get used to putting them on every morning- as if he actually needed them to see- and keep himself from tapping on his coms and alerting Merlin to what he was doing. It was a reflex now- glasses on, tap in periodically to make sure everything's going according to plan- it took conscious effort to do otherwise.

         There's a Harry in the kitchen. It follows him through the dining room and to the stairs before turning around. A separate one sitting in the drawing room. One in the Office. Another walking from the front door holds up an arm to gesture to the bathroom Mr. Pickle resides in.

Creepy, but wasn't this entire situation?          Eggsy refused to make contact, didn't speak to them, but their eyes followed the frames of his glasses all the same. Eggsy swore he could feel them watching, despite not really having eyes. He certainly didn't feel like that when at Round Table meetings- or perhaps that was just because he wasn't as hyper-aware of them as he was of Harry.          Yes, even the Holo-Harry seemed to be keyed into the very fibre of his being- now that he knew he was there it was impossible to un-notice him. But he wasn't ready to talk yet.          He struggled with his cast, incredibly annoyed at his inability to function like a normal human being, but adjusted by wearing soft, loose, clothing as opposed to his suits or denims. Who was around to care if he ran about in his trackies and a t-shirt? Holo-Harry certainly wouldn't care- or know, come to think of it. He didn't feel entirely comfortable wandering around topless- he hadn't before the Hologram Incident and he certainly didn't now- even though it would be way more comfortable than pushing his cast through a sleeve every morning.          Eggsy let himself grow used to the odd abundance of Holo-Harrys; able to walk both by and through them without flinching, able to look them in the eye and nod as he went by and watch how they followed his eye-level. Merlin checked in, sometimes- the glasses pinging just long enough for Eggsy to arrange himself inconspicuously before answering.          (And honestly wasn't that a load of shite. He felt like he was hiding in his own (Harry's) home and needed to pretend to be the same as things always had been. Even when they both knew how different they actually were.)

         Eggsy took his forced down time to set up a proper trust for Daisy, and write up his own will (as morbid as that was) just in case. Roxy had come in and left again for another mission in the span of a week, Merlin refused to give him any sort of busywork (I'd rather not have to do it twice, lad) and had little spare time to just chat with Eggsy with his being Merthur and all. He could call up Jamal and Ryan, but none of their schedules really synced up anymore- Ryan had gotten a job at a pub and Jamal was working with a construction company. He'd helped a bit with the rebuilding right after V-Day, and when that slowed down the company decided to keep him. Good work ethic, or something. Ryan's pub job was little more than clearing tables- but he was training to be a bartender, which'd definitely be a step up.

         He called up his mum, stammering his way through an apology he honestly only half felt was deserved (they hadn't seen each other for months and she decided that she was going to pry her way into his mourning? What right did she have?) but necessary. His mum had apologised in turn for pushing too hard, which he accepted, and for treating him like the boy he no longer was (it's hard to remember you're all grown up now, babes) which had resulted in some teasing; they'd hung up on a high note, and Eggsy felt lighter than he'd expected. He had less than a week left with the cast when he decided to bite the bullet and talk to Harry.

         'So what's so important about the kitchen, Haz?' Calling Holo-Harry by something he had never called the actual Harry helped him feel more distanced. 'Why're you in here?'          'Eggsy, if you're seeing this then I'm either dead or severely incapacitated. Or dying, I suppose. All pleasant options, and obviously ideal dinner conversation. Have a seat.' Eggsy did so on autopilot, and was only mildly displeased with himself for giving in so easily. As he pulled out the same chair he'd sat in after the train test, he kept his eyes locked onto Holo-Harry's as he sat. He nodded to himself and turned toward the globe. 'Obviously I can't pour for you, but feel free to get yourself something if you feel you'll need it for this conversation. Well, more of a monologue, but the point remains.' Eggsy couldn't have moved if he'd wanted to, struck by seeing Harry in such casual motion. Riveted as he poured a healthy serving of whisky from an equally holographic decanter before seating himself across from Eggsy.          'A gentleman is known for his manners, Eggsy- it's not about his wealth or his status, but on how he treats his fellow man. I began teaching you the formalities in this very room, but you were already far more gentlemanly than most privileged people- a glance at Mr. Hesketh should be enough to prove my point.' Harry sipped at his glass, tipping it once in Eggsy's direction before setting it back to the table. 'To be perfectly frank, I didn't have much to teach you outside of the airs and graces those who think themselves better seek out in companionship. I gave you the sheep's clothing, as it were, to your already impressive wolf.'

         'I didn't know anythin' about gentlemanly shit, Harry- I just did what I had to do to keep on keepin' on.' Eggsy could feel the flush running up his neck and along the tops of his ears. Hologram or not, Harry's attention was piercing and his words caused something not unlike pride to curl deep within him.          'Eggsy, you continuously kept from violence in the face of cruelty. Yes,' Harry smirked and raised an eyebrow conspiratorially, 'probably not in the best of ways, but you never fought violence with outright violence. You were never intentionally cruel despite every right to be so in your circumstances. Most all of the poor decisions in your file were indirectly or directly caused by your incessant need to help and be there for those you care for. I'd say I was sorry for the way I spoke to you at the pub when we met- but I cannot regret the things that led us to where we are.          'Except, perhaps, whatever circumstances have led to my premature demise. I assume Valentine was involved as he's the only active case I'm working on. I hope that gets sorted.'

'It was, it's over, and now I'm just wondering why the fuck I'm sitting in your kitchen talking at a blue ghost of you drinking.'

         'Do you see that decanter, Eggsy?' The hologram said, apropos of nothing. He gestured with the glass in his hand, eyebrows slightly raised, and Eggsy couldn't help but turn fully in his seat to look, despite knowing exactly the decanter he was gesturing to.

'Yes, Harry.'          'As you surely know by now, when a Knight falls in the line of duty the rest of us gather in whatever way we're able to hold a toast. At the shop, at the Table, there's a decanter of Napoleonic brandy reserved for this purpose. The Lancelot before you-' Eggsy flinched at the sudden reminder that he hadn't disappointed this Harry, 'and James was the first toast I ever participated in. It seems that Lancelot is to be the position we need replacing of most often. Do break that chain now, won't you?          'I'd been Knighted for nearly 16 years before the decanter was opened in my presence, and it certainly didn't seem like enough of a gesture for a man who had done as much as he had. He'd been Percival's mentor, and had certainly been willing to teach me the things he knew, if I asked. But we had no opportunity to retrieve his body, it was deemed unimportant in the grand scheme of things, and there was work to be done.' 'There's always bloody work to be done.' Eggsy muttered, lips pursed, as Harry's hologram chuckled.          'Yes, there's always work to be done- it's the life we lead, my boy. Percival took it upon himself to bring the medal to his wife, who knew some but not all of Kingsman's secrets, and I didn't hear from him for over a week. He came back with tattoos and little memory of how they got there- but he treasures the throwing knives on his wrists the way one covets a priceless artifact.          'The point being, Eggsy, that though Kingsman has a ritual for mourning the loss of a Knight it is not always enough. Not for those who care deeply for their friends and comrades- as I'm sure you do. As I certainly did.' Harry stops for a moment, taking a sip from his glass before looking at it thoughtfully. It reminds Eggsy starkly of his first visit to the tailor shop, after Dean's beating at the start of everything, and he can see clearly the moment the decision is made.          'The decanter behind you is what I drink from for toasts when I can't make it to the shop- call in from the chair at the head of the table and it projects what I'm doing to the Table there. Not much unlike this system I'm using to talk to you now. I've only drunk from that decanter three times- twice for Lancelots, and once in a blatant disregard for tradition between said toasts.' Eggsy was suddenly very unsure if he wanted to be sitting at this table, listening to the things this hologram of his dead mentor had to say.          'The day your father sacrificed himself for the sake of everyone on that team- Merlin, myself, and James- James was knighted there in the field, we cleaned the scene, and I came back here as soon as we touched down. I blew off Arthur's false sympathy, shrugged off Merlin's sincere empathy, congratulated James on his new position, and ran back into my hidey-hole to lick my wounds.          'It was the first time I had personally pulled someone into this lifestyle. It was the first time I had ever presented a candidate, and I had found my colleagues bland and unwilling to adapt and knew we needed new blood and ideas. I had pulled someone unrelated to myself and unconnected to any sort of influence- I had chosen someone I saw as loyal and skilled despite any other circumstance. And I had taken that person away from a life and a family in the interest of offering him the chance at something better- something he certainly deserved- and I had gotten him killed.'          'He made 'is own choices, Harry- he knew what he was doin'. He was in the army, he knew what would happen to everyone and one of the first things they shove into your skull at basic is the needs of the many. The whole tripe about the team being more important than you an' shit to keep 'em from getting big heads. You didn' shove him in the way, he put himself there, an' that makes all the difference. It weren't your fault.' Eggsy interrupted, compelled beyond reason to pull Holo-Harry from his self-deprecation.          'I still blame myself, Eggsy- it's not rational, but it's the truth- so I came back here and poured myself a drink to the Lancelot that should have been.' Harry took a deep breath, placing the glass on the table before locking eyes with Eggsy. Eggsy froze, feeling pinned and vulnerable in a way wholly irrational considering this was a hologram and not the real man. 'I've done a lot of things with my life, Eggsy. Not all of them good, but they were the tasks assigned to me and I take great pride in a job well done. Your father's death has influenced my life in more ways than I probably know or could possibly express. I'm honoured to have known him, and in turn have known you- I can only wish you could have known each other.' Eggsy pushed himself from the table, glancing briefly back at Harry still sitting with his hands clasped together, and ran from the room.