PSL

[fucking_gentleman]

Harry is actually enjoying the sunshine by the Thames.

Well, truthfully, there's no real sunshine and no one enjoys the Thames, but he's determined to not be in the office, so here he is, sitting in the window of his favourite bakery and sipping at his coffee.

He's people watching, which was always a hobby of his, but now has become a survival mechanism to fend of do gooders and 'helpful' people who see the twisted scar along his temple, the streak of silver it put into his hair, the patch tucked underneath his glasses and they make assumptions.

And his impulse control isn't quite what it was, which means occasionally he's been known to react to a slow and loud "Can I help you?" with a leg trip and toe of his shoe into their ribs.

By accident, of course.

But now, he's mostly curious about the fellow who seems to be somewhat determinedly heading to the river's edge.

Comments

[residu]

Which is impressive because despite the relaxed but sure gait the stranger takes, there's a sort of mental absence to his features in the way his gaze remains distant and unfocused, the way his arms stay at his sides and he appears to look at nothing. He garners a glance or two as he passes by a couple, but he's negligible right up until he gets to the railing.

He comes to a stop just short of it, that same far-off look to his eyes...right before he places his hand on the rail and lifts a leg up to try and climb over it.

[fucking_gentleman]

Well.

That won't do.

Harry is up and grabbing his cane, striding for the door. He covered the distance in a few easy steps, whipping out his cane to let the length slide through his hand, hooking the back of the gentleman's pants with the handle and giving a firm jerk backwards.

[residu]

It's an incredibly effective tactic, and perfectly timed. Another half-second and he would have gotten enough weight pitched forward to make yanking him backwards much more difficult than it is now. Jihwan's pulled right off the rail and over back, and if he isn't caught he's going to wind up sprawled right across the sidewalk on his back, stunned and blinking rapidly up at the sky.

Wondering what the heck's going on and how he ended up there, mostly.

[fucking_gentleman]

In another movement, the cane is back in Harry's hand and he leans on it to look over the young man.

"Really, if you will insist on dramatic gestures in the middle of broad daylight, you should expect someone to stop you. Or was that rather the point?"

[residu]

Dramatic gesture...? The heck is this old man talking abo- That's about as far into his confusion as Jihwan gets, staring up at harry as if he can't understand as single word he's saying. What the heck sort of dramatic anything had he been doing? He doesn't recall doing anything out of the ordinary, doesn't recall anything if he thinks about it...

Oh. Well, there's his blatant bewilderment getting replaced with a look of understanding as he pulls a hand to his face and tries to sit up.

"...Yeah, sure. It's...it was a mistake, I'm fine." Now, anyway. Probably. He should really get away from the river.

[fucking_gentleman]

"A mistake, of course. I can see how you accidentally decided to climb over the fence. Or, do you rather refer to your decision to do such as the mistake, in which case, I should think so, because the Thames has quite enough water pollution without people throwing themselves into it."

He should know. He's thrown enough things in there in his youth as a brash agent with a need to dispose of evidence.

[residu]

"No, that--" Jihwan brings a hand up to pinch his nose before it smooths over the rest of his face, and he looks up at his would-be saviour with an expression that equal parts exhausted and displeased. Mostly with the situation, and not Harry himself. He really is grateful that he stopped him. He'd be unconscious underwater otherwise.

"The...first. And second. Both--look, just. Thanks." He's fine okay stop looking at him like that.

[fucking_gentleman]

Harry leans his weight a bit more into his cane and offers his right hand down to the man. There's a slight tremble in it, a lingering testament to surviving being shot in the head, but he's still easily strong enough and steady enough to pull him up off the ground.

[residu]

He sees the tremble but doesn't comment on it, because between that and the cane Jihwan doesn't doubt this guy has his own share of problems even if he doesn't look too old. He'll murmur a short "thanks" as he's helped up, which turns out to be a good thing since his head swims as soon as he's on his feet, grip tightening on Harry's hand for a moment as his lifts his others to his head and takes a breath or two to steady himself.

[fucking_gentleman]

And the scar running from the patch over his eye that speaks of head trauma.

Once upright, he slides his hand to the man's elbow to keep him balanced and then starts leading him back tot he cafe. He clearly needs to sit down and have a hot drink. "This way."

[residu]

He'd like to protest and make some show of being alright, but honestly? It's easier to let someone else take the lead when he's just been dragged out of an episode. The fog over his mind is clearing, but it helps to have direction still.

So Jihwan lets himself be led over even if all he really wants to do is head home and bury his face in some couch cushions.

"...Sorry." For putting Harry through the trouble.

[fucking_gentleman]

The seat Jihwan is guided to is back to the window, due to the fact that Harry had been sitting to watch out of it. It just happens to mean that he can't see the river.

Harry seats himself again, tucking his cane next to him and waving over the waitress. "Something hot and sweet for my companion here, do you have a preference?"

[residu]

It's a smart move. Seeing it would only make clearing his head harder than it is already now that he's recovered from falling flat on his back. It's just the usual headache and disorientation to work through, and making sure he doesn't think back on what just happened. It's too easy to slip back into an episode if he does.

"Mocha, if you have it." Hot chocolate would be too sweet on it's own, and the caffeine will help.

[residu]

It's been at least two weeks since the run-in at the Thames with that very odd man, Harry Hart. It shouldn't have been that memorable, he's been knocked out of an episode by random strangers before. It's just something about him. Maybe the old man jokes? Or the prim and proper tailor way of his.

Whatever the reason, Jiwhan finds himself looking up the so-called 'Kingsman Tailors', in order to give them a look-see. Which is why he's got google maps pulled up on his phone as he tries to navigate his way over via a route that completely avoids any and all rivers. It takes a while.

[fucking_gentleman]

Bring in London and avoiding the Thames takes effort, but is doable. It might involve buses and closing eyes.

Harry is not settling back into Kingsman. Harry is currently storming through Kingsman, with Merlin on his heels yelling at him, while Harry stomps his way out on his cane.

"Ye know it makes sense, Harry! Ye've got the experience!"

"You mean I'm the expendable one because it's not like I'm ever getting out from behind a desk!" He slammed open the front door, ignoring Dagonet diving for cover under the pretense of some ironing.

[residu]

It's perhaps not the best time to push open the shop door of such a fine establishment, because even if he has no idea what's going on Jihwan can feel the tension in the room immediately, and it only compounds on itself when he sees the man who'd saved his life, clearly irate.

He winds up stopping with the door opened three-quarters of the way, awkward.

"...Erm." Maybe he should just. Back away and close the door.

[fucking_gentleman]

Harry freezes where he is, reaching for the front door and finding someone there.

Behind him, he hears Merlin pause as well, then promptly turn heel and vanish back up the stairs, because God forbid he ever have to deal with the outside world in a less than professional capacity.

It takes a moment, but Harry straightens and manages what looks like a normal, warm smile. "Han Jihwan, wasn't it?"

[residu]

It's obviously a bad time, and he's walked in on something going on with whoever that guy in the back was. The effort Harry makes to try and amend the atmosphere is appreciated, but it doesn't exactly work as well as likely intended. It's still plenty awkward when Jihwan hears his name and he starts a little, nodding.

"....Yeah. I can, uh...come back some other. Time."

[fucking_gentleman]

"I was, in fact, about the leave for my lunch break."

It's two in the afternoon. He fails to care.

"Busy morning, appointments, but please, don't allow my break to deter you from browsing. Dagonet is just in the back room if you need any assistance, but don't let him talk you into a black suit with your colouring."

[residu]

"Black suit--?" Wait, did he think he was hear for that? Part-time job or no, he's not sure he could afford anything from here if he worked overtime for a whole damn month. This place is right posh compared to the stores he gets his clothes from, and he can't think of a single reason he'd need a suit at this point in his life.

So he shakes his head stiffly. "No, that's not...I mean. I didn't come here for that. I'm here for you--" Wait that sounds weird. Ugh. "Because of before."

[fucking_gentleman]

"Ah." He changed mental gears again.

"In which case, I know a lovely bakery where I was planning on visiting to calm down from my disagreement. You may join me. Hold that door, please."

And, in a fit of pique, Harry slides his glasses off, tucking them into his pocket.

[residu]

"Oh...yeah. Sure." That's an easy task to focus on in spite of how unpleasant the air is right now. Getting out of the shop will help, and hey; a bakery means maybe he can pay back that coffee from before a little easier. He was wondering how he's approach the subject of 'let me take you out, but in a way that's to thank you for saving my life and all' without it coming out weird.

So this works, and once Harry's through he'll let the door swing closed and fall into step alongside him.

[fucking_gentleman]

Harry's limp is more pronounced than it was the other day. He has good days and bad days and fighting with Merlin nearly always makes it a bad day.

"Sometimes, having friends you've known for thirty years is not a good thing. You know all the best ways to hurt each other." The bakery isn't too far away, but right now, it's taking everything to focus on just moving forward.

[residu]

"That what that was all about back in there...?" He won't ask for specifics, because he wouldn't have liked it if someone went about inquiring into his fights and such either. The limp though makes him wonder if he should ask if harry wants to slow down--even if he looks rather determined to press forward regardless.

[fucking_gentleman]

"In essence. I've worked at Kingsman for thirty years with Emrys. We were apprentices together. As is clearly evidenced, I was badly injured some months ago. I was on a business trip and got caught in the crossfire outside a rather nasty right wing church. It's had some lingering effects on me."

He speaks about it easily, because he has no shame in what happened to him.

"Emrys wants me to take over administration. He believes I am no longer suitable for other work. Maybe he's right, but it's not his place to make that decision." He's slowed down a bit as he calms.