EL NYSA • INBOX

[motivation]

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[motivation]

careful, i might swoon

[tailorable]

there's a first time for everything

[motivation]

even me swooning? i doubt it

[tailorable]

weeeeell anything's possible at the end of the world

[ a beat. ]

except that

[motivation]

and don't forget it

action.

[tailorable]

[ it's boxing day, which means it's basically still christmas, so eggsy is home in the closest thing to pj's as possible when he's invited people over: an ugly christmas jumper with an E on it and black slacks. no attempt has been made to style his hair whatsoever, but it looks halfway decent all the same. he answers the door with jb trotting after him. the little guy knows to sit rather than shoot outside — at least since he catapulted into the snow the other day.

at the sight of dutch, he steps forward to hug her. it's the day after christmas, y'know. ]

[motivation]

[ he pulls her into a hug and dutch doesn't tense up, but she's -- surprised. this is more affectionate than sexual and that's odd, especially for her. she's not complaining, but -- it's still odd, is all. ]

Missed me that much?

[tailorable]

[ it's over quick enough, as if the action is simple and routine. ]

Don't tell me that surprises you. [ waving her in. ] Dutch, this is JB. [ a pointed look down at his little dog. ] JB, don't be a shit.

[motivation]

[ what kind of person routinely hugs people??? (dutch is reminded of johnny, in that moment.) ]

'course not.

[ so that's a yes. ]

Hello, dog. [ to jb. ]

[tailorable]

[ dutch... omg... eggsy lets out a short laugh,

he leads the way through to the kitchen, jb trotting along after him, and fixes two glasses for them. ]

We can try each of our presents.

[ since they shared an alcoholic gift theme. ]

[motivation]

Sounds like a plan.

[ sounds like possible alcohol poisoning too, but dutch's liver is strong and well-practiced. ]

You like the whole Christmas thing?

[tailorable]

[ briefly, he thinks of all the shitty memories associated with christmas. losing his dad, altercations with dean, seeing his mum heartbroken. none of that shows when he says — ]

Yeah. It’s an excuse to skive off and be with your family or mates.

[motivation]

[ in a way, this is nice for dutch: it's a celebration that khlyen hasn't managed to ruin for her. it's something she has absolutely no negative associations with or memories of.

she could come to like christmas. ]

Sounds fun.

[tailorable]

[ he hands her a tumbler of whisky (from her gift to him). ]

No earth holidays in space, then?

[motivation]

Half the planets of the J have their own traditions and holidays.

[ dutch accepts the tumbler with a pleased grin, lifting it to her nose to breathe it in before holding the glass out. no toast, but clinking of glasses works for her. ]

[tailorable]

Guess that makes sense.

[ he follows suit, and he doesn’t even water it down (this time). ]

You know any good traditions from the J?

[motivation]

There's one.

[ her expression tips into something softer. not nostalgic but thoughtful, at least. ] Reckoning night.

[tailorable]

[ !!

he doesn’t have immediate positive associations for the term reckoning but —]

Well, go on then.

[motivation]

[ it's not necessarily positive. or negative. ]

The night before something big happens, you go 'round to everyone you got to reckon with and settle scores. Whether you've wronged them or they wronged you, whether they helped you or you helped them.

[ a shrug. ]

So if you die in whatever comes after, you do it with a clean slate.

[tailorable]

[ huh. not exactly positive or negative, no. ]

That's kind of intense. [ he sips at his drink. ] You feel like you've got a clean slate, then?

[motivation]

[ eggsy sips, but at that question, dutch knocks back the entirety of the contents of her glass. ]

Not even close.

[tailorable]

[ he follows suit, though he pulls a face after. ]

Loaded question, I guess.

[motivation]

No shit.

[ she holds her glass out for a refill. if they're talking about stuff like this, she wants to be more drunk than she is. ]

Do you?

[tailorable]

[ he can take a hint, and pours another one out for the both of them.

at her question, eggsy thinks of his father, his family, and harry hart. ]

No. [ there's a list of things he needs to do — that he intends to do. ] It's a work in progress.

[ maybe that's how it is for everyone. ]

[motivation]

[ this is not what dutch expected when she came here. she'd been expecting snogging, maybe a quick fuck -- but then, the last time they'd done that, dutch had used eggsy to distract herself from johnny and alvis going back into stasis.

this isn't bad. she still didn't expect it. for a moment, she musters eggsy, eyes sharp. assessing his honesty, deciding how willing she is to share with him based on how willing to share he is, too. her gaze softens at his answer. ]

Yeah.

[ she lifts her glass again. ] I'll drink to that.