OTA

[im_torchwood]

After John Hart, after Gray, Jack couldn't be in Cardiff. He was Torchwood now, not just what he did but who he was, and he had a small crisis and had to get away. Although he'd broken with London's Torchwood after the incidents at Canary Wharf (which it seemed the population had either forgotten or written off) Jack found himself in England's jewel. He was ready to make a new start. And, he reckoned, the Doctor would probably visit London before Cardiff if truth be told.

He'd settled into the subterranean Hub that Alice and Emily had worked in. It had been long forgotten in favor of the building of steel and glass that had been built atop it. Bloody Torchwood...they were supposed to be secret. He'd made his contacts and had put himself to work. But even Jack needed to eat.

He had all of the city to choose from and rather than just go to a pub Jack stood on the sidewalk looking at his mobile reading Yelp reviews. There was a place just down the block and around the corner. Yelp was good and all but he kind of wanted a real opinion so he looked up from his screen and he smiled at the first person whose eye he caught.

"Excuse me...do you know if this place is any good?" he asked, showing the screen. His American accent immediately marked him as a tourist, even though he wasn't.

Comments

[whispersoflove]

Anael looked over at the man when he was addressed, and smiled in friendly greeting. Hands in his jeans pockets, his light denim jacket and t-shirt barely enough to pass as normal in the still chilly weather, he rocked on his heels, then peered at the screen. Oh, he actually knew this one. "That depends what you're in the mood for. Their wine list is terrific, but I've never tried their food."

His own accent marked him as a Londoner born and bred, right then - even though he wasn't.

[im_torchwood]

"Nothing like taking a risk," Jack replied. "But in my experience if the place has good wine they generally have good food. Thanks."

He flashed a bright smile and offered a hand.

"Captain Jack Harkness."

[whispersoflove]

The smile was nice, but Anael never knew what to do with his own feelings, when it came to soldiers. Still, he reached out and shook the man's hand with a small smile of his own. "Hani. Would you like some company - Captain?"

[quartermaster_q]

Q made a point of keeping an eye on everything he could in London, and when Captain Jack Harkness had slipped into town, the man had instantly pinged on Q's radar. Honestly, little of that Torchwood nonsense held his interest for very long, (not his problem, not his headache), but he did have an interest in their tech- And the possibility of getting some hands on time with it.

He'd given the man ample time to settle in, but tonight was as good a night as any to make contact.

"If you want cheep beer, yes- If you want dinner, however, I might suggest looking elsewhere- Captain Harkness."

[im_torchwood]

His eyebrow arched up and while his smile remained in place it no longer lit his eyes. In his eyes was only suspicion.

"You have me at a loss. You know my name...and I know I'd remember yours if we'd...met."

Met...he said it so suggestively there was no question just what he meant.

[quartermaster_q]

When you spent as much time around double-o's as Q did, you became numb to that sort of thing, and Q only shrugged.

"True- I am very memorable," he replied blandly. "We haven't met before though, no, despite how dreadful you are at staying off six's radar."

He paused a beat, then offered his hand. "I'm Q."

[shannonteverius]

Tourists. Shannon normally couldn't abide by them but this one was handsome and at least polite. He took a glance at the screen. "It's not terrible but if you go one more block there's a little Greek place that's fantastic."

[im_torchwood]

Jack was no better than anyone else when it came to beautiful people. The man spoke of Greek and he barely heard the words. Fifty first century pheromones wafted from him as he stepped a little closer, his posture almost predatory.

"Thanks," he said. "Could I get you to join me?"

[shannonteverius]

Desired and admired, two things Shannon loved to be. His smile was charming as he answered, "I'd love to."

[akatawitch]

"I'm afraid I wouldn't know any better than you," Sunny admitted with an apologetic smile as she looked up from the screen. She had been considering using her thickest Nigerian accent just to play ignorant (and confusing) foreigner, but the words came out just as American. We're in the same boat, sorry.

[im_torchwood]

"Damn...well the reviews are okay," he shrugged. "Maybe I'll risk it."

He offered her his hand politely.

"Captain Jack Harkness," he said. "New transplant from Cardiff."

Funny- he didn't sound Welsh at all.

[akatawitch]

Which would have bothered another person maybe, but didn't Sunny know that a person's story could have twists and turns that no one could see at a glance?

Her smile became a real one when she shook his hand. "Sunny Nwazue. Not so new, but transplant from a part of Nigeria you wouldn't know."

And she sounded about as Nigerian as he did Welsh.

[raisedbycarnies]

"Well," Clint said, looking the place over thoughtfully. "They haven't thrown me out and no one's broken my nose so I'm gonna say yeah." In truth, not only do they clear his low bar for a decent establishment, they pulled a great pint and they made the best fries (Chips, Clint. Call them chips here.) he'd had so far, even if they'd denied him ketchup.

"The pies aren't bad either. Quiz nights are fun."

[im_torchwood]

"No broken noses isn't exactly a shining recommendation," Jack chuckled. "But pie...how can you turn down good pie. Thank you."

He paused.

"American?"

[raisedbycarnies]

Clint shrugged, thumbing the shape of his own battered nose with some authority. "Yeah, but I got one of those faces. Apparently it draws fists like a magnet," he said, putting on a sheepish look.

"And yeah, I am. Clint Barton."

[jadedjade]

Flashy, good-looking and very aware of it, charming and sure of himself. Jade was instantly charmed by that lovely jaw-line and all those sparkly white teeth.

Now, Jade wasn't a street worker and he wasn't looking for a client at this moment, but he was aware of how he looked, and what attention he drew dressed as he was (tight fit and black eye-liner) and walking as he did.

The man wasn't asking for services, but he knew some people prefered to be subtle about these things.

He put a stray lock of hair behind his ear and checked the phone. "Well, you have good taste," he complimented, though 'good' meant 'expensive'. "If you're looking to impress your date, that's an excellent place to do so. And I personally love their chocolate and champagne mousse."

[im_torchwood]

Jack smiled, part sly and part amused.

"I don't have a date. Yet," he said, slipping his phone back into his pocket. The man before him was familiar but that was nothing new. Jack had been alive so long and was so well travelled that he recognized a lot of people- even if he couldn't place them. But he was sure he knew this person from...somewhere.

"I'm Captain Jack Harkness," he said, offering his hand.

[jadedjade]

Jade smiled and accepted the hand. "I'm Jade," he introduced. "You're a captain? Plane or ship?"

[offthebeatenpath]

Em glanced around a bit first, having trouble believing the man was asking her, but he seemed to be, so she looked at his phone. She kind of missed American accents now she wasn't living in Scotland, as weird as that probably sounded to anyone in this world.

"I've only eaten there once," she answered, her own accent carrying faint hints of the American south that had been muted by years on this side of the Atlantic, and with New Yorkers. She'd met a potential client at the restaurant to talk about a commission; by the end of the meal, they'd mutually decided she wasn't the right fit for what they wanted painted. "But what I had was pretty good. I usually try for more balanced flavors in my amatriciana, but that could be personal preference."

[im_torchwood]

"Now, see? That's the kind of review you just don't get online," Jack said cheerfully. "Thank you. I really appreciate it."

Then he offered his hand and flashed a fifty thousand watt smile.

"I'm Captain Jack Harkness," he said then. "And you're my hero."

[offthebeatenpath]

"I'm no hero," Em said first. Sure, she knew he was using hyperbole, but she had to say it. She'd lived with heroes and called some of them her friends. She wasn't like them. She couldn't do what they did.

She took his hand though, shaking it briefly, and not quite meeting his eyes as a lock of hair fell in front of her face. "Marie-Ange Colbert. Em." Marie-Ange was too old-fashioned a name for her to use, and she probably wouldn't have offered it at all, except for the way he'd introduced himself. Just a nickname didn't feel right in response.

[prince_of_nymphs]

Fin's eyes had good days, and they had bad days- However, even on the best days, reading was still out of the question. Everything was a blurry mess, his vision so impared even glasses did nothing at all for him.

Still, he simply smiled and offered a laugh.

"I'm assuming you're showing me your phone, but you'll have to read it to me," he said. "My eyes aren't much use, I'm afraid."

[im_torchwood]

Jack looked at him, really looked at him, and he could see the faint white marks of chemical burns around his eyes. He was curious about what had happened but he knew better than to ask.

"Oh, sorry. It's this place called The Horseshoe. Fancy pub from the looks of it. Have you heard of it?"

[prodigalflame]

John blinked at both the ease of the guy and the screen in his face. He scanned it, and glanced over at said guy. American, gorgeous, almost too perfect with the teeth and the skin and the sparkling eyes...and John did not give one fuck. The glance he gave Jack was about as interested as the way he'd scanned the guy's phone, although the glance itself was an instinctual indication of John's openness to both men and women. Just because he was happy on the home front did not mean he stopped knowing where to look.

"Good booze," John said, because of course that was one of his major considerations. His own accent was mostly New York, with just a bit of Philly-rust belt flaking through. More now than when he tried to speak proper at school. "Food's pretty good pub food. Nothing too hipster, thank God." Because there was nothing John disliked more than people who thought they were cool. And if this guy had looked like a hipster, John would've recommended a place two blocks away, neck beards a-plenty.

[im_torchwood]

"Hipster," Jack repeated, not quite sure what that meant. He assumed it was something bad so being 'not too hipster' was a...good thing?

""Okay, thanks," he said. "I don't really drink, but if the food's good I'll give it a try." He flashed a dazzling smile. "You're a life saver."