OTA

[jageskro]

It was like an itch you knew you weren't supposed to scratch. A lot of things had become clearer to Jag, about himself, since he'd watched Hex's videos, and somehow, the closer it came to the time Val would be back, the more Jag wanted to give in to his 'old' habits and do something really stupid. Start a bar in a fight with an arsehole or two, and get hurt.

It was as far from healthy as he could get, he realised, and that was why he hadn't started a bar fight in over a month now. He was in a bar right now, having a pint and trying to resist the desire to walk over to the bastards in the booth right behind him. Their racist, homophobic conversation wasn't making it easy on him. He was waiting for the misogyny to make an appearance, really. He'd barely touched his pint in the last ten minutes and was gnawing on his thumb's nail, feet propped on his bar stool, one leg bouncing.

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[harrowgate]

Attempting to staunch the injury hurt almost as much as the initial elbow jab to the face. Felix winced every time he tried to clean himself up. There was even blood on his very fine shirt. Shannon was going to have a fit.

"Where to?" he asked, carefully, around the handkerchief.

[jageskro]

"Wherever that's away from those wankers," Jag stated, and slouched in the back seat, carefully prodding at the future bruises on his face. Fuck. Em would worry again, and... he really hadn't meant to, but he couldn't have let the redhead get into trouble on his own. "So you're, what, a wizard?" he asked, looking back at him - and not giving a shit about the driver.

[harrowgate]

Felix kept almost primly to his side of the back seat, his posture quite correct as if he meant to contrast to Jag's slouch. He leaned toward the front and gave the driver an address in a much more posh part of town. When he sat back, he gave the other man a tolerant little half-smile. "You can call me what you like, but my name is Felix Harrowgate."

He offered his hand. If the dark-haired man did know about the reality of magic in London, he would recognize the Cabal's tattoos.

[jageskro]

Jag had no idea what to make of the tats, for all that he did notice them before putting his hand in Felix's - after a half second's hesitation. "Jag."

He pulled his hand back after shaking. "You often pick fights you barely intend to fight?"

[harrowgate]

"I thought I did well, all things considered," Felix pointed out, sounding pleased with himself despite the pain in his face. The lift of his brows dared Jag, teasingly, drunkenly, to argue with him. "I haven't been in a fist fight in years."

[jageskro]

Jag chuckled. "Yeah, well, you still haven't, by my count."

[harrowgate]

That sparked an unexpected tumble of uncontrolled laughter. Felix winced with a new twinge of throbbing pain, but he couldn't stop himself from helplessly dissolving into clearly drunken giggles.

[jageskro]

They were infectious giggles, and after a beat, Jag joined in, although that made him realise his ribs were bruised, and he ended up holding his side as he laughed. "I should get off," he remarked as he settled down, and glanced outside. They were heading for a part of town he had no reason to be in.

[harrowgate]

"If you insist," Felix managed once he had a breath to speak with. As an afterthought, he slipped his fingertips into a jacket pocket and produced a little white business card, which he offered to Jag. "In case you need an excuse in the future."

[jageskro]

A business card. So fancy. "An excuse?" Jag echoed, unsure what the bloke meant, before leaning over and asking the driver to stop on the side of the road for a second.

[harrowgate]

"To rough up a few more bigots," Felix clarified, his eyes smiling even if his mouth only quirked a little. "I'm very good bait."

[jageskro]

"I never really need an excuse for that," Jag assured him with a smile of his own, although his was more on the surface than not. He really oughtn't be doing that anymore. But the arseholes deserved it. Still, he pocketed Felix's card. "Thanks for the escape." It was probably for the best, for all that he definitely would have welcomed more pain.

It was for the best.

[harrowgate]

When the cab pulled to the side of the road to let Jag out, Felix wiggled his fingertips in a lazy good-bye wave. "I'll cover the fare, darling. Try to get home without starting another fight," he suggested.

[jageskro]

"No promises," Jag told him with a smirk as he climbed out of the cab. "Cheers," he added with a wave of his hand, and then he headed off, already patting his pockets for his cigarettes.