There's a shamed cursory glance in the mirror before leaving.
The string is still a new feeling, the sensation of it against his scalp has him lifting a hand to scratch at it before he consciously realizes- he freezes and puts the hand down, rubbing it against his shoulder as if to wipe away nonexistent dust.
It had been long months of recovery, in relative solitude, that had led Harry Hart to this moment.
Thankfully there was no one in the front of the shop when he arrived, so he was able to slip upstairs unquestioned, seating himself at the table before activating the glasses he had nicked from dressing room three. He logged into his private network, accessing his Kingsman file and erasing his death certificate.
"Who are you, how did you get access to this network, and why are you messing with Harry Hart's file?" Merlin's voice came through the glasses, anger colouring his tone.
"Well, this isn't precisely what I wanted, but it will certainly be easier to explain in person."
"I don't understand."
"Then come to the table, we have much to speak of."
Harry pulled off the glasses after disconnecting. They looked absolutely ridiculous over the eye patch, he felt, though a monocle would look even worse.
"I don't know if I should slap you, or let the hallucination continue. Either way, you haven't changed a bit- late as always and completely disregarding any sort of protocol." Merlin had arrived, leaning heavily against a chair though he did not sit. He had aged a thousand years in Harry's months away.
"I'm not a hallucination, Merlin, and I wouldn't say that nothing's changed." There's a tired gesture to the patch now tied over his left eye, and Merlin's eyes are drawn to the tremor of Harry's hand.
"Nothing that really matters, then."
"We'll simply have to agree to disagree on that point. Now could you fill me in on-" The sound of footsteps echoes into the room long before there's another body at the doorway, currently fussing with the cuffs of his suit.
"Oi, Merlin, you called? Said something about Harry's file? I was gonna head over to mum's t-" A sharp inhale and the sound of a body collapsing happened almost in unison, and only Merlin's quick reflexes saved Eggsy's head from hitting the floor.
"That's more along the lines of what I was expecting."