lastrat | ♠ | 004

[Sup Barge. Here's a funny thing you might have noticed, if you've been in port and paying attention to the news: there was a break in and, so news anchors say, attempted burglary at an affluent townhouse. A blurry camera image has been making the rounds, and a police sketch, and you know what?

Both of those pictures look a lot like James Bond.

Yeah, the second he recognized London, he headed for MI6 and couldn't even get past the lobby. So, he went for M's apartment. Which, in this world, was definitely not M's apartment.

It all kind of went downhill from there.

The past almost forty-eight hours have largely been spent awake and avoiding cameras and cops. Which is really not an easy thing, do you have any idea how many CCTVs there are in a city? All in all, nowhere near his worst two days, but definitely, definitely not his best. There's nothing quite like hope dangling in your face only to see it ripped away.

He doesn't bother with a video this time, just clicks on the audio function; he sounds short, maybe even tired, and there's an edge that really just says he's not in the mood for anything.]

I need money.

[He knows you wardens have cards. He is fully planning to take one, he just needs to pick a target. And no, he's not going to mention is foray as a wanted man because it's really not that new to him.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[There's a part of her that wants to roll her eyes and tell him she's not an idiot, but if she's really being honest, it's not like she's really had a lot of experience doing this sort of thing, double agent or no.

So she does listen and nods when he's finished, doing her best to look casual.]

Alright.

[Double agent is just a turn of phrase, though: she's never been an agent, she doesn't have the training (he still doesn't know how she fooled him the whole damn time). He nods down the block toward an ATM, and slows, stopping to lean in and kiss her cheek and speak quietly.]

Just act naturally. You're good at that.

[He couldn't entirely resist that last little barb.]

[And it stings, just like he knew it would, and she almost hates him for a moment for doing it before remembering she really just hated herself.

So she does act naturally, pulling away calmly and following his instructions perfectly. She might not be an agent, but he is right. She's good at acting normally.]

[It would be so much healthier if she would just hate him. But he doesn't know about all this self loathing, and he isn't in the best place to talk her out of it. So he watches her go, huddled near the wall and occasionally pulling his collar closer against his bare neck. He watches without making it obvious, largely watching her from the corner of his eyes, making it look like his attention is elsewhere. He passes the time easily - even makes it look like he's using his device to text someone. It's all calm, though; he sees no reason to worry, and waits for her to come back with the money.]

[There doesn't seem to be reason to be. She walks back to him without being bothered by anyone and hands over the money without calling attention to the gesture, calm and casual.]

Where next?

[And he slips the cash into his jacket pocket, as unobtrusive as ever. It's that kind of nonchalance that lets him murder someone in the middle of a crowded room - though she hasn't exactly seen that yet.

He can watch her in a new light now, though, and she's good. He doesn't like that. Still, he slips his arm around her shoulders again, and strolls down the street again.]

There are two more within a couple blocks.

Alright.

[This time, it's harder, because she wants to lean into him and appreciate the closeness they can't have under other circumstances, but another part of her wants to push away, that says if she can't have it normally, it was a stupid idea to use it as a cover. But she also knew walking stiffly and looking upset would alert everyone to the fact that there was something unusual going on here, so she tried to relax as they walked.]

♠ | 004 | Voice

[Spam]

[Spam]

[Spam]

[Spam]

[Spam]

[Spam]

[Spam]