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[lastrat]

[Private to Vesper]

Congratulations. [But lbr he's mentioned that before now. Which means he's got something else on his mind.] Where are you?

[Public]

[And a little later, once he's realized just what the Admiral's announcement means, he clicks back on publicly. He's plenty wary now, because the Admiral is just flat out not to be trusted, but he's never been one to run from something new.]

Assuming I'm not just speaking to the Barge...[There's a little twitch in his lip; he's very, very tempted to just say, 007 reporting for duty, because he thinks he's very, very funny. But given he has no idea who's listening, he manages to restrain himself.

Besides, his name is just as good.]

This is Bond, James Bond. If there's anyone from my world listening, speak up.

Comments

[areforever]

[She ain't seeing it clearly yet, Bond.]

And why would I need to do that? As I've previously stated, I'm not leaving without you, and if you be unconscious and in cuffs, then so be it.

[lastrat]

I'll put the cuffs on myself if you will leave, now. You're in danger.

[areforever]

[...Hold on a tic.]

Danger, what sort of- [Give her a moment. She's a reasonable woman.] I will come to you, and we can both leave.

[Unless you're already not .. in Bolivia. Because if you are, she ain't leaving.]

[lastrat]

You can't come to me! [He's losing patience, tries to remind himself that she's not a field agent, her responses aren't the same, but damn if they aren't frustrating.]

Greene is going to have you killed. You need to run.

[areforever]

I am not leaving without you, so either you come and meet me somewhere, or I'm coming to you. Greene can try what he likes, I know how to defend myself.

[Well. As a standard agent, sure. Field training is extensively different. She's bluffing, to an extent, but JFC James.]

[lastrat]

You're a desk agent, Fields. Now try to tell me again that you can defend yourself from trained killers.

Get to London, and I'll meet you there.

[areforever]

[She opens her mouth to retort, but it dies before the sound can even reach her tongue. He's right and she knows it. She knows how to handle a gun, she's fired at people before, of course, but she's never killed a man. Never fired a fatal shot.

But for fuck's sake, he's in London already? That little quip (demand) has her rolling her eyes and switching her phone to order plane tickets for the next available flight.]

Fine, yes alright. But if you were back in London yourself, why didn't you say so? [...] Unless you're not there either.

Where are you, Bond?

[lastrat]

[He actually starts to feel some relief before she catches on. He wants to throw the damn communicator.]

I'm in bloody space, now will you please get the hell out of the country before someone breaks down your damn door?

[areforever]

[..............]

Have you been drinking? More than usual I mean, of course.

[SHUT UP SHE'S BOUGHT THE DAMN TICKETS NOW SHE JUST HAS TO WAIT. ... AT THE HOTEL. BECAUSE WHAT ELSE IS SHE SUPPOSED TO DO. She's also alerted MI6 to the whereabouts and such and ... yeah.]

[lastrat]

[No not the hotel get out of the hotel omfg woman.

He just makes a subtle face, trying to reign in his annoyance.] I'm positively drowning myself in vodka. You need to go, F--

[He doesn't even know if she's going to listen to him at all, but you know what, he is not going to keep calling her by her surname if this is the last time he gets to speak to her.]

You never shared your first name.

[areforever]

[She thinks it's secure enough okay. Anywhere else just seems .. too public. Too easy-to-grab or something. Too open.]

I know.

[Her brow arches at his obvious prompt. And yet .. Alright, fine. She'll go hang out at the airport. Better? Look, he can even see her getting into a taxi and heading away from said hotel.]

If you absolutely must know, my full name is Strawberry Abigail Fields.

[...And promptly ignoring the startled and amused glance in the mirror from the taxi driver.]

[lastrat]

[Except that going back to where you can be tracked is like. Agent Do Nots 101. The very fact that she's getting into a taxi is relieving all on its own. Maybe she'll survive, in his world or another.

And the rest of the tension fairly drains out of her when she finally tells him. His mouth quirks at the corner, and he cocks his head to the side.]

Strawberry Fields. You're joking. [He already knows she's not and it is just beautiful.]

[areforever]

[She's not that stupid, alright, but she had to at least get her things. The things she needed. Things she hadn't been able to keep on her person in such a tight dress, alright. But perhaps this insight will be her salvation. Or .. perhaps it will only delay the inevitable.]

Make fun all you like James. I happen to be quite fond of my name.

[lastrat]

[Either must be better. That's what he'll keep telling himself. That at least this time, he tried.]

Is that why you refused to tell me before?

[areforever]

Certainly not. But I know how fond you are of being childish.

[... Okay so that's exactly why she didn't tell him, whatever.]

[lastrat]

[He knows. He loves it. :c Sorry he got you killed, Fields :c]

It suits you.

[areforever]

[There's a hum in the back of her throat, and for a few moments, it's just the sound of Bolivian nights passing just outside the taxi window.]

How do you know what Greene's plans are? And why bring them to light? That doesn't sound very double-O. What with you being drowning in booze, floating around in space.

[Because l o l. Like she believes that.]

[lastrat]

[Oh Lord, how does he explain this.] It's a very long story, Strawberry. [Okay he is always going to get a kick out of that.]

Do me a favor and just trust me.

[areforever]

Unfortunately for you, or perhaps in this case myself- my second priority is never to trust you, Bond.

[Except she seems quite unperturbed by the chant of her name. She likes it, remember.]

[lastrat]

And what's your first priority?

[areforever]

Getting you back to London. In whatever state, so long as your heart was still beating. [She heaves a sigh, clearly dissatisfied with her work thus far.]

I know you ran off and left me to clean up your mess at the party, but I would still very much appreciate knowing your exact location. Because up till now, I have no reason to believe you're actually going to meet me in London as you say. Trust is not something a Double-O should ever be known for. Not unless it's to his or her owner.

[Which she unfortunately, is not.]

[lastrat]

[What, he doesn't have an owner B(

But he lets loose his own small sigh, before going to the window. It's his hotel room from Montenegro, so the window is really the door to the balcony - a door that has been fully sealed. He pulls back the curtain, and arches an eyebrow at her - a very 'you asked for this' look - before turning the camera around to get that view of stars and blackness.]

I told you. Bloody space.

[areforever]

[Honestly she would be beyond surprised to not find a branding of M somewhere on his person, though let's be honest, she did have a fairly thorough look just some few hours ago. At least for her. He's about as owned by her as the shadows own MI6. Granted, his ownership and majority of obedience tends to stop with her, but that's another thing entirely.]

Yes, you've said. [Like she's talking to a particularly curious three year old.] Space. I'm very impressed, James, really. What region? Still in our solar system I would hope?

[And then she bothers to look up from whatever she was doing- writing, it seemed, and glance towards his camera. This seems to give her pause, confusion pinching at her brow.]

.. You can't possibly be there. NASA is-- [She's stuttering her words, clearly at a loss for um. Much of anything.]

[lastrat]

[That's gross Fields, he has a lot of sex, ladies would ask questions. But it's sort of true, if he's going to heel to anyone, it's M.

He rolls his eyes at her quips, waiting for her to take a look. He can hear it when she does.]M/small>

It's not NASA. I did say it was complicated.

[areforever]

[Maybe they'd think it was for Mom. Maybe they'd think he's sensitive. And of course be blown out the water (or through the head, with his track record), when they realize he isn't. Fields however, still looks beyond flabbergasted.]

Then uncomplicate it please. How on Earth, for lack of a better term, did you find yourself out there?