The muse is struck

[vesper_lynd]

What did...how? How did you even find me!!?

And why bring me here to this "head space" when there is still work to be done.

...

What do you mean he's alive. You- you're lying! You cruel hateful person why would you say such a thing to me!?

[There's a narrowing of the eyes]

I don't like how happy you sound. So you better bloody well get to explaining. And none of this "you'll find out" nonesense.

...

I think I hate you.

Comments

[james_bond]

I-

...

You-

...

We-

...

But-

...

What?

[vesper_lynd]

[And there it is. And she can feel the mun grinning slyly at her. But she ignores it in favor of the sharp breath she just took in.]

You.

They said...she said that you died.

[james_bond]

Wait- No, no. No. You. You died. I watched you...

[vesper_lynd]

That's not right at- [She takes a moment, giving his face a long, scrutinizing look]

Your eyes...they aren't the same at all. They're [more like mine] much harder than I remember.

[james_bond]

Oh? Would you go so far as calling me a cold-hearted bastard?

[All the talk while he stares into her eyes trying to figure out whether this an elaborate ploy or, or whatever the hell else it could be.]

[vesper_lynd]

hm. Familiar. [she makes a ghost of a smile] But no. I don't think I would go that far. [I couldn't without incriminating myself]

[james_bond]

Now why don't you explain how you are here when I actually witnessed Vesper's death?

[vesper_lynd]

I could ask you the same thing. I very clearly remember my desperate but ultimately futile attempt at CPR on that rooftop in Venice. And the awful year that followed.

[james_bond]

Ludicrous. You're describing what I did to save Vesper to the letter.

[Have a pause while lights a cigarette.]

Now if you think that I'm stupid enough to not recognize that someone has that information, probably obtained from White, and is using to play head games with me then you have obviously never dealt with a double oh agent. Especially this one.

[vesper_lynd]

I should think the only head games going on here are coming from your end. And this Mun person is finding all this much too hilarious. Regardless. You're telling me that you lived and I died and that is just plain perplexing. I am the agent after all. [there's muttering] (and you're the accountant who broke my heart and died...)

I suppose next you're going to tell me that Mallory is the M and not Ev. [she raises a very skeptical eyebrow]

[james_bond]

You? [Good bit of laughter before it stops and he has a stone cold look on his face, only enhanced by his wintry gaze.[] Vesper couldn't handle watching me kill two men. She was an accountant for God's sake. And of course Mallory is M! I'll just hand that to you on silver platter simply because your horrible intel makes me feel sorry for whatever organization you work for.

[A few forced breaths before:] Now are you going to explain just exactly who you really are to me? Or are you just going to parade her face around town as some kind of sick lark?

[vesper_lynd]

[his stone cold gaze is both met and matched. An uncanny familiarity in those world-worn eyes as the woman reaches slowly and deliberately into her purse and removes her wallet, flipping it open and revealing her blood stained but still legible badge]

I am agent 007 Vesper Lynd. And I am starting to believe that I come from someplace far removed from the location in which I now find myself.

[james_bond]

[A few seconds longer before he turns his eyes to the badge. Everything on it was identical to the one he owned. All of it except the name and picture. He pulled out his wallet and displayed his 007 badge for her to examine.] I'm really starting to think that too.

[He lets out a sigh and his eyes soften.]

So I guess this means you also found what you were looking for?

[vesper_lynd]

[She examines the matching badge with a look of slight bewilderment] Incredible.[Then after a moment there is the barest facial adjustment, where only the keenest eye would notice a slight quiver of her lips]

I...

Yes. I believe I may have. And did you? [trying her best to wrap her mind around the hundred thousand sumodd questions flooding her brain right now]

[james_bond]

I did. [He says with a nod before he stops for a moment to let the gravity of the situation sink into his reality. Suddenly his right hand pulled back his shirt showing two bullet sized scars with a faint horizontal scar slashing across one.] Did-did you?

Ahahh! this is making me wiggle with excitement!!

[vesper_lynd]

[without even thinking about it she reaches out and traces the pattern lightly with her fingertips before nodding briefly] Oh god... [she pulls her blouse to the side slightly to reveal a matching wound]

Mallory?

atw?

[james_bond]

[As soon she touches him his eyes close and he takes a deep breath. After which he lets his shirt fall back into place and looks at the exact same set of scars on her.]

What- Mallory? No, M had Moneypenny pull the trigger. Why would Mallory be-

[Stopping mid sentence, he rubbed his face with both his hands thinking there was no point in trying to get logic and sense out of this situation.]

You're alive and no matter how odd it looks like that's all that matters. [Saying it both to himself and her.]

All of it. Forever. Also picturing that scene in Cpt. America with the peck touch.

[vesper_lynd]

Moneypenny? [she makes a stifled sound almost like snorting] There are more differences than I thought.

Alive. [the word itself seems to be infused with more emotion than she'd intended.]

Wait you think I'm odd? You were...I mean god. I can't imagine you fighting anyone!

Haha!

[james_bond]

What? Me!?

[Have a sharp disapproving exhale laced with a bark of laughter.]

You! Back at the stairwell, after I killed both of them you lost your nerve, which I comforted until you crashed on the bed. You'd never seen someone die before in your life, let alone being to watch me kill not one; but two men.

Re: Haha!

[vesper_lynd]

Dear lord I sound like a typical woman. Awful.

[she reconsiders] Well, maybe not. I never thought badly of you for not being able to handle it so I suppose I must not have been that bad either.

The shower?

[james_bond]

Oh yes. Shower was running cold water when I found you after the cut yourself on the wine glass. I sat there with you until you were ready to get up. No matter how long it took.

[vesper_lynd]

That's- hm. That's good. You were a wreck too. Didn't stay too long though. I think it must have embarrassed you. Looking like that. So at least you were fairly easy to get dried off.

You did want to be strong for me. At least a little bit.

[james_bond]

I did? Me? [Squints his in slight disbelief, but mostly in humored manner.] Now that’s a sight. Not sure if I’d ever want to see it.

[vesper_lynd]

I think once you settled down some you really made an attempt to be brave for me. I could tell you really wanted to be strong.

What an abrupt entry into this world- this life it must have been.

[james_bond]

Life. [Scoff.] It feels more like a job than living. So for you, I was nothing like this. And you became the agent instead of me.

...Odd to think I had normal life somewhere.