londoncallingrpg

Entry tags:

OTA

Q had managed to remain out of the field for a bit now, confined to his lab and Q branch, quite happily. In fact his world, as a whole, had been delightfully calm. He and Bond had spent the holiday abroad, doing things the office didn't need to know about... And he'd returned to London uncharacteristically chipper.

Today he was at a cafe not far from the office, hiding behind his laptop as usual- However, he seemed slightly less closed off than usual. Where he usually blended into the background, or made a point of not engaging with the world, today.... Today, however, he seemed interested, watching people pass by out the window, and even occasionally glancing up to see who was coming and going in the cafe.

In fact, he was so engaged with the world, that he didn't notice his laptop screen flicker strangely before returning to normal.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Q nodded, and though he didn't trust Alcuin, he wasn't heartless. No matter what his worries or suspicions were.

"I'm sorry for your loss," the young quartermaster said softly.

Alcuin's eyes dropped to the table. "Thank you."

Then he said, "You know he was murdered?" The police had officially ruled it arson now. With no leads. No one knew a damn thing.

"I'm aware," Q nodded, though it was impossible to tell if Q believed that. The quartermaster had quite the poker face when he needed to.

"I imagine they're looking into his patients. ...And you."

"Yes," Alcuin confirmed. "And this time I don't have a knife wound to suggest my innocence. Though I also don't have a motive." It wasn't as if he needed Hannibal's money, after all.

"Not one they'd have the combined sense to look for anyway," Q replied, dismissing both the police, and the easy assumption that Alcuin must be innocent. Q knew the world was far more complex than that.

"Do you have a suspect then?" he asked, willing to hear the man out, even if he didn't trust him.

"No," said Alcuin, quiet, truthful. "He isn't like Anafiel, he didn't have... enemies." Short hesitation, then, "But he has had a problem with obsessed patients before. And I know that he probably wouldn't want me to investigate it myself, but... it's hard. To do nothing." After all, look what had happened when he'd tried to investigate Anafiel's death. Someone had ended up dead.

Q hummed a little, looking thoughtful.

"Have you been to his office yet?" he asked finally.

Alcuin shook his head. "The police have been there, and I... did not want to seem too interested in their investigation."

"I don't believe you couldn't get in and out unseen," Q countered.

"... you're right," Alcuin said, looking a bit torn. "Do you think I should investigate?"

"No- I think you should leave that to professionals. However, I think you'll want to, and if you do, I'd like to know in case James decides we should investigate," Q said with a soft sigh.

Alcuin dropped his eyes briefly to the table. "I know you don't trust me," he said. "I don't - have any ulterior motives. I just want to know what happened to him. I just want - " He wanted whoever did it to pay. "I just want justice for him."

"That's the part that concerns me," Q assured him, frowning slightly as he sipped his tea.

"What, because you think I want revenge?"

Alcuin looked at him for a moment. "Wouldn't you, if someone killed James?"

Q nearly said he wouldn't need to, that it would be taken care of- But he didn't.

"You're not a police man, you're not a spook. If you take revenge, Alcuin, you really will end up behind bars. ...Do you think that's what Hannibal would want for you?"

"I didn't say I would take revenge myself," Alcuin sighed. "I just want to see justice for him. Do you really think..." He ran his hands through his hair. "You think I would, what, kill someone? Is that the next step after being a prostitute and spy? That was... that was a long time ago."

"You're drawn to danger. You know exactly what I think," Q countered. "I think you're a ticking time bomb. That feeling hasn't changed. ...And I think finding your lover's murderer would be a hell of a trigger."

Alcuin looked at him for a moment and then asked quietly, "Do you see yourself in me?"

"I think the more interesting question is do you see yourself in me, Alcuin," Q countered.

Alcuin was not entirely sure how to answer that question. But his next thought occurred to him so violently that he blurted it without thinking at all.

"You told me once that you thought Anafiel had turned me into a weapon with no one to aim it now," he said. "What if you were the one to aim me?"

Q looked over at him, quirking a brow.

"I'm flattered you think I have that sort of authority. However, I think you may have overestimated my position in her majesty's service."

He paused a beat, then shook his head. "I can't stop you from applying, obviously."

"But you want to," said Alcuin. "You think I shouldn't. Why?"

The truth was, he'd been thinking about his future a lot lately, knowing that he would be graduating soon. And Hannibal's death made him think more about the paths he'd been trying not to consider too seriously.

Q was silent for a moment, then closed his laptop, turning to face Alcuin full on.

He had an answer to that, but he didn't offer it yet. Instead he seemed to soften, reaching out and touching Alcuin's cheek. Credit where it was due, Q was quite the actor when the need arose, and there was nothing about him that seemed disingenuous in that moment. Not a damn thing. Not even when he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of Alcuin's lips.

"You've lost so much. Your lover, your father figure..." Twice over, but Q didn't say as much. He was in the role now, and he wouldn't break character until he was good and ready. "Are you feeling lost?" he asked softly.

Alcuin looked genuinely surprised for a moment... and then softened. "Perhaps that's part of it," he said quietly. "I also, I just... I want to do what I'm good at."

"And this is where you think your talents are," Q said, nodding a little in understanding- Then tutting a bit and drawing away.

"I have worked with many agents. Many, understand? I have seen them come from all walks of life, but most of them, Alcuin, are a lot like you. Rotten childhoods, traumatic events... I like to think I'm good, now, at sussing out which ones will burn out, which ones will die- Which ones will turn easily. My record isn't perfect, but I'm right more often than I'd like to be. You're easily charmed, you want to be loved. People will prey on that. I certainly would, and I'm not even a field agent."

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject