OTA

[quartermaster_q]

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.

Comments

[hardertohide]

Dutch rubbed at her eyes, stifling a yawn. Her hangover was riding her hard. "Anyway, if you want help digging up shit about the men behind that system..."

[quartermaster_q]

"Not the men, but... I might have some locations you could look into. If I sent you some coordinates, do you think you could poke around in the local cctv?" Q asked.

[hardertohide]

"What would I be looking for?" Dutch asked, leaning her forearms on the edge of the table.

[quartermaster_q]

"I'm not sure, exactly. I just have some locations that have come up while digging around in the system's code. Places that mean nothing to me, and we don't have extensive files on. At a glance they all seem very innocent. A wind farm, a testing facility, a remote spa in the mountains... Things like that. I'm afraid to look to deep though. I definitely have eyes on me. ...But you don't, as far as I'm aware."

[hardertohide]

"That's reassuring," Dutch stated with an amused, wry little smile. But she was always paranoid; what was new? "Send me the coordinates."

[quartermaster_q]

"I'd rather not transmit them digitally. I'll leave you an encrypted thumb drive, somewhere you'll definitely find it," he offered.

[hardertohide]

"You will never not be creepy, will you," Dutch stated wryly.

[quartermaster_q]

"Probably not, no," Q said honestly, shrugging one shoulder.

[hardertohide]

"Good," Dutch stated with a nod. She'd wonder if he'd been possessed, otherwise. There was enough going on with vampires and fairies without adding possession to the list. "So. How was the honeymoon?"

[quartermaster_q]

"Tragically brief, but lovely," Q said, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Though we chose a rather remote local, so that was... Well, could you live for a week without a wireless connection? I think I was having withdrawal near the end..."

[hardertohide]

"I'm just happily surprised if it was free of any spy shit," Dutch answered honestly, then smirked. "But yeah, I feel you."

[quartermaster_q]

"If there was any 'spy shit', I was left blissfully unaware," Q chuckled, taking his glasses off and cleaning them with the sleeve of his cardigan. "How about you, Dutch? Was it an exciting holiday season for you?"

[hardertohide]

She smirked at the question, and the word he'd chosen. "Yeah, you could say that. It was fun."

[quartermaster_q]

"Anything noteworthy?" Q asked. He wasn't very good at small talk, but it was clear he was putting some effort into it today.

[hardertohide]

"Not unless you want to hear sex details," Dutch replied easily, and took another sip from her mug.

[quartermaster_q]

Q seemed to consider that, then shook his head. "No, I think I'd rather there were some mystery left in the world," he smiled. "Does this mean you're seeing someone then?"

[hardertohide]

"Not at all," Dutch assured him, pushing a hand back through her hair. "Serial celibacy sounds like a good plan, at this stage."

[quartermaster_q]

"Oh, and why is that? Commitment is frightening, I'll grant you that, but no reason not to connect with people," Q replied.

[hardertohide]

"Oh, I connect with people a lot," Dutch assured him with a smirk.

[quartermaster_q]

"You know what I mean," Q replied, tutting a little.

[hardertohide]

"I also know you were sounding like an agony aunt," Dutch replied with a shrug. "These things come and go. I'll be connecting with the exact wrong person again before you know it."

She said like it was something to look forward to.

[quartermaster_q]

"Has someone broken that stone you call a heart, Dutch?" Q asked. "I mean, if I'm to be called an agony aunt, I may as well ask the right question."

[hardertohide]

"Ouch, Q," Dutch mock-protested, holding a hand over her heart. "That hurts." She smiled, to herself rather than at him. "No, I fall for people way too often for it be a stone. Well, a weeping stone, maybe."

[quartermaster_q]

"The question stands- Even if the heart in question is softer than it looks," Q replied, smiling faintly. "...Has something happened?"

[hardertohide]

"I like the way you won't quit," Dutch assured him, "but no. Nothing's happened. It's just one of those phases."