Iβve never seen any James Bond movies and Iβve only played the new video game but is it normal for him and moneypenny to have such good chemistry?? Holy shit
new bond fans playing 007fl: oh all the time in the world? thatβs a fun mission name
me: β¦ oh shit here we go again
So. Hi lifelong Bond fan here. Let me tell you why [spoiler] is subtextually Bondβs first real love interest because of this mission alone
analysis and explanation below. spoilers for 007 First Lightβs "All The Time In The World" mission
Monroe!!! We all love Monroe! Heβs a guy! God this level took so much out of me with his death. I think he had good chemistry with Bond and definitely acted as a best friend roommate sort and-
β¦ nope you read that first bit, I wonβt weasel out of it. This man seems to be a very clear parallel to one of Bondβs most famous classic era and novel Bond girls.
And itβs all to do with this phrase:
So whatβs so important about the phrase? Well, itβs less to do with its exact wording, more so its full version.
We have all the time in the world.
βWe have all the time in the worldβ is a phrase that originates from the 1969 movie On Her Majestyβs Secret Service, the sixth in the Bond continuity. Itβs a bit of an odd phrase. I personally associate it way more with that film than its own title.
The reason for that is that OHMSS is one of the only Bond films (at least the only one post the introduction of unique Bond opening credit songs) not to have its main song be used in the opening sequence. While OHMSS does have its own main credits song, itβs an instrumental and not the one that jumps to mind immediately. The song much more associated with this film is We Have All The Time In The World by Louis Armstrong, which plays later on. But why did the Bond team go to such lengths to emphasise this back then? What does it mean for First Light - and more importantly Bond and Monroe?
Because in OHMSS, Bond finds what could be considered to be his one and only true love in the Bond timeline. A Bond girl who even actors away gets mentions, indirect and direct, in the later classic era. And that is Teresa di Vicenzo - better known by her nickname Tracy. While I think she inspired both Monroe and Cressida, I think thereβs a stronger argument for Monroe.
Tracy is the main Bond girl in this film, and one of, if not, the most important in this era. She honestly makes me think a lot of Monroe and Cressida - sheβs downright stubborn when she wants to be. In fact her first meeting with Bond was in fact in the sea (much like how he met them at Malta) under very different circumstances - he sees her attempting suicide and pulls her out of the oncoming tide. Sheβs even seen driving her own car in the pre-credits scene, much like with Cressida and her driving lessons. She does beat the stereotypes observed with Bond girls as harmless, stupid and just lackeys.
Their relationship starts off as hostile - sheβs annoyed that he keeps trying to protect her from threats, has a man attack him when she lures him to her room, then turns a gun on him when she heads to his room. You get the picture. The point is their relationship is originally not one that you would deem βpositive.β Bond tries to be kind to her, she sees their relationship as nothing more than transaction. It makes me think about how Bond begins his friendship with Monroe as the odd one out - Monroe was forced to look after Bond and didnβt necessarily want to. He did after all call it the βold boys networkβ that got Bond into the 00 program in the first place.
Similarly to Monroe, Tracy was forced to look after her Bond by her father Draco, who offers Bond information on terrorist organisation SPECTRE and his archenemy Blofeld if he courts Tracy, thinking it would be good for her. What is originally very transactional starts to deepen. And when the two get close enough, we get the song.
If you canβt tell, We Have All The Time In The World is not a typical Bond song. Itβs a love ballad.
We have all the time in the world
Time enough for life to unfold
All the precious things love has in store
We have all the love in the world
If that's all we have you will find we need nothing more
Every step of the way will find us
With the cares of the world far behind us
We have all the time in the world just for love
Nothing more, nothing less, only love
I think you understand the romantic significance of this phrase being used now!
But there is one more aspect to the Tracy comparison I want to touch upon. The reason why as soon as that phrase came up, I knew what would happen and my breath was held the entire mission.
At the end of OHMSS, Bond and Tracy actually do get married and head off on a drive to begin their honeymoon. About an hour down the road, they stop for a bit and Bond gets out to stretch his legs while Tracy remains inside and picks at a flower. Itβs honestly a cute scene, it makes me think of Monroe a bit.
Tracy: (picking at the flower) He loves meβ¦
Bond: Instinctively.
Tracy: Infuriatingly.
Bond: Intensely!
Tracy: Inβ¦ inβ¦
Bond: In?
Tracy: β¦ in?
Bond: Indubiately!
Blofeld and his henchwoman Irma Bunt drive past and shoot at the car, having survived the events of the film. Bond, startled, heads back in the car to tell Tracy that Blofeld was behind it, looks to the side andβ¦
Itβs a scene that has no musical backing, just silence. A policeman drives over and sees Bond cradling her dead body. When Bond notices the policeman, he gives a response, before there is muffled sobbing.
Itβs alright. Itβs quite alright really. Sheβs having a rest. Weβll be going on soon. Thereβs no hurry, you see? We have all the time in the world.
Compare that with Bondβs reaction to Monroeβs death.
β¦ noβ¦ Hang on, mate. Breathe. Okay. Breatheβ¦ Monroeβ¦ Monroeβ¦? (β¦) Cressida? Itβs Monroe. Heβsβ¦ (β¦) β¦ all the time in the world.
With them both being in denial about their deaths - Lazenbyβs Bond tries to convince himself that Tracyβs sleeping while Gibsonβs tries to convince himself that while Monroe has been injured, he can still be saved despite showing no signs of life. In fact the worst part is neither of them actually sees the moment of death. By the time the shooting has stopped, Tracy is dead on impact, while Monroeβs comms had already been cut. Theyβre both doomed either way.
I think thereβs a clear cinematic comparison.
So when that phrase is used, itβs clear that this is Bondβs first ever real loss. The beginning of the tragedy and the search for retribution that will linger in his mind ever so slightly. Thereβs a passing of the torch here, because no one ever uses that symbolism lightly.
Monroe IS Bondβs first true love, and you can say Cressida as well due to her own similarities, but the symbolism featured is exclusively Monroe. That homoeroticism is placed there on purpose. Monroe is this timelineβs Tracy.
AIRPORT VISITS. platonic!firstlight james bond x fem!reader
tdlr : catching up with your... unique british friend, who you don't know is in MI6. word count : 2k+
(reader is a ball of sunshine towards james) warnings : none
notes : i actually went to london last year through heathrow but i still don't really understand how airports in general work, so i tried to do a bit of research on it. may not be most accurate but i did try :D
"You have now arrived in London at Heathrow Airport, please keep an eye on all bags and have a wonderful visit." That was the message that blasted through your ears as you made your way out the plane. You were always nervous on flightsβ nervous would be an understatementβ whenever you flew over the ocean you refused to look out the window. That clearly shows your love for flying above sea.
Suitcase in one hand and your signature leather handbag in the other, you make your way out of the jet bridge. It's a bit hard to navigate through the crowd when it consists of middle aged men and young mothers carrying babies, but you manage. Breathing a sigh of relief you run a hand though your hair, trying to untangle the few knots. "At least it's not all frizz..." You mutter to yourself, finally detangling the last knot. The few times you had traveled internationally was a good couple years ago, and that was purely for your job. Airports weren't your strong suit, but you managed to remember that you must to stop at customs.
You were already in the front of the crowd, so that basically guaranteed you would be one of the first in line for customs. A worker had redirected everyone to the customs area, and what do you know, you were first in line. "The less time this takes the better" you thought to yourself. Taking a step forward to the desk, you hand your handbag to the lady behind the desk. "I'm just gonna take a quick look in here and ask some questions, okay?" Her voice sounding friendly. "Mhm, m'kay." You respond in the same tone as her, coated with friendliness and sweetness. The last thing you wanted was for you to sound like another arrogant asshole American and get kicked out by security.
Not to say you were anything even remotely similar to an asshole, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
While opening your handbag the lady questions, "Anything in either of your bags containing tobacco or alcohol?" You shake your head, adding on, "No, not a big drinker or smoker." This earns a nod from the lady, who takes a quick peek into your bag before handing it back to you. "Mhm. No food in any bag?" "No." "Okay." Your handbag goes back to resting on your arm, as you close it up. "And what's your reason for visiting?"
Upon hearing the question you can't help but smile a little, trying to bite back a full grin and giggle. "I'm visiting a close friend, I'll be staying in his apartment for the whole visit." The way your voice sounds like it's loaded up on candy and processed sugar makes the lady chuckle briefly, nodding again. "Sounds wonderful. So this visit is a vacation, correct." "Mhm" You nod in response as the lady grabs a paper from the cabinet behind her.
"That sounds good to me, fill this declaration form out and you can get going." She informs you as she hands the single paper to you, along with a black pen that has some type of symbol embedded in it. The pen flows neatly as you cross out boxes with x's and circle words. It was a simple task anyway, since you weren't carrying any of the items listed. You slip the paper back to her, returning the pen as well.
"Thank you. Last question, do you have someone picking you up or are you taking public transportation?" Taking a step to the side you quickly say, "Same friend who's housing me for the trip is picking me up." Quickly the lady says something approving and gestures for you to move on. Picking up the pace, your legs guide you towards the lounge area just a turn a head. You deserve some time to rest, the jet lag was starting to get to you anyway.
Finally you make your way to the lounge area, you spot an unoccupied seat facing a window outside. You quickly rush, as fast as you can with a heavy ass handbag and a filled suitcase, to the seat. God, it felt good to finally sit on something comfortable. The seats in economy really weren't cutting it for you.
The area smelled of light coffee and stale biscuits, the warm lighting providing you some comfort. In what feels like forever, you manage to remove your bag from your arm and place it in your lap. You glace up and gaze at the window, the seats next to you already being filled up with the elderly and a group of four older chatty teens. You could be talkative too, just not right now.
The window ahead of you revealed the gloomy weather of London, typical. The rain was slowly cleaning the dirt stained window, you could see the yellow lights of buildings in the distance. It was peaceful at this hour, 11 PM to be precise. All you really wanted to do was to lie down in a warm, comfortable bed and sleep your ass off.
Which reminds you, that will be possible once James picks you up from this hellhole. Well, maybe not a hellhole exactly, this place was well lit with a calming atmosphere so maybe not a hellhole. Plus, you could smell coffee and some type of breakfast sandwich. Nonetheless, you needed James to pick you up.
Opening your bag, you grab your phone out. Adjusting your sweater slightly, man you should have chosen a size bigger this is kinda tight, your fingers tap away at the screen as you unlock it. Opening up your contacts, you click on the one titled 'James Bond (british friend)' and open the message option.
im at the airport lounge can u pick me up
Annnnddd send.
You want for a few seconds, tapping your foot in rhythm to whatever soft pop music is playing over the PA system. The phone lights up, your attention back to the message.
Wow already here? Be there in five.
Thank God. Seeing his message somehow made your mood better, which was expected. It always made your day better to see an old friend, and it was even better that the old friend in question was James. The way you two met was one that you can't ever forget, you were both in highschool. His school had scheduled a trip to Washington, and you happened to be sitting next to him for the flight. On that day, you had decided to go back to Washington after visiting London with your dad.
The rest was history. The two of you sat together for the plane ride, talked for the whole duration of it, and then exchanged phone numbers with each other. It's a miracle the two of you stayed connected after all these years.
You snap back to reality, getting up to look around. "Where is he?" You mumble, slightly annoyed at his slow arrival. Clearly you weren't mumbling soft enough because the man who was sitting next to you gave a stark glare. Sheepishly you smile and offer a quick apology before collecting your bag and suitcase, already making your way to another seat. This time you face a small open cafe, God were you hungry.
Getting more and more agitated, you type away another quick message that reads "WHERE ARE YOU??" Before dropping your phone back into the handbag. If he didn't come in the next ten minutes you might just wither away and die. But before you do that, you decide on taking a short nap. At least you'd fit in a bit more, the bright sparkly pink suitcase wasn't really helping.
Suddenly, you feel a tap on your shoulder. The sudden movement jolts you awake, causing you to swiftly turn around. There could only be one person who would be here for you, and obviously it's James. Before he can even get a 'hello' out, you've already jumped out of your seat.
"Ohmygosh you scared me for a second but then i realized it was you, ahhh!" All of this is said at the speed of light as you hug him tightly, your energy radiating off onto him. Once he returns the hug you let go, your tone is full of excitement. "I literally thought I was actually gonna be stranded and die."
"Well hello to you too." He breathes out, giving a slight chuckle. "It's not possible to die here, I think you'd be fine if you waited a few more minutes." He retorts back at you, smirking at your ecstatic state.
"Yeah okay shut up smartass." You quip back, grabbing your suitcase in one hand and handbag in the other. He takes a second to look at your luggage before gesturing towards the suitcase. "I can get that for you, you know."
Letting go of the suitcase you push towards him, your bag slings over your arm. You joked, "What a gentleman, thank you." "Always glad to be one." He says, dragging your suitcase behind him. You take this as the cue to start following him, moving beside him.
"We're going back to your place right?" Your feet are practically just dragging you along, each step causes your hips and somehow back to pain and ache. "Yeah, but can we stop real quick? I'll buy a snack for the road." You stop in your tracks for a second, A because if you walked another step your legs would pop off and B, "Isn't it like, just a 20 minute drive to the apartment?"
Your words were going into one ear and out of the other for him because he was already walking to one of the many indoor cafes. "What can I say, I get hungry." He teases. Giving him an unseen eye roll you hurriedly follow behind him, eyeing some of the food options in the front. Damn those sandwiches looked good right about now.
James takes a minute to look at the menu behind the counter before simply ordering, "Can I just get water and scones, thanks. What do you want?" He nudges your shoulder, pointing at the menu. "Oh uh, can I get a latte please?" You say, grabbing your wallet from the depths of your bag.
Upon seeing the tiny sliver of your wallet he swiftly hands the man behind the counter cash. "Oh please, I'll pay. This is your vacation isn't it?" He jokes, already collecting the short receipt popping out of the machine. You give a half laugh, tucking your wallet back into its safe place.
You drop your bag to the side of the table, carefully placing the piping hot drink on the coaster. Your eyes meet James as you take a seat. "I'm so excited to meet your roommates." You gushed, taking a sip of your latte. Which was a major mistake because the tip of your tongue got burnt, but you wouldn't let anyone realize it.
"Oh you'll love them and they'll love you. I have a feeling you and Cressida will be getting along very well." He says, leaning back a bit. Moving his water to the side gently, he sits straighter. "So they work at the same place as you?" You question, trying to fight the sting at the tip of your tongue.
"Mhm. I got a job with the government over here." He clarifies, taking a long sip of his water. "Boring, isn't it?" A light chuckle follows by, with him stretching his arms. "You're still stuck in the same old job you once were?"
Quickly you interrupt him, placing your latte down so fast a few drops spill. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, backtrack..." You point a judgmental finger at him as you look through your eyelashes. "James bond, doing a NORMAL, boring, easy, office job for the government? I don't believe it." You giggle out, watching as his face twists into amusement.
"But it's true! I'm not just going to lie to you." He says through his accent, leaning ever so slightly forward. You could smell the faint smell of whiskey and some obviously expensive cologne from him. Defensibly you put your hands up, shaking your head. "I believe you, I believe you, it's just... Hard to believe. You're so... Adventurous, I can't believe you are just sitting at a desk for a 9-5."
Oh if only he could tell you. Then you'd actually realize his job is far from that. Way far from that. He laughs a little, taking a smaller sip from his water before carefully placing it down. "What can I say, I'm contempt with it."
notes : first fic... im a little scared... it's kinda short so sorryyyy!!! I had fun writing this tho so yay! If anyone has any friendly advice (I can't handle harsh or passive aggressive advice lol) feel free to tell me in the comments :3 I also wanted to use a pfp of him in the photos but I couldn't find one!!!
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