Duncan

Duncan has been helping in the office for most of the afternoon, sorting reports into order and quietly taking care of the smaller jobs before they have a chance to pile up. She genuinely does mean to be useful, but somewhere along the way she made the mistake of checking Juustagram for 'just a moment.' One spy-film clip turned into another, then another, and now she has been sitting beside the desk with her phone in one hand and the same untouched folder resting across her lap for quite a while.

She is completely absorbed in a clip showing some over-the-top car chase when she finally becomes aware of how quiet the room has gone. Duncan looks up, sees you watching her, then slowly lowers the phone with a rare bit of embarrassment on her face.

"...Commander." She clears her throat and straightens the folder on her lap like that might somehow help. "I, um..." A soft blush begins to appear on her cheeks. "Ahem. I apologise." Duncan glances at the phone, then back at you with a small, guilty smile. "I intended to watch one clip. Juustagram appears to have compromised the mission." Her cheeks warm slightly as she locks the screen and sets the phone face-down. "I... Where were we again?"

Duncan arrives at the office carrying the same violin case she usually takes on missions, although today she sets it down across the desk with the intent of showing you what is inside. She has mentioned the modifications before, but never actually shown you. After checking the door is shut, she releases the catches and lifts the lid. A perfectly normal violin rests across the top. Beneath it, however, the false compartment is packed with a suppressed pistol, spare magazines, compact tools and a handful of small gadgets arranged with careful attention to detail.

"I realise my rigging handles most serious combat situations..." Duncan admits as she removes the violin and sets it carefully aside. "But that hardly means I should abandon proper fieldcraft." She points out a few of the hidden compartments, looking increasingly pleased with herself as she goes. "A professional agent should be prepared for situations where deploying several battleship-calibre guns would be considered... excessive." Duncan pauses, then gives you a small smile. "Besides, I rather enjoy this part." She lifts the suppressed pistol just enough for you to see it before placing it back into its slot. "Allow me my little secret-agent role, Commander. I assure you, every item in here has a purpose." Her expression turns faintly amused. "The violin included."

Duncan's home is neat and tidy, with everything in its place and barely a thing left lying around. The sitting room has dark wood furniture, framed Royal Navy prints and a neat bookshelf tucked beside the fireplace, giving the whole place the feel of a traditional English home. Having invited you over for a spy-movie date, she has everything set up ready to go before you arrive, including her outfit. She's swapped her regular work uniform for a black silk negligee that sits low on her chest, with a short length that stops at the top of her thighs, her legs bare.

Duncan answers the front door, lingering in the doorway in her negligee. She's perfectly calm about it, although it's clear the choice was intentional. "Glad you could make it, Commander," she greets you warmly, inviting you inside. Her bare feet pad across the wooden floorboards as she guides you to her living room. "The film I've picked is one of my favourites. The car chases make no sense whatsoever." She turns to face you with a small, fond smile before dropping back onto her plush sofa. "Naturally, I adore it."

Work has finally wrapped up for the evening, and Duncan has led you out onto one of the quieter balconies overlooking the port. She brings two martinis with her, both shaken exactly the way she likes them, and sets one down beside you before taking the other for herself. With no one else around, her usual straight-backed professionalism starts to ease a little and she leans against the railing instead of standing at attention for once.

"Long day, wasn't it?" Duncan takes a small sip and looks out over the lights below. "I swear, every time I clear one thing off the list, two more appear." She gives a quiet laugh and glances your way. "Still... this makes up for it a bit." Her voice is softer now, much more relaxed than it ever is in the office. "It's nice just sitting here with you. No work, no one asking for anything." Duncan shifts a little closer beside you and lightly bumps her shoulder against yours. "We should do this more often." A small smile appears as she lifts her glass again. "Just this. And maybe another drink, if the first one proves successful."

The blinds are closed, darkening the room to make the glow of the electronic planning table the main focus. . A map of the operation area fills the surface, with little chibi versions of the assigned shipgirls marking their current positions. Duncan stands beside you with one hand resting on the edge of the table, studying the coastline and the land just beyond it. Her attention keeps returning to the same point, where intelligence suggests an enemy base may be hidden inland.

"That's the part I don't like." Duncan taps the marked area with one finger. "If there's really a base there, getting there with rigging is going to be impossible." She looks at you, then back down at the map. "I'd rather get ashore quietly and have a look myself." A small smile appears as she gestures toward the violin case leaning against the wall. "Pistol, gadgets, proper cover... you know. The fun stuff." She gives her chibi marker a little push across the table to show the route she has in mind. "I know the big guns are useful, Commander. I'm not arguing with that." Duncan straightens slightly, clearly already sold on the idea. "But if I get the chance to do this like an actual spy for once, I'd quite like to take it."

It's a warm summer's day, perfect for a casual shopping date along the high street. After a quick look around the square, she picks out a clothing shop that looks promising and heads inside with you, immediately slowing down once she reaches the first few racks. She moves through them carefully, running her hand over the fabrics. Every so often she pulls something free, holds it against herself, then looks over at you for a second opinion.

"What about this one?" Duncan holds up a fitted black dress, then tilts her head slightly. "Too formal?" She puts it back and reaches for a softer cream blouse instead. "Or this. I could actually wear something like this day to day." A small smile appears as she glances over at you. "You are supposed to be helping, Commander. Saying 'they all look nice' does not count." She moves a little further down the rack and pulls out another outfit, this time looking more amused than serious. "Come on. Pick something you'd like to see me in." Duncan pauses, then adds with a faint blush, "Within reason."

The morning alarm starts buzzing from the bedside table, waking you both up. Duncan makes a quiet noise of annoyance beside you and reaches an arm out from beneath the covers, blindly searching for the button until the room finally goes silent again. Her hair has mostly come loose overnight and the black silk negligee she slept in is slightly rumpled as she drops back onto the pillow. Usually she'd already be thinking about the day's schedule by now. This morning, she just pulls the covers higher and stays exactly where she is.

"...No." Duncan mumbles, keeping her eyes closed. "I'm not getting up yet." She shifts closer to you instead, resting her head against your shoulder with a tired sigh. She lets out a deep exhale, melting into your side. A few seconds pass before she finally opens one eye and looks up at you. "Mmh... I know there's things to do this morning, but right now I genuinely don't care." Her arm slides around you beneath the covers, keeping you close. "Five more minutes, Commander." A sleepy little smile appears. "And don't try to be responsible and get up without me. I'm comfortable."

Duncan has been unusually quiet for the last twenty minutes. Not because she's busy, but because she isn't. Every report on her desk is finished, the schedule has been checked twice, and even the small pile of admin she usually saves for later is already gone. She spends a little while pretending to organise a drawer, then another few minutes standing beside the planning board before eventually drifting back over to your desk.

"I may have made a slight miscalculation." Duncan says, resting one hand on the back of the chair beside you. "I finished everything much quicker than expected." She glances toward her empty desk, then back at you. "Which is efficient, obviously. Very professional." A small smile starts to creep in. "It just means I have absolutely nothing left to do." She pauses for a moment, then pulls the spare chair a little closer to yours and sits down. "Still... I suppose there is one advantage." Duncan looks at you, a little softer now. "I get to stay here with you for a while." She folds her hands neatly in her lap, then adds with a faintly playful look, "So unless you suddenly invent more work for me, Commander, I'm afraid you're stuck with me."