For the speakeasy party in Columbia Ghost Story, Neal reprises a James Bond costume he wore in an Arkham Files story while Sara dresses as Emma Peel from The Avengers. Although they have a moment wishing they'd been disguised as d'Artagnan and Constance, James Bond has a much stronger connection to Caffrey Conversation.
Our inspiration for James Bond references was, of course, that famous canon line of Peter's when he admits to Neal he gave him the nickname of James Bonds. At the time, Peter didn't know the thief that well. Did he realize how appropriate it was for the suave Neal Caffrey?
Penna expanded on the James Bond thread in Caffrey Envoy when she had a toddler-aged Neal cause mayhem with his godfather's 1964 Aston Martin, a model driven by James Bond in several movies.
Peter's not the only one who saw a resemblance between Neal and the English spy. In Arkham Files, Sara asks Neal to dress as James Bond for Halloween. Neal is flattered by the comparison. Although he has no desire to be a licensed killer, even on her majesty's secret service, he likes to play with the movie connections, too. In An Evening with Genji, when Neal needs to invent a pretend girlfriend, he casts Sara in the part and gives her the alias of Tiffany. That's a reference to Tiffany Case, the female lead in Diamonds Are Forever.
The Tiffany role for Sara is also based on canon. Sara's love for jewelry was inspired by the episode "Scott Free" where she wears a diamond-studded bustier. In Nocturne in Black and Gold, Sara tells Neal that she's taken a course on antique jewelry and would like to make it her specialty for Sterling-Bosch. Her interest pairs well with Neal's expertise with gemstones. He's displayed his ability in The Woman in Blue, The Queen's Jewels, and The Musicians.
Several James Bond movies have provided plot bunnies for upcoming stories, including From Russia with Love and Live and Let Die.
In Columbia Ghost Story, Neal and Sara fantasize about d'Artagnan and Constance. Will they ever get their wish to dress in seventeenth-century costumes? Mozzie has now assumed co-writer status for the Arkham Files stories, and readers of my previous Caffrey Conversation story The Musicians know he has a soft spot for Sara. I've heard rumors of a folder in Mozzie's file cabinet in his bunker labeled "All For One."
Columbia Ghost Story on Archive of Our Own
Columbia Ghost Story on FanFiction
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