Bolton's Office Hours

[theoverseers]

[Want to chat with Bolton privately? Here is where you do it! Bolton's office hours will be held in conference room B in the library for approximately four hours in the morning several days a week. During that time the blinds will be drawn and that room will be off-limits unless you're there to talk to Bolton, though the other three study rooms will still be available for use.


Comments are screened for privacy.]

Comments

[ratherdoweddings]

[have 'em for all she cares]

Please tell me there's nothing else really terrible in there. Actually, don't. I don't think I want to hear the answer either way.

[theoverseers]

[He shrugs and picks up his coffee again.]

Coffee? You look like you could probably use some. I make a pretty mean brew.

[ratherdoweddings]

...Seriously? Usually, you're just making fun of us.

Pre-investigation, 2/17

[theoverseers]

[Jamie manages to avoid checking the security cameras for a whole five minutes after he gets out of bed. He leaves Bolton to sleep, slipping out of his quarters and into the hallway before the creeping dread of realizing what day it is hits him. It's Friday. The first Friday in a year where it's been more than just the two of them, where there's actual danger.

He walks the hallway slowly, hesitantly flipping through the security cameras one by one. Cafeteria, clear. Hallway, clear. Library, clear. Art room-

Jamie's heart jumps into his throat when he sees the body. No. No, no, no no no, not again. It's all happening again. His eyes are glued to the screen as he takes in the details of the scene. God, why are there so many knives? Why did it have to be one of the girls? Which one is it? He feels nauseous as a realization creeps up on him.]

C.E.C.E. [His voice sounds weak to his own ears.] What's her name?

Chitanda Eru, she was the Champion of Curiosity. Jamie, your heart and breathing rates have become very erratic all of the sudden. Do you need me to alert Bolton to your condition?

[He doesn't get the chance to answer before he collapses in the hallway, face buried in his hands as heaving, choking sobs rip from his lungs.]

I am assuming waking Bolton is the best possible solution to this problem.

[tasteslikesurvival]

Alright...thanks.

[She nods. Maybe... Maybe these guys weren't so bad? Maybe. She takes the book.]

I'll give it a shot. I'll leave it in this room once I'm done.

[theoverseers]

[He slips on a blue latex glove before he takes the needle, tucking it into a plastic baggie and setting that on the tray for now, just so it's out of the way.]

Sure. I'll be interested to hear what you think.

[He definitely doesn't sound smug and cruel like normal.]

Actually- one more thing. I just wanted you to know that it's okay to get angry. At me, at your friends, whoever. This situation sucks for you guys, and anyone who's not angry is either dangerous or lying. I used to have a lot of anger when I was younger, and I know that nothing made me madder than when someone tried to tell me how I was "supposed" to respond to a situation.

[Grownups need to stay in their lane, seriously.]

I wasn't listening, but it looked like you and Ricky worked it out between the two of you after the trial, so... good work.

[theoverseers]

Actually, I usually just sit in here and read, drink coffee, sometimes check the cameras.

[He holds up The Drawing of the Three and waggles it.]

[ratherdoweddings]

Is that another space book by someone who's never been to space?

[theoverseers]

Old West, actually. Kind of. Like...Dustpunk. This one's the second one and I just started it, or I'd offer to let you read it.

hate

[theoverseers]

[Twenty years of getting up at 5 am to be at the cafe by 6, no matter how late he'd stayed out the night before, had carefully honed Bolton's ability to wake up at the slightest provocation and be alert and ready to function at a split second's notice. When his PIP sings to life on his right arm and CECE's concerned voice speaks to him, that skill serves him well because he's up and out of bed, robe half on his shoulders, before he even registers more than a word of what she's saying.

Jamie's vital signs are erratic and far outside his normal standard deviations. I believe he may be having a panic attack.]

What's wrong? What's going on?

Don't you remember, Bolton? You issued an incentive earlier this week. I believe the Champions are discovering the body as we speak.

[He looks at the cameras on his PIP, swiping through them until he finds the art room and sees the crowd of Champions. He taps the microphone button, but his heart isn't in the announcement.]

Attention, Champions, the Champion Curiosity's body has been discovered. Now there will be a short period for investigation before the trial.

[He clicks it off again, and then finishes shrugging his robe on and runs out into the hallway. Jamie's sobs help lead the way to him, and Bolton's down on his knees next to him before he can think to do anything else, one arm around Jamie's chest and the other holding his partner's head close to his chest, fingers buried comfortingly in Jamie's thick hair, tilting his head down to kiss the crown of his head.]

Jamie, breathe, you're okay. You're okay...

[ratherdoweddings]

Huh? Oh, no, that's okay. I was just wondering because that's most of the books in here. It seems weirdly specific.

[theoverseers]

[Bolton chuckles.]

The "someone who's never been to space" part is unintentional. It was surprisingly hard to find books about space written by people in space that would work with the translator.

[ratherdoweddings]

So it only does certain languages or you could only find certain times?

[theoverseers]

Probably a little of both? Part of getting ready for this experiment was that the Benefactors sent us piles and piles of books to test the translators. Obviously J and I don't know anything about the ones we couldn't read.

[ratherdoweddings]

[Yurika files that away for later. There's a lot to file, actually.]

Huh. I wonder what all languages we even speak. Probably Lightning-san's is completely different.

[theoverseers]

More than just Lightning's.

[He pours Yurika a cup of coffee and slides it over to her.]

[ratherdoweddings]

[Yurika takes it cautiously and mulls over it.]

I guess a lot of us are from different kinds of worlds, though most of us are at least from on or around Earth. I just thought of her because we talked about it.

[theoverseers]

Mm.

[He takes a sip of his own coffee and then, apologetically.]

Unfortunately, there's a confidentiality clause in my contract that says I'm not allowed to talk about the other Champions' backgrounds or worlds.

By the way, there's sugar and cream if you want it.

[ratherdoweddings]

Oh, don't worry! I didn't expect you to. Besides, it would be kind of rude to go behind their backs like that, wouldn't it?

[theoverseers]

It would be an unfair advantage and, well. For whatever fields you excel in, in all other aspects you guys are supposed to be pretty much on a level playing field.

[You know, with the outfits and intel.]

[ratherdoweddings]

You definitely put a lot of thought into this... murder house station.

[theoverseers]

The Benefactors sure put a great game together, didn't they?

[Said, actually, without cruelty or sick admiration.]

Anyway, anything else I can help you with, Captain?

[ratherdoweddings]

...Not really. But, uh, thank you! For not being a pervert.

[tasteslikesurvival]

[She nods.]

'Course I'll tell ya.

[She stops and listens. That's...actually very decent advice and even if it's an Overseer telling her?]

Thanks. I know it's okay to get mad in situations like this. I'm usually pretty good at not lashing out at people but the trial just rubbed me the wrong way. Besides, like you said Ricky and I talked it out and it's good between us again.

[She gives a dry laugh.]

Didn't stop the old woman from talking my ear off, though.

[theoverseers]

[That makes him laugh.]

You have nothing to worry about there.