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

[theoverseers]

[He chuckles and reaches for his coffee.]

Trials do that.

I mean, she's right and she's wrong. You'll never make it trying to stick together if you turn on each other all the time. But you'll also never make it trying to stick together if you just shout each other down and bottle up everything.

[tasteslikesurvival]

I know... It's just hard to hear sometimes. She's got guts, though. [Natsuhi is sure opinionated, that's for sure.]

[theoverseers]

Hm.

You do too. Don't forget that.

[tasteslikesurvival]

So I'm told.

[stitch_in_time]

I know there's plenty of excuses for it. Wars and old age and never quite gettin' over that fear of the dark. But y'know, old as I am, I've not once seen any that actually held up.

So what's yours, lost someone you care about? Mum and dad didn't hug you enough? Lost at tic-tac-toe one too many times?

/double pistols and a wink + cw for jamie's garbage mental state

[theoverseers]

[Jamie's entire body goes involuntarily rigid and more panic seizes him when he feels arms around him before it registers who it is holding him. Just for a moment in his mind he sees an awful patterned shirt and hears the terrible laughter of their Overseer. When he hears Bolton's voice and feels the fingers in his hair he doesn't relax but it snaps him back to reality.]

It's happening again. [He presses his back against Bolton's chest, knees tight against his chest as he struggled to get control of his breathing.] It's happening all over again, B.

[theoverseers]

[Bolton leans forward, sets his coffee cup down and steeples his fingers on the table.]

Wouldn't you love to know.

[theoverseers]

[Bolton keeps holding Jamie, because there's nothing else he can think of to do. He knows this is his fault. He knows he needs to get Jamie up off the floor, to get him dressed and get ready for the trial.

It feels strange to not be investigating.

He kisses Jamie's temple when he pushes back against him, tightens his arms protectively.]

No, we're safe. You're safe, Jamie. I'm not going to let anything happen to you.

Thursday

[kingshaming]

[Between his memory, what Jamie said to him, and talking to both the Overseers this week... Xander can't be quiet any longer. And... well it was becoming clearer that the Overseers were people. And people can be reasoned with.

He had already spoken to Jamie twice. Time for Bolton]

Bolton, I wish to parley with you.

[All srs business]

[theoverseers]

[Gradually and slowly his breathing starts to regulate and he's still in his partner's arms, staring at the floor and just trying to process all of this.]

They're not safe. [He says it so quietly it'd be easy to miss if the hallway weren't dead quiet as it is. Hard to believe there used to be nineteen more people, some of them they called friends, walking these exact halls once upon a time. Jamie finally lifts his head, staring up at his own pitiful reflection in the too shiny chrome ceiling.]

...I had to ask CECE her name, B. It's our fault she's dead and I didn't even remember her name.

[theoverseers]

[Bolton has his feet propped up on the table when Xander comes in, and though he puts them back on the floor immediately, Xander may notice he still has a pressure wrap around his ankle where he twisted it.]

Ooh, parley you say? Sounds fun. What do you need, your highness?

[theoverseers]

[Bolton doesn't say anything for a long moment, just wraps himself around his partner, rests his chin on Jamie's shoulder and holds him while his breathing calms until he can't feel his heart beating like it's trying to leave his body.]

...It's my fault. It's my fault, J, not yours.

[kingshaming]

An alternate solution. And while I don't expect you to offer one, I'm going to try regardless.

[He sits, looking like a man about to work out an aggressive business take over]

The rules state that to escape we have to kill, I want to know if there's any other options.

[theoverseers]

[Bolton rolls up the sleeves of his shirt and reaches for the french press to pour a cup for Xander, passing it over to him.]

You want to know if there's a way around rule 7.

[kingshaming]

Thank you.

[he sips the coffee, content]

Yes. If I have to, I will do what I have to do. But it is also my duty to try and save these people if I can.

[he gives Bolton a look over his cup]

...I wonder if you and Jamison wish to stay here either.

[theoverseers]

[Bolton sips his own coffee. His is black, but there's sugar and a chilled bottle of cream if Xander needs to doctor his.]

It's not... [Ugh.] that easy.

The Benefactors control who stays and who goes. We can't just snap our fingers and say everyone gets to go home.

[kingshaming]

I didn't expect it to be.

[he sips again, then goes for the cream]

Just because an overseer controls the workers doesn't mean he owns the land. But say, in your experience is anyone ever allowed to leave without completing rule 7?

[theoverseers]

In my experience, no. The only way to go home is just like it says in the rules: kill someone and get away with it.

[kingshaming]

[he nods- and to be fair, he doubts Bolton would be allowed to tell him if someone HAD]

...then has anyone, in your experience, decided to just ... stay?

[theoverseers]

[He takes a thoughtful sip of coffee and seems to roll the taste around on his palate while he decides how to answer.]

This is the first experiment that I've run, so that would be up to you guys to decide, wouldn't you think?

[kingshaming]

That's not exactly what I asked, but I'll accept it.

[he drinks more deeply now that the cream has cooled the coffee a bit]

One more question, and then I'll let you be.

[he quirks an almost-smile]

Did you enjoy the dodgeball game?

[theoverseers]

[Bolton sips his coffee like some people taste wine - like he's engaging it with as many senses as he can. He sets his cup down but keeps his hands wrapped around it.

He smirks.]

Didn't you? I admit, Jamie threw me in at the last minute, but it was surprisingly less painful than I expected it to be.

[kingshaming]

I did- reminded me of snowball fights I used to have with my sisters. And I'm surprised more people didn't pelt you then did, honestly.

[theoverseers]

I got out a few times. But I've dodged worse things than balls being thrown at me.

[He chuckles.]

Besides, I think Twiright and I were drawing equal amounts of heat.

[kingshaming]

He did certainly paint a big target on his back.