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]

[Well, everything that Bolton brought in the room with him is there on the table in plain sight, anyway. There's a french press coffee brewer with a few coffee cups sitting on a tray (including the one he was drinking from when she came in), and a book.

Also he has to walk all the way back across the station, you might as well at least sit down.]

[tasteslikesurvival]

[She'll take a seat at least and look at the book. She's not much one for coffee but... What are our esteemed Overseers reading?]

[theoverseers]

[This one is currently reading The Dark Tower.]

[tasteslikesurvival]

[Steven King, then. She doesn't know the series but one of her club members did like him enough to try to read an untranslated version of The Stand. By the time Bolton comes back she's poured herself a little coffee even if she winces at the taste.

Not much one for coffee.]

[theoverseers]

[He seems to recognize the Not a Coffee Fan face, and laughs.]

Yeah, that's brewed the strong way, too. Not so much for beginners, but I appreciate the effort.

[He offers her the serum, wrapped up in a paisley handkerchief.]

Here you go. Do you need help?

[...like enlighten me is this a shot or a pill or what]

[tasteslikesurvival]

Y-yeah... It's an acquired taste, I guess. King's good at least, right?

[It's an injection! And she takes it gratefully.]

Thanks and, nah. I've done it before.

[theoverseers]

[He nods.]

You read it? Good stuff, right? I'm taking a break from the horror side of his bibliography for a while.

That's like an insulin shot, kind of, right?

[tasteslikesurvival]

A little bit. My friend was a big fan. She was even reading the untranslated version of The Stand.

[Beat.]

Something like that. [She rolls up her sleeve, looking at the needle.] Do you want to look or...?

[theoverseers]

That's pretty impressive.

[...and also a little ironic because zombie apocalypse.]

...If you don't mind, otherwise I can turn away. I've seen plenty of shots before.

[He'd rather watch just to be sure of what he's doing, in case something happens and she can't do it herself, but he's not going to fault her for not wanting him to.]

[tasteslikesurvival]

Yeah, she's like that.

[Buying a copy of a book about zombies on the day the zombie apocalypse happened is very ironic indeed.]

Alright... Here it goes.

[She'll just roll up her sleeve and inject it into her arm. She winces a little but it's not too bad. Probably.]

[theoverseers]

[He doesn't flinch, or stare too closely, but he takes mental note of where she sticks the needle and how fast she presses the plunger.]

Don't worry about the needle, I'll get rid of it for you.

[He leans against the table, then puts his hand on the book and slides it over to her.]

If you like King, you should read these - You don't have to worry about translation, the written word works pretty much the same way as speaking.

[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.

[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]

[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.