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]

[Bolton pours her out a cup of coffee with a little bit of room at the top, and gestures to the cup.]

I'm sure the trash compactor is having a very good time.

[bylight]

Togami didn't seem to complain too much unless that was his pride keeping him from it. [She lets out a low chuckle, taking the cup with a nod and sipping it as is.

Bitter. Very bitter. She'll just have to have matcha milk later.]

I have never seen a man covered in that much lubricant or anything slimy and keep his head held so high.

[theoverseers]

Oh, it's definitely a pride thing.

[Bolton hides a chuckle in his own cup when she takes a sip of black coffee and doesn't seem to care for it much.]

I promise I won't take it as a sign of weakness if you need to add sugar.

[bylight]

I'm surprised it hasn't gotten him killed.

[Everyone is too patient.

Yes, but Lightning doesn't want everyone to know she has a sweet tooth. Bolton, please keep that to yourself.]

I'd need a lot of sugar. [And cream.]

[theoverseers]

Maybe he is the Champion Survivor for a reason.

[He gestures to the chilled carafe of cream and the sugar dish.]

Help yourself, I don't use it.

[bylight]

If he survives this place it'll make him the ultimate survivor.

[It'll take some careful maneuvering on her part to get her coffee just right and not slip out of the chair. Once it's sweet enough, Light tries it and nods. Much better.

But now comes the main reason she came here.]

That sabotage option you gave me. You were serious about it the entire time. Why a swimsuit?

[And did you know who she would pick ahead of time.]

[theoverseers]

You're kidding right? You've seen him, can you really regret giving him the swimsuit?

Admittedly, the spreader bar was almost too much, but that wasn't part of your sabotage.

[bylight]

[If her choking on her next sip of coffee is any indication, no, Lightning does not regret. She had no idea that there was clothing tighter than those suits they woke up in.]

A-At least you didn't attach it to his legs.

[theoverseers]

[Okay now that makes him laugh.]

Then you would both have had a hard time walking. And, well, the jokes would write themselves.

[bylight]

[Bolton]

Haha. Whoever gave him that sabotage is going to get their ass kicked. He might not be the revenge type, but I am. That was too dangerous in a lot of ways.

[theoverseers]

I mean I know he's a sword-only fighter but he's still pretty skilled at combat. If somebody came at him to try and kill him like that, thinking him vulnerable...he could definitely kick their ass enough to escape. You can block with it, pull it up right across someone's neck to go for the sleeper hold, all kinds of things.

He'll be fine.

[bylight]

[Unless they aim for the legs.]

Then what about Jane? She's practically blind. And those mittens don't make good boxing gloves.

[theoverseers]

[That's true too]

She's a little young to be seeing that much of Xander.

And if anyone knows how to kick someone's ass with oven mitts on, it's that one.

[bylight]

She's not that young.

[Sixteen is close enough to an adult. In some places. Actually, who knows. Each universe/world/dimension is different.]

You're going to keep counter-arguing with me. Which makes sense since you seem to know more about us than we do ourselves.

[theoverseers]

Maybe right now. But once your memories come back, you'll be fine.

[bylight]

It just comes at the risk of someone else dying. This experiment... How can you go along with it? Isn't it wrong?

[theoverseers]

[His grip tightens on his coffee cup, and he speaks quietly and with his head tilted down.]

If we could solve this Jamie's way, I'd be all aboard. But there's something at stake here for me, too.

I can't say more than that.

[bylight]

[That is an admission Lightning hadn't expected. She nods and sips her coffee.]

I won't ask. Neither will I tell the others about this conversation. You'll be bombarded with questions and complaints otherwise. I'll just tell them you make damn good coffee.

[theoverseers]

[He does brighten a little at that, although he still looks pretty damn tired.]

Thanks, Lightning.

Don't give up on each other. You guys are the ones with the power to change this experiment.

[bylight]

[Bolton needs a nap.]

Right. I just have to think of a way to get everyone to stop-[Waving of the hand.]-being so adamant about not wanting to play nice.

[If six people can band together to take down the equivalent of gods, why can't people here get along?]

[theoverseers]

Hah, well good luck with Togami.

[That kid's sworn loyalty to one person and one person only]

But if anyone can bring this group together, it's you and Xander.

[bylight]

Togami is the Champion Survivor. He'll be fine without us.

[He's also a dick.]

You mean Xander. He's the leader of this outfit. He can use Yurika to encourage people and keep up the morale.

[theoverseers]

I mean you and Xander.

All jokes about romance aside, that kind of chemistry is rare. Two people from totally different worlds... Sometimes, the hard part about finding someone who holds you up and makes you want to do better, is knowing that at some point you have to let go.

[Maybe he's referring to her deal with a god and her Bad Decision re: her sister, maybe he's not.]

It's something to think about. Hold onto it while you have it.

[bylight]

[Gods, it's irritating and a confirmation that this is what is going to and is meant to happen. Lightning is quiet for some time before she replies.]

There is no romance, I can tell you that. Just two people trying their damnedest to save as many people as we can. I know in the end that I'll have to go back home and I won't see anyone here ever again. It's for the best. [The next memory regain is going to make this all the harder.] All I can do is help them how I can and pray that they can all return home.

[theoverseers]

[Bolton's quiet for a long moment, like he doesn't quite buy it but isn't going to fight her on it either.]

You mean more to them than you know.

I'm just saying- Nobody forgets the people who went through hell with them, even after they go home.