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Feb. 23rd, 1998 05:52 pmIt's late at night. The corridors aren't quiet; they're full of men and women restlessly trying to sleep in their quarters. Bossie should be one of them. But instead he slips barefoot down the hallway to Carver's room, where he knocks.
"Hey, man, you up?"
"Hey, man, you up?"
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Date: 2025-03-09 02:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-03-09 02:20 am (UTC)It wasn't a good time. Neither of them could work regular jobs.
"You remember the Siberia job? I asked Riley to come with. Just the one job, I told him. But I think he knew it wouldn't be."
Carver exhales.
"I went, he didn't. And when I got back, he told me he couldn't do it anymore, that he was going to stay with his sister for a few days and he wanted me gone when he came back."
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Date: 2025-03-09 02:23 am (UTC)"It's like Pope says though, isn't it? It's us or them. They make sure of it."
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Date: 2025-03-09 02:29 am (UTC)And now Riley's here, caught up in it regardless.
He makes a mug of coffee, though. Heavy on the cream, just a little sugar, the way Riley liked.
"Just be nice to him, okay?" he tries.
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Date: 2025-03-09 02:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-03-09 02:36 am (UTC)She nursed on his fingers when he held her the first time, a sensation that Carver's never forgotten.
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Date: 2025-03-09 02:38 am (UTC)He walks down the hallway and then up the stairs, stops before Riley's door. Draws in a steadying breath, and knocks on the door.
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Date: 2025-03-09 02:44 am (UTC)He opens the door already dressed, tired and tense. "Bossie," he says slowly. "You're one of Carver's."
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Date: 2025-03-09 02:47 am (UTC)He holds it out anyway. "I thought you could use some caffeine." His eyes slide to the soldier on duty and gives him a quick nod of acknowledgment. Nothing bad happened last night.
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Date: 2025-03-09 02:58 am (UTC)"Thanks," he says slowly. The kid looks exhausted. Everyone does around here. "Okay. You wanna come in and see the baby?"
Everyone wants to see the kitten. And then maybe he can figure out why Bossie's really here.
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Date: 2025-03-09 02:59 am (UTC)"Yeah," he admits. "Her eyes open yet?"
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Date: 2025-03-09 03:06 am (UTC)Riley sighs and motions him in, sipping his coffee. "Yeah. Both of 'em now. Baby blues. She almost looks like a cat now, and not a potato."
Inside, he keeps her in a little dish with a hot water bottle, blankets, and a toy. He keeps it tucked by the bed where he can check on her during the night. He motions Bossie over.
"Better wake little miss up, it's almost time for her feeding."
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Date: 2025-03-09 03:08 am (UTC)He looks up at Riley. "You know a bunch of us have kittens that we get to bottle feed and raise now, right? Because of you and Carver."
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Date: 2025-03-09 03:17 am (UTC)"I've heard," he agrees, lifting his cup. "Went with Mancea to pick them out. Heard you got one, too."
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Date: 2025-03-09 03:19 am (UTC)"Yeah, I did," he tells Riley, rocking the kitten like he might a baby. "But he's a little bigger than this one. He'll be on solid foods next week. You know, so...don't ever think you didn't do anything good. 'Cause the cats are good for us here and we wouldn't have them if not for you and Brandon."
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Date: 2025-03-09 03:40 am (UTC)"You worry me," Riley says after a moment, bluntly. "The way your boss runs things, the fact I can't sleep without a babysitter. You worry the fuck out of me."
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Date: 2025-03-09 03:48 am (UTC)"You're the most at risk when you're asleep. We're keeping you safe," he promises, but can't imagine what he would make of all this if he didn't know the Devil was real and bore a grudge.
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Date: 2025-03-09 01:27 pm (UTC)Nobody’s explained how that works. Why they’re so afraid of sleeping but not of the perimeter being breached. It doesn’t make sense.
Riley exhales and drinks his damn coffee. “Carver tell you to check up on me?”
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Date: 2025-03-09 05:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-03-09 08:45 pm (UTC)Especially not when he’s sleeping. It’s true no one’s harmed him, or tried to stop him from moving freely around the compound, but it’s equally true he can’t get a cell signal and he can’t step outside the perimeter. There’s always someone shadowing him ever so politely.
Riley takes another drink of coffee, watching Bossie and the kitten. Dulcinea’s big enough that she has an idea about wrestling and gumming against his fingers, even if she hasn’t quite figured out how to do it yet.
“I want to call my sister,” he adds.
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Date: 2025-03-09 08:52 pm (UTC)"Just...don't tell her much about us."
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Date: 2025-03-10 01:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-03-10 01:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-03-10 02:28 am (UTC)"How would you?" he asks, very softly. "Enforce that."
He'll make Bossie say it. No vague threats or deflections.
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Date: 2025-03-10 03:23 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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