“Nothing happened.. it’s just that he mentioned
he’s….“ she looked around, with a look akin to terror. “He’s
gay!”
“……… .what?”
“ He is, he said so himself!
I just can’t work around… that. I’m sorry! Please re-assign
me!”
“ Cassidy…! Well, for one
thing, that shouldn’t be a factor in your duty, but I thought... of
all people, you’d be alright with it because…”
Cassidy’s face turned to more of a
curious expression. “Because…?”
“ Well, after all,
you-“
“ I’m…?” Cassidy couldn’t
help cracking a bit of a smile. She hoped Cipriana didn’t notice.
“I’m what? Whatever the hell could I be that I would be especially
open to working with someone who was gay of all things?”
With realization, a wave of serenity
re-asserted itself around Cipriana, and the confusion and concern
dissolved from her visage as if by magic. “I see. I’ve been
had.”
Giggling erupted from behind a nearby
corner, as Jim revealed himself. “Oh damn, I wish I’d recorded
that!”
“ Well then,” Cipriana said,
with her composure now fully restored, “If you two insist on
behaving like children, I suppose I have to punish you in kind.”
She turned and began heading back towards the base.
“ Huh?” Cassidy and Jim
followed behind, still giggling a bit.
“ No more cookies for either
of you.”
“ You can’t do that!” Jim
burst out. “You don’t control the cookies!”
Cipriana countered calm but firm.
“Alan’s little baking hobby is well outside regulation, and should
you get any more cookies, I might just as well decide to shut him
down, cookie-wise. Don’t make me punish the whole camp because of
you two.”
“ She’s kidding,
right?”
“ I bloody hope so, I need my
cookies.”
Still walking slow and steady back to
the base, she ignored their fears. “You two might be able to catch
the tail end of Eliot’s retirement party if you hurry up. And yes,
there are cookies.”
Jim started running, catching up with
Cipriana. Cassidy followed suit, filling out the behaviour of
children. Jim stopped to hold Cipriana by the shoulders, smiling
wide. “You’re the best den mother ever!!”
He ran off, catching up to Cassidy.
Cassidy told him as they ran, “Best den mother ever? That was
really, really gay.”
“ Uh... thanks?”
Cassidy stopped past the women’s
barracks, and then made her way down the hall to the mess. Sure
enough, most of the personnel were in attendance of Eliot’s little
going away gathering, except those on duty now. It would be hard to
call it a party as such, but it was an amicable
gathering.
Cassidy hadn’t managed to meet Eliot
before. It was kind of a meeting just to say goodbye. He was one of
the older people she’d seen here, probably older than Marcus- mind
you, it was difficult to guess Marcus’ age.
“ I understand we’ll be
taking a ride together tomorrow, Cassidy.” Eliot said with his
greeting.
“ Oh?”
“ Oh right, you were on shift
when the notice came in. Marcus said you had something to do at
central. You’ll have to ask him for details.”
So she did. “Yupyup.” Marcus responded,
“You remember that drunk lad you knocked over with his own gun?
He’s got a little hearing over that.”
“ Ah, I forgot.” Cassidy
said, “And as the arresting officer, I’m invited. I don’t know if
it’s really necessary, especially given the trip.”
“ Nah nah, go, we’ll
survive.” Marcus smirked, “Now go get some cookies before Jim
finishes them off, or Cipriana has them banned.”
“ Word travels fast around
here.”
“ It’s a small
base!”
Cassidy followed his advice, munched
cookies, and washed them down with beer. She was a little picky
with beer, and this wasn’t a brand she liked, but you know what
they say about free beer- it’s free.
Cipriana came along and said hello.
“Cassidy, in all seriousness… I hope you didn’t take any umbrage to
my knowing your
he’s….“ she looked around, with a look akin to terror. “He’s
gay!”
“……… .what?”
“ He is, he said so himself!
I just can’t work around… that. I’m sorry! Please re-assign
me!”
“ Cassidy…! Well, for one
thing, that shouldn’t be a factor in your duty, but I thought... of
all people, you’d be alright with it because…”
Cassidy’s face turned to more of a
curious expression. “Because…?”
“ Well, after all,
you-“
“ I’m…?” Cassidy couldn’t
help cracking a bit of a smile. She hoped Cipriana didn’t notice.
“I’m what? Whatever the hell could I be that I would be especially
open to working with someone who was gay of all things?”
With realization, a wave of serenity
re-asserted itself around Cipriana, and the confusion and concern
dissolved from her visage as if by magic. “I see. I’ve been
had.”
Giggling erupted from behind a nearby
corner, as Jim revealed himself. “Oh damn, I wish I’d recorded
that!”
“ Well then,” Cipriana said,
with her composure now fully restored, “If you two insist on
behaving like children, I suppose I have to punish you in kind.”
She turned and began heading back towards the base.
“ Huh?” Cassidy and Jim
followed behind, still giggling a bit.
“ No more cookies for either
of you.”
“ You can’t do that!” Jim
burst out. “You don’t control the cookies!”
Cipriana countered calm but firm.
“Alan’s little baking hobby is well outside regulation, and should
you get any more cookies, I might just as well decide to shut him
down, cookie-wise. Don’t make me punish the whole camp because of
you two.”
“ She’s kidding,
right?”
“ I bloody hope so, I need my
cookies.”
Still walking slow and steady back to
the base, she ignored their fears. “You two might be able to catch
the tail end of Eliot’s retirement party if you hurry up. And yes,
there are cookies.”
Jim started running, catching up with
Cipriana. Cassidy followed suit, filling out the behaviour of
children. Jim stopped to hold Cipriana by the shoulders, smiling
wide. “You’re the best den mother ever!!”
He ran off, catching up to Cassidy.
Cassidy told him as they ran, “Best den mother ever? That was
really, really gay.”
“ Uh... thanks?”
Cassidy stopped past the women’s
barracks, and then made her way down the hall to the mess. Sure
enough, most of the personnel were in attendance of Eliot’s little
going away gathering, except those on duty now. It would be hard to
call it a party as such, but it was an amicable
gathering.
Cassidy hadn’t managed to meet Eliot
before. It was kind of a meeting just to say goodbye. He was one of
the older people she’d seen here, probably older than Marcus- mind
you, it was difficult to guess Marcus’ age.
“ I understand we’ll be
taking a ride together tomorrow, Cassidy.” Eliot said with his
greeting.
“ Oh?”
“ Oh right, you were on shift
when the notice came in. Marcus said you had something to do at
central. You’ll have to ask him for details.”
So she did. “Yupyup.” Marcus responded,
“You remember that drunk lad you knocked over with his own gun?
He’s got a little hearing over that.”
“ Ah, I forgot.” Cassidy
said, “And as the arresting officer, I’m invited. I don’t know if
it’s really necessary, especially given the trip.”
“ Nah nah, go, we’ll
survive.” Marcus smirked, “Now go get some cookies before Jim
finishes them off, or Cipriana has them banned.”
“ Word travels fast around
here.”
“ It’s a small
base!”
Cassidy followed his advice, munched
cookies, and washed them down with beer. She was a little picky
with beer, and this wasn’t a brand she liked, but you know what
they say about free beer- it’s free.
Cipriana came along and said hello.
“Cassidy, in all seriousness… I hope you didn’t take any umbrage to
my knowing your
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