No one really kicked up a fuss about their rooms being done last. Nox is the only one of my Bonded who even sleeps elsewhere, the rest of them are happy enough to take turns sleeping next to me in my giant bed.
With the kitchen being complete and a few of the bathrooms, we’re at a functional level. It doesn’t matter that they still don't have a lounge room or any other communal rooms done, because no one really has time at the moment for sitting back and relaxing together.
I get dressed and follow North to his offices to spend the day helping him with paperwork. There’s only a few jobs that I can do without having to be around a lot of people, and I like being around North, keeping him company while he sifts through the bullshit that the council and outer world has to throw at us.
I’d asked if I could read the books that we’d brought back from the Hail Mary after Nox was done with them, mostly for my own knowledge, but also because I wanted to see if there was anything in them that he might have missed about our situation. He’s a professor with a doctorate in literary studies, so I know the chances of him missing anything is highly unlikely, but it's another way for me to feel useful.
My bond also might decide to be useful, for once.
When we arrive at the offices, there are a lot of people waiting around in the foyer area. I dodge them all as best I can, but we find a small and quiet-looking man waiting at the elevator for North, a nervous look on his face as he dips his head at the two of us respectfully.
“Councilman Draven, I have spoken to the other council members about today's meeting, and it has been moved to a video chat instead of in person, as per your request.”
North nods and takes a pile of files from the man, thanking him politely as we step into the elevator. When the doors shut firmly behind us, I turn to give him a questioning look.
He fusses with the cuff of his jacket, looking as though he’d like to climb out of his skin rather than deal with being here and the genteel councilman today. “His name is Tamir, and he’s my new secretary.”
I raise an eyebrow at him, a little shocked, but he just shrugs back. “You didn't like Penelope, and I could no longer look past all of the lines that she was intentionally crossing, so I had her moved elsewhere to be someone else's problem. Tamir comes from a good family, and Gryphon has already vetted him and his Bonded Group.”
I try not to let my indescribable joy show all over my face, but I'm sure I fail miserably.
His eyebrows creep up. “You didn't think I'd fire her?”
I shrug back. ”I’m still learning to trust this. I might trust you implicitly, but there's been a lot of changes in our relationship and the Bonded Group in such a short amount of time. It's taking me a little while to catch up with it all.”
I don’t mention that having a complete bond hasn’t magically solved all of our problems, there’s still a whole load of bullshit that we’re still trying to figure out between us all. I have no idea how we’re going to manage it while also dealing with the Resistance and, you know, the end of the world.
There go my dramatics again.
North nods slowly and the elevator doors open back up to his office. There’s a desk for a secretary in the room, but with a palm against the base of my spine, North directs me over to it and gets me settled there instead.
“If you don't like Tamir, I will find someone else. If he upsets you or your bond reacts to him in any way, that's what we'll do. That's what we'll do about anyone in the future, Bonded, and not just me. If there's someone on Gryphon’s TacTeam who upsets you or your bond doesn't like, then they're gone. I know Rockelle can't keep his mouth shut around you. I’m happy to move him somewhere else if you don't want to see him anymore.”
I smile and duck my head, opening up the laptop that he places in front of me. I log on to see that scans of the books that we had brought home from the Hail Mary are already waiting for me in my inbox from Nox.
He doesn't leave a note or anything, but it still somehow feels like progress to me.
Slow and steady, right?
“We don't have enough TacTeam personnel for me to start having opinions about them… and Rockelle is fine enough. It's mostly just soldier banter. I think that he relishes having something to rally against Gryphon with, but we both know that my Bonded can take care of himself.”
North nods and gets to his own work, spreading open the file in front of him and scowling at the information there. “Rockelle’s father is not only another councilman, but somebody very respected within our community. It's sometimes hard for kids to grow up with that sort of pressure on their shoulders. I know that Councilman Rockelle did not want his son to be a TacTeam grunt. His words, not mine. Top Tier families don't usually like letting their kids serve. They think that labor is beneath them. But Rockelle idolized Gryphon from a very young age and could not be persuaded from joining the TacTeams after him. I think he pokes at you to get more of Gryphon's attention. Don’t take it personally, Bonded.”