tushanshu_logs | you're no protagonist

Characters: Krei, Callaghan, & Anton
Date: Marchish, following this TDM thread which we are taking as canon because Reasons.
Location: The Hotel
Situation: Callaghan drags Krei to the Hotel after dragging him out of trouble with some Kedan ~~and finishing the mugging they started~~. Hi Anton, have his best frenemy, please help keep him out of further trouble.
Warnings/Rating: None except for repressed homicidal thoughts?

By the time they reach the Hotel's entrance, Callaghan is relatively certain he's made clear the need for Krei to behave; intimidation is not something he particularly likes, but he reasons it's necessary, here. And even if Krei did talk- who would believe him? Robert's already been here long enough to feel that people would at least doubt, but he doesn't want any sort of rumor undermining what he's begun.

He's barely started to accept he has to make a life here, and now Krei's threatening it all with his mere presence.

But true to his words, he's brought him to safety. Pushing open the doors to the lobby, Callaghan takes a look around, then makes a gesture towards the sitting area.

"Stay there. I'll find Anton and explain."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I believe we do," said Anton, now meeting Callaghan's gaze, and catching the ... something close to hunger, perhaps. Definite frustration. For all that Callaghan was trying to cast a shadow over Krei, having Callaghan out of the conversation was probably the best for both of them. "Thank you, Professor. I shall see you another time."

If Callaghan didn't avoid the Hotel for a while. ... Or even if he did. Hm. Whatever was happening between the two, at least it was mutual.

Anton turned his attention back to Krei. "I am familiar with holograms," he said, though of course the ones he was familiar with were made of magic and weren't holograms at all. "They will be more useful than buttons. All I require is that they are big enough for me to see and use--I have an unsteady hand, on occasion."

Side-effect of having the gist. Sometimes its presence shook him, even when he hadn't used it.

"Robert."

It's difficult to keep the look of triumph from his face as he says it--and it's an actual triumph this time, unlike the premature version earlier in the day--but he somehow manages. For the most part. Callaghan did keep him from getting ground to a pulp by the kedan, and that counts for something...

...although if they're going to start keeping score, Alistair's pretty sure Callaghan's running deep in the red from the get-go.

But finally, after hours of feeling completely lost, Krei is back in his element. He nods to Anton. "Not a problem. I can adjust the interface to make it even larger if you like, and if I can find you a steady power supply you should have more than enough memory on this thing for whatever you need. Just let me clean it up a bit and lock the few personal files I have on here until I can get them transferred to something else, and then it's all yours."

If it sounds like a sales pitch, well. It's what he does.

Anton kept one eye on Callaghan as the man left, noted the tension in him as he did, and for a brief moment considered asked Krei what had occurred between them before dismissing the idea. It was obviously highly personal and Anton didn't know Krei well enough; but he did know Callaghan well enough, and would have to check on the man at a later time, once Anton had made his own conclusions about Krei.

"One of my other patrons, a Tony Stark, may be able to set you up with a power supply," Anton said. "Otherwise, the outlets in the Hotel will be able to accommodate any power resources you may need--assuming you world is near enough to mine to utilise the same types of plugs from nation to nation."

It meant the outlets were rather larger than anywhere else, but on the other hand there was a plug for every type available. It had been easier than distributing them at the desk.

Krei doesn't do anything quite so tactless as sigh with relief as Callaghan departs, but there's an obvious shift in his demeanor. Suddenly he's more relaxed, more confident, and he smiles at least twice as often as before. He's not a completely new person but he's certainly brighter without Callaghan's influence nearby.

"I'll take a look, and I'll see about contacting this... Stark, was it?"

If there's someone who can hook him up with a power supply even in this place, as technologically backwater as he's been led to believe it is, they might just be his key to finding out the exact state of the tech here--and what's been done to improve it.

Of course now without Callaghan around, knowing that he and Anton are on friendly terms, Krei can't help but feel that there's some sort of vacuum in the conversation. An obligation to explain that whole unpleasantness, as it were.

He smiles and ignores it.

"I do appreciate this. The room, the..." He gestures to his face, the busted lip. "It's been a hell of a day."

The change is almost astounding. So astounding as to be troubling. "Yes," said Anton, deadpan but with a hint of humour in his eyes. It always amused him when someone didn't recognise Tony's name, given that 'Tony Stark' was such a pop-culture icon. Not that Anton ever mentioned it. Privacy, and all that. "He's young, but something of a genius in the field of engineering."

But at the thanks Anton only smiled, and contrary to his usual impassiveness, the smile was the unexpectedly gentle sort--unexpected only because there were times Anton presented as far too uptight to soften at all. "You're welcome," he said, and his tone matched his expression. "Shall I show you to your room? We've only dormitories available currently, I'm afraid, but there are one or two without many boarders."

you're no protagonist

no subject

no subject

skipping with permission

no subject

no subject