you're no protagonist

[pushtheboundaries]

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."

Comments

[kreitech]

And Krei's been behaving as well as he can, spurred on by fear and the ever-deepening knowledge that he's so, so far out of his league it's not even funny. Callaghan's been here for months. He knows where he's going, he knows people. People who evidently haven't discovered just how badly cracked Callaghan is, or don't care. Either option is cause for more than a little bit of worry on Krei's part--he doesn't know if Callaghan has the mask or the microbots here, isn't sure if he really wants to know.

He knows that Callaghan is still angry enough to threaten to smash his face, and that's enough for Krei.

He nods silently, hands in the pockets of his slacks now that the blood's stopped seeping from his busted lip, and wanders over in the general direction indicated by the other man. The place isn't half bad looking, honestly. A bit rustic for his tastes, but beggars can't be choosers. Isn't that what they say?

It's hard to remember that one. He's never been a beggar before.

A few days after the above thread

[gistful]

Anton took a few days to observe Krei, how he interacted with the other Hotel patrons, and come to his own conclusions about the man. Although he was clearly unused to poverty (Anton didn't miss the occasional expression when Krei looked at the Hotel's furniture and utilities) and with a special type of corresponding arrogance to go with it, Krei was generally amiable. A businessman, yes, and it was possible he was far more manipulative than was visible in a handful of days, but Anton had known a number of very manipulative people in his time. Three of them, in fact, were in Keeliai with him. He doubted Krei was one such man.

Regardless, Callaghan quite obviously had issues with the man and in light of that fact Anton went to pay a visit a few days after Krei's arrival at the Hotel. He turned up at Callaghan's door and knocked. He was carrying a thermos of pre-made coffee, a jar of coffee-beans and several boxes of takeaway-style foods (some Japanese, some not).