[By then the rumours had filtered in. A good percentage of injured kedan had made their way to the Hotel, though most of them were only mildly injured--ones who didn't strictly need a healer so much as some decent first-aid.
[It was because of them that Anton couldn't leave right away. He's just about as wound up as Shudder can get by the time his radio crackles. When he hears Erskine's voice he exhales all his tension, and leans on the desk.]
[Anton inhales and then exhales again. Until now, he hadn't quite realised how tight and hot his chest had gotten. Now that it was loosening, his hands have started to tremble again.]
[It's a tempting offer, but even the thought of being back in the safety of the Hotel, with Anton, is making his anxiety spike. He'll have to explain... and even if Anton is kind enough to allow him the chance to sleep before explaining, he'll worry about it. Here at the dojo, at least until he'd started worrying about Anton, he'd been relatively calm.]
Tomorrow. I'm going to spend the night here, I think, I... I just need to sleep.
[He sounds apologetic about the decision.]
I'll be back tomorrow, if... that's alright?
[If he's allowed to wait until tomorrow. If he's allowed to come back to the Hotel. Six of one...]
[Anton's first impulse is to go and get him anyway, but the immediacy of the desire makes him pause and wait until it's leashed. The crowds haven't been doing Erskine good, and he doesn't sound as though he's in trouble. He sounds apologetic that he can't be where Anton is, but as though he expects to be able to sleep where he is.
[Bakura's dojo. Anton had seen them speaking well on the network.
[... Ah. It's been a while since Anton had felt this kind of ambivalence. The desire to make it all better, vying with the wisdom of knowing there's nothing he, personally, can do. That Erskine's in better hands. It doesn't feel any better, for not having been felt in a while.]
Your job will be waiting for you when you get back. Probably quite a few spiders, as well.
[The comment about spiders earns a little smile, though of course that doesn't translate over the radio. Erskine is about to thank him, for either the job or simple fact that he's allowed to come back at all, but stops short. Maybe that's something better left for tomorrow, in person.]
[Erskine takes a moment to hunt Bakura down in the next room and holds the handset out, almost apologetically, with a little shrug. He doesn't know the depth of it, but he knows Bakura isn't altogether thrilled with Anton.]
[Unexpectedly terse or not, Anton rather thought it was protective. Protective of Erskine. He can work with that. If anything, it makes him feel more certain in what he's about to ask.]
Then you won't object to speaking with me within the next few days, at a private location of your choice.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
August 10th, late | Audio
Anton? You there?
perma audio;
[It was because of them that Anton couldn't leave right away. He's just about as wound up as Shudder can get by the time his radio crackles. When he hears Erskine's voice he exhales all his tension, and leans on the desk.]
Are you hurt? Are you safe?
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I'm fi- I'm not hurt. I'm at the dojo, with Bakura. He's got some kind of ward up around the place.
[So no one can get in and try to pay me back just yet.]
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Do you need me to come and get you?
[To make sure no one else does.]
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Tomorrow. I'm going to spend the night here, I think, I... I just need to sleep.
[He sounds apologetic about the decision.]
I'll be back tomorrow, if... that's alright?
[If he's allowed to wait until tomorrow. If he's allowed to come back to the Hotel. Six of one...]
no subject
[Bakura's dojo. Anton had seen them speaking well on the network.
[... Ah. It's been a while since Anton had felt this kind of ambivalence. The desire to make it all better, vying with the wisdom of knowing there's nothing he, personally, can do. That Erskine's in better hands. It doesn't feel any better, for not having been felt in a while.]
Your job will be waiting for you when you get back. Probably quite a few spiders, as well.
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I'll call you tomorrow, if I-
[If I can't get back on my own.]
I'll call. Good night.
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[Erskine takes a moment to hunt Bakura down in the next room and holds the handset out, almost apologetically, with a little shrug. He doesn't know the depth of it, but he knows Bakura isn't altogether thrilled with Anton.]
For you.
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Djadjut.
[ Yeah, he knew who was on the other end. ]
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Progress is oftentimes a slow process. Sometimes, best left to people outside the house.
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Then you won't object to speaking with me within the next few days, at a private location of your choice.
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[ That's going to depend a lot on Erskine's state when he gets back to the Hotel. ]
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[And he hangs up.]