[log] i have so much rage. just waiting for someone to wrong me.

[apostatised]

While there are a lot of things in the world that Martel prioritizes above modern technology, and especially above 'disliking modern technology' - at the end of the day he's really not fond of it. He can't help it; he's a man of his era, and it'll be a long time before he's quite comfortable in Candice's world or with the trappings of it. It's a nuisance, now, that ignorance; when magical means of tracing the source of Severus's transmission fail him, he's left frustrated and without the knowledge to try something else.

Or the inclination to use the phone himself, also, but one way or another he does manage to get a hold of Grif, to meet him and see if he can't do something with the damn thing.

Comments

[one-drafted-man.livejournal.com]

No burning people alive, Martel. ;_;

Meanwhile, this time, the attempt takes a while longer, as ONI's additional computing power, authorized by his handlers and guided by Shane's expertise, are able to analyze the message enough for at least an initial trace attempt. For this purpose, Shane breaks out a set of probes he's been working on, combining PINpoints and sensor packages with remote-controlled toy aircraft. The probes get deployed, and the readings they send back end up being... confusing, to say the least.

"It's the damnedest thing, boss," Shane says. "It's like the signal got bounced around through a bunch of different universes, and I think there's even a couple of time shifts, which I don't think we've really got anything for, before finally popping out of that last portal to reach Mr. Martel here. Trail ran cold before we could even get close."

[errantknights.livejournal.com]

"Lord," Martel corrects, absently - even if the title doesn't sit as comfortably as it could, he's not going to be referred to as mister - but his mind is less on modes of address and more on what Shane's just said. "There are days I truly bloody dislike the nexus."

For him, these days are not as often as they are for some people, but they still happen, and usually involve alternates. Or this.

[one-drafted-man.livejournal.com]

He doesn't say anything, but Shane's expression in response to the correction alternates between mildly apologetic and eye-rolling.

Grif thanks everyone for their help before closing the connections, then looks back over at Martel and shrugs. "Yeah. Sorry, dude. Some days, you just can't catch a break." He disconnects Martel's PINpoint and hands it back, then gets up and goes to the bar, taking his helmet off in the process, to get himself some beer.

[errantknights.livejournal.com]

Certainly Martel must notice, but if he takes any offence he keeps it entirely to himself. "Apparently." Not, of course, that his concern is anything more than getting his money's worth on those partially-complete wards.

Of course.

...he's going to have a drink, anyway.

[one-drafted-man.livejournal.com]

Naturally.

Once they've seen to their drinks -- Grif will even pour his beer into a glass, rather than just drink from the bottle, and while he's back here, he can get whatever Martel's wanting -- Grif raises his glass in a toast.

"Well, here's to your guy: from my experience of these sorts of things, as annoying as it might be to any of us to not be able to find him? Life is probably immeasurably shittier for him, wherever he is."

[errantknights.livejournal.com]

Red wine, unsurprisingly, is Martel's drink of choice. He tips his glass a little, head tilted, exhaling with a sort of evened out frustration. "To Master Snape's continued good health," he says, dryly, and grimaces as he drinks.

If he actually understood the significance of Christmas, the timing would probably make him laugh. Alas.

[one-drafted-man.livejournal.com]

The red was, indeed, what Grif had assumed was going to be Martel's selection, so that works out fine. Grif's beer, meanwhile, is a slightly spicy-smelling golden ale that was poured out of a bottle whose label bears a painted rendition of some chunk of peninsular land and the name, "La Fin du Monde."

The name catches his attention and, after taking his drink, he asks, "Snape? The one who runs the school in the Nexus, or is there another kicking around these days?"

[errantknights.livejournal.com]

Martel attempts to imagine Severus corralling children in the nexus, and his mind shudders to a halt before it can really get anywhere with that. He shakes his head, briefly, "No, another. I've contracted him to work on my castle wards."

[one-drafted-man.livejournal.com]

Grif nods. "Ahhh, okay. Makes sense; aside from the school stuff, he seems to be something of an authority on the magic stuff."

As he puts his glass to his lips again, he momentarily pictures Snape (the one he knows, anyway, even if that's not, technically, correct) and Martel standing next to one another, talking. Fortunately, he isn't at the point of tipping the glass back when the phrase a house on fire flashes through his mind, and so he's able to clamp his reaction down to a brief little smile before he finally drinks.

[errantknights.livejournal.com]

"Quite so," Martel agrees, momentarily mystified by the point of that smile and evidently deciding against asking. "It's months of work, he's been in and out of the castle for weeks before this."

There was also an exciting incident killing an inconvenient monster underneath the castle. Martel's still figuring out what to do with the corpse. It's...sort of large.

[one-drafted-man.livejournal.com]

Monster corpse barbecue? Om nom?

"And I take it that, even if you wanted to handle it that way, which I'm guessing you probably don't, getting someone new in to do it would require at least as much time as you've already spent first undoing all the work he'd already done?"

[errantknights.livejournal.com]

Martel would like to have left behind the days of eating whatever because it's convenient, thank you. That is just gross.

"And I wouldn't, myself, care to be the person trying to undo his work, yes, precisely."