pushtheboundaries | IC INBOX; MoM

[Well, that's definitely a better topic. He's only ever heard passing mentions of her around the lab when Callaghan was in a strong enough state to mention her.]

Oh, you think? I always wondered about her, you never talked much about her before.

It was always hard to think of her without- well. [he tilts his head, smile turning just a bit sad, and yet- it's still tempered by something else. something a lot warmer.] Everything considered, though...she's not that different from you. Good-hearted, always wanting to help - maybe a bit like your brother in how cocky she could be, but...

Mm. I think being your only child, she'd have to be a little cocky.

[He scoots forward to the edge of his seat, smiling a bit more at that. He means it as a compliment at least. Anyone who'd be Robert Callaghan's daughter had to have some to them after all.]

I'm glad things work out all right in the end.

[pft. Callaghan takes another long sip, rolling his eyes a bit before answering.] She earned it all on her own. That mind of hers...

[and then he trails off. in the end...and they do, don't they? doesn't it all work out? but he can't- quite- agree with that, not staring at Tadashi across the table.

his smile falters, just some. and just as things get a bit awkward...]

In a manner of speaking, I suppose. But...they'll still work out.

[He watches him at that. Then carefully slides his glass down to him. That's just... Not a topic he can quite broach yet.]

So, she's as smart as me and Hiro? Or smarter you think?

[neither of them are nearly drunk enough to go in to that, he figures. so he'll promptly refill both their glasses, deciding that sticking to the brighter subject is...probably for the best.]

Well, Hiro's in a category all his own. She's a bit older than you, mind, but she could very well have attended SFIT if she'd wanted to. We felt it best to avoid any of that, though - she wanted to make it on her own merits, and not have anyone accuse her of riding my coattails.

[beat]

She barely missed cum laude, but I can't say I was disappointed.

[Now that gets a low whistle as he takes his glass back.]

So smarter than me, definitely.

[He could probably have gotten cum laude if he really tried. Or if he didn't... have other things to distract him. If he were a different person, he'd probably feel some resentment towards his brother, but really? There's only fondness. If she didn't go to SFIT though...]

Boston, then?

Boston- and not necessarily. She's an only child, too. [he tilts his head towards Tadashi meaningfully - you're not. not only that, Tadashi's responsible for quite a few more things than Abigail.] And she worked for those grades- I think she was afraid of disappointing me.

[as if she could have. well- no. if she went back to botfighting...]

Hey, I've got no problem admitting when someone's smarter than me.

[He had to get over that pretty quick when it was obvious his brother had a lot more going than he himself did. But he gets what Callaghan is implying at and instead chooses to try another sip - it goes down a little easier than the previous ones.]

Can you blame her though?

[Robert himself is content to nurse his scotch slowly, letting the warmth go through him. it's a pity he couldn't snap a photo of Tadashi's face upon first trying it, but his memory will have to do for it.]

She could have gone to community college and so long as she was trying, I'd have been proud. I'm certainly happy things went they way they did, but I'm going to tell you a secret, Tadashi- we 'adults' are just as afraid of disappointing you as you are us.

[and he's 99.9% sure that includes Cass.]

[He 'hm's to himself; if he were honest, he'd say he thinks the teenagers have a bit more to lose in disappointing adults - they have the kids' futures in the palm of their hands they could change at a whim. He's from too far down on the proverbial food chain to have any grand ideas of where he stands, having only been able to get into SFIT on grants and scholarships alone in the first place.

He takes another sip and lets it linger a bit longer.]

Maybe. Dunno why, you guys hold all the cards.

And there's a few of us who think that's all that's needed. The ones who actually understand where the world is going, on the other hand, know that you're the ones who follow in our footsteps - for better or worse.

That's why I became a teacher. To try and make sure that you all had an idea of what was ahead of you.

[some, he thinks he taught too well.]

Mm... Not all teachers have even that much in mind.

[He tilts his glass in his hand, watching how the liquid tilts with it against the ice. Huh. Physics.]

What was Abigail like? I mean, like.. As a person?

Not all teachers should be where they are.

[he takes a bit more of his scotch before answering that, thinking of how to word it]

She was...sharp. Incredibly sharp. Easy to laugh, but not the kind where it seems like she's laughing at you. She was just...

I've mentioned how she was botfighting when she was younger, haven't I? Those lovely teenage years when you think she's invincible, and she did get herself in trouble a few times, and not just with me...but a day later she was laughing at herself, and a day after that she actually meant that laughter.

[as opposed to trying to hide her distress and all that.]

[If this were anyone else, Tadashi would be able to shut his brain off. But as it is, he's still mentally taking notes of how the alcohol is affecting the ice in the glass and vice versa while Callaghan talks.

Abigail sounds like a one of a kind.

He's glad Hiro's able to save her in the future.]

She didn't hold on to the bad stuff for long then. 's pretty rare.

Oh, just because she could move on from it didn't mean she forgot it. She remembered. She just didn't let her keep it down for long, because she knew she was better than that. And if she forgot- well, I was happy to remind her.

[That gets a smile from him.]

I'm glad she's all right, then.

So am I. Just knowing that she's still out there, and has been all this time...

[and that smile of him...falters a bit again. it's still there, but there's something else again. he takes another long sip, and sighs]

It'll be interesting when I see her again.

Yeah?

[He's curious what he means, but glad Callaghan's being definite about seeing her again - but then it hits him. Right. Robert's going back to prison if he ever gets ported back home. That leaves a bit of a bitter taste in his mouth as he looks down to his glass again.

Everything happening because Robert thought his daughter was dead. Only for him to find out she's alive and not able to see her normally again.

What a waste, his thoughts echo Robert's words when he'd found out Tadashi had been assigned as an electrician here. ]

I guess it will be.

[With that, he finishes the last swallow of that glass.]

[that's even assuming she wants to see him at all. he wouldn't put it past her to consider this unforgivable, and all the worse because it was done in her name.

what will it do to her, knowing that her father went so far for the sake of a useless vengeance, when he could have - should have - been spending that time and effort on saving her?

Robert mirrors Tadashi's actions, then sets his glass down and reaches for the bottle. a refill sounds good right about now. come at him, broscotch.]

So. Have you met up with Desmond, yet?

[He watches him. Then decides why not, he's here, and slides his glass to him.]

Des... Wasabi?

No. I didn't know he was here.

[he will happily top you off as well, kid. looks like you got used to it sooner than later. he's proud.]

Mhm. He apparently read my name in that brochure they're handing out to new arrivals- I sent him towards Aiko and Ethel. [yes, you all have names to him. he will use them.] I thought it'd be better for him to be with his peers than to hear everything from me.

[Luckily with the parents he had while he had them, he gets used to tastes fairly quickly.]

Hm. They hadn't mentioned him yet, so they must be warming him up to finding out I'm here.

[Wasabi being from after is the only explanation he'd have for them not telling Tadashi he was here by now.]

Guess I'll find out.

Either way, I'm hoping he'll help bring some calm. He's always been one of the more level-headed of your group, after you, of course. And frankly, I think you could use someone like him right now.

I agree. It's... It'll be nice to have him here.

[Even he can't hide the smile on his face thinking about it. They're only missing one now...

Whether Robert intended or not, Tadashi unconsciously mirrors him, nursing the drink now more than trying to drink it like any other drink.]

Just hope things calm down enough for him to not freak out.

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