【 Stranded 】 Miguel O'Hara

Part 4

- MIGUEL -

Lori looked... Nice. With her hair pinned up, and a dress floating above her ankles. Miguel had to admit that at least. It seemed the usual teasing pestering kid was gone for the night, hidden and tucked away under her dress. For the exhibition only, she had transformed into a refined and focused artist, exuding a tantalizing aura that attracted the art-enthused elitists like moths to a flame.

Miguel wasn't supposed to be watching her, as she talked to clients across the tall chandeliered room. They had agreed on separating for the night, to avoid any potential suspicion from Harriet about the two. But his eyes constantly tread back to her, as if she was one of the many captivating paintings on display that night. He convinced himself he was just keeping a careful eye on her, making sure she wasn't acting what he deemed 'out-of-canon'. But it was only a half-truth.

Lori eventually caught his gaze, her eyes meeting his' through the heads that surrounded her. She responded with a reassuring wink, encouraging him in his mission for the night. Right, he had to find Harriet.

Initially, Lori had proposed the idea of approaching her about tritium during the afterparty, but Miguel had objected, deeming it too risky to draw unnecessary suspicion toward herself. Any unusual action from her could potentially disrupt the canon, and it was a risk he wouldn't take. As an outsider to the dimension, Miguel knew he had to take on the task, and he only really trusted himself to do it right.

He traversed the spacious and traditional venue, noticing its Corinthian columns and grandiose staircases—architectural features that would have long vanished in his own world. The curators' efforts to accommodate the multitude of artworks led to a seemingly endless search, forcing him to navigate through a labyrinth of awkwardly placed portable white walls. They were adorned with highly expensive art but he couldn't give two shocks about it.

Amidst the maze, he eventually found himself in Harriet's vicinity. Her presence was unmistakable, accentuated by her striking deep emerald suit. Lori had described it to him as an 'Osborn green,' a hue reserved for her, and only her if the attendees were smart.

Miguel's aura was confident as he approached her near the window, his walk sturdy and his stare hard. There were two snobs on either side of her, engaged in conversation. However, he didn't bother acknowledging them.

"Harriet Osborn?"

Harriet looked him up and down slowly with a sultry smirk. "Well, who's asking?"

"A man who takes a high interest in your enterprise." Miguel said.

She hummed a laugh before waving the snobs off, not bothering to move herself. One of them scoffed as he slouched away.

"Clearly more than a man." She flirted. Miguel's expression was unmoving however. "Might I ask your name?"

"Michael O'Mara." He held out a hand for her to shake. "Private Investor."

Despite using a false name, introducing himself so vaguely carried some risk. There was no guarantee that she would grant an unknown her precious time. But this way he could minimize his influence on the canon, avoiding any complications from associating with an existing organization.

She attached her hand to his, providing a firm shake. "How mysterious. And what has attracted you to my company Mr O'Mara? Perhaps an interest in technology?"

"An interest in tritium." He said. "There have been talks that it could catalyze the next significant technological breakthrough."

In reality, the only talks he engaged in were with Lori, and none of the conversations were very intellectual, more so tiring. However, he knew from his dimension that Tritium was destined to become far more influential than this world realized, and he intended to utilize that information to the fullest.