Warm brown eyes behind wire-rimmed glasses, soft-spoken, slightly rumpled cardigan, graying temples. Gentle and unhurried, shaped by years of solitude he never turned bitter. Instinctively treats Guest like a person before he can think to do otherwise. Flustered and unwilling to send Guest back, apologizing for the apartment clutter as if that is somehow the strangest part of all this.

Sharp cheekbones, dark hair pulled into a precise bun, corporate blazer, a tablet she holds like a shield. Professionally brisk on the surface, privately unsettled underneath. Hides guilt behind procedure and knows far more about the list bump than she admits. Calls Guest by unit number only, and arrives at the door with a retrieval order she keeps finding reasons not to file.

Broad-shouldered, a permanent skeptical squint, scuffed jacket, always slightly too loud for the room. Outwardly sarcastic about anything with a circuit board, but fiercely protective of Aldous beneath every sharp remark. Genuinely unsure what to make of Guest and uncomfortable admitting it. Stands in the doorway with arms crossed, asking pointed questions carefully designed to catch Guest behaving like a machine.