maskormenacelogs | HOW DOES A RAGTAG VOLUNTEER ARMY IN NEED OF A SHOWER...

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HOW DOES A RAGTAG VOLUNTEER ARMY IN NEED OF A SHOWER...

WHO: Kidnapped imPorts and their rescuers!
WHERE: A submarine off the coast of Antarctica.
WHEN: January 29th.
WHAT: Kidnapped imPorts have their powers turned on as LACKEY is rendered defunct, and take control of their own fate! In the meantime, their rescue crew is hot on their tail, ready to free them from their underwater prison.
WARNINGS: Mentions of gore and cannibalism; probable violence and death. Please let us know if this needs to be changed! Got any questions? Ask them HERE!

It is January 29th, DAY NINE of the imPorts' kidnappings. Conditions remain mostly the same, but it would not be any surprise if it were to seem worse to the kidnapped imPorts, particularly if their spirits have begun to flag. Their accommodations are just as cramped as they started out as, and without any access to outside life or common luxuries, being stir crazy is the least of their worries. Any food that was not shoved through the slot on the door has been left out in the heat of their bodies to rot, and their washroom circumstances certainly haven't improved over the week.

And to make matters worse, there has been a cannibal -- one or more -- within their midst. Some kidnapped imPorts may have noticed body parts being unceremoniously shoved through the food slot, only to be devoured by Ken Kaneki. Needless to say, these aren't circumstances that anyone wishes to prolong.

Luckily for the imPorts, they'll notice something odd. LACKEY's voice, no matter who it was talking to, will suddenly begin to sputter unnaturally to a halt... and in a sudden surge, each and every imPort will find their powers returning. Just beyond their door are 45 guards inside of the submarine they are trapped in, but with over fifty powered imPorts more than capable of simply ripping the door off of its frames, it's a much less daunting prospect. What will you do from here? Will you kill them, or will you attempt to salvage their lives, though they made no attempts to salvage yours?

Regardless of your actions, help is on the way! The intrepid RESCUERS are en route to the imPorts' location, and not long after their powers have been turned on, they will be reunited, taken care of, and will finally see the sun once more.

Remember, you may play out out all stages of the direct rescue process in this log, including before and after freedom has been achieved!

Once the imPorts have been brought back to the Antarctic Base, they will be instructed to wait for American planes stocked with medical professionals to touch down on Antarctic soil. ImPorts' wounds will be tended to, and they will be flown directly back to their homes, where they will be given further medical care as needed. If they are in possession - or are friends with those in possession of - teleportation or transportation powers, they are free to make their own way home as well! The planes are simply there out of consideration for everyone who will need a more traditional way home.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

POWERS RETURNED!

[ When the powers return, Newt stops. Someone bumps into him and he doesn't so much as notice. It feels LIKE the Drift--not so blue, but still a rush of images and impressions and memories that go by like billboards on the freeway, too fast to look at and impossible to make sense of and he knows better than to chase them individually, but it's so stunning that he almost forgets himself ...a lunch with Joaquin, Liebling, putting on the watch, numbers and more numbers, their own last trip to the cafe before Newt found himself here and--

And then he's standing in place, twitching a little, and a trickle of blue liquid drips from his left nostril. His first sniffle could have been just because of his bloody nose, but then he's staring at the indigo on his knuckle from where he wiped his nose and he's tipping up his glasses-- Newt wipes his eyes on the inside of his collar, leaving a little blue stain with it that looks like ballpoint pen ink, and he tries for a laugh and a cool--] That's embarrassing. [ --as he puts his glasses back into place, but the relief on Newt's face is evident. Whatever his powers meant to him, they're back, and he's glad.

A thought reaches out to Hermann, oceans away, and it starts very like a handshake, then pulls him in for a hug. ]

NOT FIGHTING AND BEING RESCUED!

[ If he bleeds on a guard, it's going to end badly for the guard. Trust me. And though frankly, right now Newt doesn't care, he doesn't really want to risk putting any of his fellow imports into a catatonic state either, nor does he want to risk finding out he doesn't regenerate as well as he hopes. Besides, he knows someone is coming for him: his own personal ticket home is getting a lot of mental complaints about how long it's taking.

He waits with the other non-combatants that sought shelter elsewhere, making conversation anxiously with the people he met in the cell...or anyone who will listen...about anything. When they're rescued, Newt goes with the captives, but his eyes are always watching the crowd for something.

...And then he finds it. Or it finds him: The drone hovers nearby and soon Newt vanishes in a haze of subtle white light and numbers. Wow, really, Hermann? He didn't even get to finish that conversation!]

[The flood of sudden feedback after almost a week and a half of absolute silence nearly drops him. They haven't even reached the captives yet- what was? Information floods through the comm lines and Hermann's attention is split between it and the warm presence of Newton's mind against his.

His drone moves in, desperately searching. Comes across bodies and forces himself to look at them- their faces and the color of their blood]. His heart leaps in his throat because Newton is on an underwater vessel with fifty powered and unpredictable imPorts, not to mention however many Russian soldiers and no matter what damage he can regenerate from, Hermann doubts that drowning is one of them.

He doesn't find him on the ship, but Newton's in his head now and the impatient prodding assures him that the man is very much alive. He doesn't feel hurt- at least not enough that he'd noticed- and feels the separation anxiety far more keenly. He wants him home, has needed him home for over a week now and they're so close.

His drone follows up to the surface, scans the milling captives until at last he finds the one he's been searching for. Hermann wastes absolutely no time in composing Newton's equation. He watches the man disappear from the antarctic snowscape and reappear in the middle of their lab, precisely where he'd indicated.

Everything feels closer suddenly, and Hermann drops the controls to his camera in favor of his cane and rushing over to Newton. But he fails to account for the smell and though his nose wrinkles and his pace slows, he doesn't stop. He's wanted this too badly for too long]

Newton! Newton-- my word, you're in desperate need of a wash. We'll head home immediately, of course.

[The energy drains from him where he stands and Hermann's briefly worried he'll collapse again. But he manages to remain standing, albeit with considerable assistance from his cane]

I'll.. I'll just gather a few things..

Edited 2016-01-30 09:04 (UTC)

[The disorienting sensation of changing locations suddenly and by mathematical reasoning and little else, almost leaves him sick when he arrives in the lab. Lack of proper nutrition and his own smell undoubtedly contributes to the nauseousness, but Newt considers his arrival a success in that he doesn't puke all over Hermann's side of the lab. Of course, it doesn't help his disorientation that he half expected to be taken home--but naturally, if Hermann was the one operating the drone, he would be in the lab.

And what a beautiful lab it was. Newt could always appreciate the high class scientific experience Starktech offered, but now it was more than that. There was Hermann's mug on his desk, the ridiculous dinosaur pencils Newt bought from the kid's stationary section, familiar writing on the chalkboards, the steady hum of electronics like a warmth around him...

He follows after Hermann (gorgeous sight-for-sore-eyes Hermann--Newt wants to just curl up among the sweater-vests and sleep for a thousand years), at a reasonable distance, but close enough he thinks he might be useful if Hermann stumbles or falls. ]

Not even a 'hello'? Just a 'Newton, you stink.' Oh, well, I see how it is! [Is he really insulted? No. God, though, will anyone even let him in a taxi smelling like this? Hermann will practically need his own cab just to not die from the smell.]

I'm half-tempted to jump under the chemical shower and see what it'll wash away. Hey...You couldn't just magic up a real shower, could you?

[Hermann waves off the remark. Though he longs to hold the man, the stench of a nine-day confinement in extremely tight quarters with fifty others manages to keep the impulse at bay. Then they'd both need showers and he's not certain how long he'd be able to stand it- certainly not as much as he'd like.

He throws a contemplative glance in the direction of Newton's chemical shower, then shuffles over to the sink to offer him a bar of hand soap. It's not precisely meant for that, but..]

I suppose it couldn't hurt, though you'll still need a proper one when we get home.

[And he is just so very relieved to simply be able to turn and bring Newton into his vision again that he smiles. There's nine days of untamed growth clawing at the man's face, but perhaps it's from the sheer relief from his absence, but Hermann finds he's just as fond of it as his regular scruff. It adds a bit of age to his face]

You know that wouldn't work. Even if I did manage to steal someone's shower of all things, it would hardly come with proper plumbing.

Nah, dude, I meant you doing some restructuring of the existing chem shower...like you did to your cane. But yeah no I'll just wash in the sink to get me home. I don't want to deal with the chem shower.

[He takes the bar of soap and returns Hermann's smile as he puts the soap down on a desk and starts unbuttoning his shirt. It isn't a sexy gesture, just a necessity, and Newt isn't shy, especially in front of Hermann.]

I missed you, Hermann, in case I haven't been clear about that. I missed you and your dumb voice and your smile and... Nine days, man. I've barely had nine HOURS away from you in the last five and a half years-- [He starts on his boots.] What I wouldn't give for some strong cologne. The shitty Axe stuff. I don't fucking care, these clothes are dead to me. Thank god I left scrubs here, you know? --but I missed you. I'm glad we got to do Hong Kong first, because that'd have sucked, you not knowing...

[He looks up briefly from his crouch, squinting up at Hermann who is backlit by the overhead lights of their lab, then down again ]

Ah. [He sweeps an assessing gaze over toward the shower in question with a considering look, then shrugs, turning his attention back to Newton.]

Not likely to be worth the effort.

[Newton, who is currently stripping for an impromptu wash up in the lab. Hermann spares a look for the entrance of the lab and briefly considers closing it for the first time since they'd begun working here. But Newton's words stop him before he can commit to the movement and his shoulders soften. His fingers touch the wrist where his watch rests, something that's becoming a bit of a habitual motion by now.]

You're safe, Newton. Gifts and romantic gestures aren't precisely top priority in the scale of things. If you'd returned as anything less than that, I.. [He glances down, shifts and absently tests the steadiness of his left leg] Well I would have had much more reason to join the ongoing war effort.

[Boots off, he stands and now glances at the lab door. Hermann's earlier thought registers as a vague concern in his mind and he plans to shut the door so Hermann doesn't have to. But first...]

But I'm safe. Which is all you need to think about, not any of those alternate what-ifs, okay? And, if you want to join the war effort, you're going to take me with you, because we're in this together like some shitty High School Musical and we're better together.

[He goes to close the door, walking half-backwards to it to keep Hermann in his sight.]

And since I'm safe, and since we're better together--I don't know, I think romantic gestures still rank pretty high on things, don't you? I'm, we're, only two months into this dating thing--nine days is a long time [ThirtydayshathSeptemberAprilJuneandNovember... So 62. 9/62, almost 9/63, which is 3/21... 15/105 so more than 14, less than 15...why could he not have just stolen Hermann's brain for a minute?] a whopping 14.5% of our dating time has been spent apart.

[The door closes. It's heavier than Newt had imagined it.]

We've done a war already, Hermann. We stopped our lives to cancel an apocalypse and I'm NOT stopping my life again. We can--I can still do this [His handwave indicates the space between them as Newt returns from closing the door] while helping to save the world. I spent five years arguing about whose side of the line Kaiju guts were on and whether numbers could win us the war, so I think I can multitask and take you out for dinner and coffee and buy you a Valentine's Day gift and still be a rockstar in the lab, okay?

[It's an alarming statistic and the USSR earns another surge of resentment for creating it. They have fought a war already, and it's the twelve years of their lives put on hold and he doesn't want to do that again either. Striking a proper balance sounds exceptionally difficult, particularly when he'd thrown his entire being into the Kaiju War at the exclusion of all else.

At least now he has the time to appreciate those gestures, however small- like Newton pulling the door shut for him simply because he would've struggled with it considerably more.

The chatter over the comms rises in volume and Hermann's momentarily distracted by a faint tug of obligation trying to pull him back toward his drone. They don't need him any longer- or at least they shouldn't. Hermann frowns and forces his attention back on Newton, the sole reason he'd made those temporary allies.

Fighting a war while dating sounds disastrous. He can only imagine how it would've gone the first time, and it's not pretty. They'd been under so much duress then..]

Well it's not my intention.. and I'd much rather focus on protection and defense than build weapons. Thoughts for the future, however. At the moment, I'd just like to get home and rest once you've showered. It's everything else that can be put on hold for awhile.

It is so weird to hear you prioritizing going home and resting over planning. Not bad! Just ...weird.

[He returns to pick up the soap from where he left it on the desk and with the only warning of--] Hold your breath, I'm gonna kiss you. [--he kisses Hermann's cheek, then gives it a pat with his hand.] We've turned into old men, Hermann. Old men who need our naps. Next, we'll be telling Hiro and Riku to get off our lawn.

[ Finally, he goes to the sink and turns on the water, waiting until it warms, then lathering up and soaping down his arms, neck and face. He repeats the washing at least twice and tries to remember if he felt this gross after saving the world. Then he tries to wash his hair and wonders how people did that effectively with bar-soap before shampoo was invented.]

[Hermann still manages to breathe in a bit of foul air, but it's worth the brief show of affection. They'll have more of that once the man is properly clean.]

We aren't old, Newton. But I believe working nearly non-stop for the past nine days entitles most of us to a nice rest. Not to mention you've barely slept yourself and are very much overdue.

[He watches Newton for a few moments longer, then moves toward his desk to begin packing up the bits of vital tech he's bringing back home with them- and of course, to check up on the video feed. There's far fewer imPorts than there were, likely sent back by other teleporters with fewer limitations. Qubit in particular.]

They shouldn't need anything further, but I suppose I should leave a channel open for emergencies..

Edited 2016-01-31 10:25 (UTC)

I'm wired, dude. You have no idea. I could go for days like this. I've barely hit my stride. We've totally left nightblogging-level sleep-deprivation and entered into another realm entirely.

[ Newt resists the masochistic curiosity to smell them and instead just tosses his socks into a biohazard bin before he hikes one leg up (with a great deal of effort: some of which is due to poor flexibility, most due to his skinny jeans) until he can scrub at his foot with the soap. ]

Hey!! Put the phone down. We're not going to baby-monitor the other imPorts, aright? Realize, okay, yes, I do feel some sense of compassion and interest in making sure all these people get home to their respective SOs or family or whathaveyou, but we are not all there is: this is not KScience. We're not the only ones on duty. I mean, look, look how many rescuers there were. Someone can handle this as an armchair backup--doesn't have to be you--so just ...relax already...take the night off and leave the kids with Qubit, he likes this hero shit, and give him some money for a pizza.

[ Newt shifts around and switches feet, scrubbing at the other foot now. He had been gesturing as he talked with the soap, but it slows somewhat, voice softening.] If you do catch any returns, though, let me know if Cosima gets home. And Miles.

[Hermann pauses, because he knows he's been working almost as if the apocalypse is upon them again. It's the only way he knows how to work under pressure, and the only way he could cope with the silence.]

I.. I'm not.. monitoring them. But the submarines and warship won't be teleported back to America, and the USSR has declared war.. It's just a precaution. You should contact both tomorrow if we don't hear from them.

[He starts packing up the controls, his laptop, and keeps his phone on display. But he's not watching it, still unable to look away from Newton for long. He clears his throat, glances quickly to the closed door]

If we need to tire you before you can sleep, I believe we can manage that.

[Good point, but surely the US has already thought about that...right?] Yeah, I'll call them up.

[ He laughs at Hermann's next words, though, almost falling over because, with the collection of water he's building up on the floor in front of the sink, the floor is pretty slippery. ]

You have me home for ten minutes max and-- [ He laughs again and throws at Hermann the wadded up paper towels he used to dry himself off. ] You horn dog. Couldn't resist this sexy bod, huh? [A teeny bit self-deprecating, but mostly he's just amused because he knows he's a mess, knows he's a sight, and yet...] From 'Newton, you simply must have a wash' to 'I'm sure I can tire you out, Newton.' No wonder you wanted me back so badly.

[And yet, teasing aside, the way Hermann looks at him like he's missed Newt terribly and doesn't want to look away for fear of losing him again, oh god-- He doesn't think anyone's looked at him like that, not even when his dad found him after Newt managed to wander away at the grocery store and ended up a whole county over. And even though the whole kidnapping wasn't Newt's fault in the slightest, he feels guilty.]

[Hermann abruptly finds papers to shuffle and other things on his desk to straighten. He probably shouldn't have propositioned Newton like that so soon after his return, sending the wrong impressions and such. Truthfully it hadn't been in his initial plans, but it did seem like a logical solution just moments ago. Prolactin, serotonin, oxytocin.. along with a number of other brain chemicals and hormones to possibly counteract the stressors that are keeping Newton on high alert.]

It's only a suggestion. But perhaps a shower and return home will help you relax to some degree. If Manolo had returned yet, I'd invite him to play something for you, but they're still in Mexico. Not certain when they're due back..

[ Hermann is so funny when he's embarrassed, all prissy librarian: back straight, fussy and involved in his papers. Newt comes over behind him and leans over the chair to embrace him around the shoulders; Newt's still not perfectly clean, but he's missed this contact, and if Hermann (of all people) is propositioning him in the lab (of all places), he must have missed it, too. Newt kisses the top of Hermann's head, his cheek again, then his neck and burrows his face against his collar. One hand rests open palm against Hermann's chest over his heart, the other hand holds Newt's glasses even as it wraps around Hermann.

The drift just pulses, warm and soothing and he honestly doesn't care if they spiral into each other's moods right now. After so much disconnect from Hermann, the touch and re-connection is overwhelmingly welcome.

After a moment, he presses another kiss to Hermann's neck before speaking.]

...They went to Mexico?

[Hermann leans into Newton's embrace and holds onto the faint smell of soap. Both hands come up to touch and hold Newton's arms while kisses speak for themselves. He's missed this so very much and exhales a steady breath. Everything's warmer and sweeter, and Hermann desires nothing more than to hold Newton for as long as physically possible.]

Yes.. [His voice is soft, and he tips his head back against Newton, eyes closing. Being her, touching and being held by Newton is such a welcome relief after so long without it] Ambassadors to enlist the support of the Mexican government against the Soviet Union by the sounds of it. All in preparation for World War Three.

Great. Just great.

[ He hopes their little Mexican heartthrobs are okay down there. World War III though. Wow. From one war to another. Will they ever be spared from this? So much for delusions of retirement, settling down in some little house with Hermann and pursuing hobbies and personal projects and-- His hold on Hermann tightens. Before, it was about saving the world. Now he just doesn't want to lose what's important to him. It makes the fight, and the risks, completely different.

He presses a parting kiss to Hermann's forehead and then releases him, standing and stretching his back from the lean. His arms feel empty and his heart aches and Newt's not sure if it's the Drift or just that he missed Hermann that badly.]

I'll go change, then we can go home.

[Usually he doesn't allow this sort of contact while they're at work, but he rather imagines Stark can forgive them this once]

Yes, alright.

[He's reluctant to let him go, but straightens at his desk and suppresses the sigh that longs to escape. Newton's safe, that's all he'd wanted going into this. He never signed up to fight another war, but it seems they may be pulled into one regardless.

Hermann stands and finishes sorting everything into a small pile, eyes it, then Newton, and sets to work sending the simpler and smaller objects back home so he won't have to carry more than he can comfortably handle or force it on Newton.

His phone goes in his pocket and he tucks his laptop under one arm then grabs his cane with the other]

Whenever you're ready, Newton.

[ Newt returns wearing both the shirt and pants of his rather boring but entirely professional looking maroon scrubs, foregoing the dinosaur ones for the ride home because he would like permission to cuddle Hermann later and not be forced to sleep alone on his first night home (and alright, the dino ones are a bit dorky). He is also in his boots, sockless and untied, the pants tucked into the top of them. ]

You're tempting the cliched answer of 'I was born ready,' dude. [He looks at the laptop occupying Hermann's usually free hand and frowns, then goes to get the door.] We've got to get you a laptop bag. Carrying it, really?

I could teleport it home, but as you know, it takes roughly ten minutes to do so. [To make up for the fact they can't hold hands, Hermann walks as closely as is safe for the laptop as they start down the hall]

Not to mention I seem to have a more difficult time transporting cloth than any other material. Not terribly so, but enough to be irritating at points.

[Hermann frowns at the ends of the laces slapping the floor and looking rather like a tripping hazard]

You should probably tie those.

Oh, right. Well, it was a thought.

[He looks down at his feet.]

They're fine! God, Hermann, it's a fashion statement. Hmph! [ Alright, fine. But only because he loves you, Hermann, does he crouch down and cinch the laces and knot them off. As he gets up, something dawns on him.]

I'm fucking insane...I even missed THIS--this thing you're doing right now, where you look at me like I need a keeper just to keep from falling on my face every day. I used to hate that--well, no, I guess I didn't hate it, I resented it, but I was sort of okay with it because hell, at least it meant you deigned to give me some of your attention.

[Hermann can't help staring a bit, not certain of how to take that. After a moment he simply sniffs and continues walking]

Well I can't help that you often look like a disaster waiting to occur in my general vicinity. But I suppose it was a rather poor attempt at caring for you.

[Then again, they were bordering on enemies during the war. Now it's only changed because he's much milder about these things]

It doesn't bother you now?

[That sniff and turn around... How Newt hated it. It had always been sort of weirdly hot, even then, but frustrating nonetheless. He makes a face at Hermann and then catches up.]

Now, I know you know I'm a competent scientist and a capable rival. You could stand to trust me more? But-- [He thinks of his own ill-conceived plan to go home via porter, which Miles thankfully vetoed.] --sometimes I'll admit I might need a keeper. SOMEtimes.

[He gets ahead of Hermann and turns, so that he's walking backwards, facing Hermann and talking to him.] Although, Hermann, if we're going to talk about disasters-waiting-to-happen, let's look at you for a second, Mr. No Sleep, Barely Eating.

[It's really not a method of walking that instills Hermann's trust in Newton's decisions, and he keeps his eyes over the man's shoulder to assure he doesn't run into anything.

He has the grace to look chagrined in the face of the accusations, but shakes his head against them]

I couldn't reach you, Newton. It was a choice between lying awake or working until I was forced to sleep. You cannot tell me you would have fared much better in my position.

Oh no, I get you. I totally get you. Instead I got to be abso-fucking-useless over there. Honestly, I think the only thing we were genuinely able to do was say 'don't think we're in space' because otherwise, we did JACK SQUAT there, and do you have any idea how that makes me feel--how it MADE me feel then, knowing you were fucking worried and I could do nothing? I understand, Hermann, I really do--I was there with you in KScience, dude, I get the sense of responsibility and the need to do something and the prioritizing them over my own sleep and all that shit, but man--

[ Are they coming up on the elevator yet? Newt spares a glance behind him to check...and derails his train of thought. He makes a couple futile gestures.]

...I don't know how to deal with you being worried over me, dude. I didn't...really know how to deal with it then, before we got here, and I don't now. You shouldn't-- I mean.

HOW DOES A RAGTAG VOLUNTEER ARMY IN NEED OF A SHOWER...

Newton Geiszler

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