random loose threads

[driftsintobuffetline]

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2016
January 29 - Returning from Submarining
February 13 - What are you thoughts on MARRIAGE?
February 16 - Day 1, Soviet Occupied Import Cities
March 12 - They were supposed to talk about Miles and Greg, but talked about themselves instead
April 14th - Kinks, Tatts, and Power Suppression
June - Admiring the Ring
July 27 - Hermann's New Car
After the Kaiju Test - Need a New Apartment

Comments

April 14th, evening

[mathemagier]

[When they return home, it's with much more than they'd left with. It's really a good thing they have excellent jobs, or Hermann might have had reason to lecture Newton about his frivolous spending. As it stands, he can only disapprove of the purchases by virtue of subject material. But it will all likely go into Newton's room and with any amount of fortune, it might spontaneously disintegrate into non-existence.

They have a nice quiet dinner and clean up, and it's not quite time for bed yet, so they retire to the couch and Hermann fiddles with his laptop while Newton flips through channels. But he's not focused- neither of them are, as is the way of things- and he finally gives in and sets his distraction aside.]

There was a matter you were interested in discussing?

[He should probably be less nervous about this, but finds he's unable to discern the source of those nerves]

[driftsintobuffetline]

[And now that he has the opportunity to discuss it (with an opening from Hermann, no less), Newt can't decide how to start, can't decide if he really wants to discuss it despite thinking it is really kind of...well, if not important, than at least something that couples do?]

Oh. Yeah, uh. [He turns off the TV and draws his legs up onto the sofa so he can turn and face Hermann.] It wasn't really about the caning thing, I mean, I GET why fangirls turned that into a thing for Geiszlieb--I also get that it could border on fetishizing something that shouldn't be--but it was really just that that's what got me thinking that we just kind of...

Well, we rely on knowing each other. Or letting the Drift fill in. I know what your taste in music is, how you take your coffee, I know what your dreams and aspirations are, who you are, and we just...don't really talk about the things we don't know? You know? Is this making sense or have I tangented too far and lost you here?

[mathemagier]

It is a bit inappropriate.

[He needs his cane for walking, not.. whatever else. But he's not terribly offended, just moderately disturbed by the intensity of the fans themselves. That they'd be so interested in their relationship as to create such things, it feels more than a bit invasive.]

No, I understand what you're trying to say, Newton. We do rely on it a bit much and aren't wonderfully gifted communicators. I sometimes wonder how well we'd manage a relationship without it.

[Progress would be much more gradual, he's sure]

I don't believe I have much in way of notable preferences.. but if there's anything you'd like more of, I could likely work with it.

[driftsintobuffetline]

[Fandom tended to to inappropriate.

He hates when Hermann suggests they couldn't do this without the drift. Especially because he might be right. It's a struggle on a daily basis despite love and respect and sometimes he is just tired of missing their mark.]


No notable preferences ...says the guy who enjoyed himself thoroughly through college. Come on...think I'm not up to it? I'll try anything once. And we can figure out how to make it work for you this time around.

[mathemagier]

[It's sweet in a way, the way that Newton wants to make this work, to cater more to his desires, but it's also terribly nerve-wracking]

I was a different person in college, Newton.

[Before he'd had to consider his disease, before the war started and it disabled him. He hasn't exactly had much time or inclinations for such indulgences since, let alone rediscovery. Until now of course. He fidgets, mind coming up blank]

My only complaint really is that I can't be rougher with you, but that's something neither of us can help.

[driftsintobuffetline]

[Newt is regrettably an all or nothing kind of guy and he's moderately worried that if he is given the chance, he will take take take. Why he's worried, he doesn't know. Hermann's always let him get away with a lot of shit, but he's always kept Newt in check.]

Fair enough. And let's be honest, because this exercise is pointless if I'm not, but I wouldn't mind you being a little rougher, either. I like you a little mean.

Anyway, I'm working on that, the blood thing, not for sex specifically, but because I'd like you and Liebling to be immune in case something happens. But immunity to poison is usually gained through mild, gradual exposure and so I'm hesitant to actually ...have you do that.

[mathemagier]

[It's an eternal concern and preoccupation, to avoid even accidentally drawing Newton's blood in any form because going catatonic is not what anyone would call a desired outcome. So he's careful and avoids scratching Newton, works him open slowly and with gloves, and doesn't apply anything but the lightest suction to the man's skin. He generally compensates for that viscous streak by being rather physically demanding and tugging, pushing, and pulling Newton as he likes.

It's something to work around while they sort out a solution. More pressingly, if Newton were to ever be injured, he may not be able to so much as touch him. But he's not a biologist and regrettably has left that work to Newton amid the man's other dozen projects. He doesn't know anything about poison immunity and only really understands how vaccines work, which sounds similar.

And extremely dangerous. If it wasn't Newton, he wouldn't even be considering it]

Of course. Well I certainly wouldn't want to use Leibling as our test subject. Have you had any progress with your mice?

[driftsintobuffetline]

[The level of safe-sex required for Hermann's survival is absurd and sometimes frustrating--it's like having a disease. But it's the second thought, that his own minor injury could mean Hermann can't touch him, that he could bleed and KILL surrounding victims, that scares him most. It is too full of variables. It's something he cannot properly prepare for or prevent, no matter how well they plan.]

No. And I mean, there's no sure way to know MY toxin will be something you can build up immunity to. It's mostly a theory. I think snake tamers do it, but depending on how the body processes the toxin, we could just be talking about building up a bunch of that junk in your system and killing you slowly.

I've had some luck with antivenom administered via hypodermic needle after the fact, and maybe that will lead to more. It doesn't solve anything now, but... [A sigh. He leans into Hermann's shoulder.] ...sometimes I just think, you know, a power-suppressor isn't a bad idea.

[mathemagier]

Yes, I know.

[It's the most obvious solution, and would be ideal if it would only affect Newton's toxicity. But they have the drift to consider.]

Well it may not be immunity, but an antivenom is still significant progress in the case of accidental contact.

[Which does make it sound like Newton has some sort of contagious disease. And carrying around a bunch of needles just in case hardly sounds convenient.

Hermann presses a kiss to the top of Newton's head]

We could do more research into it. If we understand how the power suppressors function, we could learn how to apply it in different and less permanent forms. And possibly even counteract that effect should the need arise.

[driftsintobuffetline]

I am never going to tire of you saying you don't want me to just flat-out neutralize my side of everything. [He kisses Hermann's shoulder because he's comfortable, curled up like this and doesn't want to move.]

Maybe I can make a power-specific suppressor. Since neutralizing the blood in me isn't going to work and immunization isn't working. I'd like to stop worrying about bloody noses and papercuts.

[mathemagier]

Of course I don't. If you decided to do that, then I may as well go along with it. Working through an incomplete Drift is an experience I'd rather not repeat.

[But he's also grown used to his abilities and would be more reluctant to part with them. Hermann loops an arm behind Newton's back, fingers curling about his shoulder. Comfortable- yes, as his lingering nerves settle]

But I wouldn't abandon the idea for an anti-venom. Develop that for emergencies, then look into a more sophisticated approach perhaps. I know you've already been working on identifying the different biological factors between your abilities.

[driftsintobuffetline]

I'm working on it, yeah. Sometimes I'm just tired of how long scientific discovery takes. Like...we gave ten years of our lives, Hermann, ten years...building giant robots, mapping breaches, and studying alien biology and all it took was the inelegant solution of grabbing a kaiju carcass and riding the motherfucker into the Breach and then detonating a bomb.

[Granted, they needed some of that time to develop the Jaegers and perfect them enough to defeat Kaiju while they worked to find the Breach. And there was politics regarding what they could attempt and could not, especially once detonating a bomb at the Breach DID fail... But. STILL.]

Ten years. [He traces an invisible line down one of Hermann's pantlegs.] What am I missing? Is it really so complicated or am I going to spend years looking for an answer to this, only to find I was missing a single variable that would have made all the difference?

[A sigh.]...This was not what I was going to talk about. We were going to talk about kinky shit and fun stuff and how we should totally reenact every one of those fancomics.