driftsintobuffetline

You should have a look at this when you're done fawning over lizard biology.

Edited 2015-08-07 08:39 (UTC)

[[concurrent with this]]

Hey. How are you holding up?

[As soon as he picks up]

Newton, I'm going to preface this by saying this wasn't intentional and I will return as soon as possible.

[He's trying very hard not to be cold]

Edited 2015-09-23 05:30 (UTC)

[Enjoy, Newt: it's a picture of a huge burmese python wearing a ridiculous tiny hat.]

wanna meet back at your face or mine?

[Oh look Newt, someone's sent you a video. Look at that dog. Isn't it cute.]

look at what he can do now

I may have found you a qualified medic with both practical experience and healing abilities, so expect a Peter Petrelli to be in contact with you.

Your colleague sent me your way. Said you were looking for some help conducting experiments?

[It had been a few days since the break down in front of Newton and Joaquin felt like he owed him an apology of sorts, but damn if it wasn't hard to build up to actually sending a message. This could get awkward.]

Hey Newt. Just wanted to let you know I talked with Manolo about some things and it seems like I might have worried over nothing. Or not nothing, but over something that I shouldn't have put so much weight on.

And anyway I wanted to say that I am glad you were there to talk with me about it. Or listen to me complain about it. Both, really.

[He's working on his laptop with the television playing in the background while trying not to worry about what Newton's up to in the kitchen when the emergency broadcast airs. It effectively announces itself with the sound of gunfire, and Hermann freezes, glancing up from his work to find utter chaos on display.

Wanton violence, gunmen shooting down imPorts in a section of Heropa, and it's horrifying. He wants to shut it off immediately, but finds himself trapped by an obligation to watch it play out while his heart pounds and sickness twists in his stomach]

[ When Newt gets back to work at StarkTech after Christmas, he'll find a $5 giftcard to the coffee shop nearest work and a free movie ticket at his work station with a cute card reading "Happy Holidays!" and Cisco's messy signature. ]

[It's past dark where Qubit is, although halfway around the world it's 9AM the next day.]

Hey. How long are you two in Hong Kong again?

Newton, where are you?

Please pick up.

Hi, Dr. Geiszler. This is Barnaby. When I took a headcount after the escape, I noticed you were missing, so I wanted to confirm you made it home safely.

hi dr. geiszler
i hope you and dr. gottlieb are doing okay
now that the soviets are gone and things
are trying to go back to normal

if youve got some time
i want to ask your opinion
about something

im trying to decide
if i should stay unsettled
or if i should become
a registered import

so i want to hear
about other peoples experiences
about their feelings from where they stand now
those sorts of things

[Joaquin's back to using videos to chat on the comms again! He's still looking a bit less jovial than his baseline mood but not as desperately lifeless as the seminar had left him days before.]

Hey Newt, just uh... figured I'd check on you and see how you were doing. So, um... how's things?

With that conversation concluded to the point of fruitlessness, Hermann shut off his comm and weighed the pros and cons of pursuing it. They'd probably argue, but neither did the idea of ignoring the issue sit well. No, they were capable of seething over many issues, and it always dissolved into a shouting match. Not something they needed when there was an engagement on the horizon.

Hermann levered himself up and strode down the hall to Newton's door, where it was firmly shut - and locked - against him. He sighed, felt the edge of Newton's agitation bleeding through the door, then raised his cane to rap against it.

"Are we going to talk about this, Newton? Or was that the height of your maturity?"

Edited 2016-03-20 06:37 (UTC)

Hi, Dr. Geiszler. When you get this message, do you mind calling me back? [There's a pause here, as if Manolo is hesitating over whether to explain anymore. Finally, he settles on:] Don't worry, this isn't an emergency. I know you're busy, so take your time. Thanks.

About that conversation we had the other day ...

[Joaquin doesn't preface this with anything, just sends a message log, complete with timestamps and the attached photograph at the bottom.

Then he sends the short video that Newt and Hermann took on NYE. Again, no context.

~~Aren't you proud of him Newt? He figured out how to do this kind of linking JUST FOR YOU!~~]

[Tossed by his wastebin, but having evidently missed its target, the paper is lightly crumpled and the handwritten text has a pale red line of marker struck through it with the helpful note: better phrasing obviously written with much less care than the rest]

Newton,

I confess I've no idea what to write here.

Our original letters were scientific in nature, with a subtle undercurrent of personal intrigue. It's what we're most comfortable with, and I don't believe I've ever written a strictly personal letter in my entire life. Closest was likely my university application essay, but then I'd never imagined you.

Sheer brute force.

It's how you do everything in emotional terms, much like the drift itself. Speaking as someone much more guarded, it's both enviable and frightening, yet fascinating. I still can't fathom what sort of criteria I must have met to warrant your regard, but perhaps that's simply my own flawed thinking. I consider everything in terms of data and numerical expression, but humanity in general has never conformed to reason. I'm rather certain you're something of an outlier even, making for a particularly unpredictable partner, and one I'm enjoying rather thoroughly regardless.

So while I can predict an alien species, I will likely never have enough data to predict you, even with the Drift. But as you know, I'm rather fascinated by the unknown, and will still endeavour to collect as much data as possible- only this is the one subject in which I don't expect anyone else to continue my work in later years, and the only recognition I require is yours.

Some mathematicians find comfort in pi as an ongoing measure of eternity, and there is certainly an element of enchantment to be found in such a concept. But then there are times I think that eternity sounds exhausting and unbearable, and that I'd rather simply spend either one or both lives with you.

With unending affection,
Hermann

Dr. Geiszler, I have what is perhaps a frivolous question to ask of you. Do you have any recommendations for tattoo artists in the area? I have one in mind, but I'd like to look at all my options.

[Doc is going through the messages and notes left behind by what must have been his alternate self. He discovers one cryptic note about Geiszler and Gottlieb violating public decency, frowns at it, then eventually discovers what it must have meant.]

I'd like to extend my belated congratulations on your engagement to Dr. Gottlieb. You undoubtedly have many happy years ahead.

[Hermann's aiming for a light, casual tone, but winds up sounding a bit too careful and deliberate with his wording instead]

Newton, Miles got in touch with me to apologize, and we got to talking about the Drift. More specifically, our bond as it may or may not relate to theirs. We've decided that we perhaps should experiment a bit, but to that end, we will of course need to be mindful not to try anything terrible invasive, as well as decide what sorts of exercises we should attempt.

text;

8/19, text

Sept 26th, audio;

[Misfire text]

misfire text

Misfire; video/text

text;

no subject

[text, december 1st]

action; dec. 6th

CHRISTMAS DELIVERY

video;