[Mostly Open] So we'll press, and press 'til you can't take it anymore!

[groupiedrifter]

CHARACTERS: Precursors and you. And Eventually Newton. Hopefully!
LOCATION: A holding room in Ximilia Station.
DATE: Est. two days post-mission, after the kaiju is defeated and the orb is retrieved.
CONTENT: The precursors are revealed — and are finally removed from Newt's mind.
WARNINGS: Possession and the bodily autonomy issues that come with that. More will be added if necessary!

Closed and opened starters will be added as I go, which will be announced on plurk! But if you don't use plurk or would rather keep an eye out by email/tracking, feel free to use the tracking option and mark to receive notifs any new top level comments posted to this log! The log will involve an open starter to visit the precursors where they're cuffed/contained in the room, so stay tuned.

Also no rush once the open starters are posted!

Feel free to focus on the player plot log first and come back to this later.

CLOSED STARTER | THE DOCTOR
DARKLING'S TOP LEVEL | WHILE NEWT WAS SLEEPING...
OPEN STARTER | THE PRECURSORS, REVEALED
CLOSED FINAL CONCLUSION | THE PRECURSORS, REMOVED
OPEN PROMPTS | NEWTON GEISZLER'S RETURN

Comments

[groupiedrifter]

[Newt melts like he's been starved of touch — because he has. He's been desperate for it, even as his body revolted without him knowing why. God, he had felt like a broken, unwell man, even before he knew what was lurking in his head. All that time, he'd thought it was just Newton Geiszler. Just like he'd thought his night terrors were him. Just like he'd thought the distance he'd formed between him and people he loved more than himself was all him... What a fool he was. A stupid fucking idiot.

He presses his cheek into Rhysand's shoulder, hiding in the shade of his wings as he tries to work the lump in his throat loose.]

... They didn't let me do this. They made it feel like every time someone tried to touch my hand, or hug me, or kiss me, that it was — disgusting. [His voice shifts, quietly outraged; quietly upset.]They fucking tricked my mind into thinking it was me all this time... that there was something wrong with me, when it was all I actually wanted.

[He buries his face, his breath a sharp, sad thing.]

I don't wanna be alone with them anymore.

[groupiedrifter]

[Newton hasn't really had time to digest that yet. That he survived, for one, but that the others are quietly supportive — that they just want him to get better. Maybe the precursors had planted that in his head. One last cruel intention before the road, to make him feel like returning to life would have been a crushing, painful blow... That they would reject him, or at the very least fear the sight of him.

He shakes his head.]

It's not something you have to apologize for, Sab. What you did — it was so big. I can't ever make it up to you.

[He breathes in slow.]

It's been since Sedorum. I realized they were there, so they... took over completely.

I had dreams... every night, I had dreams where they'd talk to me. But when I woke up...

[bindsthedead]

You don't have to. If something happened to any of us- I know you'd do the same.

[She means it. And Sabriel's vaguely aware that the Precursors may have lied to Newt, to try to break him- just like they had tried to claim that there wasn't enough of Newt left to save.

At that, Sabriel stops, thinking back over the timeline.]

So that conversation we had- when you asked me to make that promise- it was either just before, or after they took over.

[blackfire]

I did not say it was for work.

（ like, it was. but he didn't say it was. gosh, newt, you and your assumptions. ）

I do admit it is... interesting, to see other worlds in this manner.

（ other peoples, other cultures. he has held most of his own close to his chest, unwilling to impart it to those who would only judge what they do not understand of it. but, by that stroke, he is beginning to see the flaws replete in his home. konoha is not perfect, but others holding that same opinion when they had not lived there would rankle. ）

Which has been your favourite of the places we have travelled to? I know you have been here longer than I have.

[firstroar]

[hey, if Newt can endure a little thought-conversation after all that, then Blue can spare the lung real estate.]

Everyone who...worked to find you again. Even those who...didn't know. You were captive. Who were still...speaking to you... [hh.]

The real way...to make it up...to all those feelings...is to carry them with you. As you walk forward. It's the moving forward...that's hard, but, Newt... When someone dear to you...is suffering so much? Don't you just want to see them...have better days ahead? Don't you want to share them, too...?

[winscenario]

You and I have very different definitions of 'merciful'.

[ But then that doesn't surprise him, necessarily. If anything, it just surprises him that they would even claim to be merciful in any way. Then again, they're probably just mocking him. ]

Can I ask you something?

[cruelyethuman]

[He doesn't care about the murders, even the loss of innocent lives. Had everything been exactly the same, with one crucial difference - he would have let Newton wallow in the misery he brought on the station. Would have let him, or the ones inside of him, ravage the train to bathe in the blood that rained down with every explosion.

That Daisy has killed, is nothing.

But he wipes the traces of unfocused anger from his face, frowning down at her pale face.]

I am sorry, for what was done to you.

[Consoling was not a skill he had much practice in, but he draws circles on the back of her hand to show a measure of- comfort, perhaps. Solace. Daisy's story rings too close to his own lived experiences, to the thing he does not feel guilty about. His secret.

Instead of trying to find the words that would mean nothing in the end, he cradles her head in his free hand.]

[groupiedrifter]

[A pause. A click of Newt's tongue.]

Mmm... why not? It's not like we've got anywhere else to be.

If it's a stupid question, though, we have the right to refuse service.

[It's easy to pluck silly things from Newton's head. They'll give him this: he's nothing if not colorful.]

[winscenario]

[ Of course they don't have to answer. Jim can't force them to, nor would he even if he could. ]

Why go to all this trouble? What's the point?

[groupiedrifter]

... That depends.

If you're asking why we're here in this body in the first place? It's because we're going to use Dr. Geiszler open a bridge back to his planet and violently stomp out his species. [They give Jim a wink.] Don't worry, that's not a spoiler anymore; Newton knows. We wanted him to know.

But if you mean all of this? [They roll their eyes around the room.] Well, c'mon, captain. What reason do you think? Why are you and the rest of your crew here?

Granted, you caught us redhanded, but it was a hell of a try.

[winscenario]

No, I mean this in general.

Here, or back on Earth, apparently you're a xenophobic and genocidal race more interested in destroying anyone and anything you see in your path than anything. Yet, you are sentient, you're capable of logical thought. I'd just like to understand what's the end goal in all of that. So— you destroy all life in an entire universe, and then... what?

[groupiedrifter]

[... Oh? Oh. Their brow furrows, and they look genuinely baffled.]

Are you serious?

To take as much as we can, all for ourselves.

Who cares if all other sentient life is gone? If we don't have a reason to keep them around, they're worthless anyway.

We'll just build slaves if we need them.

[groupiedrifter]

[He shoves a big bite into that sad little face of his, brain freeze be damned.

He manages to get most of it down by the time its his turn to talk again.]

I could manipulate that wing a little bit. Like, I don't know how it worked... I guess because they were supposed to be wings to our souls, or whatever? Unfortunately, uhhhh... wasn't really that good at getting anyone's attention. It's not like I could do sign language or anything.

[He sighs softly, sniffing and taking another weighty bite.

He's calmer now, at least. Helps when you've got someone to focus on other than you and your really mean thoughts toward yourself.]

And the morse code thing I did later didn't really work when we were in the middle of a big battlefield...

[winscenario]

So you're motivated by greed, plain and simple.

[ He lets out a soft hum, face wrinkling a little in a slight frown. ]

Figured a species who claims to be so superior to the rest of us would have more interesting motivations than that.

[hatejakku]

[ Finn smiles as he watches the dark butterfly flutter about, charmed by the illusion it creates. So much so, that his smile falls when it becomes part of the shadows again. ]

Sort of... The Force exists separate from me, but I can see it and manipulate it. It has its own will, though. Not really thoughts so much as... actions. Brings people together, plays out events. All is as the Force wills it or something like that.

[ Even he doesn't know where he's heard that before. Sometimes weird quotes just come to him... Hell, maybe he's making them up.

Anyway, Finn takes a deep breath. ]

Together... but only as a last resort. I'll hold you to that, too.

[groupiedrifter]

[Oh, what? You mean the sound of Dorothy talking to Glenda about the yellow brick road? He makes a little 'oh' sound, sheepishly reaching over to pause the small portable DVD player that had no doubt been sitting on his chest moments before.]

It's, y'know. Just some noise. I've always been crap at sitting in quiet places.

[He bites his lip as he watches her step over the debris of a sad man.]

Something... you wanted to talk about?

[spoilers]

[ Her fingers brush his arm lightly as she moves past him to sit, still reluctant to admit she's come to check on him, though it's clear she has.

But finally, ] We could...talk.

[ There's a quiet, considering breath, and she continues in a softer version of her usual light tone. ]

Who hasn't experienced an alien possession or two?

[ Then more sincerely, ] Admittedly, not quite like that. Never quite like that.

[ It seems she suddenly finds her hands Very Fascinating. ]

But I do understand wondering if you'll be able to trust yourself, what might happen if you stop worrying.

[ She looks back up at him. ]

I've done things I'm not proud of, Sweetie, things I had very little or no choice in, hurt people I cared a great deal about. If you want to talk, I think I'd be very good at listening.

[groupiedrifter]

[He jumps at the Doctor's voice, but to his credit, it's only a little! Instead of the more likely ten feet off the ground, anyway. When he turns to him, he looks at least relieved that it's him; maybe it's stupid, but the way the Doctor had handled the silly little human Newton Geiszler through all of this makes him feel more at ease now, at the end of that mess.

And honestly, someone asking him for a cup of tea makes him think of Hermann; while it's a terrible ache, it's also some comfort he can't quite explain.

... Even so...

He looks unsure.]

How do you know?

That it won't be all that bad.

[aurable]

I've been called worse. Always nice to chat with senior citizens.

[ Drift reaches into a another pocket for a lighter. A click, the raw smell of butane, and then a hiss as blue sparks into orange.

Words hang in the air. A slender coil of white smoke cuts a gossamer line between them as it slowly rises from the narrow red point of its burning center. Drift lets the cigarette roll between his fingers for a moment, ] Not worth it, honestly. You see one liquidation of a system and incalculable loss of life, and you've seen 'em all.

[ The smoke starts to build, Drift wonders if those eyes can still sting. ]

Don't worry, [ Turning the cigarette around, not feeling the burning end so close to the heel of his palm, Drift eases it passed chapped lips. ] I've got you covered.

[ Another dead silence passes between them — inhale, exhale, and smoke gets in their eyes but they do not feel it. ]

I feel sorry for you. Not in the sense where I'm supposed to feel morally superior for offering sympathy to the unrepentant, no. [ Drift shakes his head and looks at the thing wearing familiar, painted skin and feeling his age. ]

I bet you barely even remember why you're doing this.

[groupiedrifter]

[He gives Yzak a skeptical glance where he sits, shoulders slumped.]

Everybody, huh?

I wouldn't make any big assumptions like that yet.

[He swallows hard, pushing aside the swiveling bedside tray.]

It's my fault everyone almost got killed... So.

[coordination]

Hmmmhhmph. [ He tilts his head, studying Newton closely as he returns his gaze. ]

I don't recall you doing any of that. On the subject of big assumptions.

[ There's that matter of factness in his voice. ]

But I know you're not going to just so easily accept that. Even though it wasn't you, and it wasn't your fault, Newton.

[groupiedrifter]

Super interesting. If not for the life and death part of it, this would be the sweetest vacation ever.

[Also, the being infected by aliens, but... that would have happened with or without being here. He tries really, really hard not to think about that right now. But he is. So he pushes into the next question with urgency.]

Places we've travelled! Oh, man. Which place was even the first one you'd been to...? The first place was pretty amazing. The emperor there was a piece of shit, but before things got hairy and a bunch of crewmembers got turned into literal monsters, we got to stay in the palace. Drinks and fancy guitars and robes... And the outside market was amazing. Anything you'd wanna buy, you could find it.

And stuff that would appeal to your style, too. It had a very... Eastern Asian vibe?

[Absently, he adds:]

... Braccia was pretty neat, too, but it definitely felt more 1950's America.

[blackfire]

Kilnan.

（ he met him on that first mission, where newt had told him he had 'gorgeous' eyes. he had been mystified then and faintly offended — the sharingan is a weapon, not something to be aesthetically admired — but now he has just come to grudging understanding that it is simply who newt is as a person. ）

Is that where you are from originally? America.

（ look, americans are... particular. newt's egregious loudness would suit what else he has learned. ）

[groupiedrifter]

[Yup, that's Newt. Invasive little guy with cry-eyes, a big tub of ice-cream, and the uncanny ability to get a free breakfast. His mind staggers a little over Kilnan, because that was where the precursors broke Clara's arm, but...

He pushes that thought back and forcefully brightens.]

Kilnan! Right! That castle was super awesome...

[He eats a spoonful of rocky road.]

Mmmf, I'm from Germany, actually! Ich bin Berliner. But I was always American in my heart and soul. Especially somewhere in the Boston or New York area. [He knows he's speaking complete gibberish to Itachi at this point, so he helps the poor guy out:] America's a pretty big place. Lots of different subcultures.

I actually moved there when in my teen years to go to college. Stayed until giant monsters attacked, then went all over the place for work travel.

[callada]

[Yeah, he'll have to thank those two later.]

How many planets?

[Though maybe the number is meaningless. It seems like there are more planets in the universe than he can wrap his mind around. What number would it have to be before they're a genuine threat to everyone?]