[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]

[You should never expect or not expect when it comes to Newton.

That's rule one of a thousand.

He's about to tell Itachi, exasperatedly, that he doesn't have to stick around just because he does. Really, he's just, like. A mess right now. His hands aren't even steady again, and his thoughts are really wanting to circle down the drain into bad brain territory, but.

Itachi talks, and it distracts him from a mental breakdown that is trying to start all over again.

And Newt replies back with easy, impeccable timing, looking dead serious.]

Oh, it visits. The robot visits all the time.

It slaps itself into my door, and when I don't answer, it makes angry beeping sounds. So then I hunker down by the door and make angry beeping sounds back until it gives up and peels off into the night.

[blackfire]

（ a faint sigh escapes him. man, this is more emoting than he's done in newt's presence in the nearly eight months they've been acquainted now. ）

How uncouth.

（ smh, the thought of what mess lurks beyond yonder door gives him the heebie-jeebies. he is a fastidious man by nature, and does not tolerate the least speck of dust in his own space. ）

I am still acclimatizing to them. We do not have anything similar in my world. Robots or AI of any sort.

[groupiedrifter]

I like being uncouth, it's freeing.

[Said like it's his go-to answer. It's easy to imagine he says that line like its mad-libs, all the time. 'I like being ____, it's freeing.' Well, he's spiraling, but now it's into something he's comfortable with. He gives Itachi a glance, his knee bobbing at break-neck speeds where it's perched on the stool he's claimed once again. Anxiety be gone, the stool squeaks.

He takes a more slurpy drink of miso.

Robots. AI. Focal points. He's Coping (TM).]

I could show you how to build a robot.

Just a little guy who flips pancakes or says 'gesundheit' when you sneeze.

Or whatever.

[blackfire]

I would not be averse.

（ he won't deny he is curious. he has always had a voracious thirst for knowledge. it is not that the desire to learn ever faded away, it is that he did not have the time to pursue such things after akatsuki. ）

Though perhaps my request would be for something more immediately functional. I do not make pancakes, or... sneeze... often.

（ hm. actually, that does give him an idea. it is not something he would consider necessary of himself, given that his chakra control is what it is, but it would be interesting to keep tabs on one's innate levels, and how much of a drain certain techniques are in exacting terms and not just an uncanny instinct for such things. ）

[winscenario]

[ Easier to dismiss the words when they're strapped to this bed, helpless to do anything. Regardless, it's a threat that won't make Jim lose any sleep, once they're gone anyway. ]

Well, I'd wish you luck on that, but I actually don't, so.

[ He sighs, giving Newt's body one last look, for the moment satisfied that he seems uninjured. His hand rests briefly on his shoulder before leaving, as if he hopes Newt to somehow feel him there, a wordless comfort when he doesn't want to give these creatures the satisfaction of calling out for his friend. ]

[groupiedrifter]

[Honestly, he's a little embarrassed by the display once he calms down and gets some of these tears worked free. But too little too late to take it back, right? And it does help. Crying? Hugging? Both? It helps somewhere in that entanglement of complicated, depressing feelings festering in a freed mind.

As he pulls back hesitantly, not sure if he's doing it because he's done or because he doesn't wanna make this awkward, he looks anywhere but Yzak's face and sniffs in shame he wouldn't usually be feeling. There are, he's pretty sure, exceptions, especially in awful situations like this.

Lamely:]

... My bad.

It's been a, a long... [He almost days 'few days', almost says 'few months', but really-] year.

[lateness]

Because you'll have me.

[ It's a simple answer, and yes, maybe a little bit over-confident, but that's the Doctor for you. He always was the very image of just a little too much confidence, very much a believer in faking it until you make it. It's how he's gotten on all these years with all these faces.

Stick with him, and you'll be all right.

If this were any other companion of his, he'd offer a hand without a moment's thought. As it is, his expression is warm and he gestures the way forward. ]

Come along then, Geiszler.

[lateness]

[ The Doctor remains very still in an effort not to lose his temper or do anything else ridiculously stupid while the creatures in Newt's head try and taunt him. The important part is not to hurt the physical body of his friend, not when there are people on this station who have claimed they could help him.

And it mostly works, keeping his composure — mostly, because these creatures seem to know exactly where to get at him, where to poke at those tender bits of his hearts.

He breathes out, eyes trained on Newt's face, studying every minute change in his expression. ]

It's no matter. You've revealed yourselves enough and I'll find you either way. Wherever you are. I've got a very clever spaceship, you see, and it travels across time and space, and wherever it is you're from, I'm going to find you. And I'm going to make you pay for what you've done to my friends.

[coordination]

[ He politely ignores the first thing, almost as if he didn't hear it. Almost as if he has no idea what Newton could be referring to, even! He's letting that awkwardness slide since he was just there himself, knows he'd prefer it to never be spoken of again - so grants Newton that grace. ]

It has been, hasn't it. You arrived a month or so after I did, right? That means it actually has been a whole year on my end.

[kikoku]

I imagine some of them manage to go on to lead a somewhat normal life, but a lot of them become pirates. The founder of the legendary Sun Pirates was a former slave named Fisher Tiger. One of my crew escaped being sold into slavery as well.
[Awkward wording because Law refuses to take credit for saving Jean Bart because he's weird and cagey like that.]

I think it's a natural course of action if you have the will for it. A lot of people turn to piracy because they've been wronged by the World Government, even beyond those that were enslaved.
[That last sentence is said with a particularly stony tone, as Law scowls down at his open palm before tightening it into a fist. He won't say it, but it doesn't take a lot of intuition to suspect he's speaking from this on a personal level.]

But that sort of attitude can be their downfall, you know? To underestimate your enemy. That's why those Precursors lost to our crew.

[groupiedrifter]

... That's the thing I hate about it. I spent my whole life putting my mind to something, you know...? Not just trying, but doing. Succeeding. I was pretty fucking great at it, even.

But it... I couldn't try hard enough to break through. Not really.

[He rubs his hand across his eyes, sighing.]

I could see so much back there... My friends trying to plead with me, trying to stop me... I could even see you and that guy, Mal — I mean, I could see you guys fighting so hard, in bits and pieces. Through the kaiju's eyes. But no matter what I did, my body just... refused.

Everyone else was fighting and bleeding and — and being the most amazing people, and I —

[He presses the balls of his palms against his eyes.]

I just watched.

[groupiedrifter]

[They're smiling, attempting to look terribly casual, but-

Their eye twitches, expression a little more forced.]

We'll see about that, Rosi.

You'll all have to just learn like Newton has, what happens when you try to fight back.

[groupiedrifter]

[He looks a little anxious, as he reaches out to take the lighter. Maybe right now, that's just his natural state of being. It'll lessen with time... especially once he gets his cigarette lit and smoked (because obviously, cigarettes are magical cure-alls; yep, he doesn't know as a scientist how they're not actually helping, no sir, no way).

Once the cigarette is lit, he looks a touch embarrassed as he finally glances down to Rosinante. He looks left down the hall. Looks right. Like a skittish stray, he slowly slides down to next between the door and his friend, enjoying the unpleasant-pleasant scent of cigarette smoke.]

I don't know, Rosi. Feels like there's way better uses of your time than this.

[groupiedrifter]

Hey, she's totally sexy; nothing wrong with pointing out the appeal!

[Is he serious about that? Teasing? He'll never say. But he's probably both.

Either way, at least Newt seems to be loosening up around the Doctor.]

... That sort of thing is a lot easier to believe when you've got a time machine to visit those friends with. Or... I guess a weird little station that might pull your friends here to visit for a while.

[He looks down, fidgeting with the hem of his sleeve.]

My friends from home are gone now, but I guess they're only a stone's throw away.

Or a few universe's away.

[He looks up at the Doctor.]

Same thing, right?

[groupiedrifter]

['You're you'. Despite how he feels, he can't help the small, amused laugh that escapes him. That's one thing he'd come to expect in life: that people would just point at him and say Newton's Newton and know that there was really nothing anyone could do about him and his way of existing — himself included.]

I'm definitely a lot more 'me' now than I was a few days ago.

[Not a funny joke? Maybe not. If you don't laugh, you cry, so.]

... The girl in your story, I think she must've turned out pretty well, despite all the shit she had to put up with. Being so compassionate. Trying to be a better person everyday. All of the things that matter.

[groupiedrifter]

Hey, we think you're pretty banal yourself.

Luckily, we didn't expect much from some sad, tortured soul who can't handle power when its in their hands. If we're done here — by all means.

Walk away, Megs. [That's the nickname Newton likes to use, isn't it? Always loves using nicknames for the people on this station. How cute. They pout their lip out, feigning an exaggeratedly sad expression — feigning Newton, knowing it offers them nothing but a way to mock the situation.] I'll miss our poetry talks so much.

[groupiedrifter]

Oh, don't pretend like the mighty Itachi doesn't sneeze.

[He actually looks a little pleased, though. A good distraction.

Step in the right direction.]

Immediately functional, though. Mmm...

Name a few things you'd find immediately functional, actually.

[groupiedrifter]

It's Newt.

[He says it softer than he would any other day, any other week, any other month.

In this moment, though, there's no teasing, nor heat, behind it.

But he does start moving his legs, his shoulder pretty much touching the Doctor's as he walks. For once in his entire time aboard this station, he seems to almost hide behind the other — allows the Doctor's taller frame to mask some of Newton's existence here in this room. He dares not look around. Just... focuses on getting to where the Doctor leads them.

The silence that trails along with him is equally unnatural, but... he'll work on it.

He's gonna work on it.]

Are you, um. [He clears a dry throat.] Did you get healed? Like... you're feeling okay?

[spoilers]

[ She doesn't laugh, but she does smile. ]

They can't take that from you, you know. You were always still there, fighting, being Newt.

[ Little comfort, she expects, given how far down they'd pushed him, leaving him unable to stop them. But everyone needs help now and then.

Still smiling, she lets her shoulder bump against his. ]

And I'm glad you think so. It's important to me, what you think.

[attackbrows]

[ He turns his head downward for a second. Mostly to hide the grin escaping his face. To hide his wildly teenaged-like crush over his ship. He’s over 2000 years old now! Surely, he doesn’t want to appear like a smitten 90-year-old.

But when he glances at Newt looking up at him, looking as small as he ever was, he can feel something pulling at his hearts. Perhaps it’s because deep down he knows that feeling all too well.

His hand reaches over to give Newt’s hair an ever-so-gentle ruffle. ]

That’s the thing about friendships, Newt. They never expire.

[ He brings his hand back down and keeps his eyes on their simulated horizon. ]

You once told me back in Braccia that I was acting too big for my britches. [ Or something to that effect. ] That I was no different from being human. But therein lies the problem…

[ A beat. ]

I don’t think I can ever be as brilliant as you lot.

[bindsthedead]

But now... their minds have been shattered. They won't remember any of what they say through you, and probably can't string together a coherent thought.

[Which would be cruel, except... they're an evil hivemind that's a threat to the rest of the universe.

Sabriel's tone is reassuring, comforting.]

They're gone, and you're still here. Please, remember that.

[blackfire]

I said often. It would be a poor shinobi that reveals their position by sneezing.

（ but his exasperation is at least halfway fond, this time. ）

Would you be able to build something to measure one's energy levels? Chakra, in this instance.

[groupiedrifter]

[The fond exasperation is met with an earnest chuckle, like Itachi prodded him right in his little funnybone.

Unintentionally, of course. ]

Shinobis don't get the sniffles, huh? Or they just explode later from holding it in.

[Oh, but as he starts to drink up the miso soup again—]

Chakra. That's, like... Energy points in your body or whatever, right? I've heard about that kind of thing, but mostly from this girl I dated for a little while; something she used in yoga and meditation and all that fancy stuff.

[groupiedrifter]

[Oh, they would love nothing more than to have the Doctor lose his temper and lash out. They would love to saddle him with the guilt of hitting the face of a friend trapped in his own body. Showing that someone who's so-called 'heroic' can snap and reveal the nastiest parts of their own make-up. They wonder, are Timelords as unstable as humans? It'd be fun to test. They can't help but smile at the possibilities.]

You're going to do what? Stop us? You couldn't even keep us from snapping your nasty little companion's arm.

Do you remember hearing it, in Newton's mind? The crunch?

[They lean forward, as far as their binds will let them.]

She called your name, Doctor! Said you'd stop us! Where were you, while she whimpered and screamed? Or is she worth little more than her short skirt and batting eyelashes? We almost did you a favor if the dream had gone on just a little longer...!

[groupiedrifter]

[He wipes a little urgently at his cheeks, trying to rid himself of the evidence.]

Y-yeah. Yeah... I-it's been. [A sniff. A soft breath.] A month.

I can, um, remember — they showed up pretty much at the beginning. But that fucking mental block thing they do, it stopped me from remembering. 'Cus I did. I remembered every time I went to sleep. But when I woke up and tried to find help, I just... I forgot why I felt like I needed it.

I always knew... but I didn't... know.

[He wonders if that sounds stupid.

But at least Yzak saw for himself, back then. Newton in a panic, leaving his room, glasses abandoned as he slowly deflated when he realized he had nothing urgent to actually tell him.]