[VOICE] - April 24th - Midday

[driftsintobuffetline]

ALRIGHT, YOU MOTHERFUCKING PORTER--TWO WEEKS. I AM GONE TWO [A strained pause, as if he's trying not to drop another MFing F bomb here] ...WEEKS! AND YOU PULL THIS SHIT! I AM GOING TO DISMANTLE YOU MYSELF. I AM GOING TO DISMANTLE YOU--AND THEN SMASH INTO MICROSCOPIC...PARTICLES EVERY LAST DAMN PIECE OF YOU!!

WHERE THE HELL IS HE?

[He's on the verge of hyperventilating.  The next few lines are pitched gradually higher, bordering on hysterics, shriller even than Newt's usual.]

I WILL KAIJU RAMPAGE ALL UP AND DOWN THIS GODDAMN PATHETIC CITY UNTIL I FIND HIM. WE ARE GOING TO HAVE SOME SERIOUS GODZILLA SHIT GOING ON HERE--

TEAR THIS PLACE APART--

YOU ARE GOING TO REGRET--

[The sound of a piano, as if someone put a hand down on the keyboard.  Not with force; more as if to steady himself on his way to taking a seat.  The struck keys fade into silence.  Stillness.  Emptiness.  Loneliness.  Like a one-sided Drift.]

Comments

Permavoice

[governorkang]

Newt.

[He's using his Sons-of-Bitches voice]

Hermann is fine. He was taken into custody for hacking into government files. They should let you see him.

Permavoice

[driftsintobuffetline]

[There's relief, anger laced with fondness, and a hint of a sob (not crying, totally not...ok) in his voice.]

That...stupid--idiotic--ASSHOLE!! Why the...--

No. Okay, I know why. I think. But what an absolute--

...He's not fine, dude. He's not going to make it behind bars. What was he thinking?!

Permavoice

[governorkang]

You know that custody for imPorts is a joke.

Permavoice

[driftsintobuffetline]

[A huff. He is worried. Logic fails right now. But yes, Kang has a point.]

But he's a nerd. They're going to beat him up. [Steal his lunch money. You know. ...Hurt him.] You think they'd let him have his cane? They definitely aren't giving him his powers. I mean, it's just a guess [It's not a guess.] but I doubt they'd let a guy who can manipulate objects' physical properties have his power.

audio

[dendarii]

[ Oh god, poor Newt. Miles knows too well the agony of having your closest friend and lover yanked out of your head. But he's also relieved to see Newton back. ]

Doctor! Doctor, it's all right. He's imprisoned, but I assure you he will be beyond relieved to see you.

[driftsintobuffetline]

[He's calmed a bit, enough to grumble:] After he rips me a new one for disappearing on him.

How bad is his sentence? Do we know yet?

[dendarii]

Yes, and rightly so. But it's still relief.

[ He is just the slightest bit jealous. ]

... I'm not completely sure. There was a post on the network that I thought mentioned something - a few months, perhaps?

[driftsintobuffetline]

Months?! I can't... MONTHS?!
This is cruel and unusual punishment.

I'm going to go crazy. He's going to be eaten alive in there, and I'm going to go crazy!

voice

[4thdimensional]

[Doc just sounds sad. He hasn't felt this particular anguish yet, but he's been close to it at points.]

As you've heard what's happened to him by now...I'm so sorry, Newt. This has been a terrible sequence of events right after your wedding.

Can I bring you anything?

[driftsintobuffetline]

If the something's not Hermann, probably no. Thanks, but. Okay, what about... A time machine? Go back and fix this mess?

->private

[4thdimensional]

The threat of the law of unintended consequences has kept me from building one so far...and we've seen enough evidence of that already.

[and he flips the private switch]

I may not have a time machine, but if it's apparent his life is truly in danger of either ending or permanent arrest, I'll pitch in, consequences be damned. I know the uncertainty is the last thing you want, but you should know more shortly, and then have a better idea of the risk calculation.

The public will want to see him reunited with you. They even made that commemorative snow sculpture.

private

[driftsintobuffetline]

Hey, I understand. It's definitely better you and The Doctor don't have your time machines. And you know, I appreciate the sentiment and offer, but if it becomes necessary, I'm serious about Kaijuing in. I don't need to get anyone else tangled up in that mess. I'll pull a King Kong and carry him off.

What snow sculpture, though? People like us? I haven't really thought about having fans since fanport. Kind of figured we were off the radar as old news.

[Voice]

[caduceusvalkyrie]

Oh Newt, I'm so sorry that you had to come back to this.

[driftsintobuffetline]

I'm realizing that all in all, it could have been worse though. At least...he's still here? I'm counting that as a minor win.

[caduceusvalkyrie]

That's good. It is a win.

I don't condone what he did, but it could have been worse on that front. I hope you get to see him soon. If you need anything, any kind of help, I'm here for you, okay?

video;

[fayzedandconfused]

Um. Okay, bad timing, but have you seen Sophie around?

[driftsintobuffetline]

Oh. Man. Kiddo. ...I'm sorry? I'm sorry I failed to tell you before all this.

Damn.

Sophie vanished at the start of the month. Her stuff is all here in our new house and, not going to lie, I planned to leave her room as hers, in case she returns. I hope so. But you're welcome to hang around here if you want. I know there's an importance in stuff in the absence of the person.

If you want to stop by for lunch or dinner, let me know... I'll make you something to eat?

I'm sorry, but fingers crossed. She's returned before.

[fayzedandconfused]

Oh. [ Her face falls, a little bit, but for the most part she looks pretty stoic about the news. ] Okay. Thanks for telling me.

[driftsintobuffetline]

[He doesn't know what to do with such a stoic, brave girl]

...I'm sorry.

Voice

[dun_moch]

[The Count's voice is filled with deep and profound sympathy. It's almost as though he doesn't absolutely love posts like this (which he does).]

Perhaps we would all be better off if that wretched machine was destroyed. But please Doctor, I urge you against resorting to violence. The Porter is contained within a guarded military base- surely even you could not breach its security.

[driftsintobuffetline]

You underestimate a monster with a brain and on a mission.

Someday, not today, but someday I'm going get my hands on that thing and figure out what makes it tick. Trust me.

[dun_moch]

I believe you, Doctor. And I fully support your goals.

In happier circumstances, I might ask you more about your intended research. But for now, I will simply ask if you are all right? I can see how returning to your husband's absence would be most disturbing.

Voice

[outofthepast]

[Worry not, random angry citizen. A robot that sounds like Bogart is here to help.]

Easy there, pal. Panicking won't help.

Who is it you're missing?

[driftsintobuffetline]

Panicking always helps. My entire existence has been about panicking. Seriously.

I'm missing my husband, Doctor Hermann Gottlieb-Geiszler, who, as it turns out, has in my absence decided to turn to a life of crime! And not even a sexy, black market, underground fight club kind of crime life, but an Edward Snowden wannabe who then proceeded to get his ass CAUGHT!

[outofthepast]

[Well, congratulations, Newt. You definitely surpassed what Nick was expecting the panic to be about.]

Huh. You don't hear that one every day.

[All the same, he is determined to try to help, if he possibly can.]

That's quite the... trouble, there. But screaming and cursing isn't going to do much but raise your blood pressure. Have they let him contact you at all?