Newt Geiszler | Pacific Rim (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
groupiedrifter) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
ximilia2022-07-06 09:59 pm
groupiedrifter) wrote in ximilia2022-07-06 09:59 pm
Video; un: newt | a day or two before the Big Mission Log
[The little electronics shop has a small back room that is dangerously close to detection, when it comes to any government workers coming or going; just a door with a little private sign on the front — and behind that, there's a figure huddled over a desk, tie loosened and hair askew as he takes apart disarmed detonation collars and puts together prototypes to shut them down completely. His focus is impeccable, that's to be sure, but he's going on a second or maybe third night in a row without rest as he stares down the glassy front of a magnifying glass, fingers shock-still around a small welding gun that carefully patches pieces of refurbished technology together.
There is a hefty-sized box beside him, and he's placing his newly created disarming tools into it one at a time; it's gotten quite full. As he works... he starts... rambling into the feed. It does not stop. It almost seems like it never will.
Beside him on the desk, there are generic brand MEGA-CAFFEINE PATCHES.]
I can't just take it easy. Are you kidding? Taking it easy means there's less time to perfect the proper tools we need for this job; if I screw up and everyone's heads pop like grapes, what's that gonna say about me? That I'm a two-bit piece of shit engineer — and yeah, okay, so engineering isn't my primary skillset, but I helped build giant plasma canons, alright? I fortified armaments for 200 foot robots! I built a drifting PONS out of garbage! So, like, I can't just fail at this mission. Besides, this is Viv's home world, so if I fuck it up, I'll basically be letting her down; what would I even say? "Sorry I let people you probably care about go kablooey? At least I made you a dumpy robot body that isn't anywhere near as good as the ones you've got on your world?" Pfft, no, no way. So excuuuse me if I hit some caffeine patch vendors up for a little pick-me-up; what else was I gonna do, snort sci-fi cocaine? I'm not gonna snort sci-fi cocaine; let's leave that to the Scarface wannabes, yeah? I'm steady as shit right now, couldn't be more steady, like Doogie Howser up in this bi — shit! Electronic shock. Sorry. Don't worry, I'm not gonna blow myself up. C'mon, do I look like a guy who would blow himself up? Okay, maybe I look like a guy who'd blow himself up, but I've been alive 36 blissful years and I haven't turned myself into a reenactment of Jeff Goldblum at the end of The Fly yet. What a sick movie, totally worth it for the gross-out. A lesser man would have played it in its entirety at one of our movie nights, but I'm a kind and compassionate soul who would never do such a thing; Newton H. Geiszler is an angel. I don't know why I put an 'H' in there, I don't have a middle name. Does everyone have a middle name? Shit, did my dad skimp out on me? First he makes me a torrid love affair baby, then he curses me genetically with the gold trophy standard of ADHD and bad eyesight, and now he's not giving me my due right as a German-American by giving me some ugly middle name like Clarence or Wolfgang. Actually, Wolfgang sounds kind of lit. Newton Wolfgang Geiszler. Dude, I might just adopt that for myself. Shit! I don't know. What time is it? Someone'll come and let me know when we're doing the mission thing, right? 'Cus I'll be fine to do it, I'll rest in a little bit; I've been taking catnaps in-between finishing disarming tools. Trust me, I'm the king of taking power naps while sitting upright. I've even done it on a stool before, easy peasy pumpkin peasy pumpkin pie. Oh! Actually, I need to think of names for these ones, right? Like how I named the Newtrilizer. I loved that fucking thing; I'm actually using a few notes from that to help make these, too. But I'm seriously blanking on a name... Hermann would probably think it's stupid to name it, but what does he know, anyway? Only a complete loser would name something after a bunch of dead scientists or boring numbers. He's not here to stop me, so whatever! I'll do what I want! And what I want is to name this one The Geiszler Extemporizer. The Geiszler Depolarizer? Or is that too long? It's kind of a mouthful... I guess naming it something that ends in E-R is pretty boring, though. Maybe I'm boring, too. Damn, I don't wanna be boring... Ooooh, I think I'm having heart palpations. Or hot flashes? I really need to get some air conditioning installed in this place. How am I so poor and underequipped in every job after MIT? You'd think saving the world would get me a hell of a lot more money; mo' money, less problems, ha! Ha.... Mmmrrr.
[He quiets for a moment, then another moment, and then his head slouches forward to rest on his chest. There's a quiet buzzing of dead noise and a soft snore before he he startles back awake, gripping the soldering tool more firmly in his hand.]
Whoa!
[He sniffs, rubbing his eye.
Looks left. Looks right.
Squints at the equivalent of a flashing red video light in his vision.]
... Was I recording?
There is a hefty-sized box beside him, and he's placing his newly created disarming tools into it one at a time; it's gotten quite full. As he works... he starts... rambling into the feed. It does not stop. It almost seems like it never will.
Beside him on the desk, there are generic brand MEGA-CAFFEINE PATCHES.]
I can't just take it easy. Are you kidding? Taking it easy means there's less time to perfect the proper tools we need for this job; if I screw up and everyone's heads pop like grapes, what's that gonna say about me? That I'm a two-bit piece of shit engineer — and yeah, okay, so engineering isn't my primary skillset, but I helped build giant plasma canons, alright? I fortified armaments for 200 foot robots! I built a drifting PONS out of garbage! So, like, I can't just fail at this mission. Besides, this is Viv's home world, so if I fuck it up, I'll basically be letting her down; what would I even say? "Sorry I let people you probably care about go kablooey? At least I made you a dumpy robot body that isn't anywhere near as good as the ones you've got on your world?" Pfft, no, no way. So excuuuse me if I hit some caffeine patch vendors up for a little pick-me-up; what else was I gonna do, snort sci-fi cocaine? I'm not gonna snort sci-fi cocaine; let's leave that to the Scarface wannabes, yeah? I'm steady as shit right now, couldn't be more steady, like Doogie Howser up in this bi — shit! Electronic shock. Sorry. Don't worry, I'm not gonna blow myself up. C'mon, do I look like a guy who would blow himself up? Okay, maybe I look like a guy who'd blow himself up, but I've been alive 36 blissful years and I haven't turned myself into a reenactment of Jeff Goldblum at the end of The Fly yet. What a sick movie, totally worth it for the gross-out. A lesser man would have played it in its entirety at one of our movie nights, but I'm a kind and compassionate soul who would never do such a thing; Newton H. Geiszler is an angel. I don't know why I put an 'H' in there, I don't have a middle name. Does everyone have a middle name? Shit, did my dad skimp out on me? First he makes me a torrid love affair baby, then he curses me genetically with the gold trophy standard of ADHD and bad eyesight, and now he's not giving me my due right as a German-American by giving me some ugly middle name like Clarence or Wolfgang. Actually, Wolfgang sounds kind of lit. Newton Wolfgang Geiszler. Dude, I might just adopt that for myself. Shit! I don't know. What time is it? Someone'll come and let me know when we're doing the mission thing, right? 'Cus I'll be fine to do it, I'll rest in a little bit; I've been taking catnaps in-between finishing disarming tools. Trust me, I'm the king of taking power naps while sitting upright. I've even done it on a stool before, easy peasy pumpkin peasy pumpkin pie. Oh! Actually, I need to think of names for these ones, right? Like how I named the Newtrilizer. I loved that fucking thing; I'm actually using a few notes from that to help make these, too. But I'm seriously blanking on a name... Hermann would probably think it's stupid to name it, but what does he know, anyway? Only a complete loser would name something after a bunch of dead scientists or boring numbers. He's not here to stop me, so whatever! I'll do what I want! And what I want is to name this one The Geiszler Extemporizer. The Geiszler Depolarizer? Or is that too long? It's kind of a mouthful... I guess naming it something that ends in E-R is pretty boring, though. Maybe I'm boring, too. Damn, I don't wanna be boring... Ooooh, I think I'm having heart palpations. Or hot flashes? I really need to get some air conditioning installed in this place. How am I so poor and underequipped in every job after MIT? You'd think saving the world would get me a hell of a lot more money; mo' money, less problems, ha! Ha.... Mmmrrr.
[He quiets for a moment, then another moment, and then his head slouches forward to rest on his chest. There's a quiet buzzing of dead noise and a soft snore before he he startles back awake, gripping the soldering tool more firmly in his hand.]
Whoa!
[He sniffs, rubbing his eye.
Looks left. Looks right.
Squints at the equivalent of a flashing red video light in his vision.]
... Was I recording?
no subject
[ it's lies, of course, that he doesn't know — he made sure to listen in on people's conversations and then read newt's post to be fully informed. ]
So it's fine! You're feeling better, now, right?
... if an entire post of your thoughts counts as better...
no subject
Demonic possession's probably the best way to explain it outside of my world.
[It's more complicated than that, sure, but also... is it really? Different names, different rules, same awful conclusions.]
I'm fine, though! Totally fine. I'm just keeping myself busy, y'know? Better to keep yourself busy to the point of being tired than just sitting around like a lump or whatever. As long as I've got work to focus on, I'm 'better'.
no subject
[ and based on the slightly judge-y tone, it's not entirely a good thing. why do geniuses insist on working themselves to the bone with guqin-string sharp focus instead of, you know, resting? ]
no subject
[Don't you judge them, you judgey little man — Wait, how tall are you? God, you'd better not be huge. Newt's so tired of being pocketsized compared to his colleagues.]
I'm guessing you're not complimenting me when you say that, though.
no subject
[ a pause. ] Of course, he's also messy, and loud, and gets focused on his inventions so much he forgets to eat or sleep, and he doesn't know how to take compliments, and he has the worst self-esteem.
[ sound like you yet, newt? ]
no subject
I love compliments.
[NOTHING HAS BEEN REFUTED.]
I don't always forget to eat or sleep. Only on really important, really special occasion.
[Which just so happens to occur frequently.]
no subject
[ he smiles brightly, even as he continues, ] But I never forget to eat or sleep. [ well — he has forgone both at times, mostly when trying to catch an exotic bird, but it's not forgetting to do it... just not having the time to. ]
no subject