I appreciate it. He's not exactly what you'd call a champion boxer. But most scientists aren't.
[Newton included, even if he's had his small share of scrappy fights in life (none of which had involved kaiju until, you know, recently). He nods eagerly when she asks him a favor, more than ready to deliver. In a way, it makes him feel less awkward to ask things of her, too.]
Of course I can! You want me to stop by? I'm too wired right now to sit around much longer.
[If you want someone 'froggy', you should be looking at Hermann. Ha!
But he eventually shows up at her room, looking a little entranced and unsure when she comes to the door... as he stares — down at the ground? There's nothing there, of course. Weird. Distractedly:]
[She says it with a little concern, as she gives him an odd look. What was he looking at just now?
She isn't going to pry, mostly because she's busy grabbing him by the hand and tugging him into her room. One of the beds in this room is piled up with junk from the marketplace, thanks Doctor.
Everything else is immaculate because she rarely spends any time here at all. There is an ugly hat sitting on one of the other beds though, a cloth one that's an ugly muddy red clay color. She goes to pick it up and holds it out to him.]
He loves hats, and wanted one so badly when we were at the market together. So if you could make sure he gets it...and this -
[She pulls a piece of paper out of the pocket of her skirt, and passes it back and forth between her hands. It's a handwritten letter, one she's still debating if she should send along with the hat. Her eyes look up to Newt, to see how much he's judging her right now.]
Are you sure you don't mind? You look like you had something on your mind when you got here.
[Yeah, sure, that's it. But after a moment, he reaches out to collect the hat; he considers the letter for a moment, and then the hat, eyebrows rising.]
Okay, this? This is bullshit.
[A bated breath of a pause, before he holds up the ugly hat.]
You didn't wrap it or anything! How's he gonna enjoy the surprise if he doesn't get to unwrap something? That's present-giving 101, Clara!
Seriously? The hat is the wrapping. Nothing that ugly deserves to be wrapped!
[rude rude rude. If you're not going to appreciate her bullshit, Newton, she'll just rip the hat right out of his hands. Only so she can shove the letter inside and fold the hat closed. She gives him a look that says see? It works as wrapping. Her cheeks are bright red at this point, so congratulations on embarrassing her for the first time. She hates it.]
I wrote him a letter. Like we're penpals. I thought you would appreciate the gesture.
How else do you even surprise someone with something's ugliness?
[He folds his arms, looking at the hat-folded letter, and relents. Is he being absolutely soothed by the unfair reminder of simpler times? Oh, man. He used to get so excited getting letters from Hermann. It was so stupid; he was in his twenties! He wasn't some little flustered teenager...
HUFF.]
Okay, okay. But at least put a little tie around it. Something festive!
When I wrote to Hermann, I slapped so many dinosaur and fossil stickers on my envelopes. He'd know it was me from a mile away! Do you have it in an envelope? We need doodles and stickers! Cool colors! Fancy up that letter!
[Clara stares at him like he's grown three heads and they're all singing a boy band song in her general direction. She hates boy bands, and she's close to hating his idea.
But since Newt is Newt and he's become someone dear to her heart, she relents just enough to not be completely offended by his suggestion.]
You were what? Twelve when you put dinosaur stickers on your envelopes? I'm basically thirty, and there aren't any stickers here.
[Nope, she's gonna go back to looking at him like he smells because he hasn't bathed in a week.]
You don't have to be twelve to enjoy a good sticker! My old laptop was nothing but stickers by the time I ran that thing into the ground! [He kisses his fist, gives it a sad little fist-pump.] Rest in peace, Iggy Laptop — he was a great laptop.
Point is, we need to decorate this bad boy! I'll get some cool stickers from the shops.
... You think they have space-themed stickers? They've gotta.
Edited (repetition we meet again) 2021-07-27 21:29 (UTC)
[After all that, there's only one thing she can say. It's what she's just pieced together and assumes after everything.]
Oh my God. You were older than twelve when you became penpals with Hermann, weren't you? What, were you twenty? Twenty-five?
[But she isn't saying no to his suggestion for stickers. As a matter of fact, she's pulled out the letter and is eyeing it critically. She supposes there could be room for a sticker or two in the margins. And maybe one on an envelope she makes herself.]
[He nudges her, and she relents. There's a smile on her face as she rolls her eyes, sighing like she can't believe she's agreeing to this.]
He's basically a child himself, so you're right. He'd love stickers. They'd make him smile and jump around. And he'd probably peel one off and stick it right on his jacket.
[She's laughing for real now, so good job Newt. Way to cheer her up.]
[He lifts a fist and gives a little excited pump at the air.]
He's a big dork, he'll eat that shit up. We'll even make sure we don't use every sticker, so he can freshly peel one, right? He'll be super fashionable.
[If Clara is an attentive and watchful eye, she may notice in that moment something strange: while Newton's hands move about excitedly, for a unpleasant stretch of seconds, the arms of his shadow don't... move at all. Then the shadow's arms shift and match him once more, as he reaches out to pluck up Clara's hand.]
C'mon, let's go on the hunt. We've got a little time before I flee to the monster hills.
[She feels a little like maybe she should lecture him on priorities, but he doesn't seem the sort to actually stand still long enough to listen to her lectures. Beyond that, she's tired and desperately wants to be optimistic about something. So stickers it is.]
Lead the way, sticker boy.
[She's right beside him, grabbing hold of his hand so he can drag her along somewhere for a change.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[A pause.]
I've got something to ask of you, too. There's something I want to get to the Doctor, once he's feeling a bit more like himself.
[She pauses again, and almost tells him nevermind. This feels a lot more revealing than discussing love when they're out drinking.]
Would you mind bringing it and giving it to him for me?
no subject
[Newton included, even if he's had his small share of scrappy fights in life (none of which had involved kaiju until, you know, recently). He nods eagerly when she asks him a favor, more than ready to deliver. In a way, it makes him feel less awkward to ask things of her, too.]
Of course I can! You want me to stop by? I'm too wired right now to sit around much longer.
no subject
[She laughs, but at least has the decency to try and muffle it.]
If you're feeling that froggy, go ahead and hop by. I'll be around.
no subject
[If you want someone 'froggy', you should be looking at Hermann. Ha!
But he eventually shows up at her room, looking a little entranced and unsure when she comes to the door... as he stares — down at the ground? There's nothing there, of course. Weird. Distractedly:]
Uh. Hey!
no subject
[She says it with a little concern, as she gives him an odd look. What was he looking at just now?
She isn't going to pry, mostly because she's busy grabbing him by the hand and tugging him into her room. One of the beds in this room is piled up with junk from the marketplace, thanks Doctor.
Everything else is immaculate because she rarely spends any time here at all. There is an ugly hat sitting on one of the other beds though, a cloth one that's an ugly muddy red clay color. She goes to pick it up and holds it out to him.]
He loves hats, and wanted one so badly when we were at the market together. So if you could make sure he gets it...and this -
[She pulls a piece of paper out of the pocket of her skirt, and passes it back and forth between her hands. It's a handwritten letter, one she's still debating if she should send along with the hat. Her eyes look up to Newt, to see how much he's judging her right now.]
Are you sure you don't mind? You look like you had something on your mind when you got here.
no subject
[Yeah, sure, that's it. But after a moment, he reaches out to collect the hat; he considers the letter for a moment, and then the hat, eyebrows rising.]
Okay, this? This is bullshit.
[A bated breath of a pause, before he holds up the ugly hat.]
You didn't wrap it or anything! How's he gonna enjoy the surprise if he doesn't get to unwrap something? That's present-giving 101, Clara!
[Is this the judgement you anticipated?]
no subject
Seriously? The hat is the wrapping. Nothing that ugly deserves to be wrapped!
[rude rude rude. If you're not going to appreciate her bullshit, Newton, she'll just rip the hat right out of his hands. Only so she can shove the letter inside and fold the hat closed. She gives him a look that says see? It works as wrapping. Her cheeks are bright red at this point, so congratulations on embarrassing her for the first time. She hates it.]
I wrote him a letter. Like we're penpals. I thought you would appreciate the gesture.
no subject
[He folds his arms, looking at the hat-folded letter, and relents. Is he being absolutely soothed by the unfair reminder of simpler times? Oh, man. He used to get so excited getting letters from Hermann. It was so stupid; he was in his twenties! He wasn't some little flustered teenager...
HUFF.]
Okay, okay. But at least put a little tie around it. Something festive!
When I wrote to Hermann, I slapped so many dinosaur and fossil stickers on my envelopes. He'd know it was me from a mile away! Do you have it in an envelope? We need doodles and stickers! Cool colors! Fancy up that letter!
no subject
But since Newt is Newt and he's become someone dear to her heart, she relents just enough to not be completely offended by his suggestion.]
You were what? Twelve when you put dinosaur stickers on your envelopes? I'm basically thirty, and there aren't any stickers here.
[Nope, she's gonna go back to looking at him like he smells because he hasn't bathed in a week.]
no subject
You don't have to be twelve to enjoy a good sticker! My old laptop was nothing but stickers by the time I ran that thing into the ground! [He kisses his fist, gives it a sad little fist-pump.] Rest in peace, Iggy Laptop — he was a great laptop.
Point is, we need to decorate this bad boy! I'll get some cool stickers from the shops.
... You think they have space-themed stickers? They've gotta.
no subject
Oh my God. You were older than twelve when you became penpals with Hermann, weren't you? What, were you twenty? Twenty-five?
[But she isn't saying no to his suggestion for stickers. As a matter of fact, she's pulled out the letter and is eyeing it critically. She supposes there could be room for a sticker or two in the margins. And maybe one on an envelope she makes herself.]
no subject
I was in my twenties, yeah! What do you have against young adults finding penpals? C'mon!
[He nudges her.]
Don't question my experience, here! Just think of his response to seeing awesome stickers on it.
He won't be able to shut up about it; you know I'm right!
no subject
He's basically a child himself, so you're right. He'd love stickers. They'd make him smile and jump around. And he'd probably peel one off and stick it right on his jacket.
[She's laughing for real now, so good job Newt. Way to cheer her up.]
no subject
[He lifts a fist and gives a little excited pump at the air.]
He's a big dork, he'll eat that shit up. We'll even make sure we don't use every sticker, so he can freshly peel one, right? He'll be super fashionable.
[If Clara is an attentive and watchful eye, she may notice in that moment something strange: while Newton's hands move about excitedly, for a unpleasant stretch of seconds, the arms of his shadow don't... move at all. Then the shadow's arms shift and match him once more, as he reaches out to pluck up Clara's hand.]
C'mon, let's go on the hunt. We've got a little time before I flee to the monster hills.
no subject
Lead the way, sticker boy.
[She's right beside him, grabbing hold of his hand so he can drag her along somewhere for a change.]