[OPEN] The best of the best and the worst of the worst

[newtralize]

Who: Newt(newtralize) and You!
When: Throughout the month
Where: Around Aefenglom
What: Quests and Monthly Event things
Warnings: Memories may include triggering content. TLs will include content warnings for those particulars.


I. Piece of Cake
[Pies. Now that's something that Newt was quite fond of. What Brit doesn't like a good pie? A rather popular food on the streets of London, so it's something Newt was familiar with. Cooking had been an essential for him when he was living on his own and especially when he was traveling into the unknown.

People can find the magizoologist at the bakery quite often as he carefully decorate an assortment of pies. From shepherd's pies to all kinds of meat pies to mince pies. Some are more plain and more are quite decorative. For a man who generally works in an organized chaos; the pies are neat and quite delicate.

They also taste quite nice.

If he isn't making pies, he sometimes get shoved front to take orders. Talking with people is not much of a strongsuit of his still.

Why not pop on by?]

II. Pile's Plantagorium
[Newt is a common face at Pile's petagorium. One would almost forget Newt isn't the owner with how committed he is to all the creatures that reside there.

Newt's knowledge of beasts is impressive, but his knowledge of flora and fauna is nothing to sneeze at. He had already been researching the plantlife and was raising his own, so it's not much work to transfer some of his own personal gardens to the rooftop garden.

He quite likes bumbling about the greenhouse and watering plants or planting new seeds.

His hands are still weak though, that he finds that carrying heavier or larger things are a bit of a strain.] I'm really sorry to bother you. Would you carry this for me. [A large sack of dirt and the shake in his hands apparent.]

III. Day Trippin'
[The comfortable weather (Newt's idea of comfortable is on the colder side anyways) makes going out a pleasant experience and Newt is honestly quite happy to teach. He finds children, perhaps, to be easier to deal with than adults. Children didn't have filters and were more honest because of it and he found that to be far more refreshing than to guess what someone his age might be thinking.

The children stick, but it might be because Newt has brought more than himself and the children. The good weather and going out means that Newt has brought an entourage. From Greg, the zouwu, to the petalpups nipping at their heels; it's quite a colorful group as Newt herds the children around to look at all the life that they share their world with.

Newt seems to be in a good mood as he sits in the grass and watches as the kids run around and play with all the creatures he brought along. It's midday and they're having lunch and a break before they continue on.]

They've got quite a bit of energy don't they?

IV. Memoirs
[Here's a list of all of Newt's memories I've considered. Leave a letter, so I can write a starter based on the memory chosen. Feel free to hit me up on plurk or DM me if you'd like to discuss.]

V. Wildcard
[Not feeling any of this, but want to still do something together? DM me or hit me up on plurk and I'm happy to discuss!]

Comments

IV-E gimme dem dragons

[thisisamazing]

The Great War & Ukranian Ironbellies

[newtralize]

[There's the smell of gun powder and smoke that fills the air. The feeling of flight and freedom feels far less liberating while soaring through the air. Ukranian Ironbellies are large and majestic dragons and the still teenager Newt is small on the large beast as it soars through the sky. The land below is probably more vast than Hiccup is familiar with, but it's also easy to see how war torn it currently was.

The younger Newt looks equally dirty with soot and dirt covering his features. The uniform he wears looks a tad too short for him with sleeves that don't quite reach the end of his arms, yet baggier in torso. Despite that, the teen doesn't seem too different to the man that he has grown into. His voice is quiet as he speaks to the large dragon he was riding on.]

Come on, Gertrude. Just a little longer now. We're almost back at camp and then you can eat.

[It seems large settlements are avoided as the beast soars before slowly descending to an area with many tents set up. There are plenty of similar dragons roaming about. Newt hadn't spent all his time fighting during the war, but had been brought onto a secret project for the Ministry wrangling dragons.

A project that ultimately failed, but something Newt enjoyed immensely.

Hiccup can see just a glimpse of how vast the lands are though through Newt's eyes. That where he had come from was so much bigger and the encampment alone had a sizable cast of people.]

[thisisamazing]

[Smoke he knows. Gunpowder is a scent that is newer, only learned as he worked alongside Percy in their forge. He isn't sure what he will stumble upon, whether this will be terror or triumph, but he knows who this mirror belongs to. They know each other better than anyone here, except perhaps Theseus and Newt. He hadn't felt too awkward stepping through this pane of glass. They share everything, they're partners.

Wherever this is, it's huge, and bears the signs of war. He follows on the ground, eyes in the sky, drawn like a magnet to the beautiful dragon - and his beautiful partner, younger now, handling the great reptile with such ease. That comes as no surprise. Newt likes to mention his time with the Ukrainian Ironbellies once in a while, and Hiccup knows he's good with nearly every creature he touches.

He cannot help but follow, whether he should or not, to the camp, to the other dragons. They're like nothing he's ever seen before, incredible.] Amazing...

III

[thisisamazing]

[It's a large and diverse group that sets out past the wall. Hiccup had leapt at the opportunity to come with, to help wrangle children more than actually teach about the plantlife, and brought Toothless with him (though Sharpshot has elected to remain at the forge with Percy). With the other animals, six kids, and two adults, they aren't inconspicuous in the least. The exasperated teacher had warned that the kids could be troublemakers, but so far they've been well-behaved - probably because of the excitement of getting to play with the animals and run around. Maybe they just needed a little controlled chaos to get some energy out.

Well, mostly controlled. One curious boy had managed to get his leg out from under him (he's kind of impressed the kid managed to figure out the mechanism and unhook it) and tried to play keep-away with it. It didn't work well with a 6'1" grown man.

Hiccup collapses back onto the grass next to Newt with his prize, laughing a little breathlessly as he reattaches it. Toothless is chasing the kid who grabbed it in the first place, roaring playfully as he shrieks with laughter.] They're no worse than viking kids. That James over there has a future in magitech, I think.

[newtralize]

[Greg does a good job in keeping the kids from wandering too far off to get injured; always coming back with a kid once in awhile in her mouth like a mom carrying her young by the scruff of their neck. Newt can relax and not pay attention too much if they wander off because the zouwu will easily catch anyone who gets a little too curious and strays from the group.]

I feel as though kids have this talent of being able to get into anything they want and we, unfortunately, lose that as we grow. I remember Theseus and I were handfuls at times with me mum. Also, I could get into the hippogriff stalls no matter what my mom did to try and stop me. [Newt laughs a little.] I thought that this would be more stressful, actually, but...

[Newt glances at the children.] Children are easier. They only know how to be brutally honest and act on base emotions and thoughts. Not so great when you're a kid, but easier to weather through as an adult. [A soft laugh.]

[thisisamazing]

[The kids actually seem to enjoy getting dragged back, at least. Judging from the amount of times he's seen them giggling like crazy, being carted back like misbehaving kittens.]

You're probably right. I definitely wasn't easy for my dad to handle. My ability to get into trouble was mostly thwarted by the rest of the village though. [You know that phrase 'it takes a village'? He was literally raised by a village. Hiccup gets his leg screwed back on and settles cross-legged in the shade, glancing out at the happy kids again, then over at Newt with a warm smile.]

You are good with them. It's cute. [And he leans over to steal a peck on the cheek.]

Theseus - January (CW: Torture)

[newtralize]

[It's not a particularly gorgeous place. The space is cold and surrounded by hard stone walls that are dimly lit by candlelight. The smell equally awful and tinted with blood. A dungeon. There's no question about the poor quality of the space isn't meant for comfort and keeping those confined.

The sound of a crack and laughter echoes through the space and the scene is just one of the moments from January. Curled up on the ground is the familiar magizoologist. For what it's worth, he's pretty quiet with each lashing he receives. Resilience had always been a trait he had.]

He's really quite stubborn. A thorn in our side.

[The beaten down Brit turns his head a little. Despite it all, there's defiance in his eyes. A will that doesn't break so easily even after being kidnapped and tortured. A look that does nothing but angers his kidnappers.]

We'll just have to teach him a hard lesson. Break his fingers. All of them.

[There's a moment of complete silence other than the quiet crackling of fire from the candles. A moment before the sounds of a more sickening crack followed by more that echoes in a way more gruesome than any whip.]

[chosenside]

[Stepping foot inside this memory and suddenly being surrounded by cold stone walls immediately turns Theseus' stomach, especially since he's rather sure that he's inside Newt's mirror. His mirror was one of the very few that had markings for him to see, making it almost obvious that it belonged to his younger brother. Perhaps the right thing to do was just walk by it, but... Theseus couldn't stop his curiosity.

And now he regrets it.

He can feel his temper immediately burn bright, his vision nearly turning red as he watches the kidnappers abuse-- torture Newt. The laughter that accompanies each loud crack nearly rings in his head, his chest twisting more and more as they continue to beat the magizoologist. His anger makes him shake, his eyes not leaving Newt, and he only jerks from his state when he hears the new plan.

No.

Except, he can't stop it and the sickening crack that follows will haunt his memories and--]

I'll kill you--

[Deep down, the part of him that's still rational, knows that he's only witnessing a memory and he can't do anything about it, but that side of Theseus is buried underneath the rage and hatred he has for these individuals. It's a hatred he's never felt before, not even for Grindelwald, perhaps heightened by his slow transformation into a harpy. But right now, he nearly welcomes it, even as his hand goes right through the kidnapper's face, reminding him that he's just an observer to all these events.

The snarl that emits from his throat cannot be fully blamed on becoming a harpy.]