Brain Stuff

Inspired by "Athene Noctua, Chapter 23: Instinct, edible stickers, black books, and real estate":
:After breakfast in the mess, the scientists part ways, Hermann heading directly to the lab, while Newt skips off to check the mail and make a caffeine run.
:“Dude, I brought you some coffee,” Newt calls to what appears to be an empty lab. “Tang Min made you a foam kitten!”
:Hermann emerges from the far reaches of his side of the lab, looking slightly sour, to collect his drink. He brightens when he catches a glimpse of his cup.
:Two baleful chocolate eyes stare back.
:“Yeah, it sort of collapsed on the way here. When you see her next, say you loved it and it was adorable.”
:“Miss Yeung is a reasonable young woman. I don’t think she’ll mind,” Hermann replies.
:A bubble pops and a chocolate flake wobbles.
:“It just winked at you! Cats do that when they love you!” Newt pipes. “Dude, you can’t tell her I killed your kitten. Please.”
:Hermann rolls his eyes and takes a sip.
Originally posted here and on AO3. 
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The next day, Mǐn strides into the lab and plunks a coffee on a cardboard box.
Newt totally doesn’t notice, so engrossed is he in his book.
Mǐn sits down on the floor behind the box and rests her chin on her folded arms.
Newt squints at something on the page and mouthes whatever he’s trying to decipher (something about brains and men in tights).
Resting her eyes, Mǐn takes a deep breath, holding it for five swells in a distant cacophony and 18 heartbeats. 
“Aha! Meningitis in the brain. Damn my writing was crap.” Newt laughs and shakes his head.
Mǐn returns to a blaze of fluorescence and a wave of ammonia-musty-paper-chalk.
Newt absently tucks his foot closer.
She gives him a minute.
Still reading.
Mǐn sits up straight. “Heard you took the long way yesterday.”
Newt shrieks and falls backwards.
“How did you know?!”
Mǐn raises an eyebrow.
“Right. Dumb question.”
Mǐn pushes the take-away cup towards him but…
“Of course I’m not mad. Besides, Liu took the cyanide away. Don’t worry.”
“You were actually going to go through with that?!”
Mǐn worries the end of an apron string. “Cousin made me give it back. Couldn’t really make those UN idiots sick if they were in Geneva and I was here now could I?”
“Were you always this terrifying or is this new?”
“My closest family is dead and my life is falling apart.” Mǐn presses her hand flat to the box. “I think it’s stress. I hope it’s stress.” 
The ribbon becomes an accordion of triangles. 
“Otherwise, I may be going insane.” She stands, smoothing the creases from the happy dragon and the big blue-
Newt quails, and she totally knows why.
“I might have time to attempt another Karloff tomorrow, and if you’re wondering why it’s chilly, I’d put money on this being the draftier part of the lab.”
“Right, nothing to do with sympathetic nerve responses.”
Mǐn smiles. “Nothing at all.” She bows “Have a nice day Doctor Geiszler.”
Newt waves back warily.
Category:K-Sci (ficlet)
Category:Newt
Category:Tang Min
Category:Tang Min is a coffeeslinger
Category:Tang Min (ficlet)
Category:Newt (ficlet)
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