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"What did I tell you, Hermann? Rock stars!" Newt was saying as he peered out at the full auditorium.
Hermann clenched and unclenched his hand around the head of his cane. “No, we arescientists."
"Ten bucks says we get at least five pairs of underpants thrown at us."
It was a bet Hermann was not fool enough to take. Given the way Americans had the tendency to overreact to even their politicians, he would not put it past a crowd at Geiszler’s former university of employment to behave with such a lack of decorum.
He must have muttered something to that affect because Newt turned to look at him. “Hey, you want to bugger-off to Oxford right now instead, be my guest."
He didn’t mean it. Just as much as the “Perhaps I will," that was on the tip of Hermann’s tongue was an empty threat. Ever since the Drift, they didn’t do well with separations over long distances.
"You know how important it is to me that we start here. Y’know, it’s like those old movies about the unpopular kid from high school going back for the ten year reunion, and gets to rub his riches and trophy wife in the faces of his old bullies." He put his hands on Hermann’s shoulders and smiled. “Except instead of money, I’ve got the saving the world thing. And you instead of a trophy wife."
"And instead of bullies, the dean that denied you tenure?"
"Exactly!"
A throat cleared nearby. A tall, gray-haired man was frowning disapprovingly at them. “Speak of the devil!" Newt put an arm up on Hermann’s shoulder and leaned into him. The extra weight was not entirely welcome, and he dug his cane into Newt’s toes in retaliation. Newt shifted his foot away, and kept his focus on the other man. “Hey, Dave, ready to be our opening act?"
"Dave" sniffed derisively. Hermann felt a flash of shame, recognizing the expression as one he used often on Newton himself. But Newt had to know that his sniffs were always tinted with secret fondness, right? “I have prepared a proper introduction, Mr. Geiszler, don’t worry."
"That’s Doctor Geiszler to you."
Hermann’s eyebrow rose in surprise. He had never heard Newt insist on someone using his proper title. It was rather… Hot, as much as Hermann detested such a pedestrian turn of phrase. The fingers that had unconsciously made their way to the back of his neck and were currently brushing at his hairline were not helping matters either.
The dean sniffed again, and lifted his chin before stepping out onto the stage. There was a polite applause for him as he approached the podium.
Hermann smacked, Newton’s hand away. He needed to concentrate on the moment, mentally review his lecture, and he couldn’t do that with distraction. He muttered a curse when he noticed that next to the holographic display (currently on screen saver, displaying the school’s rotating symbol) was not the board he requested.
"It’s just a whiteboard, Hermann. It’s not going to bite."
"That’s not the point." His thoughts didn’t flow as easily through marker. The rhythmic tapping of chalk against slate was a steadying metronome for the numbers. He flinched in anticipation of the inevitable embarrassing stumbles in his presentation, like an actor forgetting his lines.
"Whiteboards were more common than not when I was in school, how did you even get used to blackboards? Were they outlawed by royal decree? Did dons refuse to teach without their precious chalk and heavy erasers?"
"Every genius is allowed his or her eccentricity, are they not?" He made a pointed look down at Newt’s arm, currently covered by a long white sleeve.
Newt chuckled. “I guess so. Hey, I think Dave-O’s finally winding down."
"…Please join me in welcoming," the dean was indeed saying, “Doctors Newton Geiszler and Hermann Gottlieb."
The auditorium erupted into cheers. Newt bounded out onto the stage, fists high above his head. Hermann shook his head fondly. Rock star indeed. Hermann made his own far more dignified entrance. Smiling politely and nodding his head in acceptance and gratitude for the applause. Although the high-pitched screeching and hooting was a bit much. Newton was soaking it in. He crossed the stage a few times, blowing kisses into the audience, and pointing in random directions. He even cupped a hand behind one ear, encouraging them to get even louder.
It was hardly their first time in front of a adulating crowd. After the Breach was sealed, they were forced (along with Miss Mori, Becket, and Marshall Hansen) into public appearances and press conferences. Hermann, who never desired nor expected such attention had not been entirely comfortable with it. Fortunately, the need to make sure that Newton didn’t dominate any given interview helped him get over his nerves and speak-up. They had managed to unsettle more than one journalist with their shouting matches. They had even been taken aside by the PPDC’s PR people and told how no matter what their personal feelings were, the world at large needed to see the world-saving heroes as one big happy family.
Newton had frowned in confusion and grabbed Hermann’s arm. “But we are!" He had argued. “I like love this guy! And he loves me, right?" He turned his frown on Hermann.
Hermann had felt himself flush a little and smiled shyly and replied, “Of course."
The polished general sighed. “Then act like it!" He pleaded.
They had tried, the really had. It wasn’t long after they were pulled from the media spotlight, and they started accepting lecture offers. Or “gigs" as Newt had called them.
Hermann waited patiently at the podium, leaning his cane against it, for their audience to settle down.
They finally did as Newton stopped showboating and squashed himself up against Hermann’s side, and grabbed the microphone. “WHOOOO!" Hermann flinched away from his unnecessary outburst, only riling the auditorium up again. “Who’s ready to learn how science saved the motherfuckin’ planet?!"
The roar of response was deafening. Hermann surreptitiously pinched Newton’s side for the inappropriate language. This was academia now, not late night television. “Then let’s get this show on the road! Dr. Gottlieb, if you’d be so kind?" He turned to Hermann with a grin and a wink.
Hermann pressed the start on his tablet for their presentation. The school logo dissolved, and up popped their first slide. The audience burst out laughing. Hermann glared and covered the mic with his hand. “I thought I explicitly vetoed this ridiculous title!" He hissed.
"Come on, they love it!"
The slide was a photo of a Jaeger Pilot Barbie standing over a plushy kaiju. The text read “Good-bye to Kaiju" with the chorus of the appropriate Oldies song playing over it.
Despite the raucous beginnings, their audience was attentive as Hermann demonstrated the proofs that lead him to discover the more planned, militaristic aspects of the kaiju attacks, despite the marker fumes getting to him (and yes, thank you, Newton I know that it was you that first postulated the notion of the creatures “following orders" you can get to that during your half the lecture!).
When it was Newton’s turn, Hermann took the chair next to the podium, happy to stretch out his left leg. He interrupted only when it was absolutely necessary (It’s ridiculous to assume that the entire species is psychically linked! What they had dealt with was probably at most one nation. It was utterly impossible for an entire planet’s population to continuously share a hive mind. He had half a mind himself to get back up and prove his point on the blasted whiteboard).
They took questions from the audience after the initial presentation. Hermann refused to answer anything that was irrelevant to the lecture. But Newton was more than happy to answer personal questions. He actually got his fingers on the buttons of his shirt when one starry-eyed young lady inquired about his tattoos. Hermann pulled him away from the podium and whispered in his ear, “If you take your shirt off now, do not expect to be doing so in my presence later tonight."
Newt pouted, but went back to the mic. “Yeah, sorry, as my colleague just reminded me, that would be totally inappropriate and unprofessional." There was a chorus of disappointed groans.
As they exited to another outpouring of applause, whistles, and wordless shouting, two pairs of lacy panties had fluttered up to the stage. Newton gasped in delight, but Hermann grabbed his hand and pulled him along before he could do anything indecent.