Post by Lori on Apr 6, 2016 13:26:31 GMT -5
BASICS
Full Name:
Newton John Acker
Nicknames:
Newt
Age/Birthday:
15/May 2, the second of three
Job:
Student/Pokémon Trainer (but not really)
Class:
Freshman at Metric High
Major:
Theater - Set Design
Grades:
B/C student with mostly C's. Newt could get better grades if he focused but his head is more in his games
Friends:
Do the people he battles with online count?
Rivals:
Other Pokémon trainers...?
Interested in:
Pokémon. Or girls. Or even better, girls who are into Pokémon.
APPEARANCE
Body:
Newt is...well, kind of a newt compared to the other men in his family, standing at 5'6. While he could still be in the process of growing, it's looking less and less likely. He doesn't have the most 'toned' or 'ideal' body for a teen male. Not that his weight is disproportionate to his height (though he could stand to put on a few more pounds) he just...doesn't want to do much of anything. The most exercise he ever gets in rehearsing or if/when he has to go on stage. Newt prefers not to change in front of the other boys in the locker room as to not expose his potentially still-changing body. His most defining feature is his freckles, courtesy of his mother, which are splashed across his face.
Eye Color:
Brown
Hair:
Brown and short, which he and his brother share. Newt's hair is always styled to the right or left, never centered; sometimes a bit bedhead. If his hair grows, however - which he hates - it has more of a curl to it, kind of resembling his sister's hair more.
Style:
Newt's clothes don't always match, color-wise or stylistically. His shirts can be button-down, plaid, graphic or vests. He wears jeans, khakis, sweats...or, really whatever he finds at the top of his pile. The one consistent thing in his wardrobe are his sneakers and Converse. Newt isn't exactly 'sharply dressed' nor does his wardrobe completely spell out 'nerd'. He doesn't put a lot of thought into what he wears everyday and, as a result, often grabs the first thing from his closet/drawer/pile without caring how 'good' he looks (despite reservations from his mother). Nor does he care for clothes shopping; just send him into Hot Topic or to a clearance section somewhere and he'll probably find something.
Ethnicity:
White/Hispanic
Play by:
Cameron Boyce
Positives:
Loyal; Family-Oriented; Calculating; Focused; Calm; Efficient; Imaginative
Negatives:
Fidgety; Easily distracted; Messy; Unaggressive; Nervous; Irresponsible (particularly with money); Can have a one-track mind
Likes:
Pokémon; Card games; His siblings; Training new Pokémon; Gum; Working backstage; Not being pushed; Battling Pokémon; Collectables; Eating; Thinking of new Pokémon
Dislikes:
Cleaning; Putting down his games; Losing Pokémon battles; Fighting with his siblings; Clothes shopping; Not having money for games; Being forced onstage; Conflict; His freckles; Center of attention; Being caught in the middle
Newton John Acker
Nicknames:
Newt
Age/Birthday:
15/May 2, the second of three
Job:
Student/Pokémon Trainer (but not really)
SCHOOL
Class:
Freshman at Metric High
Major:
Theater - Set Design
Grades:
B/C student with mostly C's. Newt could get better grades if he focused but his head is more in his games
Friends:
Do the people he battles with online count?
Rivals:
Other Pokémon trainers...?
Interested in:
Pokémon. Or girls. Or even better, girls who are into Pokémon.
APPEARANCE
Body:
Newt is...well, kind of a newt compared to the other men in his family, standing at 5'6. While he could still be in the process of growing, it's looking less and less likely. He doesn't have the most 'toned' or 'ideal' body for a teen male. Not that his weight is disproportionate to his height (though he could stand to put on a few more pounds) he just...doesn't want to do much of anything. The most exercise he ever gets in rehearsing or if/when he has to go on stage. Newt prefers not to change in front of the other boys in the locker room as to not expose his potentially still-changing body. His most defining feature is his freckles, courtesy of his mother, which are splashed across his face.
Eye Color:
Brown
Hair:
Brown and short, which he and his brother share. Newt's hair is always styled to the right or left, never centered; sometimes a bit bedhead. If his hair grows, however - which he hates - it has more of a curl to it, kind of resembling his sister's hair more.
Style:
Newt's clothes don't always match, color-wise or stylistically. His shirts can be button-down, plaid, graphic or vests. He wears jeans, khakis, sweats...or, really whatever he finds at the top of his pile. The one consistent thing in his wardrobe are his sneakers and Converse. Newt isn't exactly 'sharply dressed' nor does his wardrobe completely spell out 'nerd'. He doesn't put a lot of thought into what he wears everyday and, as a result, often grabs the first thing from his closet/drawer/pile without caring how 'good' he looks (despite reservations from his mother). Nor does he care for clothes shopping; just send him into Hot Topic or to a clearance section somewhere and he'll probably find something.
Ethnicity:
White/Hispanic
Play by:
Cameron Boyce
PERSONALITY
Positives:
Loyal; Family-Oriented; Calculating; Focused; Calm; Efficient; Imaginative
Negatives:
Fidgety; Easily distracted; Messy; Unaggressive; Nervous; Irresponsible (particularly with money); Can have a one-track mind
Likes:
Pokémon; Card games; His siblings; Training new Pokémon; Gum; Working backstage; Not being pushed; Battling Pokémon; Collectables; Eating; Thinking of new Pokémon
Dislikes:
Cleaning; Putting down his games; Losing Pokémon battles; Fighting with his siblings; Clothes shopping; Not having money for games; Being forced onstage; Conflict; His freckles; Center of attention; Being caught in the middle
FAMILY
Felipe Christopher Acker, Restaurant Owner - Felipe always had two loves in his lives, theater and cooking. He went to school with a major in business and a minor in theater, which is where he met his wife. But performing was always more of his wife's thing. After graduating Felipe went to culinary school and, shortly after, opened his own small bar which combined his love of cooking with his desire to entertain. With his wife on stage once in a while and review after review coming in, the restaurant eventually became bigger than just a small bar. Felipe had the opportunity to expand in NYC. The small town scene was nice for him and all, but a chance in the big city, especially where Joanna was working, was the best possible solution for the both of them. Felipe only became more ecstatic at the success of his restaurant when his kids could join him there, whether it was in the kitchen or entertaining on stage. Felipe can be the more affectionate of the two parents towards his kids. He knows his wife pushes the triplets at times, but only because she sees how much potential they have. When the triplets are tired, Felipe is the one they can turn to. While he loves all of his kids equally, Felipe secretly hopes that Nacho will one day take over the restaurant. Newt holds no jealousy towards his father for thinking that; he can see how obvious it is. Still, Newt doesn't like feeling as though he's caught between his two parents. He doesn't like his mother pushing him to center stage when he doesn't always want to and he doesn't like when he sees his father doting on his brother to take over the business. Can he get a third parent in the mix at all?
Joanna Martha Acker, "Momager" - Joanna grew up in the spotlight, performing in talent competitions and beauty pageants since she could walk. Her biggest love of all was performing, with dreams leading her to Broadway. She attended a prestigious high school for the performing arts, which led her to a scholarship majoring in theater. That's how she met her husband; by bonding over theater and performing. She very much loves Felipe for allowing her to take the spotlight while he focused on his little restaurant. She never thought too too highly of it, but it brought it money and when she hit the stage people did come from all over to see her. Still, for some time she remained the big breadwinner between the two of them with her gigs. Eventually, upon becoming pregnant with the triplets, Joanna had to leave her dreams of Broadway behind. She never did quite get her figure back and by the time she wanted to return to work, she was old news. So she focused on training her kids in theater. She puts a lot of pressure on each of them in different ways, with Nora earning a lot of the lead roles and having a powerful voice; Joanna pushing Nacho to try to do better and earn bigger parts; and trying to convince Newt that working backstage is 'beneath him'. With her constantly training and pressuring the kids she often forgets to show them how much she cares, which would explain why they would go to Joanna more for advice than her. Newt doesn't completely get along with his mother, wondering what is so wrong with working backstage when there would be no show without a backstage. And she's always telling him to dress nicer or put down his video games. At least Joanna more accepts Newt for who he is, which is a sense Newt doesn't get from his mother. Fortunately for Newt, he's got his brother and sister through all the drama.
Nigel "Nacho" Acker - Nacho is the oldest brother and he doesn't let either of his siblings forget it. Really, it's hard to forget. It's painfully obvious. He's made his disdain for his name obvious, and Newt goes along with it for the most part but won't hesitate to call him Nigel in a fight. Newt never completely understood why Nacho was more into cooking than theater sometimes - that's how he came up with his nickname, right? But Newt was usually ok with it because when Nacho made something new, Newt was the taste tester. And it was cool because once in a while Nacho would try to make a cookie or something resemble a Pokémon...even if he did call it rat-thing instead of Pikachu. What he doesn't like about Nacho cooking is the conflict it causes. It makes Nora and Joanna put more pressure on Newt and it causes Nacho and Nora to butt heads. Either way, Newt ends up getting put in the middle and he holds a bit of a grudge against his brother for it. The grudge worsens a little when they start at Metric, because Nacho dropped theater without any warning to do some cooking major instead. Newt, in a way, feels like he and Nora have been forgotten about by Nacho, but not really because they all still live together and see each other a lot. The problem is when Nacho and Nora start arguing and Newt feels put in the middle or like he has to take sides. He does blame Nacho for that, because it wouldn't have happened if they all stayed together. It doesn't mean he hates his brother or anything, but it has caused more drama than there needs to be. And Newt hears enough drama working backstage. At the end of the day, Newt doesn't want to feel bad for sometimes talking to Nacho behind Nora's back and he doesn't want to there to be anymore strained relationships. And he'd also like Nacho to stop teasing him for being such a...well, newt.
Joanna Martha Acker, "Momager" - Joanna grew up in the spotlight, performing in talent competitions and beauty pageants since she could walk. Her biggest love of all was performing, with dreams leading her to Broadway. She attended a prestigious high school for the performing arts, which led her to a scholarship majoring in theater. That's how she met her husband; by bonding over theater and performing. She very much loves Felipe for allowing her to take the spotlight while he focused on his little restaurant. She never thought too too highly of it, but it brought it money and when she hit the stage people did come from all over to see her. Still, for some time she remained the big breadwinner between the two of them with her gigs. Eventually, upon becoming pregnant with the triplets, Joanna had to leave her dreams of Broadway behind. She never did quite get her figure back and by the time she wanted to return to work, she was old news. So she focused on training her kids in theater. She puts a lot of pressure on each of them in different ways, with Nora earning a lot of the lead roles and having a powerful voice; Joanna pushing Nacho to try to do better and earn bigger parts; and trying to convince Newt that working backstage is 'beneath him'. With her constantly training and pressuring the kids she often forgets to show them how much she cares, which would explain why they would go to Joanna more for advice than her. Newt doesn't completely get along with his mother, wondering what is so wrong with working backstage when there would be no show without a backstage. And she's always telling him to dress nicer or put down his video games. At least Joanna more accepts Newt for who he is, which is a sense Newt doesn't get from his mother. Fortunately for Newt, he's got his brother and sister through all the drama.
Nigel "Nacho" Acker - Nacho is the oldest brother and he doesn't let either of his siblings forget it. Really, it's hard to forget. It's painfully obvious. He's made his disdain for his name obvious, and Newt goes along with it for the most part but won't hesitate to call him Nigel in a fight. Newt never completely understood why Nacho was more into cooking than theater sometimes - that's how he came up with his nickname, right? But Newt was usually ok with it because when Nacho made something new, Newt was the taste tester. And it was cool because once in a while Nacho would try to make a cookie or something resemble a Pokémon...even if he did call it rat-thing instead of Pikachu. What he doesn't like about Nacho cooking is the conflict it causes. It makes Nora and Joanna put more pressure on Newt and it causes Nacho and Nora to butt heads. Either way, Newt ends up getting put in the middle and he holds a bit of a grudge against his brother for it. The grudge worsens a little when they start at Metric, because Nacho dropped theater without any warning to do some cooking major instead. Newt, in a way, feels like he and Nora have been forgotten about by Nacho, but not really because they all still live together and see each other a lot. The problem is when Nacho and Nora start arguing and Newt feels put in the middle or like he has to take sides. He does blame Nacho for that, because it wouldn't have happened if they all stayed together. It doesn't mean he hates his brother or anything, but it has caused more drama than there needs to be. And Newt hears enough drama working backstage. At the end of the day, Newt doesn't want to feel bad for sometimes talking to Nacho behind Nora's back and he doesn't want to there to be anymore strained relationships. And he'd also like Nacho to stop teasing him for being such a...well, newt.
Nora Acker - Newt loves his sister, but sometimes she can be such a pain in the butt. She teases him about his freckles and tries to talk him out of helping backstage and complains nonstop about Nacho ditching the family business or whatever.... As annoying as Newt finds Nora, he doesn't like anyone messing with her. Only he and Nacho are really allowed to mess with her. Newt doesn't look like it, but he'd punch someone for hurting Nora. Ok, not really, but he'd at least give them a good stare-down. He'd just wish that Nora understood that he wasn't always the kind of guy that liked to be onstage. Newt was perfectly fine standing behind the scenes. Designing sets, helping with the lights, setting up...those kinds of things. She's kind of full of herself that way. Fortunately for Newt he learned how to tune her out about her complaints - whether about stagehands or Nacho - to an extent. When she goes off on her rants, Newt will just be staring at his game focusing on his Pokémon and nine times out of ten he'll be fortunate enough to say basic things that sound like he's listening. Newt knows that half the drama caused between the three of them is really on Nora because she's so pissed at Nacho for ditching them. He knows how mad and hurt Nora is by that, so sometimes Newt feels bad for actually enjoying being around Nacho or not totally hating his guts. He hates it enough being the middle sibling between the two of them and he hates even more feeling caught in the middle of their spats, like he has to take a side. Newt's Pokémon would never be like this!
Backstory:
One of three. Triple T's. The Acker Triplets. Trips. You name it, and it's a nickname Newt probably heard. Really, the worst parts are being grouped together with his siblings in every sentence and that he's stuck in the middle. Literally. Nacho was always a building, it felt like, and was so close with their dad. And Nora was the baby of the family and practically a miniature version of their mom. So what did Newt have from all of that? Not much, it felt like. Maybe that was how he became so invested in the world of Pokémon. But before that, there was theater.
Newt couldn't remember a bedtime story from his mother that didn't involve her days in the theater. The rehearsals, the drama, the crowds, the rush, the standing ovations, the curtain calls, the spotlight...Newt was pretty sure he and his siblings heard it all. In a way, it felt kind of natural for all of them to be in the spotlight, too. Newt didn't completely mind it at first because he was with his siblings. Even though he had minor stage fright when he was younger, Nora and Nacho always helped him through it. They were kind of like a team. Sure, they didn't always act or perform or do everything together, but it was nice when they did. There were times where Newt felt like he was being pushed into it. But there were other times where it felt natural; like how he could calculate the majority of moves from a play and know exactly where something or someone had to be. Or how he could remember a handful of lines after minimal readings of a script. Joanna always said Newt had a natural talent for the theater, and that was part of her way of pushing him in that direction. Newt was pretty sure she did something like that with Nacho and Nora, too. From the get go it was just always assumed that the three of them would be together, whether performing or just in general.
As Newt got through elementary school he started to notice things about his siblings. Nora would go for the lead roles and always be awesome (even if she wasn't the lead) and Nacho would be a natural on stage, but even more of natural in the kitchen. What did Newt have that made him unique? Just his stupid freckles. There was one day after school, it must have been second grade or something, that Newt recalled. Nacho and Nora were working on a school play but because Newt had been one of the background characters - you know the one, the guy with all of two lines and stood in the back throughout most of the play - he wasn't exactly needed that day. Sure, he could have joined them but Newt didn't really want to. So he found himself on the playground hanging out with all the other kids waiting for their parents to get out of work. There was a group of students gathered in a circle watching two kids play Pokémon. And a few other kids playing the card game. Newt watched the players battle and he stared at the graphics of the game or the designs of the cards. He just became completely enthralled by the concept. These kids, completely different and unique kids, would create their own unique decks of Pokémon cards. Or catch all these different Pokémon and go on a virtual journey. Even if the characters all looked the same and the journey was the same - catching Pokémon and collecting the same gym badges - every journey would be different. One kid could choose Squirtle and catch a Pidgey first and another guy could choose Bulbasaur and not catch any Pokémon until reaching the Viridian Forest. It was an amazing concept to Newt and a society he just wanted to be a part of. He started begging his parents for Pokémon cards and the games, not to mention a game system to play on. But his mother was always adamant about the theater; she was so sure that getting caught up in those kinds of things would distract Newt and rot his mind away from the things that really mattered. It disappointed Newt that he had no choice but to focus on performing. And what did he get for his no-man character in the second grade play? One small pack of Pokémon cards, none of which could even go together let alone be the beginnings of a deck.
Fortunately, Newt had his father to back him up. When Joanna wasn't around one night, probably training Nora or something, Felipe surprised Newt with a starter pack of Pokémon cards. It was the most basic of decks, but it was all Newt really needed. When he got the chance he started playing with the other kids on the playground. Sure, he lost a lot of times, but it was the start that he needed. And every week he would use parts of his allowance to buy more cards and save the rest of it for an actual game. And, considering that coming from a very well-off NYC family meant getting a pretty good allowance, saving up for more cards wasn't too hard. It was the games and the game system that were difficult. Newt must have bugged his parents about getting him a Nintendo DS at least fifty times from the second to the third grade. Joanna only agreed to think about getting him one for his birthday if he could prove he deserved it. So Newt proved himself in the only other way he knew how. He auditioned for the school play Romeo and Juliet when he was nine. He got a pretty good role; he was Tybalt. He rehearsed and reread his lines so many times he could quote at least half the play. Of course he knew how disappointed Nora was for not getting the lead role; he made it up to her by sharing embarrassing stories about the lead. Yeah, he saw things. And with Nacho right there on stage with him, it wasn't like anyone was ever gonna mess with any of the triplets that year.
But that play was not just a push for Newt to earn his games. It was also the first time he really saw how much work went into putting everything together. Everything Joanna told him and his siblings about being in the spotlight...well, it was sort of a lie. It wasn't just about being on stage. Or feeling the energy from the crowd. It was about the people who worked hard to put the sets together, to actually come up with ideas and paint and everything. It was about the guys working the lights so there could be a spotlight. It was about the stage hands rushing to put stuff in the right place between scenes so Juliet would actually have a balcony to stand on or so the fight between Tybalt and Mercucio would look more epic. It was about the people working the curtains so the audience wouldn't catch anything embarrassing between scenes. Newt found all that to be so much more appealing than being on stage. He wouldn't even be on stage if it weren't for all those guys. So the next year, while he did audition and got a decent enough part, he also made it a priority to be at as many rehearsals as possible so he could be a part of the backstage crew. And that was also the year where his parents followed through and got him a Nintendo DS for his birthday.
Middle school was a slightly different story. Kids were taller, meaner, there was this thing called the status quo.... That was mostly when the nickname of Triple T stuck to the triplets. Newt didn't completely like it because, even if it was true, he was more than just a theater sibling. He was also a bit of a nerd. And that was awesome because no one would ever suspect a kid on his video game to actually listen to things people were saying. So if anyone ever said anything about Nacho or Nora when Newt was around and they didn't know it, they would be so shocked! Newt enjoyed seeing the reaction on kids' faces. Needless to say, Newt wasn't the only one of the triplets to become more diverse in his interests. While he was playing Pokémon and helping more and more backstage, Nacho seemed totally fine if he got lesser roles so he could cook more. Much like Nora didn't seem to understand Nacho's love of cooking, neither her or Nacho seemed to understand Newt's obsession with Pokémon. Nora was the only one who seemed to be completely obsessed with the theater and have like, no other interests. Well, except maybe gum. Newt never thought there was much of a problem with them all being a bit different. They could still be the Triple T's and like other stuff, couldn't they? Mr. Acker was always encouraging about that, but Mrs. Acker and Nora were a different story completely.
Newt doesn't remember hearing much of the term 'high school'. Only ever Metric. Apparently it was this amazing school that was all about the arts and it would be perfect for the three of them. Nora sure wouldn't shut up about it; Newt could probably quote the entire brochure and website at the rate she had gone! Newt and Nacho were pretty neutral about the topic but neither of them were ever really against the idea either. At first it seemed like it was going to be pretty great, like nothing would change. The siblings would still share a room together, they could all be in the same major, and maybe some nights Nacho could cook for them. Except it didn't turn out that way. Newt was just as shocked when Nacho dropped theater on the spot for cooking. He was pretty quiet during that argument and was very fidgety listening to his siblings fight about it. Some days at Metric went just like that because they would still be living together. Other times it would seem like a silent treatment. But, very few times, things would be ok. Newt wasn't sure what he had in mind about coming to Metric, but all the junk it caused between his siblings was not what he pictured. Now Newt is not only forced to take sides and listen to one go off about the other, but has to constantly defend his own choices about sticking to set design instead of Broadway dreams. But at least he still had his games, which would remain his only escape. His team of Pokémon would never turn on each other or him. They'd always be there for him, no matter what garbage went on between his family. Wait...isn't there supposed to be a new game coming out soon? Is it too soon to bug Nora and Nacho for some cash? Or maybe Newt would just be better off calling his grandma....
Stuff:
▶Newt has a few nervous habits involving his hands. Playing with his fingers, picking at his nails, pulling at his shirt. Video games is one thing that helps distract him from those habits; he can't fiddle with his hands if they're holding a game.
▶His first Pokémon game was Pokémon Platinum. He made sure to get the newest game as soon as he could afford it, though it hasn't stopped him from buying the older games or older Gameboys (thank you, Grandma Money and pouting to Dad!). His first Pokémon was Chimchar.
▶Newt was only ever able to get a Gameboy Color and Pokémon Gold as well as Pokémon Pinball before trying to keep up with ever new game Nintendo would release. Any games he doesn't have, as well as a Gameboy SP, is still on his birthday wishlist.
▶Ask him almost anything about Pokémon, and if Newt doesn't have an answer he'll probably have one within a minute.
▶Newt has a very good memory. He can memorize every dance move in a musical and nearly every line in a script. The one performing skill he's 'lackluster' at is singing.
▶His name is a direct reference to Olivia Newton-John, who stared in the movie Grease. Yeah. Joanna couldn't have been more creative.
Music:
Some show tunes/Broadway music to please his mother, but 95% of is playlist is Pokémon. PokéRaps, Pokémon themes, battle music...you name it, Newt's got it.
Backstory:
One of three. Triple T's. The Acker Triplets. Trips. You name it, and it's a nickname Newt probably heard. Really, the worst parts are being grouped together with his siblings in every sentence and that he's stuck in the middle. Literally. Nacho was always a building, it felt like, and was so close with their dad. And Nora was the baby of the family and practically a miniature version of their mom. So what did Newt have from all of that? Not much, it felt like. Maybe that was how he became so invested in the world of Pokémon. But before that, there was theater.
Newt couldn't remember a bedtime story from his mother that didn't involve her days in the theater. The rehearsals, the drama, the crowds, the rush, the standing ovations, the curtain calls, the spotlight...Newt was pretty sure he and his siblings heard it all. In a way, it felt kind of natural for all of them to be in the spotlight, too. Newt didn't completely mind it at first because he was with his siblings. Even though he had minor stage fright when he was younger, Nora and Nacho always helped him through it. They were kind of like a team. Sure, they didn't always act or perform or do everything together, but it was nice when they did. There were times where Newt felt like he was being pushed into it. But there were other times where it felt natural; like how he could calculate the majority of moves from a play and know exactly where something or someone had to be. Or how he could remember a handful of lines after minimal readings of a script. Joanna always said Newt had a natural talent for the theater, and that was part of her way of pushing him in that direction. Newt was pretty sure she did something like that with Nacho and Nora, too. From the get go it was just always assumed that the three of them would be together, whether performing or just in general.
As Newt got through elementary school he started to notice things about his siblings. Nora would go for the lead roles and always be awesome (even if she wasn't the lead) and Nacho would be a natural on stage, but even more of natural in the kitchen. What did Newt have that made him unique? Just his stupid freckles. There was one day after school, it must have been second grade or something, that Newt recalled. Nacho and Nora were working on a school play but because Newt had been one of the background characters - you know the one, the guy with all of two lines and stood in the back throughout most of the play - he wasn't exactly needed that day. Sure, he could have joined them but Newt didn't really want to. So he found himself on the playground hanging out with all the other kids waiting for their parents to get out of work. There was a group of students gathered in a circle watching two kids play Pokémon. And a few other kids playing the card game. Newt watched the players battle and he stared at the graphics of the game or the designs of the cards. He just became completely enthralled by the concept. These kids, completely different and unique kids, would create their own unique decks of Pokémon cards. Or catch all these different Pokémon and go on a virtual journey. Even if the characters all looked the same and the journey was the same - catching Pokémon and collecting the same gym badges - every journey would be different. One kid could choose Squirtle and catch a Pidgey first and another guy could choose Bulbasaur and not catch any Pokémon until reaching the Viridian Forest. It was an amazing concept to Newt and a society he just wanted to be a part of. He started begging his parents for Pokémon cards and the games, not to mention a game system to play on. But his mother was always adamant about the theater; she was so sure that getting caught up in those kinds of things would distract Newt and rot his mind away from the things that really mattered. It disappointed Newt that he had no choice but to focus on performing. And what did he get for his no-man character in the second grade play? One small pack of Pokémon cards, none of which could even go together let alone be the beginnings of a deck.
Fortunately, Newt had his father to back him up. When Joanna wasn't around one night, probably training Nora or something, Felipe surprised Newt with a starter pack of Pokémon cards. It was the most basic of decks, but it was all Newt really needed. When he got the chance he started playing with the other kids on the playground. Sure, he lost a lot of times, but it was the start that he needed. And every week he would use parts of his allowance to buy more cards and save the rest of it for an actual game. And, considering that coming from a very well-off NYC family meant getting a pretty good allowance, saving up for more cards wasn't too hard. It was the games and the game system that were difficult. Newt must have bugged his parents about getting him a Nintendo DS at least fifty times from the second to the third grade. Joanna only agreed to think about getting him one for his birthday if he could prove he deserved it. So Newt proved himself in the only other way he knew how. He auditioned for the school play Romeo and Juliet when he was nine. He got a pretty good role; he was Tybalt. He rehearsed and reread his lines so many times he could quote at least half the play. Of course he knew how disappointed Nora was for not getting the lead role; he made it up to her by sharing embarrassing stories about the lead. Yeah, he saw things. And with Nacho right there on stage with him, it wasn't like anyone was ever gonna mess with any of the triplets that year.
But that play was not just a push for Newt to earn his games. It was also the first time he really saw how much work went into putting everything together. Everything Joanna told him and his siblings about being in the spotlight...well, it was sort of a lie. It wasn't just about being on stage. Or feeling the energy from the crowd. It was about the people who worked hard to put the sets together, to actually come up with ideas and paint and everything. It was about the guys working the lights so there could be a spotlight. It was about the stage hands rushing to put stuff in the right place between scenes so Juliet would actually have a balcony to stand on or so the fight between Tybalt and Mercucio would look more epic. It was about the people working the curtains so the audience wouldn't catch anything embarrassing between scenes. Newt found all that to be so much more appealing than being on stage. He wouldn't even be on stage if it weren't for all those guys. So the next year, while he did audition and got a decent enough part, he also made it a priority to be at as many rehearsals as possible so he could be a part of the backstage crew. And that was also the year where his parents followed through and got him a Nintendo DS for his birthday.
Middle school was a slightly different story. Kids were taller, meaner, there was this thing called the status quo.... That was mostly when the nickname of Triple T stuck to the triplets. Newt didn't completely like it because, even if it was true, he was more than just a theater sibling. He was also a bit of a nerd. And that was awesome because no one would ever suspect a kid on his video game to actually listen to things people were saying. So if anyone ever said anything about Nacho or Nora when Newt was around and they didn't know it, they would be so shocked! Newt enjoyed seeing the reaction on kids' faces. Needless to say, Newt wasn't the only one of the triplets to become more diverse in his interests. While he was playing Pokémon and helping more and more backstage, Nacho seemed totally fine if he got lesser roles so he could cook more. Much like Nora didn't seem to understand Nacho's love of cooking, neither her or Nacho seemed to understand Newt's obsession with Pokémon. Nora was the only one who seemed to be completely obsessed with the theater and have like, no other interests. Well, except maybe gum. Newt never thought there was much of a problem with them all being a bit different. They could still be the Triple T's and like other stuff, couldn't they? Mr. Acker was always encouraging about that, but Mrs. Acker and Nora were a different story completely.
Newt doesn't remember hearing much of the term 'high school'. Only ever Metric. Apparently it was this amazing school that was all about the arts and it would be perfect for the three of them. Nora sure wouldn't shut up about it; Newt could probably quote the entire brochure and website at the rate she had gone! Newt and Nacho were pretty neutral about the topic but neither of them were ever really against the idea either. At first it seemed like it was going to be pretty great, like nothing would change. The siblings would still share a room together, they could all be in the same major, and maybe some nights Nacho could cook for them. Except it didn't turn out that way. Newt was just as shocked when Nacho dropped theater on the spot for cooking. He was pretty quiet during that argument and was very fidgety listening to his siblings fight about it. Some days at Metric went just like that because they would still be living together. Other times it would seem like a silent treatment. But, very few times, things would be ok. Newt wasn't sure what he had in mind about coming to Metric, but all the junk it caused between his siblings was not what he pictured. Now Newt is not only forced to take sides and listen to one go off about the other, but has to constantly defend his own choices about sticking to set design instead of Broadway dreams. But at least he still had his games, which would remain his only escape. His team of Pokémon would never turn on each other or him. They'd always be there for him, no matter what garbage went on between his family. Wait...isn't there supposed to be a new game coming out soon? Is it too soon to bug Nora and Nacho for some cash? Or maybe Newt would just be better off calling his grandma....
OOC
Stuff:
▶Newt has a few nervous habits involving his hands. Playing with his fingers, picking at his nails, pulling at his shirt. Video games is one thing that helps distract him from those habits; he can't fiddle with his hands if they're holding a game.
▶His first Pokémon game was Pokémon Platinum. He made sure to get the newest game as soon as he could afford it, though it hasn't stopped him from buying the older games or older Gameboys (thank you, Grandma Money and pouting to Dad!). His first Pokémon was Chimchar.
▶Newt was only ever able to get a Gameboy Color and Pokémon Gold as well as Pokémon Pinball before trying to keep up with ever new game Nintendo would release. Any games he doesn't have, as well as a Gameboy SP, is still on his birthday wishlist.
▶Ask him almost anything about Pokémon, and if Newt doesn't have an answer he'll probably have one within a minute.
▶Newt has a very good memory. He can memorize every dance move in a musical and nearly every line in a script. The one performing skill he's 'lackluster' at is singing.
▶His name is a direct reference to Olivia Newton-John, who stared in the movie Grease. Yeah. Joanna couldn't have been more creative.
Music:
Some show tunes/Broadway music to please his mother, but 95% of is playlist is Pokémon. PokéRaps, Pokémon themes, battle music...you name it, Newt's got it.