ＶＩＤＥＯ ⁄ ＮＥＷ ＢＡＲＫ ＴＯＷＮ。

[throatwash]

( route's newest arrival isn't pleased, but for all the plethora of reactions one can experience in a new world... armin arlert is rather calm. he crouches at a water's edge, arm folded over his knees. his hair is wet, appearing longer than usual, and his chin is scraped raw. if someone mistakes him for a girl... well, it wouldn't be the first time. he sighs. )

How would you train a weak, ah, Pokémon? ( foreign, the question in the word itself. ) I understand they learn through battle, but can they learn through... Mm, exercises? ( the answer seems obvious, to be honest, but armin won't assume in the given circumstances. he doesn't want to waste the time, either, and this is an important step to integrating himself into this world. ) I think it would be more beneficial than risking serious injury or worse...

( — a splash of water, raining droplets over the screen. armin lowers the gear, revealing an upside picture of... a fucking magikarp. he smiles, though no one can see. softer, ) Don't worry. I use to be weak, too.

Comments

video;

[scoutingangel]

[ ...Armin...

Well, that's -- someone Petra doesn't expect to see here today, or any day actually because she doesn't really expect to see anyone she knows! Though seeing more people from home is great and she sure hopes to see many of them here.

It's also fucking weird, because how does she do this thing again if he's from the future too? LET'S JUST PRETEND IT'S COMPLETELY NORMAL? No, that doesn't really work, but well, it's not like she wants to avoid this either. She couldn't, even, considering this is one of Eren's best friends and it's certainly not the first time she's about to talk to him. Not that she knows him as well as she got to know Eren, but she sure sneaked around the castle to meet Eren in the company of his best friends too while she could.

So this is probably going to be very weird, again. Not as weird to her, this time, as it sure as hell will be to him, but weird anyhow.

Wait. Shi-- What is she supposed to say? She has no idea about any answers to that question -- not like it matters, but ... ugh, okay what she says first doesn't really matter as long as she at least says something! Anything works, right? Okay, she can do this. Somehow!]

Armin... Did you wake up alone in that house? [In other words; Eren and/or Mikasa aren't with you? Or in other words are you alone in New Bark because wow, that wasn't fun for her either.]

[Petra, that's not how you're supposed to start this and you probably know it. Really, how does one start these? 'Don't freak out now, but hello, long time no see'? Might have been better.]

video; 1 / 2

[throatwash]

Petra?

( for a second time, he wonders if this is a dream. an illusion or something else of the mind. something titan created because annie can summon them. eren can, if for a moment, control them. what can a shifter do to a human being? but armin doesn't think he would dream of a dead woman he met once, or twice, either. is he dead? thinks he would see his grandfather, then. but such a thing wouldn't be for a person like him, would it. )

video;

[throatwash]

Yes, I'm alone. Is... Is Squad Leader Ness here?

video;

[scoutingangel]

No. [So is he from point where he was around him...? Or is this related to the fact that Petra shouldn't be here...? Who knows, she's not going to ask just yet.]

But corporal Levi is here?

[and once again she's actually glad for the technology because these weird devices show that he met his classmate too by now. good, that's good. ...is it good?]

video;

[throatwash]

( silence. he isn't dead, then. but the relief falters in an instant because corporal levi shouldn't be here. (and a childish part of him, hurt and bitter and resenting the reasons bertolt should live, wishes him dead.) the corporal should be in a church. he should be saving eren. mikasa is strong, but together, their odds are better. and commander hange — )

Is this all of us?

video;

[bertall]

<sub>[Arceus, please let him be seeing things. Please let this be a case of eating something bad and now he's a little delirious. Maybe he bought the wrong berries from the store!

...Except even after he rubs his eyes and turns his 'gear off and on several times, it sinks in that no, this isn't your eyes playing a trick on you. Of all the people to show up... Bertolt feels sick. Bertolt still remembers the chilling words Armin spoke the last time he saw him as he and Reiner were running away, the sharp sting of a blade designed for killing titans cutting into his body, losing Eren and being forced to retreat...

Forced to leave Annie behind.

It's only Reiner's old Trapinch trying to gnaw on his shoe that pulls him from his thoughts. Shit. He doesn't know what he's supposed to do.]</sub>

...Armin.

video;

[throatwash]

Bertolt. ( he wishes it were eren or mikasa to call his name. jean or historia or sasha or connie. someone else but bertolt. at least it isn't reiner, he thinks. but armin thinks he might have died, too. — and then, he wishes it were reiner. ) Is this Hell?

video;

[bertall]

_{[He'd laugh if he wasn't fighting with a myriad of emotions right now. Should he be angry? Terrified? Upset? Happy to see someone else from home? Disgusted? Worried? He doesn't know.]}

...You have a really weird idea of hell if that's the first thing that comes to mind.

video;

[throatwash]

( that's true, he thinks. but petra ral was the first person to find him, and she died in the field. annie killed her. does bertolt know that? armin doesn't think to ask. the technology might baffle him, but he understands their conversation is public, accessible. the gossip would be detrimental to petra's well being. )

But when you think about it... The place we come from is weird.

[VIDEO]

[sadisticwarfare]

[Oh no, you showed up with a Magikarp? You poor kid. That's just cruel.

The camera is focusing on Archer, with the background being a very plain-looking room. Archer is far more interesting, given the military uniform and the abnormally pale skin. He's sitting, his chin resting on a hand.]

I'm sure you've already realized this, but that Pokémon is not very well-suited to battle. It can battle, but for the most part it's more of a hassle to bother with it for very little payoff. For the time being, I suggest trying to catch another Pokémon. That Magikarp will be useful eventually - once it hits level twenty, it will take on a more powerful form.

[He pauses to consider the kid's other question before finally shaking his head.]

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any other way to train Pokémon. They must be in a battle to gain experience and learn new moves. Of course, that doesn't mean they have to battle for very long - you can switch to another Pokémon to split the experience between them. It may take longer, but it can be very useful for raising Pokémon like Magikarp.

[...Hope you liked that infodump, sorry Armin.]

[VIDEO]

[throatwash]

( like it? he loves it! now, the trick is choosing a pokémon that is suitable to an extra workload without wasting his supplies. what a frugal teenager. magikarp, meanwhile, splashes in the background. )

That was very thorough, thank you. Do you come from this place?

[sadisticwarfare]

I'm not from this place, but I have been here for three years.

[So he's had plenty of time to learn about which Pokémon are difficult to raise.]

You've just arrived, correct? I'm afraid I can't recall what Pokémon are on the surrounding routes, but I do believe there are quite a few bugs. A bird or any Flying-type Pokémon would probably be very useful and easy to train right now.

[He can't recommend any birds besides Sigilyph, but Sigilyphs are... special...]

[throatwash]

( his smile fades in an instant. that long? he didn't think leaving would be simple. — impossible, perhaps, though not wanting to consider that idea, and he feels winded again. )

Have people tried to leave?

video; im trash but im trash that has to tag you im so sorry i was awol

[corporal]

( whoa what the fuck is this kid doing here MAN WHAT THE FUCK WHY IS EVERYONE HERE SUDDENLY

jesus shit, levi had everything under control when it was just him [he thought, what is a bertholdt] and he could maintain his Manliness Quotient even while swimming in a sea of mysterious cat creatures because nobody he actually knew or recognized would see him but now—

yeah now... not so much.

thankfully he only lets his mind fuck around and distress over these facts for a few minutes and he's relatively responsive when he shows up in his video reply—as though he's got a rainbow of available expressions in the first place, u know. )

Serious injury? These creatures don't die, it seems, so that's not a huge concern.

Unless you're talking about yourself. ( a short pause, then levi thinks 'ok fine i should clarify so he doesnt think im bein a piece of shit to him i guess' ) Nothing here is really all that incredibly dangerous. Sure as fuck aren't any titans, at least.

( look at this shithead, he's just gonna pretend he's so smooth and cool like he totally expected you to show up and his jimmies are the least rustled

unfortunately it's bullshit, but hey! maybe this is for the best for u, kid. you won't get eaten and as far as he knows you won't have to shoot anybody so KEEP UR CHIN UP but srry about dat magikarp )

video; omg it's ok i'm just happy to read this tag it's beautiful also 1/???

[throatwash]

( oh, god. oh, god. armin isn't a deep zen person, as it is, and even less in the presence of the corporal since saving jean's life. and while armin was desperate for a semblance of order, power, something familiar and directive —! he pictures a, a pokémon breeder. something loving and patient, at first, but that isn't the corporal, is it? no. no, an accurate mental image is him shoving two of these things together and growling "make out, you shits." ...or thereabouts. )

video; 2/???

[throatwash]

( JESUS CHRIST —. armin slaps his hand across the gear's screen. )

Sir, um!

video; 3/???

[throatwash]

( shit. get it together, arlert. don't do that. except he squeezes the gear too hard —. when did his hands starting sweating? the gear slips from his fingers, and for all his attempts to catch the thing, it swings around in the air. up, down, up, smacking his forehead. armin palms the offended skin. )

Damnit!

video; OK WE DONE

[throatwash]

( this is... the worst. finish him. spread the ashes of his ego across the ocean, please. )

Squad Leader...

( "hi." )

video; LMFAO THIS POOR CHILD

[corporal]

( its ok you can just pull levi's hair a bit on the playground and then run away to show him that u love him

or maybe that's what levi does to everybody else, who knows

WHY AM I BEING FRIEND-ZONED?? WHY DON'T THESE KIDS LOVE ME I SHOWER THEM WITH AFFECTION e.g. kicks to the face, same shit different way

yeah okay but levi is definitely narrowing his eyes a little bit at that fumbling of the gear and his eyebrows slide up about a fraction of an inch in amusement. you know, his version of concern. but he is concerned, ok!! )

Arlert. Welcome to hell, the titan-free version.

video; i live for moments like this

[throatwash]

I don't think it's that bad...

( minus bertolt. )

[Video]

[goestoextremes]

[...girl, it's one thing to get a fucking Magikarp for Christmas from a trolling idiot, but starting with it? Oh you poor, poor little girl.] No, but you know, at least you're taking it well, it seems.]

Well, I wouldn't let it keep on splashing water on me for one thing! And serious injuries are not that common here, worse can't exactly even happen. [Or if it can, no one's told her.] Though you might catch a cold, if that splashing to your direction continues.

1 / 2

[throatwash]

— ah, right. My head is a mess...

[throatwash]

What do you mean, though, when you said serious injuries aren't common?

[goestoextremes]

It's okay, head kind of becomes a mess when you get here and if there's something going on back home, well that just makes it even worse. [been there, experienced that.]

That they're not so common? I guess they happen, it's not the most peaceful place all the time and some people train these creatures to hurt others. But welcome a place, where they take all weapons away from people before they wake up here and dying is impossible.

Your pokemon can faint in battles though, but they have this weirdly amazing healing system for them, that you don't really need to worry about it.

...Which might sound weird! But if I find something in this place, that isn't weird, I'll let you know.

WELL THAT WAS THE WRONG JOURNAL............

[throatwash]

Impossible?

( korra has offered a plethora of information, but this is what draws armin's attention. death is a fixture of his world. constant and real, waiting. soon, soon, soon —. this world is too good to be true. )