~02

[tinytactician]

[Action]

[((Dated to post-cave exploration))

Tiny recluse is still tiny, but not so reclusive -- especially not now that he has a new friend to visit and care for (new friend is a Steelix named Gertrude, fyi). Armin thinks it rude to leave his buddy all alone in the Habitats all the time, so an escape attempt has been performed!

Granted, his grandfather has been extra-busy with council-y business in the wake of the ore crisis, so it wasn't that hard for Armin and Meredith to sneak out. But still, they're free! They're out! He should be feeling very proud of himself, walking along the streets like a normal civilian. He should be all but skipping along the sidewalk, perhaps whistling a cheery tune.

Except he's not. Because, as it turns out, bonding with an enormous Pokemon sort of leaves you drained, mentally, physically and emotionally, and Armin doesn't have much emotion strength to spare. So he's sort of creeping along the street, frowning, radiating a tangible -- literally; if any passers-by aren't psychically prepared, his emotions are going to bleed over onto them -- aura of discomfort, nausea and exhaustion.

This also means that if anyone with a particularly potent emotional state passes by, it's going to hit Armin like a ton of bricks. Case in point: the loving couple who sidesteps boy and Ralts, drawing an uncharacteristic scowl from both.]

Ug. Indecent.

Comments

[tinytactician]

[Meredith is officially Cutest Pokemon, okay. Have a chirpy little Raa~aaalts!, because Meredith sees u and ur Beautiful Soul, Jean, so that tiny blobby body is going to heat up happily.

That is, until Armin recognizes Jean's voice with a spike of emotion -- alarm, mostly, because Jean knows who he is and knows he shouldn't be out and omg what if he tells someone?] I-I...um, yes. That's me. I remember you.

-- I should. We should. Go. [He tries to step away, but Meredith isn't done squishing Jean and chattering softly to him, so they refuse to let go.]

[sturzflug]

[ Jean has zero complaints about Meredith's smooshing. Hell, he even laughs. That's right, not chuckles-- but laughs. Have you ever considered getting Meredith into starting some kind of jerk-therapy? Because Jean is just uncharacteristically happy. Who is this loser child? ]

Somethin' wrong? You're sure in a hurry, all of a sudden.

[tinytactician]

[Armin sure doesn't know, because he was expecting absolutely merciless teasing, but instead he's getting...laughter. What the actual what. Even more odd is that he can feel that it's genuine, that Jean actually isn't as much of a jerk as he seems to be.

So he's honest, speaking very calmly for someone with an armful of chirping Ralts.] I'm not supposed to be out. I don't want anyone to see me.

[sturzflug]

Oh damn, you weren't kidding about the 'locked up in a tower' bit, huh? I thought it was weird, seeing you around after your so-called story.

[ Jean clears his throat, trying to bring back his 'cool.' ]

Hey, I'm all for not getting you in trouble. Sounded to me like whatever reason they had for locking you up was bullshit anyway, so if that's what you're worried about, I won't tell anybody.

[tinytactician]

It...it's not so much locked as...closed? ["Locked tower" is too dramatic, it's not like he's a prisoner or anything. Totally free to leave and stuff. Not dysfunctional at all.

But then Jean is trying to be cool and it's faaaailing, because Armin is going all teary-shoujo-eyed at him, u jerk w/ a heart of gold.] You won't? Really?

[sturzflug]

Shit, 'course not! Getting caught probably gets you grounded, right?

[ That's what Jean's mama does. ]

If you're already being forced to live in some tower, the last thing you need is cuttin' down on that living space even more, duh.

[tinytactician]

[Have a blank stare.] ...grounded? Like...being put into the ground? What?

[Meredith is having none of this communication breakdown; there is a Fletchling to greet by trying to poke.]

[sturzflug]

Grounded. Like, y'know, "you can't leave your room until this floor is spotless, young man!" or, "go to your room and think about what you've done!!" ...That sort of thing.

[ Apollo flitters over, landing on the ground next to Meredith. He's a little flighty with strangers, so he just observes her cautiously. ]

You've never been grounded before?

[tinytactician]

Oh. Grounded. Of course. [Not a clue, absolutely no clue whatsoever.

Meredith is the most friendliest of Pokemons, all right? Have a little wave, Apollo, accompanied by a little nudge of warm friendliness.]

...you have to clean your own room?

[sturzflug]

[ Apollo is powerless to resist the friendliness. Even a timid little bird like him steps forward to greet Meredith. So charming. ]

Uh, yeah. You don't? You really are some kind of prince, aren't you?

[ Good mood or not, Jean is still kind of an asshole. ]

[tinytactician]

[Boys, your Pokemon are 500% more socially capable than you are. Get with it, children. Meredith will greet Apollo with gentle pats on the head, because lol, Apollo is so tiny and feathery.]

We have a maid. [The entire world doesn't have maids. This is a new concept for Armin. He's going to just...frown, slowly. Well, he knew Eren didn't have a maid, but that's because his dad is a Ponyta's rear end. Maybe Jean's dad is also a Ponyta's rear end. That must be the common denominator.]

I'm not a prince. Royalty is an archaic concept and has no place in modern society.

[sturzflug]

Yeah, but you have a maid. Your family must be pretty loaded.

[ Jean sneers. Sorry, Armin. But you're a prince now. And for the record, Jean's dad is not a ponyta's rear-end. He's plenty nice. Just not rich. ]

[ Meanwhile Apollo twitters happily, enjoying the attention. Maybe that's the secret to calming down Jean... patting his feathers? ]

[tinytactician]

My Grandfather used to be on the Council...he's retired now, but he still provides consultations sometimes.

[Prince is a step up from princess. Barely. And obvs Jean is the only one resembling any part of a Ponyta in the Kirstein family...his face. He has a Ponyta face. It's a thing.

Meredith will make Apollo a BFF through sheer force of feather-petting will.]

[sturzflug]

Oh, wow. You're a prince, alright.

[ Jean just laughs. Apollo likes this Meredith. She's nice. She should be friends with Jean! He's nice too... on the inside. ]

I won't tell anybody I saw you, little guy.

[tinytactician]

You're hopeless. [Wow, just realizing this, kiddo? Meredith and Apollo are besties now, okay, so they all must be friends~]

Armin. That's my name.

[sturzflug]

Right, I remember. Armin. Friend of Eren. Prince of Union.

[ He snickers, bowing slightly to his new 'monarch'. ]

See?

[ Gosh, all Apollo knows is that jean seems to be enjoying himself, that's good, right? ]

[tinytactician]

[Ur gonna get kicked one day, Jean. Not by Armin, because his feet are tiny and wee, but by someone else and he's gonna be there and he's gonna laugh at you.

But right now he's just gonna roll his eyes.] I need to go to the Habitats and check on Gertrude now, so if you're all done teasing?

[sturzflug]

[ It's defs gonna happen. Sooner than later. ]

Aw, don't be like that.

[ Yeah, don't react totally normally. ]

But fine, be that way. Go on. I'm sure Gertrude misses you.

[ But Apollo made a new friend, Jean!! Apollo chirps!! Don't be like that... ]

[tinytactician]

[Boys, stop being losers. Meredith is going to flail and reach out for Apollo. They shall never be parted! Til death!!

Armin is unwilling to upset his friend, so he lingers for a moment, wanting in that dumb-teenage-boy part of his brain to impress Jean still.] She's a Steelix, so she can't stay in the house. Too big.

[sturzflug]

Holy shit, you bonded with a STEELIX?

[ That's certainly impressed Jean, holy pokeballs. ]

[tinytactician]

[Yeah, that's right, be jealous and impressed, Armin is hella cool.]

I did, yes. In the caves.

[sturzflug]

Damn. That thing must be like ten times your size! How the hell'd you do that?

[tinytactician]

Oh, you know. It's a gift of mine.

[Read: totally by accident, while hiding behind Eren.]

[sturzflug]

Wow, that's... impressive.

[ We can't be too stunned now, Jean-o. ]

You learn that from a book or something? Or are you Enlightened too?

[tinytactician]

--too? You're Enlightened?

[Question = effectively avoided, ha!]