~05; action | video

[tinytactician]

[Action]

[Oh look, it's everyone's favorite earnest, well-meaning, kind-to-all-living-creatures blond kiddo, just chilling in the park with his Pokemon buddies...

...including the absolutely enormous Steelix who's dozing and giving out gravelly snores. In fact, Armin and his little Pokemon friends -- including Nim the Mareep baby and the just-recently-hatched Espurr baby who insists on being held at all moments -- are sitting on top of Gertrude-the-Steelix's head. So anyone trying to approach...best tread lightly.

Armin is clearly in a mood.]

[Video]

[Not so much that he doesn't turn on his Warp Band and ask, shortly, with one of the most grim expressions he's ever worn:] Is anyone signing up for this Tournament?

[...the creepycute baby Espurr sort of ruins his brooding aura, tbh.]

Comments

video;

[sturzflug]

She's got my mom, too! Besides, if anything, I'm like... her surrogate dad. She's gotta know we're not blood-related early on, or else shit'll get confusing!

[ He pets Milly... who honestly doesn't seem to have understood any of that, anyway. She bleats happily at the attention. ]

See? She doesn't mind.

video;

[tinytactician]

Oh. Oh, right. [Lol parents. Most of Armin's friends don't have those, so he doesn't really take them for granted.]

I guess that's true. You don't want her trying to fly or anything.

video;

[sturzflug]

[ Jean is that weirdo with the nagging mom and the dad who just does along with everything... ]

Right. And she keeps shocking me-- which I don't think she gets isn't fun for me cause of the whole flying-type thing. I'm gonna have to teach her to cut that out...

video;

[tinytactician]

Does she really? Perhaps she's amused by how your feathers conduct static electricity! Do they fluff out when shocked?

[He's...really 100% doing this for science, Jean. Not to make fun of you.

...maybe 99% for science.]

video;

[sturzflug]

They sure do....

[ Jean is so unenthusiastic about that. It's been one static zap after another. ]

I'm just lucky she's still too weak to paralyze me or anything, now that would suck.

video;

[tinytactician]

You just have to teach her differently, that's all. [Armin says this like it ain't no thing -- probably because his own Mareep is gentle and friendly, crawling around on his shoulder and nibbling at his hair.]

video; GO TO THE DOCTOR, JOLEE

[sturzflug]

I'll try... Ugh, worst case, I'll just hand her off to my ma.

[ At least Milly seems to have no problem... falling asleep on Jean. ]

UR NOT MY REAL MOM

[tinytactician]

[Have a frowny-face, but Armin has Parental Abandonment Issues, so ignore him.]

...well. How goes the whole... [Vague handwave.] Ranger. Thing.

YOU'LL DO AS YOU'RE TOLD, YOUNG LADY

[sturzflug]

Well, Eren got me to apply. I dunno how the application's gonna go yet, but my record's better than his, so it should be a piece of cake.

/cries

[tinytactician]

I'm sure you'll all do fine. You're more than qualified, and courageous enough.

[sturzflug]

Aw man. Th-thanks, Armin. I dunno about courageous, I'm pretty much a huge fucking coward, let's be honest.

[tinytactician]

...well I think you're brave.

[sturzflug]

What? Y-you're kidding, right? What have I ever done that was brave?

[tinytactician]

Well...you're always watching out for Eren, right? I know he gets into a lot of trouble sometimes, so it takes someone especially brave to follow after him without a second thought.

[sturzflug]

Well, I wouldn't say I go in... "without a second thought..."

[tinytactician]

...without a fourth or fifth thought, then.

[sturzflug]

That... sounds about right. Dunno if that makes me brave or stupid.

[tinytactician]

Brave. [This is said with all the conviction a wee tiny shota can muster.]

[sturzflug]

I'd go with stupid, but that's just me.

[tinytactician]

[Have a weary eyeroll.] You and Eren are the same. Can't take a compliment.

[sturzflug]

Wh-what?! I'm nothing like him!!

[ Only in every way. ]

[tinytactician]

[Have a very knowing look, Jean.]

[sturzflug]

Shut the hell up!

[tinytactician]

I didn't say anything!

[sturzflug]

I can tell what you're thinking, and it ain't funny, okay!?