synopsychic | Open Video Broadcast/ Filtered Message

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Open Video Broadcast/ Filtered Message

Open Broadcast

[Though it may be somewhat alarming to those who have yet to experience the telepathic network, Armin's image appears in everyone's mind. It's been a while since they arrived back, and nobody else seems to be taking the lead getting everyone organized, so he figures someone needs to step up.]

To all the newcomers arriving, please stay calm. Try not to panic, and try not to project your thoughts so chaotically - with all of you that are arriving, it'll only make things more confusing for everyone. No one should hear your thoughts if you're not actively projecting them - except in Gate A2.

I know you all have a lot of questions. There are many of us who've been here a while, so try to find someone who looks like they know what they're doing, and they can help you. I'll try to help as best I can too - we can talk like this, or if you'd prefer face to face, I'm in the hallway connecting the V1 and V2 lounges.

Filtered from New Arrivals

Does anybody know if one of the Trumps was actually present, whether it was PSYCHENet or not? Was anybody marked this time?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh... yes, I'm fine... Um, it doesn't hurt or anything...!

[That's clearly what he's worried about.

There's a pause, a little nervous, and then--]

What...does this all mean?

I didn't really mean if it hurt...

[He asked if you were alright, not if you were uninjured. There's a difference - though he's hardly one to talk.]

Umm... I don't think we really know - though Naoto's been marked, and she's offered to speak to people if they have any concerns. We've had people marked by four different Trumps now, that I know of. From the comments some people heard at the masquerade... it definitely seems to be part of some larger plan or game on the part of the Trumps. [And they're choosing their pieces...]

[A game on the part of the Trumps... markings.... she hesitates a little, and then--]

I don't completely understand, but... I don't think that PSYCHENet-chan meant any harm, so...

So I'm sure it'll be okay.

[oh you sweet, summer child]

[Armin's not so sure PSYCHENet even has the same conception of harm as they do, and even if she does and she doesn't actively mean them any harm, he's fairly certain she won't hesitate to throw any or all of them in harms way if it suits her purposes.

In other words, in this game, they are the pawns - and pawns, though nice to have, are expendable.

Armin hesitates, uncertain. On the one hand, this level of naivety could be dangerous. They absolutely cannot afford to underestimate the Trumps, or misunderstand what they are to the Trumps. But on the other hand...

On the other hand, this kind of naivety, this boundless optimism - that it might even exist, it's what Armin's always fought for, part of the reason he became a soldier. He's loathe to destroy it here.]

...Don't let your guard down around PSYCHENet. I think she's trying to seem more harmless than she actually is. Never forget - she's a Trump.

[And thus is complicit, if not entirely culpable, in everything that's happened to them. It's a much softer warning than he might have given - he simply couldn't justify giving less.]

[Immediately, she ducks her head at the admittedly mild scolding. She should know better, she really should. She's been stabbed, dropped off of buildings, shoved into lakes.

And yet...even so, even so she wants to believe in the best in people. And here--as well, she wants to believe in the best in the Trumps. Because they really don't know much about them, so...

She nods quietly to herself, but her psychic voice, though soft, is certain.]

I won't forget... but...even so, I want to try, Armin-san. I think... um, this is the only thing I can do...

[She's not strong like the others. She's not smart. All she can do is...put her faith in people, and try her hardest.]

[Armin simply nods. As long as she was careful, as long as she didn't forget who they were dealing with - then they were probably all right. Or at least, as all right as they were going to be. He gives her a small smile, and his voice is serious but gentle.]

I know. And we'll all be there to help. I just... I just don't want you, or anyone, to get hurt. Being trusting, believing the best in people - it's an admirable trait, but it can be dangerous, if you're not prepared for the fact it might not be true. So just make sure you're not taken off guard.

[He's probably said too much. But he wants to be sure - if something happens to her, and he could have stopped it here but didn't... Regardless, that's done now, one way or the other. His expression lightens a little, then turns hesitant.]

Umm, actually, I had a question for you. I'm trying to keep records of everything that could be relevant to all this - figuring out who the Trumps are and what they want with us. If it's all right... I was wondering if you might be willing to show me the mark?

Of course, Armin-san... I'll be careful. Thank you for worrying about me...

[That much, she absolutely appreciates. He didn't have to worry for her, but he did. She can't snub that...she'll have to do her best to make sure that she doesn't make him sad, that's for sure.

But the question is easy enough.]

Oh... of course...! Um--do you need me to come find you...?

Of course, Mai. We're Travelers, and I hope... maybe even friends? [He sounds a little uncertain on that - aside from the people in his trainee squad, and Eren and Mikasa before that, he never had friends before becoming a Traveler.] Either way, looking after each other is what we do.

...If you wouldn't mind? I'm in the middle of finishing up my report on the jaunt. I'm in the, the jetway tunnels, I think people called it? Near Gate A2.

Of course...! We're definitely friends, Armin-san...! I'm really grateful for everything you've done for me.

[That much is 100% natural to her. But that gets a pause out of her, and then she nods, trying to map this Liminal Space in her head.]

... Okay. I think I can find my way there... um, it may take a few minutes so...please be patient with me.

[Armin gives something of a shy smile when she affirms that they're friends. It's maybe not something he's very used to, but it means a lot to him.] I'm glad.

Don't worry about it - I'm in no rush. Umm, let me know if you have trouble finding me. I think I should be pretty visible... [But, after all, he's chosen this spot for the relative privacy, so it still isn't the most obvious place.]

[It takes her a little while to find him, admittedly, but eventually she does come wandering nearby, and as soon as she spies his blond hair, she perks up, hurrying closer.]

Oh, Armin-san...! There you are!

[Armin glances up at his name, sitting bent over his notebook as he is, and smiles upon seeing her.] Mai! If you don't mind, I'd like to finish this quick. It'll just take a minute...

[He turns back to his notebook after receiving an affirmative, scribbling quickly. Apparently he was serious, though - he looks back up a little less than a minute later, standing up.] There - sorry about that. Thank you for coming.

Of course.

[She doesn't mind being polite and waiting; patiently, she lets him finish without crowding him or trying to look, and as soon as he stands up to greet her, she dips her head in a bow in response.]

It's really good to see you again, Armin-san.

[Sure, she was just talking to him, but there's something really good about being face to face with her friends here.]

[Armin blinks at the bow, and looks a little surprised at her words. He'd said he'd hoped they were friends, but... well, he hadn't realized she liked him well enough to be glad to see him. Anyone else, he might have thought she was just being polite - but she sounds so genuine.]

Th-thank you. It's good to see you too.

[Of course she's sincere, Armin-san is a very important person to her who has helped her a lot!!

But she smiles at that, and then moves closer to neatly sit next to him, folding her legs beneath herself and rearranging her skirt.]

Did... you do okay, last Jaunt? I know your uniform was, um, a little odd, but--

[Armin sits back down when she does, a complicated expression on his face at the question.] I-I'm not sure. The uniform wasn't really a problem. [Though it's still enough to make him blush a little.] I'm afraid I didn't help very much, though. And it was... difficult. With so many of my friends infiltrating so soon after, after Harrogate. And then Sansa...

[In the time he had most needed support, he had seen his girlfriend with Joscelin - someone he honestly thought was better for her - saw her happy with him, and at the same time feel nothing for Armin. As nice as it was to see her happy... it hadn't helped his emotional state after Harrogate. Nor had it helped that there had been nobody he could really talk to about everything that was going on and everything that had happened to him.]

But then, at the same time, a lot of people seemed so happy. And seeing Chizuru and Hijikata get married, to be a part of that... that was wonderful. [Even if he had screwed up the s tech, at first, because he'd been so nervous about his role. Eventually he'd managed to summon the flowers and petals they wanted.]

So... I guess there were both a lot of good things and a lot of bad things. How did you do?

Sansa-san...?

[She searches back in her memory, but...that's right. Sansa and Joscelin. She remembers that. But... was Sansa connected to Armin in some way? She didn't know, but now she's curious, especially when he looks so sad... if she can help in some way, she really wants to.

So she pauses, biting her lip.]

Um, I was fine...! But-- was something wrong...with Sansa-san and you?

Edited 2015-05-19 18:17 (UTC)

[Armin looks down, still hurt by it, and wondering if she might be better off without him. He tries to push that feeling away, and partially succeeds.]

It... it was just hard to see her like that. With someone else, not knowing who I am.

[He won't mention the rest. Those thoughts... they don't deserve to be given voice.]

["With someone else"...? "Not knowing who I am"...? There are a lot of context clues there. She didn't know this at all, but now that she thinks about it...]

Um... Armin-san, are you and Sansa-san... together?

Oh! [Armin looks up at that, pure surprise on his face. It's not like he has reason to think Mai should know they're together - he's just never considered people wouldn't know. He's never been in this situation before, but it's so much a part of his life, it's hard to imagine someone not being aware of it. But now he thinks about it, though they haven't exactly been discreet, they definitely haven't been obvious about it either.]

Y-yes. We are. [He feels a flush to his cheeks again, though this time it's mostly not embarrassment.]

Oh...! Congratulations!

[Mai looks...absolutely delighted, as one might expect upon hearing about her friends being in a good relationship. She smiles brightly, hands clasped together on her lap, and leans forward somewhat in eagerness.]

I didn't know, but...that's so wonderful! How long have you two been together?

Th-thank you. [He looks down, blushing a little, but this time there's a small smile on his face.]

Umm... let me see. Eight and a half months? [Then he frowns, thinking.] Or, at least... it's been about eight and a half months since we started dating. But I don't know if you can count the times we haven't been ourselves.

So... really, I guess it's been less than half of that. Four months, maybe.

I think... um, even if you haven't been yourselves for some of it, it's...even more amazing that you can still stay together and love each other even so.

[To be able to come back together now matter what the Jaunt throws...that's pretty incredible.]

So I'm sure... you'll both be okay, no matter what.

That's... that's a good way to look at it.

[That kind of optimism... Armin really doesn't know how she does it all the time. But he smiles - even if it doesn't make sense to him, it makes him happy that she can be like this.]

What about you? Do you... have anyone? Here, or back home?

[Armin realizes as he asks that he doesn't actually know the first thing about Mai's home world.]

[She pauses.

Oh.

The hesitation is probably plenty in the way of clues about how awkward a question that is for her, but nonetheless after a moment, she tries to make a valiant attempt at answering it anyway.]

U-um, it's...a little complicated, but... I don't...think so?

Open Video Broadcast/ Filtered Message

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