[Audio]

[neverfeltthatway]

[For once, Armin sends only his voice and not his image over the network - something anyone paying attention might note is unusual, if not without precedent.]

Hello, everyone. I... I have the list of Travelers who disappeared this jaunt. Meaning they've probably either gone home, or they're stuck in a dungeon somewhere and they'll turn up again later.

It may not be a complete list, but... it's the closest I could get. [He takes a deep breath.] Here goes: Giovanni, Kain, Ravit, Ace, Shuu, Quinn, Ruvik, Souji - er, Souji Okita, that is - Tsurumaru, Annabel, and Ky.

I'm sorry.

Comments

[upcard]

[He's not wrong.]

...Mm, it's...I'm just worried about them... I know that it's not always--that sometimes they end up in bad places...

[neverfeltthatway]

Well, if they do, then we'll rescue them.

[Unless that bad place ends up being their home, then there's probably nothing they can do. And Armin's not so sure everyone gets rescued, either, but... it's Mai. He wants her to be able to believe it, at least, even if he can't. He says it matter of factly, though, not letting any of his uncertainty seep in.]

[upcard]

Oh... you really think so, Armin-san?

[It seems to have done the job as he'd hoped; she sounds significantly more perked up at that.]

I mean--yes, of course! We're the ones still here, so...we have to...!

[neverfeltthatway]

We've haven't failed to yet. We'd never leave anyone in a dungeon!

[Contrary to his real feelings, he sounds confident and optimistic, though after the pause he's more quiet and hesitant.]

...Are you all right?

[upcard]

[It works. He sounds confident, and that helps--she can buy into that confidence and believe it as well. As for that question... she's honest.]

I'm okay... I was a little sad, but... nothing bad happened to me.

[She was just sad because they didn't help anyone, and that's....hard.]

What about Armin-san?

[neverfeltthatway]

I'm all right. I... didn't know what was going on, or what to do, so I mostly just stayed with Sansa.

[To protect her, though he doesn't say that out loud.]

I didn't get hurt. But I also... I wasn't really able to help anybody.

[upcard]

Oh...

But you helped Sansa-san. [That's an immediate, certain response.] So you did help someone. And...you helped me too, in the marketplace.

So that's two people Armin-san helped, and that's just the obvious ones.

[neverfeltthatway]

I g-guess so. But... I should have found a way to do more. All the peregrines were suffering so much...

[upcard]

... I understand.

[She doesn't have any comfort to offer, really, because--]

I feel the same way... there were good people there, even if it was a really bad place, and... I wish we could have helped them more...

[neverfeltthatway]

[Armin is quiet for a moment, as Mai feeling the same way seems to put things into perspective for him. When he speaks again, his voice is much more solid and determined.]

We'll just have to do better next time!

[upcard]

R-right...!

[She knows that it won't be easy, but...when he sounds so firm and certain, she can't help but believe him.]

We'll all do it...we'll all do better together. I'm...I'm sure of it!

[neverfeltthatway]

[...You just can't be negative in the onslaught of all that optimism.]

It's a promise.

[As if it were as simple as that. Even so, for Mai, and for humanity, he'll try.]