The ocean and other cool things. [closed]

[schachmeister]

Who: AOT cast
Where: Olivine city, then to the Sevii Islands
When: The whole of March
Summary: A catch all post to cut down on spamming the community while they finally make it to the ocean. And the islands.
Rating: Gen

Comments

Armin & Eren - The ocean

[schachmeister]

[It took them six months -- six months of travelling and gym battles, of detours, training, unexpected delays and, it has to be admitted, a bit of laziness on their part but they are finally here.

The sky is overcast and steel grey as only a sky in early March can be. It looks like it might rain. Or snow. The beach itself is all but deserted. The water is still far too cold for swimming and the weather doesn't exactly lend itself to any other beach-side activities. Quite frankly, compared to some of the pictures Armin has seen in his atlas of bright beaches and blue water and a sky so clear you can barely tell where it ends and the water begins, this grey and cold display should be a let down and yet--

Armin raises his chin just slightly, his eyes closing for a moment as he feels the wind across his face. It's wet, salty and with a smell like nothing he has ever smelled before. There is the sharp calls of wingulls from high above, a few of them squabbling over something to eat a bit further up on the beach. And far over the water comes to rolling horn of a ship.

Armin opens his eyes again and notes almost absently that he is trembling. Strange. He's not scared or cold at all. In fact he doesn't seem to be anything. He's just...

He's going to need a few moments to let this all sink in, okay?]

[greatrage]

[it's an ugly day, that's for sure. Not a single ray of sunshine breaks through the overcast skies. It looks like winter, even though it's supposed to be spring soon. But, like Armin, that doesn't stop Eren from being completely and utterly astounded.

Eren stands next to his friend, staring out over the gray, sullen seas. The water... seemed to stretch forever. He'd never seen anything so huge. Standing next to it, he feels so small. Hell... even if he could turn into a Titan here, this vast body of water would dwarf even that.

He just... stands there with Armin for a moment. But only for a moment. Because then, he's stripping off his boots and rolling up his pants and running full tilt into the icy water</small] It's so cold--!! Ahhh!!

[schachmeister]

[That snaps Armin out of his reverie. Oh lord, he can't possibly be--

He is.

He is.

One of these days Eren is going to get himself killed and Armin will have to get him a tombstone with the words 'He told me so'. And then he'll have to visit his grave every day and whisper 'I really did tell you' to it.

Dropping his backpack, he chases after Eren, huffing slightly.]

Eren, no! You'll get pneumonia!

[greatrage]

It's fine!! I'm not gonna get my head wet, Mom.

[only Eren can make mom jokes for himself. No one else. Eren only walks in up to mid-calf, and he looks down in the water, feeling the waves and currents move the sand around his feet. Feeling little pieces of shell and rock poke into his feet. There was... so much power just in this shallow water.

Carefully, Eren reaches down and cups his hands in the water. He then carefully sips some of the water--

and promptly spits it out. But he's smiling fit to split his face]

Eugh!! Man! It really is salty!! Armin, try it!

[schachmeister]

[Armin doesn't follow him into the water, instead stopping just at the water's edge where the waves lap over the toes of his boots. It's a good thing those are waterproof.

He huffs a little as Eren calls him mom (it's not the first time though), consciously fighting the impulse to put his hands on his hips. He doesn't need to make the comparison more apt.]

Hypothermia can set in even if your head is dry, Eren. Your body temperature only has to drop-- Don't drink it!

[Yes, Armin is every bit as curious about whether the water is as salty as his old book used to say, but he's not just going to drink it! Maybe Eren is ready to die of hypothermia, but Armin is not.]

Armin & Jean - Shopping

[schachmeister]

[Angel's upcoming birthday had taken Armin somewhat by surprise. Naturally she had to have one, but he hadn't expected it to come this soon. Or for him to have this little time --the ferry to the Sevii islands, the one they had already bought tickets for, was set to leave tonight-- to find something for her. She was kind and sweet, which was reason enough to buy her something, but ah, what did you buy girls? The only girl he had ever bought a birthday present for was Mikasa, and somehow he doubts Angel would be as charmed by ankle weights and dumbbells.

Armin peers uncertainly into the window display of one of the shops, though it only seems to sell fishing gear, which he suspects is not a cute enough gift for a girl. Miss Botan had said nothing about fishing supplies as a suitable gift.]

Do you think we will be able to find something here or should we head to Goldenrod?

[Olivine is a small town, but it might have some cute local things Angel would not have seen yet. The selection in Goldenrod on the other hand is much bigger, but Angel has probably visited those stores herself too.]

[notvaljean]

I don't think we have time to go to Goldenrod. Not if we're going to make it back for the ferry.

[Jean is just as flummoxed as Armin is, but he's pretty sure fishing gear isn't going to cut it. And he wants this gift to be extra special: after Angel sent him apple rabbits while he was sick, he's been nursing a quiet but persistently growing crush on her. It's different than it had been with Mikasa; Angel is beautiful, certainly, but she's also kind, and pays attention to Jean, and answers when he talks to her. It's deeply confusing, and Jean isn't sure how to deal with it. Not for the first time, he wishes Marco was here, so he could ask him. Marco would know how to talk to a pretty girl who does nice things for you.]

[Armin, Jean is assuming, does not.]

Angel likes cute things. And cats. Maybe we should find something cute or with a cat on it?

[schachmeister]

We could probably make it if we used the warp pads.

[His voice carries little heat though. He isn't, for once, trying to convince Jean of anything. He might be good at thinking op strategies, but shopping for girls? That's an entirely new field for him as well.

He glances one more time at the display, before heading along, moving for the next store. Whether they stay here or go to Goldenrod, at the very least he knows they are not going to find anything for Angel in that shop.]

I asked miss Botan and she said girls like getting cute things like stuffed animals. Or stuff like chocolate or ice cream, but we'd need special containers to send that.

[notvaljean]

[Jean knows about the warp pads, but they kind of terrify him, and he's not going to get on one unless he really has to. He loves you, Angel, but having his body dissolved into some kind of weird mist and then reappear elsewhere? He doesn't love you that much.]

Well... [Jean is trying to picture Mikasa with a cute stuffed animal and failing miserably.] What about a stuffed animal that looks like Dora, that tentacley Pokemon she has? Or one of her birds?

[schachmeister]

[To be fair, Mikasa would love a cute stuffed animal... if it looked like Eren.]

That might work. We'll have to find a store in town that sells those.

[This would be so much easier if they had already been here for a while, but as is, all Armin knows to find is the inn where they are sleeping and the beach.]

Armin & Bertolt - Drowning lessons

[bertall]

<sub>[Teaching never has been one of Bertolt's strong points, at least from his point of view. Reiner was always better at guiding people, and everyone was always much more eager to learn from him because of it.

That, and the fact that he tended to act as a big brother over everyone. And, well, act as a mother hen in some cases.

Bertolt wasn't anything like that.

When Armin had come to him, it left him with an odd feeling in his stomach, one he couldn't quite figure out. Even when they were poking around some of the shops, it never went away. Later, he'd realize it was nerves and letting Armin down, but now? He's still trying to keep everything level in his head. He wasn't a teacher, and even now, standing on the beach with a board tucked under his arm and a bag hanging from his opposite shoulder with various other supplies inside, he's terrified of screwing everything up.

The ocean was important to Armin, after all.]</sub>

...So, um... You're ready for this?

_{[Just look at those wild waves.]}

[schachmeister]

[They had managed to find a section of the beach that was mostly deserted, further out from the main parts; Armin had no interest in attempting this sort of thing in front of everybody! Erosion and the force of the water had created a small inlet, as if someone had scooped a section of the coast line away, somewhat guarded by a few large rocks. It was about as good a place as they were going to find for this.

Probably.

At Bertolt's question, Armin breathes in deeply, before letting it out in an almost awkward laugh.]

As ready as I'll ever be.

[He absolutely wants to learn how to swim, he's just... he knows he's not the best at this sort of physical stuff. He can only hope he'll manage.]

[bertall]

_{[Not to mention it's calmer than the rest of the beach. Lack of people aside, the waves don't appear to be as strong. And, as a slight perk in Bertolt's eyes, it's even quieter. Maybe he'll make this place as a little personal hide-away?]}

...Okay.

<sub>[Let's see, hmm...

Toeing a bit at the sand, Bertolt bites his lip in thought.]</sub>

I guess, uh... Just go in the water and get comfortable being in it first?

[schachmeister]

Right.

[Armin sets down his back, hesitates, before he unzips it and fishes out a pokeball, holding it out at Bertolt.]

I know you said no pokemon. And I'm fine with that. But... but just in case something does go wrong, I want you to hold onto Juniper's pokeball. It's nothing against Freya and Marcel, but I doubt they'd do as well in the water as Juniper. And she might be able to help.

[You know. If he does end up almost drowning or something.]

[bertall]

Marcel's back in my room, actually. He has too much fur to be let out during the day.

_{[Though Bertolt hesitates, he eventually takes the pokeball with a cautious look.]}

...Though you know I'm not going anywhere, right? I'm going to be right next to you.

BEACH PARTY POKEMON BRAWL, backdated to earlier in March

[notvaljean]

[It's another lovely, sunny day, but Jean is lingering under the shade of the palm trees. He overdid it yesterday and his shoulders and nose are a bright, crisp red, but he caught the Pokemon he was going after and is busy playing with it right now. The six separate eggs that are somehow a single Pokemon roll around at his feet, and with Blitz's help, Jean coaxes them into rolling in a loose circle.]

[They don't look like much now, but they're going to be so unbelievably stupid looking when they grow up. Jean saw one of the adults of this species and knew he needed one immediately. It was worth the sunburn to catch this baby.]

[purramedic]

[Incredibly, Anders isn't sporting robes or a jacket, but simple shorts and a tank top. And no shoes. All the better to feel the sun, the sand, and the ocean spray as he takes his team on a walk down the beach. Leading the pack is a Meowth of the local flair, who pauses to stare at the strangers nearby.

His trainer recognizes one of them easily enough, and approaches with a wave and a pleasant smile.]

What a small world. [He raises a brow at the eggs that have... faces. What is it with Jean and objects with faces.] Have your Pokemon been busy?

[notvaljean]

[What is this new, casual Anders? Since when does he do casual... well, anything? Jean almost doesn't recognize him, except for the horde of cat Pokemon accompanying him. It looks like Anders has been catching some of the local fauna as well.]

Hey!

[Don't question it, buddy. Jean likes Pokemon that look like they should be other things, okay? And he's never said a word about all your cats.]

[Jean gets to his feet and brushes sand off the long board shorts he's wearing, which are loudly colored and printed with a pattern of Voltorbs across them. Where do you even find clothing with Voltorbs on it? You have it custom made, obviously.]

Look what I caught! [He gestures at his eggs, who regard Anders suspiciously.] They're going to grow up into one of these palm trees! But with legs and faces!

[purramedic]

[Anders is just going to stifle a laugh at the Voltorb trunks. He has no room to judge, he specifically hunted down scrubs with Skitty on them. Who's really in charge here, the Pokemon or their trainers?]

They're Pokemon? [He squints right back at them and finally seems to realize why the eggs he's seen on occasion around the islands have been so... mobile.

The look he gives Jean is concerned, to say the least.] Six palm trees are going to be difficult to fit anywhere.

[notvaljean]

What? Oh, no, no, no!

[Jean chuckles as the eggs glare up at Anders. They're an uncooperative, disagreeable group of eggs; Blitz already loves them and has recruited them into his growing army.]

They're going to be one palm tree with four faces.

[Pokemon logic!]

I don't know where the other two faces go. Maybe they turn into the body?

Armin & Ford - BEHOLD THIS THING.

[schachmeister]

[Ford's gear dinging to let him know he's got a message from Armin is... not really out of the ordinary. Ford has been very patient and willing to answer all of his questions, never remarking on what knowledge Armin might lack. The attitude has been comforting and has led to Armin greedily taking advantage.

This time though. This time it is not a question.

The video opens to a view of the ocean. The water is clear blue, as is the sky, and the little bit of beach that is visible far to the right is bright and colourful. It is very obviously taken in a tropical location. Armin himself is not in view, but his voice is brimming with excitement as he speaks.]

I'm sorry, I hope I'm not disturbing you but-- I really wanted you to be the first to see this.

[There isn't really any time to inquire about what there is to see. The nearby ocean that had been mostly calm (or as calm as an ocean ever gets) starts to bubble, the water turning white before suddenly a massive wailord launching itself out of the water and into the air. She actually gets quite a bit of airtime -- they are float whales, after all! -- before she lands on the water again with a smack, sending huge waves in all directions. She even breaches a second time, this time closer, as if she is showing off.

She absolutely is showing off.

Now Armin turns the gear camera on himself. He's absolutely soaked, but he doesn't seem to mind it one bit, laughing in delight as he wipes his sodden bangs out of his eyes.]

Isn't she marvellous? Fifteen meters long! And I haven't even had a chance yet to measure how tall she is.

Bertolt & Armin - NEEEERRRRRRDDDDDSSSSS

[bertall]

<sub>[It had taken Bertolt the better half of two weeks to do it.

Two weeks of disbelief and even some teasing that made Bertolt's enthusiasm die down - he didn't talk about that very much after that had happened, keeping it all to himself from that point.

Two weeks, and he finally has proof.

Under normal circumstances, Bertolt would've gone back to the hotel to warm up and rest, but he had something to prove. As soon as the ferry stopped at his island, Bertolt called out Marcel and hauled himself up onto his back with practiced ease, and gave him a light kick towards the Pokemon Center, urging him to run as fast as his feet could go.

Which, turns out, was really fucking fast.

It's a miracle that the doors don't fall off their hinges when Marcel skids into them, sending them flying open with a loud bang and startling another trainer at the computer. Bertolt offers them an apologetic look, but they're quickly forgotten in favor of the real reason he came here--]</sub>

Armin!

_{[Ears and nose frostnipped, Bertolt slides off of Marcel's back and drops his bag onto the floor.]}

Armin, come out!

_{[Even Marcel lets out a loud borf and bounces on his front paws a few times, prompting his trainer to reach up and steady him by the thick collar around his neck. Come on, don't get them kicked out, especially after that entrance.]}

[schachmeister]

[Considering the time they are spending here, Armin had thought it sensible to get a job. As much as he'd love to lay around on the beach all day, money doesn't grow on trees, and unlike Blitz and Jean, he actually has some reservations about beating small children for battle money. Eventually they will travel again, and when they do, it's good to have money available.

Plus, Amadeus might have reached level 100 and learnt all there is to learn naturally, but Armin had been eyeing the Goldenrod order catalogue with interest. There might be a few TMs out there that would be a real asset in battle.

He jumps at the sudden amount of noise and then at the sound of his name. Poking his head out of the back where he had been cleaning, his eyes widen and his brows fly up into his bangs.]

Bertolt? Is something wrong?

[Bertolt isn't usually this... well, present. And loud.]

[bertall]

I saw her again!

_{[And, well, judging by the frostnip, probably did more than see her - either that or he fell into the snow and didn't get up for some time. Either way, he knows he saw her, and he even has proof of it! Much better proof than a silly little doodle he did in his notebook!]}

I saw her, and I can prove it!

[schachmeister]

[Honestly, the way Bertolt is talking about her could make anyone listening in think he's talking about a girl and not a rare pokemon he has seen. He's just-- he's very excited. Too excited to notice a lot of other things. Armin half wants to point out that Bertolt still has snow in his eyebrows, but then that last bit catches his curiosity.]

Really? Did you manage to get a picture?