schachmeister: (Default)
Armin Arlert ([personal profile] schachmeister) wrote in [community profile] victory_road2018-08-02 01:21 am

Back on the islands

Who: Armin Arlert & ???
Where: Island four, Attack on Voltron house, Marine research centre
When: Backdated a bit to stretch from the last week of July to the end of August
Summary: After two months of Scavenger Hunting, Armin has returned home. Various open prompts inside, closed prompts in the comments.
Rating: Gen.
Log:

[a. the marine center]

[What is a trip to the Sevii islands without a dive down to the reef? Whether you want to go there to enjoy the sights, try and find a new water pokemon to add to your collection or you'd like to learn more about the pokemon living on the reef, the Marine Research Center is there for you. Not only can you rent diving gear and a friendly Wailmer there to take you down, any water pokemon related questions can surely be answered by the employees.

The center itself is pretty small and cosy looking, a large cheery sign inviting you in for equipment and Wailmer rentals. Inside, the walls are covered with bright posters of various Water pokemon and pictures of the reef. A pamphlet stand stands next to a small counter, as well as a rack of small souvenirs. Hey, who doesn't want a keychain to remember diving in the Sevii Islands? A blond is shuffling around the room --It's ya boy, Armin-- straightening and refilling various informational pamphlets. A badge on a lanyard identifies him as an employee of the center, and when he notices you, he stops with what he is doing.]


Welcome.


--


[b. the beach]

[Armin had plenty of fun the last two months travelling and seeing parts of both Johto and Kanto. He didn't manage to find everybody on the list, but that's all right. What he did miss though is, well, this. The island. The Beach.

Finding Armin on the beach is easier than finding a zubat in a cave. You might find him reading a book (or two, three). He might be there training a few of his pokemon or he might just be having fun, playing with them in the surf. Either way, if you want to run into Armin, or perhaps, challenge him for a battle, the beach is the place to go.]



--


[c. the house]

[If at any point you walk into the kitchen, you might be treated to an interesting sight. It's the sight of Armin, slightly hunched over, his brows furrowed, as he works really really hard on figuring something out. No, he isn't trying to get through a thick and complex book. Nor is he trying to figure out the logistics of breeding his Lapras pod without turning it into the Habsburgs part II, return of the chin.

No, Armin is frowning, glancing from a book --some sort of instruction manual with a large Porygon on the front-- to... a laptop.

Before he had left to travel, the people at the research center had told him that it was possible for him to start taking online classes if he wanted once he got back. All he would need was a laptop. So, when he had been gearing up to return home, Armin had made a last stop in Goldenrod City and bought himself a laptop with the money he had been saving up.

But it turns out just owning a laptop doesn't mean you actually know how to use it. Especially not for someone who, until two years ago, didn't even know what electricity was.

And if that isn't enough, there is a Meowth sitting on the kitchen table, 'helping'. Because parking her butt on Armin's instructional manual while his eyes are on the screen, or trying to walk across the keyboard when Armin shoos her off the book, or batting at his hand when he actually tries typing is definitely helping. Luna is the very best helper, yes she is.]


Luna, don’t.

[Come save him? Or maybe help him out?]


--


[d. the ditto]

[Picture this: it’s early in the morning. Or maybe afternoon. Or it could be night. It could happen to you at any time. It could happen to you in the kitchen, it could happen to you in the bathroom. It might even happen to you in the living room. Wherever you are, whatever time it may be, you might find that that object you just picked up —-be it your coffee cup, the remote control, the toilet paper roll— suddenly turns squishy and malleable in your hands. Also, it has a face. And is a Ditto.

Congrats. You’ve just met Armin’s newest team member.

Please don’t wipe your ass with him.]



--


[e. July 30th]

[On July 30th, Armin can be found on the beach. This is not particularly unusual, but he isn't there alone. He has shooed away all the rest of his pokemon --except his Poliwag who seemed very interested and in sitting on his lap-- and a little ways away from him, nestled on the warm sand, lays a pokemon egg. And not just any kind of egg. It's got a few large cracks running along its shell, and occasionally it twitches and vibrates. It's an egg ready to hatch, and knowing what it will hatch into, Armin took it outside. After all, nobody wants a Lapras hatching on their lap.

Armin's come prepared. He's got a backpack with some food and water --who knows how long it will take, after all-- and he's got a journal laying open and ready to record a few more things. This will be the first Lapras he'll add to the pod, the first one he's hatched himself, and he's trying very hard to do it exactly right. Feel free to come across him. Maybe he won't mind sharing this moment.]



--


[Anything else? Wildcard me.]
shiro2hero: (tfw someone is flirting maybe???)

c.

[personal profile] shiro2hero 2018-08-02 01:40 am (UTC)(link)
Luna.

[Someone doesn't have to be in the same room to recognize that tone of voice. When you're used to cats? You just know. In this case, he could hear Armin from the porch, bushing sand off his feet before he steps inside all the way.]

[Luna perks up. And oh so helpfully trots across the keyboard again, chirping as she goes. Sorry, Armin. Cat's gonna cat. But at least now, she seems more interested in hopping down to the floor to greet her trainer.]


Sorry, Armin -- she wasn't bothering you too much, was she?
shiro2hero: (black garlic dorito man)

[personal profile] shiro2hero 2018-08-02 02:21 am (UTC)(link)
Cats do have a weird fixation on computers...

[And climbing. Did we mention the climbing? Because now she's ascending to Shiro's shoulder like he's a walking cat tree. While he approaches Armin's workstation in his own brand of curiosity.]

When did you get that?
shiro2hero: (he's doing the thing again)

[personal profile] shiro2hero 2018-08-02 03:50 am (UTC)(link)
They do. I don't know why. Maybe it's the warmth.

[Or the mind-reading cats. Or even Torracat. Who's already a lot bigger than Luna. She kneads at Shiro's shoulder, looking content with her life.]

Oh yeah? Which classes are you taking? [Can he just. Lean on the table, to look it over?]
shiro2hero: (tmw your dad senses are tingling)

[personal profile] shiro2hero 2018-08-02 03:03 pm (UTC)(link)
[This is a house of cat people, Armin, that's why.]

That's probably for the best. They'd know better there, after all. [His turn to look at the computer, then at Armin.] What exactly are you having a problem with?
shiro2hero: (which selfie filter do i use)

[personal profile] shiro2hero 2018-08-02 03:12 pm (UTC)(link)
[They really need a roomba for this place.]

Ah... right.

[As long as they've been here, it's sort of easy to forget where these kids came from. That things everyone he knows can do in their sleep aren't universal. So... he pulls a chair out, plunks himself down.]

You can turn it on, right? That's the most basic thing I can think of.

[Hopefully they won't end up needing a Holt for this...]
shiro2hero: (sort of i mean like it could be)

[personal profile] shiro2hero 2018-08-02 03:36 pm (UTC)(link)
[He'll get Pidge on it. Give her something to do so she doesn't rewire the entire house or make a robotic Rowlett.]

That one, yep. [Which puts Armin at a level above a lot of people, already.] Did you try starting it up and just -- clicking around? Seeing what you could do on your own?

[Besides, if Armin ended up making some grave processor mistake, he's fairly sure Pidge or Matt could fix it, easy.]
shiro2hero: (black garlic dorito man)

[personal profile] shiro2hero 2018-08-02 03:52 pm (UTC)(link)
[No one -- maybe Matt should work on the roomba.]

All right. Then that's step one. We turn it on, and let you tinker with it.

[He sets a hand on Armin's shoulder. Squeezing briefly.] Don't worry. We've got both Holt siblings here now. There's nothing you can do to this thing at least one of them can't fix.
shiro2hero: (im so proud of u nerd)

[personal profile] shiro2hero 2018-08-02 04:04 pm (UTC)(link)
They're incredible. They might not have a lot of chances here, but this is definitely something they can handle, easy.

[It's a laptop, not a Galra network. There's absolutely no way they can't fix anything Armin might accidentally do.]

First step, accomplished.

[One more shoulder squeeze.] Just let it start up and then... see what you can find.
shiro2hero: (which selfie filter do i use)

[personal profile] shiro2hero 2018-08-02 07:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Okay... that's good.

Now you type in your name. And it might ask you to password protect it.

[This is banking on Armin being a good typist by now, thanks to the 'gear.]
shiro2hero: (sure is a cow)

[personal profile] shiro2hero 2018-08-03 02:57 am (UTC)(link)
[Okay well... that's not bad. Actually. There's definitely been worse.]

Yeah, you can. Long as you're going to remember it later.
lordofthefries: (→ brain damage)

[personal profile] lordofthefries 2018-08-03 04:57 am (UTC)(link)
[It's fine. In the Shiro I'm fine kind of way. It's not like her birthday was ever a grand event to begin with and she definitely never celebrated it with something memorable, so having a crap day happen right before it just means it's home sweet home for people like her and Armin. Just be glad you lived to see another day, another year, and don't ask for anything more.

When Armin pops in, Sasha is doing a lot less sitting and a whole lot more... well, lying trapped under a very depressed Marcel. The dog's heavy on his best days, but when he's sad and becomes dead weight because living without Bertolt is just too hard it's a wonder Sasha can still breathe.]


Huh? No, not busy.

[She waves a hand to Armin, beckoning him on in.]
pidge_out: (sounds kind of nice)

C

[personal profile] pidge_out 2018-08-03 06:22 am (UTC)(link)
[Part of Pidge's routine has come to involve frequenting the kitchen for coffee. This happens several times a day, and usually includes Rover nesting in her hair. For once this is not one of those times, which probably bodes well for Armin.

She thinks nothing of seeing a laptop in front of him and simply beelines for the coffeepot.]


Oh hey, welcome back. [At least she greets him. That's usually a sign she's in a decent mood.]
lordofthefries: (→ oh my walls!)

[personal profile] lordofthefries 2018-08-03 02:26 pm (UTC)(link)
[Sasha has a soft heart and she doesn't have a mean bone in her body, but boy was the constant awoo-ing breaking her. It cut into her already limited sleep and there's nothing she could say or do for Marcel, not even taking out Barbecue to keep him company. Seems like a son couldn't fill that hole in his father's heart either.]

Something for me?

[After the cake Shiro got for her (after which she promptly distributed slices through the house because what good is a birthday cake if you can't share it with your friends?), Sasha was satisfied with how things shook out for the day. It probably helps that she didn't expect anything at all to begin with.

Give her a minute to shove this boulder of fur off of her so she can sit up and talk to you properly, Armin.]


You didn't have to get me anything.

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