text + (brief video) | monster lead me home

[lyingheart]

From what I understand, this is one way to ask questions. For anyone inclined to answer, I have a few pressing ones.

1. Where is this music playing from? It is music, right?
2. What advice or explanations do you wish you'd been giving when you woke up here? "Go forth and adventure" is not helpful. The guide on this thing is less than helpful. People here are very helpful, except they have nothing of much help to say.

Thank you.

[ There's a short snippet of dizzying video that follows, as the PokeGear shows a glimpse of sky and foliage while it tumbles to the ground, landing with a thump. At least then all the camera sees is sky through foliage, before the screen is overtaken by an extreme close-up of an Absol sniffing. Someone makes a shooing sound above the sniffling and susurrations of wind through the grass, and the Absol's face moves away. The camera catches a brief glimpse of a young blonde woman crouching down with her arm outstretched to the screen before it's flipped over and lifted, recording a stretch of dirt on a pathway and going dark. ]

Comments

Text

[invisiblepumpkin]

hi names roxy and yeah the music comes just from everywhere i guess
i dont really have an answer there
tho i can guarentee it is music
i think its meant 2 fit like the environment ur in at the moment
but thats just a guess
i havent been here 2 long
but ive been learnin things some
and ur right the guide is only so helpful
havent been able to reply to all the peeps who responded to my first vid
but anywho there is i guess whatever goal u want 2 have
wanna find a place buy it and just squat n make urself a nice cosy uneventful life
u can do that
u wanna b the best in battles and win all the moneys
u can do that 2
other advice i can give hmm
i dont know but others probs could give u tons more useful advice
im just respondin cause i wanted to help somehow
in some way
even if im technically still in the same boat as u even with all the actually helpful advice
and theres probs more boats around with more peeps in em
theyre life boats cause the ship of knowin what the fuck ur doin is rapidly sinkin
n every1 who knows a microscopic shit about anythin theyre doin
is up n jetpacks or on flyin pokemon i guess
and tryin 2 help in anyway they can
but they been in the air so long they forgot about the boats and the ship
wow that metaphor really ran away from me there
oh wait no i got somethin
get a buddy
a travel buddy whos a friend or make a new 1
and then just stick to em like glue
or a online peep who u can b like
hey i was thinkin of doin this thing
does that sound like a yay or a nay
and u can bounce ur ideas off em
whether ur with them or not

[lyingheart]

[ She pauses in her walking to read through this, because parsing it is taking her some time. Still, once she gets through, she agrees the metaphor and all it's attending bits and bobbles flew right out the window, but around that, Roxy's making a decent point.

Not that she'll necessarily take it to heart. Buddy systems are great, except then you have to have a buddy, and she's not so great at that. Nor sure she wants it. Chances are she'll be suffering nightmares for a while. No one needs to be around to witness those between towns, or sharing rooms. Unless nightmares are fairly common around here, in which case, no one will notice.

Deciphering the almost code here is thankfully pretty simple, once she stops thinking hard on it. ]

Thank you, Roxy. I'm Annie.

Your biggest suggestion comes down to making at least one friend, am I correct?

[invisiblepumpkin]

yea sorry i cant help more
if the buddy thing isnt somethin ur lookin for thats fine 2
its just the only thing leapin to mind rn

[Roxy really doesn't know what else to say here, or how to help more, but she's positive even through the seeds of frustration that someone will come along and offer much more useful advice than a lousy, 'make a friend'.

Even if that same advice has saved her life before, after making a grand total of three of them.]

text;

[bertall]

<sub>[That. Sure was a wild adventure in the video. Bertolt is very glad he doesn't get dizzy from that (and thank goodness he doesn't, otherwise he'd be missing out on The Braixen Witch Project).

It does however get him to squint at the Pokemon on screen - he hasn't seen one like that before, and the shock of blond is one to rouse his curiosity, but he holds it back. It could be anyone, and his mind immediately jumps to several options.

Lots of people have blond hair though, and Bertolt knows that it's not Mari for so many reasons.

Taking a breath, Bertolt starts to tap away at the gear, his brows furrowed as he does try to think of a good way to reply.]</sub>

Er... I'll try to answer both of them.

One, I don't know where it's coming from, but it's music. And it never stops. I'm used to it now, but I was hearing it in my sleep for the first month in my dreams.

Two. I don't know what kind of food you had before coming here, but do not eat everything all at once. Especially two whole bags of marshmallows in one sitting, no matter how good they look and smell.

permatext

[lyingheart]

[ The music is a better dream-haunter than everything she suspects she'll have for a while, but that's so standard she's more... off center with the events she just woke up from. The prior month had already been its own trial, as she'd always known it would be. ]

Roxy is saying it changes, but she's not certain if that's based on area or anything else. Is there a way to change what music it is by choice?

Binging is never a good idea. I don't know what marshmallows are, but that should be common sense.

[ ... but she asked for advice, and apparently, that includes... this advice. Annie sighs, pausing to write another line of text in this very strange format. ]

Thank you, anyway.

[ No point antagonising the people who're being generous with their time, for better or for worse. ]

[bertall]

I've had it change in certain towns and when it turns from day to night, but beyond trying to drown it out with the radio I don't think there is. It's always... It's always been there.

And|
Marshmallows are these little white, round sugary things. They usually come in a big bag and you can eat them as is, or you can roast them over a fire and combine them with chocolate. They're

really good.

A lot of food here is|
The Berries are only okay if you cook them down, otherwise they're one of the worst things I've eaten here. Locals will tell you they're fine, but I wouldn't. They're more of a Pokemon-only sort of thing unless you want to hate yourself for awhile.

Text, private;

[schachmeister]

[It happens in a flash - after a day of work, Armin is checking up on the network, not expecting to see anything too earth-shattering, but something familiar catches his eye and makes him stiffen. It couldn't be, could it?

With a tight throat, he replays the little video fragment once, twice, three times, and he still isn't entirely certain. It certainly looks like Annie, but is it really so, or is it just his mind playing tricks on him? The text that goes with the short video is no confirmation, but neither is there anything in there that rules her out as Annie. No name, no habits that would certainly rule her out.

Chewing his lip, Armin folds his hands together, resting his forehead against them, trying to think of the best way to proceed. He could contact her, of course. See if he can't find something to confirm her identity. But then, if it is Annie, and if she is who he fears she is, would that be enough to give her a head's up? Is the element of surprise something that will work to his advantage here? He knows she won't be able to turn into a titan here, but if Annie wanted to, she certainly wouldn't need those powers or a weapon to kill.

And of course, there is still that other possibility. The one where this is Annie, but she isn't the female titan. That the conclusion that Annie is the Female Titan was an error on his part, though these days, Armin finds it hard to tell whether that is a valid possibility or if it is just a false hope he is still clinging to because it will absolve him of the guilt of not reporting Annie's transgression with the gear.

But then, there is also the chance that if this is Annie and if she is the Female Titan, that she still won't know that he suspects her. She might be from the same time as the rest of them are. She might even be from an earlier point like Eren was. And if that is the case, not contacting her would just make him more suspicious, wouldn't it?

With a groan, Armin runs his fingers through his hair. At this point, he's just giving himself a headache. There are too many possibilities, too many variables. If he keeps going like this, he'll keep chasing his own tail. He'll have to make a decision, take a gamble.

Why does everything related to Annie always turn into a gamble?]

Annie? Is that you?

[lyingheart]

[ She reads that text, frowning. She can of course play dumb, but she doesn't know who this is, and her capacity to care for who it is has fallen very low. Everything's in shambles back home for her: here, knowing who might know or recognise her is a benefit.

Easier avoiding them, that way. ]

I don't know what the protocol is for these kinds of messages, but I'd think it would be considered rude to ask after someone without introducing yourself first.

[schachmeister]

[Ought he tell her his name? He's never been the best at acting under a cover, and he isn't certain if he can think of one that is believable enough to get her to talk to him. Perhaps his own name will be better. If she doesn't suspect he knows, there will be no reason to deny his request for a meeting. If she does suspect him somehow, there might still be some things he can leverage to get her to agree to a talk.]

You might be right. Though with so many people here from different worlds, there are very few universal truths and manners that everybody agrees on.

[He takes a deep breath, typing the two sentences he knows might change everything.]

It's Armin. We need to talk.

Text

[thedifferencebetween]

nobody nos where the music comes from, ur guess is as good as anybody's. could be the toots of legendaries, who the frick nos.

the ledges friggin suck, they don't work right.

[lyingheart]

I see. Is there any way to change what the music is?

What don't the ledges do? Isn't that normally just a geographic feature? Or an architectural one. I'm not sure what ledges you mean.

» video

[lordofthefries]

[Sasha still prefers the voice or video options on the 'gear over the texting, so that's what's she's using when the snippet comes through. The Absol is an unusual sight; Sasha doesn't know anybody with one. However, the more interesting face belongs to a girl, a blonde one that with the quick shot of her stirs something in the back of Sasha's mind.

It's too fast of a glimpse to really solidify anything to Sasha, but she's still going to check in with this person who seems to be having some difficulty with their Absol and 'gear.]

Hello? Are you okay, Miss?

permatext

[lyingheart]

[ Annie's focus is solely on the screen as it comes to life, filled with... a familiar face. One she hasn't seen for a "while," comparatively, but it's enough of a shock to see Sasha that Annie comes to a full stop where she's walking on the outside fringe of the field she'd just crossed with her Absol.

If there's a dark humoured being out there in the greater... worlds, they were likely smiling sadistically down at her now. How much information has been disseminated through the ranks is a question Annie can't answer, but sidestepping making herself too apparent should be fine.

And answering the question posed now is simple, isn't it? ]

You're concerned about why the pokegear fell?

[ Was Annie visible for long on that? No, she doesn't think so. For one, Sasha isn't someone who she pegged as being particularly gifted at subterfuge. For another, whatever it had done was brief. She'd guessed at that much when she'd seen the flashing image and turned it back off. ]

[Video]

[maybeitsmabelline]

[Text? Who does text? Not Mabel Pines! The little girl is currently perched on top of her Tropius, Jungle Jim, with her Meowth Tabby Puss seated beside her, the pair munching on bananas as Mabel waves at her 'gear--that's clearly being held by another Pokemon.]

Yep! It's 100% music and it never goes away! Every town has it!...actually every single place in this world has it. [She giggle-snorts as Tabby Puss nods beside her.] You learn to ignore it after awhile!

[Dusting off her hands, Mabel gets a super serious look on her face, lifting a hand and wagging a finger.]

As for advice, you definitely should get yourself lots of Pokemon in a wide variety! Then you'll always have a Pokemon you need for every occasion!

text

[lyingheart]

[ Here's a little girl who is a walking propaganda poster for the Pokemon Agenda. Which might not be much of an agenda, all things told, but does fit with what she knows so far. ]

I look forward to when I can tune it out, then.

[ How delightful. The music per region is going to be one of the many "natural" sounds she's going to have to learn to listen through for abnormalities, at some point. Depending on how poorly Absol's fighting instincts continue to be. ]

Of course. Being prepared for each eventual outcome is important, isn't it. Between strangers challenging people to fights and these Gyms. Is there a guide for those, that you know of?

[ Talk to her, Poster Child. ]

[Text]

[unwantedgirl]

I wish I knew. It's very hard to get use to..

When I first arrived a few weeks ago, I was told to make sure and read through everything listed in my Pokegear. There's a lot of very useful information there. I was also told to ask questions on the network if I ever had any but that seems like it would just get annoying.

One thing I figured out on my own is that the people that work in the Pokemon Centers in most of the towns are very knowledgeable and can give you good directions if you need them. Also trust your Pokemon, especially if you have ones that are very loyal or brave. They seem to be very keen on taking care of their trainers and will always do right by you. (I have one called a Rockruff and he's been very helpful when I've gotten lost a few times.)

As much as I don't really like it, battling people on the road is a good way to earn money you can use to buy supplies and train your Pokemon.

Oh! Every Pokemon Center has a warp pad inside it as well and if you visit them you can use them from that point forward. It's very useful for traveling.

[lyingheart]

[ This here is all decently useful advice in the near and somewhat further out term. Elements are there in the guide, but she's been partly reading that information and hitting the road. ]

That it changes from place to place seems like it'd make it a constant process of tuning out another song once you've gotten used to the previous one.

The more people talk about their experiences with their pokemon, the more it does seem like a working team instead of what I expect with most working animals. You take care of your horse, your horse makes sure you're fast where being slow gets you killed. They weren't meeting you halfway, though better training could provide better results.

From the way you say that, then when we lose these battles, we pay the winners, right?

[ She stares meaningfully at Absol, who stares back, then looks away, shaking himself off. ]

You say "if you visit them." Do these warp pads only work if you've gone out of your way to visit one at the Pokemon Center?

[Text]

[foolishwren]

Other people have probably explained the music to you already so I'll skip that

This isn't advice that I probably WOULD have taken when I got here but it's definitely what I needed to hear so here you go: be good to your Pokemon

It's honestly even more important than making human friends-- the Pokemon are gonna be there for you even if you literally have nothing else, so it pays to at least feel like you earned that kind of love.

I kinda had to learn that the hard way.

Incidentally, Absols are great.

[lyingheart]

[ """Explained""" the music, but the answer is consistent, and so she's accepting she'll have to learn to tune it out as she goes. The rest she reads and mulls over while she looks up, taking stock of their surroundings and indicating for Absol to move with her into the dappled sunlight and shadow inside the treeline.

Making pokemon friends. They should be easier than people. Fewer complications. For one, she doesn't need to murder any of them in pursuit of a fruitless cause. ]

I'm assuming you have an Absol, in that case?

I'll take what you're saying about the pokemon to heart. If they're inclined to care about their trainer, regardless of how well that trainer treats them, I'd... prefer not to be taking advantage of that.

[ Because fighting your hardest for someone you can barely, if ever, impress, does not make for an easy existence. And it's the only model of familial love she knows. ]

text; slides in here two days late with starmiebucks

[fuelthefire]

I STILL wish someone would tell me WHO TOOK MY AXE!!

YOU're supposed to keep the monsters in the balls but they do fine without.

You're also supposed to make them fight but only let them fight if THEY want to unless you're an ASS.

IF you get more than 6 you have to put the extras in the PC unless you have a place where they can stay because you can't keep them all with you all the time if you're travelling, which is STUPID!

rolls you up into a burrito of love

[lyingheart]

[ Their axe? ... So items did go missing. For Annie, it was her ring. An axe, a ring... Hmm. ]

Why is there a limit to how many can travel with you? Is there some kind of passport system preventing a trainer from traveling with more than six?

text;

[shiro2hero]

For number two?

Try not to worry as much about what to do until you get to the next town. Cherrygrove, if you haven't got there already. It's larger and it's easier to figure things out then. If you want to keep traveling, go for it.

A lot of people work to get Badges. Some people get jobs and houses...

[Hi again, Annie. How's things?]

[lyingheart]

[ Shiro, telling her not to worry is telling her not to plan ahead. Which is very hard not to try to do, all things considered. ]

The advantage to these badges being...?

audio; god, I'm sorry it took so long to tag in, it's been a hell of a month

[notvaljean]

Yeah, it's music. No one knows where it's coming from, and no one can turn it off. We're kind of stuck with it.

[That brief glimpse wasn't enough for Jean to realize who this is, so he's just chatting away casually like it's any other newcomer.]

Depends on what you want to do, but just traveling around and adventuring is actually pretty fun. Pokemon are great, and this world is very... gentle.

text; you're so fine! trust me, i feel you on this

[lyingheart]

Compared to home, even more so.

Is this Jean?

[ Jean comes in after she's had to realise people who look or sound like she knows them may actually in fact be those people. ]