video | dating show attempt #1: naked attraction

[lyingheart]

[ The video opens from an angle, filming what looks like a film crew and a man wearing a very large cravat talking with Annie. Both faces can be seen from the side. ]

So get this, [ he says, lifting his hands. ] you start out by seeing everyone's bare feet—

[ Annie stares at him, unblinking. The man's smile fixes in place, and he continues on. ]

Then you see their bare legs—

[ Annie continues staring without blinking. Determined, the man goes on. ]

Then you see bare everything from the legs up, and then their faces—

[ Annie stares, her eyes narrowing. ]

Before at last you step out, naked, and—

[ She holds up a hand, cutting him off. ]

When they said this was going to be a dating show, I didn't realise they really meant pornography. A young woman like me might take offense.

[ The man waves his hands, shaking his head. ]

No, no, no! It's not pornography, it's art! There's no touching invol—

[ His voice is cut off as Annie moves forward, her quick throw of the man landing him on his back on the ground with Annie placing one knee on the middle of his chest. His arms are held overhead. He's breathless, wheezing a little, eyes wide from what whites can be seen by the camera, which floats closer. ]

To hell with art. Contact me when you have a real proposal.

[ She pushes up to her feet, dusting herself off with a look of irritation still on her face. Her eyes flit to the camera, then to the one holding it. ]

Turn it off, Fritz. Now.

Comments

[lyingheart]

[ She means when she was just under fifty feet tall and had no skin kind of naked without parts, Armin, it's okay, she promises! ]

You would make the better conversationalist.

[ She says. And she does mean it. By and large, she still sucks at summoning up conversational effort. ]

[schachmeister]

[You showed him sides of yourself that day he had never seen before. Both physical. Mental. Metaphorical.]

I think you make a better conversationalist than you think.

[He is genuine about that. Annie might be taciturn to a fault, but the conversations Armin has had with her were always the sort that made an impact.]

[lyingheart]

[ See, just hold on to that emotion! Which by her assumption should include a certain degree of terror and discomfort, because while Eren has a Friendly Shifter, Annie had most certainly... well, generally Not Been Friendly. ]

... Maybe with people I know.

[ She concedes, looking away, because that's where she'll allow that she's not terrible. It's been an education here, a place where more talking is both necessary and also unnecessary in her long stretches of traveling, where she can surprise people with long, thought out considerations...

... which might still seem like nonsense, and out of character, but it's always been about when she's motivated to speak, not that she can't. Still. Small talk? She's still terrible at that. ]

[schachmeister]

[To be entirely fair, Armin still sucks at small talk too.]

Actually, on that subject... is that offer you made the last time we met still open?

[lyingheart]

[ Have her blink, looking back at the camera. ]

Yes?

[ Is there a reason it wouldn't be? And why is it on that subject following... talking about dating........... conversations............................ where's the secret note sent by owl? ]

[schachmeister]

[The balance between them is so delicate he doesn't want to assume anything. Who knows, she might be busy with her sponsorship stuff.]

Then I'd like to take you up on that. Whenever you have the time.

[Armin isn't even thinking about dating anymore. It's just the subject of conversations that makes it seem like a good time to bring up something he had been thinking about for a while anyway. There is still so much left to discuss with Annie. And, in any case, while he doesn't exactly trust her, he does want to understand her and their world. And that is not an understanding that will be reached by just ignoring each other, no matter how awkward thing might be.]

[lyingheart]

...

[ She's complaining about this seque, personally, but he's happy as you please to use it. She sighs. ]

Until I hear from Krieg and Maya that they're headed to Mount Moon, I have nothing pressing here. They have my trainer ID if they need to contact me.

[ She prefers the ignoring, it's much easier to exist on pretending there's nothing she needs to deal with, Armin. Or dealing with Armin. Annie won't pretend she doesn't use avoidance tactics. It'd be a pointless effort. ]

[schachmeister]

Then how about some time next week? I can clear my schedule any way you want.

[Most of his time right now is dedicated to fixing up his new boat. Which is entirely under his own control.]

[lyingheart]

Monday.

[ There's no reason for Monday, it just gets things over with sooner. Plus if it goes horribly, they can say it's because it's a Monday. It seems like something arbitrary to claim, but she's heard iterations of the same statement from various people as she's traveled, so it's made its way into her vernacular for this place. ]

[schachmeister]

Monday then.

[It's not a date! Just a meeting of two not quite like-minded individuals to exchange information and cross-cultural understanding. And also eat. But in a thoroughly not-date fashion.]

Where can I meet you?

[lyingheart]

Anywhere with a functional warp pad. You choose.

[ She already picked the day. He can pick the place for their meet-up, which is clearly not a date, but given the context of this whole post... still sounds a hell of a lot like one. ]

[schachmeister]

Olivine? If you have that warp pad available, that is.

[Armin has something he has to deliver to Shadowmaru as well next week. Might as well catch two pokemon with one pokeball, right?]

[lyingheart]

[ She has all the warp pads related to moseying around the regions available, but she sees no need to mention as much. ]

Olivine. Time?

[schachmeister]

Noon? I'll bring the food as promised.

[lyingheart]

Got it.

[ Mission accepted??? ]