oo1 | video | New Bark Town

[bertall]

I still don't understand how this works, but... Here it goes, I suppose.

_{[Figuring out how this new device worked was still taking some getting used to, but Bertolt had eventually managed to get it to stop taking 'portraits' of the ground, feet and parts of his face as he fiddled with it. Now he has it to where it's actually recording, or so he assumes, but he's not really sure where to point it so he settles on the trees and occasionally, a small black and orange puppy.]}

I'm guessing this is a long shot, but I'd like to know something. One, uh... Has anyone seen some people wearing blue and white wings on the back of their coats? Or a green cloak with the same pattern? O-Or anyone by the name of Reiner Braun? I don't know how it happened, but... _{[Bertolt sighs softly, the camera jostling as he kneels down to coax the puppy over. It doesn't hesitate to shove its face into his hand and even though it can't be seen, it does manage to get a smile out of him.]}

The second, I was wondering if anyone lost their dog...? Or I think it's supposed to be a dog, I mean... It doesn't really have normal dog markings, does it? It's been following me for awhile and it listens to commands really well, but I don't know if I could take care of it very well. I've never had a dog before.

_{[Maybe if Titans weren't so much of a threat he could have one.]}

Comments

Video;

[schachmeister]

Bertolt!

[Hello buddy-friend.

Armin will get right on answering Bertolt's question, probably with huge info-dumps, but right now, he's just very pleased to see one of his friends.]

Video;

[bertall]

A-Armin!?

_{[This is not his beautiful best friend, but he's close enough!]}

H-How are you-- What?

Video;

[schachmeister]

[This is also not your beautiful house. Lets not even discuss your wife.

Armin understands. He had felt just as dazed and confused when he had first arrived here. Thankfully he had met up with Jean pretty swiftly but the two of them had spent a lot of time trying to figure things out. That, at the very least, is something he can help Bertolt with so he doesn't have to go through the same things.]

Yes, it's me. I'll try and explain everything to the best of my ability.

[There are still some questions he has too, but he has done the Armin thing and ferreted out a lot of information in the few weeks he has been here.

He almost asks Bertolt where he wants him to start answering questions, but no, that is pretty obvious, right?]

I'm afraid Reiner isn't here. [His voice is a little softer, understanding; he is without his best friend too.] Unless he arrived with you, the only ones who are here are you, me and Jean.

Re: Video;

[bertall]

<sub>[So cold, Armin. So cold.

Bertolt's brows furrow, the concern and worry clear as day on his face before it slowly slips into pure worry. If they're the only ones...]</sub>

Just... us?

_{[Reiner and the others. Ymir, Historia, Connie... They've got to be somewhere, right?]}

How? They're... If I'm here, shoudn't Reiner and the others be here too?

Video;

[schachmeister]

[Bertolt has hit on the one thing Armin isn't fully capable of explaining yet.]

It's... hard to fully explain. The story we've been given is that this world can apparently draw people in. It happens at random and nobody can predict who will come. There also doesn't seem to be a way back. Sometimes people go home again, but there doesn't seem to be a way to control that.

[Though from his tone, Bertolt might note that some doubt remains in Armin. That is the story they have been told, yes, but he wouldn't be Armin if he simply took everything people said as the gospel truth.]

video;

[notvaljean]

Hi, Bertolt.

[Here's another familiar face, although perhaps one that's a bit less enthused. Jean likes Bertolt well enough, he supposes, but they were never close. Bertolt's best friend Reiner was big and boisterous, and Jean is loud and obnoxious, so he always tended to bounce better off Reiner than his largely silent best friend. It's no surprise that Bertolt got along a lot better with Jean's best friend than he did with Jean.]

[Still, Jean is glad to see him. Now maybe Armin will have someone to nerd out with and talk about books. And if Bertolt is here, then maybe other people from home could show up. Other best friends...]

Nice dog you've got there.

video;

[bertall]

Jean...

<sub>[It's true, then. So far it just looks like it's Armin and Jean, and Bertolt feels something constrict around his heart. Jean isn't Reiner by a longshot, but at the very least he shares something in common with his best friend - they can both be loud. Very, very loud.

He still doesn't understand everything, no matter how hard he tries to wrap his head around it. Though he's thankful for the quick shift to the little dog, and Bertolt drops his gaze to it, his brows knit together in confusion.]</sub>

I'm still not sure if this is a dog. O-Or if it's supposed to be mine. What if someone just lost it?

video;

[notvaljean]

It's called a Pokemon, and if it's hanging around you, it's probably yours.

[Jean is an old pro at this, buddy, let him help you.]

Everyone gets one when they get here. It's like a starting gift or something.

[Something starts buzzing and crackling angrily in the background, and Jean looks over his shoulder and speaks to something off screen.]

No, of course you weren't a gift, you chose me and that's the only reason you hang around, we both know it.

[The crackling subsides and Jean looks back at Bertolt, smiling a little ruefully.]

You should try and make friends with it.

video;

[bertall]

Everyone gets a dog?

<sub>[Or... Pokemon, he supposes. It's not a breed he's heard of before, but it does get Bertolt to look at it a little closer, and after some hesitation, moves to sit and prop the gear against his bag so he can pick the little furball up.

Said furball seems pleased by this development and starts to wiggle in an effort to get as close as it can to Bertolt's face.]</sub>

A-Are they all like this? What's that cracking noise?

video;

[notvaljean]

Not a dog, a Pokemon. Yours just happens to look like a dog.

[A pretty cute dog, for that matter.]

See, he already likes you.

[More crackling, and suddenly a giant red and white ball shoves Jean out of the way so it can look into the communicator. The ball studies Bertolt for a moment and apparently finds him lacking, as it turns its attention to the Growlithe and starts trying to strike up a conversation with it.]

No, they are definitely NOT all like that. This one [he gestures at the ball] is mine. His name is Blitz.

[video]

[charcoalfeather]

I-I'm sorry, but, did you say something about wings? And a... Reiner?

[Rakka's feed jumps in only at the end of Bertolt's video. Seems as though she only caught part of it, more or less. But something seemed to have caught her attention more or less.]

[video]

[bertall]

Yeah, um... My regiment, we have wings on the back of our uniforms. A blue and a white one sort of... Crossing over each other. It's on a big green cloak we wore sometimes too.

_{[Though some of the others he was with back home, himself included, were sans uniform at the time.]}

And Reiner, he's... my best friend. Sort of tall, blond hair, looks really strong? But he's really nice.

[video] (apologies for lateness!)

[charcoalfeather]

Oh... [Well, now she looks almost a little disappointed at the truth of the matter. At least she realizes that would look rude.]

I'm sorry, but I haven't seen anyone like that around. He sounds really...

[Noticeable?]

[video] it's fine!

[bertall]

He's... Yeah.

_{[Noticeable, and other things.]}

What about a girl named Annie? She'd have a unicorn on her coat.

[video]

[charcoalfeather]

N-no, I'm sorry... [Unfortunately, all she can do is shake her head.]

I-I don't, uh, know what a unicorn is...

video;

[cardboard_boss]

[This guy has lost his dog? Shit. Actually, no....it sounds like the dog IS his dog. It chose him. The poor guy must be new to all of this. Snake smiled softly.]

Hey. The dog is yours. He's your Pokémon. I was like you when I first arrived here, not knowing that the dog following me was mine. DD is mine.

[He panned the camera down to show his Mightyena looking up at him with his tongue out.]

video;

[bertall]

_{[This is the worst. Bertolt is the worst person to put in a position of responsibility. He is so unreliable.]}

I... don't think that's such a good idea. I've never had any pets.

_{[Let alone a puppy.]}

Yours looks different. Is, uh... Is it a different breed?

[cardboard_boss]

I've never had any pets either, since I can't, being a soldier. But I've got a war dog as a friend and he's sort of a pet but more of a comrade than anything else. Guess that's why I'm good at looking after Pokémon. [Dog ones anyway.]

It's a Mightyena. A different type of Pokémon. They're divided into types, not breeds in this world. Mine is a Dark type Pokémon, while yours is Fire.

[bertall]

I don't think we're allowed dogs in the military. Horses, uh... W-Well, I've got a horse and I'm a soldier, but it's not really a pet or anything.

_{[It's a stupidly big, stupid fast horse. He likes it, though!]}

But, er... Types? I'm not sure I understand.

[cardboard_boss]

You're a soldier?

[He was young. A kid. Snake respected the fact that this young man had given his life to serve his country, whatever that might be.]

I've got a horse back home too. D-Horse. He gets me around the Afghan desert and is pretty useful. [Amongst other things.]

If you want to learn more it's all on your PokeGear. The machine you're given when you first arrive.

Video

[dreamsofahero]

*oh look, he recognizes this guy... although from the sound of it, Bertolt won't recognize him....*

That's a Growlithe; it's a kind of Pokémon. If that's the one that was with you when you found yourself here, then it's yours. You can think of it like your partner, even.

*he'll get to the whole "also you or someone sharing your name and appearance has been here before..." thing in a bit*

Video

[bertall]

It's been following me for awhile, sort of like a lost...

<sub>[puppy.

Right.]</sub>

...Is it really mine, though? I mean, what am I supposed to do with it? What if it really belongs to someone else?

Re: Video

[dreamsofahero]

Unless there's some other one you found yourself with instead, it's yours, yes. And only yours. You're supposed to train and raise it, though precisely how depends on you.

Video

[bertall]

Train it?

_{[Bertolt's brows furrow and he takes a few moments to look at the little dog.]}

...Can you sit?

_{[YAS. He will do a sit! Look at him! He is going to sit like a good boy!]}

Uh, I think he might be trained already.

Re: Video

[dreamsofahero]

*okay, that gets a chuckle*

In this case, "training" means more than just teaching him commands. The Pokemon like to battle each other; think of it like a sparring match. As they do so, they can grow stronger, allowing them to learn new techniques and challenge more powerful opponents.