victory_road | Arrival; [Video]

The gear's feed flickers in to a rather disheveled looking redhead that clearly doesn't want to be doing this. Because goddess and all the saints, he does not want to be doing this. Asking for help is already a task. Asking for help within a brand new world he cannot even begin to comprehend? Nightmare scenario. He's clearly lost and disoriented, and there's music and a fire pony following him around. Really, the only good thing is the fire pony- ponyta- whatever.

"Okay, don't know what this is, where this is going, or who's on the other end, but I can read instructions well enough to get to this point. Hi, Sylvain here, no clue where I am besides a very unhelpful 'New Bark Town' sign a few paces back, and I found a horse on fire. A baby horse, err, or maybe a pony. So... help? Maybe? I'm not even sure what I'm asking here."

And the apparent cause of how much of a mess his red locks are becomes obvious as he sweeps a hand through it again like a nervous tick. Behind him, the camera is panned just enough for a ponyta to be seen running obviously bored laps back and forth. They're pretty clearly at the edge of town, the buildings of New Bark still somewhat visible. Sylvain didn't make it very far...

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Annette doesn't often explore the Network, but it's a guilty pleasure while she's running errands or walking anywhere. It makes her feel like she's multitasking, and Tritz or another pokemon are pretty good about keeping her from walking into anything or anyone. This time, the face on the screen makes her stop short, and almost drop the Gear.

Her face drains as she listens to Sylvain, and she realizes he doesn't seem to remember anything about this place. She immediately does an about face, and starts speedwalking home as she connects to respond. Maybe she'll be lucky, and Felix is busy training or something, for a while.

On screen, Annette puts on her best smile, and tries to hide the fact that she's talking while walking swiftly. "Sylvain, hiiii....how are you doing? It's good to see you again!"

"Annette!" Sylvain perks right up upon recognizing the voice. He takes a second to come back into view. Mostly to try to look somewhat presentable. His collar is still rumpled, but she's also seen him after violent battles, a little disheveled is fine. At least he's managed to get his curled bangs parted properly again. Annette may very well be someone Sylvain would die for in any battle, and someone Sylvain considers absolutely worth it- but his shameless mind still assigns her 'pretty girl' status and he has to look at least half-alive if he can.

When he does show up on screen again, he looks better. Not good but better. His ponyta also pokes her head into frame to snuffle the screen briefly.

"Hey, I'm-" he pauses, and offers a lopsided grin. "I've been better, all things considered, but don't worry about that. You're looking as stunning as ever. Whole weird new world couldn't stop you, huh?"

Did he just...yes, of course he did. It's almost comforting to know that in any world, any Sylvain is still so....Sylvain.

"Nor you, I see." She doesn't bother to respond to the compliment on her looks, that's practically a 'good morning' from Sylvain, especially with her hair undoubtedly coming lose with the speed of her walking.

"And I'll be the judge of what to worry about, thank you." She smiles, to soften the words. "Are you ok? Have you...spoken to anybody else yet? From home, that is?"

"Yes ma'am," he agrees in good nature, though that knowing smile is still on his lips. He even lets a little rumble of a laugh resound in his chest.

"Yeah, a few actually. Seems most of the Lions are here too, which is honestly a big relief. Well, kind of anyway. I worry about back home if we're all here, but one thing at a time I think." Mostly because if he lets his thoughts stray to multiple worlds needing them, it'll turn into a mess of anxiety.

"Felix and Dimitri are coming to get me, sooner or later anyway. Are you with them too?"

Oh good. Everything is fine, then. Everything is fine. Nothing to worry about.

"Technically, I am with them, but if you already spoke to them I'm sure they're already long gone. That just means you'll have to wait a couple days to see me! Or one, maybe."

How hard would those two push to get to New Bark Town? Probably too hard.

"Don't worry too much about home, I don't know if they already told you or not, but time there...won't move on without you." She won't ask what time he came from, not yet. For now, best just to focus on how happy she is to see him again.

"Will you introduce me to your fiery-maned, more handsome twin?" Her attempt at deadpan is somewhat spoiled by a round, pink Jigglypuff popping up in front of her face. "Haha, yes, I was getting to that! This is Tritz, Sylvain."

Tritz looks wide-eyed at Sylvain through the screen, but it's hard to tell if that's just because of her wide, large eyes or for any other reason.

"Hey, hey, hey- more handsome?" Sylvain puffs his chest, and sits up with ponyta in his lap. She seems content to be held like a ragdoll, her tall ears framing either side of his jawline. Seems he's already in a better mood now that he has to defend his devilish looks from a pony.

"Maybe a little cuter, but only by a little," he corrects, looking very sure of this statement. "You remember my warhorse, Bonnie, right? This one kinda reminds me of her when she was just a little foal, so I named her Bonnie too." Ponyta's ears swivel at the sound of her name, but then her focus is on Tritz, and she whinnies at the screen. Sylvain offers a little wave from under Bonnie's front legs.

"What is Tritz exactly? I'm still learning what all these creatures are."

Annette poorly stifles a giggle at Sylvain's puffery. "Of course, of course."

"A pleasure to meet you Bonnie! You have a great partner, but don't tell him that. His head will just get even bigger."

She continues on as if she'd never said a word. "Tritz is a Jigglypuff, she's a Normal Fairy type, and she's a terrific singer. She evolved from an Igglybuff, but she's not sure if she wants to evolve to a Wigglytuff in time. Did you know, she can actually inf--oh, sorry, I guess I'm just taking advantage of knowing more about something than you. I've got to enjoy it while it lasts, right?"

She grins innocently, relaxing quickly into her old patterns.

"Yeah, don't tell him, Bonnie." Sylvain tilts his chin up like a proud peacock. Fine, Annie can have this one. He'll keep that score in his back pocket for later. There's always something he can tease her about, and he winks as if to imply just that.

"Heh, of course a hard worker knows more than me. For now." His smile broadens a bit, and he ruffles Bonnie's ears. "But seriously, go on. You can't tell anyone I missed your informative rambles... but I did miss them."

"Ramble, do I?! I'll show you rambling! Now pay attention!"

Without giving Sylvain a hair of an opportunity to interrupt or retort, she launches into a full-blown lecture, first on important details to know about Ponytas, then Fire-types in general, pausing only briefly for a side panel on Galarian Ponytas, and the differences therein, before moving on to begin listing all the different Types of Pokemon, and how they interact-- "Hey, are you even taking notes?"

A glint in her eyes either mean she's enjoying torturing him with this, or she's about to build him a pyre from his unwritten notes and light them on fire. It's probably the former. Probably.

And off she goes.

Sylvain grins, and settles in for his lesson, cheek leaned into his palm and eyes hooded. He's mostly paying attention. Thoughts of 'she's adorable when she's huffy' interject between memorizing types and regional differences. But he's well behaved (by Sylvain standards), and keeps it to himself. Unless you count when he occasionally chuckles through the lesson, or gives her a wink when she pauses to breathe.

"Of course I am, Professor," he chirps when she addresses his very obvious not-notetaking. Sylvain grins a little broader, and taps a finger to his temples. "I'm taking notes up here. Got it all written down: fire and water don't mix, fairies don't like iron- err, steel types? Yeah, steel. And poison is a type and not an assassin's tool."

See? He listened!

She tries to roll her eyes. She really does. But it's hard to roll her eyes, she finds, while also laughing at the same time.

"Of course you are, Sylvain. Of course. But please, don't ever call me Professor, even in jest! That just sounds...disrespectful, to those who actually deserve that title. I could never!"

"I don't know, I'm learning a lot." He is, he swears. "I wouldn't have minded you as a professor. I might have even done better in class, who knows?" Would he really? No. Because he deliberately applied his mediocre attempts. But he might have had a better time teasing her.

Arrival; [Video]

Network - Private

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