Victory Road Inbox

[notvaljean]

Hi, this is Jean... [loud crackling in the background, the sound of sighing] ... and Blitz. We're busy right now and can't answer, so leave a message and we'll get back to you.

Comments

Audio;

[notvaljean]

[We are the best at this, it's true.]

Blitz, no! I said Charge!

[Angry crackling, frantic splashing, Jean sighing, and what very well might be Lila giggling.]

Magikarp are the worst, Armin.

Audio;

[schachmeister]

Fisch still not making much progress?

[How troublesome. Armin is glad he doesn't have one.]

We can talk later if you are busy. It's not pressing.

Audio;

[notvaljean]

No. He just lays there and splashes.

[How this thing is ever going to evolve into something that knows Earthquake, Jean will never know.]

No, it's fine, we're about done here. [To the Pokemon:] Everyone take five, I'll give you some candies when I'm done talking to Armin.

Audio;

[schachmeister]

I'm sure he'll get better in time.

[Jean can't have the only magikarp ever that will never evolve.

Armin gives it a few moments until he figures Jean must be comfortable and then:]

I wanted to ask you something about the guy you met up with to battle.

Audio;

[notvaljean]

I hope so.

[Blitz fusses a little about not getting his candy right away, but it's fussing for form's sake instead of actually being angry. Once the Pokemon are calmed down and settled--with Blitz sitting in Jean's lap so he can get his candy first--Jean responds.]

Who, Krieg? Yeah, what about him?

Audio;

[schachmeister]

What was your impression of him?

[Armin is definitely choosing his words carefully. He first wants Jean's unbiased impression before telling him what he' heard.]

[notvaljean]

I like him.

[If Armin wants an unbiased opinion, Jean is happy to give it.]

He's a little weird, but he's a good guy. We had a good time hanging out.

[schachmeister]

Weird in what way?

[notvaljean]

You know, weird like how all the vets in the Corps are weird. He doesn't go around sniffing people, though.

[That shit was weird.]

Why do you ask?

[schachmeister]

[All the veterans are weird, it's true. Maybe that is the only way you survive in a place like the Survey Corp.]

Someone told me something about him. I don't know if it is true or not, but it wouldn't feel right not to tell you.

[It's kind of a big deal if it is true!

Armin searches for the right words for a moment, but really, there aren't very many ways to put this, are there?]

I was told he's a murderer.

[notvaljean]

[A pause.]

Who told you that?

[schachmeister]

A man called Jack. It seems they have some personal history.

[notvaljean]

Wait, was this that Handsome Jack guy? The one with the screwed up face he can take off?

[The one Jean wanted to put on Blitz? Should he tell Armin about that? Naaaaah, he's going to keep that to himself.]

[schachmeister]

That's the one.

[Armin can't imagine there is more than one dude who fits that description.]

[notvaljean]

That's funny, because Krieg said the exact same thing about Jack. Told me to stay away from him, that he'd shoot me just as well as look at me.

[schachmeister]

Is that so...

[Just let Armin think for a moment. To be honest, Jack hadn't come across as entirely trustworthy to him, not with his talk of using armed guards to reinforce the laws of his city. It puts him in the same league as the government of their own world and everybody knows how Armin feels about the government.]

[notvaljean]

[Jean is starting to recognize when Armin is having a thinky moment, and he takes this opportunity to hand out candies to his hungry Pokemon. Armin can probably hear the sounds of Blitz eating, Lila's polite squeaks, and... whatever it is Fisch is doing.]

[schachmeister]

[Armin hopes that weird schlup schlup sound is Fisch eating.]

So who do you think is telling the truth?

[notvaljean]

They might both be.

[schachmeister]

[Have a scooby snack, Jean, you are thinking like Armin's thinking.]

Right. Their stories don't actually exclude each other. There is a possibility both are true.

There is something Jack mentioned that might confirm part of what Krieg is saying...

[notvaljean]

[Ew gross, Jean doesn't want a scooby snack, that sounds like what he feeds Blitz!]

Yeah? What's that?

[Jean admits a certain amount of bias here. He likes Krieg, who has been slightly weird but also always very friendly to him. He doesn't want to think badly of his new friend.]

[schachmeister]

He talked about his city. Apparently it is guarded by armed guards to... [what were the words Jack had used again?] strongly encourage people to stay.

[Sounds familiar, doesn't it?]

[notvaljean]

[Jean catches what Armin is implying right away, and he grimaces.]

Yeah, what must that be like?

[Truly, it is a mystery.]

Krieg talked about their world a little bit too. It sounds about as screwed up as ours.

[schachmeister]

[At least someone else has a shitty world too. So far, a lot of the worlds Armin has heard about sound like paradise.]

I suppose with so many worlds out there, it makes sense there'd be some quite similar to ours as well.

[notvaljean]

Yeah.

[Jean doesn't sound happy about that. No one should have a world like theirs.]

No titans, though. And a lot more guns.