themainframe | action + video;

[action;]
[There's a young, blond haired boy sitting at a bench outside of the small (although it's extremely large to him) Tokyo Tower with a blue dog beside him. The Gaomon refuses to stand still, punching and kicking and jumping around, even as Armin sits as still as he can. He's silent, staring at the ground as a million thoughts run through his head (why him? what is this place? he got the explanation but it just brought more questions. was he the only one here? how would he survive here, he's never known anything outside of the walls that wasn't out to eat people.) He sits there for almost an hour until he finally gets to his feet, taking a deep breath and clenching his hands into fists to keep them from shaking. He's got to figure this out. He begins to walk, the Gaomon pausing its training to follow him as he begins to look for anybody he would be able to talk to.

And that person is you! Clad in a dark green cloak with the crest of a pair of wings embroidered into the back, Armin's expression is both serious and nervous, and he manages to stay calm as he walks up to you, raising his arm to show his D-Terminal.]

Excuse me-- I just arrived here a short while ago, and I'm afraid that I'm having trouble figuring out how this works. If you're familiar with how it works, would it be all right if I asked you to show me? As well as... a few tips on how to get by around here, if it's not too much trouble.

[video;]
[The video is later in the day, hours after Armin left the Tokyo Tower and learned some locations in Terminal Tokyo and found his way to the newcomers' apartment. He hasn't entered his room yet, but instead seems to be standing in one of the corridors, holding his device to show his face on the camera.]

... This is Armin Arlert of the Scouting Legion.

I've arrived at the housing prepared for newcomers to this world. If there is anybody from the Scouting Legion, Garrison, or Military Police -- or anybody who recognizes those names, I would like to request correspondence.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

... I've heard of making artificial limbs to help those who've lost their body parts to injuries or sicknesses continue living -- such as new legs to help them continue walking -- but yours seems to be different from that.

No, it's... not like that.

I'm not a human being. I'm... nothing more than data. Programming. In a robotic body.

Does that make sense to you?

[Well he thinks Mikasa is pretty. And Christa is a deity. When he realizes that she'd wanted him to do her a favor, he furrows his eyebrows.]

... Thank you. My name is Armin Arlert.

Glitches... [He mumbles under his breath, further confused. He wonders if there might be a book of sorts on all the words these people use.]

I think practice would be useful, but I would like to try it without it sending to everybody who has access to this, first. Could I send it to you?

[The scrolling is fast. One name catches Armin's attention, but he doesn't want to draw Wheeljack's attention to that just yet, and he doesn't want to make a big deal of it unless he actually--]

... All of these names are the people who are currently residing here, then?

Oh, is it really? [ Recognizing the name, she wonders if she should tell him about the angry boy she ran into previously? ] I've never heard of a name like that before.

Are you from Germany?

[No.]

Data... information?

I have never heard of the word "robotic" before.

[He shakes his head.]

I've never heard of a location like that. I'm from the town of Shiganshina, on the exteriors of Wall Maria. I don't think our geography shares common names.

I've never heard of that first name before, but Maria is a common enough name in my world though never used in association with a wall.

[ Pausing, she remembers her manners by some sheer miracle. ] I'm Tousaka. Rin Tousaka to be exact, though I suspect no one dares call me by my first name.

Glitches. Unexpected technical difficulties.

Sure, all right! [whipping out his own D-Terminal] Try to remember the pointers I gave you - but don't worry, I'll help out if you need - Lopmon. [barely even pausing to chastise his digimon, who is busy prodding Gaomon. She looks up at him and moves to sit on his feet, grumbling all the while]

I'm Kaoru, by the way. Sorry. In all the excitement I kinda forgot.

[... Crap.]

[How else can he explain this. It would probably help if he had more life experience or a dictionary or something.]

My whole body is made of metal. Wires. Cables. It's a machine.

My... self is memories. My memories. Stored in a chip -- a card?

Pretty much.

[He stops at the bottom of the list, at his own name, before continuing.]

Just pick who ya want from here--[And he taps his own name; better than to someone random.]--and types a simple message out, hitting the send button.

Within moments, his own beeps, which he pulls out.]

See? Nothin' to it.

Like writing letters to people but FASTER!

[... He can't even tell which one of those is her first name with the way she said it. But as far as he knows back home, people usually would say their first name and then repeat with their full name if they didn't skip the first part entirely. So Tousaka was her first name?]

... Rin, then?

[The Gaomon doesn't seem to mind at least! He watches as the Lopmon moves away and sulks on Kaoru's feet before moving to stand next to Armin.]

It's fine -- my name is Armin Arlert. Kaoru...

[He looks down at his device, looking for the button mentioned earlier and pressing it. He doesn't know what to say though so he ends up staring at it unsurely for a few seconds before he finally presses the STOP button to end the recording. (How do people do this?)]

.. How do I send this to you specifically?

...

So that's why you say, you aren't human. [The memory part makes no sense to him, but he thinks he can try to understand a little. This man's body is not the same. He's completely different, and something he knows nothing about. Well, he's used to that sort of thing.]

But we are speaking to each other like this. I don't see I don't have to respect you.

[It sent already?! Armin's eyes widen as he looks to Wheeljack's terminal, unable to believe that such fast communication was, in fact, capable.]

... Technology can come this far. That's-- that's amazing.

Yes. That's why. I... don't know how else to explain it.

[I'm sorry.]

[He probably should say it out loud, but well, social awkwardness is what it is.]

You... truly mean that?

[at least Lopmon's not trying to butt in on his business. That's a good start!]

Hitachiin! Try typing in my name, since these things are linked I should come up.

Not Cow-Roo, by the way, I know how you foreigners think. It's Ka-o-ru. Kaoru.

[That's adorable.

Seeing Armin's wide eyes just earns a little glint in his own.]

Yep. And even farther, sometimes.

[He shakes his head, slowly.]

No...I was still in the trees.

[A pause, and he rubs at his arms awkwardly.] But I know that things would have turned out fine. Everyone knew what they were doing.

[Armin steels the muscles of his face. He mustn't let is show. He mustn't. Did Eren not know?]

... I see. So, you're--

You're right. You were with Corporal Levi's squad. They're very skilled, after all.

[ A groan. ] Tousaka. No one calls me Rin unless they're really close to me and I mean so close that we're practically making out, so unless you plan to kiss me right here and now...

[ She's too eccentric right now. ]

Are those achievements also observable in this world?

I do. I can't fully understand what you are, but I doubt that you mean any harm to me -- at least for now. In that case, I owe you my respect.

[He will definitely try. The young man has a unique sort of facial feature he's only seen on one person in his entire life -- Mikasa, the only survivor of the clan of the east. Her name also had a similar sound in his name. The alphabet written on the buttons is strangely easy to understand, and he starts pressing them. K-a-o...]

... Is it this one?

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