route_1065 | (no subject)

WHO:

throatwash
WHERE & WHEN: Goldenrod, 02 - 02 - XX
SUMMARY: Shingekis meet in Goldenrod!! It's not that exciting.
RATING: Uh?? Levi will make, at least, one shit joke...

( armin is sore. sweeping aches in each bone. swollen tissue, a response to such stressful weather, and stiff ligaments. he feels weak for all he knows the feeling is natural. in his world, and what a strange thought, the travel to goldenrod would have relied upon horses. and besides: his training hadn't built his endurance for long roads like this, either. still...

he wants to sleep. he hopes the corporal and petra keep their home, homes? which will allow him a room?, — he hopes for something warm. his shins ache more than usual when he imagines a mattress. a soft mattress full of feathers... ah, and sinking his weight into it... the arrival allowance had felt generous, at first. but a quick inspection of his first pokémart and armin had sentenced himself to sleeping in two pairs of clothes in the freezing wilderness.

mika had offered some warmth, at least. but he is paler than usual, now, and his cheeks burn red from some maddening combination of sun, wind, and cold. his lips are chapped, too. and when he breathes, his lungs struggle to hold enough air. aching and rattling and then, seizing in a cough. armin can think of a hundred options that wouldn't have cost him his health.

but each would have him cost him time, and a sharp "pi!" from above, mika flies in a wide circle as his spotter, is too relieving to imagine another week's worth of travel. and another night on the ground? hell no. — armin jogs and weaves between goldenrod's crowd to follow the bird. a little breathless, then, tightening the grip along each strap of his pack: )

Corporal! Petra!

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( levi definitely makes note of armin's state of—well, unwellness—when he sees him; even his voice sounds strained in a telling way. he frowns, notably more than usual, in response to the amount of damage armin has somehow ravaged his body with in the time he's been here. levi turns around somewhat quickly at the call of his distinction and his brows raise even with his maintenance of his frown.

his expression does soften just slightly, though. it's reassuring, in a strange and surreal way, to have these familiar faces here. even in its strangeness, he can't quite bring himself to keep up his irritation—on the one hand, seeing the kid reminds him exactly how much shit he himself had been torn away from—fuck, what if everything went to hell after he was brought here to this otherworldly petting zoo? but then on the other hand, he's vaguely relieved—yeah, they're here, but they're both away from it. all three of them; four, if he mentally includes bertholt. it's selfish and he knows it, but there's a freedom inherent in the lack of threat in this place and while it's all immensely confusing and weird as fuck, it'd be impossible not to appreciate the opportunity to let go. )

Arlert. Fuck, you look like shit. What did you do to get here?

( wow well that's an excellent way to say hello. how does this shithead have friends again? oh yeah mostly by circumstance whoops. he still seems relieved, though, even if a little; his tone isn't 100% cruel, at the very least. )

[Petra winces as soon as she sees Armin. Maybe she should have sent her Ponyta to him to help the poor boy stay warm on the road. Well, it's kind of too late to think about that and honestly, she's not sure how well the pony would even behave outside of her company -- for now, since she's only had it for a month or so and it's still weird to have a pony, who is literally in flames.

She is really glad to see him though, and also relieved that he got here despite the not-entirely-sudden freezing weather. It's great to have people from home here and if she doesn't know them well enough, then ... well, everyday here is a second chance to get to know them!! Especially if they're Eren's close friends and part of Levi's new squad, wow let's just say she's excited for this.]

Welcome! Glad you made it here. [and so fast too, though looking at him now, maybe he should have slowed down!] ...Are you okay?

[Does she sound worried? Might be because she actually is.]

( ah, the inevitable concern. the sort of thing that would make him feel useless if were fourteen, still. the sort of thing that he hates in instinct. he raises his shoulders in defensive shrug. smiling, though, )

It's just a cold. I'll be better in a few days. ( mika swoops, then, landing on his shoulder. she rubs her head into his cheek. soft and warm but irritating against his chapped skin. ) Thanks, Mika.

( HE NAMED A PIDGEY AFTER MIKASA. what of it... )