★2 [Video]

[homeofthebraviary]

[The video opens on America's legs. He's rolled up his pant legs and is sitting at the edge of the lake on Route 30, dangling his feet in the water. A sleeping hoppip rests on his knees.]

I'm kind of worried about Pinky you guys. [He turns the 'gear around to focus on his face, with Liberty on his shoulder as usual.] She's level 5 already and she still can't do any attacks. D'you think it's cause it's so hot maybe? Like, is she wilting or something? I keep givin' her berries and makin' sure she has enough water an' all. She seems happy and everything, I mean... but she just sorta flops around. Like a magikarp.

...Maybe she'll evolve into something really cool? But man, she's so cute. [He turns the camera to show the hoppip again, reaching down to skritch the base of her leaves.] I kinda don't want her ending up some freaky monster thing.

Comments

[homeofthebraviary]

Really y'could? How come?

[easy_as_cake]

[She shrugs, smile growing again.]

Sometimes I just know things. And you obviously care about her an awful lot. A lot more than someone who didn't care about being a good trainer. And she obviously cares about you, too, cause she looks so happy, so she must think you're a good trainer, too.

[homeofthebraviary]

Well I'm plannin' on bein' the next pokemon champion someday, so I better have a good solid bond with my team.

[easy_as_cake]

That's a really good reason! Do you have a very big team? All I have is Bambi right now.

[homeofthebraviary]

I've got Liberty, Pinky, Rocky, and Master Splinter.

[easy_as_cake]

Oh! Oh! Like from that movie! The mouse guy!

[She is openly thrilled to have understood that reference.

And yes, folks, that means the only parts of the TMNT franchise that have survived the next three thousand years are the live action movies.]

[homeofthebraviary]

Hey, you know TMNT?

[easy_as_cake]

That's the turtle ninjas, right? Sort of. My friend showed it to me, once, but it's been ages.

eek wrong journal

[homeofthebraviary]

Man, it's timeless though.

What kinda shows are you into nowadays?

What? I saw nothing~

[easy_as_cake]

Well, we don't really have a lot of shows like that. We're usually so far out away from a planet that you can't really pick anything up, you know?

But I did see a Nightsider soap opera on a drift, once. I think it was called 'As the Pond Scum Grows.' Well, that's what it translates to. It sounded better in the original.

[homeofthebraviary]

[Wait a second wait a second wait hold up.]

You're from SPACE?

[easy_as_cake]

[She smiles a little, wondering if she did or said something wrong.]

Uhhuh? Most people are anymore.

Oh! You're from Earth, aren't you? I'm meeting so many people from Earth here, Harper would be so jealous, if he knew, I bet.

[homeofthebraviary]

[Omgomg so cool.]

Yeah, I'm America! My friend's an alien though-- his name's Tony, he's awesome. He's not pretty like you though, he's just gray.

[easy_as_cake]

[D'aww, look at her blush, being called pretty. Even if she does smile at him like she things he's just saying that. Her knowledge of people from Earth is pretty limited, after all, and that one... well, is Harper.]

I'm Trance. Isn't America a place, too?

And there are lots of gray aliens. And some green ones. Actually, probably more green ones than gray ones. Blue, too. And furry ones in all kinds of colors.

[homeofthebraviary]

[He is completely in earnest madam!!]

Yeah, Tony told me there's all different kinds of aliens, only I've never met any others before. And yeah it's the greatest country on earth!

[easy_as_cake]

There are lots and lots of different kinds. Some are nicer than others, and it sounds like your friend is definitely one of the nicer ones.

Harper's from Boston. Was that in America?

[homeofthebraviary]

Yeah I love Boston!

[easy_as_cake]

[She laughs, smiling brightly.]

Then you'd get right along with him. Even if it's not the same kind of city anymore. I bet your Boston is really pretty.

[homeofthebraviary]

Oh, it's gorgeous. 'Specially in the fall when the leaves change? It's a great city for walking, like, an' there's all sorts of parks. Little chilly, but you can get a great cup of coffee. A bunch of rad old buildings, too. It goes way back, y'know?

[easy_as_cake]

It goes way forward, too. It's one of the most important Earth cities after the Fall.

Does everyone really drive Harley Davidson motorcycles, though?

[homeofthebraviary]

Well I mean not everyone-- whaddaya mean Fall though?

[easy_as_cake]

The Fall of the All Systems Commonwealth. There was a big war and a whole bunch of stuff happened, and the Nietzcheans defeated the Commonwealth and then all kinds of more bad stuff happened, but now we're fixing it!

[And there are details in there somewhere, but they're sad. Better to focus on the fixing part!]

[homeofthebraviary]

[... That doesn't sound like fun at all.]

But... you said America's still around... right?

[easy_as_cake]

[Oh, she... she shouldn't have brought this up. Oh dear.]

Well, the... the continent's still there, and some of the cities. And people still live there, at least mostly...

[homeofthebraviary]

Oh... oh...