Test Drive Meme #15

[seasonshelpers]

Test Drive Meme #15
LOGS | NETWORK | OOC | MEMES | NAVIGATION

Arrival

Part 1

You arrive in an unknown space, dressed in white clothes (player choice what kind of clothes, as long as they cover everything). Whatever was happening to you before no longer happens. It's like everything was put on a pause and you were transferred away from the situation without you realizing it happened.

The space that you find yourself in is one of these four options:

An empty landscape filled with snow and ice, almost like a blank canvas.
A field with cherry blossom trees and spring flowers.
A sunny beach near an ocean that seems never ending.
A quiet forest with falling autumn leaves.

All of the spaces seem to continue endlessly. No matter where or how far you walk it almost seems like you're not moving at all. There are no animals here - just those who happened to wake up there at the same time, in the same place. Everyone is wearing the same kind of plain, white clothes.

Despite the possible rollercoaster of emotions you might be feeling, the place somehow feels familiar. Like somehow you belong there.

And it looks like you're not alone.


Part 2

After half an hour has passed the surroundings change as everyone is teleported into a room with all the other new arrivals, no matter what space they woke up in. It's a large place with plenty of seats to sit in and beverages to enjoy. Medical attention is offered to those who need it and the doctors here are very prepared for any challenging situations.

Here, in this room, everyone gets an answer to where they are and why. A hologram of a man appears at the center of the room, waiting to be heard. He brings a message on behalf of the leaders of Ellipsa. The staff nearby tells them that the message has finally been properly updated from the original one that can still be found from the records.

The Message [ Click to Expand ]

Hello, my name is Olwen. I'm one of the leaders of Ellipsa as it currently is. I'm also one of the four who summoned you here.

Our world is in trouble and we need your help. I apologize for tearing you away from your world and forcing you to come here but I hope you understand. The magic we used doesn't let us ask in advance, nor does it let us choose who we bring here. We wouldn't have resorted to it if we weren't desperate. Our world has lost the majority of power holders who kept the balance in our world and dealt with the dangers of the Segments. Just having one power holder for each Season isn't enough. That's why we have summoned you to become the new Seasonal Power Holders.

This world is composed of four Seasonal Segments. All of them represent one of the seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn. They were the places we used to get our resources from, but now they're dangerous places no one should go into unless they have the power to fight back. All of them have their own sets of powerful monsters and natural catastrophes. We have recently managed to regain some footing in the segments and made them safer, but there is still a lot of work to be done. The Darkness still plagues our world, but we are constantly finding ways to fight back.

Otherworlders like you have already made great differences to the world. They have managed to find and free the dragons who in turn helped us expand the area we live in. They also managed to find the Fairy Queen and even the Mermaids and Sirens of the Great Ocean Lake are at peace due to the efforts of a few otherworlders. All of these things we couldn't have accomplished with just four power holders.

My sincere wish is that you would join us in working towards saving this world. We promise to send you home afterwards, or enable a way to travel to your world and back, as a compensation for your efforts here. You're even free to stay here, if that suits you better. This world can also be yours.

I know we're asking you a lot and that it might be hard to trust someone who just talks as a hologram, but you are always free to approach us at our guilds to talk in person.

The hologram can be viewed in private in a separate room later, should someone wish to look at it again. For now, the staff of the Research Center hands everyone their new smartphones with their small flower lucky charms (the flower is anything the player decides). They're also told that the building next door is where everyone can find a room assigned to them with some of their belongings there and possibly even any animal companions. Those concerned about their mount-sized companions are welcomed to the stables downstairs to see if their friends are there. The mounts are allowed to stay there until you find a place more suitable for them.

In the arrival's hall there are also several stands with information pamphlets.

First type of stand is for the local Guilds and about the benefits of joining one.

Second type of stand is for the Welcome Center that aim to show otherworlders what the world is like and help guide people in the beginning of the journey and helps in getting settled into the new world. They even have people to help if you're unfamiliar with the new phones.

Third type of a stand has various pamphlets about businesses opened by otherworlders.

Once you get your smartphone and necessary information, you're urged to go out and find your apartment. After that whatever you want to do is up to you.

The building next door is where everyone can find their new apartments. As you enter, you're told by a friendly native that for the first two months you can live anywhere rent-free and five meals a day are paid for you. After that they get a monthly payment that helps with some of their living expenses, but otherwise they have to have a job to support themselves.

All of the apartments are comfortable, two bedroom apartments with all necessary utilities. They are also completely soundproof. Sometimes the magic system, however, does glitch and you might find yourself rooming with a stranger. This is not the intention and the staff will immediately prepare you a room of your own. But maybe having a roommate isn't all that bad?

Part 3

The locals have taken upon themselves to advertise the Welcome Center that is run mostly by otherworlders. Newcomers are encouraged to visit it, but sometimes the people might think someone who has been a while is new.

Inside one finds a modern Japanese style lobby with plenty of sofas, soft seats and cushions to sit on. Anyone is welcome to just sit around and eat some home-made snacks. There are also computers for searching information and practicing technology skills. There's usually someone behind the front desk, but if no one seems to be there they might be in the kitchen behind the front desk area.

Upstairs there are many rooms that can be into familiar places for characters (not exactly the same, but similar) with futuristic technology. It's set up to help fight any homesickness and provide a quiet place to relax.

One bonus the Welcome Center provides is a gift basket with some treats, basic ingredients for making meals and some gift cards for the Underground Mall, to possibly shop for new clothes or other necessary items. All of these have been donated by volunteers to help newcomers settle in.

Of course the people working here are always looking for new volunteers to help around! There are plenty of things to do, all in the name of making otherwolders' arrival to a new world more comfortable.

Fix-It Crew

Part 1

The City of Nightwake has seen better days. Windows and fixtures are broken, plants are damaged, roads are charred, rubble and garbage litter the streets with some bloodstains in the alleys and sometimes even in the open. Anyone asked will explain that in late May, a number of crises all happened at once, and while things are calm again, parts of the city are still rebuilding.

Magical and mundane repair help of all kinds is requested by various civilian homes and businesses. Anyone who answers the calls for help can be put to work repairing and restoring any items and buildings, replacing windows, repairing doors, building things, and/or cleaning up messes. Any help is appreciated... especially since people are reporting random garbage falling on them from nowhere, thanks to an ongoing quest!

Anyone who volunteers will also be able to learn a new spell that allows them to repair their clothing or armour on the go. Handy when you're out in the Segments and can't just go to the blacksmith!

Part 2
City council has coordinated the cleanup effort, and snack stations have cropped up near big repair sites so volunteers can get water and food. The snacks vary from place to place, but are always something popular in the district they're in; for example, a stand in Sunwaning might provide curry pan or taiyaki, Dayrise might have fried fish or cream-filled buns, or Coldreach might let you come in for chips or deep-fried pickles.

June and July is also the time of the Solstice, a traditional Ellipsan holiday, and just because everything is in shambles doesn't mean people aren't celebrating. While volunteers take breaks at the snack stations, they're encouraged to weave flower crowns with provided cut flowers that are already enchanted to last longer. Plenty of civilians are already out on the street wearing theirs!

While it's common to make your own flower crown, people are also encouraged to exchange flower crowns with others. Some natives might urge anyone who tries to pay attention to flower language when doing so. After all, while not everyone knows flower language, a crown that says "nice to meet you, can we be friends" is very different from one that says "I hope you lose your fortune" or, for that matter, "elope with me"!

OBLIGATORY BEACH EPISODE

Part 1

With summer just around the corner, word gets around that there's going to be a giant beach party in Solarpeak. The natives see this as another way to thank the otherworlders for their continual efforts to help across Ellipsa. So, just a couple days before it starts, everyone will receive a message inviting them to come to Solarpeak and join in on the festivities and enjoy the decor and events that they'll be hosting.

Upon entering Solarpeak, visitors will see everything looks ike it's part of the party. There's stalls with a variety of savory foods, drinks, desserts, and frozen treats. Otherworlders can totally find their favorite summer treats in the assortment - the natives did their research!

There's also several events scattered in the sandy landscape and in the pool itself. In the pool - there's floaties, pool noodles, and a variety of fun pool games. On land there's an inflated obstacle course, slip-n-slides, a water gun fight arena, and beach volleyball set up. Party goers are also encouraged to start up their own activities Don't worry - there's plenty of shady spots to relax, too!

Oh - and don't miss the giant bonfire everyday at dark! The bonfire will also include sparklers and smores.


Part 2
As part of the summer event, Sage Blaze is hosting a cooking competition. Sage is the most recent winner of one of Ellipsa's televised cooking competition shows – Culinary Quest. This competition isn't just about being the best chef, either, it's about learning how to cook with love. Sage will be showing anyone who wants to participate how to make sure that the chefs are cooking with feeling – literally!

People who are tasting the food of the participants will be able to taste the feelings of that participants in the food. That means a dish made with love have a boost in flavor, and if the same dish is made with hate it'll be noticeably less tasty.

While there's no real winner in the competition, participants will walk away with a handy new trick. Sage may also call out when they feel a dish is especially tasty or creative – as long as they can taste the love!

OOC TIPS

Summary of the prompts [ Click to Expand ]

Arrival
• Characters appear in one of the four seasonal spaces, depending on what season they are
• After half an hour they are teleported to the Research Center lobby and given information
• Hologram of Olwen (Winter Guild Leader) plays, explaining the situation
• They're given their smartphone-like device and told about the Starter Apartments next door
• Possibility of finding a roommate!
• Welcome Center welcomes newcomers and those who have been here for a while alike

Fix-It Crew
• The city is recovering from a disaster, so buildings and fixtures all over need repairs and cleanup
• Garbage and debris may randomly fall on characters due to someone else using a defective magic item for cleanup
• Characters who take part in repair efforts are taught a spell to repair clothing and armour
• Snack stands offer food and a place to rest to volunteers
• During rest breaks, they can also make enchanted flower crowns for the Solstice holiday

OBLIGATORY BEACH EPISODE
• Solarpeak is hosting a beach/pool party!
• Stalls with food, drink, desserts, and frozen treats.
• There's several pool games, floaties, etc.
• Options to play beach volleyball, water gun fight, slip-n-slide, etc.
• When it gets dark, there's a big bonfire with smores and sparklers.
• Cooking competition where participants learn to "cook with love".

- Ask your questions related to the TDM here.

- The TDM is available only to friends of the mods and their friends. If you want to play in the TDM, please leave a note here to inform us who invited you over. We will get to you as soon as possible.

- Test Drive is open for current characters to make a toplevel as well. New characters can add TDM on their subject line to indicate they're new!

- Current characters cannot access the starting area again to meet new arrivals. They can, however, be at the Research Center when the newbies are teleported in.

- The TDM is game canon so anything in the TDM can happen for your character(s) in the game as well.

- Smut is not allowed on the TDM. You can play situations leading to it, but if the thread is turning into smut, please move it to a private space such a post in your character's journal, or a locked post in the game's log community if you decide to app!

- Check Locations: City to find more areas to explore inside the city. Every place in the districts is open.

- Similarly, Locations: Segments is useful for outdoors adventures.

- You can find monsters to encounter in the Bestiary.

- The FAQ has information on characters' smartphones as well as general things about the world that might be handy.

code bases by tricklet

Comments

[lyingheart]

( Annie, staring down at a bug she'd stepped on deliberately, the beauty of a life ended under her shoe. As a child, that had been powerful. She'd been sick at heart with it. Years later, she hadn't even been able to feel what died beneath her Titan's feet.

She catches the last of his words, just barely. Mostly the start. Rather than say anything to the obvious, she punches him lightly in the shoulder, winding into the bar and to one of the open tables with a solid wall to it; she doesn't notice precisely that she's picked one of the best locations to watch entrances and exits, where no one can sneak up on them, but she has.

Second nature. )

Hold that thought.

( She says, not really saying which thought. The bar boy, or whatever they're called, has already swung by them, asking if they know what they'll have; Annie asks for whatever's light on the tongue, trusting it's all more drinkable than half of what they've ever had. She waits for Reiner to order, for the man to leave, for the burbling brook of conversations around them to ebb and flow in the susurrus of social engagement.

Her's is a bottled beer, that gets uncapped in front of her: good. She wouldn't have drunk it otherwise. When Reiner's is set down too, she lifts her bottle. Entirely deadpan: )

Here's to the shitty flaws of the people who raised us.

( Cheers. )

[hometown]

[ Following Annie into the bar, Reiner makes no comment about the table she has chosen. He notices its tactical advantages, sure, but that just strikes him as good sense. Annie always had that in spades. More than he ever did, really.

She tells him to hold his thought, and he does. Quietly, shamefully, he does. Shamefully because a part of him will always be ashamed of such thoughts, of pushing back against the indoctrination he experienced as a child. Because that's not what a Warrior does. It's not what a good Eldian does.

For so long, that's all he wanted to be. For so long, he wanted to be good enough to no longer be an Eldian.

He orders something fruity, because why the hell not. It comes in a glass with a little umbrella. Annie makes her toast, and Reiner clinks his glass against hers, a sad smile on his face. ]

Sucks to realize those flaws exist.

[ He takes a sip before asking, ]

You said my mom survived… What about your father?

[lyingheart]

( She's appraising the look of his drink, which, with the bright colour, seems interesting, but has no regrets for her order. Easier to tolerate what should be similar (and better) than what they already knew.

She takes a long sip, the alcohol fizzing in a not-displeasing way as it goes down. A little hoppy, if she knew the word, but not unpleasant.

What about her father indeed. )

He's alive. He helped get people out of Liberio.

( This is more or less the most she knows, and she decides to skip over all the Eldians turning into Titans and then turning back when Eren was finally dead. )

I'd thought he'd been killed.

( She takes another sip from her beer, or whatever it is. It keeps her from feeling that same chest suffocating emotion that'd stolen over her when they'd told her Liberio had been eradicated. That all her racing and hoping hadn't been enough. The incredible relief she'd felt when she saw her father, alive... )

[hometown]

[ Getting people out of Liberio… Reiner can take a few guesses why they had to flee. He witnessed the beginning of an attack on their hometown. Saw Eren transform, rising up through an apartment full of civilians while Reiner tried to protect Falco. Saw so many other things that he barely understood, Eren guiding him through that future he hasn't lived. So many awful things…

"It's different once you've seen their faces," Reiner had said. "Isn't it, Eren?"

He and Eren were still the same, in the end.

Reiner takes a sip of his drink, the fruitiness concealing most of the alcohol. A dangerous combination if not consumed in moderation. ]

I'm glad he made it out.

[ Whatever shitty flaws Annie's father might have, it's better that he survived. Better for Annie, if nothing else. Reiner remembers well how desperately she'd wanted to return. ]

… Eren showed me a lot of the future, using the Paths. But the way it worked was … confusing. And there were things Eren didn't share, or maybe didn't know. Your father, my mom…

[ Falco having the Jaw. Porco's death. Bertholdt's death. Reiner knows that Eren didn't want to hurt him with the last. Was it the same for Porco? ]

So if it ever seems like I've got a half-completed puzzle, that's why.

[lyingheart]

( Annie pauses her action in taking another sip of beer at the admission — Eren and the Paths. She lowers her drinking, breathing in and sighing out, long and slow. )

That must have been confusing. When he announced to everyone he was going to do what he did, we were all pulled on the Paths. ( She pauses, staring into her glass. ) Reiner.

( She swirls her glass, studying the colour, the bubbles fizzing up the sides. )

How much of that puzzle you want to complete is up to you. Ask, or don't. You know I'm not good at dancing around the point.

( There's a reason "standoffish and isolated" has been her coping mechanism since they were children. )

[hometown]

[ Reiner's gaze softens, his lips turning up at the corners. He does indeed know she's not good at dancing around things. Not like he is. Even Bertholdt is better at it, his shyness often covering for the things he won't or can't say.

Bertholdt… Reiner is going to have to have a talk with him. But first: ]

I'm not gonna ask you to tell me, Annie. Besides, I don't even know what parts I'm missing. [ His expression sobers. ] What I'm gonna do is have a long talk with Eren.

[ Because it was Eren who Reiner asked to tell him of the future. Not Gabi, not Annie when she was last here, not any of the other Scouts. Just Eren. ]

[lyingheart]

( For the second time, though slightly more muttered: )

Good luck with that.

( And she takes a much longer, deeper drink of her IPA. Leaving it where it is works for her. This all just happened to her. Making it make sense is like having a surreal dream take over her life, with the juxtaposition of this place against the one she'd been in less than seventy-two hours before.

So she won't mention seeing everyone on the Paths. She won't mention the puppeting of the prior Warriors, or the moment they woke up. Maybe Levi, she'll realize at some point soon, is the only one who either knows or can guess; Eren she won't know either way. He's so confused over whatever's living in his head.

No, there's this beer instead. Then she doesn't need to consider Bertholdt, or Marco, or Sasha, or anyone else here: just a beer. IPA. Whatever. She doesn't hate it, but it's not turning her into any more of an alcohol appreciator than she was before. )

... So. Expeditions.

( She looks over the top of her half empty glass. As the one who'd gone to the Military Police, the greatest irony here is that all her expeditioning and exploring happened before they breached the wall in Paradis.

Four years is a hell of a lot of time to be out of the waking, active world. Even if it was a shitty, terribly cruel one. )

[hometown]

[ Annie's good luck wish doesn't exactly sound sincere, but honestly, Reiner doesn't mind. He knows how to talk to Eren. Knows that they'll probably butt heads about this. Knows that they might even have to transform into their Titans and fight it out for the first time in ages. But he's determined to learn the answers. Determined not to be blindsided by yet another death.

In the silence, he tries not to think of Porco. Takes another drink, a little faster than he should. The fruitiness covering the alcohol really is a damning combination. ]

Expeditions, [ he repeats. ] They're basically a more dangerous form of quest. With quests, you have an idea of what's going on before you get there.

[ He pulls out the Smart Ring again. This time, he activates the current quest board. ]

See? Each quest has a description of what's happening, what they want done, and the reward you'll get for doing it.

Expeditions are different. You don't know what you'll face until you reach whatever location you've chosen to investigate. You have to be prepared for anything. Sometimes, you encounter creatures no one has ever seen before.

That's what happened on the last one I went on. We got a substantial reward for our investigations, but … it was tough.

[lyingheart]

( Conceptually, it makes sense. Annie looks at the quest board and scans through the top section, Winter segment. An irreverent name, a description of what's going on, and the moon coins. Learning another currency for another time is going to be a trip. )

The difference between patrolling known areas and scouting out the unknown ones.

( The idea of encountering unknown creatures isn't a pleasant one, if she's honest. It's also not a turn off from the idea. )

Expeditions usually run how long? I'm assuming it's only what you pack in and there's no one running supply chains or keeping supply caches updated.

( Another sip of beer, and she hooks one foot behind her heel under the chair, eyes idly scanning the room. All's well, and her shoulders show a minute lessening of tension. Bars that she's dealt with back home aren't strictly friendly to anyone presenting female. It's an immediate difference she's noted here. That and the lack of people trying to grab anyone's rear, or whistling or otherwise talking up the help. )

[hometown]

[ Reiner keeps the ring activated, just in case Annie wants to poke around at the board. Or in case something catches her interest. The technology used in the Smart Rings is as impressive as the phones. He spent a good half hour just poking around at things when he first got his ring. ]

Exactly. [ To both points. ] There are some safe areas with teleport crystals set up. But for the most part, you're on your own. That's why it's so important to never go into the Segments alone.

[ A rule that Reiner broke on occasion until Jean ripped him a new one. ]

You'd think that carrying supplies would be an issue. But there's an item at Riki's that makes it easy. It's called a "Hammerspace Purse." It's … [ a pause; a sip of his drink at the thought of trying to explain it ] … very magical. You can put ninety-nine things in there, and it'll never feel an ounce heavier. You can fit entire tents.

[ As Annie relaxes, Reiner unconsciously does as well, picking up on her mood. He starts gesturing more, talking with his hands. ]

There's also something called an Unlimited Cookie Jar. Riki's has one version, but there's a cheaper version at another store. The cheaper version duplicates any food you put into it, plus adds raisins. So you can put ration bars in it, and you'll never go hungry on an expedition.

[lyingheart]

( She does play with the screens, moving them around and flicking a finger down. It feels more intuitive than the phone, ironically. Go figure. Brains are weird. )

Assuming you're in best case scenario. Those sound like incredible tools, but what's the backup? Everyone carries one on themselves? Still no caches that people can rely on if the worst comes along and all their supplies, Hammerspace Purses and Unlimited Cookie Jars &mmdash; ( she gives him a squinting look at these names, because they just sound bizarre, or like something they'd have picked out as teenagers in the barracks ) — end up in some creature's stomach, or washed out, or buried, or any of the rest of what might happen?

( Not like they've ever been crossing unfriendly territory unknown to them and had all their supplies vanish at once.

Never. )

And are you telling me you never went in alone?

( Reiner. She has a hard time believing that if only because she knows him. )

[hometown]

[ The names do indeed sound bizarre; Reiner isn't going to argue that. Nor is he going to argue that something terrible could happen to a person's supplies, leaving them in dire straits.

… Nor can he argue when she absolutely calls him out.

Sighing, he scratches the back of his head. ]

… I went alone a few times. I trusted my Titan more than I trusted anyone to watch my back. Gabi was basically a stranger, and the Scouts were dragging their feet finalizing the non-aggression pact. I didn't really know anyone else.

[ That changed over time. But at first, he was lonely. Very lonely. ]

It was reckless, though. For a lot of the same reasons you're pointing out. I started being more careful after Jean got pissed off about it.

[lyingheart]

( Why is one of these quests about giant potatoes, and will Sasha be there, grilling them? Something in the thought is heavily bittersweet. Annie sits back, taking another sip of her beer. )

Did you die?

( Is her calm question, along the lines of "did your overconfidence in self-reliance get you killed?" It was a stupid move in her opinion, because no matter how strong their titans were, they weren't unbeatable. They all knew that, but it felt too similar to how Reiner had a tendency to narrow focus and not necessarily think about the unexpected possibilities.

Depending on his mood. At other times, he was insistently over-aware. )

I'm not saying I would have trusted anyone from home, either, but they're not the only people here. Or did that guy, the one at the campfire, turn you away from thinking about teaming up with outsiders to start?

( That part is genuine curiosity. But on another hand, out of all of them, Annie was the only one who had gone solo. If she'd been here feeling that alone, what would she have done?

... It's pointless to think about it now. )

[hometown]

[ Immediately, Reiner shakes his head. ]

No, I didn't die.

[ He considers explaining that Jean did die—but that's not his story to tell. It's up to Jean whether or not he wants to share that information.

So he moves on. ]

And … yeah, Hijikata played a part in it. For a long time, I'd brace myself every time I'd tell someone my name. I expected them to react like he did. He'd only ever heard the worst parts of me.

[ And he'd reacted accordingly, their burgeoning camaraderie turning to hostility in a heartbeat. ]

[lyingheart]

Well there's at least that.

( Not that her younger self wouldn't have found some justice (if no joy) in that happening, if it had. Her current self is not so sanguine with the death of those people she cares about, or even just that she knows. She's tired of it.

After this next sip, she's down to the bottom of her bottle. It went faster than she expected. )

You always were more sensitive to what people said.

( Not censure in her voice. Acknowledgement, yes. Her decision to isolate had lent to a different sort of talking behind her back and to her face, but that was easier to swallow than a stranger's immediate hostility, she supposed. )

For the record, you would have hated the Military Police.

[hometown]

[ Always more sensitive… He thinks of the way he'd fight with Porco when they were kids, set off by Porco's insults. Thinks of how he'd cry in the dirt afterward, Bertholdt at his side. Thinks of how, even when he was older, Eren's words on that sunlit field wormed their way past all his defenses.

Yeah, he can't deny being sensitive to what people say.

He takes a good drink from his glass, the alcohol burning pleasantly one the way down. Funny how he can feel it without really tasting it. ]

Oh yeah? [ He leans forward a little, curious. ] Tell me about it.

[ He never really got to hear about it from her before. ]

[lyingheart]

( Annie snorts. )

You made to many friends in the 104th. Everyone's attitude was much more up their own asses. People would ignore problems they didn't want to handle. We had to give way before anything the nobles or merchants with the money. Corruption has that sickly smell, doesn't it?

( She finished off her bottle. Setting it back down, she shrugs. )

There were good people there too. More who were content just to have the perks and do no work. I did more follow-up on complaints in the city than anyone else, and it's not because I'm that good hearted.

( ... Frankly, it's because she was a target and a longer, but she hadn't minded in the general sense of things. It meant she was moving around the city, collecting information, but also... sometimes... not letting the shittier people keep getting away with being shitty. And murderous.

Why are they always the murderous ones? )

[hometown]

[ As Annie describes the Military Police, Reiner finds himself pressing his lips together, frowning slightly. No, it doesn't sound like he'd have enjoyed that at all. Could he have tolerated it? Probably. He's good at adapting when he has to. (Problematically good.) But would he have been bitter as well? Almost certainly.

Or maybe he'd have tried to make friends, the way he admittedly made too many in the 104th. But he's not sure how many of them he'd have wanted as friends. ]

You're right: I would've hated it. [ He drops his eyes to his drink, then finishes off the last of it. ] … Especially in the state I was in.

[ Admitting that, yes, he knows he'd lost his mind. ]

[lyingheart]

( She lifts her empty glass to him, tipping it his way in acknowledgement. Nice to know he was aware of it these days. He is back home, too, but the disconnect of the differences here are... she has no fucking clue.

Maybe it'd be easier if she did. Yet isn't it nicer, so many of them not having had to see the near-end of the world? Not having to feel the weight of that?

Yes. Yes it is. So what if she (and Levi and Eren) do? They can handle it.

... Most of them can handle it. Eren is, as always, suspect. )

Much harder to be a good Warrior and a good solider at the same time. Didn't have to deal with it for long though.

( She shrugs, setting down her glass. )

Hitch had a lot to say about the direction the MPs went over the years, especially when it made it harder to date "halfway sane men." ( She makes quotation marks with her fingers for this. ) None of it's really interesting.

( Unless Reiner, for some reason, is really into Paradis internal politics and the horror show it is and was. )

[hometown]

[ A good Warrior, a good soldier, a good Eldian. Reiner has always wanted to be a "good" version of whatever he is. If he's honest with himself, he knows that tendency hasn't faded: it's just shifted. Now, he wants to be a good Otherworlder, one who helps to protect people and save this world.

What did Jean call him the other day? A romantic? Maybe he is. But at least it's not self-destructive this time.

Annie's hunch is right: Reiner isn't interested in Paradis' internal politics. Not beyond what was necessary to complete their mission, and they know perfectly well where the Founding Titan ended up. (Which reminds him: he needs to brief her on Frieda.)

But the way she phrases that—over the years—clues him into something that perhaps should've been obvious. ]

… You were aware in the crystal. [ It's not a question, just a realization. ] Did you hear about Historia, then?

[ How there was a royal right under their noses the whole time? ]

[lyingheart]

( There's a sort of wryly amused smile that curves her lips up at the corners. )

Not fully all the time. But I always heard what people said around me.

( With closed eyes, she saw nothing, but hearing? It was the only sense she was left with. Her finger traces the rim of the empty cup, smile lingering on her lips. This time it's more... resigned. )

Armin ( she says ) turns out to be a very chatty person.

( She'd learned, and also, kind of had the tidbits that wouldn't identify where Historia was, but otherwise... random... updates. She snorts. )

What was with the 104th? Every Titan shifter on Paradis, the future head of the Scouts, the hidden royal, the group that'd survive to take on the end of a world?

[hometown]

[ At that question, Reiner drains the dregs of his drink, shivering a little as the alcohol finally makes itself known. Trust the strongest bit to be the last sip. ]

Either we were the luckiest class, or the most cursed. It's hard to say which.

[ Although he suspects he knows what other people would say: the most cursed, for sure.

He sets his glass to the side. ]

I mentioned Frieda Reiss earlier. She's related to Historia—her half-sister, I think. She's here. And she has the Founder.

[lyingheart]

Both. Definitely both.

( Is her less than upbeat belief. She nudges the glass away with her hand, then pauses as Reiner brings up Freida's name again. There hadn't been much to think about other than noting the family name before, but this has her lifting both eyebrows and looking at him.

Clearly, there's no issue having multiple of a titan shifter here. Eren definitely had the Founder too. Annie's hand comes back down to the table's surface, one finger tapping against it lightly. )

Has that been a problem?

( Meaning, has she been a problem. Non-violence pact aside, there's enough that can be done that never technically involves lifting a hand. Can the Founder even do anything to Annie at this point? It was one thing to wonder about that with Eren, but now there's a second, unknown variable with the same consideration? )

[hometown]

[ Immediately, Reiner shakes his head. ]

No, she's never done anything to me or Bertholdt. She likes us Warriors, actually, even knowing what we've done. She'll want to meet you.

[ And thank Annie, possibly. But Reiner isn't sure on that, nor can he say how Annie might react to it, so he doesn't bring it up.

(His own reaction had been … complicated. He'd wanted to be a good Eldian—and Frieda, the rightful Queen of their people, said he was.) ]

She's … an interesting person. Very trusting, very naïve. She wanted to make a deal with some magic guy to move all Eldians to a safe world. She didn't understand why none of us trusted that deal.

[ Just as one example. ]

[lyingheart]

( Liking the Warriors as a ... Foundation ... feels suspect to Annie, but there's a reason they'd been on the mission they were, and to say that it had ended in failure for reasons beyond them from go would be an understatement. Still. )

Question, but why does she like us?

( Trusting and naïve doesn't cut it. And removing all Eldians... hah. )

Glad to know that every misbegotten half-Marleyan or otherwise would have an ensured family separation if we didn't already.

( She says so, so very dryly. Raise your hand at the table if someone ditched your infant self because you weren't non-Eldian enough for them. )