Attack on Holidays

[hometown]

WHO: the Attack on Titan cast and their +1s
WHAT: holiday shenanigans
WHEN: around the Solstice
WHERE: an inn in Stormreach
WARNINGS: tba; please check subject lines



Sometime after a less than stellar conference call, Reiner sends an invitation to everyone from his world. "You're Invited to a Holiday Party," the store-bought invitation reads in swirling seasonally decorated letters. How very fancy!

The invitation specifies three things. Number one: it is a celebration of the holidays. Number two: it is a celebration of a year of a successful non-aggression pact. Number three: everyone is invited to bring a "plus one."

Surely, nothing will go wrong with this plan. Surely!

The party itself takes place at an inn in Stormreach, part of which has been reserved by Reiner. The inn is made of stone and wood, its aesthetic closely resembling buildings in Paradis. There are several spacious rooms available: places for eating, places for mingling, cozy corners for more private conversations, and access to the inn's bar.

• In one of those cozy spaces, one might find a lit candle known as a Candle of True Feelings. In its presence, people understand their feelings better and feel inspired to talk about them. How very curious!
  
  
• Of note: magic supersedes technology in Stormreach. One is far more likely to run across potions and crystals than gaming systems… But that hasn't stopped Reiner from setting up a gaming system in a corner, anyway.
  
  
• If one steps outside for a breath of (cold) fresh air, they'll find themselves close to the clock tower. Local legend claims that those who kiss on top of it are destined to never breakup. However, that legend has not been tested … yet.
  
  
• During the party, a table is filled with various gifts for the "+1s," created by those from Paradis and Marley. The gifts include knitted clothing (scarves, mittens, socks), chocolates, sweet baked goods, and fidget toys made of wood or stone. Feel free to partake, +1s!

Naturally, there is a wide assortment of food—some of which is best described as "ungodly spicy"—with a particular focus on potato-based foods. Also, peaches and pineapples, for Reasons™.

Have fun, and try not to break anything!


( ooc: this is a mingle! top-level, tag around, etc. put any warnings in subject lines, and if a thread heads toward smut, please take it to an inbox or something. ♥ )

Comments

[hometown]

Usually, Reiner finds Levi's expression difficult to read; he was never able to practice doing so back in their world like his peers. But he notes the way Levi's eyes soften, and his lips quirk into a faint smile in turn.

Not a day goes by that Reiner doesn't miss his cousin. He knows she got what she wanted; he knows she can take care of herself; he knows she isn't alone there. Still, he misses her. He always will.

Once Levi takes his seat and the controller, Reiner sets about instructing him on the basics. Thankfully, Reiner is a good teacher, clear without being patronizing. It may provide a hint as to why so many members of the 104th looked up to him.

[wingbound]

It certainly paints a fuller picture of Reiner than Levi was ever able to catch back home. He had known him for... basically just however many days it had been between the cadets graduating and crashing his team's cleaning party, and the 57th expedition, if even that considering most of his attention was on Eren at the time. After that, it was only once they've met at the threshold of devastation, tired and battered down -- perhaps Levi more so, on the outside at least -- yet refusing to give up and watch the world go down in flames. He wasn't quite the spirit of the party then, not that any of them really were, frightened and desperate and broken in so many ways.

Now the cadets' impressions make more sense.

Levi turns out to be a fairly diligent student, though his training session still ends up in a bunch of mishaps, like making his little car on the screen spin in place, drive off the bridge or end up speeding in the wrong direction. Things seem to go better for him once he turns the controller upside down for some reason, so that's how he holds it when a real game match finally starts.

[hometown]

Levi using the controller upside down doesn't make a lick of sense to Reiner. But he supposes everyone's hands are different. Maybe Levi is just more comfortable that way.

"Once the timer ticks down, we begin," Reiner says. "Follow the track until you hit the black-and-white checkered flag. That's the end point. The other cars will use tricks to try and slow you down. Your best bet is to avoid them."

The timer flashes: 5, 4, 3…

"Ready…? Go!"

[wingbound]

It reminds him a bit of their gear triggers when held that way. Don't worry about it.

He nods solemnly, leaning forward a little in concentration. His reaction time remains excellent; his steering skills are not quite so. His little vehicle wiggles and almost drives off the side of the ramp before finally managing to level out in the middle of the road and starting to speed up, having given Reiner ample chance to put some distance between them.

[hometown]

Reiner doesn't take it easy on Levi. However, it isn't only them on the course. There are other competitors built into the game, and those little cars race alongside both Reiner and Levi's.

Some cars are programmed to be easier to beat than others. The easy ones have similar rocky starts, and they wind up clustered around Levi. Others are programmed to be more difficult; it's those that Reiner winds up focusing on.

And he is focused, his concentration locked on navigating the course and crossing the finish line. If the goal were to cross at the same time as Levi, he would act differently—but this is a solo competition.

[wingbound]

It's somewhat curious to see him like this up close in a peaceful situation, determined and locked in. Well, Levi supposes he had been determined back when they waged the world's last titan fight, too, but it had been heavily marred with anguish then. It's a lot more lighthearted now.

Levi gets the hang of steering fast enough for his first ever game; he manages to push some of the NPC cars off the road or into obstacles and he handles turns well, though he's still making some common mistakes like picking up the wrong power-ups or getting confused when the path splits into two.

In the end he'll probably start getting closer to Reiner, but not quite catch up, though he does manage to beat a few of the more advanced automated cars. He doesn't seem upset by that in the slightest, though, his eyes narrowing slightly in what seems to be a faint smile when he finally crosses the finish line, probably a number of spots behind Reiner.

"Ha. I reached the end," he says, as if he'd surprised himself with such an achievement. Is this what the kids get up to in their free time? It's... actually kind of fun, he supposes. "You play this with Eren?"

Just trying to keep up with his family's hobbies.

[hometown]

"Nice job," Reiner says with a smile, meaning it. He'd come in dead last the first time he played, though he didn't have anyone teaching him. Thankfully, it hadn't deterred him from trying again.

He sets his controller down as the game displays their results, stretching his fingers as he looks over at Levi. "Sometimes. I played it more often with Gabi. Eren and I can get pretty competitive."

Which, considering how competitive Gabi is, is saying something.

[wingbound]

Levi makes a small noise of acknowledgement. He doesn't know how nice it really was or whether such a compliment is warranted for something as silly as a game, but he appreciates it all the same.

The rest of it has him quirking an eyebrow however. Sure, he did not know Gabi as well as his version back home apparently did, but they'd spent enough time together in Ellipsa for him to know that girl was competitive about everything. Eren was spirited, driven by rage and a sore loser, for sure, but he hasn't come as close to making Levi eat mud as Gabi did, as far as he's concerned.

"Are you saying she hasn't been as competitive with you?"

[hometown]

Reiner shrugs. "Competing with Gabi was different." Then, upon a moment of reflection, he amends, "It's probably more accurate to say that I wasn't as competitive with her. I liked to push her, but I also liked to see her win."

With Eren, on the other hand, Reiner has long since stopped holding back.

[wingbound]

You don't want to see Eren win? he wants to ask, but considering their... history, Levi supposes it makes sense that Reiner might have complicated feelings about that. However many times they have faced off and Eren had slipped through his fingers yet again, often with the Scouts' help.

"I understand," he says instead, a faint fond look in his eyes. "We have met at a fair a few times. She's got a mean pitching arm." He can't even say that he let her win in some of those games, she's a force to be reckoned with all on her own. Of course, it's not like Levi would go particularly serious at a booth game anyway, out of concern of hurting someone if nothing else, but still.