Eren has never done the sensible thing in his life, so why start now? He would feel ridiculous about a life jacket. He can swim. He won't drown. Even if hitting that water sucked and hitting again would suck, the taste of salt and the way the world seems to move away from you in the ocean, he's not going to die or anything. Whatever.
He's not so full of himself that he doesn't take Reiner's warning, though. He does brace. He knows Reiner's strength, his weight. At least he doesn't actually have that much room to charge at speed. If there were more room on the beam, Eren could probably dodge out of the way, but this game isn't played like that. He can't move out of the way or he'll just step right back into the water.
That's the same thing, he thinks as it happens. The same strike. It must be some Marley thing, because Eren still doesn't recognise it.
He brings his own stick down to counter, not strong enough to avoid getting hit but at least more prepared this time. If these were real weapons, something solid, this would suck. But they're just foam.
He has no idea how to actually counter. He can't sift through memories fast enough. It's not a computer database; he can't just look for something he needs to know and know it. Other people's lives and memories are unreliable. He knows things without knowing why more often than he does it on purpose. So he comes up with a lot of nothing.
He thinks of Annie, using her motion against other people since she's smaller than they are. He knows how to fight like her, but that's with hands, and—
He can feel himself start to slide on the wet beam.
He makes a sound almost like a growl and just pushes back. He gets one bare foot planted on the beam but the other…well, the beam is still wet and not really designed to be grippy. This is the kind of game where you fall off pretty easily and don't take it as seriously as a death match, you know, if you're normal.
His back foot slides on the water and he can't recover from that and push Reiner at the same time. The force pushes his own legs backwards, and that one goes out from under him.
He doesn't hit the water, though, just the beam, one arm still holding the foam stick, the other reaching to catch himself. That arm finds only water. At least he's smart enough to turn his head before he hits his entire face on the beam.
i'm mean to him but he deserves this
He's not so full of himself that he doesn't take Reiner's warning, though. He does brace. He knows Reiner's strength, his weight. At least he doesn't actually have that much room to charge at speed. If there were more room on the beam, Eren could probably dodge out of the way, but this game isn't played like that. He can't move out of the way or he'll just step right back into the water.
That's the same thing, he thinks as it happens. The same strike. It must be some Marley thing, because Eren still doesn't recognise it.
He brings his own stick down to counter, not strong enough to avoid getting hit but at least more prepared this time. If these were real weapons, something solid, this would suck. But they're just foam.
He has no idea how to actually counter. He can't sift through memories fast enough. It's not a computer database; he can't just look for something he needs to know and know it. Other people's lives and memories are unreliable. He knows things without knowing why more often than he does it on purpose. So he comes up with a lot of nothing.
He thinks of Annie, using her motion against other people since she's smaller than they are. He knows how to fight like her, but that's with hands, and—
He can feel himself start to slide on the wet beam.
He makes a sound almost like a growl and just pushes back. He gets one bare foot planted on the beam but the other…well, the beam is still wet and not really designed to be grippy. This is the kind of game where you fall off pretty easily and don't take it as seriously as a death match, you know, if you're normal.
His back foot slides on the water and he can't recover from that and push Reiner at the same time. The force pushes his own legs backwards, and that one goes out from under him.
He doesn't hit the water, though, just the beam, one arm still holding the foam stick, the other reaching to catch himself. That arm finds only water. At least he's smart enough to turn his head before he hits his entire face on the beam.