knowsvinewhip | + IC CONTACT +

[ But eventually: ]

Yeah. I just keep moving forward

[ Conveniently, Reiner's possible (definite) distraction means that he has remained in the same location the whole time. Small blessings. ]

[Did you fucking die.]

[Oh okay, no there he is, thank whoever the hell has an eye out for this kid.]

Hopefully not literally at this point in time. ... Metaphorically, though, is understandable.

[Are the streets open for cars? Can he just drive there?]

No, I'm staying put. You're joining me, right?

[ However Hakkai gets there, he'll eventually find Reiner with his back against a lamppost, feet sturdily planted, looking like he's concentrating on remaining upright without swaying. Aside from the pink flush on his cheeks, he appears no worse for wear. Just a stupidly well-built young man who has had a few too many. ]

Indeed I am. Please stand by.

[You know what, screw it. We're driving. It's in much shorter order then, that Hakkai arrives in front of the lamppost. Pulling the car - the jeep to a stop.]

[He just sits there for a moment, before he sighs, and beckons to Reiner.]

Come along then.

[ Still blissfully drunk, Reiner smiles at Hakkai, happy to see his new friend. ]

Where are we going?

[ And then, as he approaches (steady enough through sheer force of will), his eyes suddenly widen. ]

Woah, you can drive? That's amazing! I've never seen a car like this! Is it hard to drive? Do you like driving?

Somewhere you can hydrate and where someone make sure you don’t asphyxiate, should you vomit in your sleep.

[He sounds way too cheerful about that last bit. Wow.]

To answer your first question, yes, I can. With some assistance of course. But, ah, you should sober up before I attempt to elaborate…

[Look man none of the Asshole Brigade understand how Jeep works, except he’s magic. And if Reiner is going off like this is the greatest thing ever, it’s going to need a lot of explanation…]

Ew. Hakkai, that's gross.

[ Such scolding from a drunken man! Who nevertheless climbs up into the vehicle, none the wiser about what it really is. ]

I'm not gonna vomit in my sleep. I'm not gonna shit on the floor, either. [ Reiner frowns. ] You know, that's what Levi said the last time I saw him. Something about shitting on his floor. Like I would do that! Who does that?! He might've been joking; I don't know… He's such an asshole.

[ At least now Hakkai has a name for the subject of that eleven-message-long rant.

And then, not missing a beat: ]

Thanks for picking me up. You know, I know we just met recently and all. But I think of you as a friend. Is that okay?

Indeed. So let's try not to cross that bridge, shall we? [That smile could cut glass.] Though, I must admit, I wasn't concerned about the floor until you brought it up.

[SMILE. Smile. And yes. Yes he does.]

Strap in please. [Again, not a request. He'll wait, patiently enough, to make sure Reiner actually has the motor function to do that. Quietly, so as not to distract him.]

[... at first, anyway. I think of you as a friend drops like a weight on his shoulders. A flash of other faces - of Daniel, of his students. You're a good man. His hands tense for a moment, on the wheel, and his smile fixes in place. You abandoned them all.]

Goodness, but you're talkative while intoxicated. I hope you don't get motion sick.

[Just gonna. Sidestep the statement and the question.]

[ Reiner does indeed manage to strap himself in, only fumbling for a moment. Although, given the way he mutters, "Does it go like this? How does it… Oh, I get it!" It may be apparent that it's not drunkenness causing Reiner's fumbling: it's unfamiliarity with seat belts. ]

Yeah, I guess I do talk a lot. I mean, I do that normally, too. It gets me in trouble sometimes. But I talk more like this, huh? I don't usually drink, so that's good to know. I just really needed a few drinks tonight.

[ "A few"…

He trails off, staring at Hakkai for a moment before he remembers: ]

Oh, no, I don't get motion sick. That would be really inconvenient.

[He'll wait, don't worry. At least Reiner's trying to get the seatbelt on. He can't say the same for any of the others back home. Too hard to irritate each other with restraints on - safety be damned. Once the belt clicks, he puts Jeep back in gear and heads back the way he'd come.]

It's all right. Feel free to speak as much as you please, I'm quite used to chatter while driving.

[It's pure Hakkai not to press about why the young man needed drinks. It's not his business. Asking those sorts of questions are breaches of privacy in this car. Just sober up before morning or we're leaving your ass.]

Ah, good. And yes, it would. But if you do feel it coming on, please lean over the side. It would be incredibly rude to vomit on Jeep.

[Please don't puke on his pet.]

Edited 2023-08-04 04:22 (UTC)

[ Reiner nods emphatically, keeping his attention on Hakkai as they head off. ]

I will. I don't think it'll happen, though. I've been on ships, boats, trains, horses, and an airship once or twice. Oh, and I rode in a few cars even before I arrived in this world. Plus the Armored, obviously.

[ Obviously!!

Apparently failing to realize that the last part might require an explanation, Reiner moves right along: ]

Did you name your car after your little buddy?

An airship? [??? What. Are those really a thing.] But, ah, pardon me. What do you mean "the Armored"?

[Is that the name of one of those air ships? Maybe?]

[But Reiner isn't the only one who seems to be okay with dropping casual information without explanation.]

Not really. More the other way around!

The Armored. My Titan. You know. [ Explanation given!! ] And yeah, airships are really cool. They have 'em here, too. They're not the same kind, though. The ones I was on were military. I used to see them flying above the wall when I was a kid.

[ He runs his fingers along the windowsill, idly touching things. He appears more curious and appreciative than fidgety. ]

So, you named your little buddy after your car? You must really love your car. It's really cool.

... I'm sorry, your what?

[Listen, he'll get to the rest. The whole airships here and everything. But what on earth does my titan mean? Maybe this is something that needs sobriety for understanding...]

[Speaking of which... A couple blocks pass. The car squeaks.]

I would love to explain, but I fear it would take far more sobriety to understand. Or, perhaps we'll show you once we arrive.

Oh, all right. I can be patient. Sometimes it's hard! I can do it, though.

[ He continues idly touching, curious about the cause of that squeak. However, he keeps most of his attention on Hakkai, brow furrowing as he tries to figure out how to explain. ]

My Titan. Did I not tell you about that? I guess not. It's still weird to talk about openly. I had to keep it a secret for years. Years!

[ He stares at Hakkai emphatically. Years, Hakkai! Years! Then he's back to playing with the dashboard. ]

Anyway, it's the reason I heal so quickly and stuff. I can turn into a fifteen-meter-tall Titan. Remember the creatures that evaporate when they die? One of those, only not. They're not intelligent. They only eat people. They try to eat me, too, because I'm not really one of them. My Titan is special.

[ He pauses, then confesses: ]

I don't think I'm explaining it well. I'm very drunk.

Just a few more blocks.

[And then he is putting this drunken young man to bed. Good grief. He's poking the dashboard now. Hakkai pats the wheel sympathetically. Even Goku didn't get this touchy.]

[He almost hits the brakes too hard.]

[I can turn into a giant monster!]

[What in the world is he supposed to do with that information? How does someone react to that? It feels, for a moment, as if the little cuffs on his ear are heavier, colder. Like a reminder he'll never lose. Hakkai can't help but superstitiously glance at the young man. But Reiner doesn't seem to be wearing anything telling.]

[A secret kept for years, too? Boy. It's a good thing his passenger is probably too intoxicated to see the brief look flickering across his face.]

... Yes. I think this is another conversation best had once one sobers up. The apartment is just up here.

[Let him just park. And think.]

[ Reiner is indeed far too intoxicated to notice any subtleties. (Or much of anything, really.) He moves from the dashboard to the seatbelt, playing with it as well. At the very least, he's touching things gently—curious but not wanting to break anything. ]

Oh, all right.

[ Then he blinks at Hakkai. ]

Wait. We're going to your apartment?

[ He frowns, evidently confused. Then he squints. He's sure that Hakkai isn't interested in him. (There was a whole conversation Reiner was supposed to forget!) But for the life of him, Reiner can't currently think of another reason Hakkai would be taking him home. To Hakkai's place. Unless they live in the same building? It wouldn't be the first time that happened to Reiner.

His voice drops to a more serious, measured pace, a flicker of his usual vigilance managing to break through his drunken state. ]

Why are we going to… [ He looks around but is still too drunk to figure out where they are while in a car. ] Where are we going?

[ Yeah, he completely forgot that 'somewhere you won't asphyxiate' explanation, having zeroed in on the grossness of vomit. ]

Edited 2023-08-10 03:19 (UTC)

Yes.

[Simply, smoothly. As if this were the most obvious thing in the entire world. He climbs out of the driver's seat, arms folded. Waiting for Reiner to follow suit.]

As I said... [There's slightly less patience in the words. Slightly more sharp edges. The disappointment.] ... I'd prefer to keep an eye on you to make sure you aren't about to choke on your own vomit in the night.

[He gestures then, toward the apartments. Really, he'd thought it was obvious, even if someone was this intoxicated. He doesn't know where Reiner's place is. If the young man it too out of it to remember where they were going, he can't trust him to give decent directions. Their conversation about numbers doesn't so much as occur to him.]

Now then. Can you stand? Or do you need assistance to do so?

[SMILE. OH NO. THE SMILE OF WARNING.]

[ Reiner is a broad, muscular young man who stands over six feet tall. Yet he seems to curl in on himself into damn near nothing as he (finally) catches wind of Hakkai's disapproval.

Oh, he hates this. He hates disappointing people. He hates being a disappointment.

His mouth opens. Closes. Then he climbs out of Jeep, careful but steady, and stands in front of Hakkai, looking not unlike a dog who knows he's done something wrong.

Gold eyes flick away, catching on the apartment building. Then he blinks. ]

Uh. We're neighbors.

[As soon as they're both out of it, Jeep changes. Literally a blink and he's changed - gliding over to his customary perch on Hakkai. How does it work? We don't know. You blink and then it's done.]

Oh? Are we?

[Just like that, the disapproval is gone. Or, at least, it's set aside for the time being, and not displayed on Hakkai's face.]

Well, that should make getting you home in the morning easier. Come along.

Wait.

[ HOLD UP JUST A DAMN MINUTE!! ]

What—

[ Reiner stares at the place where the car once was, mouth agape. Then he looks at Jeep. Then at the empty space. ]

How…?

[ He is too drunk for this?! How is. How. What. How. ]

Hm?

[Hakkai pauses too. Give him a sec - what's the problem here? Why is Reiner acting like that? Did he see something...?]

Ah! Yes. Jeep is a jeep, hahah! [And yes, he's laughing. Like this is a great joke.] His special ability, you see.

[Keep up Reiner!]

He can… He can turn into a car.

[ Give Reiner a moment to let that settle. ]

Jeep can turn into a car. Also called Jeep. Of course, because it's still Jeep. Right?

[ Does he have that right??? Please tell him, Hakkai. ]

Yes.

And yes. You're following remarkably well for your current state of intoxication.

[That is. Probably supposed to be complimentary.]

6/6

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