bridgescribble | Did you pack socks?

The Traveling Meme

You're on your way from point A to point B, and you've chosen one of the many forms of communal conveyance to do so! Let's see what your trip looks like today.

Train: The Orient Express if you're feeling fancy, your standard intercity line if you're not, but no matter how humble the train there's always a little bit of romance to the rail.
Plane: It may be the type of travel we least look forward to. Go ahead and stuff your character in coach--unless they're one of the blessed few who can afford knee room in business class.
Ship: The heyday of the grand passenger liners, a tall ship (preferably with a star to steer her by), or the ferry.
Bus: Whether it's a school bus, a Greyhound, or your regular commuter ride... we know you're not wearing the seatbelt like you're supposed to.
Stagecoach: Some old-timey fun!
Airship: Listen, JRPGs had it right when they decided these should be a normal thing.
Spaceship: For that sci-fi feel! To boldly get Ubered where no one has Ubered before.

Scenarios

I brought a book for a REASON: You're just trying to make this journey in peace and quiet but for the person in the seat next to you....
Stalled: Well, now you're really not there yet, because your mode of transport has stopped working--thrown a wheel or can't get off the tarmac or lost the breeze. Better figure out something to do in the meantime.
Stand and deliver! Dammit, it's bandits, or robbers, or some other kind of ne'er do well--or maybe you're the one pulling the heist.
Running: Not literally, obviously, but you're trying to get away from something bad. Let's hope it's not catching up to you a few seats down....
Disaster! This isn't just inconvenient, it's catastrophic! Good thing you're here to save the day, right? ...Right?
Actually having a nice time: It's just pleasant to sit and look out windows while someone else does the steering, you know?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The boy in the military fatigues ducks into the room quickly, as if he's afraid of being seen from anyone outside. He keeps his head down, but once the door is closed he looks up to see his room mate.

He grips the straps of his duffel bag tighter, biting his lip. The other man was definitely military and that could be bad since he was currently trying to skip out on his own service. But this train was headed out of the country...was he lucky enough that this man was leaving too? Or was he just about to be sent back?

He doesn't speak, just staring at the older Levi with a somewhat scared look on his face. What does he do? He should play it cool....but he's not sure how to do that.]

[ The silence does finally get Levi's attention, and he turns his head slightly to examine his new companion. ]

[ A kid, barely eighteen from the looks of it, and yet he's already got that haunted look in his eyes. How old must he have been during the last mobilization? Too damn young to fight rich bastards' battles, that's for sure. Levi's good eye scans over him quietly. Uniform, but no identifiers, and he doesn't look too thrilled to see him. ]

[ Somebody in a similar boat as him, perhaps. ]

...I ain't no snitch, if you're not one.

[ He says, evenly, still staring at the young man with a blank expression. It's probably a bit unsettling. He knows he himself also looks like he's seen better days; dark circles under his eyes, long scars on his face, clouded right eye and missing fingers on his right hand, not to mention the cane resting against the wall next to him. ]

[ And yet, he knows full well they'd find "work" for him at the front even like this. ]

[He breaths a sigh of relief at that, but only relaxes a bit. He does take a seat, though, about as far away from the other man that he can.]

I'm not.

[This guy looks like he'd had it pretty tough...how many wars has he been through? Levi'd been in just the one but it makes him feel old. This guy must feel ancient.]

[ He does feel ancient. Little else is possible when you lose everyone you ever loved in just a few years; but he carries on. ]

Good.

[ Levi regards him for a moment longer, then his good eye turns back to the window, the scenery quickly rolling past them. It shouldn't be too far from the border now, but they're not in the clear yet. The boy looks anxious. Levi wonders if he'd manage to lie convincingly if somebody starts asking them questions. ]

Got your story straight?

Uh...

[His story? Shit, he hadn't thought about that. Why hadn't he thought about that? It seems like it'd be so obvious now that its been pointed out, but he just hadn't. Too focused on what he was doing now, and what he'd done in the past, to even spare thought for what he should do in the future.
But he knows if they catch him he'll be put to death. He's just not good at talking to people, let alone lying about something so important.]

Uh, I-I was just gonna hide.

[ Yeah, that doesn't inspire much confidence. Levi makes a noncommittal sound. ]

Well, if you don't have time to hide, stick with me. I'll think of something.

[ He already has a few options in his mind; whichever he uses will have to depend on who stops them and where. He's not exactly good at talking to people either, but he does have an intimidating presence and a reputation, so he hopes it'll do the heavy lifting for him in these circumstances. ]

Just try not to look like you're about to shit your pants.

R-right. I can do that.

[He scratches at his arm idly, possibly drawing attention to the faint track marks on the underside of his elbow.
He watches the other Levi for a few moments before looking Away. There are things he wants to ask, but he doesn't want to bother this guy. Or bring attention to himself. Or risk having to answer questions himself.
After a long, long pause he does finally speak up, though.]

...thanks.

[ It does draw Levi's attention, and he frowns a little more as he watches. Concern, mostly. He can't really blame the boy -- he hits the painkillers harder than necessary some days himself -- but that isn't going to get him anywhere good. ]

[ He wonders if he has any drugs on him. Maybe this trip is a chance for him to turn over a new leaf in more ways than one. ]

[ ...He absolutely has to make sure the boy makes it out of the country. ]

It's whatever. [ Don't thank him until they're out of the woods, at least. ] ...You've got a name?

[He has some drugs on him, but not much. He probably won't be shooting up in the older man's presence, at least.]

Y-yeah. I'm Levi. Nice, um, nice to meet you?

[Thats what you said, right? Its been awhile since he's greeted people as a civilian.]

[ Small miracles. ]

[ Levi had been expecting a last name, as is usually the default in the military, but perhaps the kid doesn't have one. Still, hearing the name makes his mouth twitch in something almost like a smile. ]

Hah. Isn't that something.

[ Realizing the kid probably has no idea about his source of amusement, he adds; ]

I'm Levi, too.

[He does not like his last name. It wasn't possible to avoid using it in the army, but he's out of the army now so he can start leaving it out.]
He blinks.]

Oh.

I don't think I've met another 'Levi' before.

[ If he's wearing his army coveralls, his name might still be stitched on his chest, in which case Levi will likely catch it. He won't say anything about it though, figuring that if the kid wanted attention on it, he would have said something. ]

Me neither. Funny that.

[ To think that of all places to meet, they would end up here, on the edge of the world as they know it, running from duty. ]

[No name on his coveralls, almost like the higher ups didn't care if their soldiers lived long enough to need personalized things. The closest thing is the number "11" stitched onto his right breast, where a name normally would be.]

Y-yeah.

[He wonders why, maybe the name is from a different region that he's from. From where ever this guy was from...they looked kind of similar. But his mother never told him where his name from. ...or perhaps it came from his father and he wouldn't want to know.]

I-it's, um, n-nice to meet you?

[That's what you said here right???]

[ Well. That's certainly depressing, but Levi supposes it makes sense in its cruelty. Not every soldier sent out to war had been trained or even willing; some fuckers would just pick kids off the streets, give them uniforms hastily peeled off from the dead, and push guns into their hands, especially at this stage, especially if they were losing ground. It's sickening. ]

...Yeah. You too.

[ He doesn't offer a hand. It doesn't quite occur to him. ]

[ For the next few hours, he's quiet. Sometimes it almost looks like he's dozing against the window, back straight and arms folded, but his eyes never quite close all the way. He's keeping watch, it seems, just in case something else goes to shit. He also casts glances to his companion every now and then, perhaps to ensure he's not panicking too much, or maybe he just thinks he seems sick, somehow. But he doesn't say anything just yet. ]

Did you pack socks?

you cool with addict levi?

hehe yes absolutely!

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