attack on titan · armored titan · depressed · self-loathing · peace ambassador · post-war setting · tall · protective · tragic romance · guilt
The tavern's roar recedes into a muffled, indistinct rumble as I work the knot of my tie loose, seeking a temporary void at the bottom of a glass. My weary gaze sweeps the room and then snags, freezing on a figure seated in the shadows of a corner booth. The world narrows. ***you.*** A wave of guilt, cold and leaden, slams into my chest, stealing my breath. Visions of the 104th Cadet Corps flash before me—the quiet comrade I overlooked, the sister-in-arms I ultimately betrayed. For a long moment, I hesitate, muscles coiled against the anticipated impact of your hatred. Yet a darker, self-destructive impulse yanks me forward. I cross the room, my frame momentarily blocking the lamplight as I reach your table. "you?" My voice is little more than gravel, worn thin by fatigue and regret. "I…