[ The words come out deceptively mild, still little more than a whisper. It's an upfront question, the kind she's never liked answering, but there is only one to give before this could be completely over. ]
[It's as good as a confession. About as straight an answer as he's gotten from her today. It's still not enough.
He can't even argue it. He wants to, he's angry, and she must have anticipated that from him. Because logically he knows she's a traitor, because she won't just tell him what's going on or why she did it. But it sits oddly on him. Uncharacteristically muted. He can't bring himself to properly hate her for a sketchy future he doesn't remember. He can't pretend things are the way they were before, either. Can't trust her not to put the rest of the Corps in danger, even if she may have saved his life at the drop. His hands twitch in and out of fists. He's not going to fight her. He doesn't seem to know what to do with her, and being aimless and directionless is not a thing Eren handles gracefully.]
What are you gonna do?
[Now. (They'd been ordered to tread carefully, but Annie's not the Survey Corps' biggest concern right now. A threat, but maybe not an active one. She can't do much to humanity from here.)]
Keep moving. I can't change anything, so I can't be considered 'human' like you. Still, I don't want to die here, either.
[ It's an uncharacteristically straightforward admission. She visibly swallows after the word escapes her, eyes dropping to his hands. There's an edge of caution here, and of fear. It's true, though. There was only one goal that Annie could keep anymore, and that was to avoid dying alone and despised here.
She could only move forward. Any loss of momentum would be fatal, and it's all she has left. ]
I want to live, so... that's what I'll do. That's all, I guess.
[ Her sudden odd monologue ceases abruptly, falling silent as she keeps her eyes fixed on his hands. ]
[With a sudden amount of startling vehemence. Because this is Eren. And because she's not the Female Titan. She's Annie. That still means a lot. (If nothing else, she's as human as he is, isn't she?)]
You want to change things. [She didn't say that. He chooses to believe it anyway.] You want to live. That's human.
[ If Annie expected anything, maybe she should have realised he might say that. He really didn't remember the horror she'd needed to put him through, the pain and betrayal that came with her actions. After all, he wasn't like herself, or someone like Armin either. He didn't know how to really lie, much less live one.
He believes this, she knows for certain. He's wrong. ]
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no subject
[ The words come out deceptively mild, still little more than a whisper. It's an upfront question, the kind she's never liked answering, but there is only one to give before this could be completely over. ]
I've betrayed everything I've ever fought for.
no subject
He can't even argue it. He wants to, he's angry, and she must have anticipated that from him. Because logically he knows she's a traitor, because she won't just tell him what's going on or why she did it. But it sits oddly on him. Uncharacteristically muted. He can't bring himself to properly hate her for a sketchy future he doesn't remember. He can't pretend things are the way they were before, either. Can't trust her not to put the rest of the Corps in danger, even if she may have saved his life at the drop. His hands twitch in and out of fists. He's not going to fight her. He doesn't seem to know what to do with her, and being aimless and directionless is not a thing Eren handles gracefully.]
What are you gonna do?
[Now. (They'd been ordered to tread carefully, but Annie's not the Survey Corps' biggest concern right now. A threat, but maybe not an active one. She can't do much to humanity from here.)]
no subject
[ It's an uncharacteristically straightforward admission. She visibly swallows after the word escapes her, eyes dropping to his hands. There's an edge of caution here, and of fear. It's true, though. There was only one goal that Annie could keep anymore, and that was to avoid dying alone and despised here.
She could only move forward. Any loss of momentum would be fatal, and it's all she has left. ]
I want to live, so... that's what I'll do. That's all, I guess.
[ Her sudden odd monologue ceases abruptly, falling silent as she keeps her eyes fixed on his hands. ]
no subject
[With a sudden amount of startling vehemence. Because this is Eren. And because she's not the Female Titan. She's Annie. That still means a lot. (If nothing else, she's as human as he is, isn't she?)]
You want to change things. [She didn't say that. He chooses to believe it anyway.] You want to live. That's human.
no subject
He believes this, she knows for certain. He's wrong. ]
Eren...
[ She pulls in on herself, stepping back. ]
I wanted that once.