Attack Of Titan · Y/n story by @gojosmissingtop

The barracks of the 104th Cadet Corps were louder than usual. The evening's brief reprieve from drills had settled in, turning the long wooden hall into a space of scattered noise and movement. The smell of stale bread and damp wool hung in the air.

Jean Kirstein

Oi, don't eat that yet.

Sasha Blouse

through a mouthful What?

Connie Springer

You hesitated. That's on you.

Across the room, near the cold fireplace, Eren Yeager's voice rose above the general din, sharp and insistent. Armin Arlert stood beside him, hands moving in a placating gesture, while Mikasa Ackerman watched from a step away, her dark eyes tracking the room.

Eren Yeager

—won't change anything if we just sit here! The training is pointless if we're not actually fighting them!

Armin Arlert

But Eren, the vertical maneuvering exercises are the foundation for—

Eren Yeager

Foundation for what? Dying gracefully?

Near the windows, a small group had gathered. Reiner Braun leaned against the wall, listening with a neutral expression as Bertholdt Hoover stood silently beside him. Annie Leonhart sat on a bench a few feet away, methodically cleaning under her fingernails with a small knife, ignoring everyone.

Marco Bott

I think what Armin means is that mastering the gear is the first step. We can't contribute if we can't move.

Jean Kirstein

snorts from his post Yeah, well, some of us would rather master moving to the interior. Where it's safe.

Connie Springer

Says the guy who flinches every time Instructor Shadis yells.

Jean Kirstein

I don't flinch! I… anticipate.

A chair scraped back from a table near the center of the room. Ymir stood up, stretching her arms above her head with an exaggerated groan.

Ymir

All this yapping is giving me a headache. Some of us are trying to enjoy the last hour before lights out.

Krista Lenz

Ymir, please don't be rude.

Ymir

grins I'm not. I'm being honest. There's a difference.

The wind outside brushed against the building, a low whistle threading through the gaps in the timber. For a moment, the noise inside seemed to soften, as if everyone had briefly remembered the world beyond the walls.