@fhynite said: ' you can forgive yourself now. ' (misc. quotes)
It’s the red, that surprised him the most. The one he wears at his arm, the one he used to wear at his arm, that he did not recall to be so bright, and vibrant, and vivid. It’s the red that catches his gaze when he lies awake at night, the armband resting on the back of his chair; it is the splash of crimson at the corner of his eye whenever he moves his arm, or Reiner or Zeke come into view. It cuts deep against the strict beige of his uniform, the dull greys and browns of the internment zone. It looks like an open, bleeding wound that never heals.
Marcel sometimes thinks it is exactly what it is.
His frown burrows deeper between his brows - that typical Galliard scowl he and his brother sport in equal measure - as he lays the piece of fabric on his desk. In the faint reflection of the window, Frankie’s shock of red hair almost looks like an echo of it; he can feel the drill of her inquisitive gaze between his shoulderblades and keeps them straight and proud, proud Warrior who has finally reached his redemption. Deemed worthy by the highest authorities of Marley, his mistakes and shortcomings forgiven as altruistic reward for his recent successes on the field.
Some would say Frankie is right. Some woul say he has paid the price for it all, maybe ten times over.
He would beg to disagree; even if rejecting his friend’s kindness and understanding hurts as much as refusing the warmth of a bonfire would a man dying in mortal frost.
“We’ve had this conversation before, Frankie.” He sighs, unbuttoning the very top of his shirt - those collars always seem to strangle him, the rigid fabric to dig into the skin of his neck, and he has had enough sharp things digging into his neck for a lifetime, thank you very much. He turns around and allows himself to flop onto a chair, hand reaching for the cup of coffee he has elected in lieu of alcohol as his regular poison. His body is worn. The weight of that war will drag on for a while, even with the victory he can wear as a badge of honour. “You know it’s not that simple.” Yeah, she knows. All the pride he can bring his family pales in comparison to what he has done to his brother - and all the blood he has shed, guilty blood, innocent blood, will nevr wash off his hand. No matter how necessary it was to help his family and his home.
“Did you just come to try and absolve me, or are you taking me out to dinner? I’m starving.”











