Reality's Insanity

A Pint of Beer Can Change You

I felt my lips spread into a smile as I stared into his unusually amber eyes. Those are the same eyes that haunt me constantly, even at the most un-called for moments. I haven't seen him in months, yet why do I only think of him? My mind is drowning in thoughts all about him, I can't escape. But do I want to? I mentally shook my head and focused on the matters at hand. I am officially a captain standing along side the notorious Levi. I am finally someone, I have a purpose, I can die a person. I straightened my back and gave held my fist to my heart saluting my future. I will protect everyone no matter what it takes, there is no time to slack off now. I broke away my stare from Jean and returned to the back of the stage next to Levi. I took a quick glance of the crowd to find some of the soldiers dazed, others crying. Was it something I said?

As soon as I returned to my original spot Erwin took my place at the center and droned on about the expedition to re-claim wall Maria coming in a few short weeks. That will be my real test, and my first time facing a real titan. My body shook with terror and a strange feeling of excitement. No matter what I will defeat them all, and find some answers about how I got here. If I die along the way do I go back to reality? Am I already dead? My eyes search for the pale white hair in the crowd and I find him already starting at me. I suddenly break way once our eyes meet. Do I really want to leave, and leave him? Do I lo- a jab to my stomach interrupted all my thoughts. Damn that hurt. I turned my head to look down at the emotionless captain with a slight expression of annoyance.

"Hurry up and get off the stage. I have more important things to do than to wait or drag your lazy ass." Unaffected by his usual pissed mood I smiled silently to myself and thought about his "important things". Knowing him he would probably has another beautiful night ahead of him to clean his room. Muffling down my laughter I casually exited the stage earning another death glare from Levi who was wordlessly threatening to do more than elbow me like last time. As soon as I stepped outside into the cool night I was attacked by a screaming mass and by pure instinct my body went full auto and pinned whoever it was to the hard cobblestone. It took a few seconds of squinting in the darkness to realize that the attacker was Hanji.

"Oh crap sorry, you should know better than to just jump at me like that." I said trying my best to get the semi-unconscious scientist to stand. It didn't even take a minute before her energy returned and she burst into loud shrills. Sigh, it wouldn't be long before my ears start to bleed again.

"OOOOOHHHH MMMMYYYYY TTTIIIIITTTAAAAANNN! YOU WERE SIMPLY AMAZING! THERE WASN'T ONE PERSON NOT TRANSFIXED BY YOUR WORDS! HOW DID YOU DO IT?!" Hanji began to pinch and examine me closely as if to find the answers of how I came up with a speech on the fly.

"Don't worry it wasn't really anything. My thoughts were elsewhere." I scratched my head and opened my eyes to see a suddenly really quite Hanji (if that's even physically possible). The weirdest part was her serious eyes, yet there was something else buried deeper... Was it sadness? Before I could ask she was back to bubbly self.

"Let's celebrate your success! I cant believe you are already a captain! They really do grow up so fast!" She wiped her tears while I rolled my eyes. She's such a handful, yet I couldn't ask for a better friend. She dragged me for several blocks still yelling although it was past 10 pm, taking me who knows where. I began to lose myself in my thoughts staring up at the starry sky. There was never this many stars back home, anger welled up inside me as I looked at the bright orbs of light. That hell wasn't my home, I've felt more alive in a place where death is around every corner, than that place. Hot blood ran through my veins as my fists clenched tighter. I don't want to go back, I never will.

"Cristine!"

"Huh what?" I snapped out of it and found myself standing in front of a pub. I wouldn't have hesitated entering if it wasn't for the fact that I was only sixteen. "Uhmmm Hanji you know that I am underaged?"