Chapter 2 – The Endless Cycle
Nerbalas Road, 1600 meters (1 mile) from the Wall Rose – Scouting Caravan
"Hey hey now!" A man said as he smacked his peer in the back of the head, "Pick those up! We have to get going as soon as the rest of the party meets up or else those titans will get to us!"
"How about you not hit me in the head okay?" His peer replied as he began to pick up the scattered gas canisters from the box he had just dropped. "Besides, it's almost night. Titans are inactive during the night."
"Bullshit!" The other replied as he took a cigarette out and began smoking, "Why do people believe things like that?"
"But it's true! I've actually seen it with my own eyes when I was out on scouting duty one night. They just sit there, not moving until dawn!"
"Those dumb brutes probably just got tired scratching the walls all day, I mea-"
"Wait…. Do you hear that?" One said as he carefully placed the gas canisters on the wagon.
"Hear what-?"
"Listen…."
Amidst the silence that enveloped them, the faint sound of an iron wire was heard.
Fzzzzz! Clink! Fzzzz! Phwoosh! Tssssss!
"See? I told you they'd be back soon! Now hurry up! I want to get the hell out of here as fast as I can"
"Hold up…. Don't you hear it though? There's something different about it" The peer said cupping his ear.
"Hear what? I'm not deaf, but I know that's an iron wire"
"Just listen"
It definitely was the sound of iron wire, but instead of a fluid zipping sound, it was more of a dull scraping sound. Accompanying the dull scraping was a high pitched whistle. This was an indication that the gas in the 3DMG was running low, and that the emissions system was blowing air out instead of pressurized gas.
"What could it be?" The man asked as he took another puff. "Bah, maybe it's the other guys playing a prank on us. Just ignore it, they'll probably get tired after a while-"
Just as he was about to put his cigarette out before the figure of a person came flying out from above the trees, crashing right on top of the wagon they were reloading.
"W-whoa! I think this pranks gone far enough guys!" The man said as he crept up to the wagon. To his surprise, it was a female soldier with blood streaming down her head and stains all over her silver hair and upper body.
Her eyes stared at him with bleak fatigue as she managed to say, "Do….you have an extra cigarette…?" Before blacking out.
"O-oi! Hey! Wake up! What happened to you?" The man asked shaking the girl to try to wake her up. "T-Troy! Shoot the flare up! We need the others to get here fast so we can get her to medical attention!"
"O-On it!" Troy replied as he shakily took a flare out and fired it up into the air above.
"This girl…."
"Wait! I've seen her before!" Troy thought to himself as he flashed back to when Commander Urdin was giving him his orders. She was standing next to him.
"Did she journey here from Shiganshina by herself?"
Wall Rose – Trost District: Stationary Guard Medical Facility
"Mmhhh…." Liette stirred as she turned to her side on the white sheets of her bed. Unable to sleep any longer, she opened her eyes and pushed herself up with much difficulty into a sitting position. Her body ached all over, especially her legs and head. Rubbing her eyes while yawning, Liette suddenly remembered everything had happened within the last two days.
"I remember…." She murmured to herself feeling the bandages wrapped around her head.
The room itself was quite plain. The fireplace was crackling with a small fire keeping the room warm. There was a table with three chairs tucked in, a tray of tea was sitting on top of the eloquently designed table cloth.
Liette herself was out of her military uniform and wore a simple white nightgown. Her clothes were folded neatly and laid out on the nightstand next to the fireplace, and another change of recreational clothes were folded next to it.
Pulling the sheets off, she stepped quietly off her bed. The moment her feet touched the ground, they began to ache with pain as Liette winced. Her knees hurt the most. A combination of being clipped in the legs by a titan, non-stop running the night before and excessive muscle taxation took its toll on her.
She cursed quietly to herself as she searched her pockets for her pipe. There was a small pouch on her belt that held her tobacco. Pressing some inside the hole of the pipe as she lit a match, Liette sat down and glared at the fireplace, huffing and puffing here and there. It was indeed relaxing.
Liette had to admit, she was quite the smoking addict for someone so young. She also drank on the side too. These were some nasty habits she picked up back in the Military Police. As a result of leaving, she tried to keep her habits from taking over, but sometimes in situations of disarray, like yesterday, she can't help but try to calm her nerves.
There was a knock on the door.
"Come in" Liette said as she took the pipe out of her mouth to see who would want to visit her.
The door opened and a young man stepped in. His dull eyes scanned the room for anything uncleanly as his neatly combed hair swerved to the sides, giving him a high class feel. His neckcloth was folded neatly around his neck and looped over the front to give him an elegant style. Other than that, he was dressed in the standard military uniform. His face scrunched at the smell of tobacco.
"Smoking is gross. Just quit already" The young man said bluntly as he opened the window to let some air out.
"Nice to see you too Rivaille" Liette replied blowing out another round of smoke just to joke with him.
Rivaille curved his eyebrow up unamused as he glared at Liette, "I see that you've been doing well" He said sarcastically taking a seat at one of the chairs. Pouring himself a glass of tea, he took careful sips.
Liette held a neutral expression on her face before sighing, "Make yourself at home" She said sarcastically before pouring herself a cup.
After a few moments of silence, she looked up at Rivaille, "Always clean as usual aren't you? What gave you the liberty to visit me today?"
"I have some business to conduct here with Irvin. Besides, I wanted to make sure you didn't get yourself killed" The extremely kempt man said as he rigorously wiped his mouth with his napkin.
Grinning at her old friend, or rather, acquaintance, she took a long puff, and blew it out towards him in a teasing manner. "If I wanted to get myself killed, I would have done it a long time ago"
Rivaille scoffed as he waved his hand in the air, trying to dispel the smoke, "Well in any case, by a long time ago, you mean when?"
"That day. I would have done it right then, right there on that day." Liette replied as she stood up and approached the window.
ooo
"I'm sorry….. I'm so sorry…!" The rain was pelting down on the puddle of blood that formed around where Liette was kneeling.
"I-It's not your fault Liette…"
"It is! If I….if I were more decisive… then maybe…. Just maybe….. both of you would have made it…."
"We knew… what we were signing up for when….we joined the Scouting Legion. I just wish…. That we could all go together…"
"Ju-Just give the word Clara… Just give the word and I'll kill myself!" Liette desperately said as she choked on her own tears, raising her sword ready to impale herself. "Anything….anything just to stay with you guys…!"
"Don't…. do anything stupid Liette…." The girl that was dying in front of Liette reassured. "We'll always… be with you…"
ooo
"Liette….It's been two years. If soldiers can't focus, then casualties will start to pile up. I know Clara and Erick's deaths could have been prevented. But did we prevent them? No. I feel guilty as you are, but we must move on." Rivaille thought to himself the words he spoke to Liette a couple minutes before. Stopping in his tracks, he rubbed the sides of his head while groaning, "Why can't I stop thinking about her? Ever since I met her…." He rambled on as he continued to walk.
"Rivaille…" A stoic voice said leaning against the wall of the entrance to the medical facility, "May I have a word with you?"
Turning to his side, Rivaille noted instantly who it was. Quickly forming a fist with his right hand and concealing his left arm behind his back, he placed his right fist on his heart saluting. "Commander Irvin sir!"
"Well met Rivaille" Irvin Smith, that commander of the Scouting Legion said as he signaled for Rivaille to follow him, "Come, let us walk for a bit."
Maintaining his ever stoic face, Irvin asked, "How is Liette doing?"
"Her injuries are recovering, but her mental state is a bit fragile" Rivaille said fidgeting with his hands behind his back.
"I see. She's a gifted soldier. It's a shame that these things have affected her performance" The Commander said before taking out a cigar, lighting a match, and smoking it.
Rivaille frowned out of slight disgust, "She can't help it. Traumatic stress is extremely difficult to get rid of, especially with that girl"
"Likewise with all of us" Irvin said holding the cigar out towards the clean freak. Chuckling jokingly as Rivaille distanced himself from the cigar, Irvin continued. "Rivaille, now that Wall Maria has fallen. Do you know what that means?"
"It will be more difficult to explore lands outside the walls sir"
"Yes, but that also means that future expeditions will no longer be a viable option in combating the titans. The Scouting Legion must stay put until we find another way to contribute to humanities success."
"What about our soldiers then?" Rivaille asked, stepping slightly away from the dropping ash. "What will they be doing in the mean time?"
"They'll be on temporary transfer into the Stationary Guard until I find and negotiate a new goal for the Scouting Legion. Any objections?"
"Actually, just one." Rivaille said shifting his hands into his pockets as he glared up at the walls in the distance. Coughing a few times from the musty fumes, "Can you smoke somewhere else?"
Irvin simply chuckled as he patted Rivaille on the back, "You need to learn to loosen up my friend. Even I need to kick back sometimes"
"Unbelievable…" Rivaille rolled his eyes as he dusted off the area Irvin had patted him on. Irvin Smith was the most serious person that he had known. To see his Commander this relaxed did not come naturally to Rivaille. "I guess it can't be helped….We're all humans after all"
ooo
It's been almost a week since Liette was stationed at the Medical Facility. Honestly, she didn't like it there one bit. The sound of moaning from half dead patients struck too much guilt and sorrow in Liette's heart, and she always felt the urge to get out (which she frequently did).
She more often than not spent her time sitting around at local restaurants, drawing in a sketchbook that she had purchased her second day in the facility.
"Hey! I thought I'd find you lounging around somewhere!" A familiar voice said as Liette looked up from the pages of her sketch to see who was approaching her.
It was a man, tall in stature. His bronze skin and muscular body gave him an intimidating look, but his toothy grin gave way for a friendly personality. He had a short goatee growing from his chin, and his brown hair was spiked up.
"Urdin….Bachmeier was it?" Liette asked as she set her sketchbook down, gulping down her coffee
"I'm surprised you remember. Nowadays, it's easy to forget the names of fellow soldiers, especially since they can die the next day." Urdin replied as he took a seat at the table. "Besides, who could forget that silver hair?"
"Other soldiers have unique qualities. Why don't you remember them more?" Liette joked in return.
"I do! Remember that puking girl and the crybaby?" Urdin joked back as he took a cigarette out from his pocket. "Here, that's for last time"
Gladly accepting the offer for a smoke, Liette leaned back in her chair, occasionally glancing at the bottle of wine on the table. She wondered whether or not she should open it to take a few drinks.
"But still, I don't find it too pretty to see women smoking"
Scoffing a bit at the old joke, both Urdin and Liette were silent as the soft wind blew.
"Are these your drawings?" He asked as he glanced at her sketchbook.
She nodded in reply as Urdin flipped through the pages. "So this is what you do in your spare time eh?"
"It beats sitting around in a hospital bed all day."
"They're very nice" The man said as he looked at the realistic black and white sketches of charcoal that Liette had drawn, "You're clearly aren't an amateur. How long have you been drawing?"
Looking up, he saw an elated Liette finishing off a small glass of wine. "Ahh…! Whew…. I've been drawing since I was a child. I had plenty of free time when I was in the circus"
"Circus?" Urdin repeated rather awkwardly. He couldn't imagine a girl like Liette taking part in a traveling performance group like that.
"Well, more like a performance caravan. But we traveled all around the area. We even took a few days to perform in the inner wall." Liette replied as she covered her mouth with her hand, realizing the mistake she made.
"You wanna fill me in?"
"Ack…" Liette murmured as she poured herself another glass, "It's a story I'd rather not tell. But since I've already started it, I might as well finish it."
As long as I can remember, I lived in a small orphanage in a town called Yudger, in between the Wall Maria and Rose. It was a quiet community, everyone was well knit together, and everybody treated each other the same, even me. But still, I couldn't help but feel different in the eyes of everyone else. I knew I was different, but everyone treated me like one of them all the same, I cherished it. I'm sure that it's been long gone now with the titans breaking in, but I would like to visit it, at least once more in my life.
The doctors coined the term albino to describe me. I didn't know what it meant back then. I still don't clearly know what it means now, but it was a term used to describe someone with pale skin, and white hair. As if they were a ghost. They said I was supposed to be weak to sunlight, but I played in it all the same as the other children. I loved the sun.
My friends at the orphanage were dear to me. Sadly, one by one, they kept leaving because they were adopted. Leaving me all alone in an orphanage with strangers, only for me to make friends again, and only for those friends to leave me once more. I found it unfair, that no one wanted to adopt me. Some people said I was cursed, others said I would attract too much attention to their household.
Then I prayed. I prayed every night, for someone to adopt me. All I wanted was a family, I didn't care what kind. I just wanted, to feel I belonged to one.
I don't know if God heard my prayers, or by chance it was a coincidence, but the year I turned 5, something miraculous happened.
Year 832: Between the Wall Maria and Wall Rose – Town of Yudger
"Liette! Liette! C'mon, the circus is in town. We could watch them perform!" A girl said gripping Liette's hand tightly.
"Shouldn't we ask Pastor Clement first?" A 5-year old Liette asked as she followed the energetic girl.
"Ahh don't worry! I already asked him. See? He gave me some money to spend!"
"Wh-? Why?"
"I heard Pastor Clement comes from a rich family. So he just gives the money away. Now hurry or else we'll miss the show!"
The carnival was filled with music, performances, animals, plays and food. Though never once in her life had Liette experienced this kind of festivity before. Her life was so filled with a seemingly endless cycle of desertion, that she forgot what it meant to enjoy the time she had with her friends.
All the performances amazed her, but one that caught her interest the most were the acrobats. Flying gracefully through the air, flipping, jumping, and pouncing about without any worry of even hitting the ground.
She watched with delight, her heart skipping a beat when someone looked as if they were to fall, but then did not. The excitement made her constantly sit at the edge of her seat, eager to see what happens next.
After the great show, Liette couldn't help but quiver with joy at the thought of her doing this someday.
Later that day, a fateful thing happened, a middle aged man knocked on the door to the orphanage.
"Can I help you?" Pastor Clement asked as he opened the door.
"Sorry to bother, but my name is Roger Dalton. I'm the ringmaster for the carnival, and I'm wanting to adopt a child"
ooo
"Liette?" Pastor Clement asked as he knocked on the door to her room.
"Yes Pastor Clement?" Liette asked as she hugged a stuffed bear tightly.
"I want you to meet someone"
Following the kindly older man down the residence hall, she saw a finely dressed man. He wore a full gentleman's set of clothing including the top hat. His cane shimmered like diamonds smoothly polished as he looked around excitedly at the children playing around.
"Liette, this is Roger. He's the ringmaster at the carnival in town, and he says he wants to adopt you"
Liette didn't say anything for a moment as she glared at Roger for a moment. Then she looked back at Pastor Clement with a big smile on her face.
"Can I perform?" She asked Roger as she approached him to hold his hand.
"Well of course you can young darlin'!" Roger replied in a kind-hearted way. "Don't worry Pastor. Us circus folk are all family. We'll take good care of her"
"When do we leave?" The silver haired girl anxiously asked.
"The day after tomorrow. So you better pack up and say your goodbyes"
"Good….byes…..?" Liette murmured to herself as she realized that she was going to leave her friends. The girl was so elated that the cycle had finally broken, but what she didn't realize until now was that she herself was contributing to someone else's cycle. That depressed her. Even though she hated being in this loop of abandonment, Liette didn't want anyone else to suffer as she did.
"I'm wondering sir, but why her?" Pastor Clement inquired with curiosity as Liette took her leave.
Roger fixed his top hat, "That girl seems special. I can't help but feel sorry for her living here for such a long time."
"I see. Liette has been here for a few years. I remember the first time I saw her. That poor thing was just left at my front porch I tell you! A crying baby, my, how I wish I could live long enough to her grow into a young woman" Pastor Clement rambled on, but Roger ignored him. His focus was still on the young Liette, walking away to her room.
"That silver hair….special indeed"
ooo
There was a knock on the door.
"Go away! I don't want to talk to anyone right now." Liette said angrily.
"I just want to talk to you Liette" A girl said creeping the door open. "Can we talk?"
"What do you want Clara?"
"I heard you were going to be adopted" Clara smiled as she leaned forward with her arms behind her back. Clara and Erick, two other orphans were possibly Liette's closest friends. They had been at the orphanage for about a year, and the three weaved a tight friendship from the start.
"Yea and?"
"Should you be happy?"
"I am but…" Liette wiggled her toes as she hugged her knees, "I don't want to leave you guys"
"Don't worry about us!" Clara replied as she tapped Liette on the forehead. "Me n' Erick will be fine! So go! Someday, we'll be back together, I know it."
"Is that a promise?" Liette asked as she held her pinky finger out.
"Pinky-promise" Clara replied wrapping her own little finger around Liette's.
ooo
"And that's what happened before I entered the circus" Liette partially ended her story as she drank up the rest of her alcohol, giving a hefty sigh as she leaned back in her chair.
"Well, that's quite an interesting story." Urdin said leaving his half empty glass wine on the table. "I'd love to hear more, but unfortunately, I have to go."
"Take care of yourself" Liette waved at Urdin as he departed.
"I'll try not to die" Urdin joked.
As Urdin slowly diminished into a speck down the road, Liette sighed to herself. Opening her sketchbook, she flipped through the sketches she had done throughout the week. All of them felt so nostalgic.
"I'm glad I didn't finish the story" She thought to herself, gathering her belongings. Stepping up, she started down the path for a brisk walk before heading back to the facility. Her white summer dress sifted with the wind as she closed up her military coat. The Scouting Legion patches on her shoulders were worn out and faded bloodstains can still be visible on it.
"Roger…. Norma…. Everyone…..I'm sorry. I was…"
"Ow!" There was an object that hit her in the nose followed by a light thud on the ground. "A rock? Who the hell threw this…?" She muttered rubbing her now bleeding nose.
"Eren! I told you not to throw that! What if you hit someone?" The voice of a young boy scolded from a nearby alley.
"The hell I care if I hit someone!" An angry determined voice said in reply.
"Quick! We have to get out of here or else someone will get mad at us!"
"I think it's too late for that" Liette said as she nipped the boy that was scolding by the collar. "Do you two have anything to say for yourselves?"
A/N: To be honest, I'm actually considering some bit of romance between Liette and Rivaille, but only subtle bits for now. I'll try to develop them the deeper we indulge into the story. I think it'll attract a lot of attention since Rivaille is the most popular character thus far.
Anyway, crafting a back story for Liette proved quite the challenge as I might say. Hopefully this backstory really stood out because I oftentimes find myself shifting the focus and going a bit too fast at certain parts.
Otherwise, hope you enjoyed the chapter, and expect another update rather soon!
