Chapter Text
To start things off, humans aren't exactly the dominant species on earth anymore. If one were to compare their status to anything, it would be vermin. Unwanted creatures that scurry in the dark, scavenging for any bits of leftover food they can manage. Of course, they do this alongside avoiding titans at all costs. Titans aren't like what you know them to be. Instead of hunkering, nude, and mindless beasts that clumsily waltz in search of a human meal, they're intelligent and civilized. Although most still posses clumsy natures and walk in highly uncoordinated ways, they have built large cities of their own, wear formidable clothing, and posses jobs to make their own livings. With their newfound intelligence, they've for the most part luckily given up their habits of devouring humans. As long as they have the sun, they can be as efficient as ever, no longer bothering with the human race. Not before long, they've taken over the earth and forced humans to go into hiding, the humans acting as the rats they used to sweep from their own homes when they had their own cities and towns to live in.
Although titans don't need to eat, who says that they can't? Indulging themselves in the world of flavor, they cultivate meals as the humans once did, serving plates of various cuisines consisting of oversized vegetables and such. They've practically taken the places of humans and pushed them aside, leaving nothing for them left behind but boxes of poison fit to kill a desperate human upon digestion.
That's where Eren comes in. As a human who lives among his 'pack' in the outskirts of a countryside titan's residence, he finds himself staring disgusted at a heap of oversized garbage that his family members continue to rummage through. He rolls his eyes at their antics, not understanding how they can settle for such degrading food. He understands that humans no longer have the upper hand in life, but he can't help but wish for something better than literal garbage to eat.
Eren's a bit different from the others. For one thing, he has a highly developed sense of smell. Second, he has a passion for something that humans no longer commonly partake in. Cooking. After setting his eyes on the first cooking book he's come across, cooking has been his permanent interest. Thus, his obsession with discovering new foods among the oceans of flavor that have yet to be discovered. He dreams of his past ancestors who lived in their own cities and sold quality foods instead of rooting rotten oversized strawberries out of the trash or eating substances that are hard to even distinguish.
"Clean." He mumbles lazily as a fellow human holds up a large piece of bread to his face. He repeats the action as another pack member approaches him from the long line of hungry humans who all wait to get their chosen garbage checked for poison. Lightly sniffing a large piece of broccoli, he detects no human deterrent whatsoever. "Close to godliness." He says.
The brunette looks up at him in confusion, clearly not understanding the figure of speech. "You know, cleanliness is close to godliness." He clarifies, however, the male still doesn't seem to get the message. "Clean. It means clean." Eren averts his gaze from the departing human, boredom edging at his mind. Ever since the higher in position Erwin Smith discovered his sensual gift, he's assigned him to 'poison checker duty' which consists of checking every morsel of food that the pack plans to eat for any harmful substance. Since titans have created their own solution for human 'infestations,' in a similar way the humans created poison for rats, the titans have created poison for humans. Thus, the precautions that must be taken before eating stray food.
To be honest, as glad as he was to contribute to the pack, Eren truly wanted to be anywhere else but where he's currently seated. "Clean." He mumbles again, not detecting a trace of poison. He glances at the window of the large house which stands at a distance away from the garbage heap. The door is tall enough to accommodate a ten-meter titan. He should know, he's seen it's inhabitant up close.
The titan that lives in the sorry-looking countryside residence is a ten meter male with a considerably long and grey beard, sunken eyes a strange fear of humans. The titan treats humans as an elephant treats mice, attempting to stomp them out at first sight. Even with these stakes, Eren can't help but occasionally sneak into the house's kitchen and observe the oversized spices and cookbooks that the titan has but never seems to put to use. Over time he taught himself to read more fluently and found himself drowning in the world and art of cooking. He's sure Erwin Smith, a man who's made it his goal to protect all the humans under his care, wouldn't understand his interest and forbid him from entering the house's interior if he found out. That's why Eren has kept his secret on the down-low. He's never told a soul, except for his most trusted and close friend Armin Arlert.
Armin Arlert is a smart, blonde-haired boy at the same age as Eren. The two have been close since childhood and shared each other's interests full-heartedly. With this in mind, although Armin doesn't fully understand why Eren's so infatuated by the way titans cultivate their foods, he doesn't question it and supports his hobbies, as dangerous as they may be. That doesn't stop him from worrying for the safety of his friend.
Every time he and the brunette sneak into the kitchen while the titan sleeps in front of its oversized television, he can't help but feel nervous. It's in his very nature to be nervous since the boy has such a sharp mind scanning every corner for possible accidents. Of course, there are plenty of times that Eren ventures into the titan's home without the company of his blonde friend.
Eren wistfully remembers the time he further explored the kitchen and came across a plate of oversized fruits and cheeses. He remembers the way he bit into one of the strawberries and closed his eyes as a sweet, almost musical flavor exploded across his taste buds, the boy practically seeing pink swirls behind his eyelids. He had then sampled an aged white cheese, the flavor having a different, yet tangy effect on him. As he fawned over the tastes, he contemplated experimentation and sampled the two in the same bite. Thus, bringing forth a completely different experience. The world of flavor was too enjoyable to go unnoticed, and he was slightly disappointed that the rest of the humans he surrounded himself with didn't share the same interests.
Suddenly Eren snapped back to the present with Armin's voice pulling him from his daze. "You're off duty, Eren." He reminds him. Eren blinks, not realizing how much time had passed. Looking around him he realized that there are no more people waiting in the line and that he is in fact free to go.
Sighing, the brunette male stands up from his pebble-like stool and arches his back in a wide stretch. Spending hours sitting hunched on a rock certainly takes a toll on one's back. "So, what should we do today?" Armin asks. However, he already has an idea of what his friend wants to do. Eren is about to respond when he lays eyes on the large paper sack in Armin's grip. "What's in there?" He asks.
Armin glances at the object in question. "Oh, this? I dunno... cheese?" He responds. Eren's eyes practically bulge out of his head. With an eager noise, the boy reaches into the bag and retrieves a large chunk of milky-white cheese. "W- Armin! This isn't just any cheese!" He brings the morsel to closer to his face to scent it and further determine it's quality, effectively causing Armin to roll his eyes. "It's Parmegiano-Reggiano! I found a mushroom just yesterday that this would go perfect with!" He exclaims.
"Um, okay. If you say so." Armin responds. The two of them venture off together to find the mushroom that Eren had spotted the day before. After a short walk and a quick uprooting of a large mushroom, the two of them discuss what they should do with it. "I think we should cook it somehow..."
"Eren, where on earth would we do that? It's too risky to make fire, plus its sprinkling rain. There's no way-"
"Wait, look up there." Eren interrupts, looking towards the roof of the large house. On the very top is a chimney that is very clearly leaking smoke. Without hesitation, Eren grabs his friend's hand and leads him towards the house with the intention of climbing the large structure. The task isn't an easy one, but the two manage to make it to the top in record time, Armin being skittish the whole way up.
The two now sit around the chimney as if it were a campfire, holding the mushroom and Parmegiano above the smoke with a stick. Eren slowly rotates the object with care, watching as the cheese and mushroom slowly blend with the heat. "Eren, I really don't know if we should be up here," Armin admits, looking longingly at the ground far below them. "Don't be lame, Armin. Besides, only a few more seconds and-"
Eren is cut off by a loud rumble of thunder and a harsh jolt as lightning strikes the mushroom. The two of them scream for a split moment before losing their balance and tumbling down the side of the house. Just as they fall off the roof, the two of them land in a large bush, thankfully cushioning their fall. Armin and Eren both hit the ground on their backs, the brunette still holding the long stick in his grasp.
The duo moans in pain as they lay there unmoving. After a few moments of lying against the grass with light rain pelting his face, Eren subconsciously raises the melted mushroom to his mouth, the onbject looking like a substance from another planet. As soon as he tastes the cheese melded into the mushroom, a burst of energy rushes through his brain.
"Whoaah Armin! You gotta try this!" He exclaims, somehow finding the strength to jump up to his feet, hair sticking on edge. Armin sighs, his hair in a similar state. He then follows Eren's movements and hesitantly takes a bite of the mushroom, admittedly humming from the adequate taste. "What would you call that?" Eren rambles. "It's like, zingy! Or... it kinda explodes in your mouth, but in an electric way almost like its..." Eren stumbles, searching for the right words. "Lightning-y...?" Armin winces.
"That's it! Lightning-y! You're a genius Armin! Now I just gotta find something to go with it." Armin blushes at the praise. "Oh! Saffron. Saffron would go perfectly with this!" Eren concludes. A feeling of dread suddenly passes over Armin. "Why do I get the feeling that its-"
"In the kitchen!" Eren continues for him.
The next thing they know they're in the titan's living area, with Eren rooting through a large shelf of spice containers, scanning each label for the specific spice. Armin stands guard further down on the countertop, clutching the mushroom-clad stick tightly in his hands. He stares nervously at the sleeping titan who lays exhausted in its living room chair. "Are you sure he won't wake up?"
"Trust me. Once he turns on the cooking channel he's out." Eren responds, still busy sorting through the shelf's contents.
"Is the saffron really necessary?" Armin questions, still glancing at the sleeping behemoth only meters away from them.
"I mean, according to Gusteau's book, yes." He responds, referencing a piece of literature that he's become familiar with over the years. "Wait, Gusteau's book? What do you mean?" Armin questions. "Aha!" Eren exclaims as he finds the saffron container among the jumble of glass jars. He then retreats down the shelf with the container in hand. "Gusteau. He's only the best titan cook of all time! I read his book." Eren clarifies to Armin, only seemingly making him more confused.
"Wait, you read titan material? What would Erwin say if he found out?"
"You could fill an entire book, no, multiple books with stuff that Erwin doesn't know," Eren responds, carefully heaving up one side of the large cookbook on the counter titled Gusteau's. He flips to a page that covers spice accommodations and reviews the contents, Armin staring from behind him hesitantly. "So, is that him on tv then?" Armin questions.
Eren turns around to view what Armin's talking about and sees a picture of Gustou's restaurant on the oversized television. "Oh yeah, that's him!" Eren smiles. The two stare at the television and watch as a titan on the screen begins a recollection of the famous restaurant's past and the chef himself. Struck by an overwhelming sense of admiration, Eren quickly maneuvers down the large counter and across the carpet-clad floor to sit in front of the large television. All is well until the titan's tone changes.
"However, a recent critic by the name of Anton Ego, after critiquing food from Gusteau's, has given the restaurant a poor rating, resulting in the resturant becoming a four-star eatery." Eren's smile falters. "Struck with grief, Gusteau resigned as a chef and his whereabouts are yet to be known. The restaurant is currently under new management, and now stands to be a three-star-"
Eren doesn't pay attention to the words that further escape the titan's mouth. The impact of his previous statements hitting him full force. "Wait, Gusteau resigned!?" He exclaims. Unfortunately, he doesn't pay attention to the volume of his voice, nor the possibility of the titan resting in the large armchair hearing him. That one mistake cost him their secrecy.
Hearing a gasp behind him, the brunette male turns around to see the elderly-looking titan sitting straight up in its chair, it's eyes wide and hands gripping the fabric of the chair tightly. The two maintain eye contact for a mere few seconds, both unsure of what to do, before Eren bolts back the way he came in a mad sprint. At his movement, the titan seems to snap out of a trance and stands up abruptly, letting out a distressed shriek from its maw.
"Shit, Armin, run!" Eren calls out to his friend, who drops the stick in its place effectively drawing the titan's attention. Before Eren can even reach the countertop, the titan lunges at him, clawing after him wildly. A terrified noise escapes the human at the sight, and he narrowly avoids the titan's outstretched claws. Once he's bounded up the counter he makes a break for the window. However, Armin seems to panic and follows his first instinct - to retreat to the colony in the house's attic. At the movement of Armin climbing up a shelf to the support beams on the ceiling, Eren calls out to him.
"No! You'll lead it to the colony!" The words going misunderstood by the titan. Even though the blonde-haired boy hears his words, he doesn't seem to have a choice but carry on since the titan is now leaping upwards, arms outstretched to try and snatch the boy from the ceiling. At a surprisingly close hit, Armin loses his footing and falls off the support beam, thankfully landing in the cheap-looking chandelier in the center of the room.
Both he and Eren's faces bore a look of pure terror as the titan prepares to jump once again in attempt to capture and exterminate the human in its living room. Eren, without thinking, bounds across the counter and up a shelf, landing himself on the top of a support beam in mere seconds. "Swing, Armin, swing!" He calls out frantically. Armin follows his orders, swinging his body back and forth on a bar of the chandelier. The action causes the object itself to begin swaying. At the same time, the titan leaps upwards but thankfully misses due to the unexpected motion of the chandelier.
The silver-haired titan stares disgusted at the two humans infesting its home and makes yet another leap to try and catch its target. However, the titan misjudges its movement and misses pitifully yet again. "Grab my hand!" Eren exclaims while extending his arm out to Armin, who nears closer to his friend with every sway of the chandelier. At the point where he finally gets close enough, he takes hold of Armin's hand. However, he doesn't manage to let go of the bar and accidentally pulls Eren with him. The two now hang from the still swaying chandelier, staring at the horrifying image of the titan below them.
At the sight of two humans dangling mere feet above its head, the titan becomes even more enraged. Its eyes trail the two precisely and its legs hunch preparing to propel itself. Before the humans can even attempt to climb further away from the titan, it lunges upward and successfully grasps onto the chandelier. Armin and Eren scream in terror as it tries to pull itself up. However, to the titan's dismay, the chandelier is not strong enough to hold its weight, and the ceiling above them begins to crack.
Both the titan and the humans stop their movements and avert their attention to the now creaking ceiling, both species looking nervously at the guaranteed breakage. Every so slowly, a crack extends itself across the ceiling and around the chandelier, dust particles wafting downwards and getting stuck in the boy's hair. A metaphorical 'uh oh' can be expressed across the room as yet another crack sounds and the chandelier jolts downwards, just barely holding on by a wire.
As if that wasn't warning enough, the titan still doesn't let go. Whether it's too in shock to move or it's too determined to reach the two humans, they'll never know. After yet another second of anxious silence passes, the entirety of the chandelier and the ceiling above it collapses, rubble, and dust falling to the floor in a loud frenzy. The action revealing the hiding place of hundreds of humans which rested above the ceiling, all of which are staring in shock at the titan now looming above them.