Chapter 14- Dinner Party

'This is one awkward family dinner if I do say so myself,' The voice commented on as you sat at the table where the squad and Levi was.
"This is not a family of mine, never say that again," You lowly muttered. Tenko sitting next to you, drinking only water and you having your chains connected to the table.
"It's safe to assume our standing orders will stretch into next week," The blond imp known as Eld say.

"Word to the grape vine is we're gearing up for a big mission a month from now. Where graduates will be our main backup," He finished.
'Holy lord, a month?' The second voice breathed out.
"That can't be right, why do something like that? The cadets have been through enough with the last Titan attack, why subject them to that kind of danger again?" Gunther, said next in confusion.

"Ya have to wonder how many of those sniffling drop in got scared," Oluo, the one you wanted to drop kick first time meeting him said as he sipped tea.
"Surely this can't be the case," Petra, the one who tried to make kind conversation at the start argued, looking at Levi.
"Mission panning isn't my responsibility, but it is Erwin's. And you can bet the man's obsessed over every angle," Levi finally said, setting his tea down.

"That's the truth, especially giving how unique the situation is. Consider how many people died on the path of taking back wall Maria, then hope comes in a form where no one expected. One where we're not entirely sure how to deal with, and another where we can't predict any moves at all," Eld piped in, turning his head to look at you and Eren.

Tenko laid his head against his arms as he watched the ongoing talk with the adults. Oh great, they're staring at you, how lovely.
'Last time people looked at you like this was your death bed,' The voice compared, making you wanting to stab your eye.
"Most of us still find it hard to believe. So how does it work, this whole changing into a Titan trick, really?" The focus got off of you and onto Eren.

In which you watched too, curious on how this young boy turned into something people find terrifying. You needed to know.
"Wish I could tell you, but the fact is my memory aren't clear. Guess it's kinda like being in a trance," You perked up at that. Was it similar to your Death Trance, where you can't hear anyone or anything but your heartbeat and thirst?

"I do know that the trigger seemed to be hurting myself in someway. Like biting my hand," Eren said looking at his hand. But then he looked confused, like he didn't know why he knew that information. Curious.
"You're not going to get anything out of him, apart what the people laid out in the reports. And killer over there, they won't say a single thing," Levi sipped his tea and hummed.

"Not that you-know-who won't have a go at it. You'd be lucky to come out of it alive if that one lays into you. Of course it's only a matter of time," He mumbled, making you curious.
"Who are you talking about?" Eren asked a little scared, then suddenly the door was banged hard against something.

Tenko jumped slightly as Petra opened the door and put revealed Hanji.
"Sorry about that, good evening team Levi! How is castle life treating everyone?" They grinned and waved.
"You're too early," Levi bluntly said.
"Am I? Supposed I couldn't help myself!" They dismissed Levi and walked over between you and Eren.

"Hello you two, in any event you haven't pieced together yet, I'm in charge to spear head the Scout regiment's research efforts. In any words I closely observe captive Titan specimens, and I'd very much like your help," They smiled, giving a genuine happy expression in their eyes.
"Help?" You tilted your head slightly.

"You two will join me of course!! On a quest of scientific discovery!!" Hanji then had red covering their face and had sparkling eyes.
'I'm afraid,' The second voice gulped.
"I'm not," You mumbled.
"I'm happy to help, it's just I'm afraid it's not up to me. I'm under close restrictions by the order of the higher ups and-" Eren then got interrupted by Hanji turning to Levi with a stern look.

"Levi, what's on the doc for the two tomorrow?" Tenko kinda smiled at your agitated movements, he noticed you did not like it when people are choosing decisions for you.
"Clearing out the weeds," Levi simply said and Hanji sooner smiled again.
"Excellent then! It's settled, tomorrow will be grand!" They wrapped their arms around you and Eren, making your face get close to his.

He darkly glared at you as you blankly stared at him.
"Just so we're clear, what exactly will we be doing?" Eren then asked Hanji.
"Hm?" The light covered their glasses and you felt the nervous aura from the other soldiers but Levi.
"Hm, do you run experiments," You heard Oluo mutter shut up, but apparently it was too late.

"I knew it, you both possess a curious mind, don't ya?" Hanji cooed with excitement brimming out. You heard chairs shuffle and out of the corner of your eye you aw the squad and Levi walk away, making Tenko tilt his head. Hanji pulled a chair and sat down in front of you.
"Well my unique friends, if you insist. Why not lay it all on the table, I intend to get close to the Titans we lock away in Trost

"As a scientist, naturally I with a standard battery of tests we conduct on all of our captures," You nodded like you agreed with what they said.
"Sadly, my findings were consistent with all of my other past attempts. No communication with them seemed possible. That said, my time spent in intimate proximity to these creatures did indeed help me cope with the tediousness of day-to-day tasks,"

"Definitely agree with you," You gruffed out, making them smile as they then told a story about human cannibal tribes centuries ago, and they then started to name out how the tribe prepared their food, which made Eren gag, and Tenko shiver. But you were drooling underneath your muzzle.

"Sounds like home cook meals," You cooed, and felt your body shiver with blood lust.
'Slow down there, don't do anything irrational,' The second voice.
"That's how I came to name the 7 meter Titan Bean, and his grinning 4 meter companion Sony," Hanji told you all.

"The next step involved sensory deprivation. Denying them sunlight. Observing as we do, the Titans are less active in nocturnal hours, we may extrapolate from this experiment that the sun is likely a key source of energy for them. Nevertheless, I discovered a profound difference between the two," Hanji noted, and you took in all of this information carefully.

"Corroborating previous data, Sony grew noticeably sluggish after only an hours lack of sun. Bean, however, still beamed three hours in. A staggering find, believe me. They don't require food or water to survive. They possess vocal organs but have absolutely no need to breathe. The only thing their bodies metabolize into energy is sunlight."

"Cool," Tenko said in awe.
"Every Titan may have a different threshold for sunlight withdrawal so I have to be careful. Don't want them dying on me, ya know," You hummed in acknowledgment, knowing how a scientist's must have their subjects alive for some.

"Several have passed ok in captivity owing to my ignorance, sad to say. Two in particular perished of decapitation when we accidentally struck the soft spot. Poor devils, Chica Taloni and Albert their names were. Such adorable ear-to-ear smiles," Hanji said with sadness in their tone.

"What I did to them was terrible, it haunts me. I mustn't let that happened again, I couldn't bear it," Eren and Tenko looked at each other in confusion, but you simply felt something in you, like other emotions you felt before. Suddenly, Hanji lunged at you with tears in their eyes, which made you alert because human interaction.

Surprisingly, the voices didn't say anything at this.
"Carry it on!! Physical contact was the next obvious step because I simply had to know whether or not they experience pain as you or I!!" They cried, and explained about the Titan's personality.

"I realized something..." You muttered to yourself, or at least to where the voices could hear.

"Hanji... is just like me,"
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