~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I was betrayed by the world, so I simply rose above it."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You do realize the house would have been burnt down anyway if you didn't help, now you're all roped into this and now I'm all worried." Eret was rambling, mostly to himself as he wrapped my fingers in some bandage. He had applied some cactus to help with the burns, so my hands were feeling better at least.
"I just wanted to have some fun. You would have liked it, fire is always fun." He looked up to me in mild disapproval, I rolled my eyes in response.
He sighed, "I don't think I would have fun committing arson on the King of this SMP actually." He said it sarcastically and I just sneered.
"Oh don't fucking look at me like that, you're the one that's gonna be in trouble from 'having fun'." Eret was practically scolding me at this point, now sitting up having finished bandaging my hands and fingers. Luckily I wasn't burnt in too many places, just across my palms and the tips of a few of my fingers.
"Stop acting like you're my dad or something." I retorted standing up and brushing some soot off of my clothes. This make Eret taken aback.
"Ew, don't, don't jokingly call me your dad ever again." He started laughing a bit, having to muffle himself a few times.
"I hope you know I could make so many jokes right now, and I'm not going to because I'm a kind person." This just made Eret laugh harder, and I even snickered at my own joke.
"You know what, I'll make some tea and we can just relax for a bit. We can worry about the aftermath when it occurs." Eret suggested, and I immediately began nodding at the prospect.
I decided to head into the small library room Eret had in the cottage, I enjoyed grabbing a book or two from the shelves. Entertaining myself with something I may have not read before. Though I usually got caught up with mythology, probably a habit I picked up from Tech. That and Roman culture as a whole, usually finding myself re-reading the story of Pompeii. I especially liked the story of Cronus, a once feared god now nothing because he sought too much power. My obsession with the Romans even led to my learning of Latin. It's a dead language sure, I mean I can't actually speak it, but I can do rough translations.
When looking for my new name, we stumbled upon Cronus in libraries. It was said he wielded a Scythe, hence where my name came from. Cronus eventually turned into the stories of the Grim Reaper, which I decided to adopt the title of. Cronus was the god of time, a titan and someone to be feared, he ruled over the cosmos. Though over time he became power hungry, killing his father and eventually his own kids to avoid being overcome. Stealing their power because there was a prophecy one of his children would overthrow him. He was tricked by one of his own children, he attempted to eat Zeus but was fooled by Rhea. She instead fed him stones wrapped in a swaddle, making him throw up his children whom raged war against him.
He lost, and was banished to Tartarus.
I didn't realize I had picked up that exact mythological story until I was sitting in a chair reading it. "Reading that one again?" Eret hummed, placing a tea cup on the table next to the chair.
"Yeah, I guess I'm drawn to it. I did name myself after Cronus after all." I looked up to the brunet who frowned.
"Doesn't he literally get overcome? He doesn't exactly have a good ending."
"Most gods don't."
Knock
Knock
Knock
"Torva fucking open the door!" Dream's voice echoed into the cottage, the book I was holding dropping to the floor.
"Eret, please go upstairs." I calmly spoke, standing up in the chair and taking a sip of my tea. Ah that's nice, it's green tea. Too bad it will probably be cold by the time I finish whatever is about to occur.
He nodded rushing out of the room, I could hear him running up the stairs and into the room above my head. The door slammed and locked.
I stepped out of the room and immediately grabbed my axe off the wall. "What do you want Dream!" I shouted through the door, not particularly wanting to endanger Eret.
"Fucking open the door!" He banged on it a few times and I could feel anger bubble over.
"Compromise! You take about twenty steps back, and I go outside!" I offered the man my idea, I could see his mask through the window in the top of the spruce door.
"Counter offer! You unlock the door or I break it down." He turned his head so he was looking straight through the window. I sighed and reached for the lock. I readied my axe just in case, and I looked back at those stairs. Better to have him come inside without a damaged door.
There's a window up there, Eret can jump out and run if it gets to it. Right? Yeah, yeah okay just open the door-
I unlocked the door with a small click, immediately the knob turned and the door flung open. I took a step back and immediately Dream stormed into the house. Dirtied brown boots covered in wildflower petals stomped into the house. He had trampled the gardens on the way here apparently.
A hand was now around my throat, immediately I reached up grabbing at the wrist. He continued stepping forward aggressively, making me frantically back up. My feet were stumbling over each other as I was forced back. I was pressed against a wall, and that porcelain mask stared right at me. "Great introduction." I cracked out, taking a gasp for air as he tightened the hold. I had to stop myself from wincing, I couldn't show weakness.
"I mean you could take me out to dinner first-" I decided, fuck it, might as well mock the guy.
"Oh fuck you. You know exactly what you did. Why shouldn't I kill you and loverboy upstairs?" Dream's words were a snarl, I mean our alliance was always rocky but he obviously snapped. I just wondered how he knew I was involved with the house's destruction.
"Some parts of the house were burnt too professionally, started in specific areas that would burn faster and spread easily. A practiced arsonist, Tommy is not a knowledgeable person on that stuff. And I immediately ruled out Technoblade and Philza in helping the kid." Ah, okay that makes sense. It seems Dream could read my confusion. I just laughed and the hand once again tightened. I was found out, so I had to play the only card I had left. The reason why I wasn't scared.
I gasped for air again to stop myself from going lightheaded. "Watch yourself Dream. You really don't want to become my enemy." I chuckled a bit, and then felt his hold momentarily falter before correcting itself. I could feel blood rush to my head now, my heartbeat now audible in my own skull.
"That's an empty threat, I'll just fucking exile both you and Tommy." An axe was lifted up from his side, and moved to be pressed to my waist. A bit more pressure and it would cut into my clothes and skin.
"And then you'll have nobody but George as an ally." I shrugged, smiling up at the blond. Even with that hood over his head I could see strands peeking out from the lime fabric.
"What? I have fucking the most powerful people on this server at my disposal." Dream retorted looking at me up and down. "You'd be the only one I'd lose, and I can handle that if I get rid of Tommy too. You've been a goddamn annoying wild card I never wanted." He pressed the axe further against me, I could feel the clothing split and blood begin to trickle down from my waist. I inhaled through my teeth quietly, not wanting to show any weakness.
"You're wrong."
It pressed further into my side, pain shooting up my body from the weapon. He must have had strong enchantments on the weapon because that shit hurt. This guy had a fucking ego on him that's for sure.
"First of all-" I took a shallow inhale of air, trying not to cough. "I have Technoblade and Phil at the drop of a hat. They'll come running the second I call their names." I gasped for air, my vision starting to go spotty. He got the memo and slightly loosened his hold, opting to listen to me through.
"So fucking what? I can handle Technoblade anyway. And Phil has worked with L'manburg as long as he's been here, I never expected him to be on my side. They are variables I expected." Dream challenged, not removing the axe from the cut in my side.
"Then Bad and Skeppy, with our fixed relationship you really think my brother would risk betraying me again? Skep and Bad would do fucking anything for me to keep our relationship alive." Now this, this is where Dream slowly began to pull away the axe. His hold on my throat surely loosening once more. If I wanted I could now slip away. But, hey why not make the wound sting more on his end? Make up for the one forming on my waist.
"Bad has alliance with Antfrost and Sam. They work with him, so I mean you could lose all hope for them on your side too. Tack on Punz for good measure since well, all of us combined can pay for your mercenary just fine." The power rush from this was now getting to me, I had so much. I may not be immortal but damn I did feel like some kind of god. The way Dream went from insanely confident to somewhat terrified in mere moments, that gave me an adrenaline rush.
I snickered, slowly slipping away from the wall, walking toward the kitchen. He now made no effort to stop me. "Oh, and Sapnap, I've heard from quite a few people he values family a lot. So, with his Aunt and Father on one side, I'd say I have more than a good shot with him." I turned around to look at the masked man, his posture showing so much. He looked defeated. He didn't bother putting up a fake persona now, he was just slouched over and probably distraught.
"Everyone you have on your side right now Dream, I could take them at the drop of a hat. You think you have power? That's really fucking funny. I hold lives in my hands, and I trade that shit like pocket change." Dream placed his axe in the holder on his side as I spoke, I grabbed a cloth from the kitchen for my side. I pressed it into the wound with a small hum.
"You have anything left to say before I admit I kinda fucked up?" Dream laughed a bit, it was more pitiful than I expected. But I liked the defeat he now held on his shoulders.
"Yeah, yeah I actually do. Stay away from Eret, Technoblade, and Phil for good measure. Because everyone I just mentioned, I won't hesitate to do what I threatened. I'll take everyone you have on your side, you have physical items Dream. You have some blackmail here and there. But I have people. You have fear to manipulate others, that's your card. Your ace in the hole? Your trump card? It's fear. And you're fucked, because I'm not fearful of you. So you have nothing on me. You called me a wild card? You're fucking right, but just know, I'm not a card that's in your hand." Dream stayed silent for a few moments, I wish I knew what his facial expression was then. Was he shocked? Was his jaw dropped? I'd never know.
He huffed, looking away from me at the wall. I reached up to my neck and rubbed at the probably soon to be bruised skin. "Torva, since obviously we have to be at a standstill right now. Here's an offer." He looked up at me now with a sigh, pulling back his hood and running a hand through his hair.
"I'll admit, I've been, outsmarted apparently." He mumbled, words rushed in possibly embarrassment. "So I won't exile you, I'll leave you out of that shit. But, I know you have it out for L'manburg, and I do too. Tommy burned down the house, I'll only accuse him, and you help me take the place down from the inside. We build obsidian walls around the place, and turn Tubbo and his cabinet against Tommy, exiling the kid. We can have a trial and everything, and honestly? I wouldn't mind the help if I can't get rid of you." Dream held out his hand for me to shake, fingerless gloves on I noted.
So I reached out my bandaged hand to the gloved one, my other hand holding a bloodied rag to my side. I had put down my axe a few moments ago, it now leaned against a kitchen counter. I shook his hand, the second time I've done so. The first time being when he challenged me to a sword duel. Oh how the times have changed. "It's all good Eret!" I shouted upstairs, immediately hearing a door unlock and frantic footsteps down. He had glasses on, and I could see his eyebrows raise in shock when he saw Dream.
"Sorry Eret, uhm, shirt ripped." I sighed with a small laugh, Eret rushing over to me.
"I'm just leaving, Torva meet with me tomorrow. I want to start building the walls then. Community house at seven am." Dream walked out, leaving me and Eret to help with my wounds.
Eret took my hands away from the cloth, removing it from the cut. "What happened?" Eret looked up at me, taking off his glasses after the door closed.
"A lot, but I'm fine. Where do you want me to start." I laughed a bit, Eret reaching up to my neck. A bruise must already be forming there.
"Well, wherever I suppose." Eret shrugged, already going to grab bandages he just put away moments before this. He went from wrapping my hands to now helping my new wound. I guess I never stayed perfectly healthy for long, I usually had some kind of wound healing on my body at all times.
"Dream wanted to exile me for helping Tommy. And I guess I literally just blackmailed the guy. Now I'll be helping him fuck over L'manburg." There was some silence from Eret, he exhaled slowly and walked back over with bandages.
"Okay so back up, I'll ask some questions now." Eret put some disinfectant I didn't really know the name of on the wound after wiping off the last of the blood with a damp cloth. "So how did you make him not exile you exactly?" Eret asked looking up at me.
"I simply explained that everyone he has fight for him, I'm allied with and would easily work with me. I can simply take away everyone he has. Sure I can't take away the items he holds over Tommy's head, or the blackmail he has on practically everyone in this server, but I can take away his people." I has figured out this loophole not too long ago, I mainly realized it during the Pogtopia rebellion. How I somehow had managed to gain, well quite a few connections. Dream had these discs, his physical abilities, blackmail, but I have the people he's hurt and a means to bring them together.
"Like, for example, and keep in mind I realized this not too long ago. Bad, through Bad I have Skeppy. That's already two. Now take that and branch out, now I have Sam, Ponk, Antfrost, and finally Punz. From one close knit connection, I have six allies of his now with me." It was fascinating how humans worked, how partnership could drive corruption and power so easily. "And, get this, through that I even get Sapnap. Because Bad is his dad, and of course he'll want to work with his own blood. And obviously he won't get any of L'manburg to work with him. Additionally I have you, Tech, and Phil. So then he literally has nobody besides George."
Eret finished bandaging my wound, placing the leftover bandages on the nearby counter. He looked back to me and remained silent for a few moments. "You're someone many are willing to get behind Tor. Dream, isn't really liked much anymore, people are grasping for someone else powerful to find. I get you're against government but, people need order, someone to look to."
Those words made my beliefs tumble to the ground swiftly. Anarchism, it's something I've lived by, I mean I assume. I've been rethinking my ideals I'll be honest, because I found myself backtracking on them. With Philza and Technoblade constantly around me, anarchy seemed like the only option, especially because every government we took down was horribly corrupt. But, now I'm seeing things considered governments that, weren't too bad. Eret's kingship for example, a peaceful neutral leader people looked up to for just a grounded person, someone to stay steady and helpful.
It wasn't what I was taught.
Nobody should have power over another, I agree with that. Dictatorships, corruption, these are disgusting things that must be disassembled. But, groupings of people like this SMP under a peaceful helpful King? I couldn't find much wrong with it, I couldn't find a reason to destroy it.
Was I even an anarchist anymore?
I want to destroy, I want to burn, I want to seek my own chaotic pleasure that comes with what I do. But, I just don't think I'd get that with all governments. Taking down Schlatt? That was great, a corrupt disgusting pest I found great joy in taking down. I would gladly do jobs like that for the rest of my life. But, I think I'd like to pick and choose with everything else.
I think, I have to create my own standards for what warrants the Grim Reaper's destruction.
I have to create my own beliefs.
❧
[A/N: reminder that I have a oneshot book out that is all about various AU's with Torva!]