barbarism (dreamnoblade)

chapter fourteen

|||Schlatt POV|||

Schlatt lays on the docks while observing the sky, watching the stars glimmer like dying embers. His legs dangle just above the chilly ocean, shoes causing ripples in the water as they dip at the liquid.

Behind him a chorus of lights flicker from the rows of houses, a reminder of the people living there. A subtle reminder that he is in control of all the people living there. That reminder gave him a sense of accomplishment- of pride. Sighing in content he takes another sip from the bottle glued in his hand, feeling the liquid vaguely burn his throat as it trickles down. The feeling was addicting, he didn't understand or bother to try and understand why it was.

He didn't have to think about it for long though, he hears shuffling from behind him. Schlatt could tell who it was immediately, the nervous patter of steps, the way they shift their weight and rub their hands together. So much noise, it was giving him a headache.

He idly tugs his tie from around his throat, feeling the fabric peel back from his hot skin. "What do you want, Tubbo?"

He hears a tiny yelp behind him, the shuffling stopping. He sighs and musters up the enthusiasm to turn around.

"Well?"

He adores the way Tubbo's head shoots up from his question, the slight fear and apprehension a glint in his eyes. It shows how much power he has over the small boy.

"I-uh- D-dream saw me, he knows you sent me to watch Technoblade." Tubbo stammers and rubs his hands together nervously.

Schlatt frowns and lifts the bottle to take another sip, he doesn't miss how Tubbo flinches as he raises the bottle. He wasn't in the mood to hurt anyone today, if he needed to do that he could always take out his rising frustrations on Quackity.

"So you fucked up what I wanted you to do?"

Tubbo stammers and his chin trembles, on the verge of tears. Schlatt knew he wasn't going to get anything out of the boy if he scares him to death, so he stands up and pats him on the shoulder.

"Please tell me you at least got some important information."

The disgust and terror that fills Tubbo's eyes makes Schlatt falter, before smiling in a sick curiosity, something must've happened to cause him to have such a strong reaction. Schlatt raises the empty bottle and uses it to tilt Tubbo's chin up, a threat evident in his actions.

"What did you see? Go ahead and say it." He raises his voice enough to get another flinch from Tubbo. He could probably smell the alcohol on Schlatt's breath.

"I-I- there was a girl- and she-" Tubbo tries to talk, but his voice gets stuck in his throat, tears welling up in his eyes as he raises a hand to his mouth, "I- it was awful-"

"Just fucking spit it out already!"

The tears begin to leak out, trailing down his cheeks and dripping onto the bottle, "I- I think I saw Technoblade get r-raped." He blurts it out and starts sobbing, Schlatt smiles in satisfaction after finally getting a proper answer from Tubbo.

He pulls the bottle back and throws it against the wooden planks below, it shatters and sprays shards of glass around them.

No wonder Tubbo was so choked up about it, poor little thing was probably traumatized about seeing something like that. But Schlatt needed more information and Tubbo's comfort was at the bottom of his list.

He throws an arm around the trembling boy, feeling as he tenses up under his grip, "tell me more."

It takes a while for Tubbo to spit out everything, but from what Schlatt can gather a girl had lured the piglin hybrid into an empty room and raped him. But what made him the most curious was the mention of Wilbur, apparently Tubbo had tailed him back to the house after Dream left.

It was pretty obvious to sort out the rest of the story from there, Wilbur had a big part to play in what happened. The cogs in Schlatt's mind begin turning. Even slightly tipsy from the alcohol he found it easy to piece together what happened.

Assuming that Wilbur had a hand in the events leading up to what happened with the pinkette- and if he got there first -then he would be able to say whatever he wanted while the pinkette was in a broken mental state. Schlatt could guess that Wilbur was probably trying to manipulate Technoblade into doubting everyone else while trusting solely him.

It was a smart plan, Wilbur knew what he was doing. He knew he needed weapons against Schlatt.

But now that Schlatt had a decent portion of it figured it he could probably find a way to make it go in his favour. There was one last thing he needed to confirm though.

He thinks back to Dream talking about the hybrid.

"Tubbo, how angry was Dream when he caught you?"

The boy shivers, eyebrows furrowing as he hunches down, "h-he threatened me with a k-knife... he really didn't like me spying on him."

Schlatt is silent for a moment, but then begins to laugh, a dry cackle more sharp than the pieces of glass that coat the floor around him. Things were so perfect that he had to pinch himself, just to check that he was awake. The glee bubbles in his stomach- he wasn't sure if the sensation was from the alcohol or his emotions.

Dream was developing a weakness wherever he liked it or not.

"Tubbo, you may leave. And you can stop snooping around other people's business for now."

The boy scampers off, the sound of Schlatt's laughter still ringing in his ears as he chuckles louder and louder.