Pandemonium | Dream SMP

36. It's called bromance!

"Hey, sweet cheeks. Have you met the king of the SMP yet?"

"The king?" I question, looking up from my trident, damp cloth in hand as I polish the blue metal to a dazzling gleam. "You mean...Dream?

"What? No! Fuck him! I'm talking about king Eret. Lives in that big, gay as shit castle near the community house?"

Oh, now the castle I've seen. I saw it every time I looked out my bedroom window while staying in the rickety house. Its tall towers were easy to see over the treetops, even at night. I just sort of assumed that was where Dream lived...

"I can't say I have, sir. Have you?"

Schlatt smirks and spins once in his chair, enjoying the quietness of the office. It's been a while since it was just the two of us. Everyone in the cabinet has their own jobs to do today, leaving only us in the White House for now.

"Once, the last time I was in the country. The SMP, that is. Not this shitty nation. L'Manburg wasn't even a thing back then, thank god." He scowls suddenly. "Urgh, I really hate saying that name. Leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Quackity, make a note in my- oh, right. He isn't here."

I watch, bemused, as Schlatt's face forms a frown, irritated with himself for forgetting that we're the only ones here. That or he's pissed off at Quackity for not being here when he needs him. Not like Quackity could possibly know Schlatt would call on him at this exact moment and magically appear.

"Would you like me to make a note, sir?" I offer, setting my trident and cloth onto the coffee table. "I may not be Quackity, but I'm sure I can write just as well."

"Eh, whatever. It doesn't really matter. I'll just make Quackity do it later."

I'm unable to hide my disappointment as I say, "Oh, okay. Of course."

"Right, so about the king," Schlatt continues to talk, unaware of my fleeting disappointment. "I want to go meet him. See where he stands in all of this chaos. Who knows, we might even find an ally in him? Not that it would make much of an impact. Dream has the king pressed pretty firmly under his thumb from what I've heard."

"So he's being used as a figurehead?" I say, slowly understanding, "While Dream pulls all the strings?"

"Exactly! It's really quite smart of that green bastard, using Eret as the face of his country. No one would want to live there otherwise."

I would, a little voice in the back of my head squeaks, so quiet that at first, I don't realise what it said. And then I backtrack, my brows furrowing. Where did that come from?

"It would be dangerous visiting him," I say, distracted by my own thoughts, still trying to figure out what part of me said that. "No doubt he has guards, and I'm sure Dream wouldn't let us just waltz in to speak with his puppet king. We'd have to plan out- Where are you going?"

Schlatt pauses, halfway to the door, hands in his pockets. He gives me a bored look. "To visit the king. You coming or what?"

I blink, and then I smirk. Classic Schlatt.

"Right behind you, sir." I hold out a hand and my trident zips into my open palm, my fingers curling around its cool metal. It really does feel just like old times, going wherever we please, whenever we please. With the horned man relying on me and only me. No Quackity. No George. Just the two of us. Which...is kind of weird for me to think. Wasn't the whole point of me supporting him in becoming president so that I could settle down and have friends to socialise with?

As we stroll through L'Manburg, we catch the eyes of a few of its residents. I've begun learning faces, finally, and recognise a few of them. A young man by the name of Purpled, with incredible, violet eyes gazes at us from an open doorway. He's caught in conversation with someone else I know. Punz. A male who always seems to don a heavy, gold necklace over a white hoodie, no matter the weather.