||Beefsteak || DSMP ||

19. Isosceles

Anita's POV
I gulped as I watched Belle slam a hammer down over hard metal, shaping it into something.
The guilt of leaving still made my stomach bubble even after three days.
I couldn't spend time with Belle because of it, plus she's busy herself.
Tubbo had left to work yesterday. It made me sad, but he had stuff to do.
And I couldn't even-
"Anita! Move your big ass head.." Tommy ordered as he carried a box past me.
"What's that?" I questioned, seeing an opportunity to push away the guilty boredom.
"My stuff! Tubbo sent it through the mine." He set it down on a rock and happily grabbed at things.
I reached for a green piece of fabric.
"Hey!" He whined as I looked at it. It was just a scarf. "Leave for a week or two and can't respect personal space.." he mumbled as he held his hand out for me to drop his thing.
I didn't.
"Hello??"
"You're so rude!" I yelled, pulling the scarf behind my back.
"It's my stuff, give it!"
"Apologize! And- I've never seen you wear this!"
I dodged his snatch attempt.
"I don't care!"
"What if I want it??" I began to chuckle, backing up as his face started to turn red.
"You- fucking-" he broke out into a sprint and I yelped, weaving past the ravine's debris and climbing higher.
My laughs bounced against the walls as I gained speed.

Tecno's POV
I heard a loud yelp as I walked down the stairs at the top of the ravine.
I peaked over the edge and saw two red blobs speeding across the bottom.
That kid was weird. She was royalty without state, and just seemed like a normal kid.
When Belle talked about her I imagined some grown, mean, oppressive royal asshole with the way she discussed the princess. I mean, with how brainwashed that woman is into serving, you think the one she's serving would know it.
"Whatcha making?" I asked Belle once she was in the line of sight.
She spun from her work table, breathing heavily and sweating. She took a second to breathe and glared at me. "Stuff."
Rude..
Heh. Stuff.
Muscles...
I shook my head and peered over her to see what she was doing.
Oh..
"Have you ever made a sword before?" I asked.
She looked back up to me and slammed her tools down.
"Does it look like I've ever made a sword before??"
Her volume made me move back a bit but I smiled.
"You kinda need to heat it up. Can't just.. beat up the steel."
She looked to the side, arms crossed. "I'm strong enough.." she mumbled to herself.
I laughed. "I'm not strong enough." I informed as I lit the furnace close by.
"Where's your mask?" I asked.
"Huh?"
"Your-" I looked back up to her. "You were hammering stuff without a face cover..?"
"I- well obviously!" She pouted, her cheeks bright red.
"Don't be embarrassed!"
She scoffed and looked back to me. "I'm not embarrassed, I'm-" she tried to think of a word. "Have to go."
"I'm have to go." I repeated.
She turned without another word.
"Oh, come on! I'll show you how!" I called after her but she kept walking. "It's heating up already, Belle!"
"Go huff and puff, Piggy!" She yelled back as she climbed her way away from me.
I laughed to myself and looked to the messy work table.

Belle's POV
I swung the door open and grabbed my hair, holding it off my neck as the wind dried my skin.
My hair has never gotten long enough to touch the back of my neck like this. But who has time for a haircut at a time like this?
"...not the one to, it'll be ME!... I have.. not for a single second.." I heard a distant voice and looked to an apple tree behind the hill.
Wilbur paced as he spoke to himself.
I approached carefully.
"I mean, it's mine! And he thinks he has control, no I have control! I'm in charge here!" He yelled to.. the tree.
"Are you okay..?" He jumped straight into the air and hit his head in a branch.
I winced as the loud bonk echoed.
He whined and grabbed his head. "Fucking hell.."
"You good?" I repeated.
"That hurt.."
"You're tall, it's karma." I walked up to him and motioned for him to lean forward.
He tilted his head to me and I rolled my eyes, bending him farther so I could actually see.
"Hm." I said. "No bump."
"Are you sure? It hurts lots.."
I gently pressed where he hit himself and he winced like a baby.
"You're fine." I stepped back and he lifted his head, expression matching his oh so poor voice.
"If you say so.."
"You were talking to yourself again." I informed.
"Aye, I'm not that crazy. I've always done that.. maybe not as much, but.." he shrugged, sitting in the grass.
He looked up at me and tilted his head.
I blinked at him as he patted the grass next to him.
"I'm busy."
He patted the grass again with an even stupider smile.
"I really am.."
"Doing what??" He asked.
"I was making myself a new sword.. my dagger's getting wobbly."
"You know how to make swords?? That's so cool!"
I bit my lip. "Actually, your brother let me know that I don't know how to make swords."
"Oh he's obnoxious, huh?"
I tried not to smile but he nodded happily.
"So you're not busy then?" He asked and I tried to come up with an excuse.
He smirked and tapped the grass again.
I groaned as I sat in defeat.
"It's a nice day! Enjoy the weather, feel the breeze, watch the clouds tell stories..."
I deadpanned as he held his hand towards the sky.
At that I turned to leave but he grabbed my wrist and anchored me to the ground.
I pulled my wrist back out of instinct and rubbed my wrist.
"Did that hurt?" He asked with concern.
"No. I don't like my hands being touched." I explained.
"My bad, Belle."
I accepted his apology with a nod and he sprawled out backwards and stretched like a cat.
"What were you having a conversation with you about?" I asked.
He peaked up at me from his laying position and let out a chuckle. "Stressful stuff. I'm not all there when I have no country to run."
"Then let this be your country." I said simply, picking weeds from the grass.
"What?" His head shot up.
"You've got people living here, just name it, right?"
"That's not how governments work, Belle."
"Well why not?" I shrugged as I threw a dandelion and it landed on his chest.
He didn't notice so I looked away.
He was thinking.
"You know, why not actually?? We can be a country! We've got workers, leaders! Supply and production! We can take a stand against Manberg!"
I silently watched his eyes go wide with wonder, that whisper of insanity making itself known as his grin grew.
It didn't feel wrong on him anymore. He was always a bit unhinged. And if he's making a stand against the unjust, I almost didn't care how.

Anita's POV
I lost him..
I snuck back to the box and happily searched through his stuff.
"AHA!" He called out as he jumped from behind me and picked me up.
I let out a scream and kicked my feet in the air.
"JUST DROP IT!!" He yelled.
"NEVER!" I growled, thrashing around as hard as I could.
I then leaned forward and bit his arm.
He yelped and dropped me.
"YOU CRAZY BITCH!" He quickly snatched the bandana from my hands and held his hand out to block me from trying anything.
I snickered before sliding one of the jackets from the box closer to me.
"You want that?" He asked.
I wanted to annoy him for fun.
I nodded.
"That's-" he looked closer at it. "Oh that's not even mine. You can have it."
I held it up, curious. It was a cropped black leather jacket.
"Who's is it..?" I asked.
"A friend from when Tubbo and I were kids. He's tall, so you might need to roll the sleeves up."
I eyed the piece with focused precision.
I smirked and swung it on. "Heh.. mine."

Belle's POV
I made a game with myself in the past two hours.
If the flower I threw landed on Wilbur I got a point, and if it didn't, I lost two points.
He was ranting about some form of government and I didn't care enough to pay attention.
So when the door swung open I looked up as Techno stood looking around.
"Hey! Were you mansplaining swords to Belle??" Wilbur yelled in a teasing tone.
His eyes went wide and he frowned. "Was I..?" He said, fear and sadness prevalent in his tone.
I threw a flower and hit Wilbur's face.
"No!" I called to him as he walked up to us, relieved.
"I need your help." He said to me.
I happily stood.
Wilbur groaned.
"Your head is fine!" I reasoned.
I left him alone in the grass as I followed the man past the hill.
It's like my brain shot back into my head. I realized I was following someone I barely knew out of reach of Anita.
The awareness flooded in, but I couldn't even make myself alert.
I was safe. And that thought made my head spin.
"Sorry. I didn't wanna give you this while my brother's all whiny."
"Isn't he always?" I joked as I caught up to him.
He reached for his side and pulled out something wrapped in red cloth.
It was obviously a sword and I looked to him with shocked eyes as he held it out to me.
"Did you-"
"Absolutely I did." He smiled.
I hesitantly reached for a corner and pulled the cloth back, revealing the sword.
"Is there anything you can't fucking do??" I yelled and he chuckled.
"Okay- I felt bad! I scared you off from your.. metal beating." He hid his laugh in a cough.
"So you showed me up..?"
He tilted his head. "Well, wasn't that hard to.."
I scoffed and looked at the sword, grabbing the handle.
"Oh my god.." it was weighted nicely.
I looked closer at the details.
"Gold accents?" I questioned.
"I- well gold is really pretty against darker metals like that." I continued to look at it in awe. "And I like gold.." he said quietly.
"I love it! You-" my smile turned to a frown. "I can't believe you did this! I can't accept it!"
Am I crazy?! This much detail and work just so that I could probably break it!
"It took me like two hours, Belle, if I wanted to make it really nice, well I'd need a day to travel, and maybe three to really make sure the material is pure- actually, give it back I'm gonna improve it."
I held it closer to me. "No!" I cleared my throat. "I like it. A lot. Thank you very much."
His smile was practically reaching his ears. "Don't mention it."