↚The Pig's Shadow | Dream x Reader | Slowburn ↛

Chapter 33: Flipping Off Crows

Ayup, children!

I've had zero motivation for a while, (First paragraph just sat there for 2 weeks+) but then I loaded up a ton of Youtube DSMP playlists to my quenu, sat down, and decided to just get it done XD

As evening fell, you also fell. Into a terrible mood, that is. You weren't quite sure why. You were fully moved into the house (SUCK IT, KAMIKAZE CROWS! NO MORE 4-AM-WAKEUP CALLS FOR US), which was wonderful, but the thought of being around Schlatt 24/7 was enough to make you want fall of a cliff.

It was around four in the afternoon when a large blackbird landed on the table next to you and Niki and you spotted the message tied to its foot. With a shared glance of curiosity, You held the bird down while Niki wrestled the note off. One the job was complete, the bird flapped off and Niki unrolled the paper.

"Lovely. Stupendous. Simply grand. Beautiful. Awesome. Um... I'm running out of Adjectives," she said, scoffing. Niki crumpled up the paper and lit it on fire. You just sat there, waiting for an explanation. "Schlatt. Some stupid meeting Wilbur asked for. He wants you to take everyone there."

"Sh*t."

->->->->O<-<-<-<-

Leaves crunched under your boots as you led the group through the forest which was a lot more colorful when it wasn't blanketed in mist. You'd never fully appreciated how pretty it was with all the autumn colors swirl around you. Beside you, Niki was nervously folding leaves back and forth until they crackled into a thousand pieces at her feet. Over on arm she had slung a tan and black trench coat she claimed she wanted to give to Wilbur.

Behind you, Schlatt and Quackity were engrossed in a heated conversation while Fundy trailed behind the whole group, scribbling furiously in some book. As if he felt your eyes on him, he met your gaze and gave you a quick, half-hearted smile before dropping his head again.

Niki suddenly grabbed your shoulder, tugging you out of the way before your head could smack into a branch. You smiled your thanks at her, even though the sudden pull had made your chest start to ache again.

In reality, you were glad Niki was coming with. Schlatt had angrily dismissed her when she arrived with you, but after you'd adamantly insisted she come with, the president relented, if barely.

A crow fluttered from tree to tree above you, making Niki jump. "Hey, that reminds me, I've been meaning to ask you what the whole deal with the 'Crows as messengers' thing," she told you, hopping a log.

Dodging a vine, you shrugged. "Nothing much. There was this friend of Techno's that we met during the war who taught us. Philip or something. We used them when a human deliverer would be too much of a target or for long-distance communication. They were one of the last few reliable birds around a battlefield, and there was little chance of them being shot. You see, arrows were valuable and fragile, so the enemy would rarely kill them for target practice."

"There was this one time we needed to send a message back to High Command, but all the ravens had been scared away. So Shotgun- one of our squadron-mates- sat in this tree all night, trying to catch an owl. And let me tell you, it was not a warm night. In the morning, he was too cold and stiff to move out of the tree and he had no owl to show for it. So he fell asleep in this tree, right? He wakes up around noon, and there's this half-asleep owl just sitting on the branch next to him!" You grinned, remembering how Shotgun had actually fallen out of the tree in surprise and broken his rib.

Niki gave a wry smile, then asked, "How did you train the owl to find... High Command, was it?"

"Oh, that was Ballistic. He rigged up some contraption out of a pedometer and an alarm clock we stole from James. We measured the rough distance from our location to High Command and let 'Istic get cracking. He taught the dang barn owl to perch when it heard the alarm go off, and the rest is history." You pulled a glass bottle out of your knapsack and took a sip, sighing as the water soaked your dry mouth. Niki whistled and fell silent, staring off into space.

After a few heartbeats of silence, you noticed deep scuffmarks in the ground and bloodstains against a familiar-looking tree. "Hey, Ram-B*tch-Boy, we're almost there," you called back to Schlatt. You took a moment to reorient yourself before heading off in a vaguely recognizable direction.

The footsteps behind you quickened and became louder as a hand suddenly appeared on your shoulder. "I need to talk to you," Schlatt said in your ear, making you jump. "Niki, buzz off," he said dismissively. The woman narrowed her eyes, gave you a warning look, then disappeared somewhere outside your field of vision.

"Dear Y/N, I need a favor from you," Schlatt said quietly. Your spine stiffened involuntarily. "I've been thinking: who would Pogtopia trust the most? Not Fundy; Wilbur would never trust his own son after what's happened. Niki? She'd never agree. HBomb? That f*cking motherf*cker can't do anything else except dress up in maid-dresses and flirt. No, Y/N, they'd only trust you enough to do what I want you to do." The stiffness was spreading now, spreading like a cancer. Trickles of ice started trailing down your back.

"Schl-Schlatt? What the heck are you asking me to do?"

Schlatt chuckled under his breath, smiling. "I think you know what I want you to do." You swallowed, forcing your head up to meet his eyes. "I want you to spy on Pogtopia for me. I want you to be a double agent for me."

"Then be out double agent. Help us. We're going to kill Schlatt and take back L'manburg."

"Well? What do you say?"

"What are you going to do?"

"Schlatt, I-"

"I'll give you supplies, I won't tell anyone about your location, but I won't kill Schlatt or spy for you. That's too far."

"I'll do it."

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1046 Words

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Lovely time writing stages of peer pressure-

I've gotten into cosplay, though :D

So far I've done Ranboo and George (I'd show y'all but face reveal/terrible camera quality :/)

And yes, I did not forget that I promised Patches content *nervous laughter*

TA TE CHILDREN