Chapter Text
He didn't know what to expect for the first time seeing his best friend again in the new server, but he probably should have anticipated getting punched in the shoulder.
Definitely he couldn't have been prepared for how much it hurt though.
"Flux what the fuck- did you use your metal arm?" Saparata almost screeched, holding his pained shoulder as his friend calmly flexed his normal hand.
It had been since his death on the previous event that he'd seen Flux, which of course meant that the bastard looks the same as always- maybe just less annoyed now that they're out of Theria. He complained about all the sand in his wings even more than he complained about having to politically interact with his father, and boy did he complain about that.
The only meaningful change to his look is a cape that would have given him a heatstroke back in the desert. If he looks carefully, he can see deep purple wings tucked underneath it. Shame. He probably likes Flux's wings way more than the avian himself does.
He's already missing the feather necklace he was gifted and lost in Theria.
"Nope, just a normal punch. I wanted to check if you have brittle bones now which, spoiler, you do" He hates to admit that, despite the relatively short time spent in the lobby between servers, he had already been starting to miss Fluixon's stupid snark. Why is he even friend with this guy? Has he somehow Stockholmed himself into enjoying this bastard's personality?
"And you couldn't come up to me and say 'Hi' first? 'Hello'? 'It's been a while, how are you'?" The offense in his voice is as biting as it is blatantly fake. When has Flux ever greeted him like a normal person. They have been doing server-hopping and events together for years now, one day one of them could just stab the other at spawn and they'd laugh about it in the next lobby.
"Why would I do that? You clearly didn't hit your head jumping off that tower, I saw it, but maybe respawn gave you brain damage along with flimsy bones" his friend shrugs, grabbing him by the wrist to go get to work, the mechanical motions of starting fresh on a new server are basically a routine for hoppers like them "We need to get you armor quickly, I am not dealing with you if you break your arm on the first day."
That's new, they don't usually bother with armor so quickly unless they spawn in a hostile environment, and this island is truly anything but.
Abundance of trees, clear crystalline water, no hostile mobs in sight and a seemingly endless amount of resources are all that he sees as he looks around, Ish and his admin team always put in a lot of work for their servers, but they've outdone themselves yet again.
"You have no faith in me!" Yet he still lets himself be dragged around by the wrist like a pouting child.
"I have no faith in how much the respawn system fixed your shattered bones." Yet he holds on to Saparata's wrist like he'd rather break the bones again than letting go.
"The respawn system fixes death injuries well enough, I'll be fine!" Yet they're crafting pickaxes before axes and swords to go down the mines.
"Not well enough." And that's how less than an hour later they've met up with the rest of their friends and ended up being the first people in the server to find diamonds.
They've always been a powerhouse as a group, especially when Fluixon stood at the helm. He's smart, a planner, strategist, as a joke they usually call him an architect, but a part of Saparata knows the correct word would be prince.
The Aculon royal bloodline is just built different.
He never had the privilege (or bad luck if you listened to his friend) to meaningfully spend time with anybody else of the royal line, but when they had the stupid idea to make their own nation back in Flux's home-server the emperor was terrifying enough to send a message: don't mess with Aculon.
Now, his friend violently rejected any part in the family, started world-hopping as a teen to avoid his responsibilities to the empire, hiding his wings to escape his resemblance to his father OutlyingCrow, but the way he carries himself is still that of a prince. If only Elanuelo wasn't around at the time, he's sure him and Jophiel could have convinced the stubborn idiot to be the president of Theria in his stead.
He'd have been a better candidate for sure, look how efficiently he got the whole group through getting kitted up!
Downside to this attitude of his, is that he always expects things to go his way.
"Alright, we're still on schedule to meet up with 3Below" Flux's commanding voice echoed a little in the space of the cave, answered immediately by the other guy with short affirmative words.
Except Saparata.
"Who's that?" He questions instead, turning to look at his friend just in time to catch him beaming at his communicator, purple eyes glowing in amusement in the small light of the device
"Oh, yeah, we didn't see you in the lobby this time, so you don't know" Fluixon shuts his communicator off, throwing a smirk his way "While you were god knows where, I got to work and made early alliances. 3BelowZero wanted to run a nation of innovation and light, I managed to convince him to make me his second in command! It's gonna be fun, even if he has terrible ideas."
That does sound fun he supposes.
"That does sound like a you thing to do" He replies instead, sighing. Fondly, that is. He's used to his friend's type of fun by now. "You guys are gonna have a blast! You should go if he's waiting for you"
The encouragement is met with a tense silence. Flux is looking at him with confusion, fist clearly clenched at something in his pocket that Saparata can't ask about in time.
"Are you gonna reach us later?" Thomas breaks the quiet, stepping between the two best friends for some reason.
Saps shouldn't be surprised to see that Thomas hasn't lost the feather necklace, Jophiel likely still has hers too.
He misses his.
"I'll come visit after I set base! I'm planning to build my vacation home in one of the tiny southern islands" any other event, he would have gladly followed along in whatever crazy plan his friend made behind the scenes, but he'll be honest, Theria drained him. He just wants a break.
Before he could speak again, Thomas is gently shoved away by Fluixon, whose expression quickly switches from something Saparata can't quite read, to understanding "Then we'll come help you build the house once Luminara is settled. Can't get rid of us so easily."
Saying the quiet part quietly, as always, but it's enough for him to understand. They have never stayed separate on an event since meeting in an older Ish server "Of course, wouldn't have expected otherwise."
He hopes it sounds reassuring.
He's not so sure of it when they finally part ways.
With the cape and now the armor he can't clearly tell, but he's pretty sure he can see Flux tightening his wings around himself while walking, his movements stiff as he waves goodbye to him.
Saparata just waves back, cheerfully saying he'll wait for them all on the next days, but every step away felt like a mistake.