Chapter Text
Fluixon woke up.
He laid from where he was for a few seconds, processing everything that had happened. The pooling blood that flowed from his open wound, the sharp pain that tore through him as Saparata’s eyes widened, the colosseum screaming cheers of death…
Fluixon shouldn’t have woken up. He was supposed to be dead. That realization makes him jolt from the grass he was apparently sleeping on.
He studied his chest before his surroundings. There was an ache encircling his lungs, and he was in some random forest. All players knew that upon dying on a server permanently, their memories erased as they joined a new server. Was Fluixon still in Ish’s SMP? That didn’t make sense, there were no revivals. He also didn’t recall a forest like this in Pandora.
So he died and joined a new server while retaining his memories? Fluixon opens the player list.
All unfamiliar. He moves to his comms.
<Fluixon>: hello? can someone tell me what this server is called
<_Tai>: i dont remember there being new players
<_Tai>: ig welcome to strength bro
Strength?
<Fluixon>: i dont think i was invited
He would remember joining the server otherwise.
<conexion>: your name looks familiar
<conexion>: do you go by flux
So someone knows him? Maybe they had a previous SMP together where Fluixon had died (again).
<Fluixon>: yes
<Fluixon>: do you know me?
<conexion>: holy shit
<conexion>: im going to ring sapa
Sapa. Saparata. Was Saparata on this server? Fluixon coughed, lilacs spewing out of his mouth. Of course his stupid condition carried through. The mere mention of the name had aggravated his illness. He managed to hide it in Pandora, Thomas being the only one—
Thomas.
Is Thomas still alive? He’s the only one left in the Conspiracy after Fluixon’s death. It’s unlikely he got away. Fluixon closes his eyes to process everything more thoroughly. Just because he is no longer a president, terrorist, an architect, doesn’t mean he can’t be analytic. He’s in a new server with his memories somehow, and he doesn’t recall how he got here. It’s unusual to suddenly respawn in a different SMP all of a sudden. This must have been some sort of error.
<saparata joined the game>
<saparata>: flux??
Saparata should still have his memories because he didn’t die, or at least, he shouldn’t have after Fluixon. What should Fluixon do? Fake amnesia? Avoid him? He still has hanahaki, and Saparata was the one to kill him. The chances of the albino having a grudge is very high. Besides, he doesn’t have anything. No armour, no weapons, not even a piece of wood in his inventory.
<conexion>: i swear he was talking
<conexion>: hes not in spawn either
<saparata>: flux can we pls meet
<saparata>: ik u prob dont know who i am
<saparata>: i promise i dont mean any harm
Fluixon was about to respond when all of a sudden he felt a flash of hot pain in his non-prosthetic arm. He whirls around to face a purple rabbit holding a sword.
“Oh!” The hybrid pauses, “You’re the one they’re talking about in chat. I was about to say I don’t recognize you.” He unlocks his communicator, the panel appearing in front of him with a wave of his hand.
<Judelow>: lol i found him
<Judelow>: ill dm coords to u saps
Fluixon was indignant, “You—”
Judelow raises his hands in surrender, “Look, my bad, I didn’t know you were new. I don’t jump new guys. So, you know Saps?”
“No.”
“Ah, well he must know you. He rarely hops on Strength nowadays.”
“Why did you tell him my location?”
“He won’t kill you, he ain’t that kind of guy.”
Fluixon felt light-headed. From rage, from the disparity, or just the idea of being in Saparata’s presence again—
“Hey, are you alright?”
The rabbit had somehow got closer to him without Fluixon realizing, reaching a hand out, “You want to, uh, sit? You’re really pale.”
Fluixon doesn’t spare him an answer, only trying to wretch his arm away. Which fails miserably. It felt like a twitch instead of an attempt at distance. Judelow purses his lips, moving one arm to wrap around Fluixon’s chest to steady him. He fumbles around with the numerous pockets on his jacket and pulls out a golden apple. He shoves it into Fluixon’s fingers, closing them around the fruit.
“Eat that, I’m going to take you to my base. I—oh. Saps, come help me, this guy is p@ssinG 9ut…”
Fluixon’s vision was blurring, but his ears caught on that familiar name. Saparata was here. How humiliating. He felt a second warm body press against his other side.
“I c4n car5Y hiM. Th4nk$ Jud3—”
“Ugh.”
Fluixon blearily opens his eyes. He could feel a soft material encircling him. It was warm. He hasn’t felt such comfort since his presidency in Luminaria. Infernus isn’t very well-known for its welcoming temperatures. But, that raises the question. Where is he?
As his vision clears, the first thing he notices is that the warmth didn’t just originate from the blanket that tucked him in. Saparata was embracing him, not skin-to-skin, but through the quilt. His breathing was steady. So he really was on some unknown server. With Saparata. This was reality.
The second thing Fluixon realizes is that Judelow was in the room. He had to turn his head to see the rabbit, but he was at some sort of workbench, scribbling away at blueprints.
Judelow’s long ears twitched. He must have heard Fluixon shifting, and suddenly he makes eye contact with a shade of magenta-ish red.
“Ah,” Judelow smiles sweetly, “You’re awake.”
“I am,” Fluixon’s voice was disgustingly hoarse. Judelow picks up a cup of water and walks towards him. He shakes Saparata who was practically cuddling with Fluixon’s stiff body.
“Mm…” Saparata stirs, “What?”
“Your guy is awake.”
Your guy?
Saparata jolts up, almost knocking into Judelow who steps back just in time. Fluixon was also startled as the gray irises, the color of ashes, met his own at a rather close distance. A distance that makes Fluixon tense unconsciously.
“Flux…” Saparata trails off. He studied Fluixon, as if trying to trace his features, “I…”
“Can you guys talk once I’m not here?” Judelow grunts, “Take this water. He sounds like he needs it.”
Saparata accepts the cup wordlessly. Judelow takes the initiative to leave, the door shutting softly behind him.
Instead of speaking again, Saparata moves to help Fluixon sit up.
“Flux, can you drink by yourself?”
Fluixon’s mouth was a thin line, “Yes.”
Saparata hands him the cup.
Fluixon drinks.
This was so embarrassingly awkward. What is Saparata doing? Why isn’t he killing him? Or saying anything? Even if Fluixon wasn’t supposed to remember State, shouldn’t there be something?? Fluixon did wrong to Saparata, he can’t deny that.
But the more the silence stretched, the more Fluixon could feel the throbbing of his heart. Jesus, he can’t start puking up his lungs in front of Saparata. Anyone but him.
“Are you hurt?” Saparata reaches out gently, taking one of Fluixon’s hands in his own. Was his expression that obvious? Fluixon is losing his touch.
“I’m fine,” Fluixon manages, trying to hold his composure, “Who are you? Why are you… coddling me?”
Saparata’s reassuring smile falters.
Fluixon’s chest shouldn’t have clenched at that. Fuck was he weak. Did he get softer because this was a new server? He shouldn’t be swooning over Saparata. He never did. He won’t start now.
“I’m Saparata, but please, call me Saps,” Saparata introduces, as if Fluixon was truly meeting him for the first time, “We were close friends on another server, but you died. So, uh, you don’t remember.”
“I see.”
“...I missed you.”
“...Really.”
“Can we start over?”
What are we starting over? “Ok,” Fluixon replies dumbly.
He didn’t really understand why Saparata was lying to him. Close friends? That was now a lifetime ago. A long, long lifetime ago. Yet, he’s hiding it. What is the endgame? To betray him to get a taste of his own medicine? Whatever it is, he won’t be deceived by it. Fluixon will play along, and turn the tables the moment Saparata reveals his true intentions.