Chapter Text
Everywhere in space is cold, dull and lifeless. Sapnap, in all his years of immortal life, knows this all too well. It’s why the bar is so startling; it’s warm, bright and bustling with life.
The lights aren’t the cold gray of a ship, but instead a shining, welcoming orange. People mill around, moving from the bar itself to the seating, standing around various musicians, or approaching total strangers to start up a conversation. It’s odd, seeing so many species from so many planets in the same busted-up building, but this planet’s fifth moon will be eclipsing the sun tonight, so its cause for celebration- or so everyone says. He’s pretty sure everyone just wants an excuse to get drunk off whatever exotic alcohol this bar can offer.
Sapnap’s crewmates are already spreading into the bar, finding their places among old friends or new ones, slipping into groups of people far more scarred than they are. He takes a moment to situate himself, then settles on heading up to the bar to get a drink.
He finds a space between a burly, heavily scarred warrior carrying a battleaxe so large it’s slightly worrying, and a small, timid looking brunette barely taller than Sapnap is. As the bartender takes his order, Sapnap decides he has a better chance of finding a friend in the brunette rather than the hulking mess of a warrior to his right.
“Hey.”
“Hi.” The man seems startled to be spoken to, and it’s then that Sapnap notices a scar running across the brunettte’s cheek.
“Sapnap,” he offers, holding out a hand for the stranger to shake. “I’m from Dream’s crew, aboard the Stellar.”
“Karl,” the brunette offers, seeming a little more relaxed now that Sapnap’s offered up some information about himself. “Schlatt’s crew, aboard the Starrian.”
Sapnap vaguely knows of the crew Karl is a part of; one of the few other crews made primarily of immortals, and one of the few Dream seems to consider an actual threat. If he had a stronger sense of self-preservation, maybe he’d have cut the conversation off there and found himself a different place in the bar, but something about Karl intrigued him, and so he didn’t move.
“We’ve got some things in common, then, huh?” is what he says. “I mean, your crew and mine are among those few who are made almost entirely of immortals.”
Karl tilts his head. “Yours too? I hadn’t heard of your crew before today.”
“Dream tends to like to know of others like us,” Sapnap says carefully. “I think he’s worried about competition or some shit.”
Karl laughs. “Well, he doesn’t have to worry about us. We’re not looking to conquer another ship anytime soon.”
Sapnap grins. “That’s good. A fight would slow down our adventuring.”
Karl’s grin softens into a small smile. “Got any good tales?”
Sapnap rests his chin in his palm, leaning onto the bar slightly. “What kind of tale would you like to hear?
Karl seems to grow more solemn for a moment. “Something with a happy ending.”
Sapnap immediately pushes away thoughts of telling Karl of any of their more recent ventures; lord knows his crew’s trip to Guarda, or to Techne, was not something that ended happily. Instead, his mind shifts to an earlier time, and to the planet once known as Auki.
“Heard of Auki?” he asks, leaning back in his seat a little. Karl’s entire face seems to light up and he nods enthusiastically.
“Home to the old Nordic gods. It translates to strength .”
Sapnap grins broadly. “I’ve been there.”
Karl gasps. “You’re kidding.”
Sapnap laughs. “Not at all. Want to hear about it?”
******
It’s dark as their ship touches down, ever so gently, on the golden soil of Auki. Even before Sapnap steps outside, he can see the sprawling city, alive and alight with people and lanterns. It’s not warm, exactly, but feels less cold than the ship.
The entire city is golden, full of riches Sapnap could never have dreamed of. He hears a small gasp from one of his crewmates; their newest member, and one of their two crew members with what is commonly known as “Fragile Immortality”, Ranboo.
“It’s beautiful,” Ranboo breathes, and its then that Sapnap remembers how much older he is than the boy next to him, and remembers how much more he’s seen. This is probably the first time Ranboo’s seen something that’s not the cold expanse of space or his home planet.
“Auki always is, or so they say,” Sapnap responds with a grin.
“We’re not here to take in the view,” comes a voice from behind them. Sapnap’s mood drops instantly; though Dream’s tone isn’t threatening, he knows better than to assume his captain is being lighthearted.
“Crime in the downtown sectors, we know.” This time the voice belongs to Tommy; he’s crept up beside Sapnap, and has a look only a young immortal can sport with any confidence. He’s the second “Fragile Immortal” in their group, but that doesn’t mean he- or Ranboo- are easy for mortals to kill, or even injure.
“ Murders in the downtown sectors,” George corrects from somewhere to Sapnap’s left. “Significantly more than just ‘crime’ .”
Sapnap rolls his eyes, and turns his gaze back to the city in the near distance. “Come on, Ranboo. It’ll be even prettier up close.”
As Ranboo trails after him, kicking up sand and marvelling at the world around them, Sapnap has a moment to think. The crew is less than functional most of the time, but they make it work, even if they do get on each other’s nerves more than they ease them. Ranboo, as the newest and most naive of them, has Sapnap somewhat worried.
He’s a fragile immortal, desperate to see the world, and from the planet Noctus, which is inhabited by, arguably, the weakest species in the entire solar system. From the way Ranboo’s skin is patterned, it’s clear he was born under a half moon; his kind are known for their skin patterns, which are entirely reliant on the moon cycles. Their skin reflects whatever phase of the moon they were born under, hence Sapnap being sure Ranboo’s was a half moon.
Amongst their crew, Ranboo is clearly the weakest one, and the most vulnerable. Dream and George are both humans, arguably the strongest species in the solar system besides perhaps the orcs. No one’s entirely sure what Tommy and Tubbo are, some hybrid of sorts with at least some amount of human in their blood, and Sapnap’s from a colony of fire demons.
Out of all of them, Ranboo is the most expendable. It worries Sapnap, makes him afraid that he’ll barely be with them before he’s killed, but there’s not much he can do about it. So, he keeps a steady pace leading Ranboo towards the city of Auki, and lets him take in the wonders this planet has to offer; if Ranboo isn’t going to be with them long, then Sapnap’s going to make damn sure he gets to see as many sights as he can.
“Hey! Wait up!”
Sapnap turns to see Tubbo sprinting after them. He smiles at the sight; Tubbo and Ranboo seemed to have formed a pretty fast friendship, and it gives Sapnap some hope.
“Tagging along?”
Tubbo gives a lopsided grin. “Why not?”
Sapnap slings an arm around Tubbo’s shoulders and pulls him in, ruffling his hair affectionately. Tubbo scrabbles against him until he manages to break free.
“Hey!”
Sapnap just grins at him. “Go on. I don’t think Ranboo’s been on a foreign planet before.”
Tubbo seems to brighten, looking more full of positive determined energy than he had before. “I’m going to be the best tour guide!”
Sapnap chuckles as Tubbo races off after Ranboo, and calls after him. “I’m sure you will be!”
Sapnap himself slows down. Takes in his surroundings, which are far more beautiful than that of any other planet he’s been on. A small part of him fills with hope; hope for a universe free of crime, and free of fears of losing those close to you.
*********
“And the culture?” Karl asks, leaning closer with an eagerness in his expression. “The people? The way everything functions?”
Sapnap raises an eyebrow, surprised. “You want to know about that side of things?”
Karl drops his gaze, embarrassed. “It’s just as interesting as the scenery.”
Sapnap grins. “It was… Interesting. A hierarchy similar to royalty, but based on powers, and some really strange traditions.”
Karl’s looking up at him now, hanging off his every word. “This was back under Odin’s rule?”
“You don’t see Thor asking for help finding murderers,” Sapnap says.
“The universe hasn’t been the same since Auki’s closure,” Karl says softly, almost sadly.
“Thor even renamed it.” There’s some amount of disgust in Sapnap’s tone. “Asgard. A less regal name, if you ask me.”
Karl exhales. “I’d have love to have seen it. Auki, I mean. Under Odin’s rule.”
“Yeah, but come on. There’s other beautiful planets out there.” Sapnap nudges Karl. “Surely you’ve been to one of them?”
Karl considers this for a moment, then smiles. “Heard of Starsgaard?”