feathers

hitchhike

Sapnap walked through town. The streets here were too narrow for carriages to pass through. He walked in silence across the gravel. There he was, leaving home for up to six months. His only companion? A mysterious person that had no way of communicating he decided to dub Despoina.

"Once we're outside the gate, we might be able to hitch a ride," Sapnap said pointing towards the gate in the distance. He looked at the wreck that towered next to him. The cursed made them tall, Sapnap guessed they were at least 7'2, and their limbs were in all bright colors. Although purple made up the majority of their torso and face.

They had a strange and almost cartoonish walk, Sapnap sighed... this was going to be a long and lonely six months. He had this gut feeling, and maybe he was still in denial but something told him that this could easily take longer than six months.

They finally reached the town's gate, ones they walked out they were met with carriages unloading and reloading their products onto carts to carry into town "Nikki!" Sapnap said, walking up to the baker's apprentice she was the daughter of the most sophisticated patissier in town and worked as her apprentice.

"Sapnap! What can I help you with?" She asked getting the last of her crates onto a wooden cart that was being held up by one of the servants "Where are you headed after this?" Sapnap asked Nikki. And she smiled "Oh! I'm picking up wheat from a farm that's just over the hills". Nikki said pointing over the gravel roads.

"Can we maybe hitch a ride... Dream finally decided on my final quest and... it's definitely something Dream would come up with". Nikki smiled and laughed "Why? Did he not go easy on you Sapnap?" She asked laughing, sharing a couple quick words with her servant, sending her off.

"No..." Sapnap said shooting a look at his friend who had been standing next to him silently for the entire time "Despoina here decided to choose crime and get cursed and well... it's my task to break it".

Nikki nodded, and smiled "Well I'm glad to help, you're heading to the forest... right?" She asked jumping onto her carriage, Sapnap nodded to confirm. "Well, I don't go all the way but... I can take you halfway". Nikki said and Sapnap shrugged "That's good enough". Nikki smiled "Alright! I leave in 20 minutes". She said grabbing a leather bag and two apples for the horses.

Sapnap smiled and praised Philophrosyne for her kindness. While waiting Sapnap looked over town. Reaching over the gate he saw the roofs of the townhouse and Satanic church. He sat down, looking over the roofs peaking out over the walls. It seemed strange, he never left town. And never planned on doing so, but now he was sitting here, on a mission with a complete fucking stranger!

'Oh, sweet Hephaestus give me strength Sapnap said coming to the realization, that HE, Sapnap of Hephaestus' church was going to spend 6 months in the wilderness. With no one but himself and sweet conversation-ridden Despoina!

He was going to lose his marbles, and maybe more than just his marbles. "Alright, Sapnap! We're ready to leave" Nikki said tapping his shoulder. He smiled and nodded, standing up, ones he did so, he noticed that Despoina had been standing next to him just... staring into space. Sapnap shivered softly and took his eyes off them "Can you... stop staring at nothing?" Sapnap said shooting an arm at the carriage, they snapped their head at Sapnap and walked over to the carriage, and in one big step, they got on.

"Okay-" Sapnap said, turning around and jumping on the carriage "Not questioning how your sense of balance works-" Sapnap said pointing his hand up and down with a sassy matter.

Look, Sapnap wasn't one to judge. But, he also had developed an opinion about his new companion, and that opinion consisted of 'fucking freak' and 'Why the fuck am I here with you?'

Mature

He knows, he is aware of the fact he's behaving like a total fucking teenager, but could he be blamed? He is about to spend six months of his life with mister mime over there.

Are they even a fucking mister?! Sapnap sighed and sat on the wooden floorboards of the carriage, looking at the town that was slowly disappearing behind the hills. They traveled by cart until late into the night. Sapnap fell asleep sitting on the wooden floor with his back against the cloth exterior of the carriage.

"Oooh, Sapnap..." He opened his eyes he was... at home? Was this all a dream or- was this a dream? He couldn't tell, he had this habit of having hyper-realistic dreams.

"Hmmm-?" He spoke looking at Dream, hanging upside down from a tree. "You haven't apologized yet... you know?" Dream said swinging side to side, nonchalantly eating the apple he had plucked from the tree. "For what?" Sapnap asked looking at him, and Dream shrugged swallowing the food he had in his mouth "I don't know for... burning half of my face off?" And then it hit Sapnap, Dream wasn't wearing his usual mask. The blonde laughed and threw the rest of his apple at Sapnap "What?! That was years ago Dream? And I apologized like a thousand times!"

Sapnap was confused, yes he had accidentally burned Dream's face as a child, and even after all these years, he still felt sorry. He knew it was an accident but he couldn't help but feel guilty. "Did you though?" Dream asked, jumping down from the tree "Look whatever, just don't you recognize someone in your new Despoina friend?"

Sapnap was... confused? Why did the conversation shift from something he's still guilty about to them? "What do you mean?" Sapnap asked and Dream shrugged walking back and forth in front of Sapnap "We- well I don't know... remind me who- which of- which one of your friends was also quite strange a- and misunderstood?"

Sapnap finally seemed to take the hint "Shit! I-I'm sorry- it's just... I have NO way of finding anything out about them!" Sapnap said defending himself to Dream, and he bend down in front of Sapnap "Sapnap... for ones in your life use the 2 brain cells the Gods provided you and THINK!"

The raveonette frowned "Rude much! And why are we getting religious all of a sudden?" Dream shrugged "I dunno, it's about time you wake up anyway" Sapnap looked around confused "What?!"

And then he woke up, he had moved from leaning against the tarp to lying on the wood floor, he opened his eyes groggy, they had come to a stop, and Nikki was talking to one of the farmers, and Despoina sat in front of the carriage staring at the hills and the plains.

He jumped from the carriage, the stuff he had in his bag rattling softly, Nikki shot a smile towards Sapnap and excused herself from the conversation she was having "I see you have woken up! The forest is only a mere mile away just follow the path and you'll pass it!" Sapnap nodded "Thank you," he said handing Nikki three gold coins.

"Sapnap! I cannot accept this!" But Sapnap had already motioned to Despoina they should go "Can't do Nikki! You'll have to keep it!" He said walking away with Despoina next to him, Sapnap didn't know what it was, maybe Dream had knocked some sense in him, but this surely couldn't be that bad, he had spent more than six months alone!

{Hi, about Philophrosyne, she was the ancient greek female spirit of welcome, friendliness, and kindness. And I will make a habit of mentioning minority Gods/ spirits so expect WAY more}