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He hates this fucking job.
Barely any food, it’s so humid he can feel it through the space suit, and holy shit it’s hot out here. Arthur can’t believe Trills signed him up for this shit! Well, he can, it’s not totally out of character but still! What was his luck!? First he gets stranded off in planet fucking ocean, then gets stranded again on Earth, or what was Earth, then on all those little planets, then gets signed up for this job, this horrible FUCKING JOB! he tried warning Trillian but noooo she’s just so smart! He knows better than anyone the damage Kindred can do without even being hired! Whatever. It’s fine. Fuck.
Sighing as he continues walking through the very vibrant landscape, reminding him of a children’s sketchbook…only way more off putting. The sun beats down on him as Arthur cuts through another vine of a plant he doesn’t recognize, Trillian following close behind.
“It’s too warm here- and too wet. Can we just hurry up with this-“
“Trills, YOU chose this. So shut up while we are walking!”
Trillian looks at him offended, and almost confused? Why? She knew he wasn’t happy about this, that none of them were happy about this! He wants to go home, what if they find some monster- Okay no. Shut up. Why was she confused? He had been so clear about not coming here, he told her that he knew the problems with Kindred. Of course she never bothered to listen to him, because why would she listen to him, someone who clearly knows what Kindred is like! He watched him get drafted and taken away! He saw what happened to those who returned before he left with Alterra, he heard the rumors! Why the fuck won’t she listen to Arthur this one FUCKING TIME. God he should just fucking-
He snaps out of his rage filled spiral to the crushing of a vine underneath his feet.
“Jesus Christ, space boy, calm down, you’re being awfully…. what’s the right word? uh- apoplectic? YES. That. Wait what does that even mean-“
“Alright, alright, fine. We will… calm down we guess.”
He had gotten a bit… upset there. He needed to calm down, now was not the time to get so hung up over this. Forcing himself to take deep breaths, he looked around for a sort of resting place for the day. It was clear both of them were getting upset and cranky over the heat and lack of food, so they should probably find some place cool enough for them to stay until night at least. Spotting a cave of some sort, he pointed at it.
“We can rest there for the day so we don’t have to be in the sun.”
“That’s a place where monsters live, you go ahead first space boy!”
“It’s clearly not been used in a while-“
“You first!”
Arthur sighed, and stepped into the cave. Looking around, it didn’t seem to go that deep as he could see the end of the cavern from the entrance. No sign of living beings, Great.
“All clear Trills!”
“Finally! Can’t wait to get out this heat!”
Trillian runs in, before abruptly collapsing next to one of the walls, taking deep breaths.
“I’m so glad to get out of that- why is this planet so warm and wet it’s disgusting!”
Shaking his head at Trillian while sighing, he checks off the metaphorical box in his head with shelter. Now their next priority should be food which they should probably find.
“Hey Trills we should probably get some food so we don’t starve-“
“Already did!”
“…what?”
“Yeah I snuck like a bunch of food on the way here so I’m all good, but you guys go ahead and do that!”
“Wait can we have some-“
“Nope!”
Fine. She was difficult. Like always. He’ll just- find his own food! He will! Taking a second before stepping back out into the humid, hot air, he tried remembered what he’d seen. When they were briefed on the mission they had, he had noticed a paper with a sort of diagram of… goo? It said it was edible with some.. side effects apparently, but he doesn’t think anything could phase him right now so he set off to find some.
———————————————
It took a couple hours to find this “goo” but he eventually found in a sort of crevice farther out from the cave. It was orange and very, VERY, shiny, and all together not very appetite pleasing, but he guesses it’ll have to do.
Putting in a sort of… container he had made with some scrap he found about and around- seriously who left all this stuff out- Arthur walked back to the cave. Walking into the cave, he found Trillian… asleep? What- how- well- he guesses they had been walking a lot and she’s probably still tired from the space travel so whatever. Sitting at the edge of the cave, Arthur began to try and eat the goo. It was slippery, and so thick he had to swallow multiple times to try and get it down, and the taste? Oh don’t get him started on the taste. It was AWFUL. He never wanted to do this again. He wanted to throw up- no no no he’s NOT going to throw up- oh he feels it in his body oh-
Stumbling outside, now being significantly cooler in temperature as the day passed and it being almost night, he stared up at the sunset. He was able to swallow and push through the nausea but he still felt the goo in his body. It didn’t seem to be reacting to the tumors already in his body, which he honestly should have expected from eating random goo he found in a rock. Holy, everything hurts so sososososososososo bad owowowowowo-
Curling up into a little ball, he tried waiting for the feeling to subside. His body felt hot, his eyes felt hot, almost like his vision is turning white and it sucks. It sucks so badly-
“Guess you’re not the perfect son Mom thinks you are huh? What a surprise with how much you seem to be so incapable of sticking up for me.”
..oh fuck no please no oh fuck- Arthur whips his head up to see Him staring at him. His brother, a look of disgust and hatred on his face as He stares down at him.
“Why could you stick up for me? For us? You didn’t stand up when she somehow forgot us at school for hours and hours just because she wanted to celebrate your ‘good grades’. You’re so pathetic.”
Us-? What- oh. He sees Her curly black hair behind his brother. Her. He failed her as well. He had another chance with Him but he failed Him too! What the fuck was wrong with him- he didn’t deserve-
“Of course you don’t deserve us! Why would you! You got all that you wanted, a loving mother, attention, you took that away from us. So yeah, feel bad. It’s your fault you know.”
He watches as the two figures stepped farther away from him, but as he tried to stand to follow, he fell, his legs seemingly not cooperating. Please, get up get up get up- he needs to get back to them- he wants Him back please-
“Awh… you can’t get up? Too weak? And I thought you were supposed to be the big strong brother! Guess we were wrong.”
He turned to look at Arthur again, yet Arthur still couldn’t see His face, where was His face, where was He-
“You looked so happy, getting out of the draft. Was it fun? Was it fun to watch me get dragged away into this company’s stupid workforce? Was it? You looked so relieved that you weren’t the focus for the one time when it could have saved me. How does that make you feel?”
“We didn’t- I didn’t-“
Arthur flinched as He cackled, a sort of sick and anger filled laugh.
“Didn’t what? Didn’t use that big brain that got you so much attention beforehand? Wasn’t that what you were made for? To be the better one?”
Arthur curled back, trying to shrink away from the vision. She walked forward, sitting down in front of him. He couldn’t see Her face either, but he saw orange… orange?… tears flowing down Her face.
“Why- why would you- you could have helped us! Saved us! You could have kept us safe from her! Why didn’t you! You lied! You said you would protect us! Why did you lie!”
He watches as She sobs into Her hands, an ear-piercing wail comes from Her. He looks on at Arthur with disgust.
“I hope that, for your entire life, that you have to live with the fact that you left us. You left us when we needed you the most. That you are not our brother anymore, that you are just a pathetic piece of trash that can’t stick up for anyone but himself.”
His brother turns around and begins to walk away, with Her following behind. He stops a few steps away from a cliff.
“Go on now. Don’t want to keep the only person who actually stands next to you waiting. But even then, she can barely stand you anyways so is it really any better?”
And Arthur watches as They fall.
He can’t breathe, he shouldn’t breathe, what the FUCK is wrong with him?! He’s a worthless brother, and an even worse friend! Why couldn’t he actually do anything right?!
His breathing speeds up, tears streaming down his face. This must be his punishment, his hell. Arthur deserves it after all. Why wouldn’t he? He failed! He should have done more! Why couldn’t he have done more?!
——————————————————
He cries, and cries for hours outside, until he can’t cry anymore, until his body gives up. Waiting for his breathing to slow, he begins to walk back into the cave, Trillian still asleep. Sliding down to his knees, he watches the night as it passes. When Trillian wakes up, and notices the abnormally quiet Arthur, she doesn’t ask questions. She’s not stupid enough even for that. She just gets up and offers him a packaged dried food which he eats slowly before getting up and continuing on their journey.
She doesn’t ask what happened.
Because she can tell he wouldn’t be able to respond.