N.B.
This page was originally going to be under https://thebeastwefeed.neocities.org/profiles/you-dont-talk-much/
I decided it did not fit the tone of the story, and more importantly, it did not fit the characterization of Dwell or the third. For that reason, I ended up not including it and replacing it with the scene that lives there today instead. Do not consider it canon.
The third swooped down from the sky, dropping the ind they had hunted onto the rock next to Dwell, who silently acknowledged them. As the third landed, they swapped their right hand to a carving knife, and began cutting into the ind. Dwell, who had been doing the same, continued without looking up at them.
"You don't talk much," the third said.
"I could say the same about you," Dwell replied. "Guess neither of us have much to talk about."
The third grunted, continuing their work.
After a few moments of silence, they spoke again, quietly this time. "Dwell?"
Dwell looked up, pausing his treatment of the carcass.
The third paused before voicing their thought. "I want to go home..." they trailed off, suddenly feeling stupid.
Dwell just studied them for a few moments. Then he returned his gaze to his ind, resuming his work. "For drones who will hate us?" he asked, matching the third's volume.
After a few moments of silence, they spoke again. "We weren't good people."
"You and I? No. Of course we weren't."
"... Why weren't we?"
Dwell stopped carving, retracting his knife and looking up. "You ask as though..." He paused, considering. "Nevermind. It doesn't matter."
The third looked down at the bloody ind. They grimaced, pulling away, seemingly only now realizing how gruesome the carcass was.
_Dwell grabbed his ind and took off towards The Beast."
Angel found the third, lying on the ground next to a muddled carcass of an ind. They were covering their face and weeping.
"Hey..." Angel crouched next to them, pulling their hands away from their face slowly. "How long have you been here, dear?"
The third sniffled, not answering. They stared at Angel blankly, before looking around, seemingly having forgotten they were here.
Angel helped the third to their feet. The third, in turn, collapsed onto Angel and began sobbing against her loudly.
Angel nearly stepped backwards in surprise. "Oh, darling..."
The third didn't bother trying to speak, instead half-hugging and half-clinging onto Angel. Taken aback, she hugged them in turn, stroking their back. "It's alright, darling... It will be okay..."