TWs: Rude behavior, neglect, revealing another person's embarrassing memories/secrets. Stay safe :)
'Is this from last year or this year...?' Luna thought as he flipped through the payments, 'Ugh, maybe I can ask Earth to do these since I can't figure it out...'
"He's probably busy." Hecate voiced, speaking aloud, "Again."
Luna huffed, "Well, how else am I supposed to get this done?"
"Get what done?" Earth came bounding down the stairs, his navy satchel hanging on his right shoulder. It was embroidered with patches, such as the Pansexual flag, and some pins, most notably the NASA logo, "Were you talking to someone?"
"Oh, uh- no, it was nobody." Luna shook his head.
"Guess my name's nobody now." Hecate sneered.
"Okay..." Earth raised an eyebrow, yet said nothing as he walked to the door.
"Wait, you're leaving again?" Luna questioned.
"Well, yeah, I have to get as much practice in as I can so I can be perfect." Earth shot his brother a wink, "I'll see you tonight!"
"But-" Before Luna could object further, Earth left the house.
Luna frowned, slumping further on the couch.
"Asshole." Hecate uttered, "I'm so glad we're not blood-related to him."
Luna sighed, yet couldn't find it in himself to agree. Even though Earth neglected him most of the time, Luna still felt inclined to be there for him.
It only led to his heart aching, longing for someone to actually care.
Luna blinked, thinking about it.
Someone who cared.
Without wasting another second, Luna scooped the papers up and left the house in a hurry.
Earth entered through the back entrance of the theatre, already hearing music blasting from the stage.
"You were the sunshine of my lifetime, what would you trade the pain for?"
It was Titan's voice, that was for sure, though it sounded like he was going for a different tone for the song he was singing.
"This city always hangs a little bit lonely on me, loose... like a kid playing pretend in his father's suit. I'll never go, I just want to be invited, oh~ got to give up, get the feeling, get the feeling- don't fight it, fight it...!"
Earth placed his bag down once he was backstage. He peered around the curtains, watching the performance just as the guitarists amped up
"Sending my love from the other side of the apocalypse! And I just about snapped, don't look back. Every lover's got a little dagger in their hand! Love from the other side of the apocalypse- and I just about snapped, don't look back, every lover's got a little dagger in their hand...!"
Rhea played a few notes on her keyboard, fingers gliding over the keys. Iapetus and Mimas struck their individual instruments, a harsh contrast compared to Rhea's gentle piano.
"Generation sleep, I'm falling in and out of love; I'm getting that tilted feeling out here, what would you trade the pain for? I'm not sure- nowhere left for us to go but heaven, a summer falling through our fingers again and you were the sunshine of my lifetime, what would you trade the pain for?
Subconsciously, Earth found himself tapping his foot to the rhythm, eyebrows furrowed as he analyzed the performance.
"We're told we gotta get ahead, yeah, no matter what it takes! But there's no way off the hamster wheel on this rat race! I'll never go, I just want to be invited, oh!~ Got to give up, get the feeling, get the feeling, don't fight it, fight it...! Sending my love from the other side of the apocalypse! And I just about snapped, don't look back- every lover's got a little dagger in their hand...!"
"They're pretty good, aren't they?" A voice spoke, making Earth jolt out of his thoughts.
"Neptune! You can't just sneak up on a person like that!" Earth glared at his manager.
Neptune laughed, "Sorry about that! Others say I'm too quiet for how loud I can be."
"No kidding..." Earth uttered, crossing his arms.
"Love from the other side of the apocalypse, and I just about snapped, don't look back- every lover's got a little dagger in their hand...!"
Earth turned his focus on the stage, continuing to judge the act. He felt Neptune eyeing him curiously, yet the blue-haired individual said nothing as he turned his gaze to the group playing.
"I saw you in a bright clear field... hurricane heat in my head, the kinda pain you feel to get good in the end, good in the end...~ inscribed like stone and faded by the rain~, 'Give up what you love~ give up what you love before it does you in'..."
"Sending my love from the other side of the apocalypse, and I just about snapped, don't look back- every lover's got a little dagger in their hand! Love from the other side of the apocalypse, and I just about snapped, don't look back- every lover's got a little dagger in their hand! Sending my love! Sending my love!~"
Everyone in the theatre clapped as soon as they finished the song, Saturn being the first one to rush over to give compliments and hand them ice-cold water bottles.
"You guys are improving steadily," Jupiter spoke, checking something off his clipboard.
"I agree! I can just picture you all making headlines one day!" Saturn beamed, handing Titan a hand towel.
The thought of Cassini-Huygens being on media outlets gave Earth a sinking feeling in his stomach, making him nauseous. He frowned, raising a hand to his head.
"Are you okay, Earth? You're looking rather pale." Neptune spoke, reaching a hand toward the other.
Earth grabbed his wrist, preventing Neptune from touching him. He scowled, "I'm fine!"
Neptune's eyes widened, a shocked and frightened expression covering his features. The words had come out harsher than Earth intended, yet he couldn't bring himself to care. He let go of the taller's arm, storming off somewhere backstage.
Neptune watched him leave, holding the wrist that had been held tightly close to his chest.
...
Earth huffed as he exited the bathroom, flicking his hands dry. There were no paper towels and he hated how obnoxious the air dryer could be, so he opted to walk out with wet hands instead.
His ears caught a faint voice as he walked past a dressing room.
It was very familiar.
Earth retraced his steps, peering into the room.
At the vanity sat Uranus. Looking at Uranus' reflection in the mirror, he appeared to be in thought, eyes squinting as he pressed his pencil against his lips. Humming slightly, Uranus shook his head, starting to erase what was in his sketchbook.
"That won't work either..." He uttered, sighing.
Earth frowned, wondering what the other was doing in the room by himself.
Stepping back, Earth was about to walk away when he heard Uranus' voice again, only this time he was singing.
"I'm headed straight for the floor, the alcohol served its tour... and it's headed straight for my skin, leaving me daft and dim."
Earth bit his lip, backing up against the dressing room door, pressing his ear against it, 'I can stay for a little longer...'
This was new. Earth had never found a voice so unique and mesmerizing before. It was as if he was in a trance. Thinking about it only made his heart beat faster. He didn't get it; this had never happened to him before, so why now? What made Uranus' voice different from others?
Whatever the case, Earth wanted to hear more.
"I've got this shake in my legs, shaking the thoughts from my head, but who put these waves in the door? I crack and out I pour... I'm Mr. Loverman, and I miss my lover, man- I'm Mr. Loverman, oh, and I miss my lover."
Uranus sounded melancholic, portraying his voice in a sorrowful way. Earth found himself wondering why the other wasn't on stage and performing. With that much power and tone, he could go far.
"The ways in which you talk to me... have me wishin' I were gone. The ways that you say my name have me runnin' on and on. Oh, I'm cramping up, I'm cramping up, but you're cracking up, you're cracking up... I'm Mr. Loverm-"
"Earth, there you are!" Neptune's voice made Earth jump up and away from the door, "We're waiting for you at the stage."
Straining his ears, Earth couldn't make out anything within the dressing room. He silently cursed to himself, looking at Neptune annoyedly, "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming..."
On the way back to the stage, a question haunted Earth's mind.
Neptune seemed to notice the slight twitching of Earth's eyebrows, tilting his head, "What is it?"
"Oh, uh... what's up with your cousin?"
"Uranus? What do you mean?"
"His singing is amaz- er, good. Does he perform?"
"Hah, no! Not after what happened in elementary school." Neptune laughed at the memory.
"What happened in elementary school?"
"During a talent show, he peed his pants on stage in front of a hundred people, causing him to have stage fright ever since."
Earth choked on a laugh, playing it off as clearing his throat, "That's uh, pft- hah... unfortunate."
"Tell me about it. After that, people started calling him Urine Ass. It pretty much ruined his life." Neptune frowned, stopping as they got to the stage, "Anyway, you'll be playing when New Horizons finishes up."
Earth shuffled his feet, placing his hands in the pockets of his denim jacket as he thought more about it.
It appeared that he and Uranus had something in common, even if Earth conquered his fear of performing in front of large crowds a long time ago, he couldn't help but feel sorry for the other- no matter how funny the story was.
"Hey, Earth!" A voice shook him from his thoughts.
"Oh, it's you..." Earth hummed distastefully as he looked at Titan.
Titan pursed his lips, holding back a retort. He took a sharp breath, "I was wondering where you wanted to practice our duet."
Oh, right. Earth had forgotten about that. He shrugged, "Doesn't matter to me."
"You guys can perform at my place!" Neptune beamed.
"Really? Thanks, Neptune!" Titan smiled. Earth merely nodded in acknowledgment as Titan walked away.
'That can only go so well...' Earth thought, rolling his eyes.
"Are you ready, Earth?" Neptune asked, clipping a small box on his pants and adjusting an earpiece over and beside his ear.
Earth smirked, ensuring the microphone was placed correctly before making his way on stage, "Oh, please, I was born ready."
⫸ NOTE ⫷
Song(s) Used:
Love From the Other Side - Fall Out Boy
Mr. Loverman - Ricky Montgomery
Comments are appreciated 3