Arthit poked the end of a blackened stick into the sand as he got his worries off his chest. He wasn’t even sure the guy he’d stopped next to was listening but a confession was a confession. Slowly an image of a leopard shark formed in the sand and Arthit just kept adding more to the sand image as he spoke. “Honestly, I feel kind of useless around here. I’m so worried about my dad that I haven’t been helping as much as I should or can and then I worry that people are going to resent me for being lazy.”
When Erin walked over to the guy, she didn’t expect to hear some rather personal things. Overtaken by the guilt of overhearing them, she waiting a second before clearing her throat so that he would know she was there. They were all in a pretty bad situation but she wasn’t aware how lost some people actually felt until that moment just then. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to interrupt you, I - I just heard from the others they haven’t seen you eat or drink yet. I figured you could really use something to fuel up.” Erin took another step forward, a bottle of water in one hand while she held some fruit in the other. “Are you alright?”
Quickly clearing his throat to get rid of the frogginess crying had caused, Arthit turned to see who had spoken to him. “It’s okay,” Arthit reassured the kind woman. “There’s really nothing to interrupt.” His gaze fell to the bottled water and fruit she held out for him to take. He hesitated, still feeling like if he accepted any food it would be like he was accepting the fate of being stuck on this island in the middle of nowhere. His stomach didn’t care though, choosing that moment to grumble loudly enough to break Arthit out of his insensibility. He couldn’t help the short laugh that bubbled up to the surface. “I’m alive, right? I may not be okay now, but I can get better... Thanks. For bringing these,” he added. Taking a long drink of water, he then sighed. Water was still so good, even after the bad experience he had when the part of the plane he was in had him fully submerged in it. If it wasn’t for him being a diver, he probably wouldn’t have had the lung capacity necessary to hold his breath long enough to get out of his seat and make it to the part of the plane that was up on the beach. Looking at the woman again, he frowned a bit as he tried to place a name to the woman’s face. “You’re... Erin, right?”
Two days since the crash. Arthit still felt like he was in a daze. According to some people that asked if he was okay, it went as far as him also looking like he was still in a daze. He didn’t much think about it, but in the rare occasion that he did, he figured it was true. Everything he looked at was never really in focus. Arthit helped in a sort of sleepwalk like state. Not talking. Not eating. Not sleeping. He tried sleeping the first night he was on the island only to cry himself awake with vivid nightmares. He didn’t bother with sleep after that, opting instead to just walk around the part of the island that had been declared safe by the leaders of the small group of survivors.
Survivors. He survived a plane crash. Would his family know that? Would his mom tell his dad? Would his dad even remember he has a son? Arthit stopped in his tracks and stared out at the moonlit water. His vision started to clear. Just for a moment. Tears welled up the next moment, blurring everything until he blinked. “I’m okay, dad,” he spoke out to the ocean, imagining the waves would carry his words all the way home. “I want you to know I’m okay before you forget me. I love you.” Voice cracking as he finished. “I’ll be home before you can miss me.”
[ chai hansen , cismale , he/him ] - ARTHIT SORENSON, the 26 year old from KO PHUKET, THAILAND was seated in the middle section of the plane when it crashed. HE was a DIVING INSTRUCTOR back at the main land and HE was in Sydney because HE WAS VISITING FAMILY. It’s no surprise he became a PROVIDER considering his DUTIFUL and GREGARIOUS personality.
He was born in Thailand, raised in Thailand, lowkey did not like feeling like he would never leave Thailand.
Jumped at the chance to learn diving when he was in school. He loved it so much he did any kind of odd job to raise enough money to continue learning. Just because he couldn’t leave the country didn’t mean he couldn’t get a change of scenery.
His parents got divorced a couple years later, and his mom left Thailand, leaving him behind with his dad.
He resented her for years after that, until she came back the day he turned 20 and asked him if he wanted to meet his extended family in Australia.
Every year since, he makes the journey to his mom’s country and stays for a month before going back home.
He has never dived in Australia because he’s worried if he does, he’ll never want to leave. He’s seen pictures, and diving in Thailand is something else, but Australia is Really Something Else™.
He didn’t want to go to Australia this year because his dad has started forgetting too many things for it to just be random forgetfulness, but he ended up going at his father’s insistence.
The only thing he could think about as the plane went down was that he hoped his father would know he didn’t abandon him.
