[ the last time keith was whisked away by their overlords, a barely typed, though thankfully sent text had kept shiro hot on their heels. this time, it takes hours for shiro to notice. guilt is easily found in that, even though he shouldn’t be blamed for having his time and focus sucked up by the turmoil of the prison’s current state. inevitably, the need to check in with keith steals to the forefront and after a text isn’t returned, shiro does his due diligence by braving mist-laden grounds to knock on his cube's door. it’s a courtesy and a brief one at that. when the knock goes unanswered, shiro pushes forward to unlock the door via his anklet and gets himself inside.
lounging on the cot stashed at the other end of the shipping container is the space wolf, who lifts his head and stares over at shiro. ]
Hey, boy.
[ only for the wolf to lay his head back down over his paws, snuffling loudly through his snout. okay. fair. ]
You’re still mad at me, huh? [ funny, it used to be the other way around between them. ] I’m sorry I dragged you off the bed.
[ shiro’s been good. shiro’s been patient, gracious and charitable, but there are only so many mornings that he can wake up to find that his spooning spot has been overtaken, somehow, by a space wolf, before he snaps. apparently, three mornings ago had been that limit.
oh well. he isn’t here to foster a truce between him and keith’s good boy. remembering that, shiro glances around the cube, looking for a clue as to where keith may have gone. the fact that his tablet is resting there on the counter and not off somewhere with keith is concerning, he supposes. he shouldn’t look, he knows he shouldn’t, but he justifies it by telling himself he only means to check if his message has been read. if it has, that would give him some sort of timeframe of when keith had been here last. will that help him any? maybe, maybe not, but seeing as he has so very little else to go off of…
he picks up the tablet and wakes the screen, only to find a different message already open.
perhaps there’s something humorous about keith being charged with grand theft auto given their history, but no piece of shiro feels like laughing. he reads over the verdicts and skims over the community services, blocking out the majority of it to solely focus on solitary confinement. that’s where keith is right now, huh?
shiro lets out a bone-weary sigh and places down the tablet, giving himself exactly ten seconds to do nothing else except breathe. it stems the panic, squashes the disappointment, softens the frustration, and by the last exhale, he’s equipped with patience, understanding, and step-one to a plan. ]
How about we make a deal? [ he walks over to the cot, watching the wolf’s ears flick toward him, even though his head doesn’t budge. ]
I’ll reinstate your bed privileges if you bring me to Keith. That fair?
[ apparently it is, because it doesn’t take long for the wolf to lift his head, look at shiro, and then shift his weight over, craning his head close in what shiro assumes to be a hold on. he does so by placing his palm on the wolf’s forehead and then zap, they’re gone, only to materialize in familiar surroundings. shiro winces, frowning. ]
… This is my cube. [ he’s standing by his bed, watching the wolf trot across the space and wondering if the wolf got confused with the bed talk. ] We really need to work on your sense of direc– hey.
[ the wolf is up on his hind legs, big paws on the counter and nose pressed forward, bumping through the little tower of ramen boxes shiro has amassed. sharp teeth catch at one package and then the wolf swings off the counter, coming back toward shiro with the cup of noodles dangling from his mouth. ]
You want some – oh. [ it just clicks. solitary confinement isn’t known for its five star accommodations. he steps closer and takes the ramen box. ] For Keith? [ he rips back the paper container, breathing out a heh. ]
Smart pup.
[ seemingly proud, the wolf’s tongue lolls out of his mouth and his tail swishes back an’ forth, knocking against shiro’s leg as he walks by. it takes some careful maneuvering with the hot plate, but shiro gets the cup of noodles filled and heated, soon turning back to the wolf. ]
Ready?
[ the wolf butts his head to shiro’s thigh and then they’re off again. it only takes a fraction of a moment. shiro blinks a few times in quick succession and takes in the thick, non-balsa wood door in front of him, gaze settling on the small, barred window. he steps closer, face craned in close to the bars to see someone very small and very defeated. ]
Keith… hey…
[ already, his heart feels heavy. seeing keith in any sort of distress isn’t easy. he makes an attempt for a smile and the softest of teases, wanting to brighten some of the dreariness. ]
needlessly long per usual. also, assume kosmo can't teleport inside the cell bc alien bs magic
lounging on the cot stashed at the other end of the shipping container is the space wolf, who lifts his head and stares over at shiro. ]
Hey, boy.
[ only for the wolf to lay his head back down over his paws, snuffling loudly through his snout. okay. fair. ]
You’re still mad at me, huh? [ funny, it used to be the other way around between them. ] I’m sorry I dragged you off the bed.
[ shiro’s been good. shiro’s been patient, gracious and charitable, but there are only so many mornings that he can wake up to find that his spooning spot has been overtaken, somehow, by a space wolf, before he snaps. apparently, three mornings ago had been that limit.
oh well. he isn’t here to foster a truce between him and keith’s good boy. remembering that, shiro glances around the cube, looking for a clue as to where keith may have gone. the fact that his tablet is resting there on the counter and not off somewhere with keith is concerning, he supposes. he shouldn’t look, he knows he shouldn’t, but he justifies it by telling himself he only means to check if his message has been read. if it has, that would give him some sort of timeframe of when keith had been here last. will that help him any? maybe, maybe not, but seeing as he has so very little else to go off of…
he picks up the tablet and wakes the screen, only to find a different message already open.
misconduct.
misconduct.
ah. again?
perhaps there’s something humorous about keith being charged with grand theft auto given their history, but no piece of shiro feels like laughing. he reads over the verdicts and skims over the community services, blocking out the majority of it to solely focus on solitary confinement. that’s where keith is right now, huh?
shiro lets out a bone-weary sigh and places down the tablet, giving himself exactly ten seconds to do nothing else except breathe. it stems the panic, squashes the disappointment, softens the frustration, and by the last exhale, he’s equipped with patience, understanding, and step-one to a plan. ]
How about we make a deal? [ he walks over to the cot, watching the wolf’s ears flick toward him, even though his head doesn’t budge. ]
I’ll reinstate your bed privileges if you bring me to Keith. That fair?
[ apparently it is, because it doesn’t take long for the wolf to lift his head, look at shiro, and then shift his weight over, craning his head close in what shiro assumes to be a hold on. he does so by placing his palm on the wolf’s forehead and then zap, they’re gone, only to materialize in familiar surroundings. shiro winces, frowning. ]
… This is my cube. [ he’s standing by his bed, watching the wolf trot across the space and wondering if the wolf got confused with the bed talk. ] We really need to work on your sense of direc– hey.
[ the wolf is up on his hind legs, big paws on the counter and nose pressed forward, bumping through the little tower of ramen boxes shiro has amassed. sharp teeth catch at one package and then the wolf swings off the counter, coming back toward shiro with the cup of noodles dangling from his mouth. ]
You want some – oh. [ it just clicks. solitary confinement isn’t known for its five star accommodations. he steps closer and takes the ramen box. ] For Keith? [ he rips back the paper container, breathing out a heh. ]
Smart pup.
[ seemingly proud, the wolf’s tongue lolls out of his mouth and his tail swishes back an’ forth, knocking against shiro’s leg as he walks by. it takes some careful maneuvering with the hot plate, but shiro gets the cup of noodles filled and heated, soon turning back to the wolf. ]
Ready?
[ the wolf butts his head to shiro’s thigh and then they’re off again. it only takes a fraction of a moment. shiro blinks a few times in quick succession and takes in the thick, non-balsa wood door in front of him, gaze settling on the small, barred window. he steps closer, face craned in close to the bars to see someone very small and very defeated. ]
Keith… hey…
[ already, his heart feels heavy. seeing keith in any sort of distress isn’t easy. he makes an attempt for a smile and the softest of teases, wanting to brighten some of the dreariness. ]
Can’t stay outta trouble, can you?