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hewwo!!!!!
Hope you're having a super duper day! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*.✧
I wuv youuuuuu
[There's a pause before his next text.]
okay but seriously
Are you doing okay?
Hope you're having a super duper day! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*.✧
I wuv youuuuuu
[There's a pause before his next text.]
okay but seriously
Are you doing okay?
[ what.
what did he just read....... ]
sure i shouldn't be asking if you're ok?
[ and yes, ofc he's deflecting . why talk about how he's doing when he could be talking about literally anything other than how he's feeling as a result of public humiliation. ]
what did he just read....... ]
sure i shouldn't be asking if you're ok?
[ and yes, ofc he's deflecting . why talk about how he's doing when he could be talking about literally anything other than how he's feeling as a result of public humiliation. ]
I'm doing fine??? I'm not the one who went through punishment??
Just want to know if you're resting well. Are you sore?
Just want to know if you're resting well. Are you sore?
Hey...
[There's a small pause as she tries to figure out what to say.]
Just wanted to see how you were doing after everything. You also looked like you had a few questions for me before we got caught. If you want to ask feel free to find me in one of the yards this afternoon. I'll be glad to explain things.
[There's a small pause as she tries to figure out what to say.]
Just wanted to see how you were doing after everything. You also looked like you had a few questions for me before we got caught. If you want to ask feel free to find me in one of the yards this afternoon. I'll be glad to explain things.
[ honestly? with the way everything shook out for the three of them, keith is a little relieved to know angel's still talking to him. she hadn't said anything to indicate she blamed either him or lance of course, but keith's track record of stable friendships isn't exactly great when there isn't some existential war that requires teamwork at play. ]
Hey, yourself. [ thanks for checking in, it's appreciated. ] Could ask that question right back atcha. Are you doing okay? I did want to ask you stuff about surviving in your world. Is that still okay?
[ frankly, he;s not sure how touchy of a subject angel's world is to her. frankly, dealing with allura and then later romelle, has given him an abudance of caution when it comes to the topic of home. ]
Hey, yourself. [ thanks for checking in, it's appreciated. ] Could ask that question right back atcha. Are you doing okay? I did want to ask you stuff about surviving in your world. Is that still okay?
[ frankly, he;s not sure how touchy of a subject angel's world is to her. frankly, dealing with allura and then later romelle, has given him an abudance of caution when it comes to the topic of home. ]
I don't mind talking about home. It's a bit much to talk about over this thing and I don't trust the warden isn't listening in.
[You can almost hear her shrug.]
I am a survivor. Solitary is wasn't too bad. I've been stuck alone for longer before though I do miss my dog.
[You can almost hear her shrug.]
I am a survivor. Solitary is wasn't too bad. I've been stuck alone for longer before though I do miss my dog.
Yeah. I met him in a scrapyard shortly after leaving the Vault. He saved my ass many times.
[There's a small pause for a moment.]
I'll see you out there in 10 minutes.
[She's out there, tank top and booty shorts on. Scars be damned. It's a bit too warm for anything else.]
This is a bit better.
[There's a small pause for a moment.]
I'll see you out there in 10 minutes.
[She's out there, tank top and booty shorts on. Scars be damned. It's a bit too warm for anything else.]
This is a bit better.
[ with the disastrous job fair now behind them, keith's since taken the time to calm down from from the fugue of rage and panic. frankly, he doesn't wholly remember who finally dragged him away from the graveyard of smashed robot bits struggling to stitch themselves back together, nor does he know exactly why he'd had such a white-knuckled grip on a corn cob dildo. the second he'd been dragged back to his cube, he'd simply fallen asleep and only upon waking late in the evening that he's had to stitch and frankenstein the event back together.
maybe an accurate recollection of the timeline doesn't even matter. what's happened has already happened. what's left is how to proceed forward and keith knows with finality that things can't fucking continue like this if this is the trajectory of the future.
so. the lighthouse had been a bust overall. having little to show for his incursion into the property, keith tries not to be overly frustrated and focus on the otherside of the forked path past the fenced off gate. it's hard to tell what it is exactly form where they are in the prison, but it looked like some kind of facility. something important. perhals the lighthouse was just a smokescreen after all and the warden had been trying to keep prying eyes away from the plant?
whatever the case may be, keith is not longer so content to simply sit still and wait for the next generation of sex robots to show up and molest them all. the last time, someone had likely snitched on him, lance and angel so this time -- this time, he'll bide his time just a little longer. wait for an hour where the majority are likely to be asleep before sneaking out to stake out the property to plan out a proper reconnaissance mission. no lance, no angel, no teammates for back up.
just him. alone. keith doesn't want to be in a nother situation where he's indirectly responsible for someone else getting punished. and yeah -- that's likely going to piss off shiro and the others, but that's only if keith gets caught sneaking around alone, right? what the paladins don't know can't hurt them.
so mind made up, keith puts on the pieces of his paladin armor and sits on the floor of his cube, cross legged to meditate quietly. ]
maybe an accurate recollection of the timeline doesn't even matter. what's happened has already happened. what's left is how to proceed forward and keith knows with finality that things can't fucking continue like this if this is the trajectory of the future.
so. the lighthouse had been a bust overall. having little to show for his incursion into the property, keith tries not to be overly frustrated and focus on the otherside of the forked path past the fenced off gate. it's hard to tell what it is exactly form where they are in the prison, but it looked like some kind of facility. something important. perhals the lighthouse was just a smokescreen after all and the warden had been trying to keep prying eyes away from the plant?
whatever the case may be, keith is not longer so content to simply sit still and wait for the next generation of sex robots to show up and molest them all. the last time, someone had likely snitched on him, lance and angel so this time -- this time, he'll bide his time just a little longer. wait for an hour where the majority are likely to be asleep before sneaking out to stake out the property to plan out a proper reconnaissance mission. no lance, no angel, no teammates for back up.
just him. alone. keith doesn't want to be in a nother situation where he's indirectly responsible for someone else getting punished. and yeah -- that's likely going to piss off shiro and the others, but that's only if keith gets caught sneaking around alone, right? what the paladins don't know can't hurt them.
so mind made up, keith puts on the pieces of his paladin armor and sits on the floor of his cube, cross legged to meditate quietly. ]
[ to think, shiro started off the day thinking better of their alien overlords. not significantly, no, but the job fair had given him the smallest amount of hope that they had options here. at the very least, it’s a show of freedom and choice that he didn’t receive with the galra or the druids. that counts for something? or did, up until the jnnfrs and the like went rogue. the deputies got a handle on the situation before it could get out of communal; just…it took awhile. enough time for team voltron to take a few hits.
shiro worries about all four of them. he knows pidge is dealing with a sliced leg. lance and hunk are traumatized in their own ways. and keith… – shiro has been rounding back on him the most. see, the thing is… those bots weren’t all that different from the punishment machine of a week or so ago. the packaging had been different and they were far harder to dispose of, but that’s about as far as differences go; the rest was precisely the same, especially in terms of intent. keith’s reaction to them went about as well as shiro could expect.
he’s been looping back to that twenty minute window over and over for hours: of keith wielding a dildo of all things, half crazed standing among the wreckage of machinery and technology. that hadn’t even been the most concerning part. that had been pulling keith away from that and outside. to then bring him to his cube and watch him almost immediately pass out, whether by exhaustion or self-preservation. the thing is… shiro can’t decide which aftermath had been worse: keith sprayed with aphro and pawing at shiro relentlessly or keith shuddering and shaking apart, so utterly rattled to be faced with those bots.
at least he kept his own. at least keith didn’t fall apart in the heat of battle. that’s better than what shiro’s done any time he’s faced with a brutal reminder of the dark spots in his past. isn’t about me... – he sighs and rubs at his temples, sitting there at his shitty table inside his cube, simultaneously wondering why he’s still awake while also knowing exactly why he’s still awake. maybe he should’ve stayed with keith. the kid was out before shiro could properly talk to him and now, whenever he wakes up, he’ll be disorientated, confused, panicked…?
no. he’s safe in his cube. he’ll know he’s safe. he’ll stay tucked in bed until shiro checks on him in the morning.
… in takes twelve more minutes before shiro admits to himself that he doesn’t buy that.
it’s pretty fucking dark when he exits his cube. the warden has skimped on light fixtures. it’s okay though, because shiro knows the path well to keith’s cube. to all the paladin’s cubes, really. he may not check in with them every single day for a play by play, but he has at least made a point to familiarize himself with the basics. it doesn’t take more than a few minutes to find himself at keith’s door, only for him to then wonder what the plan is from this point. knock? why? if he’s sleeping, he wants him to stay sleeping. barge in? can’t. his anklet doesn’t give him access to keith’s cube and shiro certainly isn’t going to carve out a hole in the shipping container to let himself in.
he just wants to be here when keith wakes up.
so he settles with the thought that it’s nice enough out and he’s awake enough, that standing guard isn’t too much trouble. or better yet, sitting guard. off to the side of the door, he sits on the dirt and rests his back to the cube, head tilted back to start mapping out unfamiliar clusters of stars as he waits. ]
shiro worries about all four of them. he knows pidge is dealing with a sliced leg. lance and hunk are traumatized in their own ways. and keith… – shiro has been rounding back on him the most. see, the thing is… those bots weren’t all that different from the punishment machine of a week or so ago. the packaging had been different and they were far harder to dispose of, but that’s about as far as differences go; the rest was precisely the same, especially in terms of intent. keith’s reaction to them went about as well as shiro could expect.
he’s been looping back to that twenty minute window over and over for hours: of keith wielding a dildo of all things, half crazed standing among the wreckage of machinery and technology. that hadn’t even been the most concerning part. that had been pulling keith away from that and outside. to then bring him to his cube and watch him almost immediately pass out, whether by exhaustion or self-preservation. the thing is… shiro can’t decide which aftermath had been worse: keith sprayed with aphro and pawing at shiro relentlessly or keith shuddering and shaking apart, so utterly rattled to be faced with those bots.
at least he kept his own. at least keith didn’t fall apart in the heat of battle. that’s better than what shiro’s done any time he’s faced with a brutal reminder of the dark spots in his past. isn’t about me... – he sighs and rubs at his temples, sitting there at his shitty table inside his cube, simultaneously wondering why he’s still awake while also knowing exactly why he’s still awake. maybe he should’ve stayed with keith. the kid was out before shiro could properly talk to him and now, whenever he wakes up, he’ll be disorientated, confused, panicked…?
no. he’s safe in his cube. he’ll know he’s safe. he’ll stay tucked in bed until shiro checks on him in the morning.
… in takes twelve more minutes before shiro admits to himself that he doesn’t buy that.
it’s pretty fucking dark when he exits his cube. the warden has skimped on light fixtures. it’s okay though, because shiro knows the path well to keith’s cube. to all the paladin’s cubes, really. he may not check in with them every single day for a play by play, but he has at least made a point to familiarize himself with the basics. it doesn’t take more than a few minutes to find himself at keith’s door, only for him to then wonder what the plan is from this point. knock? why? if he’s sleeping, he wants him to stay sleeping. barge in? can’t. his anklet doesn’t give him access to keith’s cube and shiro certainly isn’t going to carve out a hole in the shipping container to let himself in.
he just wants to be here when keith wakes up.
so he settles with the thought that it’s nice enough out and he’s awake enough, that standing guard isn’t too much trouble. or better yet, sitting guard. off to the side of the door, he sits on the dirt and rests his back to the cube, head tilted back to start mapping out unfamiliar clusters of stars as he waits. ]
[ keith goes over the plan multiple times in his head. after he'd slashed through the high tension barbed wire fence weeks ago, he's kept an eye on reconstruction efforts as they were and -- well, turns out they never actually repaired the fence so much as posted additional drones to guard the area. keith's been watching the activity from afar and by now he's pretty sure they adhere to a very regular and thus very exploitable rotating schedule. it shouldn't take much effort to slip through the hole when the guards are rotating shifts which should give him a solid three hours of recon time around the plant before the next shift change.
is this foolproof? no. but he's not going to attempt an infiltration of the building itself unless absolutey necessary. or if the opportunity presents itself to do so without arousing suspicion. again, he suspects the others won't like this, but he refuses to be the reason anyone else has to make another post crying to the network about their misconducts.
from within his cube, he gets up and glances at the time on his tablet. thirty minutes to go before the next scheduled shift change. it'll take far less time than that for keith to get up to the barbed wire fence, but he stands up anyway, a whole restlessness making him itch for movement. he paces from one end of his cube to the other, then feeling thoroughly unsatisfied decides to poke his head out to glances around and see if he can spot light poking through the doors of the cubes of his neighbors.
what he's not expecting is a large shadow of a man crouched by his cube door. keith flinches, instinctively, twitchily reaching for his knife before pausing, sounding confused. ]
Shiro?
is this foolproof? no. but he's not going to attempt an infiltration of the building itself unless absolutey necessary. or if the opportunity presents itself to do so without arousing suspicion. again, he suspects the others won't like this, but he refuses to be the reason anyone else has to make another post crying to the network about their misconducts.
from within his cube, he gets up and glances at the time on his tablet. thirty minutes to go before the next scheduled shift change. it'll take far less time than that for keith to get up to the barbed wire fence, but he stands up anyway, a whole restlessness making him itch for movement. he paces from one end of his cube to the other, then feeling thoroughly unsatisfied decides to poke his head out to glances around and see if he can spot light poking through the doors of the cubes of his neighbors.
what he's not expecting is a large shadow of a man crouched by his cube door. keith flinches, instinctively, twitchily reaching for his knife before pausing, sounding confused. ]
Shiro?
[ he wonders if the library has an astronomy book. it wouldn’t hurt to learn the constellations, assuming he has a way of translating the gibberish text. this is a bad move on his part; now, he’s thinking less of the stars and a lot more about the library itself. or more accurately, a certain person he sort of, not really met at the library. their last meeting spot isn’t so far from here either. it’s been a few days now and still, any time he so much as thinks about what happened there, he feels a touch warm. the clench in his lower abdomen is concerning too, as well as the way his next breath is always unsteady.
of course, this is when the door opens. startled out of his thoughts, shiro jerks his spine straight and whips his head in that direction. at least it’s dark enough that it mutes his abrupt movements, as well as his wide eyes.
oh. it’s keith. of course it’s keith. ]
Yeah, uh – it’s me. [ a beat. ] Hi.
of course, this is when the door opens. startled out of his thoughts, shiro jerks his spine straight and whips his head in that direction. at least it’s dark enough that it mutes his abrupt movements, as well as his wide eyes.
oh. it’s keith. of course it’s keith. ]
Yeah, uh – it’s me. [ a beat. ] Hi.
... hi?
[ keith lets out a breath ,relaxing as thoughts of voyeurs, stalkers and creeps fade to the wayside. the relief is short lived however when it occurs to him that shiro wouldn't randomly be sitting outside his cube and thus probably wants to talk about something. if there's one thing keith truly hates about this place, it's how it's instilled a new dread in him over the prospect of talking to his best friend. swallowing hard and trying to shake out the tension in his shoulders, keith shoots for something nonchalant. ]
You uh... having a party by yourself out here?
[ keith lets out a breath ,relaxing as thoughts of voyeurs, stalkers and creeps fade to the wayside. the relief is short lived however when it occurs to him that shiro wouldn't randomly be sitting outside his cube and thus probably wants to talk about something. if there's one thing keith truly hates about this place, it's how it's instilled a new dread in him over the prospect of talking to his best friend. swallowing hard and trying to shake out the tension in his shoulders, keith shoots for something nonchalant. ]
You uh... having a party by yourself out here?
Not quite.
[ he laughs a little, just to take the edge of the awkwardness he can feel beginning to shroud him. a push has him climbing to his feet and a brush as his backside gets off a small dusting of dirt. ]
I know this is unusual to drop in on you like this. [ to put it mildly. he’s smiling in that concerned, yet encouraging way of his as he turns fully to keith, taking a step closer. ] After what happened, I wanted to be here when you woke up and make sure… [ you’re okay. except, he stops short when his brain recognizes what it is he’s seeing. ]
You’re in your armor.
[ why is the unspoken question. ]
[ he laughs a little, just to take the edge of the awkwardness he can feel beginning to shroud him. a push has him climbing to his feet and a brush as his backside gets off a small dusting of dirt. ]
I know this is unusual to drop in on you like this. [ to put it mildly. he’s smiling in that concerned, yet encouraging way of his as he turns fully to keith, taking a step closer. ] After what happened, I wanted to be here when you woke up and make sure… [ you’re okay. except, he stops short when his brain recognizes what it is he’s seeing. ]
You’re in your armor.
[ why is the unspoken question. ]
[ shiro has only the best intentions and yet the implication that keith needs checking up on needles at his pride. he's not a delicate thing that can't handle a bit of stress, alright? but even as his annoyance prickles, keith knows it's a little misplaced. he takes a breath, tries to shake it off only to immediately have an unspoken accusation turned his way. taken aback, keith doesn't navigate this eloquently. ]
Uh...... [ he glances down at his armor clad body, then looks back up at shiro. ] Yeah.
[ it's almost funny. what seems like a a lifetime ago, allura had caught him sneaking around the pods at night dressed in full armor. somehow he doubts this exchange will go any better. ]
Just.. wanted to go for a walk.
Uh...... [ he glances down at his armor clad body, then looks back up at shiro. ] Yeah.
[ it's almost funny. what seems like a a lifetime ago, allura had caught him sneaking around the pods at night dressed in full armor. somehow he doubts this exchange will go any better. ]
Just.. wanted to go for a walk.
[ keith. please. let shiro hover once in awhile. though, considering what happened the last time shiro insisted on looking after keith, keith wound up with soiled pants and cramped arms from a nap spent handcuffed to the bed. right here, right now, shiro doesn’t have the attention span to nitpick keith for any signs of annoyance, so he’s altogether blind to the way in which he’s, supposedly, overstepped.
in fact, he’s in favor of stepping further and does so, with another few steps that bring him closer to the door. it grants him a better look at keith, who is, of course, dressed in full armor. now, the prison isn’t exactly safe, shiro gets that, so armor isn’t a bad idea. but if safety is the concern, why go stomping around in the middle of the night?
… shiro gets a free pass because he had a purpose and a destination. keith here? doesn’t. unless… ]
A walk where?
[ eyes slightly narrowed, there’s a hint of suspicion there. he can’t imagine keith is just out for some fresh air. ]
in fact, he’s in favor of stepping further and does so, with another few steps that bring him closer to the door. it grants him a better look at keith, who is, of course, dressed in full armor. now, the prison isn’t exactly safe, shiro gets that, so armor isn’t a bad idea. but if safety is the concern, why go stomping around in the middle of the night?
… shiro gets a free pass because he had a purpose and a destination. keith here? doesn’t. unless… ]
A walk where?
[ eyes slightly narrowed, there’s a hint of suspicion there. he can’t imagine keith is just out for some fresh air. ]
[ fuck. of course there's a follow up question. ]
Oh you know. Around.
[ silence hangs for two beats before even keith has to admit that the answer is wholly unsatisfying in addition to being suspicious. ]
Around the complex. Doing a perimeter check.
[ a perimeter check that includes a perimeter of forbidden territory, that is. keith is almost proud of himself for coming up with something that gives him plausible deniability here, butsomehow he doubts shiro will make that easy. ]
Oh you know. Around.
[ silence hangs for two beats before even keith has to admit that the answer is wholly unsatisfying in addition to being suspicious. ]
Around the complex. Doing a perimeter check.
[ a perimeter check that includes a perimeter of forbidden territory, that is. keith is almost proud of himself for coming up with something that gives him plausible deniability here, butsomehow he doubts shiro will make that easy. ]
[ does the story check out? maybe, maybe not. with how distraught keith had been earlier, shiro can maybe believe that he’s anxious enough to run a check, just to ensure that no more rogue robots have escaped to harass other inmates. but shiro would have believed that more easily if he hadn’t started off with oh you know. that sounds a lot like stalling. stalling long enough to throw together a lie.
or at the very least, a half-truth.
either way, lying or not, it doesn’t matter. if keith is suited up and doing a parameter check of the compound at ass o’clock, middle of the night, and shiro happens to be in the same vicinity, then – ]
In that case, I’m coming with you.
or at the very least, a half-truth.
either way, lying or not, it doesn’t matter. if keith is suited up and doing a parameter check of the compound at ass o’clock, middle of the night, and shiro happens to be in the same vicinity, then – ]
In that case, I’m coming with you.
No!
[ it's an overreaction and the nanosecond after the word's left keith's mouth, his shoulders sag, defeated. scrubbing down his face with his gloved hand, keith grimaces and reiws again, tone softer this time and pleading. ]
Shiro, I don't want you getting in trouble, okay? I can't handle you getting in trouble on my account. SO just... [ he looks to the ground, swallowing once before shooting shiro a chagrined expression. ]
Please.
[ it's an overreaction and the nanosecond after the word's left keith's mouth, his shoulders sag, defeated. scrubbing down his face with his gloved hand, keith grimaces and reiws again, tone softer this time and pleading. ]
Shiro, I don't want you getting in trouble, okay? I can't handle you getting in trouble on my account. SO just... [ he looks to the ground, swallowing once before shooting shiro a chagrined expression. ]
Please.
[ voice far too loud and reaction far too strong, keith blows it. there goes all of keith’s plausible deniability. the chances of shiro willingly stepping aside and allowing keith to go off wherever dials down to zero. perimeter check, right. suspicious before and outright unconvinced now, shiro crosses his arms over his chest and stands a little more centered in the path of the doorway.
truthfully? he’s annoyed in some small capacity. he doesn’t like being misled, especially after what happened at the job fair. shiro’s concerned. he feels it’s his right to be concerned about keith, and so, keith deliberately trying to sidestep him with some shoddy cover story, rubs him the wrong way.
so, have an unimpressed look, keith. ]
Why would I be getting into trouble? We’re free to walk the grounds.
[ sure, there are those robotic sentries also patrolling but there is no actual curfew, as far as shiro can tell. ]
truthfully? he’s annoyed in some small capacity. he doesn’t like being misled, especially after what happened at the job fair. shiro’s concerned. he feels it’s his right to be concerned about keith, and so, keith deliberately trying to sidestep him with some shoddy cover story, rubs him the wrong way.
so, have an unimpressed look, keith. ]
Why would I be getting into trouble? We’re free to walk the grounds.
[ sure, there are those robotic sentries also patrolling but there is no actual curfew, as far as shiro can tell. ]
[ as always, shiro's disappointment hits differently. it's one thing when the paladins (lance) get ticked off with him, but when it comes from shiro it makes keith imagine widening rifts and expanding chasms. of all the people in his life that have come and gone, shiro's the one person keith doesn't want to lose -- nor ocer a stubborn sense of pride and certainly not over the routine humiliation that's baked intot he crust of their daily lives at reparacija. he bites his lower lip, drops his gaze. he never wants to fight with shiro ever, but that's just the posture and tone his best firend is taking on now.
keith takes a step backwards into his cube, making a motion for shiro to come inside before shutting the door and taking a deep breath. ]
Listen. I know what you're going to tell me. Don't do it, it's stupid -- and yeah, I hear you. But I can't just sit around here anynore not doing anything while the warden keeps cooking up more messed up things to fucking rape us with, okay?
[ amrs folding around himself, keith takes a more measured breath careful to keep his tone calm. it's easier to speak when his head isn't buzzing with thoughts of the job fair. ]
So I'm going to check out the facility on the other side of the blocked off path.
keith takes a step backwards into his cube, making a motion for shiro to come inside before shutting the door and taking a deep breath. ]
Listen. I know what you're going to tell me. Don't do it, it's stupid -- and yeah, I hear you. But I can't just sit around here anynore not doing anything while the warden keeps cooking up more messed up things to fucking rape us with, okay?
[ amrs folding around himself, keith takes a more measured breath careful to keep his tone calm. it's easier to speak when his head isn't buzzing with thoughts of the job fair. ]
So I'm going to check out the facility on the other side of the blocked off path.
[ when keith backs down, it isn’t victory shiro feels. relief? yes, but it’s tainted by the method in which he had to attain it. shiro never enjoys strong-arming keith into opening up to him. the fact that he has to whip out the dreaded disapproving face and the i’m terribly disappointed in you voice is disheartening. they’re a team, aren’t they? even without the lions a zip-line away, they’re still a team. so what happened to open communication and running things by team leader when plans that affect them all are thrown together?
actually, forget the duty associated with team voltron; shiro and keith are a team. they’re best friends. when did talking to each other become such a trial? heh. probably right around the time he had to use fuzzy handcuffs on said best friend.
shiro doesn’t grimace, but it’s a near thing, as he stands inside keith’s cube, listening to keith attempt to cut him off with don’t do it, it’s stupid, i hear you. he’s not wrong. it is a stupid plan. one that’s lacking thought and comprehension for impending consequences. a frown comes to him, one that furrows tighter the more keith talks and talks and – oh.
rape us. that, combined with keith folding in and hugging himself has shiro’s face relaxing, unintentionally morphing into a more pitying look. not for long, of course, but for a few moments, he understands, he emphasizes and he wants to allow keith whatever it is he needs to do to stop looking like that. only, in the next beat, that want is squashed under the more potent concern and frustration. ]
Need I remind you that this is the same type of plan that got you one on one time with that machine? What happens when you get caught and the Warden again cooks up something specifically for you?
actually, forget the duty associated with team voltron; shiro and keith are a team. they’re best friends. when did talking to each other become such a trial? heh. probably right around the time he had to use fuzzy handcuffs on said best friend.
shiro doesn’t grimace, but it’s a near thing, as he stands inside keith’s cube, listening to keith attempt to cut him off with don’t do it, it’s stupid, i hear you. he’s not wrong. it is a stupid plan. one that’s lacking thought and comprehension for impending consequences. a frown comes to him, one that furrows tighter the more keith talks and talks and – oh.
rape us. that, combined with keith folding in and hugging himself has shiro’s face relaxing, unintentionally morphing into a more pitying look. not for long, of course, but for a few moments, he understands, he emphasizes and he wants to allow keith whatever it is he needs to do to stop looking like that. only, in the next beat, that want is squashed under the more potent concern and frustration. ]
Need I remind you that this is the same type of plan that got you one on one time with that machine? What happens when you get caught and the Warden again cooks up something specifically for you?
[ shiro was never going to approve. that much had been obvious, but it still makes keith's heart sink to the floor. even if approval was too far removed from reality, maybe some part of him was at least hoping to be understood. for a beat there, it had even seemed that way? but the words that end up coming out of shio's mouth are far from that.
not for the first time since becoming a prisoner, keith is faced with the reminder that it's loenly here. that he's lonely here, even though it makes little sense when the entirety of team voltron are around. ]
This is different. The Warden never specified that the facility was out of bounds. Only the lighthouse.
[ the defensiveness is automatic, in part provoked by shiro's more combative refusal to hear him out. there's solid grounds for his reasoning, but obviously the warden isn't likely to be impressed by ruleslawyering. keith grimaces inwardly, then looks up at shiro. ]
What are you even suggesting then? That I just sit still as those fucking robots roama round and do whatever they like? We can't just all sit here forever, you know.
not for the first time since becoming a prisoner, keith is faced with the reminder that it's loenly here. that he's lonely here, even though it makes little sense when the entirety of team voltron are around. ]
This is different. The Warden never specified that the facility was out of bounds. Only the lighthouse.
[ the defensiveness is automatic, in part provoked by shiro's more combative refusal to hear him out. there's solid grounds for his reasoning, but obviously the warden isn't likely to be impressed by ruleslawyering. keith grimaces inwardly, then looks up at shiro. ]
What are you even suggesting then? That I just sit still as those fucking robots roama round and do whatever they like? We can't just all sit here forever, you know.
[ different he says, like the facility isn’t also blocked off and so obviously out of bounds. shiro frowns; he has too much agitated energy at his disposal, but no good outlet for it. the fingers of his left twitch and he’s caught between wanting to cross his arms again and to start pacing. he does neither out of sheer stubbornness; he doesn’t want to showcase how rattled this has him. keith, running off in the middle of the night, setting himself up for disaster with no backup, no deniability, no end goal beyond hoping he manages to find something? does he even know what he’s looking for there?
and hell, of all things to wear when pulling off a black-ops spy gig. sneaking into areas is better done without white armor.
so yes, shiro’s disappointed, for a lot of reasons. keith turning it back on him and asking, yet more so accusing him, certainly doesn’t help matters either. he takes a breath and staves off the urge to snap, and then releases a sigh after a deliberate pause. ]
Don’t be like that. [ his tone is strangely mellowed, even a touch defeated. ] I never implied we would sit around.
[ so that’s what keith thinks of him. a no-good leader, sitting on his hands and leaving his team to be ravaged by the horrors of prison life. heh. he shakes it off, knowing he’s being unfair and petty, assuming the worst of keith. ]
I was talking to Lance. At the fair, before everything happened – he had a solid idea of getting me in to work for the maintenance crew. [ a beat, expression a little more open. encouraging? hopeful? this is a better plan, isn’t it, keith? ] I would have plausible deniability if I got caught snooping around there. We just have to give it time for me to get access.
and hell, of all things to wear when pulling off a black-ops spy gig. sneaking into areas is better done without white armor.
so yes, shiro’s disappointed, for a lot of reasons. keith turning it back on him and asking, yet more so accusing him, certainly doesn’t help matters either. he takes a breath and staves off the urge to snap, and then releases a sigh after a deliberate pause. ]
Don’t be like that. [ his tone is strangely mellowed, even a touch defeated. ] I never implied we would sit around.
[ so that’s what keith thinks of him. a no-good leader, sitting on his hands and leaving his team to be ravaged by the horrors of prison life. heh. he shakes it off, knowing he’s being unfair and petty, assuming the worst of keith. ]
I was talking to Lance. At the fair, before everything happened – he had a solid idea of getting me in to work for the maintenance crew. [ a beat, expression a little more open. encouraging? hopeful? this is a better plan, isn’t it, keith? ] I would have plausible deniability if I got caught snooping around there. We just have to give it time for me to get access.
[ keith's arms stay folded tight around his chest, quite literally holding himself together as he listens. despite wanting to, he doesn't start pacing around the room to blow off some of his agitated energy, but instead fixes himself to the wall, breath held and listening.
there's a lot that shiro doesn't know and keith recognizes that most of that is his fault. his fault for having passively left the task of telling shiro about voltron to pidge, lance and hunk. his fault for always just wanting to shield his best friend from harm and the pain of knowing horific existential trutshs about his demise and return. there's too many things that keith himself doesn't have answers to -- like how shiro had survived within black's consciousness, how time passed in there, how much shiro had been aware of. if shiro is even shiro if his body, the atoms that once made up takashi shirogane are lost to the cosmos.
fuck. keith dwells on it for a beat too long, and he has to duck eye contact immediately to bite the sinside of his cheek. shiro will always be shiro, and getting sidetracked on bullshit armchair phlosophy about the nature of existence is the last thing he needs to be doing right now.
but sickly, something inside him wants to laugh in self beration. of course shiro's plan makes more sense than a rushed attempt to get information. of course. patience yields focus and all that.chest feeling tight, he chokes on the thought that despite all that shiro had once wanted him to lead.
still wants him to lead?
he takes a deep breath and forces a tiny smile. ]
... Lance came up with that?
[ ... fuck. it's not even surprising. despite being a loud mouth, the guy can be solid on planning when he needs to be and frankly this whole "I was busy" line that he'd used to outright avoid keith for weeks suddenly makes him feel so disgustingly juvenile for being hurt.
looks like everyone else is trying to be productive in their own way. what does keith even have to show for anything at this point? smile turning into a grimace, he grips his arms tighter as he slides halfway down the wall. ]
I'm.... sorry.
[ for too many things. ]
there's a lot that shiro doesn't know and keith recognizes that most of that is his fault. his fault for having passively left the task of telling shiro about voltron to pidge, lance and hunk. his fault for always just wanting to shield his best friend from harm and the pain of knowing horific existential trutshs about his demise and return. there's too many things that keith himself doesn't have answers to -- like how shiro had survived within black's consciousness, how time passed in there, how much shiro had been aware of. if shiro is even shiro if his body, the atoms that once made up takashi shirogane are lost to the cosmos.
fuck. keith dwells on it for a beat too long, and he has to duck eye contact immediately to bite the sinside of his cheek. shiro will always be shiro, and getting sidetracked on bullshit armchair phlosophy about the nature of existence is the last thing he needs to be doing right now.
but sickly, something inside him wants to laugh in self beration. of course shiro's plan makes more sense than a rushed attempt to get information. of course. patience yields focus and all that.chest feeling tight, he chokes on the thought that despite all that shiro had once wanted him to lead.
still wants him to lead?
he takes a deep breath and forces a tiny smile. ]
... Lance came up with that?
[ ... fuck. it's not even surprising. despite being a loud mouth, the guy can be solid on planning when he needs to be and frankly this whole "I was busy" line that he'd used to outright avoid keith for weeks suddenly makes him feel so disgustingly juvenile for being hurt.
looks like everyone else is trying to be productive in their own way. what does keith even have to show for anything at this point? smile turning into a grimace, he grips his arms tighter as he slides halfway down the wall. ]
I'm.... sorry.
[ for too many things. ]
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