whatsacactus | (no subject)

Agreed.

[A few things he learned from the Garrison, a lot of other things he learned from Krolia during that time alone. She helped him learn how to read areas, how to pick the best places for shelter, the best structures to build with what pieces he can find.

He takes the canteen back and swallows a little, looking over the side at Black.]

...She seems proud.

[Then sighs. The canteen gets put back with their gear and he sets to work on gathering small debris for a fire.]

Could you set out some rocks for this?

She seems like she's going to get a stern lecture later.

[He's still annoyed at you, Lion. That pride might be a touch tinged with smugness when he speaks, but her presence stays a warm comfort. She sheltered him for so long. He closes his eyes and lets the sensation wash over him, its familiarity bracing.

He does smile a little, though, at Keith giving him direction. He's really come into his own as a leader, owning up to all the potential Shiro saw in him so many years ago. He does as he's been asked wordlessly, gathering up enough to make a ring. It's hard going with only one hand, but he manages it. Nearby, some of the plants are dry and cracked, long-dead. He pulls them out of the rock face and breaks one open. Seems okay. If it releases any sort of noxious fume when burnt, the area's open enough it shouldn't do more than give them a headache. Still, better not build too large a fire right away.]

I don't suppose you brought any matches?

[He sounds faintly amused. Here they are, brought to this place by one of the most advanced weapons in the known universe, at a loss for a firestarter. Of course.

Oh, he's well aware they both know how to start one in the absence of a fire source, but it's slow going.]

[He finds what amounts to a small armful of twigs and broken branches and brings them over to the ring. Oh but. He laughs at that.]

Not on me, no. Probably something in those supplies. Looks like they were stocked just in case.

[He doesn't move the rocks at all, just starts setting up.]

Do you... remember a lot? From when you were there? with Black, I mean.

[He toes one of the rocks into the ring he'd set up, just to complete its symmetry, and then he goes to look through the emergency pack. He'd added a few things to its existing cache when he realized Black had one. It never hurts to be prepared, and old Earth habits die hard. Flashlight, matches, fishing line. Right. He'd forgotten.

That, at least. Not--]

Yeah. Everything. Most things. It's-- hard to explain.

[He falls silent, shakes the box of matches lightly in his hand. Then, once Keith has piled the wood up in something approximating an appropriate pile, he crouches down beside the stone ring ready to light it.

He really doesn't want to articulate it. He doesn't even want to think about it. He's been so close to dead so many times-- but. It isn't fair, that he's the one that gets to cheat death. That he gets to come back. What's dead should stay that way.

Soft,]

Sometimes I didn't exist. But when I did, I remember.

[Keith quietly hms at that. He doesn't want to poke at it too much. Whatever happened there is Shiro's business, as far as he's concerned. But he is curious about one thing.]

And you got to talk with her? Or.. I guess she doesn't really talk.

[He's only ever gotten growls or purrs or impressions of thoughts from Black and Red. Red he could read easily. Red would come across the universe and attack for him. Black... seemed a bit more subtle than that most of the time.

Instead of continuing with an actual question, he holds his hand out for the matches about the same time there's a poof sort of sound and Shadows is landing next to him.]

Good of you to join us. Finally.

No. She doesn't talk. She just--

[The noise he makes is a little frustrated. Not at her, but at his own inability to express exactly what it felt like.]

Feels.

[It's the best he's got. He puts the matches into Keith's hand and when Shadow appears into being, he has a momentary kneejerk fight or flight response. Pulse quickening, he shifts one foot into a defensive stance.

Calming himself down takes an ironclad effort, but he does it and echoes Keith's greeting to her with a little hey.]

[Shadow sort of gives Keith a look with her wolf face, but pads over to Shiro, butting her head against him.]

That's... Sort of how Red was. [Before he started piloting Black. Nowadays, he isn't sure how she feels about him. He misses piloting her a lot.

Matches in hand, he strikes one and brings it to the pile, covering his nose and mouth with his free arm. Just in case the fumes are toxic. He doesn't smell anything when it starts smoking and it seems like it's safe enough.]

If there're trees like this, there've got to be animals we can eat. [He's still ignoring his injuries. He still hasn't actually gotten himself looked over.]

Yeah. We can go hunting tomorrow if needs be.

[He doesn't like the idea of stepping on an alien planet and killing things to survive, but. He'll do it if he has to.

After a moment,]

Do you miss her?

[He's still not entirely clear on what happened there, besides the obvious changes to the Roster. He's... surprised that Red went to Lance. It doesn't seem like an especially suitable match-up.

He sits on the ground beside the fire as it starts to take off, one leg drawn up, his arm wrapped around it.]

[He sits, Shadow coming to lay against his leg and rest her head on his lap. Keith sighs and starts idly stroking her fur as he watches the flames - green at the center, glowing bright blue at the edges.]

I do. I don't know if I told you what happened when I got her off the Galra ship, but I-- Risked a lot to get her. And I know she's risked a lot to help me.

[How many times was he flung into space that she came? That she felt he was in danger and had no hesitation to protect him? He has no doubts Black would do the same (she did there, at the end, didn't she?) but it feels different.

There's a memory that comes to mind as they sit here. The two of them, stranded on an unknown planet, sharing a fire he built. Last time Keith told Shiro nothing would happen to him.

This time, Shiro had already died and Keith did everything he could. Odd, how that works out.]

They're incredible entities.

[He's never felt unworthy of Black's love and deep affection, but he's-- unsteady, now. Off balance in more ways than one. It's not only Keith's admission, but everything else. His place in the universe. He knows that he can still pilot her, but he's not her pilot anymore, which means he's no longer the leader of the Paladins. If he had to hand the mantle off to anyone, he's glad it went to Keith, but--

For maybe the first time in his life, Shiro doesn't have an answer when he asks himself, what now?]

Do you think it's fate? All of us meeting the way we did. Coming to Arus, Voltron. Everything.

No.

[He's firm on that answer. With everything in the universe, the idea of fate, some predetermined thing deciding his future isn't something he's willing to put stock in. His choices are his own.

He looks down at Shadow, licking his fingertips without even lifting her head from his lap and smiles a little.]

You're gonna get lazy, you keep this up.

[Maybe he'd have been able to say it as decisively as that when he was Keith's age, too. Now he's not so sure what he believes in.

He holds his hand out to the fire, warming it as the sun dips below the horizon. The air is cool but not cold, he doesn't think it'll get too much worse than it is now.]

Maybe that's the whole point.

[He glances back to where Black is sitting, his expression slightly askew.]

Maybe she's telling us we need a vacation.

You think?

[He looks down at Shadow, then at Black at the bottom of the canyon.]

Then why not bring everyone else? They could use one too.

[There's a suspicion nagging in the back of his mind, one he doesn't want to entertain. It'd be too selfish to think it consciously.]

Maybe there's something about this place she wanted us to see. Maybe the others were brought different places at the same time. Or maybe it's just Black. Always has had a mind of her own.

[It aligned with his, most of the time.]

Mm. I guess we'll find out tomorrow.

[He brings his eyes away from Black to watch the sun finish setting and darkness surround them and their small fire. Keith makes sure the bedroll is on flat earth, offering it to Shiro and intending to keep watch. He finds a rock to put his back to and his knife in one hand. Ready. Just in case.

But the most he hears is some scurrying of small animals coming to investigate their fire, and some flying creatures in the distance that don't sound too predatory. Nothing that gets his danger sense piqued.]

[He knows why Keith's doing it, so he doesn't protest too mightily. Just nods, and heads to bed.]

Wake me in four hours. I'll take second watch.

[... Keith probably won't, but Shiro has a fairly good internal sense of time. He should be able to wake up regardless.]

[Shiro's right that he won't. He'd rather let him sleep as much as he can while they're able.

At some point in the night, he gets up to look around their area, finding some plants with large blossoms that look close enough to fruit that he's willing to try. They don't taste great, but they don't poison him either, so he grabs a few to bring back.

By the time Shiro wakes up, it's clear Keith is about at his limit. He's sat leaning against the rock, knife in his hand slipping as he fights to stay awake. He didn't dare risk undressing to check his wounds over from everything; he wanted to be ready for anything.]

[He has memories like this, from kinder times. One night, they stayed up in the dorm's common room watching movies until 0400, and Keith ended up curled up in one corner fast asleep by the time they finished their Harry Potter marathon.

(Shiro had picked him up and carried him back to his bunk. Kinder times.)

Now, he just yawns, runs a hand through his hair and comes to sit down beside him. Bumps his shoulder gently.]

Hey. I told you to wake me.

[It's not really a reprimand. By his tone, he fully expected it.]

[Keith shifts easy with the bump, catching himself on one hand.]

You needed the rest.

[But with Shiro awake, he sheaths the knife away and rests his head back.]

Nothing happened, so there wasn't a reason to wake you up.

[Gently,]

That's not the point of taking shifts. You can't do everything yourself, Keith.

[He exhales, reaches for one of the fruits Keith brought back. He wouldn't have done that if it were poisonous, so Shiro starts idly peeling it.]

How're your injuries?

[He shrugs.] Sore.

[But he's glad to see Shiro going for food without him prompting. It means he's got his appetite. Progress.]

We should look around more. See what we can find after you eat. If this had something to do with Zarkon, there's bound to be something else here.

[It's not a matter of appetite, it's simply one of duty. He needs to stay in good shape so he can protect not only himself, but Keith as well.]

No. We wait for the sunrise. We're not going to stumble around in the dark, and you need your rest. You hit the control panel pretty hard in the crash.

[Don't think he didn't see that, Keith. He's kinda not-so-subtly calling you out on your bullshit rn.]

[He doesn't want to argue, not right now and not with Shiro. Not after everything. Shiro's kept his tone from dipping into too stern, too angry, but he still hears what the clone said clear as day. He knows it isn't what Shiro really thinks but... Seeing it. He won't forget it that easily.

He hesitates, then summons the black bayard from its storage in his armor and holds it out for Shiro. As far as he's concerned. Shiro's still the black paladin.]

Wake me if something happens.

[It's clear he isn't happy about sleeping and leaving Shiro alone. But he knows it's the best thing he can do right now. He half-stumbles to the bedroll and climbs in.]

[He takes it with an odd reluctance. It feels unnatural in his off-hand, and he never really used it anyway. But if he's going to protect them, he'll need it. Even without the prosthetic, he isn't helpless, but neither is he at his best.

He nods, and sets up watch overlooking the canyon. Shadow pads over and presses against his side, and then disappears to stand over Keith. When Shiro looks over at him later, the wolf is curled against his back, head on its paws, tail over its nose.

The night is uneventful, and by morning Shiro's rigged up a sort of pot and is cooking those fruits into a surprisingly tasty ... breakfast stew sludge. Thing.]

Hey. How're you feeling now?

[It's the first long sleep he's had since he met back up with the team. It isn't exactly peaceful, between the soreness and the dreams. Shouting, pain. All the images of Shiro in tubes falling to their unknowing death on that planet.

More than once he jerks awake, only to be warmed by the wolf at his back and drifts back to fitful sleep.

The smell of the food gets his attention about the third time he wakes up, pushing himself up slowly and looking bleary-eyed at the set up.]

....Like I got run over.