riverview | [ video @redpaladin ]

haven't done it myself but pretty sure you just ask

yeah?

ok

thx

...Can you, like, not get older? I'd sorta appreciate it.

Um, anyway I can check and see what it takes.

[Locked]

...Why do you need to change your display name?

Sorry... it's a long story.

[He sighed a little, and waited, checking his own privacy settings after she switched over.]

I um... Remember how, when I got the last canister, I found out that I had left Team Voltron? I wasn't sure then, because I knew it wasn't going to be forever, but I wasn't sure where on the team I was going to end up if and when I got back.

But... some stuff happened. [Like that wasn't obvious by the way he looked... all beat up and older.] And uh... I'm back on the team, but not with Red. Not anymore.

You fly a giant space lion, when has anything from home ever been a short story? I just want you not to get so old dating would get weird.

*Fortunately having patience is one of Lola's blessings, just... she has this propriety thing about age. And she kinda likes to know what's going on. No matter how much weird space magic is involved.*

...So... where does that leave you and Red, if you're not her pilot anymore? And now a different lion's pilot? What the heck happened that made you get all older and Shiro all tired?

Sorry... [Keith sounded it, too. He also sounded insanely tired.]

It's a pretty long story. I'm not sure if you're at work right now, but... might be easier to tell you in person.

[And he really did want her to come over anyway. He wanted her here in person with him.]

Can you... come over?

Should I bring food? I'm guessing I should bring food.

*Of course she can come over, but this feels like the sorta situation where she wants to cover all the bases, prepare a little. Like, Shiro's story was weird. Stupid weird. This can't be as weird. But if it is she wants there to be cooking she can do just to calm her down.*

I'll be over soon.

That's probably not a bad idea...

[There was a soft rustle of fabric as he rubbed the back of his neck.]

Thanks. I'll see you then.

[He moved downstairs at that point, getting ready for her to come over.]

*Lola's bike arrives about forty minutes later. It isn't terribly noisy, but if you listen for it you'll know she's out there.*

*Followed by Lola spending five minutes fixing her helmet hair. What? Safety is important but she has to look perfect.*

*After that she's at the door knocking (with her heel), because she's carrying two bags of groceries.*

[Keith was quick to answer the door. He had been listening for the bike, and it helped to have two space robot lions with proximity sensors around the house to tell him when someone was close by and on approach. Lola would notice that he wasn't all that much taller... maybe an inch or two at the most, but his body shape had changed... somewhat bulkier, especially in the shoulders... enough to be noticeable both visually and in the fit of his shirt. His hair was longer, too, and there was that scar...]

Hey... let me help.

[He'd take the two bags if she let him, trusting her to close the door as he brought them into the kitchen, or he'd step aside if she insisted on bringing things in on her own and close the door on his own.]

*That was a lot of detail to take in... but first to do the only proper thing and let him take the bags from her. He was already stronger than her and she could tell that gap has increased since... whatever happened.*

Thank you. Um, do they not have haircuts in space?

*Totally the first question to ask. It honestly didn't make any sense. She'll close the door and let him lead the way to the kitchen so she can set-up.*

What?

[Keith looked back at her as he placed the bags on the kitchen counter.]

What do you- Oh. [Right... that.] It's a little hard to use a knife while in the wilderness that happens to be growing on the back of a space whale. [Yes... he said that.] I was away from the Castle of Lions for a while, and the mission I was on got me stuck in a gravity well where time moved differently than the rest of the universe. I was in there for two years while it was only weeks for everyone else.

[Hence, his sudden age-up.]

*Blink. Blink blink. Blink.*

So, like, I've kinda failed science every time I've ever taken it. None of that's how space should work right?

*Lola is bad at school, but even she can tell that's all really really weird. Time is suppose to just be time right? It isn't suppose to be more time than other times! No matter how much class time takes longer the closer it is to the bell. ...Or that time here is utter nonsense but that's a magic space portal's fault!*

[Keith frowned a little as he started taking things out the grocery bags and then shrugged.]

It's nothing I ever knew about from what I learned in school, but Pidge is like genius when it comes to science and it made sense to her, so I guess it's real.

Well... the time slippage thing. The space whale... that was a new one for all of us.

So two years on a space whale? Did it talk?

*Well, like, if he was alone for two years that's just- the absolute worst. But if he had the whale to talk to that might be something right?*

I guess there were other dangerous things to deal with too.

*She'll just, subtly brush her thumb over his face, right under that scar. Cause... well, it's obvious what else she's asking isn't it. The whole 'lots of concern' in her eyes helps there.*

Ah... no. It didn't. [Keith had a feeling on where that was going. He remembered her isolation dream... being completely alone in the school.] I wasn't alone, though.

[It took a bit for him not to flinch at someone touching his face there. It was healed... as much as it ever would be, as the scar was permanent, but he could still remember the pain.]

Yeah... [There was an odd look in his eyes for a moment... almost haunted.] ...like clones and mind control.

*She definitely perked up that he wasn't alone. Cause alone is the worst of all things. She wasn't sure how to ask who was there, it's not like... well, this is the world without her, and she was happy he wasn't alone. Whatever it was.*

I got some of it from Shiro. Looking really old and tired kinda... I had a bunch of questions that were probably too much given- everything.

I'm guessing all of that is part of why you need a new display name? That all this is connected?

[Keith nodded. Once he had everything out of the bags, he leaned on the counter.]

One of the missions I took while I was away from the team was an extraction mission. It was tied to a larger one that the new team I was on had been following through with. I had to help another agent get out of her undercover position. Once we did, the two of us continued after a lead she had, but ended up in the quantum abyss, which is where we ended up stuck on the space whale for two years. But the gravity in the quantum abyss is weird, and that's why time moves differently there. It was only a few weeks for everyone outside that area.

[But here was the kicker.]

The woman I was sent to retrieve... she's my mom.

*Lola listens, she starts shuffling the various ingredients to where she needs them when she starts cooking. This needed doing and it gave Keith some space while he spelled out whatever had happened. Cause, obviously something happened, just Lola couldn't know what.*

Your mom? Like- out in space? Not on Earth.

*It was kinda weird for his mom to be not on Earth. Just... he was born on Earth, so she should have been there right?*

[Keith nodded.]

She's not from Earth originally.

That Blade I have... the one with the glowing emblem on it... it was hers. She left it for me when she went back into space. I found out why she left... how she met my dad... why she was on Earth... all of it. She was the one with me in that abyss. We had two years together to work all of that out.

I- I don't think I could manage ten minutes alone with my mother.

*It was a bitter thought, a selfish thought, her mother and Keith's mothers were obviously different. Keith's mom left him a dagger, and was an alien, and okay that's going to be a thing for later. Lola busied herself with grouping ingredients based on what she was doing with each of them. Something to keep her mind half-busy, keep her from thinking about herself.*

But... you did work it out? All the- everything? That's good right?

I didn't think I could, either. I was pretty angry at her, even after all this time. But, yeah. We worked it out. I get it now. Why she left, what was going on, all of it. It makes sense now.

When we made it off the whale, we found a colony of lost Alteans that we knew we had to tell the rest of Team Voltron about. So we went back to the Castle of Lions. When we delivered the news, something happened to Shiro. He like... snapped... or something... and he took Lotor and ran away. [There was a whole backstory for Lotor, too, but he'd get to that later.] We went after him, but we needed Voltron to do it. Without Shiro, they needed someone in the Black Lion, so I did it. I've piloted the Black Lion before, so I knew it would let me again.

*Lola's happy that there was an answer, an explanation for why a mother would leave. She'd never get the same, her mom just left. This thought, specifically, is one where she was happy to have stuff to fiddle with and move and start working on food.*

I'm guessing you're still technically the pilot of the Black Lion what with the whole- Shiro's robot arm being evil thing? He sorta told me some of his stuff on the network. So... where does that leave the Lions that are here?

Yeah... I am. When I first piloted the Black Lion, Lance had moved up to Red, and Allura took over for him in Blue. That's just what the Lions chose. But, also, a Lion doesn't give up its bond with a previous Paladin easily. The incoming Paladin has to either develop a stronger bond or break the other bond... unless the previous Paladin supports it... or they're dead. So, I still have a bond to Red. And I was able to work with Shiro in the Black Lion when I rescued him. He helped me tap into one of Black's hidden abilities in order to help the rest of the team.

So, for here, we've been kind of sharing Black already, and I kept working with Red so she wouldn't get lonely. I'm not going to abandon her. She doesn't have Lance here with her. She came through the portal to find me when she did because I was still her Paladin at the time, but something tells me they don't get the canisters like we do. But, she seems to be aware of the change.

Right now, while Shiro needs help, though, Black's probably going to stay around here more, so I'll just keep working with Red unless something comes up that I need something that only Black can do.

So... you all just, changed lions? I'm guessing it's like a weird dance partner thing that Black wouldn't play nice with Lance or Allura?

*It sorta made sense, the lions were alive (but metal), they had a choice in this. You don't just let some rando ride around in your head without liking them after all. But it seems really overly complicated that Allura couldn't just pilot the Black Lion.*

Won't the Lions figure out something's up from you guys? Like, you're different and they're linked to you. Won't all your stuff filter to them that way? Even if they don't get canisters?

You guys don't, like, swap uniform colors to match your lions, do you?

*Priorities!*

[Keith managed a small smile.]

Yeah. Something like that. [And then serious again...] Everyone tried. I didn't want to, at first, because... well, I didn't want to believe Shiro was gone, and I didn't feel like I could handle being a leader. But I was the only one that Black responded to. Even the Lion believed in me before I believed in myself.

That left Red without a pilot, but Red didn't respond to Allura. It wasn't until Blue suddenly locked out Lance that she realized that Red wanted Lance to try instead. Red responded to Lance, and then Blue opened up to her.

[He considered the canister problem.] They understand. If they didn't want to go along with the idea, they wouldn't, so... [He shrugged.] I think... I think they know. They seem to know a lot more than we realize. You're right, because they are bonded to us.

[Wait, what? He shook his head.]

No. Why would we?

It kinda helps. When a person, or, Lion, I guess, tells you what you're not ready to see yet. I mean- if people don't see it, or don't say it, you feel it missing right?

I mean the suits matched the lions, so coordinating with your partner seems important to team building. Although it'd be bad for your wardrobe, most of what you wear is red. It'd take forever to swap all that out with black.

*But it'd be a shopping trip, so the very concept makes Lola smile.*

[Keith smiled a bit.] Yeah. I guess. I certainly didn't see it. [And Keith wasn't the only one who didn't. Sometimes, he felt like Shiro was the only one who had... and, well, now the Black Lion.

Her comment, though, definitely made him chuckle a little.]

I guess, but I'd feel weird wearing Shiro's color, even if I'm in the Black Lion. It's like wearing someone else's number in a sport. Plus, I think Lance would whine too much if he had to start wearing my armor.

You may be able to contact someone in the government office?

I take it "stuff" was pleasant.
That should be read sarcastically.

maybe

ill try that

thx

[ ... ]

it wasnt

not sarcastically

Of course.

[There's a pause before the next.]

I find biting sarcasm to be rather cathartic when an internal sting insists on being noticed.

[Yes, he did just give you purchase to be a complete ass.]

sometimes

when u have the energy for it i guess

[Someone was feeling his usual sass.]

[Ah, this is more dire than he thought.]

You need a drink. Several, rather.

i dont rly drink

[Yeah... have fun with that. Not that he hadn't gotten drunk before or was against it completely... but it wasn't exactly something he did often as a habit.]

Sometimes it is a necessity. This seems to be one of them.

right

any suggestions?

Something potent. Whiskey seems a bit much, though.

i have to go out n get it anyway

we dont have anything in the house

Shall I meet you, Keith?

[Because I might be worried about you.]

To help direct your decision, of course.

yeah

if u want

u dont have to

I'm well-aware, Keith. I don't do things out of a moral obligation.

[Which is to say he's worried.]

Where shall I meet you?

right

we can meet by the communal bldg

probably easier to find

As you wish. I'll see you soon, Keith.

ok

c ya

[ video @redpaladin ]

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text; @d.pavus

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