[Closed]

[padadin]

Who: Five lions and a rock
Broadcast: No
Action: On the Iskaulit
When: Beginning of the month

[Seeing the destruction of the planet has been hard on everyone, but it definitely has a specially bad effect on this particular group. Losing a planet like this is what the pilots fight to avoid, what Shay almost got through. It's incredibly frustrating.

So add that to the fact they aren't all living in the same ship like it happens at home, and well. These little family is some serious need of bonding time. Just making a pile of astroexplorers and letting them bask in each other's comfort.

That's how they end up having a sleepover on the Iskaulit, the lecture hall to be more precise. They push away tables and chairs, scatter all the pillows and blankets they brought from their own ships, and get comfy for a night with friends.

There are snacks (courtesy of Hunk of course), some non-alcoholic drinks (while Shiro wouldn't mind them drinking a bit, he thinks them being kinda down is not a good moment for that) and probably some games that could go funny enough... or an absolute mess when their augments decide to glitch.

Watch out for the pillow fight. Shiro plays to win.]

Comments

[pidge_out]

[Pidge jumps a little in place, alarmed by the slamming of the door and the- the yelling. Anger had not been the emotion she'd figured Shiro would jump to when he inevitably found out what they'd been doing. Exasperated had seemed more likely. He'd be annoyed and tell them to stop, because surely he'd see that they didn't mean anything by it. That his teammates simply wanted to help him find some happiness in the midst of all the insanity that they lived in.

She truly hadn't expected the anger in his tone that she can hear right now. Her eyes lock on him, wide and worried and confused. Why is he so angry? It doesn't compute. And that's all she can think while Keith and Lance scramble forward, like they're a shield against Shiro's rage.]

We can explain! [She chimes in, not terribly helpfully since her voice is lost beneath Keith and Lance's, but trying nonetheless as she looks to her fellow paladins.]

[padadin]

[Their reactions should be enough to make him snap out of it - it's almost as if they were scared of him, of his anger, and that's the last thing he wants. Usually, anyway. Because now there's a messy ball of emotions that needs to get out and they've found a target, even if it's the wrong one.]

Explain what? How you've been talking about my relationships behind my back? How someone went to her and put an idea in her head that it's not true at all?

[Guess who just had a talk with certain someone! He sounds disappointed, and a little betrayed. Gray eyes go from face to face as he speaks, and they're definitely harsher on certain red and blue teenagers, the ones he thought the secret would be safe with. So much for that.]

Whatever you were planning, whatever you were talking, it stops now. I don't want to hear any of you bring up this subject again, understood? That's an order, cadets!

[And those two little words at the end should tell them all they need to know about his current emotional state.]

[tempredmental]

[Ouch.

Keith clenched his jaw, his fists balling up at his sides as his felt his own defenses kick in... the little ball of rage that always pushed back against authority, especially when said authority was yelling at him like that. Shiro's anger stung, and Keith's natural reaction was to fight back. He visibly bristled.]

Maybe you need to back off! You want to yell at me, then fine. Yell at me. I was the one that said something first. But you could have just come in here and asked instead of screaming at the whole team like we failed a mission!

[If Pidge and Lance ever wondered how Keith got booted from the Garrison, this was probably a good clue.]

[the_tailor]

[He visibly shrinks back a little when Shiro all but roars at them. Yes, Lance is used to getting scolded, lectured, what have you, even by Shiro. But this? This is something else. This isn't, just as Keith just said back, something to deal with a mission gone wrong. It's messier, and personal, but Lance knows he deserves it.]

That-- No, if you have to blame anyone, blame me. I'm the one who started all of this.

[pidge_out]

[From where she sits Pidge grips tightly at her ankles, eyes flitting back and forth between each of her teammates. Keith losing his temper isn't likely to help the situation, and while Lance stepping up to take the blame is actually very mature, he might just be volunteering himself to get punched or something. But something's wrong, Pidge is sure of it, she just... can't put her finger on it. People are hard.]

Shiro, we didn't mean any harm. You seemed really happy and we just wanted to help.

[padadin]

[It's hard to tell what is exactly that makes him snap out of it. Keith, treating him like it was the day they met, with anger and mistrust? Or Lance, visibly flinching back as if he was Iverson? Maybe Pidge, talking to him as if he was a stranger she didn't know how deal with?

Probably a mix of the three.

Shiro's eyes widen when he realizes-- he's having an episode. Not full panic attack, but definitely close enough. He lost it, and not like with Slav, and it doesn't help that is happening on a day where he's extra aware of how broken he is. This, right here? It's why he shouldn't even be thinking about relationships.

He covers his face with his hand and steps back until his body hits a wall, mumbling--]

I'm sorry, guys.

[Between sliding down to the floor. What a pathetic mess he is.]

[tempredmental]

[It took a bit for Keith to come back down from that. He was hurt and angry, and he felt a little bullied. He felt bad as Shiro pulled away from them, backing out of the room and into the hallway, but he didn't trust his own reactions not to make things worse... not yet. He needed to level out first.

He actually held himself back from approaching Shiro, his fingers pressing hard into his palms. If not for the fingerless gloves he was wearing, Keith might have left marks on his hands. As it was, the knuckles that were visible were white from the pressure, and every muscle in his body was tensed up enough to be noticeable.

He just... needed a moment... and he backed up as well, towards the bed... trying to put some distance between them until he could sort himself out.]

[the_tailor]

[It takes Lance a bit as well, though more to try to figure out exactly what's going on. For a moment there, he'd actually been a little scared, something he doesn't usually associate with his interactions with Shiro. But when it comes down to it, his concern over the others wins out as it usually does, and he quickly goes over to crouch down next to the black paladin.]

I'm sorry, too. Like I said, it's my fault, all of this. I'm the one who roped them into this, so if you need to blame it on someone, blame it on me. Whatever we did, and whatever might have happened...

[Because he can tell something happened.]

I'm so sorry.

[pidge_out]

[Pidge is on her feet as soon as Shiro isn't, brow knitted in concern as she watches the scene play out in front of her. She takes a few steps forward, hesitant, still assessing what she's seeing and figuring out what's happened here. This is definitely the kind of situation where Lance excels, more than Keith or herself, but... Pidge wants to make sure that Shiro knows they're all there for him. So she comes forward, head ducked and arms behind her back, still maintaining a respectful amount of distance.]

We all are. And we'll stop, if that's what you really want. [She looks to Lance at Keith at that, checking for confirmation. And then she adds, quietly-] ..Are you okay?

[padadin]

[Great, that's just great. He's pushed Keith away, Lance is apologetic, and Pidge's hesitant to approach him. Quiznak, he's a disaster, today is the day to ruin all his relationships.

And then the question comes. Is he okay?]

I--I don't know. [He buries his face on bond his hands, elbows resting on his knees as he tries to calm down. Patience yields focus. Deep breaths, Shirogane, come on.] Sorry, guys. You're the last people I want to lose it at.

[tempredmental]

[Keith closed his eyes, pushing himself to calm down. Oddly enough, he defaulted to the same methods that Shiro used, even while still upset and angry at him.

Patience yields focus.

He listened as the others tried to talk to Shiro and get him to calm down, trying to figure out what had triggered him like that. He focused on them, focused on Shiro's answers, just listening and trying to douse the flames that burned from his defensive outburst.

When he opened his eyes again, he noticed that Lance and Pidge had moved closer to Shiro.

He watched, and then took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before finally moving closer.]

What happened?

[Because something had set him off. Something had driven Shiro to come find them and vent like that. Keith needed to know what.]

[the_tailor]

We're here to listen.

[He won't push him, obviously, but... Something is very obviously wrong in the state of Shiro.]

[pidge_out]

[Pidge just nods quietly in agreement, chewing on the corner of her lip. Keith and Lance have already said the only things worth saying right at that moment. Now it's just a matter of... whether or not Shiro is willing to talk.]

[padadin]

[Nothing, he wants to say. But he knows they won't accept that as an answer, especially not after that outburst. And he knows he should be confiding in them, considering what everyone promised after calibrations, but part of him can't help having a knee-jerk reaction to sharing, considering that after last time he did this, Keith and Lance ended up doing... whatever is that they were doing just now, bringing Pidge with them. It's always hard for him to share, and having been exposed doesn't make it easier.]

We talked.

[...well, it's true. No way he's bringing up the nail painting. Shiro drops his hands and throws his head back, landing against the wall with a light thump. When he speaks, he sounds pretty tired, defeated really. His eyes are pretty much begging them for this to be over.]

I told you nothing is going on, and nothing is going to happen. [A sigh. Why couldn't they listen?] I don't want to hear anything about this topic ever again, understood?

[Not an order, sure. But a plea.]

[tempredmental]

[Keith frowned. He didn't like this. He moved past Pidge and sat down against the wall next to Shiro.]

What did you talk about?

[Nope... not letting it drop just like that. He was too stubborn.]

[the_tailor]

[He takes a seat on Shiro's other side.]

You can tell us.

[pidge_out]

[Since the spots at his sides are taken, Pidge finds a spot right in front of Shiro to sit down in. She even reaches out and presses one hand on his knee, just trying to be comforting.]

Please?

[padadin]

[A sigh. He really feels torn right now. Part of him wants to confide in them, to ask for the comfort he knows he needs. But it's still so hard for him to share, especially after finding them planning whatever it was that they were planning. Besides, talking about it just... rubs the wound pretty hard. And he knows he's being a hypocrite here, because communication is important, but bottling up just comes easier to him these days. He wants to move on from this, not dwell on it...

In the end, he reaches a middle point. He can offer enough information, he supposes, to keep it short and make them understand, then move on. He did promise as much during calibrations after all.]

We both agreed that we aren't looking for a relationship right now. So that's the end of it, I don't want to hear another word about it. [He's starting to sound like a broken record, he realizes, but that's how much he wants to move away from this topic.]

[tempredmental]

[Keith frowned. A few words stood out to him. 'Both'. 'Right now'. But this, right here? With everyone upset? It felt like a bad place to leave it.]

Shiro...

[He sighed.]

Look... I'm sorry, okay? I just- I hadn't seen you that happy in a while. We didn't mean to push so hard, but... well- [Words were hard...] It was nice to see you happy.

[the_tailor]

...what Keith said.

[Words are hard, indeed. Lance reaches up, resting a hand on Shiro's shoulder.]

I...Shiro, I think you want to look, but you still can't accept that you can. If that makes any sense? I'm sorry this whole wingman club thing got too invasive, but just know that the spirit of it was because we want you to be happy. And that's not changing. Like, ever ever. I think I can speak for everyone here when I say you're the greatest guy we know. You deserve the greatest.