Canon Updates Can Be Hard to Do

[tempredmental]

Who: Keith, OTA
Broadcast: None
Action: Huntress, Iskaulit
When: Starting Dec 16, through to the end of the month

Huntress

[After Lance left, Keith came out of his room to refamiliarize himself with the ship. It was a strange feeling. He knew it hadn't been as long as he thought it was, but he had so much new stuff crammed into his head. What felt like months, maybe a whole year, while he was only gone for maybe a week? It was a strange sensation.

Shipmates would first notice that he wasn't wearing the familiar white and red armor, but something darker... black with purple, and it had a hood he could pull up over his head. He still had the Paladin armor, as it had remained in his room during his disappearance, but he no longer felt right wearing it.

He visited the bridge (the pilot station), the lounge, and a few other places. He found the wrapped gift in the cargo bay.

He wasn't sure how to feel about it, but it was definitely his knife. He attached the sheath to the back of his belt in its usual place, intent on heading out with no word to anyone about it.]

=====

Iskaulit

[Keith spent most of his time on the Iskaulit in the gym, working with his new gift... a large dagger that had a glowing emblem on the hilt. He seemed frustrated by something about it as he worked with it.

Outside of the gym, he visited the lecture hall to check on the information stash, and he also stopped by The Melting Pot for some food. Eventually, he wound up at Team Voltron's Lion's Den, but he hovered at the door, uncertain about entering.]

=====

Planet

[Snowmobiles? Racing? Consider it done. Keith was using the speed and racing to clear his head. In some ways, it worked even better than physical training. The idea of letting everything go from his mind to focus on not crashing was a good way to get his head on straight, right? Plus, it was almost symbolic the way the wind from racing along blew away all his cares.

That didn't mean he wasn't up for a race or two. In fact, he relished the idea of doing it, taking on challenges that might seem a little crazy.]

=====

{OOC: Open to other ideas as well! Hit me up at duches77 or PM my journal if you want to chat ahead of time!}

Comments

Melting pot

[servantnotserving]

[Lumière has sure noticed you've not been around much, Keith- he makes it his business to know how the people he cares about are doing. So, he'll grin happily at the sight of the youngster coming into the bistro, hopping over. ]

Hello there, mon ami! It's good to see you again!

[tempredmental]

[Keith gave the candlestick a weak smile.]

Hey, Lumière. It's good to see you, too.

[He sounded tired and maybe a little depressed.]

How are things going?

[servantnotserving]

[Tired and depressed are things that Lumière will Not Allow to exist in his presence. Begone, foul demons and so on. ]

For me? I cannot complain. How about you, you have been absent for a while, no?

[tempredmental]

Seems like it. We were missing for like a week, I think. Hard to tell. I feel like it's been longer, but that's probably because we got some new memories while we were gone. Definitely more than what would fit in a week.

[He rubbed the back of his head.]

It's a weird feeling.

[servantnotserving]

That does sound like it's rather disorientating. Are you able to settle back into Fleet life easily enough? Or do you find there's a gap there? It is a little like hitting the ground running sometimes here, no?

[tempredmental]

I'm not sure. Like, I already know what's going on here, and that's fine. A lot happened back home, though. [He frowned.] I guess I'm just frustrated that we got yanked back here again with everything that was going on.

[servantnotserving]

Atroma, they are not masters of tact or timing.

[Okay, but that's a touch concerning and his smile falters a little. ]

A lot happened? Is everything alright, mon ami?

[tempredmental]

No... they're not.

[Keith sighed, lowering his eyes for a moment.]

I don't know. We were pulled back at a really bad moment.

[He debated bringing up everything that had changed, but it was a lot. It felt like a lot to dump on someone.]

We had some changes in the team back home. I don't know how much you know about the group and Voltron, and how much any of us have told you so far.

[servantnotserving]

[Keith, Keith, Keith. Lumière loves helping people. Lay it on him, buddy. ]

I do not know a lot, admittedly. Something about robots???

[tempredmental]

Yeah... Well, Shiro's team leader. But, when we got back home, he was missing. We needed a new team leader. To decide, we each tried to pilot the Black Lion robot. It's the head robot and is the main part of Voltron when it comes together. The other four are the arms and legs. The Lions pick their pilots based on a certain set of qualities.

Apparently, the Black Lion decided I should lead the team.

[He didn't seem all that happy with the idea.]

[servantnotserving]

[He does not understand robots AT ALL. But he does his level best here.]

So...you were given the position to lead the team, but yo do not sound happy about this. Did Shiro step down willingly, or?

[tempredmental]

[In all fairness, the Voltron Lions are unique among robots. Sometimes, Keith didn't understand them, either.]

Not exactly. He went missing after a battle. We needed to find someone to take his place. I didn't want it, but the Lion wanted me... apparently.

[He still didn't see why.]

It was a strange transition, and, when we found him again, the Black Lion didn't take him back right away. I didn't understand why it didn't, but that doesn't matter now. It finally did, and that's okay. He's the leader again.

[There was way more to this than he was telling, though.]

[servantnotserving]

[This is something of a mine-field of a conversation, and Lumière is at least a little understanding of that fact. Best not push too far. ]

Oh, I see. So it all worked out in the end. That is...good at least. Perhaps the Lion wished for you to see the potential you had in yourself?

[tempredmental]

Yeah... I guess it did.

[Keith wasn't helping himself in the slightest by not telling the whole story, and he kind of knew it, but he also didn't want anyone feeling bad for him over this, over what he'd done, so he just let it go with a sigh and a shrug instead of mentioning it.]

I don't know. I feel like I screwed up a lot. It's better that's Shiro's back in the Black Lion.

[servantnotserving]

Nobody is perfect, mon ami. If we do not make mistakes, then we are not human.

[Gently.]

So. Are you back with the other lion?

[tempredmental]

I guess...

[Which was something else Keith hadn't really been sharing around the Fleet. He wasn't fully human, but he figured that wasn't exactly what Lumière meant. He bit his tongue on that, and then shook his head a little at the second question.]

Not exactly. See, we uh... when I moved to the Black Lion, we needed someone to pilot Red. Lance was able to get Red to respond to him. Which, then meant we needed someone to pilot Blue. Which Allura, I'm not sure if you met her while she was here, but she was able to get Blue to accept her. But, when Black took Shiro back again, I uh... [He sighed.] I didn't have a Lion, and I didn't want to make everyone move around again. The Lions probably don't like shuffling around that much. A lot of how they work is because of the bonds we make with them, so... I just left the team.

[servantnotserving]

[That a whole lot of confusing, but what he's getting here is what's important. That Keith has left his team. He frowns, concerned. ]

So...you're out there all alone? I would hope not, you do not deserve that. And I am sure your friends would not want that for you, either.

[tempredmental]

Ah- not exactly. We're working with several groups of rebels, sort of trying to coordinate the smaller efforts against the Galra empire into one bigger one. So, I'm with one of those groups now.

[So, not really alone, per se... but he wasn't with the others anymore, people he'd started to see as something more than just teammates or friends. So, he wasn't necessarily alone, but he was feeling a little lonely.]

[servantnotserving]

Oh! Well, that is good to hear. I am glad that you found a group to be a part of. It probably is not quite like your home team though, no?

[tempredmental]

No. It's not.

[Did he sound lonely and depressed? Probably. But he was just going to barrel forward here.]

But they have the same goals, so we're working together. We have a whole coalition now, not just Voltron by itself. It's a step in the right direction, towards taking down the Galra Empire and stopping Zarkon.

[servantnotserving]

And you still get to see your team at least? If you work together? It is not...ideal, but you have not completely lost them?

[He's just trying desperately to find a silver cloud for you here, buddy. ]

[tempredmental]

Sometimes. When we have missions to do together, or during planning stuff.

We haven't had much down time. Everything has to move really fast if we want to stay ahead of the Galra.

[He appreciated the effort, Lumière.]

It's okay, though, I guess. I mean, I'm still doing what I can for the effort. That's what counts.

[Mostly. His own feelings on things didn't really matter compared to the bigger picture. Never did. Never will.]

[servantnotserving]

I understand. War... she is cruel, and drags people away from their loved ones. But it would be sad, to see you kept away from them for so long. They are your family, and that means just as much as anything else. Being with them, being happy, even for short respites.

[tempredmental]

[Keith considered that for a moment and then nodded a little.]

Well, we can do that here, I guess. Didn't get much chance of it back home.

[servantnotserving]

Exactement. We may be trapped here, but use it to your advantage. Enjoy yourself and your friends, while you have the opportunity to do so.

[And not deal with the fact that some of you might...you know, die at some point in the future. What with all the war and all. ]