System Catch-All

[tempredmental]

Who: Keith, OPEN
Broadcast: You can contact him via the network, but he's not broadcasting out, no. ^_^
Action: Yes, all the action! There are a lot of planet-based things here in the post, but I'm open to Iskaulit things or on the other ships if you guys want!
When: Upon arrival in the Yangur system, until next drift period (Keith will be in a coma from July 4th to 11th for canon update)

{OOC: The prompts are available for the entire time the Fleet is in this system. However, depending on the date you pick, you'll either get Keith before his update (before July 4th) or after his update (after July 11th). I'm posting this kind of late due to real life things that got in the way, but I'm open to backtagging if you want to do something pre-update! Just note it somewhere in your tag if you want pre-update, post-update, or if you want me to flip a coin for you. :)}

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i. Mist Exploring

[Before July 4th, Keith attempted to explore the mist with his Paladin armor, fairly convinced that it's space-walk-worthy qualities would keep him safe from the effects. It didn't. He did the same with his Blade of Marmora suit after July 11th, and had the same failed results. See comment threads below for some of Keith's fears that might pop up, or create your own thread if you want your character's fear to show instead!

During one of the threads with his own fears, he will find the Black Bayard from home.]

Fear Threads
1. Fear of Abandonment
2. Fear of Failure
3. Fear of Losing Control

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ii. Veynar Hospital

[Guess who landed himself in the hospital pre-update after realizing his Paladin armor didn't completely stop the effects of the mist...

Guess who did it again post-update when he decided to attempt the same thing with his Blade of Marmora suit instead, and got the same results.

Yeah. Care to visit him? He might have ended up a little nervous from the resulting augment glitch (read: paranoid as all get out).]

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iii. Kerrior Hawks

[When not landing himself in trouble in the mist, recovering from mist-induced crippling paranoia at the planet's hospital, or sleeping through a canon update coma, Keith discovered magnaball and kerrior hawks. He didn't attempt to play a game because that looks like it needs a lot of practice, but he definitely watched, and hit up one of the open training camps to give it a try because... riding a giant hawk... dude. How could you not?]

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iv. Kite Flying

[And, in other recreational activities, Keith found that flying kites was actually pretty cool. Find him hanging out with the red kite (which happened to match the other Team Voltron kites), attempting to pull off fancy kite stunts. He was about 50/50 on crashing vs succeeding.]

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v. Wildcard!

{OOC: I'm open to other ideas! Feel free to comment something else here, or, if you want to talk something out ahead of time, hit me up at duches77!}

Comments

[padadin]

[Woah. That's clingier than usual, the kind of hug that only happens when Keith is truly upset. So Shiro was right in the reading of this situation... why didn't people listen to him about the mist again?

He doesn't waste time and returns the hug just as tightly, his human hand rubbing Keith's back.]

The mist got you, didn't it? It's alright, buddy. You're safe now. I know your head feels fuzzy, and you feel there's a presence trying to get you. [He hasn't been to the mist but that's pretty much his life nowadays.] But it's not real. It'll be hard to accept that, I know, but we have to be patient. and you have your family to help you with it, alright?

[tempredmental]

Mm-hm... [Keith nodded, staying firmly pressed against that shoulder, armor be damned.] It was... it was like what I saw at the Trials... when you walked away from me... but the others were there. And they didn't want me, either. And I just... I didn't... it was like school all over again. Like no one wanted me... everyone just kept giving up on me and walking away.

[padadin]

Keith... [Oh man, fuck this mist, seriously. See, this is why he didn't want anyone in there. But do they listen to him? Nooooo. The rubbing of Keith's back continues, and Shiro rocks him too.] Space has put us through many tests for how long now? And we keep pulling through. Like a team, like a family. We have disagreements and arguments, some times circumstances puts some distance between us. But we'll never, ever stop wanting you. I know it's not a feeling that will disappear overnight, so just come to me -or any of us- [Since he knows Lance would love to help too.] whenever you need it. We'll reassure you as many times as it takes.

[tempredmental]

They said that it wasn't real. [The doctors, that was.] They said that things would be okay once the effects cleared. It just... it felt real. Even more than the Trials. [And that had felt pretty real, too, until the whole scene shifted back to the shack in the desert with his dad, but Shiro walking away from him then, telling him he was just being selfish and thinking of himself again in the BoM base had felt awfully strong.

But this had been on a whole different level...]

[padadin]

[Those quiznaking trials, don't get him started. A hundred years will pass and he'll still complain about them. That said... he understands Keith. Very much. And he'll speak from experience.]

They're right, it wasn't real. But it feels like it, because part of your mind always fears that it'll become real some day. Those thoughts can haunt you - don't let them. [Again: hypocritical much, Shiro?] Easier said than done, I know.

[tempredmental]

Yeah...

[Instead, Keith was just going to cling to Shiro, trying to cement in his mind that this here and now was real... that Shiro was really Shiro... and wasn't going to give up on him... and wasn't going to just walk away. He wasn't leaving him.]

Thanks...

[He was still a little shaky, but he was improving with the other pilot's solid and very real presence.]

[padadin]

[Keith can cling all he wants, Shiro isn't going anywhere this time. His hug is firm, his rubbing is gentle, and he adds a squeeze in there for extra love.]

You're welcome, buddy. This is what family is for - this is what you have me for. Whenever those thoughts become more real than they should be, you just need to call me. Or text me at 3am, if you wish. We're going to fight those demons together, got it?

[tempredmental]

[Keith nodded.]

Got it.

[He closed his eyes, a tiny and very relieved smile crossing his features, even if Shiro couldn't see it for the moment in their current position.

Shiro was the closest person Keith had to family before finding his mom again.]

I appreciate it.

[More than he could ever say.]

[padadin]

[And Shiro smiles too when he hears those words. Keith has come a long way to be able to express his feelings to Shiro like this, and it means a lot to him.]

I know. And I appreciate you trusting me with this, too.

[tempredmental]

[Keith nodded.]

You've helped me so much. I... [He choked on his words for a second, trying not to get too emotional.] I just... [He sighed.] Thank you.

[padadin]

And I'll keep helping you. We help each other - that's our deal, right? [He says with a bit of teasing in there. When Keith chokes on his words, Shiro adds another squeeze to the hug, a hand patting his back.] It's ok, Keith. I understand. And I'm happy that I chose to help you that one time - but everything since then it's been thanks to your hard work. Don't sell yourself too short, okay?

[tempredmental]

But... I got myself kicked out when you weren't there. How is that a good thing?

[That nagging voice...

You're only here because of Shiro.

Keith clenched his fist.]

[padadin]

One mistake does not have to rule a person's entire life. [Forget the nagging voice and listen to Mr Speech over here, please.] Becoming a paladin, passing the Blade trials, finding me when I was lost- twice. That was all you.

[tempredmental]

Yeah...

[Keith sighed a little.]

I guess I just need some time.

[He appreciated Shiro's efforts, but this was something that had been lingering even before the mist. It was going to take a bit more than a Shonen Speech to get him out of it.

Not that the speech and the reassurances didn't help... They did. But the final solution had to come from within.]