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

[the_tailor]

Never. I'm never leaving you.

[Turning into mist and disappearing, huh... Looks like Lance hasn't been the only one suffering hallucinations.]

I can't. I won't.

[tempredmental]

[Definitely not... Keith watched the whole team walk away from him into the mist, angry and annoyed, leaving him behind, giving up on him. He clung tighter.]

You're not going to give up on me? I'm not broken. I promise, I'm not.

[the_tailor]

I know you're not.

[If anything, Lance was the one who was.]

I will never, ever, ever give up on you. You....w-won't give up on me either, right?

[tempredmental]

[Keith shook his head sharply, his face still pressed against Lance's shoulder.]

No. No. No, I won't. I don't give up on people like that. Not people I care about.

[Considering he very passionately yelled it at the rest of the team after yet another failed search for Shiro in the remains of that battle...]

[the_tailor]

Swear to me? I know I'm... I'm not that great at anything, but I want to try, I want to be useful to you... I'm afraid you're gonna realize that you made a mistake and saw something in me that wasn't there.

[tempredmental]

[Keith nodded. He wasn't in a great headspace at the moment to pull out a wonderful reassuring speech (not that he was really good at it normally anyway), but he took a few deep breaths and swallowed, trying to get himself under control enough to respond.]

I won't. I didn't make a mistake. I promise. I don't regret us at all.

[the_tailor]

O-okay. ...I'll never leave. 'm always going to protect you, Keith.

[He gives him another squeeze.]

No matter what it takes.

[tempredmental]

[Don't worry, Lance. Keith wasn't letting go any time soon. In fact, his grip tightened a little as he returned the squeeze.]

Okay...

[He was quiet for a bit, just holding on to Lance, but his thoughts were racing. And, after a few moments, he couldn't hold them in anymore.]

I'm sorry. I'm sorry I was a jerk. I'm sorry I'm not a good leader. I'm sorry I'm broken.

[the_tailor]

Keith...

[He kisses his forehead.]

You're none of those, okay? Maybe you were a jerk in the beginning, but so was I. And you... You're a good leader. You're learning, too. I know you'd be a great leader. And you're not broken. You're too strong for that.

[tempredmental]

I don't feel very strong right now.

[Keith sniffed a little, leaning his head against Lance.]

I know I have a temper, and... discipline issues. No one knows what to do with me. They just... give up.

[the_tailor]

They suck, then. Whoever gives up on you...is missing out on one of the best people this universe has to offer.

[He buries his face in Keith's hair, inhaling deeply.]

Ever hear the phrase, diamond in the rough? Like, from Aladdin or whatever? Yeah. That's you. Sure, yeah, you've got some issues. You're rough around the edges. But you're... You're incredible. You're a diamond. And whoever gives up, it's their loss. Because no one's as precious as you.

[tempredmental]

[Keith sniffed a little, but latched on to something Lance said as a way to hopefully move past all the crazy effects of the mist.]

Did you just compare me to a cartoon?

[the_tailor]

Well, yeah, but Aladdin was awesome, so you should be proud, okay.

[Another kiss to his head.]

You're awesome. You're the most awesome guy I know.

[tempredmental]

[Keith snorted.]

Yeah... I'm so awesome I got myself kicked out of the Garrison because I couldn't control my stupid temper.

[the_tailor]

To quiznak with the Garrison and everyone there. You were too good for them.

[He sighs. These days, his memories of the school have been tainted to say the least.]

Lying about the Kerberos mission like that... You had every right to lash out. And even if you did more than most people would, you were angry. You were hurt. And I don't blame you. None of us do.

[tempredmental]

[Keith sniffed.]

I guess.

[He took a breath.]

It just hurt... what they said about Shiro like that. He worked really hard and wanted to be on that mission, and they just... they blamed him. Even without knowing about the Galra and the abduction, I knew it didn't happen like that. He was their best pilot.

[Keith shook his head, though.]

But, it wasn't just that. I got into fights and had problems all along. They just didn't want to deal with me anymore, and Shiro wasn't there to stop them from finally just giving up and kicking me out like everyone else had done.

[the_tailor]

Yeah, so maybe getting into fights wasn't a good thing. But, heck, Keith. You had it rough, and you didn't have any support other than Shiro. I'm not using it as an excuse for you, but anyone would be that way in that situation.

[A deep breath. In a way, being able to just talk to Keith, help him like this, it pushed his own fears and feelings to the side. And that was good for now.]

But you're not like that now. You've... You've proven to us how amazing you are, when you've got the right support. You're so talented. You're brave. You're smart. You're supportive, and caring... Do you think I'd actually fall in love with any old person?

[tempredmental]

No... which makes it being me all the weirder, I guess.

[Keith tightened his hold, though, afraid to let go.]

I'm sorry. It was just... I saw you guys... it was like the day I left all over again... except, this time, you all wanted me to leave. I failed the team. I struck out on my own, left the group, and I deserved it. You guys deserve a better leader... a better team player.

[the_tailor]

[He won't let go. Has absolutely no intention to.]

You were just seeing things...same as I was.

[So he'd been told by the doctors, anyway.]

None of us wanted you to leave. Every last one of us...we've been wanting you back, every single day. We love you, okay? And we believe in you. We know you can be a great leader.

[tempredmental]

[That hit a nerve, and Keith gasped a little before burying his face against Lance's shoulder. It was really hard to believe right now, and that nagging part of him affected by the mist kept trying to convince him that Lance was lying, that he was just trying to make Keith let his guard down so he could hurt him, but Keith didn't want to believe that. He was trying really hard not to.]

I'm sorry... I'm sorry I left.

[His voice was strained as he tried really hard not to cry.]

[the_tailor]

It.... It's okay. You had to do what you had to do. All that matters is that you'll come home to us one day. I know it.

[He has to convince himself of it, otherwise he'd go mad.]

And I'll never let you go again.

[tempredmental]

[Home. Keith missed being able to call a place home. He hadn't had it very often. Not a real one, anyway... because, sure... they called it a "home", but where he'd been before the Garrison was anything but. He'd started calling the Castle 'home', but was it? He'd been away so long now, he wasn't sure.]

I hope so...

[It came out like a sigh, something heavy with emotion. Keith closed his eyes, and just held Lance tightly.]

[the_tailor]

I swear. Even back home, I swore to myself that we wouldn't lose you again.

[Tired as his mind is, and even with all the voices whispering to him this entire time, he needs to be strong for Keith.]

[tempredmental]

[Keith nodded into Lance's shoulder.]

I want to. I want to be back with the team. I just... I really want to do this. I want to finish this mission, and I'll come back. I want to come back, so I know I will.

[He could feel himself slowly starting to calm down.]

Thank you... for hearing me out.

[the_tailor]

I'm always here for you, Keith. Every moment, every day. So never, ever...ever feel...like you have to hold something in.

[He takes a deep breath, focusing on Keith's scent over that of the sterile hospital.]