System Catch-All!

[the_tailor]

Who: Lance and you!
Broadcast: Yes
Action: Huntress and planetside, and anywhere else if you want!
When: Throughout the month, minus July 4-11th, where he'll be asleep for canon updating.



[A - Broadcast (Takes place July 11th)]

[Lance waves to the camera, looking just a little worse for the wear. He isn't injured at all, but he's apparently been asleep for a week, so he's kind of got a case of bedhead and his skin isn't as meticulously taken care of as usual. Still, he outwardly looks to be in a little better emotional shape than he was the last time this had happened to him.]

Sleeping beauty--er, beauties, are awake.

[Keith can also be spotted in the background, giving affection to their overeager pets who've clearly missed their dads.]

Last time we disappeared, but this time we just fell asleep, for some reason. It's really, really jarring to go home then come back like this, with all these memories just smacking back into your brain. But they're good memories... Some of the best I've had, and I'm really, really grateful to be back here. Sooooo, what did I miss?




[B - Mist]

[While Lance has gotten more careful about things over the years, what with the fact that general danger couldn't just lead to a bruised knee but actual death, there were still times where he pushed the envelope. The general assumption he and Keith had come to was that if their suits could easily survive the vacuum of space, some strange mist shouldn't be a problem.

They were wrong, of course, when they'd hit the denser mist.

Hallucinations strike Lance first and foremost. He talks to people that aren't there, and though it's difficult to see through his helmet visor, his expression is nothing short of distraught. You might even find him curled up on the ground, holding a large stone and...crying?]



[C- Hospital]

[Intelligent boy he is, he's struck out into the mist twice, both times landing him in the hospital afterwards. It's the second visit there, though, that he's much worse off. He may not be in the mist still, but he's still suffering vivid hallucinations while it's still in his system. While he's still mostly lucid, he falls into the realistic visions easily, and can be observed speaking into thin air as if there are others there. Pleading, begging these visions not to leave him alone, claiming that he can be useful. Beseeching them not to get rid of him.

Sometimes he's just curled up on his bed trembling, possibly crying.

He might even hallucinate when someone actually is there, misconstruing what they're saying.

When the visions aren't there, he's...quiet, looking nothing short of defeated.]




[D - Chocobo Sharide Racing]

[Before all that mess, or after he's mostly recovered from it, he finds himself drawn to the sharide racing. The birds are cute and awesome at the same time, and though he's obviously never ridden one before, he's still eager to give it a try. Whether just testing it out recreationally or partaking in some lower level competitions, Lance seems to be having a ball.]




[E - Kites!]

[Sometimes, it's good to just kick back and do something incredibly relaxing. Kite flying? Heck yeah. Lance can be found either running around with or just laying down with a blue kite in the air that matches the rest of his team's. Sometimes he's just content to watch it flutter above him. At other times, he's trying to do some sick stunts, which don't always work.]




[F - Wildcard!]

[Anything! Hit him up anytime, anywhere. On the ships, planetside, network, whatever. Lance is always eager to explore and do things, even though he's going to be in bad shape when he goes to the hospital.]

Comments

[the_tailor]

You and me both, buddy.

[He shakes his head.]

A-anyway, uh, honestly, it's mostly been that kind of stuff. I wish I had more to report. Or maybe no news is good news? I dunno. Frankly, right now I'm just happier to be back here.

[tempredmental]

Well... it is nicer here to be together than back there apart... even without the relationship we have here.

[Keith couldn't deny that at all, really.]

But, seriously... haven't you guys done anything? I thought I was the only one that all mission all the time.

[the_tailor]

Well, there is one cool thing. I, um... So apparently... I can form a sword with my bayard?

[He's actually extremely proud of the fact, but.]

[tempredmental]

What? Really?

[Keith sat up to really look at Lance.]

That's like... huge! You're the first one of us to change forms like that... like really change forms into two completely different weapons like that.

[Keith smiled.]

That's awesome, Lance.

[the_tailor]

[The unease that'd settled upon Lance is temporarily washed away by Keith's reaction to that. Keith seems actually, genuinely impressed, and that in itself sends a jolt of excitement and pride through him. Something that he's been in terribly sore need of lately.]

This makes my third form with this weapon... I mean, the sniper rifle wasn't a huge change, but... This one kind of just. Happened.

[tempredmental]

[Keith nodded a little.]

Yeah. The changes we'd gotten from them all so far really haven't been much different, but... a sword, Lance. A sword. When you started with a gun. That's a big deal. The only other person I've seen do that was Zarkon. This just shows that it's really possible and it wasn't just some weird thing with him. We can do it if we try hard enough.

[Wait... Keith caught himself.]

Well, you guys can.

[His smile faded just a bit, but he moved on quickly.]

What were you doing when it happened?

[the_tailor]

That's the thing, I wasn't...like, it wasn't me focusing on trying to get it to be anything different. I was training, taking down drones with my rifle. Then one moves in too close for me to shoot, it would've hit me, and before I even realized what I was doing, the rifle became a sword and I slashed the little thing right bam in the center. Clean cut.

[To say he was surprised would be the understatement of the century.]

Allura saw it afterwards... She said my sword was an Altean broadsword. Just like her father's. ...heck, it might have been her father's, since he was the original red paladin.

[tempredmental]

You reacted. [Keith nodded.] Like the first time we formed Voltron. You followed your instincts. [He smiled a bit.] Well, since it turns out you have it here... maybe we could work on getting you able to do that consciously.

Though, I've never done anything with a broadsword. I imagine it's different from the types of blades I've been using. But... if you can do it again, I'd be willing to work with you on it.

[the_tailor]

I haven't tried again yet, but I'll do my best to form it again. I'd love for you to help me with it. Who knows, maybe one day I could whoop you in a sword fight.

[He teases, nudging him.]

[tempredmental]

Maybe. That's a tall order.

[Keith smirked a little, and then kissed Lance lightly on the cheek.]

You're still a really sharpshooter, though.

[the_tailor]

[He tilts his head to kiss him back on the lips.]

I did snipe your heart~

[tempredmental]

Oh my god, Lance.

[Keith groaned a little at the badness of that, and then laughed.]

You're terrible.

[He leaned his head against Lance in return.]

I've missed you.

[the_tailor]

I've missed you too, mullet. ...and I love you.

[God, it feels good to say that again.]

[tempredmental]

[Keith gave a soft sigh, but it sounded content.]

I love you, too.

[He hugged him tightly.]

It feels like it's been ages since we've been together. I just hope it's worth it. Kolivan sent me to destroy a weapon recently. It has to do with the quintessence trail we've been tracking. I don't really know what it was, but I had to pull our agent from the base in the process because it was under attack by one of the anti-Lotor factions.

[the_tailor]

[Hearing that back is a huge help to his nerves. He inhales sharply, doing his best to get a full hold of himself, and comfort himself as well with Keith's scent.

For several selfish seconds, he wants to say to fuck with Kolivan, to fuck with whatever new suicide mission he wants to send him off too. But this isn't the time, isn't the place, so he remains quiet about those feelings.]

...We're going to be back together soon.

[It's all he can say, all he can hope for.]

[tempredmental]

[Keith nodded.]

Yeah. Especially with what we found.

[And then something clicked. Without focusing on the mission, or Lance, or the fact that he was back in the Fleet... he was back in the Fleet! At the worst possible time!]

Quiznak.

[His tone darkened considerably.]

They pulled me back before I could even ask!

[the_tailor]

[He's taken aback by Keith's sudden change in tone, to say the least.]

W-wha? Asked what?

[tempredmental]

I didn't get any answers! She was there... right there... and then I was back here. [Keith put his head in his hands.] I want to know what happened, Lance. I want to know why she left.

[the_tailor]

Why who left? Who are you talking about?

[Lance is...extremely confused, to say the least.]

[tempredmental]

My mom, Lance! I had the chance! I could have asked her everything! She was right there in front of me, but no. I ended up back here!

[He pushed his hands up into his hair, hunched over his knees and trembling with no way to really get his anger out.]

[the_tailor]

[Whoa. Hold the phone. His mom? Keith met his mom?! His own eyes are wide with surprise, because holy quiznak, that is definitely not something he'd expected to happen. Not this soon--he knows that Keith had intended to search for her, but to just run into her...

But ouch at that situation.]

Keith...

[He reaches out, very gently placing his hand on his shoulder.]

That sucks. That really, really does suck. But you found her. You met her. And when...

[Lance bites his lip. It does hurt saying this, after everything here.]

When you go back, you'll get to talk to her and get all your answers.

[tempredmental]

[Keith's hands tightened for a moment as he tried to take a few deep breaths to calm down. It wasn't working very well.]

Yeah... but... when? When is that going to happen? How long do I have to wait?

[His voice shook a little, but he pulled himself out of his tuck and turned to cling to Lance, burying his face against his boyfriend's side.]

It's not fair.

[the_tailor]

I know. It isn't. But you'll end up going back, and... You'll get your answers, and you'll have her, and it'll all be okay for you, alright? Promise.

[Be strong for Keith. That's what he has to do. He goes to rub at his back, trying to soothe him with his touch.]

[tempredmental]

[Keith nodded a little, not pulling back. He was quiet for a bit, just trying to process everything that had happened between them, being back in the Fleet, all of it. It was a lot to deal with. He wanted to be proud of Lance for being able to change his bayard, and he wanted to be able to enjoy being back with him again, but the lingering sense of unanswered questions when Krolia had been right there in front of him was killing him.]

I'm sorry...

[He didn't pick up his head to speak, so his voice was muffled oddly against Lance.]

I... I want... I want to be happy that we're together again, and that you're getting better as a Paladin with a new bayard and all that... I just... [He squeezed Lance a little.] And, honestly... it kind of stinks that I can't get my answers and still be here with you.

[It was a crappy choice... a really crappy choice.]

[the_tailor]

[It hurts. God, it hurts badly. But this is how things usually go, aren't they?

You were never the first choice to begin with, and you'll never be, his traitorous mind whispers.]

I know. I know, Keith. It's... It's fine. I don't blame you for... I know that's more important. I can't fault you. I just hope you get all the answers you need. That you can be with your mom. You don't have to be happy here for my sake.