[ action ]

[tempredmental]

Who: Keith and everyone who comes across him
Broadcast: No
Action: Huntress, Iskaulit
When: From today until the end of the drift period (Sept 25)

=====

Sept 19 - 22

[SURPRISE... Keith was small again. Except... this time? He didn't remember the Fleet. He's not as young as last time, either. There was some panic and angry lashing out at a few people to start, but, once he settled down, he started to explore.

He stuck mostly to the Huntress and the Iskaulit. He'd look familiar to anyone who knew Keith, really, and especially to those who had seen him de-aged last time (though he was a bit older than before). However, be prepared for grumpy stares and lack of trust. Keith was not trusting by nature thanks to how things went for him after his dad died. Adults were especially the bane of his existence.

Care to meet a young emo teen? He might have just pick-pocketed you.]

=====

Sept 23 - 25

[Keith stalked along the corridor, his paws padding softly on the metal floor. He'd woken up as a panther, but he wasn't going to just stay put in his room until it wore off. It was annoying, because he didn't have hands and he couldn't speak to anyone. It also meant he couldn't do his assigned job, either.

So, he was trying to pass the time by strolling around the Iskaulit. He was relying on others to get him back and forth between ships, and had gotten Lance to help him over there that morning so he could jog around the ship with Shiro for their normal routine. Granted, a panther jogging with a man that had dog ears and a tail wasn't exactly normal, but here they were.

It was hard to resist the catlike traits and something at the edge of his peripheral vision shifted, getting his attention. He froze, his tail twitching sharply, before suddenly dashing off down the hall.

Look out, passerby! That panther is about to run you over!]

Comments

[padadin]

[Having ears, tail and only one arm hasn't stopped Shiro from going on his morning run on the Iskaulit. Almost everyone seems to be glitching anyway, how much attention can he call? He's given up hiding it by now.

He expects to finds friends being affected, of course, and here is Keith, who is... oh boy.]

Keith? You got aged down again?

[tempredmental]

[Keith looked a little startled for a second and glanced back at Shiro... without an ounce of recognition, and a glare that would look rather familiar.]

What are you talking about, old man?

[padadin]

[Oh boy x2. Is Keith just being a little shit or...?]

You don't know who I am?

[tempredmental]

Why would I?

[Keith studied Shiro, the lack of trust obvious in his expression.]

You look like a cop.

[padadin]

[He knows that face, remembers it clearly, remembers how much work he put into changing it. Dammit, Atroma, this is no place for a Keith that is still feeling like that. Shiro's expression softens, showing even a bit of amusement when he's compared to a cop.]

Do I? That's new. I'm actually with Galaxy Garrison. [...technically. Look, gotta use something to express familiarity and pass the defensiveness.]

Kiddo one!

[the_tailor]

[It isn't the first time Keith has aged down, so the initial shock isn't as bad as it could be. The more disturbing part this time, however, is that his mind has reverted to that state as well. He hasn't met Lance, hasn't even met Shiro, and is grumpier and more closed off than he's ever seen him before.

It hurts, but he knows that Keith is hurting so much more.

Lance finds him again sitting in the Huntress' lounge, so at least this time, he hasn't run too far. In his own hand is a peace offering of a fresh milkshake courtesy of Kaltenecker, and he approaches slowly.]

Hey, Keith.

[tempredmental]

[Keith had no reason to distrust food... but part of him couldn't help but wonder. So, he was hesitant. After all, he had been abducted and dragged into outerspace somehow. As much as he should be excited about being in space because, well, he was really into it, this wasn't how he had wanted to go about getting there.]

Hey.

[So, yeah... he was just going to stare at Lance.]

So... Lance, right?

[He had actually heard everything Lance had told him before he ran out of the room earlier.]

[the_tailor]

Right. Lance.

[Future love of your life, buddy, but no way he's putting that on him now. Lance takes a seat next to him, offering up the milkshake.]

I made an extra one of these. Do you want it?

[tempredmental]

.....

[Keith stared at the milkshake for a moment, and then finally took it.]

So... you were taken like me?

[He didn't drink it right away. He was trying to figure Lance out and why the heck they had been in the same bed.]

[the_tailor]

To here? Yeah. Pretty much all of us were, from different places, even different worlds...different times. It's been a while since I first came here and I still don't completely get it.

[He gives a little shrug.]

Mostly, we're just doing the best we can while we're here.

Big kitty time

[the_tailor]

[Going through Keith being a preteen has been... something so far. At the least, they've come to a sorts of understanding, and he didn't only get scowls from the boy anymore. Even so, Lance hoped his boyfriend would go back to normal soon.

He wakes up in the morning on his own accord, feeling warmth pressed against him. Lance smiles. He's got Keith back, clearly, then. But when he wraps his arm around that warmth, he finds it brushing against...fur? Did Snow or Oliver crawl into their bed again?

Blearily, he opens his eye to see what's going on.

Only to come face to face with a panther.

His shriek might be able to be heard throughout the Huntress.]

[tempredmental]

[Said panther was asleep, a soft rumble of contentment coming from his chest... at least, until he was suddenly shrieked at by a startled human. The reaction was instantaneous. Ears flattened, muscles tensed, the panther was up on all fours, tail slashing wildly in alarm, teeth bared.]

[the_tailor]

[Lance lets out another shriek, though quieter this time. He scrambles back, heart pounding in his chest as he looks up at him.]

G-good kitty... Nice kitty... Please don't eat me...

[tempredmental]

[What? What the heck was he-... wait...

The panther stared, tail movements slowing a little as his nose twitched on picking up a scent.

He sat down, staring at his front paws on the blanket. This was definitely not normal. The animal looked perplexed as the situation slowly began to set in. Then, suddenly, his ears flicked back again with a soft growl. He jumped down from the bed, pacing anxiously for a second, and then smacked the door with a front paw.]

[the_tailor]

[Lance swallows hard, cautiously making his way over.]

Look, I don't know if you can understand me, but I think you're going to freak everyone out if you start just walking around without warning.

Kiddo

[scalpelofmarmora]

[Might be lucky that Ulaz didn't look like... while Ulaz at the moment. He was not a Galra, but human at the moment. He still had all of the same markings, but he was decidedly less strange. He was still very tall so it would be difficult for Keith to pick his pocket... let alone he didn't really carry anything in his pocket.

Ulaz was training in the room with the obstacle course, using the opportunity to get better insight on the limitation of human bodies compared to Galra. He looked up when he saw that he had a visitor]

Hello, Keith.

[tempredmental]

[Keith had been wandering when he found the gym, and it's current occupant... a tall man with a white mohawk and some scalp tattoos... at least, that's what he took it in as.

And, again... this person apparently knew him. Keith couldn't help the frown that appeared on his face when he was identified. Generally, when people knew him before he knew them, it was because his reputation had preceded him. That was rarely a good thing, since his reputation was for being trouble.]

Hi...

[Have a suddenly wary little teen, Ulaz.]

[scalpelofmarmora]

[Ulaz notices that Keith suddenly seems worried after he spoke. Which seemed odd. Yes, he was human at the moment, but he thought he was still similar enough that the paladins would have been able to recognize him.

He stops what he is doing looking over at Keith fully]

Is everything alright?

[tempredmental]

[That got an eyebrow quirk in response.]

Oh, sure. It's great. I got kidnapped by a bunch of freaky aliens from another dimension and dumped on some spaceship reality show. What do you think?

[Someone was a sassy little brat.]

[scalpelofmarmora]

[...Ah ha. So apparently like younger Kirk, he didn't remember having been here this time. He was reverted to a different time in his life.

Maybe its good he doesn't look like a "freaky alien" at the moment]

Well, aside from that. That seems to be status quo around here.

I am Ulaz.

[Since that might be the next question]

panther

[tiedonastring]

[Hux tried his best to dodge the panther that came running toward him. That's what it was? He wasn't too sure. There were similar creatures back in his world. For now he would stick with the term panther. It had been something he wasn't expecting.

Yet, there was something familiar about the panther at the same time. He didn't understand why, but he felt like he knew the creature. So last second he stayed where he was and allowed for the panther to tackle him. Maybe then he would get answers, despite his instinct to run from it.]

[tempredmental]

[The large cat dodged past Hux at the last second and skidded to a halt just short of hitting the wall behind him. There was a moment of complete stillness except for the agitated twitch of his tail before he turned, attempting to not look embarrassed for his actions. He sat, and then looked pointedly at Hux, that long tail flopping lightly on the floor with each twitch.

There was something in the animal's expression that indicated an intelligence a cat wouldn't normally have. Too bad Hux's unfamiliarity with Earth wildcats wouldn't clue him in to the eye color, because the deep cobalt blue matched the color of a particular pilot in the Fleet.]

[tiedonastring]

[Not used to interacting with animals at all, Hux wasn't unsure how to handle this. He did note that the panther had stopped short of hitting the wall as it made an attempt to dodge him. He knew most animals wouldn't have done that. Then the animal proceeded to look at him expectantly. This was too strange for him. And Hux had seen a lot especially upon arrival here.

He studied the animal more closely. Trying to look for more clues. The animal felt similar, but he couldn't pin point it.]

What do you want from me?

[He finally questioned, hoping to gain some kind of answers whether through the animal's actions or possibly it's thoughts.]

[tempredmental]

[The big cat gave a soft rumble in response, tail twitching again. He got up, and walked over to Hux, head lowered.

Keith wasn't telepathic, so he couldn't really convey his thoughts that way, but if Hux's telepathy glitch was still a thing at the moment, he might pick up on how frustrated the cat was that he couldn't talk. And the grumbling complaints running through his head might sound like Keith's voice.]

[tiedonastring]

[He got the fact that the panther was frustrated. He could tell by it's mannerisms and feel it's emotions as well. Yet, Hux felt he could hear Keith's voice. It was the most peculiar experience. In fact, the whole situation was.]

Keith?

[He spoke the name out loud wanting to get a confirmation from the panther.]