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[ action ]

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!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[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.]

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?

.....

[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.]

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.

Huh.

[Keith looked down at the milkshake.]

So like... you acted like you know me. But... [He sighed.] What's going on? Is that because of the different times thing?

Because I do know you.

[It took him a long time to understand this all, and it must be a lot worse on Keith right now.]

Sort of. Sometimes, in this place, weird things happen. How we all usually know you here... You're older. Thanks to whatever weird stuff's going on here, you've been transformed into your younger self. It sounds crazy but crazier has happened.

[Yeah. Okay. Keith didn't look convinced.]

That's just weird. Are you pulling my leg?

[It wouldn't be the first time someone tried to be a jerk to him.]

I swear I'm not lying to you, Keith. There's no reason for me to. Like I said, this place is weird. Heck, this isn't even the first time you de-aged! Last time you were nine or something. And once, I was a merman. So something like this?

[He waves his hand.]

It's not as surprising as you'd think. If you look around, plenty of other people have weird stuff going on. You've seen Shiro, right? He definitely doesn't usually have adorable dog ears and a tail.

I've never seen anyone with dog ears and a tail.

[He frowned.]

Shiro says he knows me, too. [Shiro said a lot of things.]

He does. He actually knew you before any of the rest of us. Shiro recruited you to the school where I first met you, actually.

What school?

[Keith couldn't imagine himself anywhere but stuck in that dumb school where everyone thought he was just some troublemaker destined for nothing.]

The Galaxy Garrison.

[Lance smiles proudly down at him.]

You were--and still are--an incredible pilot, Keith. Top of the class and everything. I considered you my rival for a loooooong time.

[Keith clenched his fist.]

Stop it. Stop doing that.

Stop doing what?

[He looks baffled again.]

Saying stuff like that!

[Keith stood up, slamming the cup with the milkshake on the table.]

The Galaxy Garrison would never take a discipline case like me! So don't even bother trying to trick me with that! You can stop your stupid prank right now because it's not gonna work!

This isn't a prank, okay?! They did take you! Shiro pretty much sponsored you! He saw something great in you, something that you might not be able to see now. And sure, yeah, you still had discipline issues for a while. I'm not going to lie about that. But that doesn't change the fact that you've achieved so much, alright?

[God. He's buying Shiro like half a dozen shots sometime soon.]

What the heck would I get out of trying to trick you? I don't toy with people's emotions and feelings, okay? And I'm a little hurt you're accusing me of that when you...you...barely know me.

Why would he do that?

[Keith looked hesitant. He didn't want to trust in something like that.]

Everyone just gave up on me. Why would you be any different than one of the other kids or some jerk trying to get me in trouble?

Because he saw what I see. What we all saw once we got past the walls you put up. That behind all the anger, and all of the hurt, there's a smart, talented boy who could really make a difference one day. And you do, Keith.

[He sighs.]

Me and you... For a long while, we didn't get along. I wanted your attention, but when I couldn't get it by being your friend, I proclaimed myself your rival. Even that only worked so much, though. We butted heads for ages, even when we were a little older. But when you let your walls down a little, and I saw the real you, what you were capable of...

I'd never hurt you, Keith. Never. You're the most important person in the universe to me. Ask anyone on this fleet, and they'll tell you that. And I know you're still going through a lot of rough things now, but one day, you're going to see in yourself what I see.

[Keith still wasn't sure why anyone would really want to be his friend, but his temper had calmed a bit for the moment... enough for him to listen. He still wasn't sure if he believed Lance, but he wanted to. He wanted to so badly. To think, someone out there saw him differently... not just some troubled kid doomed to failure. Someone thought he was more than his temper and acting out.

Someone wanted to help him.

It was almost too much to think about.]

And... I did it? I got in the Garrison?

[There might be a tiiiiiny bit of hope in that... like he was afraid to try.]

You did. You were the...the best pilot in our year. More than just our year. No one's blown everyone else away so much skill-wise since Shiro there.

[Lance is at the point in his life where he can admit that now without much jealousy at all.]

You're brilliant, and you've saved my butt on a ton of occasions, in so many ways. I know I can't just demand you trust me. All I can do is ask. I mean it, though. You're so important.

...

[Keith eyes were wide. It just... it sounded so crazy, and... good. Keith had all but given up on the idea of being able to fly in space. He wanted to. He followed mission reports in the news and researched space history in the library whenever he could. He knew all about the different crews, what they were doing up there...

And Shiro... Sure, he looked different, but he was here, and he had said similar things. And Keith wanted so badly to believe that Shiro wouldn't lie to him.

He bit his lip, holding back some rather sudden and strong emotions.]

It sounds impossible...

[He sniffed, not wanting to let Lance see how much this meant to him out of fear of having it taken away, but his wall had cracked a little. Lance got to a nerve.]

Our lives are one impossibility after another, man. But that, what you achieve? That's the most actual possible thing of it all.

[Very carefully and slowly, in case Keith wants to pull away, Lance reaches out to place a hand on his shoulder.]

[Keith does shrink a little bit away. Nope... not used to touching, yet. He wanted it, but didn't trust enough. It was moments like those that made him miss his dad.]

I... I don't know. [He pulled his legs up in front of himself, wrapping his arms around his knees.] Anything like that sounds really out of reach. [And just made his heart ache at the idea that it could be true.]

[Okay, that's fine. He pulls his hand back.]

I know. All I'm asking is to just think it over. And at least try to believe that you mean something to so many of us. Anything you need, Keith, you just ask.

[Keith watched Lance for a moment, and then hunched himself down a bit so his chin was on his knees.]

Okay.

[He still wasn't sure if he would, yet, but that didn't mean he had to say it. His gaze shifted back to the milkshake, still sitting on the table where he had slammed it down. Some had spilled, of course, but it wasn't all over the place, at least.]

Sorry I spilled some of the shake.

[Yeah... he was used to saying sorry for that kind of stuff. He didn't meet Lance's eyes as he said it, though, like he was kind of ashamed.]

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