[Video]

[lonered]

[Keith spent a long time debating whether to bother with video for this or just go with text. But the truth is, for what he's aiming for, it's better to do this virtual-face to virtual-face. Or something. He's even done bothering with the frankly ridiculous mask. For now.

The video opens to a fairly normal looking teenager (aside from the fact that what's visible of him is definitely dressed in a skin-tight vaguely glowy futuristic space suit), hesitating a moment like he's still debating on how to begin.]

So. Uh.

[Good start, Keith. Solid.]

I guess all of us are stuck in the same boat whether we want to be or not. And apparently that boat is headed for some other world before we know it.

I'll be honest. I don't know if we can trust this Astoria as far as we can throw her. [And he knows she can hear this, but he's said as much to her face, so there's that.] But for now I guess I plan on going along to see how things play out. [Which after discussing with Shiro, he feels pretty okay about, as plans go.]

But... just waltzing into other worlds, and potentially meddling in them... that could go bad really quickly if someone makes an enemy of the wrong person. If that happens, it might not be a terrible idea to know what we've got on our side.

Not just magic either. Because... that's really new to me at least. But we all bring some experience or skills or knowledge or something to the table, right? If we're gonna be any sort of team, we may as well know our strengths. And what we might be lacking.

[Maybe? Keith is now wondering if it was a bad idea to give him a way to talk to so many people at once. But he's committed now, no help for it. So he'll even go first.]

I'm Keith. Uh... I guess I'm pretty good with a sword. Pretty good in anything that flies. And I'm mostly used to being in space, lately. But it does't sound like that'll be helpful in this El Minha place. Also apparently I can fly now. So... there's that.

Anyone else feel like sharing?


(( hit him up, hit each other up, threadjack as you like! ))

Comments

[zaptime]

So-so we band together, right? Like, that's how it works in movies: they always stay together to get up and fight the evil person and if she's evil than we don't stand any chance by ourselves!

[spaceforged]

[Normally he’d private the conversation at this point. He weighs on doing it. But new Circle members need to know about this possible drawback.]

The longer I’m in the form of the Black Lion the harder it is to stay in control of my emotions and the more alien being the Lion feels. I can’t hold for more than a few hours but...I don’t think it’s a good idea to be in it for longer than that. Even Twi and I’m shaking off those side effects when I change back.

[Well with that pleasant thought out there.]

And it sounds like yours could be using all of your body at once. First time I ever changed shape I was utterly exhausted. Try to rest more than you normally would until you’re used to it.

Re: video;

[lonered]

She might be. I mean, I'm curious as to how she chose who to bring here. Or if it was more chance than intention.

[Some whim? He has no idea. But there are people from so many different worlds and places with so many different backgrounds and skills. Where is Astoria's logic exactly?]

[lonered]

[Keith has been wondering this too! Honestly flight is a little spot on for him. And Shiro turns into the goddamned Black Lion. So some of these are personal as hell.]

Honestly it really is. Makes me wonder how who gets what power is decided. It sure doesn't feel random.

[lonered]

[Keith stares at him with eyes that could not go any wider whatsoever. That uh... that can't be right. At all. He's not... he's not a leader. He proved that pretty spectacularly when Shiro was gone, when he tried to step into his shoes and let everyone down and.

And Daylight is still talking and Keith is still staring.]

I'm... I'm not though. I'm not good at any of that. [He's a disaster. Really. Or at least he sure has himself convinced of that.] I'm not a leader.

Re: Video;

[lonered]

Whoa. Okay. So yeah, compared to that.. you've got a pretty steep learning curve for this technology.

[That is a long time ago from when he's from. very long.]

That's.... more than a couple centuries back, from the time I'm from.

[lonered]

Some ships are like that. Cruisers are huge and need big crews. Others are smaller and can be manned by one or two people. And all sorts in between.

[So. A pause as he considers how to describe Voltron and the lions. And honestly that seems close enough.] But yeah, it's what we do, basically.

[lonered]

Yeah, we band together. I don't know if the witch is evil. She could just be... doing the right thing in the wrong way. Or she could be a monster. We need more answers before we do anything. We need to know if we can trust her.

[And that remains to be seen.]

[tranquilforest]

Is that how most war in the future is conducted then? [She knows enough about pitched battles at sea to have some idea of the correlation, but the scale of it is baffling. How would weapons even work?] How many of you are there?

[lonered]

[Okay so see, Keith is really glad to know this. But he's also concerned because honestly it sounds more than a little frightening. Like Shiro is half losing himself to his other form. And he knows full well how closely and deeply Shiro's managed to bond to the Black Lion. And now to be in that form.]

Definitely not a good idea to push it then.

[But now Keith has something to keep an eye out for.

A nod, distracted really, at the comment about his powers. If he's just worrying about exhaustion, it's less concerning. He's pushed himself to the point of collapse before; he knows what it feels like and how to recover.]

I'll make sure I keep my strength up.

video;

[flyingsolos]

... You know, I didn't think about asking that. I think all she mentioned was that people had potential?

[ she has no idea. ]

[lonered]

That's basically a non-answer. Potential what?

[A huff. But he shrugs.] Anyway, I guess we're all here now whether we're happy about that or not, wherever we came from or whatever the reason she picked us.

[flyingsolos]

And we'll just have to deal with it. I think we can manage.

[ GO, US. ]

[lonered]

We don't exactly have a choice otherwise.

[Always here with the cheerful outlook.]

Re: [ video ]

[bowtiedbones]

Has anyone reverse-engineered anything from them?

[ video ]

[lonered]

Not that I know of. They're kind of unique, really. And King Alfor died a thousand years ago, and he's the one who really understood how they were created.

[Keith just flew them, when he was a paladin.]

Re: [ video ]

[bowtiedbones]

So if one gets damaged... Is that just it?

[lonered]

Nah. Hunk and Pidge could figure them out for repairs, no doubt. Coran and Allura know them pretty well too. Enough to fix what's broken. Besides, they uh... they're pretty tough.

[If the lions haven't broken after what they've been put through, they're probably pretty sturdy.]

[bowtiedbones]

Even if they need new parts? That's better than my truck and that's not even ten years old.

[sunborne]

[ realising that he may have said a wrong thing - a very wrong thing - daylight is quick to sidestep the conversation and leave it at that, one of his hands coming into view as he holds them up apologetically. ]

Um... [ what does he say? okay? yes? alright? doesn't feel right to him to say that because ketih is doing all of this and day thinks he's a leader but- leaving this hanging isn't his thing and might not have the best consequences.

in the end, he uses a word he's heard his mom used a lot when he was watching old recordings and clips of her at her job, her element. ] Noted. Just really impressed you thought this all out, you know? Never occurred to me that we couldn't... you know. Trust Lady Astoria and the other stuff.

[ this is his most graceful attempt to change the topic and yes. this does mean his other attempts would somehow be worse than this. ]

[spaceforged]

And don't worry too hard about my limits. I know how to pace myself. [He reminds him, as gently as he can manage to sound. Keith had been distracted the moment he brought up his own side effects.]

I rest more often myself. Shapeshifting is pretty taxing and it took a while to get used to it. All in all, I do believe we're on better footing with powers here than we were in the Coven.

Hopefully we have more healers than we had. [He's probably said that before. Honestly he's saying it to distract Keith in a different way.]

[lonered]

I know. You've always got a handle on things.

[But of course Keith is distracted by it. He wonders if Shiro realizes the extent of it. After the Kerberos mission went missing, well, Keith learned what it was like to try to go on without the only person who'd ever believed in him, the only person he'd ever trusted enough to rely on. Since then he's had to go through it again, and that had nearly broken him too. He knows what it's like to lose someone, and he's not going to go through that again if he can do anything to avoid it.

He wonders if Shiro is aware how instantly Keith will drop everything for his sake. Like he had been ready to throw the entire Blade mission at the Kral Zera. Like he'd been willing to ram his fighter into Galra cruiser (for everyone, for Voltron and the resistance, but for Shiro, too). Maybe not. Shiro hasn't lived through those things yet. And even the Shiro in his own time, well, Keith doubts he knows about those things.]

More healers... so you think we'll need them? [Magical healing could come in handy, of course, especially if the errands Astoria sends them on lead to combat of one form or another.]

Video;

[a_sharp_wit]

[Centuries. She seems surprised a moment and then can't help but laugh a little. Her jovial nature always triumphs in the end and it does so here in a moment where she might feel somewhat insecure.]

I ought to say I am shocked but in all honesty I cannot own that I am really. Space is but a thing pondered within books and the like, at least within my own time. To speak of being in space... well. I cannot say it surprises me then that you are quite ahead of myself.

I own this device was rather confusing to begin with and I could not, even now, begin to speak on just how it works. It certainly is quite a bit easier than putting pen to paper and hoping the post does not lose one's hard-written missive!

[purrtagonist]

[. . .]

No, it doesn't.

I get the feeling Astoria-san knows a lot more about us individually than she's willing to say up front.

[the very thought makes his hackles raise. just a little]

video

[reeliable]

I'll make it a point to get around and talk to the locals, see if there's anything we could do. Extra manpower sometimes is all a place needs, or setting up some organization in the less fortunate districts for soup kitchens - something like that anyway.

[Keith is definitely right about trying to make major decisions, and it's not really something Noct wants to step on any toes for either. Rocking the boat when they're new and displaced themselves... eugh.]

I can let you know what I hear, after a few days. If you want, I mean.