acatalepsy_rpg | [Video]

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[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! ))

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[She can take a hint, sort of.]

It sounds a bit like something out of a myth. There aren't as many heroes in my time with swords of destiny, but we're not dealing with star-beings either. What was the word you used? Aliens?

[The hint is a lie anyway. He met his mother for the first time about five minutes before he opened his eyes here. So it's still a weird subject for him, to say the least.]

Your time? What is your time like?

[A nod.] Aliens, yeah. Peoples, races, from other planets.

Ah, it seems to be quite long ago, relatively speaking, judging by most people I've encountered here so far. [Tilting her head slightly and smiling:] If you and your friends can travel even to the stars, I imagine you're far ahead of me as well.

[But, well, since you asked, and just so her brain doesn't fizzle out thinking about aliens, she needs some time to adjust, she'll get there:]

It's been a little chaotic recently due to politics. [Sorry that wasn't at all what you asked, Keith.] But I've gotten the impression that it's no longer commonplace for skilled martial artists to wander from place to place fighting with swords and rescuing maidens.

[It's okay he gets that. He kind of got a literal crash course in aliens when Shiro crash-landed on Earth and then they all found Voltron and got swept into an intergalactic war. Aliens are a lot to process.]

Well... no, not really. Maidens are pretty good at rescuing themselves these days. And swords aren't commonplace on Earth outside of museums and movies.

Dare I hope that's because people no longer need them to fight amongst each other? [That was a small hope.] If there are beings from other worlds threatening the Earth, surely...?

[~~Also what are movies~~]

Not exactly. For one thing, most humans don't know aliens even exist. Thankfully. The Earth hasn't been attacked by the Galra yet. Hopefully it never will be.

[That's the general hope, anyway. Stop the empire from invading anywhere else, liberates the planets currently under its control. And they're getting there.]

...but honestly people just moved on to newer weapons instead of swords to fight with each other.

[Well, that was a long shot anyway.]

Were you recruited to this war? If the enemies you are fighting have not yet reached Earth, you must be very far from home.

Recruited? Sort of. My friends and I mostly got swept up in it. But... we had the chance to make a difference in it, so we took it.

[He hesitates before nodding.]

Yeah. We're a long way from Earth.

[Though he's not sure he'd call Earth "home" at this point. He's not sure he'd call anywhere home at this point.]

[She's no stranger to young children fighting in wars that aren't entirely their own, but she dislikes the apparent inevitability intensely either way.]

I'm glad you were not entirely by yourself, and your goal is a truly noble one. But [keeping in mind that he'd said his mother was absent] is there no one on Earth who is worried about your well-being? It seems you are not getting the support you need from those who should have some stake in this war.

For me? No. No one would have noticed I was even gone. That's not true for the others. They have families. They were students at the Garrison. I wouldn't be surprised if their disappearances were covered up, like they tried to cover up when the Kerberos mission went missing. Most people on Earth don't know anything about the war or that aliens even exist. Not even half a dozen humans are involved in total.

[Something Keith is still so intensely bitter about that it comes through in his words.]

We support each other. Voltron and the Blade and the rest of the Resistance.

[Shiro and the other paladins were the closest thing to family he's ever had... until he left.]

[Her face falls a little - his words hit just a bit too close to home, and she doesn't know why she still hopes despite a half century of evidence to the contrary that humanity as a whole is better than that.]

The people of your Earth and your time are very fortunate to have you and your friends.

And here? Are you the only one of your friends who has been brought here?

We're trying to make sure they don't ever need to find out about it either.

[No alien invasion of Earth. That's the general goal, anyway. Keith shakes his head.]

No, not just me. Shiro is here too. He's the leader of Voltron. [And the best friend that Keith has ever had.]

I'm so glad. [She's gotten real invested in your well-being already.] Everyone I have met here has been very kind so far, but it's still good to have a familiar face.

If you don't mind, can I ask another question?

[Keith is not used to people being concerned for him -- his time with the Blade lately magnifies that.]

Thanks. But yeah. Everyone I've talked to seems like good people. But... yeah. Even if I wish Shiro hadn't gotten caught up in this too, it's really good to have him around.

[A pause but he nods, curious.] Yeah, go ahead.

You mentioned flying. In two different contexts. I've met a few other people here who've been to space or lived there, but you're talking about a vessel that can navigate the stars, correct?

That's right, yeah. Like a ship that sails through space.

[A space ship, if you will.] There are all different sorts and sizes of them.

That sounds a lot like being the captain of an oceangoing vessel, like a junk. [She doesn't actually know the word for 'pilot' because airplanes don't exist for her.] Though those need a large number of men to operate them. Is that what you and your friends do?

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.

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?

Well... human wars, not so much. Those are still mostly confined to Earth. The war against Zarkon and what's left of the Galra Empire, yeah. That's how that one works.

[Her next question has him hesitating.] Well. The coalition is growing all the time. But... there aren't that many Blades left. And Voltron is five Paladins.

[She's trying her best to pick things up based on context clues, and she's not too bad at it, but mainly what his oblique references are doing is causing her quiet alarm.]

So in this war, you and your friends serve as symbols as well as warriors to those opposing the Empire you fight against.

Uh... yeah. I think that's true. Voltron is a symbol of hope for a lot of people.

[One that turned the tide of the war. he shakes his head.] Sorry. It's probably confusing. I know it was when I first got dragged into it, and I had the benefit of being there in person, not just hearing some idiot teenager talk about it.

[She has enough context and experience of her own to pick up some of what she thinks Keith is trying to say and not say, so she smiles gently, shaking her head.] Not at all. I appreciate how much you've shared with me about your experience. I hope my questions haven't been too invasive.

[She's just very sick of adults failing and the responsibility falling on the shoulders of almost literal children.]

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