( it is kind of a ridiculous question to ask in the middle of all this, isn't it? and whether it's more out of habit than anything else is anyone's guess — it isn't, because of course it isn't, because he cares so much about all of them that he has to ask, even if he thinks he might already know the answer — but still, there it is, hanging in the air between them as they scope out how they should progress from here.
it's. uncanny, really, to think of earth as being gone when he'd only just seen it before he'd come out of stasis; it might have been taken over, overrun by the galra but there had still been hope to bring it back from the brink and make it whole again, even if it hadn't seemed very. likely.
( no, he can't think that. because he's always managed to maintain a positive outlook in the face of whatever lies ahead of them, and this isn't about to be any sort of exception. he won't let it be. )
the attempt at a joke is met with a an easy half-smile, because of course he can't think to give anything else when lance is the one trying to lighten the mood. he shakes his head anyway with a small breath out, a short sort of chuckle making its way out of him. ) Yeah, I see. ( don't ever change, lance. don't ever change.
he pauses, though, and makes a contemplative sort of sound in the back of his throat. ) Maybe, but at least I'm here. ( there's another beat of a pause. ) I wouldn't want you to go through this by yourself. ( not that that's supposed to mean he doesn't think you can, mind. make no mistake about that — he's always going to have faith in you — but he does find himself breathing a little easier knowing that you aren't about to try whatever you're both about to try all by your lonesome.
oh, and that last little bit? actually makes him laugh. because: )That's what you're thinking about right now? I don't know … it looks like you've got a pretty big one right there. ( oh. you both aren't allowed to make jokes, you know. there are rules against that. somewhere.
but. ) But. Okay. I don't want to disappoint you, but there's not a whole lot to it. ( just cardio. alternating leg days with arm days. more cardio. regular protein intake.
You sure you wouldn't rather be getting more of that beauty sleep right about now, Shiro?
[Because absolutely nobody would blame him for wanting to not be dealing with the apocalypse right upon waking. It's an earnest enough question, asked with just a tiny smile -- something earnest in the midst of some of his more forced attempts to keep them both from wigging out.]
Cuz I was starting to feel a little bad for being glad about having you around. Y'know... leading like you used to.
[There's a lot to dissect there. For starters, Shiro being a whole lot less touchy and moody than Lance had gotten used to is just such a wonderful change, even if he always cared about Shiro regardless and wanted to do his very best to prove himself in his hero's eyes. But that isn't what Lance is getting at primarily, and what he is getting at leaves him feeling just a tiny bit guilty in the pit of his stomach. After all this time, he just doesn't really know if he trusts Keith to lead their group through this mess. But he does trust Shiro.
But as for that final question, he furrows his brow, then sighs and lowers the rifle a bit to look over.]
...Well, it's something I guess I've been thinking about for a while. I just. [He breathes out heavily, biting the inside of his lip.[ It's silly, I totally get it. I just want to be stronger so that things like what happened in the simulation don't happen again. Guess I've been having nightmares about losing you and Allura.
I think I've had about as much of that as I can stand. ( he's being perfectly honest, here, and it goes without saying that he would probably say that regardless of the situation, not only to lighten the mood; it's never mattered if he doesn't want to deal with something, because he's always going to be the kind of person that rises to whatever is needed from him at any given time, and especially where lance is concerned, he doesn't want to find himself falling short. in any capacity.
that next bit catches him behind the ribs, though, and his heart aches for the span of its next handful of beats. ) Hey, you don't have to feel bad, okay? I'm glad to be around. ( there's a beat of a pause, and he doesn't want to hesitate, but he catches himself thinking what next comes out of his mouth before he can stop it. ) Wouldn't think so far ahead about the leading part if I were you, though.
( he hasn't been here long enough to lead anyone, even if he's sure to fall into the role as he always does when he inevitably finds his footing. it hasn't been long enough, nowhere near long enough, but. it can still happen.
he goes quiet, then, at what lance says next. he knows what it means to want to protect the ones you care about with everything in you, being terrified it isn't enough — and wanting to do everything in your power to ensure it is. lance has come a long way in his development, shiro having watched him grow and mature with the others in the time they've spent together, and he breathes out a knowing sort of sound that he hopes begins to get his point across. )
Wanting to protect the people you care about doesn't make you silly. It makes you a good person. ( he pauses again, watching lance's profile, the way his expression shifts. ) As soon as we're finished here, I'll give you all my secrets. Promise.
[The middle of an apocalypse really isn't an apt time to be having a heart to heart and Lance knows that. As much as he wants to continue talking to Shiro because god knows if there's realy going to even be a tomorrow when Thesa crash lands on the planet and the Storm grows ever closer, they have to focus their efforts on doing what they can to stop it, right?
So instead of prolonging the many conversations he's been wanting to have with Shiro, he instead smiles softly -- genuinely, in that honest, kind of shy but appreciative way that he reserves for when he's grateful from the bottom of his heart.]
You're always gonna be someone I look up to, Shiro. Even if you're not our "leader", you know?
[The smile grows a little more light hearted when he adds:]
That another pinky promise?
[Just then, however, something catches his attention on the scope's display, and all semblance of levity fades abruptly.]
Movement at 10 o'clock. Half a smile away -- it's big. [A beat, and with a slight note of alarm:] Fast, too.
[And sure enough, there's a crunch as distant trees in that direction topple -- collateral damage in a monster's rampage. Other trees simply blacken on the spot as if hit by some kind of laser fire. Lance steadies the sniper rifle:] If I get a clear shot at it, I'll take it!
( he's never had to worry too much about whether or not there's going to be a tomorrow — figuratively or literally, in any case — and while it goes without saying that right now isn't the best time to be making any confessions, or engaging in the depth of conversation they're currently making their way toward, it. the words lance gives him burrow deep into him, somewhere in the middle of his chest where they settle behind his ribs and make a place for themselves like something tangible, something alive might.
it feels good in the middle of all this uncertainty, like he's managed to keep lance's trust even while he's been in stasis, even while he hasn't been there for the others like he would have preferred. he might not be the leader anymore — he'd always wanted keith to take his place one day, if it ever came to that, and he's proud that it has — but that he still feels like he has a place with them is comforting in a way that it maybe shouldn't be.
he relies on them too much. more than he'll ever admit out loud, and while he's always preaching that there's never anything wrong with that ( there isn't, there never has been and there never will be ) he likes to maintain some level of being able to stand on his own. because he's always been a pillar of strength for them. has always wanted to.
but he nods, chuckling lightly, low under his breath. ) Definitely. ( pinky promises are going to be their thing, now, apparently. he's pretty okay with that.
he hears the movement before he catches sight of it — big, indeed — and while he's been ready ever since they paused, he steels himself even more, gritting his teeth without realizing. )Only if you get a clear shot. ( that tone? leaves no room for argument. some things aren't ever going to change. ) I don't want you putting yourself in danger if you don't have to.
( never mind that's a sniper he's holding, long-range like whoa and powerful. still. it just goes without saying.
there's more of that movement, and he doesn't need a scope to see how quickly it's advancing. ) ETA less than five minutes, max, if it keeps moving like that.
omg i just caught "half a smile away" and now im cracking up so hard
[Lance has his attention focused squarely on keeping the sniper rifle steady, waiting for whatever the thing is to advance through the thick tangle of forest obscuring the clear shot. Despite the sheer chaos surrounding them, this all feels familiar. Fighting alongside Shiro, getting orders.. and okay, well they don't have the lions and it's been ages since he's heard the phrase "Form Voltron" from either Keith or Shiro, but that's not the point.]
Copy that, Shiro. What's the plan if I can't? Distract it? Split up and attack from different directions? Redirect it? Retreat?
[His mind's working a little on autopilot, letting Shiro handle the decision making while he concentrates. As the thing advances, Lance catches small glimpses of it through the scope lens. It's a purple and black humanoid looking mecha that appear to be fusing with the surrounding wildlife.]
Uh, Shiro? [That's definitely some moderate alarm.] I know this sounds crazy but it looks like a Robeast. It's absorbing everything!
[How it's able to create fire is apparent when Lance spots a dragon head fused into the aberration chest. He fires several quick shots at it, trying to at least neutralize that threat. The dragon head recedes into the Robeasts torso, though it doesn't slow it down at all.]
Edited (ultimate html fail) 2019-01-29 21:07 (UTC)
( it's been long enough since he'd been in charge of the team that it's gotten … a little more familiar-feeling to be the one not calling the shots all the time, even with the memories that don't belong to him slowly creeping back into his mind; that is an entirely different can of worms to be sure, and maybe one of these days he'll properly reflect on them but for now, the only thing that matters is getting through this debacle in one piece, relatively unscathed, but it remains to be seen if that's even possible.
mostly, he wants to ensure the other's spirits stay up. morale is important in situations like these, and he knows lance knows that, but he'll never not want to do what he can just to be sure it all doesn't fall too low.
he's focusing so hard on the approach of the monster that it takes him a second to think out what plan b might be if they don't manage to take the thing down before it gets too close. ) Splitting up is a bad idea, I think. So not that. ( he's usually pretty darn good at thinking on his feet, on the fly, but somehow this time around his thoughts are coming to him slowly, and they don't have time for that. he needs to get himself in gear. focus. focus.) Distract and redirect might be our best bet. Lure it somewhere that allows you to get a better shot. ( there we go. that sounds like a solid plan.
but then. ) It — what? ( that doesn't sound even remotely possible, but then again, he hasn't been out of stasis long enough to properly think of what sounds possible and what doesn't, but a robeast …
he tenses, unconsciously gritting his teeth. he doesn't see what lance sees, not to that extent, but he still zeroes in on the movement and doesn't feel at all sure that they're going to manage to move before it reaches them. it's still moving dreadfully fast. ) Okay. We need to move. If it is a Robeast, we're not even close to being prepared for it.
( great leadership, shiro. you're great at this. you're doing fine. )
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it's. uncanny, really, to think of earth as being gone when he'd only just seen it before he'd come out of stasis; it might have been taken over, overrun by the galra but there had still been hope to bring it back from the brink and make it whole again, even if it hadn't seemed very. likely.
( no, he can't think that. because he's always managed to maintain a positive outlook in the face of whatever lies ahead of them, and this isn't about to be any sort of exception. he won't let it be. )
the attempt at a joke is met with a an easy half-smile, because of course he can't think to give anything else when lance is the one trying to lighten the mood. he shakes his head anyway with a small breath out, a short sort of chuckle making its way out of him. ) Yeah, I see. ( don't ever change, lance. don't ever change.
he pauses, though, and makes a contemplative sort of sound in the back of his throat. ) Maybe, but at least I'm here. ( there's another beat of a pause. ) I wouldn't want you to go through this by yourself. ( not that that's supposed to mean he doesn't think you can, mind. make no mistake about that — he's always going to have faith in you — but he does find himself breathing a little easier knowing that you aren't about to try whatever you're both about to try all by your lonesome.
oh, and that last little bit? actually makes him laugh. because: ) That's what you're thinking about right now? I don't know … it looks like you've got a pretty big one right there. ( oh. you both aren't allowed to make jokes, you know. there are rules against that. somewhere.
but. ) But. Okay. I don't want to disappoint you, but there's not a whole lot to it. ( just cardio. alternating leg days with arm days. more cardio. regular protein intake.
jogging for miles. you get the idea. )
no subject
[Because absolutely nobody would blame him for wanting to not be dealing with the apocalypse right upon waking. It's an earnest enough question, asked with just a tiny smile -- something earnest in the midst of some of his more forced attempts to keep them both from wigging out.]
Cuz I was starting to feel a little bad for being glad about having you around. Y'know... leading like you used to.
[There's a lot to dissect there. For starters, Shiro being a whole lot less touchy and moody than Lance had gotten used to is just such a wonderful change, even if he always cared about Shiro regardless and wanted to do his very best to prove himself in his hero's eyes. But that isn't what Lance is getting at primarily, and what he is getting at leaves him feeling just a tiny bit guilty in the pit of his stomach. After all this time, he just doesn't really know if he trusts Keith to lead their group through this mess. But he does trust Shiro.
But as for that final question, he furrows his brow, then sighs and lowers the rifle a bit to look over.]
...Well, it's something I guess I've been thinking about for a while. I just. [He breathes out heavily, biting the inside of his lip.[ It's silly, I totally get it. I just want to be stronger so that things like what happened in the simulation don't happen again. Guess I've been having nightmares about losing you and Allura.
no subject
that next bit catches him behind the ribs, though, and his heart aches for the span of its next handful of beats. ) Hey, you don't have to feel bad, okay? I'm glad to be around. ( there's a beat of a pause, and he doesn't want to hesitate, but he catches himself thinking what next comes out of his mouth before he can stop it. ) Wouldn't think so far ahead about the leading part if I were you, though.
( he hasn't been here long enough to lead anyone, even if he's sure to fall into the role as he always does when he inevitably finds his footing. it hasn't been long enough, nowhere near long enough, but. it can still happen.
he goes quiet, then, at what lance says next. he knows what it means to want to protect the ones you care about with everything in you, being terrified it isn't enough — and wanting to do everything in your power to ensure it is. lance has come a long way in his development, shiro having watched him grow and mature with the others in the time they've spent together, and he breathes out a knowing sort of sound that he hopes begins to get his point across. )
Wanting to protect the people you care about doesn't make you silly. It makes you a good person. ( he pauses again, watching lance's profile, the way his expression shifts. ) As soon as we're finished here, I'll give you all my secrets. Promise.
no subject
So instead of prolonging the many conversations he's been wanting to have with Shiro, he instead smiles softly -- genuinely, in that honest, kind of shy but appreciative way that he reserves for when he's grateful from the bottom of his heart.]
You're always gonna be someone I look up to, Shiro. Even if you're not our "leader", you know?
[The smile grows a little more light hearted when he adds:]
That another pinky promise?
[Just then, however, something catches his attention on the scope's display, and all semblance of levity fades abruptly.]
Movement at 10 o'clock. Half a smile away -- it's big. [A beat, and with a slight note of alarm:] Fast, too.
[And sure enough, there's a crunch as distant trees in that direction topple -- collateral damage in a monster's rampage. Other trees simply blacken on the spot as if hit by some kind of laser fire. Lance steadies the sniper rifle:] If I get a clear shot at it, I'll take it!
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it feels good in the middle of all this uncertainty, like he's managed to keep lance's trust even while he's been in stasis, even while he hasn't been there for the others like he would have preferred. he might not be the leader anymore — he'd always wanted keith to take his place one day, if it ever came to that, and he's proud that it has — but that he still feels like he has a place with them is comforting in a way that it maybe shouldn't be.
he relies on them too much. more than he'll ever admit out loud, and while he's always preaching that there's never anything wrong with that ( there isn't, there never has been and there never will be ) he likes to maintain some level of being able to stand on his own. because he's always been a pillar of strength for them. has always wanted to.
but he nods, chuckling lightly, low under his breath. ) Definitely. ( pinky promises are going to be their thing, now, apparently. he's pretty okay with that.
he hears the movement before he catches sight of it — big, indeed — and while he's been ready ever since they paused, he steels himself even more, gritting his teeth without realizing. ) Only if you get a clear shot. ( that tone? leaves no room for argument. some things aren't ever going to change. ) I don't want you putting yourself in danger if you don't have to.
( never mind that's a sniper he's holding, long-range like whoa and powerful. still. it just goes without saying.
there's more of that movement, and he doesn't need a scope to see how quickly it's advancing. ) ETA less than five minutes, max, if it keeps moving like that.
omg i just caught "half a smile away" and now im cracking up so hard
Copy that, Shiro. What's the plan if I can't? Distract it? Split up and attack from different directions? Redirect it? Retreat?
[His mind's working a little on autopilot, letting Shiro handle the decision making while he concentrates. As the thing advances, Lance catches small glimpses of it through the scope lens. It's a purple and black humanoid looking mecha that appear to be fusing with the surrounding wildlife.]
Uh, Shiro? [That's definitely some moderate alarm.] I know this sounds crazy but it looks like a Robeast. It's absorbing everything!
[How it's able to create fire is apparent when Lance spots a dragon head fused into the aberration chest. He fires several quick shots at it, trying to at least neutralize that threat. The dragon head recedes into the Robeasts torso, though it doesn't slow it down at all.]
I DID NOT EVEN NOTICE LMAO
mostly, he wants to ensure the other's spirits stay up. morale is important in situations like these, and he knows lance knows that, but he'll never not want to do what he can just to be sure it all doesn't fall too low.
he's focusing so hard on the approach of the monster that it takes him a second to think out what plan b might be if they don't manage to take the thing down before it gets too close. ) Splitting up is a bad idea, I think. So not that. ( he's usually pretty darn good at thinking on his feet, on the fly, but somehow this time around his thoughts are coming to him slowly, and they don't have time for that. he needs to get himself in gear. focus. focus. ) Distract and redirect might be our best bet. Lure it somewhere that allows you to get a better shot. ( there we go. that sounds like a solid plan.
but then. ) It — what? ( that doesn't sound even remotely possible, but then again, he hasn't been out of stasis long enough to properly think of what sounds possible and what doesn't, but a robeast …
he tenses, unconsciously gritting his teeth. he doesn't see what lance sees, not to that extent, but he still zeroes in on the movement and doesn't feel at all sure that they're going to manage to move before it reaches them. it's still moving dreadfully fast. ) Okay. We need to move. If it is a Robeast, we're not even close to being prepared for it.
( great leadership, shiro. you're great at this. you're doing fine. )