Day 4 || Shard 001

[fighterpaladin]

[Keith stares at the mirror shard for a while, his eyebrow raising.]

... Is this-- [Oh. It is. It... does seem to be working. Or well, at least, he isn't seeing his reflection anymore. Then again, he isn't all that sure of what he is seeing, either.

Ah well. Here goes nothing.]

...

[................. 'Hi?' 'Hello?' ... That sounds so stupid. What-- What's he supposed to say? How should he even start this...?

...]

I--... Uh. [Clears throat slightly.] ... My name is Keith. And... I'm a paladin of Voltron. [Awkward pause. He lifts his eyes up from the mirror, for a moment, and seems to communicate with someone through facial expressions alone before returning his attention back to the mirror again.

He frowns.]

... No one we've talked to so far seems to have any idea of where we are or how we ended up here. Is it the same for all of you? Any information you might have could help us figure out how to get out of here.

[He pauses again, before--]

If any of the other paladins are listening: Guys, come in. All you have to do is look at the mirror and-- uh. Speak. ... I guess. While thinking about... wanting to speak. [... wow. Smooth.] Just. You know. Look at the surface, think that you want to talk to people, talk. Figure it out. But do it. I'm with Lance, but we don't think the Red or the Black lions are anywhere around here. It's been four days and we haven't heard or seen any of you or anyone else that was with us. So if you are here, say something.

Comments

action;

[sharpshooterpaladin]

[ On the one hand, Lance kind of wants to poke fun at Keith because it's like he has no practice talking to people. On the other hand... he's gotta cut him some kind of slack for dealing with that sunstroke and now the other kind of weirdness starting.

On the other, other hand? He's too worried to give him shit about this. Anyone who headed this way should've found the village by now, right? But if the others aren't here... where are they?

So Lance flops back on the rug in front of the fireplace with a sigh. ] And now we wait.

action;

[fighterpaladin]

[To be fair, this goes beyond talking to people. It goes beyond talking to strangers, even. This is him, talking to a piece of mirror that was showing his reflection just a few seconds ago, but is acting all weird now. In other words, it's both awkward and making him feel a little bit stupid. At least, until someone responds.

Which, so far, hasn't happened.

At the end of the day, though, he is tired and annoyed and just as worried as Lance is. Because exactly. On all points.

He looks at the mirror for a while longer and then looks at Lance again, frowning after he speaks.]

We can't afford to wait much longer. [He's been recovering for almost two days now. He is still not at 100%, but with how little supplies they have left, and if no concrete answers are given by anyone around... They need to start doing something.

It's a bit like the Quantum Abyss. But, back then, he knew why he was there and how he had gotten to where they were. Even without news from everyone else, there was a purpose to what him and his mother were doing. Here, though, they lack reasons and explanations. Which, in a way, does make him wonder if this is some sort of random space-trick, too.]

action;

[sharpshooterpaladin]

[ It's true, talking to a screen is a long, long way from talking to a broken shard of mirror. Lance definitely understands how that would feel kinda ridiculous. ... Still. They gotta give it a shot.

Lance nods in response. ] Yeah, I know. These supplies aren't gonna last forever. [ Which actually scares him, in a way. He knows he's been taught a few things about survival, but now, he doesn't feel like he knows anything at all. Ridiculous, isn't it? But doing nothing isn't an option either. ]

Where do you think we should start? [ It's a good first step not to be alone. ]

action;

[fighterpaladin]

Yeah. [In fact, it's surprising they've lasted this long.

When the question comes, Keith looks away from the mirror to meet Lance's eyes. He seems to consider the answer, for a while, looking around before looking back at him.] We need to figure out what this place has. And then we gotta find food.

[If this house is going to be where they are staying, it's a good idea to be more aware of it and what it contains. It's also a good idea to cover up some of its weak spots, but that can wait until the food problem is sorted.]

This place is surrounded by woods with a lake in the middle. I'm sure there's stuff around that we can hunt.

action;

[sharpshooterpaladin]

[ Lance nods. ] I've checked the place out somewhat, but I haven't gone through everything yet.

[ He goes through the layout of the house in his mind, thinking of where he might've missed spots, but Keith suggests hunting and... ] You know how? I mean... all we've got is your knife. Sword. Thing.

[loadme]

Hi Keith! My name is Monika. It's nice to meet you!

This is all a lot to take in, isn't it?

[fighterpaladin]

[And then, suddenly, there's finally an answer! It's... a girl, seems like. Human, as well, at least at first sight. That's still confusing to him.

... As is how cheerful and relaxed she sounds.]

Uh. Hi. [Hm.] ... Yeah, I guess. Did you just wake up here, too?

[loadme]

I sure did. I'm no really how it all happened, but here I am!

It's kind of weird, huh?

[fighterpaladin]

[... Is it just him or does she sound a bit too content about this?

His eyebrow raises.]

... Yeah.



[...Did she really say 'kind of'?]

[loadme]

[It's all in your head.]

Oh well. What's done is done. Not much else to do now but figure out the rest.

[arachnerds]

[there's a look of relief on is face when peter pulls out his shard. after being woken up that night by the screaming girl, he'll happily take a little friendly conversation instead.]

Hey. Uh-- My name's Peter, and I'm kind of in the same position. There's a few others I've met here, and it's the same for them too. I don't think anyone really knows why we're here. But there's someone on this island who...I don't know.

[he scowls slightly, looking away from the shard for a moment.]

I think she's from this place. She tried to talk to us a while back, but something stopped her.

[fighterpaladin]

[And then there's a guy! ... Also human. Still weird. But it's nice that people are answering. A bit alarming that none of them is reacting to the mention of Voltron at all. Though what he is saying might help explain it.]

Hey. [Peter. Definitely a human name.] So the same thing really happened to everyone who's here, huh...?

[And though that is worrisome, it's not as much as what follows. Keith raises his eyebrow a bit as Peter goes on, his head tilting by the end of it. So there's 'someone' - a girl? - who's from this place...?] She tried to talk to you? [Something stopped her?] ... What did she say?

[arachnerds]

[he only nods at the first part. so far, he hasn't been face to face with anyone who knows more about this island. about what's happening here.]

I don't think she was trying to talk to me specifically. She just...screamed. And then said "he's here", before disappearing. She never responded when we tried to talk to her.

[fighterpaladin]

[... Okay, Peter, you'll have to excuse Keith because he is giving you the most deadpan face ever from the other side of the mirror. When he speaks, his tone is a little flat.]

... She just screamed. And said 'he's here', before disappearing.

[Just. Making sure he heard that right.

Hey, it's not like he doesn't believe in ghosts and that sort of stuff per se - they've had a... sort of close encounter with something akin to it once (it wasn't fun and it tried to kill him) - but that sounds straight out of one of those really bad B-type movies that people watch just to make fun of.

Also, lets be real here, if that really happened, why the Hell aren't you freaking out a Hell of a lot more, dude?!]

[arachnerds]

Yeah, pretty much.

[and given that it was the middle of the night at the time, nobody had taken that too well.]

She wouldn't answer when we tried to talk to her, and there wasn't really a way to track her down.

[clawandscars]

If anyone has a clue as to what's going on, they're not sharing. All I know is that this place doesn't smell like anywhere I've ever been before.

[That's right. Not 'looks like.' Smells like. Odd thing for what looks like a human being to say.]

[fighterpaladin]

[And another human. Albeit, something about this one seems... different. Keith actually stays silent just looking at the other's image on the mirror for a while before he realizes that he hasn't quite answered yet.]

Oh. Uh. ... Yeah.

[-- Wait, did he say smell? Weird word to use there. But, then again, he's heard weirder. There's something about this guy, though. Something that makes Keith feel pretty at ease.]

I don't think I've ever been here before, either.

[clawandscars]

[Yeah, there's always something just a little bit off about Tsume. He's just not like other people.]

Wonder what happened to everyone who was here before.

[He's seen the abandoned houses, but mistrusting them, he's been sleeping out in the woods under the stars. He's not complaining, that's where wolves are meant to be naturally.]

[fighterpaladin]

[There definitely is something different about him. Keith can't quite put his finger on what, though.]

Wonder where here even is.

[But he does make a good point. There are houses here, utilities... Clearly, there were other people here, before. So where are they? What happened? ... How did they even get here?

The fact that everyone seems to be in the same situation and no one really has any answers only adds fuel to the fire. But well, for now--]

... What's your name?

[clawandscars]

Not any place where I'm from. Everything's dead or dying there.

[Cheery, but hey, that's what happened when people were living in the fallout after a nuclear war wrecked the planet.]

Tsume.

[No last name attached. It's not wolves have need of them. He doesn't ask for Keith's, seeming rather like he could take it or leave it if he answers or not.]

[forhyrule]

[ The broken piece of mirror is speaking.

The one Zelda found in the leather bag with her clothes when she first awakened in the forest, that she nearly cut herself with by accident. The one she held onto for some inexplicable reason, that she couldn't bring herself to throw away. The one she left resting on a broken piece of furniture in the little cabin she had claimed for herself by the lake with the other strangers who weren't sure what they were doing here. That mirror is speaking.

And, conveniently, sharing instructions for its use as Zelda hurries over to where she left it and carefully picks it up. The reflection looking back at her is not her own, but an unfamiliar male face.

"Say something," the young man says. Yes, she should say something. ]

... I... am here, Paladin. [ Says awkwardly the young princess to the mirror in her cupped hands. She cannot help feeling immensely foolish, like she's talking to herself. Could this actually be some kind of illusion? ]

[fighterpaladin]

[It's another girl, this time, who answers. Yet, there's something definitely different about her.

Keith has to do a double-take at first - was that Romelle? - before it becomes apparent that no, it isn't. The person talking to him now looks different-- Carries herself differently, too. The ears are what really catches Keith's attention - is she... Altean? - but the lack of marks under her eyes makes him wonder just who, exactly, he is talking to.

Are there other species out there that look so alike humans and Alteans? Or is she something else, entirely?

What she says takes him a little aback, too. So far, no one has reacted to the word 'Voltron' or 'paladin' at all. So the fact that she does makes him a little hopeful that all this isn't as crazy as it is starting to feel like.]

... Uh. Hi.

[Smooth.]

Did you wake up here randomly, too...?

[forhyrule]

[ Zelda's eyes widen in surprise as the man on the other side speaks again, this time looking directly at her. She almost hadn't expected a response. ]

... I, I did, yes. [ She manages to reply self-consciously. She can't help feeling a bit like she's talking to herself.

Zelda lifts the shard closer to her face to get a better look at the man on the other side. A paladin, he introduced himself as. Blue eyes scrutinize Keith's features, searching for any hint that he might be a knight of her world. But nothing about his appearance is familiar to her, and his style of dress (from what she can see) is not Hyrulean. He is no more likely to be of Hyrule than Mordred.

Besides, she didn't recognize the name 'Voltron' either, which was telling in itself. A named corps of knights would not go unknown by the young princess. ]

My name is Zelda. I am the Princess of Hyrule... should you recognize the name. [ There's still a bit of a hopeful tone to her voice, even though she's pretty sure she knows what Keith's answer will be. ]

[fighterpaladin]

[... Another princess, huh? That's one Hell of a coincidence. Mainly given her features-- Or what he can see of them, anyway, a bit better now, that she approached the mirror to her face. She really doesn't have the markings under her eyes, but the ears... The ears are definitely Altean-like ears.

Which is why he frowns when he hears the name of the place she is from. Hyrule.]

... Sorry. Never heard of it. [At least, he doesn't remember if he did. There were one too many planets and areas sometimes, but he's sure he would remember a place with Altean-like people.] Is it... a planet? [He is assuming so. But it could also be an area... somewhere. In a planet with another name. Maybe even--]

... Have you heard of a place called Altea?

[sharpshooterpaladin]

[ Lance hears Keith ask about Altea, and he's abruptly up and half on the couch, leaning into the feed next to Keith. His eyes widen momentarily, like recognition, and he opens his mouth to speak but falters.

That person clearly isn't who he thought he recognized.

He only belatedly realizes he just barged into a conversation, but he's barely sheepish about it. ] Uh, sorry, don't mind me. Same question.