fableshards | Day 4 || Shard 001

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Day 4 || Shard 001

[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.

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[ Yeah. If there was anything to put on the sunburn... but there's not. For now, they're catching up. Lance watches as Keith explains, frowning. The expression on his face shifts from confused to incredulous, to sympathetic at the mention of Romelle, to just... vague resignation. He can't help just raising his hands in a shrug before dropping them back in his lap. ]

Man. Space whale? I thought the weblum was basically a super angry space worm, but now this? It just gets crazier and crazier. [ He huffs. ] But that makes sense. A place with an atmosphere and like, an ecosystem, that'd make it possible to pull off two years. [ Still crazy difficult, he'd bet.

He gestures dismissively at the eyebrow raise. ] More like, I was thinking it might be too cold for bamboo around here, and then I remembered that climate is just ridiculous. And hey, there's two directions we haven't even looked in yet! So I'm sure it grows somewhere!

[Not that they have found, anyway.]

Yeah. And-- [A shrug.] Looked more like a super angry giant space slug to me. [With a super powerful mouth laser. ... And an extremely complicated digestive system.] But yeah. [It does get crazier and crazier. And something tells him it's not about to get any less so. Mainly since they still have a while to go until they reach Earth, according to Pidge.] It could have been worse.

[And then, he snorts.] Yeah. Kinda hard for me to forget how not cold it is. [... Not that it would grow in the desert, either. But it's like Lance said, this place is completely insane.

He nods, simply, after that.] You think there will be something there besides snow and sand? [On those two directions they haven't checked yet, beyond the trees.]

Or slug! [ How would he know, he only heard about it from Hunk. ] That fires super powerful lasers for no good reason and eats entire planets. [ Shakes head. ] Space, man... [ He's really not sure what else to say. ] Good thing you found that whale though. ... I mean, assuming it was nice and chill like whales are supposed to be, and didn't try to laser you guys to death while you were living there.

[ And that's... a good point, yeah. He has to concede that one. ] Yeah... [ Looking a little sheepish. And just... looking at Keith's arms and shoulders, wondering how those burns are doing. ]

I have no idea. But if North is ice and snow and mountains, and East is desert... I mean if they weren't right next to each other maybe I wouldn't think so but like, I've played plenty of video games, so I'm definitely expecting South and West to have totally different climates too.

Only if you get on its face. [He actually offers Lance a small smile at that. And heh, eating entire planets... It was pretty impressive. No wonder the thing had stomach problems, though. If Hunk is any indication, that big guy had a lot more to deal with.] It was okay. We tried to vary our diet so we wouldn't eat too much of one thing on its back and bring that whole eco-system out of balance.

[He looks to the side a bit, when Lance concedes the point to him, staring out the windows for a while, before looking back at the mirror shard on his hand and, finally, returning his attention to Lance.

He snorts at what he says.] You serious? [It's true, though. The whole thing doesn't make any sense at all.

The small smile remains on his face.] What other climates are there? [In video games, that is.]

[ Now he's just rolling his eyes. Weblums are ridiculous. Who was the first person to harvest skulltrite from the living Weblum? Who would be insane enough to come up with that idea? Because that's very honestly very completely crazy.

Space whales make a lot more sense to him. It's kind of like old stories about islands in the ocean that then turned out to be giant sea creatures instead. Only in space, and real. He huffs. ] Man, you guys really thought of everything. Did uh... your wolf. Did he just live there? Like, was there a whole pack or something?

[ The question makes him frown, gesturing expansively. ] It'd make as much sense as anything else, so yeah, I'm serious! [ With that smile on Keith's face, he isn't sure if he's being taken seriously. But it's not like that ever stopped him before. ] And I dunno. Could be swamps, or more forest but a different kind from this one, could even be a coast, or plains. Not to like, apply too much logic, but rivers would make sense, maybe, considering this gigantic lake. We'll have to find out one of these days, right? I mean, we're gonna keep looking after all. [ For the others, for a way out, for a clue of where they are and how they got here... anything. ]

[... Some Altean guy? If Keith had to guess, anyway. Coran seemed pretty well versed in it-- And for there to be an explanation video with... a person inside a doll, he guesses it was meant for kids. Which means, he figures, that that's something common for Altean children to learn...?

Anyway. He shrugs at the comment. Honestly? It was mostly his mom. He learned a Hell of a lot during those two years. And then his smile widens, when Lance mentions his wolf.] Oh-- No. He, uh. Crashed there. [As in. Literally. Crashed there. Like a meteor would.] As a cub. We went to see what it was and found him. He stayed with us, from then on. [Grew up with them. Keith feels lucky that he actually got to witness him grow. He loves that wolf.

He looks somewhat amused at all the gesturing as well as the comeback and remains quiet, as Lance explains.] So nothing as drastic as what we found? [But then, Lance is mentioning how they are going to keep looking and Keith's smile fades. He looks down for a moment and, eventually, nods.] Yeah.

[Yeah, they are. They should be, even.]

[ Clearly some Altean guy. Doesn't seem like anyone else uses skultrite these days after all... but seriously, for kids to learn? You all need to slow, like, way down.

The mention of a crash makes Lance's eyes widen. ] Literally? Wow... [ There's wolves who launch their tiny cubs into space. He has no idea what to think of that. ] That's... kind of amazing. So do you think he's grown up now? Or is he gonna still grow bigger? [ Since that means he's only two, at most.

That assessment gets a raised finger from Lance. ] I dunno, there's some games that have plains areas where there's constant thunderstorms and stuff like that! Which I would totally write off, but there was that one planet we went to that only had one clear day in the whole year, so. [ Still-- ] But yeah hopefully not.

[ Keith looking down makes his smile fade too, though. He knows the feeling. ] Hey, we'll figure this out. [ He's not sure how, but... they have to. So they will. ]

[Yup.

And, at the question, he nods.] Yeah. [It really is amazing. All sorts of amazing.] I... uh. I don't know? I have no idea how big cosmic wolves usually get. [He had never seen one before.] When he was younger, he looked more like a fox. It was around a year or so before he grew more into what he is now.

[And there's a raised finger, which gets an amused raised eyebrow from Keith... Up until he mentions that planet. His expression shifts into confusion, instead. Huh? What's he talking about?] ... What planet?

[He looks up, after Lance talks, and he meets his gaze, which he holds for a while, without a word. Yeah. ... Yeah, he's right. They'll figure this out.

They always do.]

[ Well now he feels kinda stupid. Of course, with no others to compare it to, how would they know? Duh. ] Aaawwwww... man, he must've been really little. That's kinda cute.

[ That is a good question though. Lance... thinks about it. ] Uhhh... we went there one time 'cause there was supposed to be like a show of arms there or something, but Coran didn't calculate right so we missed [ air quotes: ] Clear Day. So. Uh. Yeah the whole place was super stormy and we got yelled at a lot, that was basically it. Don't ask me what the name was, though, I got nothin'.

[ Okay he's not sure how to feel about this whole extended eyecontact thing. He offers a smile, which is probably a little awkward, and a small nod. Whatever else happens, they got this. ]

[And Keith's whole expression warms, at that. He's even smiling a little again.] Yeah... He was. [Really little. And really cute. Still is.

As the conversation continues, though, and after the initial confusion, Keith starts to frown. What's Lance talking about...? He doesn't-- He doesn't remember any of that. And it's only half-way through Lance's explanation that his brain fully connects the dots, not so much because nothing of it rings a bell at all, but because the previous mention of 'show of arms' reminds him of that... thing he watched a little of between missions with Kolivan, and-- Ah. That's why he doesn't remember.

He wasn't there.

He shifts a little on the sofa.] Only one clear day, huh? ... Sounds tough.

[At the smile and nod, Keith simply nods back, looking away after, towards the table and the stairs. People will hopefully start answering soon. Maybe they have info they can use. And, if not... They should probably start doing something around here.]

[ He kind of wishes he could've seen it, the tiny wolf cub. It's kind of like a miracle, right? And then raising him? It must've helped, too, having company like that. Of course Keith and his mom had each other, but it's nicer, right? Having a pet with them too?

But... well, now there's an elephant in the room, so maybe that question will just have to wait. As if on cue, Lance shifts as well, suddenly not wholly comfortable. He looks down as he says, ] Yeah. [ Just a touch too quiet to be casual.

But he recovers. ] But as long as the weather here isn't like that, it'll definitely be more bearable than what we already saw. Anyways, we're just gonna have to check it out one of these days.

[ If someone started talking on the mirror shard right now, that'd be real handy. But it's quiet. That elephant's still in the room. ] Soooo do you feel up to looking around the house and taking stock and stuff? We might as well get something done while we wait for replies to come in, right?

[He had never thought about it that way, but... Yeah. It kind of is. Crossing the sky like a shooting star and landing where they were. And raising him helped Keith pass the time, helped him keep his head occupied, helped him have something to do and entertain himself with, mainly after the first couple of months. There were also the visions, too, when it came to 'out of the ordinary, unexpected' things, but most of the things he saw happened in the past. And the things he didn't immediately recognize... He could barely remember.

After Lance's reply, the living room is quiet. Too quiet. Keith looks at the mirror and shifts a little again before Lance (thankfully) breaks the silence. It feels heavy, which, in turn, makes him feel slightly antsy. He looks at him once more.] Yeah. ... Yeah, I guess.

[They are both waiting for the same thing. For that mirror to come to life, to break this... 'thing' that's suddenly in the air. Yet, nothing happens, and Lance speaks again.

It's not a bad idea.] Yeah. [He nods.] We should probably do that. [Glancing at the mirror again for a second - maybe this doesn't connect automatically to everybody? - Keith starts moving that blanket away, realizing that he is still on his bodysuit from the waist down.

It's been four days. And it feels both like a couple of hours and a couple of months. He massages the back of his neck with his hand, before looking at Lance again.] Should we go from the bottom to the top or from the top to the bottom?

[ Lance still hasn't heard about the visions. If he had, he'd probably needle Keith about them at least for a little while, but... maybe another time.

Fortunately for everyone including the elephant that's going to continue not being acknowledged, Keith agrees to his suggestion. Lance gets to his feet. Which... it hurts? Weirdly. He thinks it's been that way since he went on an improptu dive this morning, but then... that's ridiculous, it's more likely he's just been walking a whole lot lately instead of piloting, right? Right. ] Top to bottom. Top floor's easier, and after we're done here we can look around the house itself too, maybe there's like a shed or something.

[Keith doesn't remember much about them, anyway.

He does notice that Lance takes a little while longer to get up, but it's not odd enough to really make him ask about it. He, too, takes a while. The fever is gone, but his back and arms are still giving him a bit of a hard time.] How big is it? [The top floor. He hasn't been up there yet.

As for the rest, sounds good to him.]

[ Maybe Lance is just a little tired, too. Even though it-- it does hurt. Quite a lot actually. Ah well, he's gonna sit down again and rest his feet when there's time. For now, he stretches, fingers laced and hands way up above his head before he drops them again with a sigh. ]

It's-- it's three bedrooms and a bathroom. No attic, I think, but I didn't look too hard. One of the bedrooms might've been for a kid.

[Keith looks at Lance as he stretches, trying to straighten up himself, too... and failing a little. His back hurts less the less he tries to do that. So he moves his shoulders instead, wishing that he actually had something to tie his hair up with, for once.

But well, he too ignores the pain, and starts making his way towards the stairs.] So it really was a family's home... [Three bedrooms, one for a kid...

... Where could these people be?]

[ Lance watches him fail to really straighten, but he shoves the worry down - there's nothing he can do with it. He just falls into step with him as he heads for the stairs. ]

I guess, yeah. Or like a place to stay during vacation. Or something. It seems so, I dunno, empty, doesn't it?

[It... does, doesn't it? Keith can't tell, for sure, but it does feel-- too in place. There are things here, and while Keith has no idea how a big family house would look like from the inside, it... feels like it shouldn't all be so... like this.]

Yeah.

[He passes by the table on his way to the stairs and moves his hand over it, looking at his fingers after. They're clean.] But if nobody has been here, how come the place is so tidy...?

[ Lance mostly knows the clutter of his family's home. There's photographs all over, for one thing, and trinkets they grabbed from trips, or that friends or other relatives gave them... And here there's nothing.

That, though? Lance stares at that table in passing, there's no smudge in a layer of dust here, mostly because there's no dust. ] I... dunno. Magic or something?

[Keith... doesn't really have those sort of memories. There are some pictures, of him and his dad, but that's about it. They never traveled much, either. His dad was often needed at the fire department. And the time he had off, he'd try to spend with Keith, to the best of his ability, but never really leaving their place. Nights spent with him outside, looking up at the night sky and telling stories.

... He understands it better, now. Why his dad sometimes got lost in thought, while looking up.]

Honestly?... [He starts, looking at Lance over his shoulder, before heading towards the stairs again.] ... You are probably not wrong. [What else could it be? Nothing of this makes sense.

You know.

Like magic.]

[ Lance often thinks he'd like to have more tangible, physical memories of their time in space. There are some he collected here and there. A weird seashell from the planet with the mermaids. A couple of gifts and drawings he was given from fans. Scraps of might-be-wood-might-be-metal from Olkarion. But they've seen so many places now...

Anyway, head in the game. He meets Keith's eyes as they walk up the stairs, offering another shrug. ] It's the only explanation, right? Makes about as much sense as anything else in this place. [ So, none. ]

[Keith answers with a shrug of his own. It really makes no sense. But, then again, it's the best explanation they have.

It takes a while longer than what it usually might to go up those stairs. Eventually, though, they are on the top floor, which is bigger than what Keith was imagining. It seems to cover all of the bottom floor.]

... It's a really big house.

[ Lance doesn't mind that it's slower going than it might usually be. This way it's easier to hide that his feet really hurt, even though he's pretty sure he didn't step into anything and doesn't have anything in his shoes.

He steps up next to Keith once they're upstairs, but the statement gets a confused look and a shrug from him. ] All depends on how big the family is, right?

[ He's pretty sure a family of seven wouldn't fit here without arguments. But they would fit. ] But I guess so, yeah.

[For now, Keith can't really tell that something is wrong with Lance. He remembers him going out for a swim earlier - Keith had been trying to sleep the rest of the discomfort away - but he looked fine, happy and refreshed when he got back.

Turning to the left, there are two doors, and Keith starts making his way to the left one.] ... I guess. [He makes a good point, of course.

To Keith, this place is huge, even for four people. Then again, so was the Castle of Lions. And it was all of them in there.]

[ He was! He was refreshed. Even though there was something about that swim that was just off. Just... yeah, he doesn't really want to address it. He's not going to let this place ruin swimming of all things.

He just moves with Keith, following along. Looking together might take more time, but it's more thorough too, and they've got nothing but time. ] Maybe it feels bigger 'cause it's just us.

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